Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself, Part 3 (1 of 3)

Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself · Part 3 (1 of 3)

p. 271III.

Of the third Article. Touching the forme and nature and manner of drawing: 1. Its a question,Wherein the drawing consisteth. Whether this drawing be Justification, or Sanctification? Antinomians say its both: But withall, both is one, (say they.)

Answer.

Posit. 1. Drawing is relative to running and walking, Cant. 1.4. Now this is rather in acts of Sanctification, and in running in the wayes of Gods commandements, Psal. 119.32. then in Justification, though coming goe for an act of beleeving and approaching to Christ, Joh. 6.44. and so excludes not faith.

Pos. 2. It is most unsound to affirme, that Justification and Regeneration are all one;Libertines falsly t…ach, that justification and regeneration is one. for this must confound all acts flowing from Justification, with those that flow from Regeneration, or the infused habit of Sanctification. 1. Justification is an indivisible act; the person is but once for all justified, by grace. But Sanctification is a continued daily act. 2. Justification doth not grow; the sinner is either freed from the guilt of sin, and justified, or not freed; there is not a third. But in Sanctification, wee are said to grow in grace, 2 Pet. 3.14. and advance p. 272in sanctification: nor is it ever consummate and perfect, so long as we beare about a body of sin.

Pos. 3. To repent, to mortifie sin, is not to condemne all our works, Town. Assertion of Grace, pag 115, 116. Repentance and Mortification are some other thing then Faith.(as M. Town saith) righteousnesse, and judgement, and our best things in us, and then by faith to flie to grace; nor is it to distrust our owne righteousnesse, and embrace Christs in the promise. 1. Because this is faith; and the Scripture saith, wee are justified by faith. 2. We receive Christ by faith, Joh. 1.12. (3.) Wee receive and embrace the promise by faith, Heb. 11.11. and were perswaded of them. 4. Wee are to beleeve without staggering, Rom. 4.19. (5.) Wee have peace of conscience through faith, Rom. 5.1. (6.) By faith wee have accesse into this grace, wherein wee stand, Rom. 5.2. And boldnesse to enter into the holy of holiest, and draw neare to our High Priest, with full assurance of faith, Heb. 10.19, 20, 21, 22. Now wee are not justified by repentance and morti…ication; wee neither receive Christ, nor embrace the promises by repentance. The Apostle requireth in repentance, sorrow, carefulnesse to eschew sin, clearing, indignation, feare, zeale, desire, revenge, 2 Cor. 7.10, 11. but no where doth the Scripture require this as an ingredient of repentance, that wee have boldnesse and accesse, and full assurance: nor doe Antinomians admit, that by repentance wee have peace, or pardon, but this they ascribe to faith.

How farre the Law draweth a sinner to Christ.A second Question is, How farre the Law can draw a sinner to Christ? Antinomians tell us of a Legall drawing and conversion, and of an Evangelike drawing; the Legall drawing, they say, is ours; the latter theirs.

Asser. 1. The difference between the letter of the Law, and the Gospel,Both Law and Gospel in the letter equally unable to draw a sinner to Christ. is not in the manner of working; for the letter of either Law or Gospel, is alike uneffectuall and fruitlesse to draw any to Christ. Christ preached the Gospel to hard-hearted Pharisees, it moved them not. Moses preached the Law and the curses thereof to the stiffe-necked Jewes, and they were as little humbled. Sounds and syllables of ten hells, of twenty heavens and Gospels, without the Spirits working, are alike fruitlesse. And wee grant the Law is a sleepy Keeper of a captive sinner; hee may either steale away from his Keeper, or if hee be awed with his Keeper, hee is not kept from any spirituall, internall breach of the Law, nor moved thereby to sincere and spirituall p. 273walking. But the difference between Law and Gospel, is not in the internall manner of working, but in two other things. 1. In the matter contained in Law and Gospel: because nature is refractory to violence,The difference betweene the Law and Gospel, in the matter, not in that manner of …o…king that Antinomians conceive. and the Law can doe nothing but curse sinners, therefore it can draw no man to Christ. The Gospel againe containes sweet and glorious promises of giving a new heart, to the elect; of admitting to the Prince of peace, laden and broken-hearted mourners in Sion; and in conferring on them a free imputed righteousnesse; and this is in it selfe a taking-way; but without the Gospel-spirit utterly ineffectuall. 2. To the Gospel there is a Spirit added, which worketh as God doth, with an omnipotent pull; and this Spirit doth also use the Law to prepare and humble; though this be by an higher power then goeth along with the Law, as the Law.

Asser. 2. The Gospel-love of Christ freeth a captive from under the Law, as a Curser, and delivers him over to the Law, How law and love work dive…sly.as to a Pedagogue to lead him to Christ, and as to an Instructer to rule and lead him when hee is come to Christ. Love is the immediate and nearest lord; Law the mediate and remote lord. Love biddeth the man doe all for Christ; the Law now of it selfe, because of our sinfulnesse, is a bitter and soure thing; but now the Law is dipped in Christs Gospel-love, and is sugared and honeyed, and evangelized with Free grace, and receives a new forme from Christ, and is become sweeter then the honey and the honey-combe, to draw and perswade: and all the Law is made a new Commandement of love, and a Gospel-yoak, sweet and easie; but still the Law obligeth justified men to obedience, not onelyonly for the matter of it, but for the supreme authority of the Lawgiver; now Christ, who came to fulfill, not to dissolve the Law, doth not remove this authority, but addeth a new bond of obligation, from the tye of Redemption in Jesus Christ, and we are freed from the curse of the Law. 2. The rigid exaction of obedience, every way perfect. 3. The seeking of life and justification by the Law.

Asser. 3. There be two things in the Law.A power to command, and a power to pun…sh, are two d…fferent powers. 1. The authority and power to command, direct, and regulate the creature to an end, in acts of righteousnesse and holinesse. 2. A secondary authority, to punish eternally the breakers of the Law, and to reward those that obey. These are two different things; suppose Adam had never sinned, the Law had been the Law; p. 274and suppose Adam had never obeyed, the Law also should have been the Law, and in the former case, there should have been no punishment, in the latter no reward. Antinomians confound these two. M^r. Towne saith, It cannot be said, that my spirit doth that voluntarily, Pag. 137.which the command of the Law bindeth and forceth unto. It is one thing for a man at his owne free lyberty to keepe the Kings high way of the Law; and another to keepe it by pales and ditches, that he cannot without danger goe out of it. It cannot be denyed, but that the Gospel both chargeth or aweth us to beleeve in Christ, and to bring forth good fruits, worthy of Christ, except wee would bee hewen downe, and cast into the fire; and also that Grace worketh Faith, and to will, and to doe; and so voluntary obedience and obligation of a command, may as well consist, as bearing Christs yoak, and soule-rest; yea, and delight, and joy unspeakable, and glorious, may be and are in one regenerate person. Crisp and his followers are farre wide, for Christ dyed freely, out of extreame love, and yet he dyed out of a command laid on him, to lay downe his life for his sheep, though no penall power was above Christs head, to punish him if he should not dye, Joh. 10.18. Nor was there need of any power to force him sub penâ, or to awe him, if hee should not obey; so doe Angels, with wings of most exact willingnesse, obey God, yet are they under the authority of a Law, and command, but yet under no compelling punishment, Psalm. 103.20.21. Psalm. 104.4. So in the Saints love hath changed the chaines, not the subjection.H…w love and law work in us now. Love hath made the Law silken cords; and whereas corrupt will was a wicked Landlord, and lust a lawlesse tyrant, and the Law had a dominion over the sinner, in regard of the curse. Now the Spirit leades the will under the same commanding power of the Law-giver, frees the sinner from the curse, and turnes forcing and cursing power in fetters of love; so that the Spirit draws the will sweetly to obey the same Lord, the same law, onelyonly Christ hath taken the rod out of the Lawes hand, and the rod was broken and spent on his own back. The fewd betweene the Law and the sinner is not so irreconcilable, as the Antinomians conceive, so as it cannot bee removed, except the Law be destroyed, and the sinners free will loosed from law. It standeth in blessing, and cursing; salvation, and damnation: that are effects of the Law as observed, or violated. p. 275Now, Christ was made a curse, and condemned to die for the sinner; all the rest of the Law remaines. It is most false that M. Towne saith, To justifie and condemne are as proper and essentiall to the Law, as to command. 2. It is false that wee are freed from active obedience to the Morall Law, because Christ came under active obedience to the Morall Law; for the Law required obedience out of love. Antinomians cannot say, that wee are freed from obedience out of love; for it is cleare, Antinomians will have us oblieged by no Law to love our brother; to abstaine from worldly lusts, that warre against the soule; but in so doing, wee must seek to be justified by the works of the Law. This consequence wee deny. To keep one Ceremony of Moses drawes a bill on us of debt to keep all the Ceremoniall Law; because now its unlawfull in any sort. But to doe the duties of the Morall Law, as by Christ wee are enabled, layes no such debt on us, but testifies our thankfulnesse to Christ, as to our Husband and Redeemer.

