The Intercourses of Divine Love Betwixt Christ and His Church, Sermon 2
2.Sermon II.
Canticles 1. v. 1. 2, 3.
Let him kiſs me with the kiſſes of his Mouth; for his loves are better then Wine: Becauſe of the ſavour, &c.
I Have (in my former Exerciſes) opened the Text, and named thoſe propoſitions of Doctrine which are couched in the words, or rationally to be deduced from them. I come now to the particular handling of them, beginning with the firſt.
Prop. 1.The thirſt of a believing Soul is after Spiritual diſtinguiſhing mercies.
1.Nature teacheth every one to ſay, who will ſhew us any good? Good is a thing that all the creation is enamoured upon. God is the fountain of all goodneſs; Every good and perfect gift, cometh from above, from him who is the father of lights. Who being not a debtor to the creature, muſt needs diſpenſe it out freely. Hence that goodneſs of God which is his goodneſs of Beneficence, not only dwelling in him as a piece of his divine perfection: But flowing from him, as a ſtream from the fountain of his liberality, is properly called Mercy, whether it be good to us in reſpect of its ſutableneſs to our outward and bodily wants, or to our more inward, and Spiritual neceſſities. Hence the Mercies and ſavours of God, are either Bodily [reſpecting out outward Man] or Spiritual [reſpecting our inward man.] The former (ſuch now, as life, health, peace and proſperity, riches, &c.) are ſuch as God gives to his Enemies, as well as to his Friends; he maketh his Sun to riſe upon the evil and Mat 5. 45.the good: And ſendeth rain on the juſt and unjuſt, Math. 5. 45. Spiritual good things again, are either Gifts of common or of Special Grace. Gifts of common grace, ſuch as knowledge, invention, memory utterance, &c. Theſe are indeed Spiritual gifts, ſo called by the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 12. 1. ch. 14. 1. becauſe given out by the Spirit of God; and tending to innoble the Spiritual part, and they are alſo called the beſt gifts. 1, Cor. 12. 31. They are ſo in their kind, better, than thoſe which only concern the outward man; but St. Paul himſelf, mentioneth better than theſe in the very ſame Text; I ſhew you a more excellent way. Neither are theſe diſtinguiſhing favours, but given in common to wicked as well as to good men: But now there are Spiritual mercies foreign ſo called: Not only becauſe they come from the Spirit of Grace, and innoble the Spiritual part of man, but becauſe they are ſuted to the greateſt neceſſities of our inward man. Such are the grace of Juſtification, Union to and reconciliation with God, pardon of Sin, and the Senſes of that pardon, together with all the fruits of the Spirit of regeneration, and Sanctification. Theſe are the diſtinguiſhing favours of God, which difference the Child of God from him that is not. Now I ſay theſe are thoſe favours which the believing Soul thirſteth after, and longeth for, expreſſed here under the Metaphor of kiſſes.
2.And properly expreſſed under that notion. Men and women uſe not to kiſs ſuch as they hate but ſuch as they have an affection for. It is a civil uſage amongſt us ſo to ſalute ſtrangers indeed, but frequency of kiſſes ſpeaks a diſtinguiſhing love, and ſome intimacy of Affection and are not ordinary, unleſs amongſt very intimate Friends, ſuch as is the Husband and Wife, Brethren and Siſters &c. But yet a little further.
