burnt offerings and their facrifices fhall be accepted upon mine altar for mine houfe fhall be called an house of prayer for all people: And therefore, Go ye out and meet him.

4. You that are waiting with hope and expectation for a vi fit of the Bridegroom, you ftand fair for a meeting with him, "for he is good to them that wait for him, to the foul that feeketh him: He taketh picafure" in them that fear him; in them that hope in his mercy. It is good for a man to hope," &c.

5. You who are poor and needy, and who are longing for a fupply of foul needs, out of the fulness that is in Chrift: for he has faid, that "the needy fhall not be forgotten;" that he will "fupply all your need," If. xli. 17. "When the poor and needy feek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear," &c.

6. The importunate beggar who hangs on at a throne of grace, and the door of the houfe of mercy, and will not take a nay-fay, fhall meet the Bridegroom, and get its errand, for he has faid, that "to him that knocketh, it fhall be opened. Then shall ye find me, when ye feek me with all your heart."

7. The poor wearied and burdened foul, that is crying, "Mine iniquities have gone over my head, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of fin and death, for it is a burden too heavy for me to bear." The Bridegroom fays to fuch," Caft thy burden upon the Lord, and he fhall fuftain thee: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft."

8. The poor deferted foul that is walking in darkness, and fees no light, crying, "O when will he come unto me, the Lord hath forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." The Bridegroom hears thy moane after him, and is faying, as If. xlix. 15. "Can a woman forget her fucking child, that the fhould not have compaflion on the fon of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee," or 1f. liv. 7. 8. "For a fmall moment have I forfaken thee, but with everlaft ing kindness will I have mercy upon thee." Ver. 10. "The mountains thall depart, but my love fhall never depart from thee." Thus you fee who they are that may look for a meeting with the Bridegroom.

The fixth and last queftion was, What fort of a meeting is it, that is between the bride and the Bridegroom.

Aufw. 1. It is a real meeting, though, indeed, it be of a fpiritual nature. A graceless world that know nothing of this matter, they lock upon all religion, all fellowship with Chrill,

as

as a fancy. But they that have the knowledge and experience of it can fay, in fome measure, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift." There is a far greater reality in it, than is in all the pleasures of fin and fenfe. Hence is that of David, Pfal. iv. 7. "Thou haft put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased," Pfal. lxxxiv. 10. "A day in thy courts is better than a thousand in the tents of wickednefs."

2dly, It is a most friendly and familiar meeting. The Bridegroom and bride converfe and open their hearts to one another, with the most unreserved freedom. Chrift imparts his fecrets unto the bride; "the fecret of the Lord is with them that fear him," Ffal. xxv. and John xv. 15. "All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you." And, on the other hand, the bride imparts her mind with an unhampered freedom to the Bridegroom, and tells him all that' is in her heart, even fecrets the would not tell all the world befides.

3dly, It is a moft joyful meeting upon both fides. As for the Bridegroom, it is "the day of his efpoufals, the day of the gladnefs of his heart." Whenever he meets his bride, he cries, "Thou haft ravifhed my heart, my fifter, my spouse; thou haft ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck," Cant. iv. g. And then he adds, ver. 10. “How fair is thy love, my fifter, my fpoufe! How much better is thy love than wine! Ver. 11. " And the smell of thy garments is like the fmell of Lebanon." And, on the other hand, the bride, the Lamb's wife, rejoices with joy unfpeakable and full of glory, Rev. xix. 7. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come." 4thly, It is an honourable and dignifying meeting, on the bride's part. Believers efpoufed to the Son of God are highly advanced indeed, to become the Lamb's wife, a greater honour than ever was conferred upon the higheft angel in heaven, who are made miniftering fpirits to the heirs of falvation, If xliii. 4. "Ever fince thou waft precious in my fight, thou hast been honourable."

5thly, It is a meeting that fhall never end in a total parting, and is a prelude of that everlasting meeting they fhall have with him at his fecond coming, when the marriage is folemnifed before men and angels. I proceed now to,

VI. The fixth thing propofed, which was to give the reafons of the doctrine. Why is it the duty of all the Virgins,

both

both wife and foolish, to go out and meet the Bridegroom? I anfwer,

1ft, Because this is a falling in with the great defign of God, in fending his beloved Son into the world. Why did he fend him, but that he might be received? He is called the fent of God, to engage us to believe in him.

2dly, Becaufe God has commanded it. His authority is interpofed, that finners of mankind entertain him in a way of believing, 1 John iii. 23. "This is his commandment, that we fhould believe on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift," &c. Hear ye him, and that foul that does not hear him, "shall be cut off from among his people, and the wrath of God abideth on

him."

3dly, Because the Bridegroom himself calls that we should go out and meet him, Come unto me. Behold ine, behold me, &c.

4thly, Because the Holy Ghoft calls in the word, and by all his motions and operations, to go out and meet the Bridegroom. "The Holy Ghoft faith, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts," Heb. iii. The Spirit faith, Come, Rev. xxii. 17. And what a dangerous thing is it to refift the Spirit, when he glorifies Chrift, and teftifies of him?