The other considerable thing here, is the way and manner of Christs drawing.

Asser. 1. The particular exact knowledge of the Lords manner of drawing of sinners,The particular manner of drawing is unknown to us. may be unknowne to many that are drawn. 1. In the very works of nature, the growing of bones in the womb, is a mystery; farre more the way of the Spirit, Eccles. 11.5. Know yee the ballancing of the clouds? Job could not answer this. And who knowes how the Lord patched together a peece of red clay, and made it a fit shape to receive an heavenly and immortall spirit? and at what window the soule came in?God is various in his dispensation, in drawing sou…e …, some r…ughly, some that to their sense they can tell you day and hour they were borne over againe; others are drawne, but know not when, where, or how. 2. How God with one key of omnipotency hath opened so many millions of doores sin…e the Creation, and hath drawne so many to him, must be a mystery. There be many sundry locks, and many various turnings and throwings of the same key, and but one key. 1. Some Christ drawes by the heart, as Lydia, Matthew: Love sweetly and softly bloweth up the doore, and the King is within doores in the floore of the house before they be aware. Others Christ trailes and draggeth by violence, rather by the haire of the head, then by the heart, as the Jayler, Act. 16. and Saul, Act. 9. who are plunged over eares in hell, and pulled above water by the haire of the head: sure thousands doe weare a crowne of glory before the throne, who were never at making of themselves away by killing themselves, p. 276as the Jayler was. A third sort know they are drawne, but how, or when, or the Mathematicall point of time, they know not: some are full of the Holy Ghost from the womb, as John Baptist. Yee must not cast off all, nor must Saints say they are none of Christs, because they cannot tell you histories and wonders of themselves, and of their owne conversion: some are drawne by miracles, some without miracles; the word of God is the Road-way. Arminians have no ground to deny that wee are irresistibly converted, because wee know not the particular way how Omnipotency conspireth strongly, but sweetly, to win consent, without internall violence of our will, which so wills, as it may refuse. Joh. 9. diverse times the Jewes aske the blind man, What did hee to thee, how opened hee thine eyes? Hee gives them one sure and true Answer, One thing I know, once I was blind, now I see. All can give this testimony, early or late, I know I am drawn. Its good the soule can say, Christ is here, I find him and feele him; but whether hee came in at the doore, or the window, or digged a hole in the wall, I know not. All may know they were blind as well as others, and by nature the children of wrath; as yee know Adam hath had a building in you, (though now yee be renewed in the spirit of the mind) by the old stones and rubbish in the house, and by the stirrings of the old man: When yee see the bones of a halfe dead man, and his grave, and find some warmnesse of life and heat, yee know there hath been life and strength in the man; so though yee cannot tell when Christ was first formed in you, yet yee find the bones and some warme bloud, and some life-stirring of concupiscence in the old man, though Christ have made his grave, and hee be well neare compleatly buried, and his one foot in the grave. God hath appointed a time for the coming of the Swallow; a season when flowers shall be on the earth, and when not; an houre when the sea shall be full tyde; but there is no set day, not a determinate and set summer known to us, when the wind shall blow up doores and locks of the soule, and Christ shall come in. But yet they are not Christs who neither know how they are drawn, nor can give any proofs that they are drawne. The Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 2.12. Now wee have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God. The converted can say, I was such a man, p. 2771 Tim. 1.13. foreign, but I obtained mercy; or, I was all be-mercied, filled with mercy.A confluence of mercy in conversion. As Ezek. 16. foreign Thy time was a time of loves. As a constellation is not one single starre, but many; so the converted soule observeth a confluence, a bundle, an army of free loves, all in one cluster, meeting and growing upon one stalk: As to be borne where the voyce of the Turtle is heard in the land, its free love; to heare such a Sermon, free love; that the man spake such an excellent word, free love; that I was not sleeping when it was spoken, free love; that the Holy Ghost drove that word into the soule, as a nayle fastened by the Master of the assembly, it was free mercy: so that there's a meeting of shining favours of God, in obtaining mercy; and this would be observed.

Asser. 2. There be two ordinary wayes of God, in drawing sinners: one Morall, by words; another Physicall and reall, Two wayes of drawing sinners; Morall, and Physicall.by strong hand. Which may be cleared thus: Fancie, led with some gilding of apparent or seeming good, as hope of food, doth allure and draw the bird to the grin; and sometime pleasure, as a glasse, and the singing of the Fowler: So is fish drawne to nibble at the angle and lines cast out, hoping to get food. Now this is like Morall drawing in men; and all this is but objective, working on the fancy. But when the foot and wing of the bird is entangled with the net, and the fish hath swallowed down the bait, and an instrument of death under it, now the Fowler draweth the bird, and the Fisher the fish, a farre other way, even by reall violence. The Physician makes the sick child thirsty, then allures him to drink physick, under the notion of drink to quench his thirst: this is morall drawing of the child by wiles. But when the child hath drunk, the drink works not by wiles, or morally, but naturally, without freedome, and whether the child will or no, it purgeth head and stomack.

That there is a Morall working by the word, in the drawing of sinners to Christ, though most evident, yet must be proved against Antinomians and Enthusiasts, who (a)(a)Rise, …eign, &c. er. 9. pag. 2.write, That the whole letter of the Scripture holds forth a covenant of works. And, (b)(b)Er. 39. pag. 8,The due search and knowledge of the holy Scripture, is not a safe and sure way of searching and finding Christ. And, (c)(c)Er. 40. pag. 8.There is a testimony of the Spirit, and voyce unto the soule, meerly immediate, without any respect unto, or concurrence with p. 278the word. And, (d)(d)Francis Cornwell, A Conference of M. Cotton at Boston, with the Elders of New-England. Pag. 17, 18. Libertines deny all morall working of the word.Such a faith as is wrought by a practicall Syllogisme, or the word of God, is but an humane faith; because the conclusion followeth but from the strength of reasonings, or reason, not from the power of God, by which alone divine things are wrought; Ephes. 1.19, 20. Col. 2.20. and that because such a faith wrought by the word, the works (of sanctification in the regenerate) and light of a renewed conscience, are all done by things that are created blessings and gifts; and these cannot produce that which is onelyonly produced by an Almighty power. For the word of it selfe without the Spirit, (yet the word is more then works of sanctification) is but a dead letter; but that God works faith by the word, his owne Spirit concurring, is cleare.

11. The Prophets alledge this for their warrant, Thus saith the Lord. That there is a morall working of the wor….Ergo, You must beleeve it. And one more and greater then all the Prophets, But I say, so Christ God equall with the Father speaketh.

2. Rom. 10.17. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by 2the word of God. Verse 14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard? Its true, the word, the works of God, are not the principall object of faith, nor objectum quod; faith rests onelyonly on God, and the Lord Jesus, Joh. 14.1. 1 Thes. 1.8. Your faith toward God. 1 Pet. 1.21. Deut. 1.32. Joh. 3.12. Gen. 15.6. Dan. 6.23. Rom. 4.3. Gal. 2.16. 2 Tim. 1.12. The word, promises, and Prophets and Apostles, are all creatures, and but media fidei, the meanes of saving faith: they are objectum quo, Joh. 5.46. Psal. 106.12. Exod. 4.8. Psal. 78.7. of themselves they are dead letters, and dead things, and cannot without the Spirit produce faith: Yea, all habits of grace, of faith, of love, in us, are like the streames of a fountaine that would dry up of themselves, if the spring did not, with a sort of eternity, furnish them new supply; so would habits of grace, being but created things, wither in us, if they were not supplied from the Fountaine Christ. And all beings created, in comparison of the first Being, are nothing; and all nations to him are lesse then nothing, and vanity, Isai. 40.17. and so are the infused habits of grace nothing. If this were the meaning of Familists and Antinomians, who say that there is in us no inherent grace, but that grace is onelyonly in Christ, we should not contend with them. Wee teach no such thing, as that Reasonings, Syllogismes, or the p. 279Scriptures, without the Spirit can produce Faith, yet is it vaine arguing, to say raine, and dew, the Summer-Sunne, good soyle cannot bring forth roses, floures, vines, cornes; because sure, it is a worke of Omnipotencie, that produceth all these; and so its vaine to say, that because Faith is the worke of the omnipotencie of Grace. therefore Faith commeth not by hearing, and reasoning from Scripture: the contrary whereof is evident in Christs proving of the resurrection, by consequence from Scripture, Mat. 22.31, 32. Luk. 20.37.…8. Nor can any say, Christ may make discourses from Scripture, and his reasonings, because he is the King of the Church, are valid, and may produce faith, but we cannot doe the like, nor are our reasonings, Scriptures; for Christ r…buketh the Saduces, Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures, &c. because they beleeved not the consequences of Scripture as Scripture, and made not the like discourse, for the building of themselves in the faith.

