those defires be filled up, but in his prefence, and when with him in glory.

As therefore he proclaims from heaven, Behold I come quickly, well may the Spirit, and the Bride, or the Spirit in the Bride, fay, Come, make hafte my Beloved, and come away; and every particular faint say, Amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus.

APPLICATION.

And now, as the Use of all,

1. How wonderful is the grace of God in the method of falvation by Jesus Christ! That the eternal Son of God should not only be given for us, but given to us! That we should be ransomed by him, as dying in our room and stead; brought into the nearest union to him, as our recovering head, and that any of us, children of wrath, should be admitted to say of the Lord of glory, My Beloved is mine, and I am bis!

2. From the mutual endeared relation between Chrift and believers, Let it be remembered, that he observes what is done for and againft any one of the number, and takes it as done to himself. They are his, so as that he rejoiceth and sympathizeth with them, in all their comforts and all their sufferings. They bear his image, are always under his eye, and near his heart. In all their afflictions, he is afflicted: he that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eye: and as he pities them, he will not fail, in the fittest season, to fend them relief; as he is their

Beloved, and they are bis.

VOL. II.

3. As there is so intimate a relation between Chrift and believers, we may hence infer the certainty of their perfeverance. They that are once his, shall be always fo. Having loved his own, he loved them to the end; and will keep them by a power not to be overcome through faith unto falvation.

4. This may confirm our faith as to the refurrection and future blessedness of them that sleep in Jesus. This, the spouse's triumph plainly includes, in her faying, My Beloved is mine, and I am bis. The meaning is, I am intirely fo; his, as to foul and body, time and eternity. And without this, how little would it fignify to say, My Beloved is mine; for if in this life only we had hope in Christ, and our relation to him, and all our expectations from him were to end at death, we should be of all men the most miferable, I Cor. xv. 19. But his friends, when going to resign their fouls, and lay down their bodies, may hear him speaking full to their comfort with reference to both, Because I live, ye shall live alfo : of all that the Father hath given me, I will lofe nothing, but raise it up at the last day.

5. Who would not wish to be one of the happy number, who, with reference to Chrift, can use the language of the text as his own, saying, My Beloved is mine, and I am his? Whilst you have no ground for this, how comfortless must you live, and how much more dreadful will it be to die? Who can think of leaving the world without horror, who has no interest in

the only Saviour? But for the encouragement of fuch

such as may have hitherto lived without him, you are to be assured in' his name, he is yet willing to be yours, and ready, upon your coming in, to receive and own you for his. He waits for your consent, and would rejoice in it. And, as he came to seek and to save such as are loft, may every one that feels himself so, as being melted by his grace, say, Lord, if thou wilt pity and regard such an one as I, if thou wilt forgive, receive, and save me, I yield myself to thee, to be thine, thine only, and thine for

ever.

6. Lastly, Having done this, let it be remembered, that the relation between Christ and every believer, is mutual. As foon as grace enables any one to say in truth, I am his, it is equally true, that he is theirs.

If we love him, it is because he loved us first; and therefore the spouse in another place, (Chapter vi. 3.) begins with her own confent, I am my Beloved's, and thence argues, My Beloved is mine. The same method I would direct the humble Christian to take, to get over his doubts and fears: say this night, say tomorrow, when commemorating your Redeemer's death and love, Lord, I am thine : I defire, I design, I consent, I resolve to be so: I call heaven and earth to witness to the declaration I make, the engagement I bring myself under, I am my Beloved's. And in this way, wait for his Spirit, to enable you to add, My Beloved is mine.

And, for your support in waiting, tell your fouls, he has been known to others in breaking

of bread; why may he not be so to me? But duty is ours, comfort is his; and how long foever he hide his face from me, I would not think the worse of him. If he will have me go mourning to the gates of Sion, I would hold on after him, though with fear and trembling; I having some hope too, that I shall at last hear his reviving voice saying, Come up hither, the days of thy mourning are ended: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

SER

SERMON X.

EZEK. XLVII. 11.

But the miry places thereof, and the marishes thereof, shall not be healed, they shall be given to falt.

I

N this chapter we have an account of Ezekiel's vision of the waters of the sanctuary; by which the doctrine of Christ, attended with the gifts and precious influences of his Spirit, are commonly understood to be represented, the river that makes glad the city or church of our God, and which was prefigured and predicted to do so under these our New Testament times.

As to these waters, we may observe,

!

1. Their rife, ver. 1. They issued out from under the threshold of the house; fignifying, that from Zion should go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerufalem, Ifaiah ii. 3. There the Spirit was to be poured out upon the apostles of Christ, endowing them with the gift of tongues to preach the gospel to all nations, beginning at Jerufalem, Luke xxiv. 47. In the temple they were to stand and preach the words