5thly, Because the bride, the fpoufe of Christ, all true belie vers, that are beft acquainted with him, calls upon all other to come and match with him. She does not love to enjoy him alone; no; fhe would have all to be as happy in him as herself: hence they cry, "Oh taste and fee that the Lord is good. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my foul," Pfal. Ixvi. 16. Hence, when the daughters of Jerufalem afked, "What is thy beloved more than another beloved?" She runs out in commendation of him, Cant. v. 10.-16:

6thly, This is the defign of the record of God concerning him in the word: Why has God fet him forth in the word, and given him his teftimonial, but to engage the world to fall in love with him, as the Bridegroom of fouls? This is the defign of all faithful minifters and friends of the Bridegroom, to make a match between Christ and you; and, Sirs, you will never give us our errand, or anfwer the defign of our commiffion, as ambafladors of Chrift, until you go forth and meet hi, and give heart and hand unto him, fo as we may cafe to fay, as Paul did to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. xi. 2. have efpoufed you to one hufband, that I may prefent you as a chafte virgin to Chrift. But more of this afterwards. I proceed now to,

be in

44

VII.The feventh thing in the method, which was the applica tion of the doctrine.

Ule firft, fhall be of Information in the few following parti

culars

ift, See hence the unfpeakable and amazing love of God towards lot and undone finners of Adam's family: for he had a marriage plot in his mind from all eternity, with our tribe and family. No fooner had God made man, and or athed into his noftrils the breath of life, but he was fo much in love with the work of his own hand, that he enters into a contract of marriage with him, upon condition of p rfect obedi nce to the law, fiying, "Thy Maker is thy Hufband," and all I require of thee is to yield obedience to my commands, which he gave him power to do. Yea, after man had violate this contract, and proftitute himself to the devil, the world, and his own luft, gone aftray after other lovers, that God should fo love him, even then, as to match, first with his nature, by taking it into a perfonal union with him, in his eternal Son, and then to come and fay, " Thy Maker is thine Hufb nd, I will yet betrothe thee unto me, in righteoufnels, faithfulness, mercy, and loving-kindnefs." O who can think of this love but must be stricken with wonder? and cry, O the heighth, the depth, the breadth, and the length of it! for it paffeth the knowledge of men or angels. How excellent is this lovingkindness! Lord, what is man, that thou shouldft thus remember him? or the fon of man, that thou shouldft be fo kind to him?

2dly, See hence, that God's ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. We would think it a strange difparagement for a perfon of high rank and itation, fuppofe a gentleman, a nobleman, a duke, a king, or great emperor, to fall fo much in conceit with a poor forlorn miferable beggar, all full of fores, from the crown of the head to the fole of the foot, as to marry her, and make her his wife, his confort and queen, and fet her upon the throne with himself. I fay, we would think it very ftrange, becaufe of the inequality of the match. But Oh, Sirs, there is an infinitely greater inequality between the Son of God, and a poor filthy guilty finner, than between the greatest king that ever fwayed a fceptre, and the moft abject creature that ever fprang of Adam's race. To this purpose is that of the apostle Paul, ye know the grace of "our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for your fakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty migh be rich." And how doth he make us rich, but by taking us unto a conjugal relation unto himfelf: for all is ours by contract when married to the Heir.

3dly, From this doctrine fee the wondrous fibnefs between Chrift and his church, and every particular believer why, ne VOL. III.

Kk

is

is the Bridegroom, and they are both collectively and fingu larly confidered the bride, the Lamb's wife: and " as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, fo fhall the Lord thy God rejoice over thee." There is a threefold mysterious union we read of in fcripture.

1. The mysterious union of the three Perfons in one effence, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, three in one, and one in three.

2. There is the myfterious union of the two natures, viz. God and man in one perfon, 1 Tim. iii. laft, "Without controverfy, great is the mystery of godlinefs, God was manifeft in

the flesh."

3. There is the myftical, or myfterious conjugal union between Chrift and believers, Eph. v. 32. "This is a great mystery (fays the apofile), but I fpeak concerning Chrift and the church;" and ver. 30. "We are the members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." Oh what a ftrange fibness is this, between Chrift and us. The apoftle, from ver. 25. had been difcourfing of the relative duties between hufband and wife; and enforcing this duty, from the confideration of the clofs and intimate union between husband and wife; "They are no more twain but one flesh." And then presently adds, This is a great mystery, but I fpeak concerning Chrift and the church." Whereby he gives us to undeftand, that the natural marriage between Adam and Eve, or other husbands and their wives, is a faint fhadow and reprefentation of the fpiritual marriage between Chrift and the church.

There is fuch a depth of infinite wifdom in the works of God in this visible world, that they ferve as a glafs to lead the the fpiritual mind unto another world, and the hid mysteries of our holy religion. Hence it is, that the fcriptures of truth, which are a revelation of the mind of God, abound so much with parables and metaphors, which are nothing eife but a revelation of divine fupernatural mysteries, by expreffions borrowed from the things of this world, which are obvious to cur external fenfes. The apoftle, Rom. v. 14. tells us, that the firft Adam was the figure or reprefentation of him that was to come, i. e. of a fecond Adam, and new covenant Head: I might ftate the fimilitude, and alfo the diflimilitude in many refpects, which I do not ftand upon at prefent: but I confine mytelf unto the point in hand, namely, that of marriage between man and woman, particularly between Adam and Eve, as bearing a manifold fimilitude unto the marriage between Chrift and the church. This I fhall endeavour to illuftrate in thefe particulars.

ft, When God made our firft parent Adam, he gave this whole earth to him, for his inheritance: he fet him in a pa