3. The searching of the Scriptures is life eternall, the onelyonly 3way to find Christ. Joh. 5.39. Acts 10.43. Rom. 3.21. Esai 8.20.

4. Gen. 9.27. God shall perswade Japhet (by the Scriptures 4preached) and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, Acts 16.14. Gods opening of the heart, and Lydia's hearing and attending to the word that Paul spoke, goe together.

5. The way of Enthusiasts, in rejecting both Law and Gospel, 5and all the written word of God, Inspirations without Scripture, vaine.is because there is no light in them. Some immediate sense of God, and working of the holy Ghost, on the soule of the child of God, witnessing to me in particular, that I am the child of God, I deny not, and that my name expressely is not in Scripture, is as true; but this testimony excludeth not the Scripture, as if the searching thereof were 1no safe way of finding Christ, as they blasphemously say, 1. 2Because this Enthusiasme, excludeth the onelyonly revealed rule,Some Propheticall impulsions have beene in many of our first Reformers and others that succeeded them but these are not ordinary rules of rejecting Scriptures. by which we trie the Spirits, and we are forbidden to presume above that which is written, 1 Cor. 4.16. and Enthusiasts have acted murthers, and much wickednesse under this notion of inspirations of the Spirit. 2. Because if the matter of that which is revealed, be not according to the written Word; Now after the Scriptrue is signed by Christs owne hand, Revel. 22.18. I see not what we are to beleeve of these inspirations. What extraordinary impulsions, and propheticall instincts have been in p. 280holy men, and such as God hath raised to reforme his Churches, can be no rule to us. 3. If there be any marke of Scripturall 3sanctification, that doth not agree to Scripture, the rule of righteousnesse, though found in a person not mentioned in Scripture, its a delusion. 4. Its all the reason in the world, 4that a sinner be drawn to Christ. For Christ is the most rationall object that is,Christ is a rationall object he being the wisdome of God. And man is led and taken with reason. Christ is a convincing thing, and invincibly bindeth reason: so the forlorne Sonne, before he returne to his Father, argueth, Luke 15.17. My Father hath bread, he giveth it to servants, and I am a starving Son; therefore I'le returne to my Father; and the wise Merchant must discourse, Matth. 13.45, 46. Christ is a precious pearle, all that I have in the world are but common stones and clay to him; therefore I cast my account thus, to sell all, and to buy him. So Matth. 9.21. the diseased Woman hath heart-Logick within her self,Sinners ar…ue …re th… …ee dr…wne to Christ. if a touch of the border of his garment may heale me, then Ile goe to Christ; and the unjust Steward, cast Syllogism…s, thus; I cannot worke, and a lodging in heaven I must have, and there is but one way to come by it, to make mee a friend in heaven. Yea, a fooles paradise, a wedge of gold, is a strong reason. Prov. 7.21. The Whore forced the young man with guilded words and the out-side of reason. Faith is the deepest and soundest understanding, the gold, the floure of reason. Christ can make me a King, therefore Ile be drawne to him. Poore Adam out-witted himselfe, turned distracted, he studied an aple, so while hee studied all his postrity out of their wits, and now wee are borne foreign, mad fooles, Tit 3.3. What is the Gospel? but a masse, a Sea, a world of faire, and precious truthes, that sayes, come borne-Idiots to wisdome, and be made eternall Kings: this is good reason. For the other way of drawing, we shall speake of it here-after.

Asser. 3. In words and oratory there is no power, to make the blinde see, and the dead live. Will yee preach heaven, and Christ seven times, and let Angels preach above a dead mans grave, Yee doe just nothing. But Christs word is more then a word. Joh. 4.10. Jesus said, if thou knewest that gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, give me drinke, thou wouldest have asked of him, and hee would have given p. 281thee living water. Psalm. 119.33. Teach mee, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I shall keepe it unto the end. Psalm▪ 9.10. Those that know thy name, will put their trust in thee. Christ said, but, Follow me, to Mathew. And I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud, live. Ezech. 16.6. One word live, is with child of omnipotencie; Majesty, and heaven, and glory lie in the wombe of one world, when Christ speaks as Christ, he speaks pounds and talent-weights, Luk. 24.32. The Disciples going to Emans, say one to another; did not our hearts burne within us, while he talked with us by the way, The oratory of Christ is effectuall.and while he opened to us the Scriptures? There bee co…es of fire, and fire-brands in Christs words. Christ is quick of understanding, to know what word is the fittest key, to shoote the yron barre that keepes th… heart closed; he opens seal…s on the heart with authority, violence may break up sealed letters, but it may be unjustly done; but authority can open Kings seales justly. Christ not onelyonly teacheth how to love, or modum rei, but hee teacheth Love it selfe, he draweth a lump of love out of his owne heart, and casts it in the sinners heart; the Spirit perswadeth God, Gal. 1.10. then hee must perswade Christ, and perswade heaven, this is more then to speake perswasive words of God and Christ, it is to cast Christ in at the eare, and in the bottome of the heart, with words. Men open things that they may be plaine to the understanding, Christ opens the faculty it selfe to understand. The Sunne gives light, but cannot create eyes to see, Christ can whole the broken optick nerves. He creates both the Sunne, and tyes a knot upon the broken eye-strings, that the blind man sees bravely.

Asser. 4.Christs m…ver … …s thr…ugh love. One generall is unseparable from Christs drawing, that for the manner of drawing, he doth it out of meere free Love. The principle of drawing on Christs part, is great love. Ephes. 2.4. God rich in mercy, for his great love, foreign. Wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sinne quickned us in Christ. Tit. 3.4.Christs love …, is 1. V…ol…t. 2. … 4. Re…ll. 5 Lov…ly. …. But when the b…unty, and man-love, or rather, the man-kindnesse of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us. Thankes to the birth of love, and of felt love Col. 1.12, 13. Giving thanks to the Father foreign who hath delivered, who hath snatched us with haste and violence, from the power of darkenesse, and hath translated us to the kingdome of the Sonne of his love. …. This p. 282love hath in regard of his fervour, much haste, and loseth no time,Christs love sp…edy and swift a… a Roe. but comes and drawes, and pulls the sinner out of hell, before he be past recovery, and cold dead; as a Father seeing his child fall in the water, and wrestling with the proud floods, he runnes, ere he be dead, out of hand to pull him out. Luk. 15.10. The Father ranne and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The Fathers running saith, that the love of Christ hath need of haste to prevent a sinner, and that hee is eager and hot in his love; when Christ runnes to save, hee would gladly save; he drawes with good will, when he runnes and sweats to come in the nick of due time to save: So Cant. 2.8. when he commeth to save his Church, or comfort her in her faintings, loves pace is swift, like the running of a Roe or a young Hart. Behold he commeth leaping upon the mountaines, In drawing there is l…ss… will then in leading.skipping on the hills. And it is an expression of the extreme desire that Christ hath of an union with us, and how faine hee would have the company of sinners: So wee difference between inviting or calling; yea, or leading and drawing in calling and leading; Christ leaveth more to our will, whether we will come or refuse, but in drawing there is more of violence, lesse of will.

3. In drawing there is love-sicknesse, and lovely paine … 1in Christs ravishings. 1. When Christ cannot obtaine and winne the consent and good-liking of the sinner to his love, he ravisheth, and with strong hand drawes the sinner to himselfe, when invitations doe not the businesse, and he knocks, and we will not open,Christ dr…wes, powerfully, compassionatly, patiently. then a more powerfull work must follow. Cant. 5.4. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore, and my bowels were moved for him. Christ drives such as will not 2be led. 2. And these who will not be invited, he must draw them, rather then want them: he drawes with compassion, as being overcommed with love; for his bowels are moved for Ephraim, Jer. 31. he drawes while his armes bleed. 3. And 3does not onelyonly knock, but he stands and knocks, Revel. 3.20. His standing, notes his importunity of mercy, how gladly hee would be in, and he useth this as an argument to moove his Spouse, out of humanity, to pitty him, and give him one nights lodging in the soule, Cant. 5.2. Open to mee, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. Why, I stand long, I wait on in patience, forcing my love on you. For my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. Every p. 283word is love, Open, open my sister, I am a brother, not a stranger; open my love, for I have interest in thee, every word is a talent weight of free grace.