3.When Iſay the thirſtings of gracious Souls are after ſuch diſtinguiſhing tokens of divine love. I underſtand it not Excluſively. The Children of God are made up of fleſh and blood, as well as any others, and ſubject to the ſame neceſſities and infirmities; they have in them cravings, and luſtings of the fleſh. David prayeth hard for his life Pſal. 39. ult. and Abraham for a Child, and Job for health. Jonas is fond of a gourd, and Agur beggeth food convenient for him, and although, Rachel may be too importunate for a Child, and Paul for the removal of the Thorn in his fleſh, yet there is a lawful deſire of the good things of this life allowed, yea, commanded us in that form of Prayer, which our Saviour preſcribes. We are bid to pray, Give us this day our daily bread. But the Child of God firſt ſeeks the Kingdom of God, and the righteouſneſs thereof, according to our Saviours preſcript, Mat. 6. 33. I remember David hath ſuch an expreſſion as this, Pſal 27. 4. One thing have I deſired of the Lord, that will I ſeek after, that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his holy Temple. If a Child of God had but one thing to ask of God, this ſhould be it, that it might behold the face of God; this is that which it would ſeek after, and look out for. Yea, this is that which their Souls deſire eminenter. Theſe are the things for which they will wreſtle with God, and will not let him go until he ſhall bleſs them with them. Other things they will beg, but theſe are the things their Souls will ſpend their ſtrength in, and lay the ſtreſs upon: did you hear the ſecret pleadings of the awakened Soul with God, you would eaſily diſcern the difference between the deſires it hath towards outward things, and thoſe which are in it towards Spiritual, and diſtinguiſhing mercies, and be eaſily able to ſay: Thoſe are the things that this Soul would have, pardon of Sins, ſenſe of Gods love, victory over its luſts, and corruptions; ſtrength, and inlargement of heart in the ſervice of God. Theſe are the things which this Soul would have. It asks a Ring, but the kiſs is that to which it hath moſt mind. And all this muſt be underſtood of the gracious Soul, when it is itſelf; not in its fits of paſſion and infirmity: then Elijah, and Job, and Jonah, and any of the Children of God may ſpeak according to the fleſh, the law of their members prevailing againſt the law of their mind, hath brought them into captivity to the law of Sin. Theſe things being premiſed for the explication, the truth of the propoſition will be abundantly evidenced from the example of the man according to Gods own heart (holy David) and that in ſeveral Pſalms, Pſal. 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me. There be many that ſay, who will ſhew us any good, but Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me. The light of the Sun will pleaſe others, but 'tis only the light of thy Countenance, thatPſal. 63. v. 1. 2. will pleaſe me, Pſal. 63. v. 1. 2. My Soul thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee: in a dry and thirſty land where no water is. To ſee thy power, and thy glory in the Sanctuary. The ſight of the Sanctuary will pleaſe another, but nothing will pleaſe David, but the ſight of Gods power, and glory in the Sanctuary. Other-where he prays, that the Lord would ſhew him his way, and unite his heart to fear his name. That God would come unto him, and ſhew himſelf unto him, &c. Nor is it hard to find out the reaſon of it, which lies;
1.In the ſanctification of the renewed man, he hath a new heart given unto him. A new heart ſignifies a new underſtanding; a new will, and new affections. New, not as to the faculties themſelves, but as to the motions and operations of them, in which the ſoul ſtill follows the dictates of reaſon, and proceedeth in the method of a rational creature.
1. The Soul is renewed in its underſtanding; from whence proceedeth a new notion and Judgment concerning things. The old Serpent cheated our firſt Parent, when he perſuaded her that the fruit of the forbidden Tree was to be deſired, becauſe in the day ſhe ſhould eat thereof, her Eyes ſhould be opened, and ſhe ſhould be as God, knowing good and evil; for from that day forward ſhe was ſtruck blind, and the Diſeaſe, (according to Divine ordination) proved hereditary: All we who are the Children of Adam, are born blind, neither able to take the true notion of good and evil, nor yet to make up a Judgment concerning either, diſcerning the things that differ: but naturally every one calleth Evil, good, and good, Evil. The Pſalmiſt ſaith, that man ſtood not in honour, but became like the Beaſt that periſheth. In this much like the Beaſt indeed, that we are meerly led by the conduct of a ſenſitive appetite, not diſcerning thoſe things which are truly and ſpiritually good: and the reaſon of this is our not underſtanding our ſelves, for