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Of Communion with God

By John Owen

Part 2. Of Communion with the Son Jesus Christ the Father

Chapter 3. Of the way and manner whereby the saints hold communion with the Lord Christ as to personal grace - The conjugal relation between Christ and the saints, Cant. 2: 16 Isa. 54: 5, etc.; Cant. 3: 11, opened - The way of communion in conjugal relation, Hos. 3: 3; Cant. 1: 15 - On the part of Christ - On the part of the saints.

(2.) The next thing that comes under consideration is, the way whereby we hold communion with the Lord Christ, in respect of that personal grace whereof we have spoken. Now, this the Scripture manifests to be by the way of a conjugal relation. He is married unto us, and we unto him; which spiritual relation is attended with suitable conjugal affections. And this gives us fellowship with him as to his personal excellencies.

This the spouse expresseth, Cant. 2: 16, "My Beloved is mine, and I am his;" - "He is mine, I possess him, I have interest in him, as my head and my husband; and I am his, possessed of him, owned by him, given up unto him: and that as to my Beloved in a conjugal relation."

So Isa. 54: 5, "Thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." This is yielded as the reason why the church shall not be ashamed nor confounded, in the midst of her troubles and trials, - she is married unto her Maker, and her Redeemer is her husband. And Isaiah, chap. 61: 10, setting out the mutual glory of Christ and his church in their walking together, he saith it is "as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels." Such is their condition, because such is their relation; which he also farther expresseth, chap. 62: 5, "As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." As it is with such persons in the day of their espousals, in the day of the gladness of their hearts, so is it with Christ and his saints in this relation. He is a husband to them, providing that it may be with them according to the state and condition whereinto he has taken them.

To this purpose we have his faithful engagement, Hos. 2: 19, 20, "I will," saith he, "betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in loving- kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness." And it is the main design of the ministry of the gospel, to prevail with men to give up themselves unto the Lord Christ, as he reveals his kindness in this engagement. Hence Paul tells the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 11: 2, that he had "espoused them unto one husband, that he might present them as a chaste virgin unto Christ." This he had prevailed upon them for, by the preaching of the gospel, that they should give up themselves as a virgin, unto him who had betrothed them to himself as a husband.

And this is a relation wherein the Lord Jesus is exceedingly delighted, and inviteth others to behold him in this his glory, Cant. 3: it, "Go forth," saith he, "O ye daughters of Jerusalem, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart." He calls forth the daughters of Jerusalem (all sorts of professors) to consider him in the condition of betrothing and espousing his church unto himself. Moreover, he tells them that they shall find on him two things eminently upon this account: - 1. Honour. It is the day of his coronation, and his spouse is the crown wherewith he is crowned. For as Christ is a diadem of beauty and a crown of glory unto Zion, Isa. 28: 5; so Zion also is a diadem and a crown unto him, Isa. 62: 3. Christ makes this relation with his saints to be his glory and his honour. 2. Delight. The day of his espousals, of taking poor sinful souls into his bosom, is the day of the gladness of his heart. John was but the friend of the Bridegroom, that stood and heard his voice, when he was taking his bride unto himself; and he rejoiced greatly, John 3: 29: how much more, then, must be the joy and gladness of the Bridegroom himself! even that which is expressed, Zeph. 3: 17, "he rejoiceth with joy, he joys with singing."

It is the gladness of the heart of Christ, the joy of his soul, to take poor sinners into this relation with himself. He rejoiced in the thoughts of it from eternity, Prov. 8: 31; and always expresseth the greatest willingness to undergo the hard task required thereunto, Ps. 40: 7, 8; Heb. 10: 7; yea, he was pained as a woman in travail, until he had accomplished it, Luke 12: 50. Because he loved his church, he gave himself for it, Eph. 5: 25, despising the shame, and enduring the cross, Heb. 12: 2, that he might enjoy his bride, - that he might be for her, and she for him, and not for another, Hos. 3: 3. This is joy, when he is thus crowned by his mother. It is believers that are mother and brother of this Solomon, Matt. 12: 49, 50. They crown him in the day of his espousals, giving themselves to him, and becoming his glory, 2 Cor. 8: 23.

Thus he sets out his whole communion with his church under this allusion, and that most frequently. The time of his taking the church unto himself is the day of his marriage; and the church is his bride, his wife, Rev. 19: 7, 8. The entertainment he makes for his saints is a wedding supper, Matt. 22: 3. The graces of his church are the ornaments of his queen, Ps. 45: 9-14; and the fellowship he has with his saints is as that which those who are mutually beloved in a conjugal relation do hold, Cant. 1. Hence Paul, in describing these two, makes sudden and insensible transitions from one to the other, - Eph. 5, from verse 22 unto verse 32; concluding the whole with an application unto Christ and the church.

It is now to be inquired, in the next place, how it is that we hold communion with the person of Christ in respect of conjugal relations and affections, and wherein this does consist. Now, herein there are some things that are common unto Christ and the saints, and some things that are peculiar to each of them, as the nature of this relation does require. The whole may be reduced unto these two heads: - [1.] A mutual resignation of themselves one to the other; [2.] Mutual, consequential, conjugal affections.

[1.] There is a mutual resignation, or making over of their persons one to another. This is the first act of communion, as to the personal grace of Christ. Christ makes himself over to the soul, to be his, as to all the love, care, and tenderness of a husband; and the soul gives up itself wholly unto the Lord Christ, to be his, as to all loving, tender obedience. And herein is the main of Christ's and the saints' espousals. This, in the prophet, is set out under a parable of himself and a harlot, Hos. 3: 3, "Thou shalt abide for me," saith he unto her, "thou shalt not be for another, and I will be for thee." - "Poor harlot," saith the Lord Christ, "I have bought thee unto myself with the price of mine own blood; and now, this is that which we will consent unto, - I WILL BE FOR THEE, AND THOU SHALT BE FOR ME, and not for another.

1st. Christ gives himself to the soul, with all his excellencies, righteousness, preciousness, graces, and eminencies, to be its Saviour, head, and husband, for ever to dwell with it in this holy relation. He looks upon the souls of his saints, likes them well, counts them fair and beautiful, because he has made them so. Cant. 1: 15, "Behold, thou art fair, my companion; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes." Let others think what they please, Christ redoubles it, that the souls of his saints are very beautiful, even perfect, through his comeliness, which he puts upon them, Ezek. 16: 14, - "Behold, thou art fair, thou art fair:" particularly, that their spiritual light is very excellent and glorious; like the eyes of a dove, tender, discerning, clear, and shining. Therefore he adds that pathetical wish of the enjoyment of this his spouse, Cant. 2: 14, "O my dove," saith he, "that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely;" - "Do not hide thyself, as one that flies to the clefts of the rocks; be not dejected, as one that hides herself behind the stairs, and is afraid to come forth to the company that inquires for her. Let not thy spirit be cast down at the weakness of thy supplications, let me yet hear thy sighs and groans, thy breathing and partings to me; they are very sweet, very delightful: and thy spiritual countenance, thy appearance in heavenly things, is comely and delightful unto me." Neither does he leave her thus, but, chap. 4: 8, presseth her hard to a closer [union] with him in this conjugal bond: "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Herman, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards;" - "Thou art in a wandering condition (as the Israelites of old), among lions and leopards, sins and troubles; come from thence unto me, and I will give thee refreshment," Matt. 11: 28. Upon this invitation, the spouse boldly concludes, Cant. 7: 10, that the desire of Christ is towards her; that he does indeed love her, and aim at taking her into this fellowship with himself. So, in carrying on this union, Christ freely bestoweth himself upon the soul. Precious and excellent as he is, he becometh ours. He makes himself to be so; and with him, all his graces. Hence saith the spouse, "'My Beloved is mine;' in all that he is, he is mine." Because he is righteousness, he is "The LORD our Righteousness," Jer. 23: 6. Because he is the wisdom of God, and the power of God, he is "made unto us wisdom," etc., 1 Cor. 1: 30. Thus, "the branch of the LORD is beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth is excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel," Isa. 4: 2. This is the first thing on the part of Christ, - the free donation and bestowing of himself upon us to be our Christ, our Beloved, as to all the ends and purposes of love, mercy, grace, and glory; whereunto in his mediation he is designed, in a marriage covenant never to be broken. This is the sum of what is intended: - The Lord Jesus Christ, fitted and prepared, by the accomplishment and furniture of his person as mediator, and the large purchase of grace and glory which he has made, to be a husband to his saints, his church, tenders himself in the promises of the gospel to them in all his desirableness; convinces them of his good-will towards them, and his all-sufficiency for a supply of their wants; and upon their consent to accept of him, - which is all he requires or expects at their hands, - he engageth himself in a marriage covenant to be theirs for ever.

2dly. On the part of the saints, it is their free, willing consent to receive, embrace, and submit unto the Lord Jesus, as their husband, Lord, and Saviour, - to abide with him, subject their souls unto him, and to be ruled by him for ever.

Now, this in the soul is either initial, or the solemn consent at the first entrance of union; or consequential, in renewed acts of consent all our days. I speak of it especially in this latter sense, wherein it is proper unto communion; not in the former, wherein it primarily intendeth union.

There are two things that complete this self-resignation of the soul: -

(1st.) The liking of Christ, for his excellency, grace, and suitableness, far above all other beloveds whatever, preferring him in the judgement and mind above them all. In the place above mentioned, Cant. 5: 9, the spouse being earnestly pressed, by professors at large, to give in her thoughts concerning the excellency of her Beloved in comparison of other endearments, answereth expressly, that he is "the chiefest of ten thousand, yea," verse 16, "altogether lovely," infinitely beyond comparison with the choicest created good or endearment imaginable. The soul takes a view of all that is in this world, "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," and sees it all to be vanity, - that "the world passeth away, and the lust thereof," 1 John 2: 16, 17. These beloveds are no way to be compared unto him. It views also legal righteousness, blamelessness before men, uprightness of conversation, duties upon conviction, and concludes of all as Paul does, Phil. 3: 8, "Doubtless, I count all these things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." So, also, does the church, Hos. 14: 3, reject all appearing assistance whatever, - as goodly as Asshur, as promising as idols, - that God alone may be preferred. And this is the soul's entrance into conjugal communion with Jesus Christ as to personal grace, - the constant preferring him above all pretenders to its affections, counting all loss and dung in comparison of him. Beloved peace, beloved natural relations, beloved wisdom and learning, beloved righteousness, beloved duties, [are] all loss, compared with Christ.