4. Not onelyonly is drawing an expression of his love of union 4with sinners; for he beares the sinner, he translates the sinner foreign, he gives the sinner a lift to set him out of one countrey into another, into a farre choiser land, out of a land of death, into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne, Col. 1.13. And the little lambes that have no leggs of their own, Christ shall bee leggs to them. Esai 40.11. He shall gather the little lambes (and so the Hebrew) with his arme, and carry them in his bosome. I should wish no higher happinesse out of heaven, then to bee carried in the circle of Christs armes, and to lye with the lambes, in his bosome, and be warmed with the heart-love, that comes out of his breast. foreign is to carry on the shoulders; and Aaron is said in the same word, Exod. 28. to carry the names of the children of Israel on his breast, as a man is said to carry his child in his armes, Deut. 1.31. And Christ, Luk. 15.5. finding the lost sheep, layeth it on his shoulders, rejoycing. Legges I have none (saith the sinner) and so cannot goe to the new kingdome. What then (saith Christ) I have leggs and armes both for you, to serve you. Ile beare you if yee can neither lead nor drive. A sinner is as heavie as a mountaine of yron, and cannot bee drawne or borne, but they be heavie lumps of hell that Christ cannot beare to heaven. Christs love hath mighty armes, and great and strong bones. Christ now above five thousand yeares hath been carrying tyred lambes up to heaven, in ones and twoes, and is not yet wearied, of bringing up his many children to glory, and will not rest till there bee not one lambe of all the flock out of that great and capacious fold; and drawne they must bee, whom Christs love draweth. Christs love is not so loose in griping as to misse any he intends to put in his bosome.

5. The particular way of loves drawing is lovely and sweetly, and with strong allurements.Redemption and drawing by free love sweeter, then by strict law.

1 Redemption is a sweet word to a captive, but Redemption by Law is not so sweet, as Redemption by Love. For Redemption is nothing comparable to Redemption dipt and watered p. 284with free love, I ought no more to be Redeemed, then the damed Devils, Christ is not my debtor, he owes me nothing, but eternall vengeance…; neverthelesse, he out of onelyonly strong love, Redeemed me. O this is two Redemptions.

2. Drawing by free and strong love is an easie worke, and 2so is it easie to be drawn;Drawi…g stro…g and easie: … consenti…g to be draw…, a…d there, an end. because all works of love are easie, as the act of marrying is no great paine, the Solemnities and Ceremonies of marriage are more toylsome th…n Marriage it selfe. All the right Mariages in the world are made by love; a…d th…re is no more, but I consent, I say Amen, to have Christ for my husband, and he saith Hosea 3.3. Captive woman bought for fifteene pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an halfe, thou shalt be for me, and not for another, and I will also be for thee, and ther's an end. Christs chariot runn…s on wheeles of love, and the pace is soft and sweet.

3. The way of loves working through delight is sweet, to 3the drawn soule, when Christ hands the heart, and the love of Christs soft fingers grasps about the soule, how alluring and captivating is Christ;The way of loves working through delight, is sweet and conquering when he comes in to the heart, his fingers drop pure myrrhe. What honey, or what heaven drops are these? Christs honey-combe was gathered, and made out of that floure that incomparable rose, never planted with hands, out of Christ himselfe, from the bottome of eternity, from the head and root of infinite ages, which have neither head nor bottome, and out of Christ freely loving, freely chusing the creature to himself. Cant. 1.3. Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment powred forth, therefore doe the Virgins love thee. Cant. 5.11. Christs head is of most fine gold. What thinke ye of the golden and choise eminencies that are in Christ? of a clothing of increated glory that goes about Christ? Cant. 2.3. I sate downe under his shaddow, w…th great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. Christs love casteth so sweet a smell, that his love leades not, but drawes, yet loves cords are softer then oyle. The honey of Christs love was gathered out of the floures that grow in that highest mountaine of roses, a larger field of floures then ten millions of earths, and out of the faire blossomes, and sweet heavenly sop of the tree of life; the glorie of Lebanon, and excellencie of Sharon, is nothing to this. Bring all your senses, see, heare, feele, tast, and smell, what transcendent sweetnesse of heaven is in this love; a Sea of love is p. 285nothing, it hath a bottome; a heaven of love is nothing, it hath a brim; but infinite love hath no bounds.

4. Love drawes strongly and irresistibly: Christ never woo'd a soule with his free love, but he wins the love and heart. Death and the grave and hell are conquering things for strength, and have subdued huge multitudes, since the Creation; but the love of Christ is stronger and more constraining, Cant. 8.6, 7. The coals of love burn more strongly then any other fire. The flames and coals of God are mighty hot; they burnt up hell and death to ashes: how much more will they take a sinner? Christ cast out coals of love with that word, Matthew, follow me: and there is no resisting, hee arose and followed him. Christs love drawes till hee bleed, and hee loves till hee die of love. His love must prevaile, for Omnipotency was in it. Had there been ten thousand worlds more of sinners, Christ hath love for them all. And had the elect world had ten thousand millions more of rebellions then they have, all these sins should have been infinitely below the conquering power of Christs love. Never sinner went to hell Victor, to …ay, Love could not pardon me; I was in sinne above Christs omnipotency of love. Never sinner went to heaven, but Christs love had the better of him. Great heaven is but an house full of millions of vanquished captives, that Christs love followed, and over-took, and subdued. O loves prisoners, praise, praise the Prince of love. Sense of this love so swells and so ascends, that the Spouse, Cant. 5.10. is not Master of words: every word is like a mountaine, if you come to his Person, Nature, Offices; none speak like Christ, none breathe like him; Mirrhe, Aloes, and Cinamon, all the perfumes, Evincing and binding lovelinesse in Christ, in divers respects.all the trees of frankincense, all the powders of the Merchants, that Assyria, or Egypt, or what Countreys else ever had, are but short and poore shadowes to him: These are but hungry generalls. 2. For beauty hee hath no match amongst men;The vertues of Christ. because hee is fairer then all the sonnes of men. Christ hath a most goodly face. But of this hereafter. 3. For the sweetnesse and excellency of nature, hee's God equall with the Father: when yee say God; yee say all things. God is a taking and a drawing excellency: The image of the invisible God; hee that is, hee that was, and hee which is to come, the Alpha and Omega, the be…inning and the end, the first and the last, of time, of creation, of what possible excellency wee can conceive; for our conception p. 286can reach no higher then time, and created things. 4. For greatnesse of Majesty. 5. For lowlinesse of tender love. 6. For freeness… of grace. 7. For glory diffused through all his Attributes. 8. For soveraignty and absolutenesse of power, &c. who is like to our Lord Jesus? Sweet relations in Christ.9. For sweetnesse and lovelinesse of relations; the onelyonly begotten Son of God, no relation like this: The Creator of the ends of the earth, the Saviour, the good Shepherd, the Redeemer, the great Bishop of our soules, the Angel of the Covenant, the head of the body the Church, and of Principalities and Powers, the King of Ages, the Prince of peace, of the Kings of the earth; the living Ark of heaven, the Song of Angels and glorified Saints, but they cannot outsing him; the Joy and Glory of that land, the Flower and Crown of the Fathers de…ights, the sweet Rose of that Garden of solace and joy. Compare other things with Christ, and they beare no weight: cast into the ballance with him Angels, and hee is Wisdome, they but wise Men; they are liars, and lighter then vanity, and Christ is the Amen, the faithfull Witnesse, the expresse Image of the Fathers substantiall glory: Cast into the scales kings, all kings, and all their glory, hee is the King of all these kings. Cast in millions of talents weight of glory, and gaine, they are but bits of paper, and chaffe, weight they have none to him. Cast in two worlds, that is nothing; adde to the weight millions of heavens of heavens, the ballance cannot downe, the scales are unequall; Christ is a huge over-weight.