the nature of all good lying in a conveniency, and ſutableneſs of the object to us, a knowledge of our own ſtate, and wants, muſt reaſonably be ſuppoſed to a right judgment concerning good and Evil. But amongſt other Evils accrewing to us by the fall, this was one, that we are by nature Blind as to our own State, and Strangers to our own Souls, not underſtanding that we are by Nature, Children of Wrath, poor, miſerable, blind, and naked, but conceiting that we have need of nothing. Hence it is that the Soul is not able to judge of the goodneſs of Union and Communion with God, pardon of ſin, reconciliation with God, &c. Nor indeed doth it come to underſtand it, until the Eyes of the underſtanding be opened, by the application of Spiritual Eye-ſalve, laid on by the Finger of the holy Spirit of God. Till this time, the Soul ſeeth no beauty in Chriſt, nothing for which he ſhould be deſired. The goodneſs of Riches, and Pleaſures, and Honours, it knows, but as for that tranſcendent goodneſs and Excellency which is in Chriſt, what it is, it doth not underſtand; Hence it naturally deſires, life, health, riches, honours, ſucceſs in worldly affairs, and ſuch common gifts, as may ſerve it in the world, with credit, and applauſe, and reputation. But for ſpiritual things, for diſtinguiſhing tokens of love, it is not able to take the heighth, and length, and depth, and breadth of the love of God in them, nor to diſcern their conveniency, and ſutableneſs to its undone ſtate and condition; hence (with the Cock in in the Fable) it prefers the Barly Corn before that Pearl of great price, for the purchaſe of which, the wiſe Merchant is willing to ſell all that he hath. But now the regenerate ſoul hath its Eyes open, to diſcern the things that are excellent, and as it is taught by the Spirit of conviction, the truth of its natural and unregenerate Eſtate, ſo its Eyes are opened, to ſee that nothing but the ſpecial love of God in Chriſt is a good ſuitable to it, or worthy of its caring for: and hence, the ſoul is taught by it's own reaſon, to thirſt after theſe manifeſtations of Divine Goodneſs, as thoſe which above all others, are proportioned to its wants, and higheſt neceſſities.
2. But 2dly. Theſe deſires are not the product of an enlightned underſtanding (only) but of a renewed will alſo. So wofully depraved is our corrupt nature, that the inferiour powers of our Souls, have withdrawn themſelves from the command of reaſon; and whereas it is the method of a reaſonable Soul, to imbrace or refuſe a thing with the will according to the judgment, which is by the underſtanding given in concerning it: it often falls out otherwiſe by reaſon of our Souls diſorder.
He that not only knoweth the will of God, but alſo approveth thoſe things which are moſt excellent, yet hath no hearthimſelf to cloſe with them, he is ready to teach another (like the hand of a Statue in a way which directeth a Traveller, but moveth not) he teacheth not himſelf; hence the renovation of the underſtanding (although the great wheel of the Soul) is not ſufficient to make the Soul to will thoſe things which are ſpiritually good. Mans Soul is like a Clock broken in pieces, every of whoſe Wheels muſt be mended before it will again move truly. But the gracious man is renewed, as well in Spirit as in Body, and in Mind. The day of the Lords Power is come upon him, and of unwilling, he is made willing. God hath given him to will, Phil. 2. 13. taking away that natural enmity and ſtubborneſs, which was in his heart, and diſpoſing, and enabling him to will thoſe things, which are in themſelves moſt deſirable, and which are moſt pleaſing unto God. Now there is nothing more pleaſing unto our Heavenly Father, than to ſee his Children, more ſond of their Fathers love, than of any thing elſe which is in his hand to beſtow upon them: And this is the true reaſon of the gracious Souls thirſt after ſpiritual things.
3.To which may be added (ſecondly) the Souls aſſurance, That other things ſhall be added to it, Mat. 6. 33. If (ſaith the Apoſtle) he hath given us his Son, ſhall be not with him give us all things? All inferiour good things are but appendices to theſe great ſpiritual bleſſings with which the Soul is bleſſed in Chriſt Jeſus, the Woman that hath her Husbands heart, eaſily commandeth his purſe. The Child of the boſom needs not trouble itſelf for a new Coat; It is a ſpiritual ſubrilty of a gracious heart, to be moſt deſirous of ſpiritual things; other things will come alone, they are but appurtenances to this great poſſeſſion, and an eaſy faith will aſſure the Soul, that if Men who are evil, know how to give good things to their Children, who are once poſſeſſed of their Affections, God will not be wanting to his People, eſpecially conſidering, that his liberality extends to the graſs of the Field, and to the Birds of the Air, becauſe they are his Creatures.
