SEA II every every one

in his natural unconverted State, before the Grace of Chrift is fuffered to stir and work in his Heart, that he can do no thing but Sin', whether he eat or drink, buy เ or fell, lend or borrow, go to Church or stay at home, nay whatever, is in his Thoughts, Words, Defires or Actions, it is all Sinthe very very is Sin," fays Solomon and the Reafon is obvious: Such a

lowing ofthe Such a

Motions of corrupt Nature in that he does, and therefore as the Principle that governs him is evil, so must eve every thing be be that proceeds from it! Alluding to this Truth are thofe Words of Job," Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? not one.But when the Soul becomes fenfible of its own Vileness and Impotence to Good, and cries out with the Leper, unclean, unclean! when it ceafes from its own Will and its own Ways, and from every thing that can be called Self, and is refigned to the Conduct of God's Holy Spi rit, which long ftrives with it, then Christ gives his Grace into the Defire and Faith of the humble, contrite Soul, and enters into his Temple, doing there the Office of a Re finer's Fire, to purge away its Drofs, and of Fullers Soap, to cleanse it from the Defile

Perfon only follows the s

ments

ments of Sin, and marries it to Himfelf SM. 11. Sit

thus it becomes Partaker of the Divine Nature, old things pafs away, and all things become new She is thenceforward the King's Daughter, the Bride of Chrift, all glorious within. te!

And this may ferve to explain to us thofe mysterious Words in the Book of Canticles, which the Bride, the Church, fpeaks of herself -- I am black, but comely black by Nature, but comely by Graco, loathfome in my self, but lovely thro' my Efpou fals to the Beloved of my Soul, beautiful in his Beauty, and glorious in his Glory As no one is truly beautiful but the Believer, fo no one is fo, fenfible of his natural Deformity: In himself by original Conftitusi tion he fees nothing but Ingratitude, Infidelity and Sin; and upon this account, as well as because of the Remains of indwelling Corruption, he faith, I am black; but being washed, being fanctified, being made one with Chrift thro' Faith and Love, by the Spirit of the living God, he can, by virtue of this Union, truly fay, I am comely, for my Beloved is mine, and I am kishumalori cii veve spurg or 9 -ala od mod di sina 3

and

This

SERM. II.

This exceeding great Love of Chrift towards his Church, and the two very different States of Believers by Nature and Grace, is aptly reprefented to us in Ezek. ch. xvi. under the Figure of a wretched Infant. The following Paffages are full of useful Doctrine, and well deserve a particular Attention: "Thou waft caft out in the open Field to "the loathing of thy Perfon in the Day that "thou waft born, and when I paffed by "thee and faw thee pulluted in thine own "Blood, I faid unto thee, Live: Now when "I paffed by thee and looked upon thee, "behold thy Time was the Time of Love; " and I fpread my Skirt over thee, and co"vered thy Nakedness; yea I fware unto "thee, and entered into a Covenant with

thee, faith the Lord God, and thou becam"eft mine. Then washed I thee with Water;

yea, I thoroughly washed away thy Blood "from thee, and I anointed thee with Oyl'; "I clothed thee alfo with broidered Work, " and I girded thee about with fine Linen, "I decked thee alfo with Ornaments, and

put a beautiful Crown upon thine Head, "and thou waft exceeding beautiful, and "thou didft profper into aKingdom, and thy "Renown went forth among the Heathen

"for

"for thy Beauty, for it was perfect thro' SEM. II.

r

my Comeliness which I had put upon thee, "faith the Lord God." Such is the Beauty and Dignity of the King's Daughter, the Church which Chrift hath purchased with his Blood, and fanctified by his Spirit,; not excelling in outward Splendor, as the meretricious Ornaments of Gold and Silver and worldly Grandeur; for in this refpect the has generally resembled her bleffed Head in the Days of his Flesh, being without any external Form or Comelinefs that carnal Minds fhould feek or defire her: but her adorning is the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible; outwardly the has often been, and must be content to be, defpifed, perfecuted, afflicted, for the Kingdom of this World is not her proper Country, being here as a Stranger in a strange Land, but in that divine Life which is hid with Chrift in God, the Kingdom of God within us, it is far otherwife with her; here he is in Communion with the Saints, dignified with the Favour of God, and rich in the Graces of his Spirit, and will hereafter be glorified with an exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory→ Such is the Dignity and Happiness of all thofe whom

(

D 4

SERM. II. whom the King of Heaven delighteth to

honour ni get a via fint Justian T

you

a

You fee chere, my Brethren, your high Calling, viz. to be a holy Nation, la chod sen Generation, a Royal Priesthood:"walk! "worthy, therefore, of the Vocation where "with ye are called." And here let me put in Mind of fome of the Graces which muft adorn the Bride of Chrift, or the be lieving Soul; for every Member of this Church must be glorious within, as well as the collective Body, tho' the Part cannot be fo compleat as the Whole bh iad gold And first, It is required that the be found faithful. Hath the Saviour given Himfelf for you, that that he might redeem you from all Iniquity; and purify you unto Himfelf a peculiar People! Did He fet his Love upon you when you was altogether unlovely, nay, filthy and defiled? And hath He called you to the high Honour of being his Beloved, his Spouse? Take heed that you be betroth ed unto Him in Faithfulness. Should the Son of an earthly King espouse some mean Damfel, and she should prove false to him, would you not say that the deferved to be ftoned with Stones till fhe died? See then that wherein thou judgest another thou

con