To all these drawing powers in Christ, in the generall, because Christ is the Master and King of the Land, where his owne created kings dwell, wee may adde a strong drawing argument, from the condition of the glorified in heaven; because Christ useth this as a strong argum…nt to those that come to him,Christs Kingdome a drawi…g thing, in divers considerations. Joh. 6.37. Isai. 55.3. Joh. 5.40. Mat. 11.26. Revel. 21.6. & 22.17. wee may use it after him. The Earth is but a Potters house, that is full of earth…n-pots and Venice-glasses, and withall taken by a Conqueror, who can make no other use of these vessels, but break them all to sheards; it cannot be a drawing and alluring thing. Death hath conquered the earth, and these many hundred Ages hath been breaking of the clay-pots, both men and other corruptible things, into broken chips and pieces of dust. But Christ draweth, by offering a more enduring City: That Christ can give, and promiseth heaven to his followers, is p. 287a strong argument, and drawes powerfully. 1. Heaven is not one single Palace, but its a City; a Metropolis, a Mother-City, ·1the first City of Gods Creation, for dignity and glory; Revel. 21. chap. 22. But a City is too little; therefore its more, its a Kingdome, Luk. 12.32. & 22.23. Yea but a Kingdome may be too little; therefore its a World, Luk. 20.35. It is a World, and for eminency, a World to come; Heb. 6.5. the World of Ages. 2. The lowest stones of it are not earth, as 2our Cities here, but twelve manner of precious stones are the foundation of it. 3. In what City in the earth doe men walke 3upon Gold? or dwell within walls of Gold? But under the feet of the inhabitants there is Gold; all the streets and fields of that Kingdome and World are, Revel. 21.21. Pure gold, as it were transparent glasse. 4. Then all the inhabitants are kings, 4Revel. 22.5. And they shall reigne for ever and ever. Whole heaven intirely and fully enjoyed by one glorified Saint, as if there were not one but this one person alone; all and every one hath the whole Kingdome at his will, and is filled with God, as if there were no fellowes there to share with him. 5. O so broad and large as that Land is, being the heaven of 5heavens! As the greater circle must containe the lesse, so all the dwellings here are but caves under the earth, and hol…s of poor clay, in the bosome of this. But there are many dwelling places, Joh. 14. and there lodges so many thousand Kings. O what faire fields, mountaines of roses and spices, gardens of length and breadth above millions of myles are nothing; and among these, trees of Paradise; every bird in every bush sings, Worthy is the Lamb; every bottle is filled with the new wine of heaven: O the wines, the lillies, the roses, the precious trees that grow in Immanuels Land! And they sweat out balme of prais…s in those mountaines. 6. If men knew what a drawing 6and alluring thing is the tree of life, that is in the midst of the street of the new Land,Christ himself the drawingst Lover in heaven; and his vertues againe holden forth. the tree that beareth at once twelve …nner of fruits, and yeeldeth her fruit every monethmonth; an hundred harvests in one yeare are nothing here; and all are but shadowes, there is nothing so low as gold, as twelve manner of precious stones, nothing so base in this high and glorious Kingdome as gardens, trees, and the like: Comparisons are created shadowes, that come not up to expresse the glory of the thing. And for Christ himselfe, signified under this expression, hee is p. 288the most, yea the onelyonly drawing glory in heaven and earth. 1. Hee is the High King of all the made and crowned kings in 1the Land. 2. The onelyonly heaven and summe, yea the all of all 2the shadowed expressions of the Kingdome, whatever is spoken of that glory comes home to this, to magnifie Christ, to make him as God equall with the Father and Spirit, all one; and all the onelyonly heaven of all heaven, and all in all, to the Saints. Then created delights there, as divided from him, must be nothing in nothing, as hee is all in all. 3. Nothing can take the eyes and 3hearts of the glorified, being now made so capacious and wide vessels to containe glory, as hee can doe. What can terminate, bound, and lill a glorified soule, but Christ enjoyed? Abraham, Moses, Elias, the Prophets, the Apostles, all the glorified Martyrs and Witnesses of Jesus Christ, especially now being clothed with majesty and glory with Christ, must be more lovely objects then when they were on earth, and if Christ were not there, would appeare more then they doe; but the Saints have neither leasure nor heart to feed themselves with beholding of creatures, but sure all the eyes in heaven, which are a faire and numerous company, are upon, onelyonly, onelyonly Jesus Christ: The father hath no leasure to look over his shoulder to the son, nor the husband to the wife, in that City; Christ takes all eyes off created things, there; its enough for Angels and Men to study Christ for all eternity: it shall be their onelyonly labour to read Christ, to smell Christ, to heare and see and taste Christ: All the eyes of that numerous hoast of Angels and Men shall be on him; and hee is worthy and above the admiration, the thoughts 4and apprehensions of all that heavenly Army. 4. Then Christ shall appeare a farre other Christ in heaven then we doe apprehend him now on earth; not that hee is not the same, but because neither we have eyes to see him in the Kingdome of grace as he is, (narrow vessels cannot receive Christ diffused in glory, as hee now is) nor doth Christ make out himselfe in that latitude and greatnesse to us now, as hee is to be seen and enjoyed in the heavens. 1 Joh. 3.2. We shall then see him as hee is. What, doe wee not now see him as hee is? No; wee see him as hee is in report, and shadowed out to us in the Gospel, the Gospel is the Portraiture of the King, which h…e sent to another Land to be seen by his Bride, but the Bride never seeth him as hee is, in his best Sabbath-Robe-Royall of immediate p. 289glory, till shee be married unto him: So Kings and Queens on earth wooe one another. And, 5. In heaven Christ is (to 5speak so) in the element, prime fountaine, and seat of God as God, where hee sheweth himselfe to be immediately seen and enjoyed; and its as it were by the second hand, by Messengers, words, mediation, that wee enjoy Christ here; hee sendeth to us, rather then cometh in person. An immediate touch of th… apples of the tree of life while they yet grow on the tree of life, is more then derived and borrowed communion. To see Christ himselfe, the red and white in his owne face, to heare himselfe speak, to see him as hee is, and in his robes of Majesty now at the right hand of God, is, in thousand thousand degrees, more then all the pictured (if I may so speak) and shadowed fruition we have here. The Gospel is but the Bridegrome's Mirror and Looking-glasse, and our created Prospect; but O his owne immediate perfume, his mirrhe, the oyntments and the smell that glory casteth in heaven, who can expresse? 6. We never 6see all the in-side of Christ, and the mysteries of that glorious Arke opened, till the light of glory discover him: Thousands of excellencies of Christ shall then be revealed, that wee see not now. 7. O what delights hee casteth forth from himselfe! The river of life is more then a sea of milk, wine and 7honey. To suck the brests of the consolations of Christ, and eat of the clusters that grow on that noble Vine Jesus Christ, and take them off the tree with your own hand, is a desireable and excellent thing. The more excellent the soyle is, the wines, the apples, the pomegranates, the roses, the lillies must be the more delicious; and the nearer the sun, the better; the more of summer, the more of day, the more excellent the fruits of the Land are: Beleeve it, the wines of that Paradise grow in a brave Land. O but Christ is a blessed soyle; roses and lillies, apples of love that are eternally summer-greene are sweet, that grow out of him: the honey of that Land, the honey of heaven, is more then honey; the honey of love, pure and unmixt, must be incomparable. 8. The Mediators hand wipes the foule 8face, and the teares off all the weeping strangers that come thither; hee layeth the head of a friend under his chin, between his brests. Joh. 14.3. Revel. 21.4. Death is cryed down, paine, sicknesse, crying, sadnesse, sorrow, are all acted and voted out of the House, and out from all the inhabitants of the Land, for p. 290ever and ever. 9. It must be a delightsome City that hath 9ever summer, without winter; ever day, without night; ever day-light, without sun or moon or candle-light; because the Lord God giveth them light, Revel. 22.5. No danger of sunburning or summer-scorching, or winter-blasting: all morning without twy-light, all noon-day without one cloud for eternity, is joyfull: light, and day, and summer, flowing immediatly 10from the Lamb, is admirable. 10. (1) Joy, (2) full joy, (3) fulnesse of joy, (4) pleasures, (5) pleasures that last for evermore, (6) and that at Gods right hand, yea (7) in his face, 11is above our thoughts, Psal. 16.10, 11. 11. O the musick of the Sanctuary, the sinlesse and well-tuned Psalmes, the songs of the high Temple, without a Temple or Ordinances as we have here, and these exalting him that sits on the Throne for evermore. All which, with many other considerations, are strong drawing invitations to come to Christ.

Asser. 5. Christ draweth with three sorts of Generall Arguments,Drawing arguments in Christ from beauty, gaine, honour. in this Morall way: The first is taken from pleasure; this is the beauty that is in God, 1. That is in a communion with God. 2. The delectation we have in God as love-worthy to the understanding. For the drawing beauty of God, a word: 1. Of Gods beauty. 2. Of Gods beauty in Christ. 3. Of the relative beauty of God in Christ to Men and Angels. 1. Beauty, as we take it, is the lovelinesse of face and person arising from 1. the naturall well contempered colour,Of the beauty of God. 2. the due proportion of stature and members of body, 3. the integrity of parts; as that there is nothing wanting for bodily perfection. So beauty formally is not in God, who hath not a body: Nor speake we of Christs bodily beauty, as Man. Then beauty, by analogy, and eminently, must be in God: So as there be foure things in the creature to make up beauty to the bodily eyes,Foure things in beauty that are by proportion in God. and there be, by proportion, those same foure things in God; for if beauty be good, and a desirable perfection in the creature, it must bee in an infinite and eminent way in God; as the perfection of the effect, is in the cause. If the roses, lillies, medowes be faire, hee must be fairer who created them; but in another kind. If the heavens, starres, and sunne be beautifull, the lovely Lord who made them must have their beauty in an high measure. Zech. 9.17. How great is the Lords goodnesse, how great is his beauty? What then is the beauty of God? p. 291I conceive it to be, The amenity and lovelinesse of his nature and all infinite perfections, What the beauty of God is.as this pleasantnesse offers it selfe to his owne understanding, and the understanding of men and Angels, and as bodily beauty satisfies the eies, and so acts on the heart to win love to beauty; so the truth of the Lords nature, and all his Attributes offered to the understanding and mind, and drawing from them admiration or wondering, and love is the beauty of God; David maketh this his one thing, Psal. 27.4. That (saith he) I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and inquire in his Temple. See then as white and red excellently contempered maketh pleasure and delectation to the eies, and through these windowes to the mind and heart, so there ariseth from the nature of God and his Attributes a sweet intelligibility, as David desires no other life but to stand beside God, and behold with his mind and faiths eyes, God in his Nature and Attributes, as he reveales himself to the creature. The Queen of Sheba came a far journey to see Salomon, because of his perfection; some common people desire to see the King; the Lord is a fair and pleasant object to the understanding.