(2dly.) The accepting of Christ by the will, as its only husband, Lord, and Saviour. This is called "receiving" of Christ, John 1: 12; and is not intended only for that solemn act whereby at first entrance we close with him, but also for the constant frame of the soul in abiding with him and owning of him as such. When the soul consents to take Christ on his own terms, to save him in his own way, and says, "Lord, I would have had thee and salvation in my way, that it might have been partly of mine endeavours, and as it were by the works of the law; I am now willing to receive thee and to be saved in thy way, - merely by grace: and though I would have walked according is my own mind, yet now I wholly give up myself to be ruled by thy Spirit: for in thee have I righteousness and strength, in thee am I justified and do glory;" - then does it carry on communion with Christ as to the grace of his person. This it is to receive the Lord Jesus in his comeliness and eminency. Let believers exercise their hearts abundantly unto this thing. This is choice communion with the Son Jesus Christ. Let us receive him in all his excellencies, as he bestows himself upon us; - be frequent in thoughts of faith, comparing him with other beloveds, sin, world, legal righteousness; and preferring him before them, counting them all loss and dung in comparison of him. And let our souls be persuaded of his sincerity and willingness in giving himself, in all that he is, as mediator unto us, to be ours; and let our hearts give up themselves unto him. Let us tell him that we will be for him, and not for another: let him know it from us; he delights to hear it, yea, he says, "Sweet is our voice, and our countenance is comely;" - and we shall not fail in the issue of sweet refreshment with him.

Digression 1. Some excellencies of Christ proposed to consideration, to

endear our hearts unto him - His description, Cant. 5, opened.

To strengthen our hearts in the resignation mentioned of ourselves unto the Lord Christ as our husband, as also to make way for the stirring of us up to those consequential conjugal affections of which mention shall afterward be made, I shall turn aside to a more full description of some of the personal excellencies of the Lord Christ, whereby the hearts of his saints are indeed endeared unto him.

In "The LORD our Righteousness," then, may these ensuing things be considered; which are exceeding suitable to prevail upon our hearts to give up themselves to be wholly his: -

1. He is exceeding excellent and desirable in his Deity, and the glory thereof. He is "Jehovah our Righteousness," Jer. 23: 6. In the rejoicing of Zion at his coming to her, this is the bottom, "Behold thy God!" Isa. 40: 9. "We have seen his glory," saith the apostle. What glory is that? "The glory of the only-begotten Son of God," John 1: 14. The choicest saints have been afraid and amazed at the beauty of an angel; and the stoutest sinners have trembled at the glory of one of those creatures in a low appearance, representing but the back parts of their glory, who yet themselves, in their highest advancement, do cover their faces at the presence of our Beloved, as conscious to themselves of their utter disability to bear the rays of his glory, Isa. 6: 2; John 12: 39-41. He is "the fellow of the Lord, of hosts," Zech. 13: 7. And though he once appeared in the form of a servant, yet then "he thought it not robbery to be equal with God," Phil. 2: 6. In the glory of this majesty he dwells in light inaccessible. We "cannot by searching find out the Almighty unto perfection: it is as high as heaven; what can we do? deeper than hell; what can we know? the measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea," Job 11: 7- 9. We may all say one to another of this, "Surely we are more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. We neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. Who has ascended up into heaven, or descended? who has gathered the wind in his fists? who has bound the waters in a garment? who has established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his Son's name, if ye can tell," Prov. 30: 2-4.

If any one should ask, now, with them in the Canticles, what is in the Lord Jesus, our beloved, more than in other beloveds, that should make him so desirable, and amiable, and worthy of acceptation? what is he more than others? I ask, What is a king more than a beggar? Much every way. Alas! this is nothing; they were born alike, must die alike, and after that is the judgement. What is an angel more than a worm? A worm is a creature, and an angel is no more; he has made the one to creep in the earth, - made also the other to dwell in heaven. There is still a proportion between these, they agree in something; but what are all the nothings of the world to the God infinitely blessed for evermore? Shall the dust of the balance, or the drop of the bucket be laid in the scale against him? This is he of whom the sinners in Zion are afraid, and cry, "Who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring fire, who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" I might now give you a glimpse of his excellency in many of those properties and attributes by which he discovers himself to the faith of poor sinners; but as he that goes into a garden where there are innumerable flowers in great variety, gathers not all he sees, but crops here and there one, and another, I shall endeavour to open a door, and give an inlet into the infinite excellency of the graces of the Lord Jesus, as he is "God blessed for evermore," presenting the reader with one or two instances, leaving him to gather for his own use what farther he pleaseth. Hence, then, observe, -

The endless, bottomless, boundless grace and compassion that is in him who is thus our husband, as he is the God of Zion. It is not the grace of a creature, nor all the grace that can possibly at once dwell in a created nature, that will serve our turn. We are too indigent to be suited with such a supply. There was a fulness of grace in the human nature of Christ, - he received not "the Spirit by measure," John 3: 34; a fulness like that of light in the sun, or of water in the sea (I speak not in respect of communication, but sufficiency); a fulness incomparably above the measure of angels: yet it was not properly an infinite fulness, - it was a created, and therefore a limited fulness. If it could be conceived as separated from the Deity, surely so many thirsty, guilty souls, as every day drink deep and large draughts of grace and mercy from him, would (if I may so speak) sink him to the very bottom; nay, it could afford no supply at all, but only in a moral way. But when the conduit of his humanity is inseparably united to the infinite, inexhaustible fountain of the Deity, who can look into the depths thereof? If, now, there be grace enough for sinners in an all- sufficient God, it is in Christ; and, indeed, in any other there cannot be enough. The Lord gives this reason for the peace and confidence of sinners, Isa. 54: 4, 5, "Thou shalt not be ashamed, neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame." But how shall this be? So much sin, and not ashamed! so much guilt, and not confounded! "Thy Maker," saith he, "is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." This is the bottom of all peace, confidence, and consolation, - the grace and mercy of our Maker, of the God of the whole earth. So are kindness and power tempered in him; he makes us, and mars us, - he is our God and our Goel, our Redeemer. "Look unto me," saith he, "and be ye saved; for I am God, and none else," Isa. 45: 22, "Surely, shall one say, In the LORD have I righteousness," verse 24.

And on this ground it is that if all the world should (if I may so say) set themselves to drink free grace, mercy, and pardon, drawing water continually from the wells of salvation; if they should set themselves to draw from one single promise, an angel standing by and crying, "Drink, O my friends, yea, drink abundantly, take so much grace and pardon as shall be abundantly sufficient for the world of sin which is in every one of you;" - they would not be able to sink the grace of the promise one hair's breadth. There is enough for millions of worlds, if they were; because it flows into it from an infinite, bottomless fountain. "Fear not, O worm Jacob, I am God, and not man," is the bottom of sinners' consolation. This is that "head of gold" mentioned, Cant. 5: 11, that most precious fountain of grace and mercy. This infiniteness of grace, in respect of its spring and fountain, will answer all objections that might hinder our souls from drawing nigh to communion with him, and from a free embracing of him. Will not this suit us in all our distresses? What is our finite guilt before it? Show me the sinner that can spread his iniquities to the dimensions (if I may so say) of this grace. Here is mercy enough for the greatest, the oldest, the stubbornest transgressor, - "Why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Take heed of them who would rob you of the Deity of Christ. If there were no more grace for me than what can be treasured up in a mere man, I should rejoice [if] my portion might be under rocks and mountains.

Consider, hence, his eternal, free, unchangeable love. Were the love of Christ unto us but the love of a mere man, though never so excellent, innocent, and glorious, it must have a beginning, it must have an ending, and perhaps be fruitless. The love of Christ in his human nature towards his is exceeding, intense, tender, precious, compassionate, abundantly heightened by a sense of our miseries, feeling of our wants, experience of our temptations; all flowing from that rich stock of grace, pity, and compassion, which, on purpose for our good and supply, was bestowed on him: but yet this love, as such, cannot be infinite nor eternal, nor from itself absolutely unchangeable. Were it no more, though not to be paralleled nor fathomed yet our Saviour could not say of it, as he does, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you," John 15: 9. His love could not be compared with and squalled unto the divine love of the Father, in those properties of eternity, fruitfulness, and unchangeableness, which are the chief anchors of the soul, rolling itself on the bosom of Christ. But now, -

(1.) It is eternal: "Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not," saith he, "spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, has sent me," Isa. 48: 16. He himself is "yesterday, today, and for ever," Heb. 13: 8; and so is his love, being his who is "Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, which is, which was, and which is to come," Rev. 1: 11.

(2.) Unchangeable. Our love is like ourselves; as we are, so are all our affections: so is the love of Christ like himself. We love one, one day, and hate him the next. He changeth, and we change also: this day he is our right hand, our right eye; the next day, "Cut him off, pluck him out." Jesus Christ is still the same; and so is his love. "In the beginning he laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of his hands; they shall perish, but he remaineth: they all shall wax old as does a garment; and as a vesture shall he fold them up, and they shall be changed: but he is the same, and his years fail not," Heb. 1: 10-12. He is the LORD, and he changeth not; and therefore we are not consumed. Whom he loves, he loves unto the end. His love is such as never had beginning, and never shall have ending.

(3.) It is also fruitful, - fruitful in all gracious issues and effects. A man may love another as his own soul, yet perhaps that love of his cannot help him. He may thereby pity him in prison, but not relieve him; bemoan him in misery, but not help him; suffer with him in trouble, but not ease him. We cannot love grace into a child, nor mercy into a friend; we cannot love them into heaven, though it may be the great desire of our soul. It was love that made Abraham cry, "O that Ishmael might live before thee!" but it might not be. But now the love of Christ, being the love of God, is effectual and fruitful in producing all the good things which he willeth unto his beloved. He loves life, grace, and holiness into us; he loves us also into covenant, loves us into heaven. Love in him is properly to will good to any one: whatever good Christ by his love wills to any, that willing is operative of that good.

These three qualifications of the love of Christ make it exceedingly eminent, and him exceeding desirable. How many millions of sins, in every one of the elect, every one whereof were enough to condemn them all, has this love overcome! what mountains of unbelief does it remove! Look upon the conversation of any one saint, consider the frame of his heart, see the many stains and spots, the defilements and infirmities, wherewith his life is contaminated, and tell me whether the love that bears with all this be not to be admired. And is it not the same towards thousands every day? What streams of grace, purging, pardoning, quickening, assisting, do flow from it every day! This is our Beloved, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.

2. He is desirable and worthy our acceptation, as considered in his humanity; even therein also, in reference to us, he is exceedingly desirable. I shall only, in this, note unto you two things: - (1.) Its freedom from sin; (2.) Its fulness of grace; - in both which regards the Scripture sets him out as exceedingly lovely and amiable.

(1.) He was free frown sin; - the Lamb of God, without spot, and without blemish; the male of the flock, to be offered unto God, the curse falling on all other oblations, and them that offer them, Mal. 1: 14. The purity of the snow is not to be compared with the whiteness of this lily, of this rose of Sharon, even from the womb: "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," Heb. 7: 26. Sanctified persons, whose stains are in any measure washed away, are exceeding fair in the eye of Christ himself. "Thou art all fair," saith he, "my love, thou hast no spot in thee." How fair, then, is he who never had the least spot or stain!

