Now, it is juft thus between us and the LORD JESUS. For, we are all by nature born under, and wedded to the law, as a covenant of works. Hence it is that we are fo fond of, and artfully go about, in order to establish a righteousness of our own. It is as natural for us to do this, as it is to breathe. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, even after the covenant of grace was revealed to them in that promife," the feed of the woman fhall bruife the ferpent's head," reached out their hands, and would again have taken hold of the tree of life, which they had forfeited, had not God drove them out of paradife, and compelled them, as it were, to be faved by grace. And thus all their defcendants naturally run to, and want to be faved, partly at least, if not wholly, by their works. And even gracious fouls, who are inwardly renewed, so far as the old man abides in them, find a strong propenfity this way. Hence it is, that natural men are generally fo fond of Arminian principles. “Do and live," is the native language of a proud, felf-righteous heart. But before we can fay, "our Maker is our husband," we must be divorced from our old husband the law; we must renounce our own righteoufnefs, our own doings and performances, in point of dependence, whether in whole or part, as dung and drofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of CHRIST JESUS our LORD. For, thus fpeaks the apostle Paul to the Romans, chap. vii. 4. " Ye alfo are become dead to the law (as a covenant of works) by the body of CHRIST, that ye fhould be married to another, even to him, who is raised from the dead." As he also speaketh in another place, "I have espoused you, as a chafte virgin to JESUS CHRIST." This was the apostle's own cafe. Whilft he depended on his being a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and thought himself secure, because, as to the outward obfervation of the law, he was blameless; he was an entire ftranger to the divine life: but when he began to experience the power of JESUS CHRIST'S refurrection, we find him, in his epiftle to the Philippians, absolutely renouncing all his external privileges, and all his pharifaical righteoufnefs; "Yea, doubtlefs, and I count all things but lofs, nay but dung, that I may win CHRIST, and be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of JESUS CHRIST, the righteousness which is of God by faith." And thus it must be

with us, ere we can fay, "our Maker is our husband." Though we may not be wrought upon in that extraordinary way in which the apoftle was, yet we must be dead to the law, we muft be espoused as chafte virgins to JESUS CHRIST, and count all external privileges, and our most fplendid performances (as was before obferved) only "as dung and dross, for the excellency of the knowledge of JESUS CHRIST QUE LORD."

But further; before a marriage among us can ftand good in law, both parties muft not only be freed from all pre-engage ments, but there must be a mutual confent on both fides. We are not used to marry people against their wills. This is what the Jews called betrothing, or espousing, a thing previous to the folemnity of marriage. Thus we find, the Virgin Mary is faid to be espoused to Jofeph, before they actually came together, Mat. i. 18. And thus it is among us. Both parties are previously agreed, and, as it were, espoused to each other, before we publish, what we call the banns of marriage concerning them. And fo it will be in the fpiritual marriage, between JESUS CHRIST and our fouls. Before we are actually married or united to him by faith; or, to keep to the terms of the text, before we affuredly can fay, that "our Maker is our husband," we must be made willing people in the day of GOD's power, we must be sweetly and effectually perfuaded by the Holy Spirit of GOD, that the glorious Emmanuel is willing to accept of us, just as we are, and also that we are willing to accept of him upon his own terms, yea, upon any terms. And when once it comes to this, the fpiritual marriage goes on apace, and there is but one thing lacking to make it compleat. And what is that? An actual union,

This is abfolutely neceflary in every lawful marriage among men. There must be a joining of hands before witnesses, ere they can be deemed lawfully joined together. Some men indeed of corrupt minds, are apt to look upon this as a needless ceremony, and think it fufficient to be married, as they term it, in the fight of GOD. But whence men get fuch divinity, I know not. I am pofitive, not from the Bible; for we there read that even at the first marriage in paradife, there was, fome thing of outward folemnity; God himself (if I may fo fpeak) being there the priest. For we are told, Gen. ii. 22. tha,

after

after GOD had made the woman," he brought her unto the man." And indeed, to lay aside all manner of outward ceremony in marriage, would be to turn the world into a den of brute beafts. Men would then take, or forfake as many wives as they pleased, and we should foon fink into as bad and brutal a ftate, as those nations are, amongst whom such practices are allowed of, and who are utterly destitute of the knowledge of our LORD and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. Whoever has experienced the power of his refurrection, I am perfuaded will never plead for fuch a licentious practice. For the terms made ufe of in Scripture, to reprefent the myftical union between CHRIST and his church, fuch as, our being "joined to the LORD," and "married to JESUS CHRIST," are all metaphorical expreffions, taken from fome analogous practices amongst men. And as persons when married, though before twain, are now one flesh; so thofe that are joined to the LORD, and can truly fay," our Maker is our husband," are in the apoftle's language, one fpirit.' This was typified in the original marriage of our first parents. When GOD brought Eve to Adam, he received her with joy at his hands, and faid, "this is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." They had there, primarily, but one name. For thus fpeaks the facred Hiftorian, Gen. v. 1, 2. "In the day that God created man, he blessed them, and called their name Adam." And why? because they were one flesh, and were to have but one heart. The felf-fame terms are made use of in Scripture, to exprefs the believer's union with JESUS CHRIST. We are called Chriftians, after CHRIST's name, because made partakers of CHRIST'S nature. Out of his fulness, believers receive grace for grace. And therefore, the marriage ftate, especially by the apostle Paul, is frequently made ufe of, to figure out to us the real, vital union, between JESUS CHRIST and regenerate fouls. This is termed by the apoftle, Eph. v. 32. "A great mystery." But great as it is, we must all experience it, before we can fay affuredly, that our Maker is our husband." For what says our LORD, in that prayer he put up to his Father before his bitter paffion? "Father, I will that those whom thou haft given me, shall be where I am, that they may be one with thee; even as thou, O Father, and I are one, I in them, and they in me, that we all may be made perfect in one." O VOL. V. infinite