2. There is in beautie a due proportion of members. 1. quantity. 2. situation. 3. stature. Let a person have a most pleasant colour, yet if the eares and nose be as little as an Ant, or as big as an ordinary mans leg, he is not beautifull. 2. If members be not right seated, if the one eye be two inches lower in the face then the other, it mars the beautie; or if the head be in the breast, it is a monster. Or 3. if the stature be not due, as if the person be the stature of ten men, and too big; or the stature of an infant, or a Dove; had he all other things for colour and proportion, his beauty is no beauty, but an error of nature, he is not as he should be, now the Lord is beautifull because infinitnesse, and sweetnesse of order is so spread over his nature and Attributes, nothing can be added to him, nothing taken from him, and hee is not all mercy only, but infinitely just; were God infinitely true yet not meek and gracious, he should not be beautifull; had he all perfections, but weak, mortall, not omnipotent, not eternall, his beauty should be mar…ed; then one attribute does not over-top, out-border or limit another; were he infinite in power, but finite in mercy, the lustre and amenity of God were defaced.

p. 2923. There is integrity of parts in beauty. Were a person fairer then Absolom, and wanted a nose or an arme, the beauty should be lame. The Lord is compleat and absolutely perfect in his blessed nature, and attributes.

4. All these required in beauty, must be naturall, and truely and really there. Borrowed colours, and painting, and fair-ding of the face, as Jezabel did, are not beauty: the Lord in all his perfections is truely that which he seemes to bee. Now as there is in Roses, gardens, creatures that are faire, something pl…sant, that ravisheth eye and heart; so there are in God so many faire and pleasant truths to take the minde, and God is so capatious, and so comprehensive a truth, and so lovely, such a bottomlesse Sea of wonders, and to the understanding that beholds Gods beauty, there is an amenity, goodlinesse, a splendor, an irradiation of brightnesse, a lovelinesse, and drawing sweetnesse of excellencie, diffused through the Lords nature. Hence heaven is a seeing of God face to face, Revel. 22.4. Matth. 18.10. Now God hath not a face; but the face of a man is the most heavenly visible part in man, there is majestie and gravitie in it, much of the art and goodlinesse of the creature is in his face. To see Gods face, is to behold Gods blessed essence, so farre as the creature can see God. Now as we may be said to see the Sunnes face, when we see the Sunne, as we are able to behold it; but there is beauty, and such vehemency of visibility in it, as it exceedeth our faculty of seeing; so do we see Gods face, when we neerely behold him, not by heare-say, but immediately. Let us imagine that millions of Sunnes in the firmament, were all massed and framed in one Sunne, and that the sense of seeing that is in all men, that ever hath been, or may be, yet this Sun should far excell this faculty of seeing: so suppose that the Lord should create an understanding facultie of man or Angels, millions of degrees more vigorous and apprehensive, then if all the men and Angels that are, or possibly may be created, were contemperated in one, yet could not this understanding so see Gods transcendent and superexcellent beauty, but there should remaine unseene treasures of lovelinesse never seene, yea, it involves an eternall contradiction, that the creature can see to the bottome of the Creator.

The beauty in Chr…sts person.All this bounty of God is holden forth to us in Christ. Psal. 45.10. He is fairer then the Sonnes of men. foreign the word p. 293is of a double forme, to note a double excellencie. Cant. 1.16. Behold thou art faire my beloved, yea pleasant, foreign signifieth lovely, amiable, acceptable. The Seventy render it foreign. Psal. 146. It is pleasant, and sweet. 2 Sam. 1.26. Thou wast very pleasant to me. Cant. 5.10. He is white and ruddie Vers. 15. His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars. Rev. 1.16. His countenance as when the Sunne shineth in his … strength. All the beauty of God is put forth in Christ. Esai 33.17. Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty. Hebr. 1.3. Christ is the brightnesse of his Fathers glorie. The light of the Sunne in the ayre is the accidentall reflection of the Suns beames; Christ is the substantiall reflection of the Fathers light and glory; for he is God equall with the Father, and the same God.

3. This beauty to Men and Angels is an high beauty, Angels have eyes within and without, Revel. 4.6. to behold the beautie of the Lord, and it takes up their eyes alwayes to behold his face; and there is no beautie of truth they desire more to behold, foreign, 1 Pet. 1.12. as to stoope downe, and to looke into a darke and veiled thing, with the bowing of the head, and bending of the necke; the Seventy use for foreign, Cant. 2.9. Where Christ is said to stand behind the wall, and looke out at the casements, with great attention of minde; It is to looke downe over a window, bending the head, Exod. 25.18, 19, 20. Joh. 20.5. They stooped downe and saw the linnen clothes. Luk. 24.12. Angels are not curious, but they must see exceeding great beauty, and wonder much at the excellency of Christ, when they cannot get their eyes pulled off Jesus Christ.

2. There is a beauty of Christ in a communion with God, which is a ravishing thing. When the soule comes to Christ,The beauty of a communion with Christ. he seeth a beauty of holynesse, and Christ is taken with this beauty. Psalm. 110.3. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty. Psalm. 45.11. Thou hast ravished my heart, (saith Christ to his Spouse) Cant. 4.9. my sister, my Spouse. —Vers. 10. How faire is thy love, my Sister, my Spouse; how much better is thy love then wine, and the smell of thine oyntments then all spices. Vers. 11. Thy lips, O my Spouse, drop as the honey-combe; honey and milke are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is as the smell of Lebanon. Sion is the p. 294perfection of beauty, Psal. 50.2. All this beauty and sweetnesse commeth from Christ, there is no such thing in the people of God, as they are sinnefull men, considered in their naturall condition; and therefore it must be fountaine-beauty in him, as in the cause, and originall of beauty.

2. There is a del…ct…tlon in a communion with God. This is one generall,Delectatio… in g…dlin…sse to all the spirituall se…s…s. Prov. 3.17. All Wisdomes waies are waies of pleasure; to the spirituall soule, every step to heaven is a paradice.

1. What sweetnesse is in the sense of the love of Christ to delight all, the spirituall senses? 1. The smell of Christs Spicknurd, his Myrrhe, Aloes, and Cassia, his Yvorie chambers sm…ll of heaven; the oyntment of his garments bring God to the Sense. Psalm. 45.8. All thy garments smell of myrrhe, aloes, and cassia: out of the yvorie palaces, there have they made th…e glad. Cant. 1.13. A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved to me, he shall lye all night between my breasts.

2.To the sight Christ is a delightfull thing; To behold God, Christ d…l…ghtf…ll to all the senses.in Christ, is a changing sight. 2 Cor. 3.18. But wee all with open face-beholding, as in a glasse, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord, Ephes. 1.17. Math. 16.17. 1 Joh. 2.37. To see the King in his beautie, is a thing full of ravishing delight. 3. It taketh the third spirituall sense of hearing; the Spouse,Christs voice sweet. Cant. 2.8. is so taken with the sweetnesse of Christs tongue, that for joy she can but speake broken and unperfect words. The voyce of my beloved; It is not a perfect speech, but for joy she can speake no more. Its the voice of joy and gladnesse, that with the very sound can heale broken bones, Psal. 51.8. and which David desired to heare. O if you heard Christ speake, Cant. 5.13. His lips are like Lilies, dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe; Heavens musick, the honey of the new Land is in his tongue, the Church cheereth her soule with t…is. Cant. 2.10. My beloved spake, and said unto mee, Rise up, my love, my faire one, and come away. Christs piping in the joyfull Gospel-tiding, Vers. 5. should make us dance. Matth. 11.17. Christ harping and singing sinners, with joyfull promises out of he…l to heaven, must have a drawing sweetnesse to move stones, if the sinner have eares to heare; and what heat and warmnesse of love must it bring, when Christ is heard p. 295say, Esai 54.11. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours, and lay thy foundations with Saphirs? He doubles his words, hee desires Jerusalems eares may owne this cry, Esai 40.1. Comfort yee, comfort yee my people, saith the Lord, speake to the heart of Jerusalem.

4. Christ is sweet to the spirituall taste. Cant. 2.3. I sate downe under his shaddow with great delight, Christ sweet to the taste.and his fruit was sweet in my mouth. Psal. 34.8. O taste and see that the Lord is good. Christ is a curious banquet, the Wine, the Milk, the Honey, and the fatted calfe killed, are all but shaddowes to Christs excellent Gospel-dainties.