Uſe 1.Let this notion (in the firſt place,) ſhew you the vaſt difference betwixt the renewed ſoul, and that which is yet in its natural eſtate. Grace (conſidering our weak eſtate) is not ſo eaſily diſcernable in us, from our Actions, as from our Affections. The bent of the heart doth beſt diſcover the ſtate of it, whether it be renewed or no. All Men and Women in the Chriſtian world come under one of theſe three ranks. They are either, 1. Profane, and diſſolute Perſons. Or 2. Hypocrites, or ſeeming profeſſors, who have a form of Godlineſs, but deny the power thereof. Or 3. Such as are Diſciples indeed; the true Children of God. God is the fountain of all mercy, and goodneſs, and nature itſelf teacheth man ſomething of this. Hence every ones Soul is looking out towards God for ſome good, or other. 1. The worldling, and profane Perſon ſays, who will ſhew us any good? But what is the good which he thirſts after? an increaſe of Corn, and Wine, and Oil: The objects for the luſts of the Fleſh, the luſt of the Eye, and the Pride of life, let the Swines belly be filled with theſe husks, and he is ſatisfied, let who will take Grace, and Heaven, and heavenly things; as he underſtands not his need of them, no… the excellency that is in them, ſo neither is his Soul carried out in any deſires after them. 2. The Hypocrites deſign is of another nature, he would fain appear to be ſomething (though indeed, all his glorying be but a vain ſhew, and a meer appearance) when indeed he is nothing. Now that which he deſires is ſomething proportioned to this end, he poſſibly covets the beſt gifts, like Simon Magus, who when he ſaw, That through the laying on of the Apoſtles hands, the Holy Ghoſt was given, ſaid, Give me this power alſo, that on whomſoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghoſt, Acts 8. 18. The Hypocrite may deſire a gift of Prayer, a gift of Prophecy, and ſuch like common gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, which may ſerve his deſign in appearing Godly, and Religious, and this ſatisfieth him. 3. But the gracious Soul is ſatisfied with none of theſe. All his deſire is after the gifts of ſpecial grace, the obtaining of union with, and reconciliation to God, the light of Gods countenance, &c. and nothing leſs than this will ſatisfy his thirſt. It is reported of Luther (indeed he reports it of himſelf) that when he firſt Preached the Goſpel in Germany, he was much courted by ſome great Perſons, and preſented with many gifts, which made the good man jealous, that God intended to put him off with theſe things, but (ſaith he) Proteſtatus ſum, &c, I made a proteſtation to my God that I would not be ſo ſatisfied. The Sons of Keturah may be put off with portions, but Iſaac muſt have the inheritance): The gracious Soul, is a true Artabazus; he thinks his Saviours kiſs is better than a Cup of Gold: and indeed I know no better evidence of a gracious heart than this, to be found unſatisfied, without the ſpecial, and diſtinguiſhing love of God, yet that you may not deceive your ſelves, I muſt tell you, that as it is poſſible, that one who is a ſtranger to God, may deſire theſe diſtinguiſhing favours from God: So the deſire of thoſe good things which are but the iſſues of common providence, is often found in gracious Souls, and that in too high a degree. But as the former proceedeth from ſome inconſtant principle, and laſteth not long in the unregenerate Soul, nor is much in earneſt, while it continues, but like Auguſtines deſire to be rid of his luſts, while in the mean time (as he confeſſeth) he ſecretly deſired, that God would not hear his prayer: ſo the latter deſires in the Child of God, are ſecondary, and ſubordinate, or (if irregular and immoderate) no more than fits of paſſion, out of which grace ſoon recovers him.
Uſe 2.Secondly. Let me beſeech you all to make theſe ſpiritual diſtinguiſhing mercies of God the object of your deſires. I hope there's none who hears me this day, but is ſometimes breathing out the deſires of his Soul unto God in Prayer. Oh! let this be the lauguage of your Prayers: Let him kiſs me with the kiſſes of his Mouth: Let others beg of God Riches, and Honours, and the favours of Men: Let others beg the golden Ring, but do you deſire the kiſs. Conſider,
2.The Soul of the rational Creature ſtands obliged by the law of reaſon to deſire the beſt things: Is there any thing to be compared with ſpecial grace? this is that more excellent way which the Apoſtle propounds to be coveted before the beſt gifts. You read in the book of Eſther, ch. 5. v. 9. 11. concerning Haman, that he called for his Wife, and tells her of the great honour to which the King had advanced him, and of his great Riches, but (ſaith he) all this availeth me nothing, while I ſee Mordecay ſuting in the Kings Gate. When the poor worlding ſits down, and thinks how God hath bleſſed him with Riches, Honours, and whatſoever contentments the creature can afford him, hath he not cauſe to ſay, All this availeth me nothing, whil'ſt I have no aſſurance of the love of God, whil'ſt (for ought I know or have reaſon to believe) the wrath of God may be flaming againſt me, and I one of thoſe who ſhall after all theſe ſweet enjoyments, ſpend an Eternity in that fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Riches profit not in the day of Wrath, no nor any thing elſe will profit in that day, but an intereſt in Chriſt. How much better is a dinner of Herbs with the love of God, than great Treaſures with his hatred? A morſel of bread with an intereſt in Chriſt, than a ſtuffed Ox with the wrath of God?