It is true, Adam at his creation had this spotless purity; so had the angels: but they came immediately from the hand of God, without concurrence of any secondary cause. Jesus Christ is a plant and root out of a dry ground, a blossom from the stem of Jesse, a bud from the loins of sinful man, - born of a sinner, after there had been no innocent flesh in the world for four thousand years, every one upon the roll of his genealogy being infected therewithal. To have a flower of wonderful rarity to grow in paradise, a garden of God's own planting, not sullied in the least, is not so strange; but, as the psalmist speaks (in another kind), to hear of it in a wood, to find it in a forest, to have a spotless bud brought forth in the wilderness of corrupted nature, is a thing which angels may desire to look into. Nay, more, this whole nature was not only defiled, but also accursed; not only unclean, but also guilty, - guilty of Adam's transgression, in whom we have all sinned. That the human nature of Christ should be derived from hence free from guilt, free from pollution, this is to be adored.

Objection. But you will say, "How can this be? who can bring a clean thing from an unclean? How could Christ take our nature, and not the defilements of it, and the guilt of it? If Levi paid tithes in the loins of Abraham, how is it that Christ did not sin in the loins of Adam?"

Answer. There are two things in original sin: -

[1.] Guilt of the first sin, which is imputed to us. We all sinned in him. "'Eph hoi pantes hemarton", Rom. 5: 12, whether we render it relatively "in whom," or illatively, "being all have sinned," all is one: that one sin is the sin of us all, - "omnes eramus unus ille homo". We were all in covenant with him; he was not only a natural head, but also a federal head unto us. As Christ is to believers, Rom. 5: 17; 1 Cor. 15: 22, so was he to us all; and his transgression of that covenant is reckoned to us.

[2.] There is the derivation of a polluted, corrupted nature from him: "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" "That which is born of the flesh is flesh," and nothing else; whose wisdom and mind is corrupted also: a polluted fountain will have polluted streams. The first person corrupted nature, and that nature corrupts all persons following. Now, from both these was Christ most free: -

1st. He was never federally in Adam, and so not liable to the imputation of his sin on that account. It is true that sin was imputed to him when he was made sin; thereby he took away the sin of the world, John 1: 29: but it was imputed to him in the covenant of the Mediator, through his voluntary susception, and not in the covenant of Adam, by a legal imputation. Had it been reckoned to him as a descendant from Adam, he had not been a fit high priest to have offered sacrifices for us, as not being "separate from sinners," Heb. 7: 26. Had Adam stood in his innocence, Christ had not been incarnate, to have been a mediator for sinners; and therefore the counsel of his incarnation, morally, took not place, until after the fall. Though he was in Adam in a natural sense from his first creation, in respect of the purpose of God, Luke 3: 23, 38, yet he was not in him in a law sense until after the fall: so that, as to his own person, he had no more to do with the first sin of Adam, than with any personal sin of [any] one whose punishment he voluntarily took upon him; as we are not liable to the guilt of those progenitors who followed Adam, though naturally we were no less in them than in him. Therefore did he, all the days of his flesh, serve God in a covenant of works; and was therein accepted with him, having done nothing that should disannul the virtue of that covenant as to him. This does not, then, in the least take off from his perfection.

2dly. For the pollution of our nature, it was prevented in him from the instant of conception, Luke 1: 35, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." He was "made of a woman," Gal. 4: 4; but that portion whereof he was made was sanctified by the Holy Ghost, that what was born thereof should be a holy thing. Not only the conjunction and union of soul and body, whereby a man becomes partaker of his whole nature, and therein of the pollution of sin, being a son of Adam, was prevented by the sanctification of the Holy Ghost, but it also accompanied the very separation of his bodily substance in the womb unto that sacred purpose whereunto it was set apart: so that upon all accounts he is "holy, harmless, undefiled." Add now hereunto, that he "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth," 1 Pet. 2: 22; that he "fulfilled all righteousness," Matt. 3: 15; his Father being always "well pleased" with him, verse 17, on the account of his perfect obedience; yea, even in that sense wherein he chargeth his angels with folly, and those inhabitants of heaven are not clean in his sight; and his excellency and desirableness in this regard will lie before us. Such was he, such is he; and yet for our sakes was he contented not only to be esteemed by the vilest of men to be a transgressor, but to undergo from God the punishment due to the vilest sinners. Of which afterward.

(2.) The fulness of grace in Christ's human nature sets forth the amiableness and desirableness thereof. Should I make it my business to consider his perfections, as to this part of his excellency, - what he had from the womb, Luke 1: 35, what received growth and improvement as to exercise in the days of his flesh, Luke 2: 52, with the complement of them all in glory, - the whole would tend to the purpose in hand. I am but taking a view of these things in transits. These two things lie in open sight to all at the first consideration: - all grace was in him, for the kinds thereof; and all degrees of grace, for its perfections; and both of them make up that fulness that was in him. It is created grace that I intend; and therefore I speak of the kinds of it: it is grace inherent in a created nature, not infinite; and therefore I speak of the degrees of it.

For the fountain of grace, the Holy Ghost, he received not him "by measure," John 3: 34; and for the communications of the Spirit, "it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell," Col. 1: 19, - "that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." But these things are commonly spoken unto.

This is the Beloved of our souls, "holy, harmless, undefiled;" "full of grace and truth;" - full, to a sufficiency for every end of grace, - full, for practice, to be an example to men and angels as to obedience, full, to a certainty of uninterrupted communion with God, - full, to a readiness of giving supply to others, - full, to suit him to all the occasions and necessities of the souls of men, - full, to a glory not unbecoming a subsistence in the person of the Son of God, - full, to a perfect victory, in trials, over all temptations, - full, to an exact correspondence to the whole law, every righteous and holy law of God, full to the utmost capacity of a limited, created, finite nature, - full, to the greatest beauty and glory of a living temple of God, - full, to the full pleasure and delight of the soul of his Father, - full to an everlasting monument of the glory of God, in giving such inconceivable excellencies to the Son of man.

And this is the second thing considerable for the endearing of our souls to our Beloved.

3. Consider that he is all this in one person. We have not been treating of two, a God and a man; but of one who is God and man. That Word that was with God in the beginning, and was God, John 1: 1, is also made flesh, verse 14; - not by a conversion of itself into flesh; not by appearing in the outward shape and likeness of flesh; but by assuming that holy thing that was born of the virgin, Luke 1: 35, into personal union with himself. So "The mighty God," Isa. 9: 6, is a "child given" to us; that holy thing that was born of the virgin is called "The Son of God," Luke 1: 35. That which made the man Christ Jesus to be a man, was the union of soul and body; that which made him that man, and without which he was not the man, was the subsistence of both united in the person of the Son of God. As to the proof hereof, I have spoken of it elsewhere at large; I now propose it only in general, to show the amiableness of Christ on this account. Here lies, hence arises, the grace, peace, life, and security of the church, - of all believers; as by some few considerations may be clearly evinced: -

(1.) Hence was he fit to suffer and able to bear whatever was due unto us, in that very action wherein the "Son of man gave his life a ransom for many," Matt. 20: 28. "God redeemed his church with his own blood," Acts 20: 28; and therein was the "love of God seen, that he gave his life for us," 1 John 3: 16. On this account was there room, enough in his breast to receive the points of all the swords that were sharpened by the law against us; and strength enough in his shoulders to bear the burden of that curse that was due to us. Thence was he so willing to undertake the work of our redemption, Heb. 10: 7, 8, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God," because he knew his ability to go through with it. Had he not been man, he could not have suffered; - had he not been God, his suffering could not have availed either himself or us, - he had not satisfied; the suffering of a mere man could not bear any proportion to that which in any respect was infinite. Had the great and righteous God gathered together all the sins that had been committed by his elect from the foundation of the world, and searched the bosoms of all that were to come to the end of the world, and taken them all, from the sin of their nature to the least deviation from the rectitude of his most holy law, and the highest provocation of their regenerate and unregenerate condition, and laid them on a mere holy, innocent, creature; - O how would they have overwhelmed him, and buried him for ever out of the presence of God's love! Therefore does the apostle premise that glorious description of him to the purging of our sin: "He has spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power," has "purged our sins." Heb. 1: 2, 3. It was he that purged our sins, who was the Son and heir of all things, by whom the world was made, - the brightness of his Father's glory, and express image of his person; he did it, he alone was able to do it. "God was manifested in the flesh," 1 Tim. 3: 16, for this work. The sword awaked against him that was the fellow of the Lord of hosts, Zech. 13: 7; and by the wounds of that great shepherd are the sheep healed, 1 Pet. 2: 24, 25.

(2.) Hence does he become an endless, bottomless fountain of grace to all them that believe. The fulness that it pleased the Father to commit to Christ, to be the great treasury and storehouse of the church, did not, does not, lie in the human nature, considered in itself; but in the person of the mediator, God and man. Consider wherein his communication of grace does consist, and this will be evident. The foundation of all is laid in his satisfaction, merit, and purchase; these are the morally procuring cause of all the grace we receive from Christ. Hence all grace becomes to be his; all the things of the new covenant, the promises of God, all the mercy, love, grace, glory promised, became, I say, to be his. Not as though they were all actually invested, or did reside and were in the human nature, and were from thence really communicated to us by a participation of a portion of what did so inhere: but they are morally his, by a compact, to be bestowed by him as he thinks good, as he is mediator, God and man; that is, the only begotten Son made flesh, John 1: 14, "from whose fulness we receive, and grace for grace." The real communication of grace is by Christ sending the Holy Ghost to regenerate us, and to create all the habitual grace, with the daily supplies thereof, in our hearts, that we are made partakers of. Now the Holy Ghost is thus sent by Christ as mediator, God and man, as is at large declared, John 14; 15; 16; of which more afterward. This, then, is that which I intend by this fulness of grace that is in Christ, from whence we have both our beginning and all our supplies; which makes him, as he is the alpha and Omega of his church, the beginner and finisher of our faith, excellent and desirable to our souls: - Upon the payment of the great price of his blood, and full acquitment on the satisfaction he made, all grace whatever (of which at large afterward) becomes, in a moral sense, his, at his disposal; and he bestows it on, or works it in, the hearts of his by the Holy Ghost, according as, in his infinite wisdom, he sees it needful. How glorious is he to the soul on this consideration! That is most excellent to us which suits us in a wanting condition, - that which gives bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, mercy to the perishing. All our reliefs are thus in our Beloved. Here is the life of our souls, the joy of our hearts, our relief against sin and deliverance from the wrath to come.

