grace fo long to endeavour it ! For he fill goes on, O my dove, that art in the clifts of the rock, in the fecret places of the stairs, whither fenfe of fin and fear of wrath have driven thee, let me fee thy countenance, &c. Look unto me, and be faved: Why shouldst thou distrust the merit of my blood, or my willingness to give thee an intereft in it? Have I done and suffered fo much to deliver thee from hell and endless mifery, and purchase everlasting life and glory, which I freely offer thee together with myself; and wilt thou after all, queftion my love or deny me thine?

What could I have done more to affure thee of the truth and ftrength of of my love? Read over the story of my bitter paffion and bloody death, and fee at what a rate I have valued thy falvation, and how earnestly I have sought it; and now, let me hear thy voice, not of defponding complaint, but of hearty compliance, yielding to my call and claim. I came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance, to feek and to fave that which is loft: and if thou wilt be mine to this end, Lo, I am thine for ever.

And the believing foul being at last brought to confent to this, it makes way for the triumphant conclufion in the text, "Lord, as thou "inviteft me, I come to thee; as thou offerest thyfelf, I heartily accept and close with thee: My beloved is mine, and I am his."

Having thus given you the sense of these words from their dependance, feveral obfervations may be made from them: As,

1. The Lord Jefus Chrift is the Beloved of every believing foul.

Though they differ in the value they set on other things, they all agree to give Him the preheminence. He is fairer than the children of men, Pfalm xlv. 2. And nothing upon earth hath fo large a room in their affections. He is tranfcendently lovely in himself, and fo in their efteem. To them that believe he is precious, 1 Pet. ii. 7. On him their hearts are fixt: and to call them off to any created excellency, is to invite them to defpife the fun, and to admire a glow-worm.

The Apostle speaks the fenfe of all believers with refpect to Christ, yea doubtless, and I count all things but lofs, &c. I do fo to be kept without him, and judge them well parted with to be found in him, Phil. iii. 8. My Beloved is he, I am most pleased with, faith the believer.

2. The knowledge of a fpecial intereft in Chrift is attainable: My beloved is mine. Here you may obferve, That ardent love makes way for joyful affurances, and how little they are like to reach it, who indulge a cold indifferent temper and fpirit.

3. The mutual endeared relation between Christ and believers, is a ground of highest thankfulness and joy.

What can be wanting to their felicity on earth in the way to heaven, who can fay of him in whom all fuinefs dwells, My Beloved is mine, and I am his?

In fpeaking to this third obfervation, I shall briefly thew,

1. What

I. What are the grounds of the Relation between Chrift and believers, on which he is theirs, and they his.

II. What Relations are built on thofe grounds, on Christ's Part, and on theirs.

III. The ends of both, or for what he is theirs and they are his.

IV. The Use.

I. What are the grounds of the relation between Chrift and believers, on which he is theirs, and they his.

As to Chrift, He is theirs,

1. By the folemn call and appointment of the Father, and that from everlafting, 1 Pet. i. 20. Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifeft in these last times for you.

God early forefaw, how foon man would destroy himself, and, from his meer compaffion, early provided for his recovery.

He found a ranfom in his own bofom, whereby we might be delivered from going down into the pit, his fon, and thus fpeaks of him, Ifa. xlii. 1. Behold my fervant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my foul delighteth. Ver. 6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. Chrift glorified not himself to be made an high prieft; but he that faid unto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. He declares he was fet up from everlasting; and came down from heaven, not to do his own will, but the will of him that fent him. Forafmuch

N 3

Forafmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he alfo himself likewise took part of the fame, and had a body prepared him, and power to lay down his life and take it again, and this by commandment from the Father: For him hath God the Father fealed, and authorized as the captain of our falvation to bring many fons unto glory; and being to be made perfect through fuffering, he was to affume our nature in order to it: Whence, both he that fanctifieth, and they that are fanctified, are all of one.

2. Chrift is theirs, by his free and voluntary undertaking of their effectual recovery. No fooner is he called of the Father, but he readily confents, fa. 1. 5. The Lord hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. So far from that was he, that he proclaims it cheerfully, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God; though that will was, for him to lay down his life, this he did of himself, pouring out his foul unto death.

He declared his early fatisfaction in the profpect of accomplishing his office in the fulness of time; rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights were with the fons of men. And when he appeared in the world, he esteemed and fpake of it as his meat and drink to do the will of him that fent him, and to finish his work. though he was in the form of God and equal with him, he freely made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became

became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, to fulfil the defign of love, and obtain eternal redemption for his people.

3. Hereupon, he is theirs, as having a conftant regard to them in what he did and underwent, pursuant to his undertaking. For their fakes he fanctified himself, that they might be fanctified through the truth. He carried them upon his heart in all that he did and fuffered; and the benefits of his death fhall infallibly be extended to them. His people fhall be willing in the day of his power: He fhall fee his feed, the travel of his foul, and be fatisfied, and have no reason to complain that he hath laboured in vain, or spent his ftrength for nought.

He became the Son of Man to raise them to the dignity and relation of the fons of God; and was made a curfe, that the bleffing of Abraham might come upon them that believe. He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our juftification; and being taken from prison and from judgment, who fhall declare his generation? At his afcenfion, he affures his difciples he went to prepare a place for them. For them, he ever liveth to make interceffion, and when he shall return to judgment, he will come to be glorified in his faints, and admired in all them. that believe. He loved his church, and gave himself for it: Which the Apoftle applying to himself, fpeaks what every believer may apply, even this, He loved me, and gave himself for me.

4. Lastly, Chrift is theirs by his own confent and engagement. He thus befpeaks them in the language of love, Hof. iii. 3. Thou shalt