Secondly, Theſe influences alone will evidence diſtinguiſhing love. Indeed other gifts may poſſibly ſpeak no love at all. The Iſraelites deſired a King, God granted them their deſires, and ſaith by his Prophet that he gave them a King in his Wrath. It may be truly ſaid, concerning the gifts of God to many a poor Creature, he gives them Riches in his Wrath, Honours in Wrath, outward proſperity in Wrath, outward good things dipt in divine vengeance, the wrath of God may ſmoke againſt them while the quails are betwixt their teeth. Poenalis nutritur impunitas. This is a ſecret of Divine Juſtice, which every one ſeeth not. It is the ſaying of a devout Author, that God often uſeth impios melle ſuo punire, to puniſh wicked men with their own Hony. But God never gives a kiſs in Wrath, he cannot give oſculum Iſcarioticum, where he kiſſeth, he loveth. God throws the good things of this life amongſt his Enemies, his Friends living in the ſame world, it may be get ſomething of them, but they are no diſtinguiſhing mercies. But whomſoever he kiſſeth, that Soul is certainly beloved of him.
3.Thirdly, There are no petitions pleaſe God ſo well, as thoſe which are put up for ſpiritual things. When Solomon begged of God a wiſe and underſtanding heart, it is ſaid that the ſaying pleaſed the Lord well. Yea God ſhewed that it pleaſed him well, for he received in abundance what he asked not. Nor is this hard to be conceived by us, who have the ſame affections towards our own Children, had any one of us who are Fathers, 2 Children, and we ſhould put it to their choice, what they would ask of us, and the one ſhould ask that we would ſettle ſo much land upon him, the other ſhould tell us, he deſired not our lands, but ſhould importunately beg that his Father would love him beſt, would not the latter pleaſe you beſt? ſhould we not be ready to give that Child-more than it asked? You read of the two Daughters of Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth, Ruth 1. 14, 15. they both followed their Mother in law while ſhe was full, but when ſhe was empty, Orpah kiſſeth her Mother in law, and leaveth her, Naomi would have had Ruth have done ſo too; but v. 16. Ruth refuſeth, and tells her: Whither thou goeſt I will go, and where thou lodgeſt I will lodge, thy People ſhall be my People, and thy God ſhall be my God, where thou dieſt, I will die, and there will I he buried. Which is as much as if ſhe had told her, that ſhe valued the company of her Mother above all other concerns. Did not this think you indear her to Naomi? and certainly nothing can more endear a ſoul to God, than for it to judge his favour better than life, and his loves more than Wine.
Now to engage your hearts to prefer the kiſſes of God before any other good things, with which the hand of his providence can make you happy, there needs no more, than that you ſhould be truly poſſeſſed with the notion of your own wants, and rightly underſtand the differences of good. He that knows how much more excellent than the Body, the Soul of man is: will quickly underſtand that thoſe things which are proportioned to its wants, are more deſirable goods than thoſe which are only ſuted to our more outward concerns. Study but the excellency of the love of God, and the vanity, and Earthlineſs of the Creature, the ſtate of your ſouls by nature, and with reſpect to that guilt, which by multitudes of Sins you have contracted, from which nothing can excuſe you but the blood of Chriſt, nor any thing evidence your abſolution (to quiet your accuſing, and condemning conſciences, but the kiſſes of his Mouth, and you will need no more to evince to you, that theſe coeleſtial kiſſes, are of all good things the moſt excellent, the moſt deſirable, which being well underſtood, the rational Soul directly moveth to a choice and deſire of them above, and before all other things.