(3.) Thus is he fitted for a mediator, a days-man, an umpire between God and us, - being one with him, and one with us, and one in himself in this oneness, in the unity of one person. His ability and universal fitness for his office of mediator are hence usually demonstrated. And herein is he "Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God." Herein shines out the infinitely glorious wisdom of God; which we may better admire than express. What soul that has any acquaintance with these things falls not down with reverence and astonishment? How glorious is he that is the Beloved of our souls! What can be wanting that should encourage us to take up our rest and peace in his bosom? Unless all ways of relief and refreshment be so obstructed by unbelief, that no consideration can reach the heart to yield it the least assistance, it is impossible but that from hence the soul may gather that which will endear it unto him with whom we have to do. Let us dwell on the thoughts of it. This is the hidden mystery; great without controversy; admirable to eternity. What poor, low, perishing things do we spend our contemplations on! Were we to have no advantage by this astonishing dispensation, yet its excellency, glory, beauty, depths, deserve the flower of our inquiries, the vigour of our spirits, the substance of our time; but when, withal, our life, our peace, our joy, our inheritance, our eternity, our all, lies herein, shall not the thoughts of it always dwell in our hearts, always refresh and delight our souls?

(4.) He is excellent and glorious in this, - in that he is exalted and invested with all authority. When Jacob heard of the exaltation of his son Joseph in Egypt, and saw the chariots that he had sent for him, his spirit fainted and recovered again, through abundance of joy and other overflowing affections. Is our Beloved lost, who for our sakes was upon the earth poor and persecuted, reviled, killed? No! he was dead, but he is alive, and, lo, he lives for ever and ever, and has the keys of hell and of death. Our Beloved is made a lord and ruler, Acts 2: 36. He is made a king; God sets him his king on his holy hill of Zion, Ps. 2: 6; and he is crowned with honour and dignity, after he had been "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death," Heb. 2: 7-9. And what is he made king of? "All things are put in subjection under his feet," verse 8. And what power over them has our Beloved? "All power in heaven and earth," Matt. 28: 18. As for men, he has power given him "over all flesh," John 17: 2. And in what glory does he exercise this power? He gives eternal life to his elect; ruling them in the power of God, Micah 5: 4, until he bring them to himself: and for his enemies, his arrows are sharp in their hearts, Ps. 45: 5; he dips his vesture in their blood. Oh, how glorious is he in his authority over his enemies! In this world he terrifies, frightens, awes, convinces, bruises their hearts and consciences, - fills them with fear, terror, disquietment, until they yield him feigned obedience; and sometimes with outward judgements bruises, breaks, turns the wheel upon them, - stains all his vesture with their blood, - fills the earth with their caresses: and at last will gather them all together, beast, false prophet, nations, etc., and cast them into that lake that burns with fire and brimstone.

He is gloriously exalted above angels in this his authority, good and bad, Eph. 1: 20-22, "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." They are all under his feet, - at his command and absolute disposal. He is at the right hand of God, in the highest exaltation possible, and in full possession of a kingdom over the whole creation; having received a "name above every name," etc., Phil. 2: 9. Thus is he glorious in his throne, which is at "the right hand of the majesty on high;" glorious in his commission, which is "all power in heaven and earth;" glorious in his name, a name above every name, - "Lord of lords, and King of kings;" glorious in his sceptre, - "a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of his kingdom;" glorious in his attendants, - "his chariots are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels," among them he rideth on the heavens, and sendeth out the voice of his strength, attended with ten thousand times ten thousand of his holy ones; glorious in his subjects, - all creatures in heaven and in earth, nothing is left that is not put in subjection to him; glorious in his way of rule, and the administration of his kingdom, - full of sweetness, efficacy, power, serenity, holiness, righteousness, and grace, in and towards his elect, - of terror, vengeance, and certain destruction towards the rebellious angels and men; glorious in the issue of his kingdom, when every knee shall bow before him, and all shall stand before his judgement-seat. And what a little portion of his glory is it that we have pointed to! This is the beloved of the church, - its head, its husband; this is he with whom we have communion: but of the whole exaltation of Jesus Christ I am elsewhere to treat at large.

Having insisted on these generals, for the farther carrying on the motives to communion with Christ, in the relation mentioned, taken from his excellencies and perfections, I shall reflect on the description given of him by the spouse in the Canticles, to this very end and purpose Chant. 5: 10-16, "My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet- smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings, set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

The general description given of him, verse 10, has been before considered; the ensuing particulars are instances to make good the assertion that he is "the chiefest among ten thousand."

The spouse begins with his head and face, verses 11-13. In his head, she speaks first in general, unto the substance of it, - it is "fine gold;" and then in particular, as to its ornaments, - "his locks are bushy, and black as a raven."

1. "His head is as the most one gold," or, "His head gold, solid gold;" so some; - "made of pure gold;" so others; - "chrusion kefale", say the LXX, retaining part of both the Hebrew words, to "ketem paz", "massa auri."

Two things are eminent in gold, - splendour or glory, and duration. This is that which the spouse speaks of the head of Christ. His head is his government, authority, and kingdom. Hence it is said, "A crown of pure gold was on his head," Ps. 21: 3; and his head is here said to be gold, because of the crown of gold that adorns it, - as the monarchy in Daniel that was most eminent for glory and duration, is termed a "head of gold," Dan. 2: 38. And these two things are eminent in the kingdom and authority of Christ: -

(1.) It is a glorious kingdom; he is full of glory and majesty, and in his majesty he rides "prosperously," Ps. 45: 3, 4. "His glory is great in the salvation of God: honour and majesty are laid upon him: he is made blessed for ever and ever," Ps. 21: 5, 6. I might insist on particulars, and show that there is not any thing that may render a kingdom or government glorious, but it is in this of Christ in all its excellencies. It is a heavenly, a spiritual, a universal, and a shaken kingdom; all which render it glorious. But of this, somewhat before.

(2.) It is durable, yea, sterna], - solid gold. "His throne is for ever and ever," Ps. 45: 6; "of the increase of his government there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever," Isa. 9: 7. "His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom," Dan. 7: 27, - "a kingdom that shall never be destroyed," chap. 2: 44; for he must reign until all his enemies be subdued. This is that head of gold, - the splendour and eternity of his government.

And if you take the head in a natural sense, either the glory of his Deity is here attended to, or the fulness and excellency of his wisdom, which the head is the seat of. The allegory is not to be straitened, whilst we keep to the analogy of faith.

2. For the ornaments of his head; his locks, they are said to be "bushy," or curled, "black as a raven." His curled locks are black; "as a raven," is added by way of illustration of the blackness, not with any allusion to the nature of the raven. Take the head spoken of in a political sense: his locks of hair - said to be curled, as seeming to be entangled, but really falling in perfect order and beauty, as bushy locks - are his thoughts, and counsels, and ways, in the administration of his kingdom. They are black or dark, because of their depth and unsearchableness, - as God is said to dwell in thick darkness; and curled or brushy, because of their exact interweavings, from his infinite wisdom. His thoughts are many as the hairs of the head, seeming to be perplexed and entangled, but really set in a comely order, as curled bushy hair; deep and unsearchable, and dreadful to his enemies, and full of beauty and comeliness to his beloved. Such are, I say, the thoughts of his heart, the counsels of his wisdom, in reference to the administrations of his kingdom: - dark, perplexed, involved, to a carnal eye; in themselves, and to his saints, deep, manifold, ordered in all things, comely, desirable.

In a natural sense, black and curled locks denote comeliness, and vigour of youth. The strength and power of Christ, in the execution of his counsels, in all his ways, appears glorious and lovely.

The next thing described in him is his eyes. Verse 12, "His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set." The reason of this allusion is obvious: - doves are tender birds, not birds of prey; and of all others they have the most bright, shining, and piercing eye; their delight also in streams of water is known. Their being washed in milk, or clear, white, crystal water, adds to their beauty. And they are here said to be "fitly set;" that is, in due proportion for beauty and lustre, - as a precious stone in the foil or fulness of a ring, as the word signifies.

Eyes being for sight, discerning, knowledge, and acquaintance with the things that are to be seen; the knowledge, the understanding, the discerning Spirit of Christ Jesus, are here intended. In the allusion used four things are ascribed to them: - 1. Tenderness; 2. Purity; 3. Discerning; and, 4. Glory: -

1. The tenderness and compassion of Christ towards his church is here intended. He looks on it with the eyes of galleys doves; with tenderness and careful compassion; without anger, fury, or thoughts of revenge. So is the eye interpreted, Deut. 11: 12, "The eyes of the LORD thy God are upon that land." Why so? "It is a land that the LORD thy God careth for;" - careth for it in mercy. So are the eyes of Christ on us, as the eyes of one that in tenderness cares for us; that lays out his wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, in all tender love, in our behalf. He is the stone, that foundation-stone of the church, whereon "are seven eyes," Zech. 3: 9; wherein is a perfection of wisdom, knowledge, care, and kindness, for its guidance.

2. Purity; - as washed doves' eyes for purity. This may be taken either subjectively, for the excellency and immixed cleanness and purity of his sight and knowledge in himself; or objectively, for his delighting to behold purity in others. "He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity," Hab. 1: 13. "He has no pleasure in wickedness; the foolish shall not stand in his sight," Ps. 5: 4, 5. If the righteous soul of Lot was vexed with seeing the filthy deeds of wicked men, 2 Pet. 2: 8, who yet had eyes of flesh, in which there was a mixture of impurity; how much more do the pure eyes of our dear Lord Jesus abominate all the filthiness of sinners! But herein lies the excellency of his love to us, that he takes care to take away our filth and stains, that he may delight in us; and seeing we are so defiled, that it could no otherwise be done, he will do it by his own blood, Eph. 5: 25-27, "Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish." The end of this undertaking is, that the church might be thus gloriously presented unto himself, because he is of purer eyes than to behold it with joy and delight in any other condition. He leaves not his spouse until he says of her, "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee," Cant. 4: 7. Partly, he takes away our spots and stains, by the "renewing of the Holy Ghost;" and wholly adorns us with his own righteousness: and that because of the purity of his own eyes, which "cannot behold iniquity," - that he might present us to himself holy.

3. Discerning. He sees as doves, quickly, clearly, thoroughly, - to the bottom of that which he looks upon. Hence, in another p]ace it is said that his "eyes are as a flame of fire," Rev. 1: 14. And why so? That the churches might know that he is he which "searcheth the reins and hearts," Rev. 2: 23. He has discerning eyes, nothing is hid from him; all things are open and naked before him with whom we have to do. It is said of him, whilst he was in this world, that "Jesus knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man," John 2: 24, 25. His piercing eyes look through all the thick coverings of hypocrites, and the snow [show] of pretences that is on them. He sees the inside of all; and what men are there, that they are to him. He sees not as we see, but ponders the hidden man of the heart. No humble, broken, contrite soul, shall lose one sigh or groan after him, and communion with him; no pant of love or desire is hid from him, - he sees in secret; no glorious performance of the most glorious hypocrite will avail with him, - his eyes look through all, and the filth of their hearts lies naked before him.

4. Beauty and glory are here intended also. Every thing of Christ is beautiful, for he is "altogether lovely," verse 16, but most glorious [is he] in his sight and wisdom: he is the wisdom of God's eternal wisdom itself; his understanding is infinite. What spots and stains are in all our knowledge! When it is made perfect, yet it will still be finite and limited. His is without spot of darkness, without foil of limitedness.