5. The sense of touching, which is the most spirituall, is the heavenly feelings, sense, and experience of Gods consolations, and this sense is fed with the kisses of Christs mouth, Cant. 1.3. With the hid Manna, the White stone, the new Name.

3. Joy is a drawing delight. Psal. 16.11. In his face there is fulnesse of joy. Look how farre Gods face casts downe from heaven, sparkles of joy on us, as farre goes our joy; and wee are said in beleeving, 1 Pet. 1.8. to rejoyce with joy unspeakable, and glorious.

4. There is particularly delectation, Psal. 36.8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house, and thou shalt make them drinke of the rivers of thy pleasures. Should not this draw men to Christ? And there must be abundance of pleasures where there is a river of pleasures; as Psalm. 46.4. There is a river, the streames whereof make glad the City of God. What a Sea of Seas must God himselfe bee? His full and bright face, his white throne, his harpers and heavenly troopes that surround the throne, the Lambe the heaven of heavens it selfe, the tree of life eternally greene, eternally adorned both at once with soule-delighting blossomes, and loaden with twelve manner of fruit every month. Peace of conscience from the sense of reconciliation, the first fruits of Emmanuels land, that lyes beyond Time and Death; must all be above expression.Reall gaine in Christ, in divers part… lars.

There is a second drawing motive in Christ, and this is from gaine; which is eminently in Christ.

1. The drawne soule hath bread by the covenant of grace, his yearely rent is written in the New Testament, Christ is his p. 296rentall booke and heritage. Esai 33.16. He shall dwell on high, his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks; for his lodging, he shall not lye in the fields. Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure; or faithfull: bread and drinke are unfaithfull, uncertaine, and winged to naturall men. 1 Tim. 6.17. Riches hath an, foreign, an uncertainty, like Ghosts or Spirits that yee see,Rich…s uncertaine. but they evanish out of your sight, and disappeare; or like cloudes, or fire-lightnings in the ayre, that come and goe suddenly; but bread is faithfull and sure to the soule drawn to Christ; when the covenanted people are so drawn, that they receive a new heart; then God, saith Ezech. 36.29. I will also save you from all your uncleannesse. What then? And I will call for the corne and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. Vers. 34. And the land shall be tilled. Does the New Testament provide for the plowing of your land?No mark…t or b…yi…g of Christ. Yea, it doth? Yea, know Wisdoms attendants and allacays. Pr…. 3.16. On her right hand, is length of dayes, and on her left hand, riches and honour. Eternity hath the honour, and the right hand. Riches is the left hand blessing of wisdome.

2. It should draw us in the owne kind to Christ, in regard, Christ is more then gain. Pro. 3.14. Wisdomes merchandise is better then silver, and her gaine then fine gold. Vers. 15. Shee is more precious then Rubies. (2) Job 28.1. Wisdome cannot bee gotten for gold. (3) Is there not some worth in Gold? Vers. 16. Wisdome cannot be valued with the gold of Ophyre, with the precious Onix, with the Saphire. Vers. 17. The Gold and the Christall cannot equall it. (4) May, there not be bidding and buying, and words of a market here? Nay, the disproportion between Christ and Gold is so great, that a rationall Merchant can never speake of such a bargaine. Vers. 18. No mention shall bee made, of Corall, or of Pearles, for the price of Wisdome is above Rubies. Say that heaven and earth, and all within the bosome and circumference of heaven, and millions of more worlds were turned into Gold, Pearle, Saphires, Rubies, and what else yee can imagine; yee undervalue Christ, if yee speake of buying of him.

3. Being drawne to Christ maketh all yours; when yee are hungry, all the bread of the earth is your Fathers: When yee are in a Ship, yeare in Christs Fathers waters; when yee travell in Summer, ye see your Redeemers fields, your Saviours p. 297woods, trees, floures, cornes, cattels, birds; Yea, and all things are yours, 1 Cor. 3.21. Not in possession, but in a choiser free-holding, in free heritage, Psal. 37.11. Yee have the broad, rent, the faire In-come of all things. Your land is named, All things. Revel. 21.7. Hee that overcometh shall inherit all things.

4. All you have, a morsell of greene herbes, a bed of straw, want, hunger, wealth, are guilded and watered with Christ.

The third drawing thing in Christ, is Honour. The Church is a Princesse daughter, Cant. 7.1. A Kings daughter, Psal. 345.13. A Queene in gold of Ophire. Psal. 45.9.Reall hon…ur in comming to Christ in divers i…stanc…s. Kings and Priests unto God. Revel. 1.5. Not young Kings onelyonly, but Crowned Kings. And they had on their heads crownes of gold, Revel. 4.4. Every Saint rules the Nations with a rod of iron. Every beleever is a Catholicke King, and swaies the Scepter over all the Kingdomes of the world. (1.) In regard that his head Christ guides all Kings, Courts, and Kingdomes; all the 1world, and the weight of States, Empires, not indirectly, and onelyonly in ordine ad Spiritualia; but directly, and the weight of the Church tryumphing, and the Church fighting, are upon the shoulders of our brother and Saviour. (2.) In that by faith he breaks and overcomes the world. (3.) And by prayer, 2which is more then the key of Europa, Africk, and Asia, he 3can bring in the nations to Christ, and shut and open heaven.

2. Consider what God makes them. To him that laies hold 2on my Covenant saith the Lord, Esai 56.5. I will give within my house, and my walles, a name. But what is a name? A name is but name? A name better then the name of sonnes and daughters, even an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. An everlasting name (I confesse) is more then a name. Esai 43.4. Since thou wast precious in my sight, foreign thou hast beene glorious, or honourable. 1 Chron. 4.9. And Jabez was more honourable then his brethren; the same word, and way, Vers. 10. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed, and enlarge my coast. It was said of Reuben, Gen. 49.4. Reuben thou shalt not excell; foreign nor be an overplus in praise, its to remaine or abound either in quantity or quality; for his incest deprived him of his excellencie, p. 298Prov. 12.…6. The righteous is more abundant (the same word) more honourable, glorious, or excellent then his neighbour.

33. The Lord who knowes the weight of things, Angels and Men;How highly God esteemeth of his Saints. esteemes highly of them. Cant. 5.2. My Sister, my Love, my Dove. The Spouse must in Christs heart, have an high respect, when he saith, Cant. 4.1. Behold thou art faire, my love; and that cannot content him, he addeth. Behold, thou art faire, Cant. 6.9. my dove, my undefiled is but one, shee is the onelyonly one of her mother, shee is the choise one of her that bare her. The Saints in Christs bookes are jewels, Mal. 3.17. His on…ly choise, the floure of the earth. All the world is Christs refuse, and King are but morter to him; the Saints are Christs ass…ssors, and the Kings Peeres to judge the world with him, Lords of the higher House, Christ devides the throne with them, Luk. 22.30. 1 Cor. 6.2. Revel. .21. The Lord so farre honoureth them, as to put them on all his secrets, Psalm. 25.4. The secrets of the Lord are with them that feare him, Joh 14.21. I will manifest my selfe unto him they are of his Cabinet counsell, Cant. 2.4. The King brought me into his house of Wine; his secrets of love, and free grace are there.

44. Christ so honoreth them, that he professeth, hee desires a a communion with them. Cant. 4.8. Com… with me from Lebanon, my Spouse. Joh. 14.23. The Father and I will come un-him, and make our abode with him. Cant. 2.16. He seedeth among the Lilies, till the day breake; the Lord familiarly converseth with them.

