countenance is preferable to all things elfe, and will give you a more glad heart than the world can have, when their corn and wine increaseth, Pfal. iv. 6,7. In him there is enough, not only to make up all wants; but alfo to comfort againft all forrows: a drink of the blood of this vine will make a man, that has a heavy heart, to forget his poverty, and remember his mifery no more, Prov. xxxi. 6, 7.

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Remark 6. "That opportunities of enjoying Chrift's company, and of a time of love, fhould not be flight"ed." And therefore, when he brings a fweet spring, a time of love, a time of the finging of birds, when the voice of the turtle is heard in our land, the exhortation is again repeated, Rife up, and come away; that we may not quench the Spirit, and lofe the opportunity, we fhould liften to the call: we will not always get a fpring time; therefore, To-day if we will hear his voice, let us not harden our hearts. Let us remember now the things that belong to our peace. The enemy threw a trench about Jerufalem, and laid her even with the ground, becaufe fhe knew not the time of her vifitation, according to Chrift's words foretelling it, Luke xix. 43, 44. Precious feafons mifimproved, and the greatest mercies neglected, leave the faddeft guilt behind them; and when they are removed, men will be made to remember them with forrow, for not improving them, Lam. i. 7. O may we, through grace, improve prefent mercies, prefent calls, confidering our former pleafant things, that once we have had, and are ftript of! and that the further abufe of prefent bleflings we yet enjoy, may not be followed too with a fad aftergame.

Remark 2. "That our Lord Jefus Chrift wants that "his people should have a full feaft of love, and a com"fortable enjoyment of him." His heart is much fet upon this; and therefore he calls them again and again to rife and come away with him, and fhare of the precious fruits of his purchase, to enjoy the benefits of the fpring that he has brought with him, and to rejoice in his goodness, and in the fair weather that his prefence makes. It is unbelief that makes the church to

figh and fob, when he is calling her to fing: this was the fault of Zion, Ifa. xlix. 13, 14. When he is bidding all fing, faying, Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into finging, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his afflicted;" but instead of that, Zion said, "The Lord has forfaken me, my Lord hath forgotten me." We should shake off the rags of difcouragement and drooping, when the Lord calls us to put on our beautiful garments: for, as it is, Neh. viii. 10. "The joy of the Lord is your ftrength." And it is a great fin, when Chrift is kind, and when his gracious returns makes winters to evanifh, and the fpring to return, not to ftudy encouragement and chearfulnefs, in joining company with him at his repeated calls; Arife, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Remark 8. "That it is a pleasure and delight to our "Lord Jefus Chrift to have his people with him, feeding and feafting upon the provifion he has made for "them." And this pleasure and delight he fhows, both by the repeating of this call, and the repeating it in this manner; he does not bid her rife and go, and be refresh. ed with the fpring; but rife, and come away with me. When he feafts his people, he feafts himself alfo with them, Song v. I. "I am come to my garden, my fifter, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh; I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." And thus, Song vii. from ver. 11th, when he and the bride go out to the villages, and to the vineyards, to view the vines flourishing, and the tender grapes, c. it is a feaft laid up by her for her Beloved. He loves then to go along with them, and to feast them and himself both; and therefore importunes them to go along with him, Rife, my love, my fair one, and come away.

V. The fifth thing propofed was, To deduce fome inferences for the application of the fubject.

Is it fo, That the repeated call, and renewed invitation of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to his drowzy and Vol. IX.

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difconfolate bride and people, whom he names his love, and his fair one, is, that they rife, and come away with him? Hence fee,

1. That no change of frame or condition in God's people, and no change of his dealing with them, can alter the state of their perfons before him. Whatever he has to fay to them, and whatever he does to them, they are still his love and his fair one; whatever be between him and his bride, he speaks always in relative and affectionate terms, "My love, my fifter, my fpoufe," in feveral places thro' this Song. Yea, thus he speaks to her when she is fallen afleep, and ready to hold him out, when he calls to be let in, Song v. 2, 3. Why this? Even because he is an unchangeable God; "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore the fons of Jacob are not confumed," Mal. iii. 6. And as he is unchangeable, fo the marriage-relation between him and her is indiffolvable, notwithstanding she has many faults that deferve reproof and correction, and though fhe meet with them both let this therefore, be a cordial to the children of God, amidst the various lots and changes that time produces within you, or without you, that nothing fhall be able to feparate from his love: the faith of this would keep all faft in the greateft ftorm.