Thus, then, is he beautiful and glorious: - his "head is of gold, his eyes are doves' eyes, washed in milk, and fitly set."

The next thing insisted on is his cheeks. Verse 13, "His cheeks are as a bed of spices; as sweet flowers," or "towers of perfumes" [marginal reading], or well-grown flowers. There are three things evidently pointed at in these words: - 1. A sweet savour, as from spices, and flowers, and towers of perfume; 2. Beauty and order, as spices set in rows or beds, as the words import; 3. Eminency in that word, as sweet or well-grown, great flowers.

These things are in the cheeks of Christ. The Chaldee paraphrase, who applies this whole song to God's dealings with the people of the Jews, makes these cheeks of the church's husband to be the two tables of stone, with the various lines drawn in them; but that allusion is strained, as are most of the conjectures of that scholiast.

The cheeks of a man are the seat of comeliness and manlike courage. The comeliness of Christ, as has in part been declared, is from his fulness of grace in himself for us. His manly courage respects the administration of his rule and government, from his fulness of authority; as was before declared. This comeliness and courage the spouse, describing Christ as a beautiful, desirable personage, to show that spiritually he is so, calleth his cheeks; so to make up his parts, and proportion. And to them does she ascribe, -

1. A sweet savour, order, and eminency. A sweet savour; as God is said to smell a sweet savour from the grace and obedience of his servants (Gen. 8: 21, the LORD smelled a savour of rest from the sacrifice of Noah), so do the saints smell a sweet savour from his grace laid up in Christ, Cant. 1: 3. It is that which they rest in, which they delight in, which they are refreshed with. As the smell of aromatical spices and flowers pleases the natural sense, refreshes the spirits, and delights the person; so do the graces of Christ to his saints. They please their spiritual sense, they refresh their drooping spirits, and give delight to their souls. If he be nigh them, they smell his raiment, as Isaac the raiment of Jacob. They say, "It is as the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed," Gen. 27: 27; and their souls are refreshed with it.

2. Order and beauty are as spices set in a garden bed. So are the graces of Christ. When spices are set in order, any one may know what is for his use, and take and gather it accordingly. Their answering, also, one to another makes them beautiful. So are the graces of Christ; in the gospel they are distinctly and in order set forth, that sinners by faith may view them, and take from him according to their necessity. They are ordered for the use of saints in the promises of the gospel. There is light in him, and life in him, and power in him, and all consolation in him; - a constellation of graces, shining with glory and beauty. Believers take a view of them all, see their glory and excellency, but fix especially on that which, in the condition wherein they are, is most useful to them. One takes light and joy; another, life and power. By faith and prayer do they gather these things in this bed of spices. Not any that comes to him goes away unrefreshed. What may they not take, what may they not gather? what is it that the poor soul wants? Behold, it is here provided, set out in order in the promises of the gospel; which are as the beds wherein these spices are set for our use: and on the account hereof is the covenant said to be "ordered in all things," 2 Sam. 23: 5.

3. Eminency. His cheeks are "a tower of perfumes" held up, made conspicuous, visible, eminent. So it is with the graces of Christ, when held out and lifted up in the preaching of the gospel. They are a tower of perfumes, - a sweet savour to God and man.

The next clause of that verse is, "His lips are like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh." Two perfections in things natural are here alluded unto: - First, the glory of colour in the lilies, and the sweetness of savour in the myrrh. The glory and beauty of the lilies in those countries was such as that our Saviour tells us that "Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of them," Matt. 6: 29; and the savour of myrrh such as, when the Scripture would set forth any thing to be an excellent savour, it compares it thereunto, Ps. 45: 8; and thereof was the sweet and holy ointment chiefly made, Exod. 30: 23-25: mention is also made frequently of it in other places, to the same purpose. It is said of Christ, that "grace was poured into his lips," Ps. 45: 2; whence men wondered or were amazed - "tois logois tes charitos", [Luke 4: 22] - at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth. So that by the lips of Christ, and their dropping sweet- smelling myrrh, the word of Christ, its savour, excellency, and usefulness, is intended. Herein is he excellent and glorious indeed, surpassing the excellencies of those natural things which yet are most precious in their kind, - even in the glory, beauty, and usefulness of his word. Hence they that preach his word to the saving of the souls of men, are said to be a "sweet savour unto God," 2 Cor. 2: 15; and the savour of the knowledge of God is said to be manifested by them, verse 14. I might insist on the several properties of myrrh, whereto the word of Christ is here compared, - its bitterness in taste, its efficacy to preserve from putrefaction, its usefulness in perfumes and unctions, - and press the allegory in setting out the excellencies of the word in allusions to them; but I only insist on generals. This is that which the Holy Ghost here intends: - the word of Christ is sweet, savoury, precious unto believers; and they see him to be excellent, desirable, beautiful, in the precepts, promises, exhortations, and the most bitter threats thereof.

The spouse adds, "His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl" [verse 14]. The word "beryl," in the original, is "Tarshish;" which the Septuagint have retained, not restraining it to any peculiar precious stone; the onyx, say some; the chrysolite, say others; - any precious stone shining with a sea-green colour, for the word signifies the sea also. Gold rings set with precious, glittering stones, are both valuable and desirable, for profit and ornament: so are the hands of Christ; that is, all his works, - the effects, by the cause. All his works are glorious; they are all fruits of wisdom, love, and bounty. "And his belly is as bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires." The smoothness and brightness of ivory, the preciousness and heavenly colour of the sapphires, are here called in, to give some lustre to the excellency of Christ." To these is his belly, or rather his bowels (which takes in the heart also), compared. It is the inward bowels, and not the outward bulk that is signified. Now, to show that by "bowels" in the Scripture, ascribed either to God or man, affections are intended, is needless. The tender love, unspeakable affections and kindness, of Christ to his church and people, is thus set out. What a beautiful sight is it to the eye, to see pure polished ivory set up and down with heaps of precious sapphires! How much more glorious are the tender affections, mercies, and compassion of the Lord Jesus unto believers!

Verse 15. The strength of his kingdom, the faithfulness and stability of his promises, - the height and glory of his person in his dominion, - the sweetness and excellency of communion with him, is set forth in these words: "His legs are as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold; his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars: his mouth is most sweet."

When the spouse has gone thus far in the description of him, she concludes all in this general assertion: "He is wholly desirable, - altogether to be desired or beloved." As if she should have said, - "I have thus reckoned up some of the perfections of the creatures (things of most value, price, usefulness, beauty, glory, here below), and compared some of the excellencies of my Beloved unto them. In this way of allegory I can carry things no higher; I find nothing better or more desirable to shadow out and to present his loveliness and desirableness: but, alas! all this comes short of his perfections, beauty, and comeliness; 'he is all wholly to be desired, to be beloved;'" -

Lovely in his person, - in the glorious all-sufficiency of his Deity, gracious purity and holiness of his humanity, authority and majesty, love and power.

Lovely in his birth and incarnation; when he was rich, for our sakes becoming poor, - taking part of flesh and blood, because we partook of the same; being made of a woman, that for us he might be made under the law, even for our sakes.

Lovely in the whole course of his life, and the more than angelical holiness and obedience which, in the depth of poverty and persecution, he exercised therein; - doing good, receiving evil; blessing, and being cursed, reviled, reproached, all his days.

Lovely in his death; yea, therein most lovely to sinners; - never more glorious and desirable than when he came broken, dead, from the cross. Then had he carried all our sins into a land of forgetfulness; then had remade peace and reconciliation for us; then had he procured life and immortality for us.

Lovely in his whole employment, in his great undertaking, - in his life, death, resurrection, ascension; being a mediator between God and us, to recover the glory of God's justice, and to save our souls, - to bring us to an enjoyment of God, who were set at such an infinite distance from him by sin.

Lovely in the glory and majesty wherewith he is crowned. Now he is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; where, though he be terrible to his enemies, yet he is full of mercy, love, and compassion, towards his beloved ones.

Lovely in all those supplies of grace and consolations, in all the dispensations of his Holy Spirit, whereof his saints are made partakers.

Lovely in all the tender care, power, and wisdom, which he exercises in the protection, safe-guarding, and delivery of his church and people, in the midst of all the oppositions and persecutions whereunto they are exposed.

Lovely in all his ordinances, and the whole of that spiritually glorious worship which he has appointed to his people, whereby they draw nigh and have communion with him and his Father.

Lovely and glorious in the vengeance he taketh, and will finally execute, upon the stubborn enemies of himself and his people.

Lovely in the pardon he has purchased and does dispense, - in the reconciliation he has established, - in the grace he communicates, - in the consolations he does administer, - in the peace and joy he gives his saints, - in his assured preservation of them unto glory.

What shall I say? there is no end of his excellencies and desirableness; - "He is altogether lovely. This is our beloved, and this is our friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

Digression 2. All solid wisdom laid up in Christ - True wisdom, wherein

it consists - Knowledge of God, in Christ only to be obtained -

What of God may be known by his works - Some properties of God not

discovered but in Christ only; love, mercy - Others not fully but

in him; as vindictive justice, patience, wisdom, all-sufficiency -

No property of God savingly known but in Christ - What is required

to a saving knowledge of the properties of God - No true knowledge

of ourselves but in Christ - Knowledge of ourselves, wherein it

consisteth - Knowledge of sin, how to be had in Christ; also of

righteousness and of judgement - The wisdom of walking with God

hid in Christ - What is required thereunto - Other pretenders to

the title of wisdom examined and rejected Christ alone exalted.

A second consideration of the excellencies of Christ, serving to endear the hearts of them who stand with him in the relation insisted on, arises from that which, in the mistaken apprehension of it, is the great darling of men, and in its true notion the great aim of the saints; which is wisdom and knowledge. Let it be evinced that all true and solid knowledge is laid up in, and is only to be attained from and by, the Lord Jesus Christ; and the hearts of men, if they are but true to themselves and their most predominate principles, must needs be engaged to him. This is the great design of all men, taken off from professed slavery to the world, and the pursuit of sensual, licentious courses, - that they maybe wise: and what ways the generality of men engage in for the compassing of that end shall be afterward considered. To the glory and honour of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, and the establishment of our hearts in communion with him, the design of this digression is to evince that all wisdom is laid up in him, and that from him alone it is to be obtained.