M

"

infinite condefcenfion! O ineffable union! Hence it is, that believers are faid to be members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Hence it is, that the apoftle fpeaking of himfelf, fays, "I live, yet not I, but CHRIST liveth in me." What an expreffion is that? How much does it comprehend? And, that we might not think this was fomething peculiar to himself, he puts this close question to the Corinthians; "Know ye not, that CHRIST is in you, unless you be reprobates?" Agreeable to what he fays in his epiftle to the Colof fians, "CHRIST in you, the hope of glory." And hence it is, that our church, in the communion-office, directs the minifter to acquaint all those who receive the facrament worthily, that they are one with CHRIST, and CHRIST with them; that they dwell in CHRIST, and CHRIST in them. Words that deserve to be written in letters of gold, and which evidently fhew, what our reformers believed all perfons must experience, before they could truly and affuredly fay, that "their Maker is their husband."

From what has been delivered, may not the pooreft and moft illiterate perfon here prefent eafily know whether or not he is really married to JESUS CHRIST. Some indeed, I am afraid, are fo prefumptuous as to affirm, at least to infinuate, that there is no fuch thing as knowing, or being fully affured, whilst here below, whether we are in CHRIST or not. Or at least, if there be fuch a thing, it is very rare, or was only the privilege of the primitive believers. Part of this is true, and part of this abfolutely falfe. That this glorious privilege of a full affurance is very rare, is too, too true. And fo it is equally too true, that real chriftians, comparatively fpeaking, are very rare also. But that there is no fuch thing, or that this was only the privilege of the firft followers of our bleffed LORD, is directly oppofite to the word of GOD. "We know (fays St. John, speaking of believers in general) that we are his, by the spirit which he hath given us ;" and, "He that believeth hath the witness in himself;"" because you are fons (faith St. Paul) GOD hath fent forth his Spirit into your hearts, even the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Not that I dare affirm, that there is no real chriftian, but what, has this full affurance of faith, and clearly knows, that his Maker is his hufband. In fpeaking thus, I should undoubtedly condemn fome of the generation of GOD's dear

children,

children, who through the prevalence of unbelief, indwell ing fin, fpiritual floth, or it may be, for want of being in-, formed of the privileges of believers,may walk in dark nefs, and fée no light therefore, though I dare not affirm, that a full: affurance of faith is abfolutely neceflary for the very being, yet. I dare affert, that it is abfolutely neceffary, for the wellbeing of a chriftian. And for my own part, I cannot conceive,. how any perfons, that pretend to chriftianity, can reft fa.. tisfied or contented without it. This is ftopping fhort, on this fide Fordan, with a witness. And gives 'others too much, reafon to fufpect, that fuch perfons, however high their pro-. feffion may be, have, as yet, no true faving grace at all.

Men, whofe hearts are fet on this world's goods, or, to ufe our LORD's language, "the children of this world," act not fo. I fuppofe there is fcarce a fingle merchant in this great congregation, especially in thefe troublous times, that will venture out either his fhip or cargo, without first infuring, both against the violence of an enemy, or a ftorm. And I fuppofe there is fcarce a fingle houfe, of any confiderable value, in any populous town or city, but the owner has, taken out a policy from the fire-office, to infure, it, in cafe of fire. And can I be fo irrational as to think, that there is fuch a thing as fecuring my goods, and my houfe, and that there is no fuch thing as infuring, what is infinitely more valuable, my precious and immortal foul? Or if there be fuch a thing, as undoubtedly there is, what foolishness of folly muft it needs be in men, that pretend to be men of parts, of good fenfe, and folid reafoning, to be fo anxious to fecure their ships against a storm, and their houses against a fire, and at the fame time, not to be unfpeakably more folicitous, to take a policy out of the affurance-office of heaven; even the feal and witnefs of the bleffed Spirit of GOD, to infure their fouls against that storm of divine wrath, and that vengeance of eternal fire, which will at the laft decifive day come upon all thofe, who know not Gop, and have not obeyed his gracious gospel? To affirm therefore, that there is no such thing as knowing, that " Our Maker is our hufband;" or that it was a privilege peculiar to the first chriftians, to fpeak in the mildest terms, is both irrational and unfcriptural. Not that all who can fay, their Maker is their hufband, can give the fame clear and diftinct account of the time, manner and means