Vse.Vse 1. All them who are taken with faire things, and are so soft, as pleasures they must have, and will not be drawne to Christ, the pleasantest and fairest one that ever heaven had, are much prejudged; ye warme your selves, O children of men, at the outside of a painted fire. Your pleasure (and wee may beleeve Salomon) are floures worme-eaten, and as garments torne and threed bare. Salomons honey, and Sampsons Dalilah, are sweet drinks that swels them; when these work on their stomacke, they are glad to vomit them out, and are pained with sickenesse,A survay of Christ. at the remembance of them; there is no drawing beauty to Christ, behold him in all his excellencies. Cant. 5.10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among tenne thousand. p. 299Vers. 11. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushie, and black as a raven. Vers. 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed with milke, and fitly set. Vers. 13. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet floures; his lips like Lillies, dropping sweet smelling myrrhe. Vers. 14. His hands are as gold rings set with Berill; his belly is as bright yvorie, over-laid with Saphires. Vers. 15. His legges are as pillars of Marble, set upon sockets of fine gold, his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars. Vers. 16. His mouth is most sweet;foreign or in the abstract foreign sweetnesses, and hee is all desires, all loves, and all of him, or every peece of him is love; and when John sees him, Revel. 1. O what a sight, Vers. 13. Hee was clothed with a garment downe to the feet, and girt about the paps, with a golden girdle. Uers. 14. His head and his haire were white like wooll, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire. Vers. 15. And his feet like unto fine brasse, as if they burned into a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. Vers. 16. And hee had in his right hand seven starres. Hee hath the Churches, and all the elect in his right hand, and ou… of his mouth went a sharpe two edged sword, and his countenance was as the Sunne shineth in his strength. When John saw him thus, he was so over-gloried with the beauty and brightnesse of his Majestie, that whereas he was wont to leane on his bosome in the daies of his flesh, now he is not able to stand, and endure one glance of his highest glory; but (saith he) Ver. 17. And when I saw him, I fell down at his feet as dead. And there was much lovely and tender affection lapped up in this glory, when poore John fell a swouning at his feet; Christ for all his glory, holds his head in his swoune. And he laid his right hand on my head, saying unto me, feare not, I am the first, and the last. I am good for swouning and dying sinners. Why, I am he that liveth, and was dead: And behold, I live for evermore. Would sinners but draw neere, and come and see this King Salomon in his chariot of love, behold his beautie, the uncreated white and red in his counten…nce, hee would draw soules to him; there is omnipotencie of love in his countenance, all that is said of him here, are but created shadowes; a…, words are short to expresse his nature, person, office, lovelynesse, p. 300desirablenesse. What a broad and beautifull face must hee have, who with one smile, and one turning of his countenance, lookes upon all in heaven, and all in the earth, and casts a heaven of burning love, East, and West, South, and North, through heaven and earth, and filles them all? Suppose omnipotencie would inlarge the globe of the world, and the heaven of heavens, and cause it to swell to the quantity, and number of millions of millions of worlds, and make it so huge and capacious a vessell▪ and fill it with so many millions of elect Men and Angels, and then fill them,How ca…a…ious and g…eat Christs lo… is. and all this wide circle with love; it would no more come neere to take in Christs lovely beauty, then a spoon can containe all the Seas; or then a childe can hide in his hand the globe of the world. Yea, suppose all the cornes of sand in all the earth and shores, all the floures, all the herbes, and all the leaves, all the twigs of trees in woods and forrests since the creation, all the drops of dew and raine that ever the cloudes send downe, all the starres in heaven, all the lithes, joynts, drops of blood, haires, of all the elect on earth, that are, have beene, or shall be, were all rationall creatures, and had the wisdome and tongues of Angels, to speake of the lovelinesse, beauty, vertues of Jesus Christ, they would in all their expressions stay, millions of miles, on this side of Christ, and his lovelinesse, and beauty. It is the wicked fleshly disposition of Libertines, who turne all the beauty, excellency, freenesse of grace in Christ, to a cloake of licentiousnesse, and a liberty of all Religions; they highly under-value free-grace, as any Hereticks, that ever the Church of Christ law, who turne all sanctification, all the grace of Christ that should be expressed in strict, precise, accurate walking with God, Libertines the grand enemies of grace.(but as farre from merit, as grace and and debt, as Christs free grace, and the condemning Law) into a notionall speculative apprehension,Vse 1. or rather a presumptuous imagination, or Antinomian faith; that Christ hath obeyed, mortified the lusts of the flesh for the sinner; that no Law, no commandement of God, no letter of the Word, obligeth us to walke with God; onelyonly an immediate Enthiasticall unwarrantable inspiration of a Spirit, without the Word, or blasts of love when they come, and not but when they come, ingageth beleevers to keepe any commandement of God. Never Pelagian, Jesuit, Arminian, were such disgracefull enemies to Jesus Christ, to free justification, and the grace of the Gospel, as p. 301Antinomians, for they make the Law of God and the love of God in commanding holy walking opposite; all the doctrine of the New Testament that teacheth and commandeth to deny ungodlinesse; all the Old Testament, and particularly the 119. Psalme, reconcileth the Law commanding to keep the Lords wayes, and testimonies, and the love of Christ, sweetning with delight and joy, holy walking, as one and the same way of God.

Vse 2. Again nothing more lesseneth Christ, then the heightning of the world in the hearts of men; Haman had the scum of the pleasures of 127. Kingdomes, yet there was a bone wrong in his foot, anger and malice to see Mordecai is a hell to him; its a sweeter burthen to bear the fire and coals of the love of Christ in the heart, then the hell of envy in the soule: Nay,The sweetnesse of a communion with God, far above the pleasures of sin. say that all the damned in hell were brought up with their burning and fiery chaines of eternall wrath to the outermost doore of heaven, and strike up a window, and let them look in and behold the Throne, and the Lamb, and the troups of glorified ones clothed in white, with crowns of gold on their head, and palms in their hands shewing their Kingly and victorious condition, and let them through a window in heaven, hear the musick of the new Song, the eternall praises of the conquering King and Redeemer, they should not only be sweetned in their paine, but convinced of their foolish choise that they hunted with much sweating after carnall delights, and lost the fulnesse of joy and pleasures that lasts for evermore in the Lords face.

Would we beleeve the Spies that have been visiting the new Land that Immanuel God with us is Lord of; hear, for Moses he was in that Land, and he saith, Deut. 33.29. Happy art thou O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy helpe, and who is the sword of thy excellencie. David was there a landed man, and what saith he of that new Land that Christ hath found out, Psal. 16.Great things reported of the wayes of Christ. Canaan at its best is but a wildernesse to it. Vers. 6. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant (things, or places.) Then there must be multitudes of pleasures, not one only in God; My heritage is pleasant above me, above my thoughts, or I have a goodly heritage. Solomon was a messenger who saw both lands, and he saith, Eccles. 2.13. Then I saw that wisedome excelled folly, as far as light exceedeth darknesse. And the Spouse saith, Cant. 1.12. When the King p. 302sitteth at his table, my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 13. A bundle of Myrrhe is my beloved, he shall lie all night between my breasts. Cant. 2.4. He brought me to the banquetting house and his banner over me was love. All the Song reporteth great things of the Kingdome of Grace. Ask of Isaiah, What saw ye there, he answereth, c. 25.6. It is a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow. And Ezekiel saith, That there shall be a brave summer in that land. Chap. 47.12. By the river upon the banke thereof on this side, and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leafe shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his monethmonth, because their waters issued out from the Sanctuary, and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine; This hath reall truth even in the Kingdome of Grace. And J…remiah saw the fruits of the Land, and a golden age there. Cap. 31.12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Sion, and shall flow together to the goodnes of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oyle, and for the young of the flock, and of the herd, and their soule shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all; and Christ brings good newes out of that countrey, Mat. 22. That the life of all there is the life of Banqueters, called to the Marriage-feast of a Kings Son, of which every one hath a Wedding garment: And if yee ask tidings of John, What saw ye, and heard ye there? he saith, I saw a Princes daughter with a Crown on her head, Rev. 21.10. He shewed me the great City, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: Even an enemy who saw the land a far off, and was not neer the borders of it, saith, Numb. 24.5. How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles O Israel! Surely Prov. 2.10. Knowledge is pleasant to the soule. O all ye pleasures of the flesh, blush and be ashamed, all world-worshippers be confounded that ye toile your selves in the fire for such short follies; Were there no other pleasure in godlinesse; but to behold the Lord Jesus, what a pleasant sight must he be? The Templ…, th…t stately and Kingly house, of faire carved stones, cedar wood, almug trees, brasse, silver, gold, scarlet, purple, silks, in the art of the curious fabrick and structure, was a wonder to the beholders. What beauty must be in the Samplar! O what happinesse to stand beside that dainty precious p. 303Ark, weighted now with so huge a lump of Majestie, as infinite glory▪ to see that King on his Throne, the Lambe, the fair tree of life,Christ … p…ssible. the branches which cannot for the narrow…ess of the place have room to grow within the huge and capacious borders of the heaven of heavens▪ For the heaven of heavens cannot containe him. What pen though dipped in the river of life that flowes from under the Sanctuary can write? what tongue though shapen out of all the Angels of that high Kingdome, and watered with the milk and wine of that good land, can sufficienly praise this heart ravishing flour of Angels, this heavens wonder, the spotlesse and infinitely beautifull Prince, the crown, the garlan…, the joy of heaven, the wonder of wonders for eternity to Men and Angels? What a life must it be to stand under the shadow of this precious Tree of Life, and to cast up your eyes and see a multitude without quantitie of the Apples of Glory, and to put up your hand, and not only feel, but touch, smell, see love it selfe, and be warmed with the heat of immediate love that comes out from the precious heart and bowels of this princely and Royall Standard-bearer, and Leader of the white and glorious troups and companies that are before the Throne: If one said but finding the far off dew-drops that falls at so many millions of miles distance from that higher mountain of God, down to this low region, Psal. 63.5. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fa…nesse. What must the glory it self be that is in this dainty delightfull one? we have but the droppings of the house here.