1 Cor. 1: 24, the Holy Ghost tells us that "Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God:" not the essential Wisdom of God, as he is the eternal Son of the Father (upon which account he is called "Wisdom" in the Proverbs, chap. 8: 22, 23); but as he is crucified, verse 23. As he is crucified, so he is the wisdom of God; that is, all that wisdom which God layeth forth for the discovery and manifestation of himself, and for the saving of sinners, which makes foolish all the wisdom of the world, - that is all in Christ crucified; held out in him, by him, and to be obtained only from him. And thereby in him do we see the glory of God, 2 Cor. 3: 18. For he is not only said to be "the wisdom of God," but also to be "made unto us wisdom," 1 Cor. 1: 30. He is made, not by creation, but ordination and appointment, wisdom unto us; not only by teaching us wisdom (by a metonymy of the effect for the cause), as he is the great prophet of his church, but also because by the knowing of him we become acquainted with the wisdom of God, - which is our wisdom; which is a metonymy of the adjunct. This, however verily promised, is thus only to be had. The sum of what is contended for is asserted in terms, Col. 2: 3, "In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

There are two things that might seem to have some colour in claiming a title and interest in this business: - 1. Civil wisdom and prudence, for the management of affairs; 2. Ability of learning and literature; - but God rejecteth both these, as of no use at all to the end and intent of true wisdom indeed. There is in the world that which is called "understanding;" but it comes to nothing. There is that which is called "wisdom;" but it is turned into folly, 1 Cor. 1: 19, 20, "God brings to nothing the understanding of the prudent, and makes foolish this wisdom of the world." And if there be neither wisdom nor knowledge (as doubtless there is not), without the knowledge of God, Jer. 8: 9, it is all shut up in the Lord Jesus Christ: "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has revealed him." He is not seen at another time, John 1: 18, nor known upon any other account, but only the revelation of the Son. He has manifested him from his own bosom; and therefore, verse 9, it is said that he is "the true Light, which lighteth every man that comes into the world," the true Light, which has it in himself: and none has any but from him; and all have it who come unto him. He who does not so, is in darkness.

The sum of all true wisdom and knowledge may be reduced to these three heads: - 1. The knowledge of God, his nature and his properties. 2. The knowledge of ourselves in reference to the will of God concerning us. 3. Skill to walk in communion with God: -

I. The knowledge of the works of God, and the chief end of all, does necessarily attend these. 1. In these three is summed up all true wisdom and knowledge; and, 2, - Not any of them is to any purpose to be obtained, or is manifested, but only in and by the Lord Christ: -

1. God, by the work of the creation, by the creation itself, did reveal himself in many of his properties unto his creatures capable of his knowledge; - his power, his goodness, his wisdom, his all- sufficiency, are thereby known. This the apostle asserts, Rom. 1: 19- 21. Verse 19, he calls it "to gnoston tou Theou", - verse 20, that is, his eternal power and Godhead; and verse 21, a knowing of God: and all this by the creation. But yet there are some properties of God which all the works of creation cannot in any measure reveal or make known; - as his patience, long-suffering, and forbearance. For all things being made good, there could be no place for the exercise of any of these properties, or manifestation of them. The whole fabric of heaven and earth considered in itself, as at first created, will not discover any such thing as patience and forbearance in God; which yet are eminent properties of his nature, as himself proclaims and declares, Exod. 34: 6, 7.

Wherefore the Lord goes farther; and by the works of his providence, in preserving and ruling the world which he made, discovers and reveals these properties also. For whereas by cursing the earth, and filling all the elements oftentimes with signs of his anger and indignation, he has, as the apostle tells us, Rom. 1: 18, "revealed from heaven his wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men;" yet not proceeding immediately to destroy all things, he has manifested his patience and forbearance to all. This Paul, Acts 14: 16, 17, tells us: "He suffered all nations to walk in their own ways; yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness." A large account of his goodness and wisdom herein the psalmist gives us, Ps. 104 throughout. By these ways he bare witness to his own goodness and patience; and so it is said, "He endures with much long-suffering," etc., Rom. 9: 22. But now, here all the world is at a stand; by all this they have but an obscure glimpse of God, and see not so much as his back parts. Moses saw not that, until he was put into the rock; and that rock was Christ. There are some of the most eminent and glorious properties of God (I mean, in the manifestation whereof he will be most glorious; otherwise his properties are not to be compared) that there is not the least glimpse to be attained of out of the Lord Christ, but only by and in him; and some that comparatively we have no light of but in him; and of all the rest no true light but by him: -

(1.) Of the first sort, whereof not the least guess and imagination can enter into the heart of man but only by Christ, are love and pardoning mercy: -

[1.] Love; I mean love unto sinners. Without this, man is of all creatures most miserable; and there is not the least glimpse of it that can possibly be discovered but in Christ. The Holy Ghost says, 1 John 4: 8, 16, "God is love;" that is, not only of a loving and tender nature, but one that will exercise himself in a dispensation of his love, eternal love, towards us, - one that has purposes of love for us from of old, and will fulfil them all towards us in due season. But how is this demonstrated? how may we attain an acquaintance with it? He tells us, verse 9, "In this was manifested the love of God, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." This is the only discovery that God has made of any such property in his nature, or of any thought of exercising it towards sinners, - in that he has sent Jesus Christ into the world, that we might live by him. Where now is the wise, where is the scribe, where is the disputer of this world, with all their wisdom? Their voice must be that of the hypocrites in Zion, Isa. 33: 14, 15. That wisdom which cannot teach me that God is love, shall ever pass for folly. Let men go to the sun, moon, and stars, to showers of rain and fruitful seasons, and answer truly what by them they learn hereof. Let them not think themselves wiser or better than those that went before them, who, to a man, got nothing by them, but being left inexcusable.

[2.] Pardoning mercy, or grace. Without this, even his love would be fruitless. What discovery may be made of this by a sinful man, may be seen in the father of us all; who, when he had sinned, had no reserve for mercy, but hid himself, Gen. 3: 8. He did it "leruach hayom", when the wind did but a little blow at the presence of God; and he did it foolishly, thinking to "hide himself among trees!" Ps. 139: 7, 8. "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," John 1: 17, - grace in the truth and substance. Pardoning mercy, that comes by Christ alone; that pardoning mercy which is manifested in the gospel, and wherein God will be glorified to all eternity, Eph. 1: 6. I mean not that general mercy, that velleity of acceptance which some put their hopes in: that "pathos", (which to ascribe unto God is the greatest dishonour that can be done him) shines not with one ray out of Christ; it is wholly treasured up in him, and revealed by him. Pardoning mercy is God's free, gracious acceptance of a sinner upon satisfaction made to his justice in the blood of Jesus; nor is any discovery of it, but as relating to the satisfaction of justice, consistent with the glory of God. It is a mercy of inconceivable condescension in forgiveness, tempered with exact justice and severity. Rom. 3: 25, God is said "to set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness in the remission of sins;" his righteousness is also manifested in the business of forgiveness of sins: and therefore it is everywhere said to be wholly in Christ, Eph 1:7. So that this gospel grace and pardoning mercy is a]one purchased by him, and revealed in him. And this was the main end of all typical institutions, - to manifest that remission and forgiveness is wholly wrapped up in the Lord Christ, and that out of him there is not the least conjecture to be made of it, nor the least morsel to be tasted. Had not God set forth the Lord Christ, all the angels in heaven and men on earth could not have apprehended that there had been any such thing in the nature of God as this grace of pardoning mercy. The apostle asserts the full manifestation as well as the exercise of this mercy to be in Christ only, Tit. 3: 4, 5, "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared," namely, in the sending of Christ, and the declaration of him in the gospel. Then was this pardoning mercy and salvation not by works discovered.

And these are of those properties of God whereby he will be known, whereof there is not the least glimpse to be obtained but by and in Christ; and whoever knows him not by these, knows him not at all. They know an idol, and not the only true God. He that has not the Son, the same has not the Father, 1 John 2: 23; and not to have God as a Father, is not to have him at all; and he is known as a Father only as he is love, and full of pardoning mercy in Christ. How this is to be had the Holy Ghost tells us, 1 John 5: 20, "The Son of God is come and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true." By him alone we have our understanding to know him that is true. Now, these properties of God Christ revealeth in his doctrine, in the revelation he makes of God and his will, as the great prophet of the church, John 17: 6. And on this account the knowledge of them is exposed to all, with an evidence unspeakably surmounting that which is given by the creation to his eternal power and Godhead. But the life of this knowledge lies in an acquaintance with his person, wherein the express image and beams of this glory of his Father do shine forth, Heb. 1: 3; of which before.

(2.) There are other properties of God which, though also otherwise discovered, yet are so clearly, eminently, and savingly only in Jesus Christ; as, - [1.] His vindictive justice in punishing sin; [2.] His patience, forbearance, and long-suffering towards sinners; [3.] His wisdom, in managing things for his own glory; [4.] His all- sufficiency, in himself and unto others. All these, though they may receive some lower and inferior manifestations out of Christ, yet they clearly shine only in him; so as that it may be our wisdom to be acquainted with them.

[1.] His vindictive justice. God has, indeed, many ways manifested his indignation and anger against sin; so that men cannot but know that it is "the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death," Rom. 1: 32. He has in the law threatened to kindle a fire in his anger that shall burn to the very heart of hell. And even in many providential dispensations, "his wrath is revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness of men," Rom. 1: 18. So that men must say that he is a God of judgement. And he that shall but consider that the angels for sin were cast from heaven, shut up under chains of everlasting darkness unto the judgement of the great day (the rumour whereof seems to have been spread among the Gentiles, whence the poet makes his Jupiter threaten the inferior rebellious deities with that punishment); and how Sodom and Gomorrah were condemned with an overthrow, and burned into ashes, that they might be "examples unto those that should after live ungodly," 2 Pet. 2: 6; cannot but discover much of God's vindictive justice and his anger against sin. But far more clear does this shine into us in the Lord Christ: -

1st. In him God has manifested the naturalness of this righteousness unto him, in that it was impossible that it should be diverted from sinners without the interposing of a propitiation. Those who lay the necessity of satisfaction merely upon the account of a free act and determination of the will of God, leave, to my apprehension, no just and indispensable foundation for the death of Christ, but lay it upon a supposition of that which might have been otherwise. But plainly, God, in that he spared not his only Son, but made his soul an offering for sin, and would admit of no atonement but in his blood, has abundantly manifested that it is of necessity to him (his holiness and righteousness requiring it) to render indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish unto sin. And the knowledge of this naturalness of vindictive justice, with the necessity of its execution on supposition of sin, is the only true and useful knowledge of it. To look upon it as that which God may exercise or forbear, makes his justice not a property of his nature, but a free act of his will; and a will to punish where one may do otherwise without injustice, is rather ill-will than Justice.

2dly. In the penalty inflicted on Christ for sin, this justice is far more gloriously manifested than otherwise. To see, indeed, a world, made good and beautiful, wrapped up in wrath and curses, clothed with thorns and briers; to see the whole beautiful creation made subject to vanity, given up to the bondage of corruption; to hear it groan in pain under that burden; to consider legions of angels, most glorious and immortal creatures, cast down into hell, bound with chains of darkness, and reserved for a more dreadful judgement for one sin; to view the ocean of the blood of souls spilt to eternity on this account, - will give some insight into this thing. But what is all this to that view of it which may be had by a spiritual eye in the Lord Christ? All these things are worms, and of no value in comparison of him. To see him who is the wisdom of God, and the power of God, always beloved of the Father; to see him, I say, fear, and tremble, and bow, and sweat, and pray, and die; to see him lifted up upon the cross, the earth trembling under him, as if unable to bear his weight; and the heavens darkened over him, as if shut against his cry; and himself hanging between both, as if refused by both; and all this because our sins did meet upon him; - this of all things does most abundantly manifest the severity of God's vindictive justice. Here, or nowhere, is it to be learned.