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And is fhe ftill his love and his fair one? Why does fhe, through unbelief, daily lofe the faith of her reconciled ftate, upon every change of her frame and condition? This is a great fault among believers. Though real guilt fhould found a quarrel between God and a faint, faults are things to be repented of and amended; they are things that may and will be reproved, and chaftened of God: but fill the relation ftands; and faith fhould keep faft hold of it, faying, My Beloved is mine, and I am his." For where the faith of this relation is caft loofe, upon falling into faults, and feel. ing of changes in God's way of dealing, the reproofs that fhould fall upon our corruption, to correct that; do light upon our grace to weaken it. We ferve Satan's defign, when we fall a razing the foundation of our ftate; while, inftead of that, we fhould be mourning over our faults, and amending them: whereas when we

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tamper with the foundation, and at the fame time fall a-mending our faults, we put away that which fhould fortify us, and encourage us to amend them: for, tho' God fays, "There is hope in Ifrael concerning this thing;" yet unbelief fays," There is no hope;" all is gone, the foundation is fapped: then corruption is ftrengthened, grace is weakened, while the faith of this relation is dafhed.

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2. Hence fee, that a fecure, fleepy, and up-fitten cafe in the people of God, is very oppofite to his will and their well. Chrift is at vaft pains, by his calls, to bring them out of that cafe, which tends fo much to reproach Chrift and religion: it fays, in effect, that his confolations are fmall, that his allowances are little worth; it fays, that he is a barren wilderness, and a land of darknefs, Jer. ii. 31. Which makes us fay, as in the following words, We are lords, we will come no more unto thee."-By this up-fitten case, profeffors bring a reproach upon themfelves. They were fometime on their feet and alive, and now it may be faid to them, "Where is the blefednels you fpake of?" Gal. iv. 15. Where is the fweetnefs you faid you found in the Lord's way? Where is the gain of godlinefs, you made a great noife about?" You did run well; who hindered you, that you fhould not obey the truth?" They bring a reproach on themselves, that have been active and diligent, and now are loitering. The children of God cannot expect to profper in fuch an up-fitten way; God will hedge up your way with thorns, that you fhall not find your path, Hofea ii. 6. It is the mercy of God's people, that they fhall not profper in a way of hardening themfelves against God, and his word and rod. Meantime, their fecurity stands in the way of many mercies, which otherwife they might enjoy: while they do not rife, and come away, they lofe the benefit of the fpring-time of gofpel-ordinances; the Lord is there, and they are not aware; he is fhewing his glory, and they are fleeping it over they lofe many a fweet proof of God's love, and many a fweet hour that is between Chrift and the lively uprifen believer, does the upfitten foul mifs.

3. Hence fee, the wonderful condefcenfion of the Lord Jefus, that he is at pains to give a kind vifit to a secure and upfitten bride, lying drooping and idle within doors, that he fhould mifs her company: and when, by her fin and fecurity fhe is laid by from coming to him, yet he will come to her, and give her a call to rife, and come away to him. O how may we wonder at the conftancy of his love amidst all his people's viciffitudes and changes, and eftrangements of affection from him, that he breaks not up with us quite at every mifcarriage, but is conftant in his love, even to thefe in his family that are crufhed and broken, and upfitten in fecurity? what encouragement lies in this, that we are prevented with his calls, as it was faid to the blind man, Mark x. 49. "Be of good comfort; rife, he calls thee!" They who would willingly get up to their feet, may read a ftrong encouragement from a preventing call of God to them, to rife, and come away.Why, he that is able to draw you to him, is fhowing his will to have you with him, by letting down this cord of love, wrapt about this repeated invitation, Rife, my love; rife, my love, my fair one, and come away. O poor fouls, do not fufpect his love, though you be under a temptation to fit ftill, and refift his call; for here you fee, that even fhe would fain have lain ftill, faying, in effect, I cannot rife; and fhe, who, in the following verfe, would gladly have hid herself in the clefts of the rocks, and fecret places of the ftairs, is yet invited to come forth and how herself: however black and vile fhe is in herfelf, and in her own eyes, and however ill fet in her mind against the call, yet the is encouraged with an O my dove, and here with an "O my love, my fair one; rife, and come away.". O fee and admire his wonderful condefcenfion, defigned to conquer you!

4. Hence fee, that the children of grace have good reafon to lean unto and rely upon the words of grace, that proceed out of Chrift's mouth; and to depend u pon the expreffions of his love and efteem, feeing he never takes back his word, but repeats it: and as he

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