[2.] His patience, forbearance, and long-suffering towards sinners. There are many glimpses of the patience of God shining out in the works of his providence; but all exceedingly beneath that discovery of it which we have in Christ, especially in these three things: -

1st. The manner of its discovery. This, indeed, is evident to all, that God does not ordinarily immediately punish men upon their offences. It may be learned from his constant way in governing the world: notwithstanding all provocations, yet he does good to men; causing his sun to shine upon them, sending them rain and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness. Hence it was easy for them to conclude that there was in him abundance of goodness and forbearance. But all this is yet in much darkness, being the exurgency of men's seasonings from their observations; yea, the management of it [God's patience} has been such as that it has proved a snare almost universally unto them towards whom it has been exercised, Eccles. 8: 11, as well as a temptation to them who have looked on, Job 21:7; Ps. 73: 2-4, etc.; Jer. 12: l; Hab. 1: 13. The discovery of it in Christ is utterly of another nature. In him the very nature of God is discovered to be love and kindness; and that he will exercise the same to sinners, he has promised, sworn, and solemnly engaged himself by covenant. And that we may not hesitate about the aim which he has herein, there is a stable bottom and foundation of acting suitably to those gracious properties of his nature held forth, - namely, the reconciliation and atonement that is made in the blood of Christ. Whatever discovery were made of the patience and levity of God unto us, yet if it were not withal revealed that the other properties of God, as his justice and revenge for sin, had their acting also assigned to them to the full, there could be little consolation gathered from the former. And therefore, though God may teach men his goodness and forbearance, by sending them rain and fruitful seasons, yet withal at the same time, upon all occasions, "revealing his wrath from heaven against the ungodliness of men," Rom. 1: 18, it is impossible that they should do any thing but miserably fluctuate and tremble at the event of these dispensations; and yet this is the best that men can have out of Christ, the utmost they can attain unto. With the present possession of good things administered in this patience, men might, and did for a season, take up their thoughts and satiate themselves; but yet they were not in the least delivered from the bondage they were in by reason of death, and the darkness attending it. The law reveals no patience or forbearance in God; it speaks, as to the issue of transgressions, nothing but sword and fire, had not God interposed by an act of sovereignty. But now, as was said, with that revelation of forbearance which we have in Christ, there is also a discovery of the satisfaction of his justice and wrath against sin; so that we need not fear any acting from them to interfere with the works of his patience, which are so sweet unto us. Hence God is said to be "in Christ, reconciling the world to himself," 2 Cor. 5: 19; manifesting himself in him as one that has now no more to do for the manifestation of all his attributes, - that is, for the glorifying of himself, - but only to forbear, reconcile, and pardon sin in him.

2dly. In the nature of it. What is there in that forbearance which out of Christ is revealed? Merely a not immediate punishing upon the offence, and, withal, giving and continuing temporal mercies; such things as men are prone to abuse, and may perish with their bosoms full of them to eternity. That which lies hid in Christ, and is revealed from him, is full of love, sweetness, tenderness, kindness, grace. It is the Lord's waiting to be gracious to sinners; waiting for an advantage to show love and kindness, for the most eminent endearing of a soul unto himself, Isa. 30: 18, "Therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you." Neither is there any revelation of God that the soul finds more sweetness in than this. When it [one's soul] is experimentally convinced that God from time to time has passed by many, innumerable iniquities, he is astonished to think that God should do so; and admires that he did not take the advantage of his provocations to cast him out of his presence. He finds that, with infinite wisdom, in all long-suffering, he has managed all his dispensations towards him to recover him from the power of the devil, to rebuke and chasten his spirit for sin, to endear him unto himself; - there is, I say, nothing of greater sweetness to the soul than this: and therefore the apostle says, Rom. 3: 25, that all is "through the forbearance of God." God makes way for complete forgiveness of sins through this his forbearance; which the other does not.

3dly. They differ in their ends and aims. What is the aim and design of God in the dispensation of that forbearance which is manifested and may be discovered out of Christ? The apostle tells us, Rom. 9: 22, "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction?" It was but to leave them inexcusable, that his power and wrath against sin might be manifested in their destruction. And therefore he calls it "a suffering of them to walk in their own ways," Acts 14: 16; which elsewhere he holds out as a most dreadful judgement, - to wit, in respect of that issue whereto it will certainly come; as Ps. 81: 12, "I gave them up unto their own hearts' lusts, and they walked in their own counsels:" which is as dreadful a condition as a creature is capable of falling into in this world. And Acts 17: 30, he calls it a "winking at the sins of their ignorance;" as it were taking no care nor thought of them in their dark condition, as it appears by the antithesis, "But now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent." He did not take so much notice of them then as to command them to repent, by any clear revelation of his mind and will. And therefore the exhortation of the apostle, Rom. 2: 4, "Despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" is spoken to the Jews, who had advantages to learn the natural tendency of that goodness and forbearance which God exercises in Christ; which, indeed, leads to repentance: or else he does in general intimate that, in very reason, men ought to make another use of those things than usually they do, and which he chargeth them withal, verse 5, "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart," etc. At best, then, the patience of God unto men out of Christ, by reason of their own incorrigible stubbornness, proves but like the waters of the river Phasis, that are sweet at the top and bitter in the bottom; they swim for a while in the sweet and good things of this life, Luke 16: 20; wherewith being filled, they sink to the depth of all bitterness.

But now, evidently and directly, the end of that patience and forbearance of God which is exercised in Christ, and discovered in him to us, is the saving and bringing into God those towards whom he is pleased to exercise them. And therefore Peter tells you, 2 Pet. 3: 9, that he is "long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance;" that is, all us towards whom he exercises forbearance; for that is the end of it, that his will concerning our repentance and salvation may be accomplished. And the nature of it, with its end, is well expressed, Isa. 54: 9, "This is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wrath," etc. It is God's taking a course, in his infinite wisdom and goodness, that we shall not be destroyed notwithstanding our sins; and therefore, Rom. 15: 5, these two things are laid together in God, as coming together from him, "The God of patience and consolation:" his patience is a matter of the greatest consolation. And this is another property of God, which, though it may break forth in some rays, to some ends and purposes, in other things, yet the treasures of it are hid in Christ; and none is acquainted with it, unto any spiritual advantage, that learns it not in him.

[3.] His wisdom, his infinite wisdom, in managing things for his own glory, and the good of them towards whom he has thoughts of love. The Lord, indeed, has laid out and manifested infinite wisdom in his works of creation, providence, and governing of his world: in wisdom has he made all his creatures. "How manifold are his works! in wisdom has he made them all; the earth is full of his riches," Ps. 104: 24. So in his providence, his supportment and guidance of all things, in order to one another, and his own glory, unto the ends appointed for them; for all these things "come forth from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working," Isa. 28: 29. His law also is for ever to be admired, for the excellency of the wisdom therein, Deut. 4: 7, 8. But yet there is that which Paul is astonished at, and wherein God will for ever be exalted, which he calls, "The depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God," Rom. 11: 33; - that is only hid in and revealed by Christ. Hence, as he is said to be "the wisdom of God," and to be "made unto us wisdom;" so the design of God, which is carried along in him, and revealed in the gospel, is called "the wisdom of God," and a "mystery; even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world was; which none of the princes of this world knew," 1 Cor. 2: 7, 8. Eph. 3: 10, it is called, "The manifold wisdom of God;" and to discover the depth and riches of this wisdom, he tells us in that verse that it is such, that principalities and powers, that very angels themselves, could not in the least measure get any acquaintance with it, until God, by gathering of a church of sinners, did actually discover it. Hence Peter informs us, that they who are so well acquainted with all the works of God, do yet bow down and desire with earnestness to look into these things (the things of the wisdom of God in the gospel), 1 Pet. 1: 12. It asks a man much wisdom to make a curious work, fabric, and building; but if one shall come and deface it, to raise up the same building to more beauty and glory than ever, this is excellence of wisdom indeed. God in the beginning made all things good, glorious, and beautiful. When all things had an innocence and beauty, the clear impress of his wisdom and goodness upon them, they were very glorious; especially man, who was made for his special glory. Now, all this beauty was defaced by sin, and the wholes creation rolled up in darkness, wrath, curses, confusion, and the great praise of God buried in the heaps of it. Man, especially, was utterly lost, and came short of the glory of God, for which he was created, Rom. 3: 23. Here, now, does the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God open itself. A design in Christ shines out from his bosom, that was lodged there from eternity, to recover things to such an estate as shall be exceedingly to the advantage of his glory, infinitely above what at first appeared, and for the putting of sinners into inconceivably a better condition than they were in before the entrance of sin. He appears now glorious; he is known to be a God pardoning iniquity and sin, and advances the riches of his grace: which was his design, Eph. 1: 6. He has infinitely vindicated his justice also, in the face of men, angels, and devils, in setting forth his Son for a propitiation. It is also to our advantage; we are more fully established in his favour, and are carried on towards a more exceeding weight of glory than formerly was revealed. Hence was that ejaculation of one of the ancients, "O felix culpa, quae talem meruit redemptorem!" Thus Paul tells us, "Great is the mystery of godliness," 1 Tim. 3: 16, and that "without controversy." We receive "grace for grace;" - for that grace lost in Adam, better grace in Christ. Confessedly, this is a depth of wisdom indeed. And of the love of Christ to his church, and his union with it, to carry on this business, "This is a great mystery," Eph. 5: 32, says the apostle; great wisdom lies herein.

So, then, this also is hid in Christ, - the great and unspeakable riches of the wisdom of God, in pardoning sin, saving sinners, satisfying justice, fulfilling the law, repairing his own honour, and providing for us a more exceeding weight of glory; and all this out of such a condition as wherein it was impossible that it should enter into the hearts of angels or men how ever the glory of God should be repaired, and one sinning creature delivered from everlasting ruin. Hence it is said, that at the last day God "shall be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe," 2 Thess. 1: 10. It shall be an admirable thing, and God shall be for ever glorious in it, even in the bringing of believers to himself. To save sinners through believing, shall be found to be a far more admirable work than to create the world of nothing.

[4.] His all-sufficiency is the last of this sort that I shall name.

God's all-sufficiency in himself is his absolute and universal perfection, whereby nothing is wanting in him, nothing to him: No accession can be made to his fulness, no decrease or wasting can happen thereunto. There is also in him an all-sufficiency for others; which is his power to impart and communicate his goodness and himself so to them as to satisfy and fill them, in their utmost capacity, with whatever is good and desirable to them. For the first of these, - his all- sufficiency for the communication of his goodness, that is, in the outward effect of it, - God abundantly manifested in the creation, in that he made all things good, all things perfect; that is, to whom nothing was wanting in their own kind; - he put a stamp of his own goodness upon them all. But now for the latter, - his giving himself as an all-sufficient God, to be enjoyed by the creatures, to hold out all that is in him for the satiating and making them blessed, - that is alone discovered by and in Christ. In him he is a Father, a God in covenant, wherein he has promised to lay out himself for them; in him has he promised to give himself into their everlasting fruition, as their exceeding great reward.

And so I have insisted on the second sort of properties in God, whereof, though we have some obscure glimpse in other things, yet the clear knowledge of them, and acquaintance with them, is only to be had in the Lord Christ.

That which remaineth is, briefly to declare that not any of the properties of God whatever can be known, savingly and to consolation, but only in him; and so, consequently, all the wisdom of the knowledge of God is hid in him alone, and from him to be obtained.

2. There is no saving knowledge of any property of God, nor such as brings consolation, but what alone is to be had in Christ Jesus, being laid up in him, and manifested by him. Some eye the justice of God, and know that this is his righteousness, that they which do such things" (as sin) "are worthy of death," Rom. 1: 32. But this is to no other end but to make them cry, "Who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring fire?" Isa. 33: 14. Others fix upon his patience, goodness, mercy, forbearance; but it does not at all lead them to repentance; but "they despise the riches of his goodness, and after their hardness and impenitent hearts treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath," Rom. 2: 4, 5. Others, by the very works of creation and providence, come to know "his eternal power and Godhead; but they glorify him not as God, nor are thankful, but become vain in their imagination, and their foolish hearts are darkened," Rom. 1: 20. Whatever discovery men have of truth out of Christ, they "hold it captive under unrighteousness," verse 18. Hence Jude tells us, verse 10, that "in what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves."

That we may have a saving knowledge of the properties of God, attended with consolation, these three things are required: - (1.) That God has manifested the glory of them all in a way of doing good unto us. (2.) That he will yet exercise and lay them out to the utmost in our behalf (3.) That, being so manifested and exercised, they are fit and powerful to bring us to the everlasting fruition of himself; which is our blessedness. Now, all these three lie hid in Christ; and the least glimpse of them out of him is not to be attained.

(1.) This is to be received, that God has actually manifested the glory of all his attributes in a way of doing us good. What will it avail our souls, what comfort will it bring unto us, what endearment will it put upon our hearts unto God, to know that he is infinitely righteous, just, and holy, unchangeably true and faithful, if we know not how he may preserve the glory of his justice and faithfulness in his comminations and threatening, but only in one ruin and destruction? if we can from thence only say it is a righteous thing with him to recompense tribulation unto us for our iniquities? What fruit of this consideration had Adam in the garden? Gen. 3. What sweetness, what encouragement, is there in knowing that he is patient and full of forbearance, if the glory of these is to be exalted in enduring the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction? nay, what will it avail us to hear him proclaim himself "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, abundant in goodness and truth," yet, withal, that he will "by no means clear the guilty," so shutting up the exercise of all his other properties towards us, upon the account of our iniquity? Doubtless, not at all. Under this naked consideration of the properties of God, justice will make men fly and hide, Gen. 3; Isa. 2: 21, 33: 15,16; - patience, render them obdurate, Eccles. 8: 11. Holiness utterly deters them from all thoughts of approach unto him, John 24: 19. What relief have we from thoughts of his immensity and omnipresence, if we have cause only to contrive how to fly from him (Ps. 139: 11, 12), if we have no pledge of his gracious presence with us? This is that which brings salvation, when we shall see that God has glorified all his properties in a way of doing us good. Now, this he has done in Jesus Christ. In him has he made his justice glorious, in making all our iniquities to meet upon him, causing him to bear them all, as the scapegoat in the wilderness; not sparing him, but giving him up to death for us all; - so exalting his justice and indignation against sin in a way of freeing us from the condemnation of it, Rom. 3: 25, 8: 33, 34. In him has he made his truth glorious, and his faithfulness, in the exact accomplishment of all his absolute threatening and promises. That fountain-threat and combination whence all others flow, Gen. 2: 17, "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death;" seconded with a curse, Deut. 27: 26, "Cursed is every one that continueth not," etc. [Gal. 3: 10] - is in him accomplished, fulfilled, and the truth of God in them laid in a way to our good. He, by the grace of God, tasted death for us, Heb. 2: 9; and so delivered us who were subject to death, verse 15; and he has fulfilled the curse, by being made a curse for us, Gal. 3: 13. So that in his very threatening his truth is made glorious in a way to our good. And for his promises, "They are all yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us," 2 Cor. 1: 20. And for his mercy, goodness, and the riches of his grace, how eminently are they made glorious in Christ, and advanced for our good! God has set him forth to declare his righteousness for the forgiveness of sin; he has made way in him for ever to exalt the glory of his pardoning mercy towards sinners. To manifest this is the great design of the gospel, as Paul admirably sets it out, Eph. 1: 5-8. There must our souls come to an acquaintance with them, or for ever live in darkness.

Now, this is a saving knowledge, and full of consolation, when we can see all the properties of God made glorious and exalted in a way of doing us good. And this wisdom is hid only in Jesus Christ. Hence, when he desired his Father to glorify his name, John 12: 24, - to make in him his name (that is, his nature, his properties, his will) all glorious in that work of redemption he had in hand, - he was instantly answered from heaven, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." He will give it its utmost glory in him.

(2.) That God will yet exercise and lay out those properties of his to the utmost in our behalf. Though he has made them all glorious in a way that may tend to our good, yet it does not absolutely follow that he will use them for our good; for do we not see innumerable persons perishing everlastingly, notwithstanding the manifestation of himself which God has made in Christ. Wherefore farther, God has committed all his properties into the hand of Christ if I may so say, to be managed in our behalf, and for our good. He is "The power of God, and the wisdom of God;" he is "The LORD our Righteousness," and is "made unto us of God wisdom, and righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." Christ having glorified his Father in all his attributes, he has now the exercise of them committed to him, that he might be the captain of salvation to them that do believe; so that if, in the righteousness, the goodness, the love, the mercy, the all-sufficiency of God, there be any thing that will do us good, the Lord Jesus is fully interested with the dispensing of it in our behalf. Hence God is said to be "in him, reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. 5: 18. Whatever is in him, he layeth it out for the reconciliation of the world, in and by the Lord Christ; and he becomes "The LORD our Righteousness," Isa. 45: 24, 25. And this is the second thing required.

(3.) There remaineth only, then, that these attributes of God, so manifested and exercised, are powerful and able to bring us to the everlasting fruition of him. To evince this, the Lord wraps up the whole covenant of grace in one promise, signifying no less: "I will be your God." In the covenant, God becomes our God, and we are his people; and thereby all his attributes are ours also. And lest that we should doubt - when once our eyes are opened to see in any measure the inconceivable difficulty that is in this thing, what unimaginable obstacles on all hands there lie against us - that all is not enough to deliver and save us, God has, I say, wrapped it up in this expression, Gen. 17: l, "I am," saith he, "God Almighty" (all-sufficient); - "I am wholly able to perform all my undertakings, and to be thy exceeding great reward. I can remove all difficulties, answer all objections, pardon all sins, conquer all opposition: I am God all-sufficient." Now, you know in whom this covenant and all the promises thereof are ratified, and in whose blood it is confirmed, - to wit, in the Lord Christ alone; in him only is God an all-sufficient God to any, and an exceeding great reward. And hence Christ himself is said to "save to the uttermost them that come to God by him," Heb. 7. And these three things, I say, are required to be known, that we may have a saving acquaintance, and such as is attended with consolation, with any of the properties of God; and all these being hid only in Christ, from him alone it is to be obtained.

This, then, is the first part of our first demonstration, that all true and sound wisdom and knowledge is laid up in the Lord Christ, and from him alone to be obtained; because our wisdom, consisting, in a main part of it, in the knowledge of God, his nature, and his properties, this lies wholly hid in Christ, nor can possibly be obtained but by him.

II. For the knowledge of ourselves, which is the SECOND part of our wisdom, this consists in these three things, which our Saviour sends his Spirit to convince the world of, - even "sin, righteousness, and judgement," John 16: 8. To know ourselves in reference unto these three, is a main part of true and sound wisdom; for they all respect the supernatural and immortal end whereunto we are appointed; and there is none of these that we can attain unto but only in Christ.

1. In respect of sin. There is a sense and knowledge of sin left in the consciences of all men by nature. To tell them what is good and evil in many things, to approve and disapprove of what they do, in reference to a judgement to come, they need not go farther than themselves, Rom. 2: 14, 15. But this is obscure, and relates mostly to greater sins, and is in sum that which the apostle gives us, Rom. 1: 32, "They know the judgement of God, that they which do such things are worthy of death." This he placeth among the common presumptions and notions that are received by mankind, - namely, that it is "righteous with God, that they who do such things are worthy of death." And if that be true, which is commonly received, that no nation is so barbarous or rude, but it retaineth some sense of a Deity; then this also is true, that there is no nation but has a sense of sin, and the displeasure of God for it. For this is the very first notion of God in the world, that he is the rewarder of good and evil. Hence were all the sacrifices, purgings, expiations, which were so generally spread over the face of the earth. But this was and is but very dark, in respect of that knowledge of sin with its appurtenances, which is to be obtained.

A farther knowledge of sin, upon all accounts whatever, is giver by the law; that law which was "added because of transgressions." This revives doctrinally all that sense of good and evil which was at first implanted in man; and it is a glass, whereinto whosoever is able spiritually to look, may see sin in all its ugliness and deformity. The truth is, look upon the law in its purity, holiness, compass, and perfection; its manner of delivery, with dread, terror, thunder, earthquakes, fire; the sanction of it, in death, curse, wrath; and it makes a wonderful discovery of sin, upon every account: its pollution, guilt, and exceeding sinfulness are seen by it. But yet all this does not suffice to give a man a true and thorough conviction of sin. Not but that the glass is clear, but of ourselves we have not eyes to look into it; the rule is straight, but we cannot apply it: and therefore Christ sends his Spirit to convince the world of sin, John 16: 8; who, though, as to some ends and purposes, he makes use of the law, yet the work of conviction, which alone is a useful knowledge of sin, is his peculiar work. And so the discovery of sin may also be said to be by Christ, - to be part of the wisdom that is hid in him. But yet there is a twofold regard besides this, of his sending his Spirit to convince us, wherein this wisdom appears to be hid in him: - First, because there are some near concernments of sin, which are more clearly held out in the Lord Christ's being made sin for us, than any other way. Secondly, in that there is no knowledge to be had of sin, so as to give it a spiritual and saving improvement, but only in him.

For the first, the