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his prefence with her, that the present fituation will al low; thereby intimating, that fhe is not to look for the comfort of her life from any other, but him, whe. ther he be abfent from or present with her.

2. The words themfelves: in which confider,

ft, The happy term that Christ's spouse lives in expectation of, which is expreffed by two things, the latter confequential on the former, the "breaking of the day," and the "fleeing away of the fhadows." By the day here is meant the day of eternity, that will break in the other world, in the light of glory arifing to thofe that are married to Chrift here. That is the or that day by way of eminency, 2 Tim. i. 18. This implies two things.

(1.) That he looked on her lifetime in this world as a night-time; elfe why fhould fhe have expected the day breaking? and that in that night-time there were many fhadows, darkening things to her, and allowing her but obfcure views of them; elfe why should the expect their fleeing away? as one travelling by night, in a mountainous or woody country, if the night were never fo clear, it is no wife comparable to broad day. light; and befides there are many dark and gloomy fteps caufed by the fhadows that the hills and woods caft; which though they amount not to a total darknefs, yet the light by their means is but a very faint one. Such is the believer's travelling through this to the other world.

(2.) That the believed and expected, that that night would not laft, and that the fhadows would vanish at length. She looks for the breaking, Heb. blowing of the day, because however dead a calm there may be through the night, ordinarily at break of day a gale of wind rises; and that break or blowing of the day will quickly chafe away all the fhadows, that they fhall not be to be seen more. That blowing will be of the Spirit of Christ, in a full communication of influences to the believer, at the day's breaking to him in the other world;

world; whereby all the shadows now intercepting the light from him, will in a moment evanish.

2dly, The great thing her foul defires, and the breathes after, till that happy term come. It is communion with Christ her Lord and Hutband, in fuch fort and measure as the ftate of this life by divine regulation. will allow. She is not for turning back to, and folacing herself with her former lovers, till her Hufband take her home; no, being married to him, her eyes are shut now on all others, and they are towards him alone. "Turn, my Beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether." It confifts of two parts.

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(1.) A defire of his countenance towards her, "Turn, my Beloved," &c. Heb. Come round about.' It intimates, [1.] His turning his back on her, fhewing fome fign of difpleafure with her; the frequent lot of God's children in this world. [2.] That even in that cafe her heart was upon him as her beloved, and her eyes going after him, that he would have him turn his face. [3] That she would fain have his countenance again when loft: q. d. Turn about to me, that I may behold thee with joy.

(2.) A defire of nearnefs to him, and the embraces of his love: "Be thou like a roe, or a young hart," c. Come to me fpeedily. She lays not the ftrefs of the speedy meeting on her motion to him; but as of free grace, on his motion to her; by his grace coming over mountains betwixt them, and that speedily; even as a roe comes to its mate, or a young hart to its dam, upon the mountains of Bether, 2-Sam. ii. 29. The word fignifies a half part.

From the text thus explained, may be deduced the three following points of doctrine, viz.

Docr. I. A foul once truly married to Chrift, will from thenceforth look on the lifetime in this world, as a night-time, a fhadowy one, as indeed it is.

DocT. II. To thofe that are truly married to Chrift, Dd 3

the

the day will break in the other world, and the shadows flee away; and they should live in the comfortable expectation of it.

DOCT. III. It will be the great concern of thofe married to Chrift during their night-journey in this world, that he may turn and come to them, till the day breaking and the fhadows fleeing away, they get to him in the

other world.

I shall speak to each of these in order.

Docr. I. A foul once truly married to Chrift, will from thenceforth look on the lifetime in this world, as a night-time, a fhadowy one, as indeed it is.

In touching a little on this doctrine, I shall,

I. Shew in what refpect the faints lifetime in this world is a night-time.

II. How the foul once married to Christ comes to, look on its lifetime in this world as a night-time.

III. On what grounds fuch a foul juftly looks on it as a night-time, a fhadowy one.

IV. Improve the point.

I. IN what respect the faints lifetime in this world is a night-time. To clear this, confider,

1. The life of a child of God in this world, from the moment of the marriage with Chrift, is a day-time, in comparison with the time he lived in his natural ftate, Theff. v. 5. Therefore fays the apoftle, Eph. v. 8. "Ye were fometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord." While they are in their natural ftate, they are in midnight darkness, it is black and dark night with them. But being united to Chrift, the night of their natural state is at an end, and the day of grace is come with them. And this is fuch a day, as will never be fucceeded by another night.

2. But in comparison with his ftate in the other world, it is but a night-time. When he enters there, a day of glory fhall break to him, that will so far furpass all he has feen, that he shall be made to think, he

never faw day before, Rom. xiii. 12. The natural man is in black and dark night, and the faints in this world are in a cloudy moon-light night only the faints in the other world are in broad day-light, Col. i. 12.

II. WE fhall confider how the foul once married to Christ comes to look on its lifetime in this world as a night-time. There are four things concur to it.

1. They then have fome new and precious light, however faint, that they had not before. They can fay with the blind man cured by Chrift, John ix. 25. "One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now 1 fee." They fee that in fin, Chrift, and in the other world, that they did not before perceive. Strangers to Christ are like blind men, to whom the night and the day are alike; but being once married to Chrift they are like him who faid, "I fee men as trees walking,' Mark viii. 24. They fee, but find they do not fee clearly, and fo conclude, that it is night with them.

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2. Being once married to Chrift indeed, the fun of this world fets upon them. The world's love to them is turned to hatred, it conceives an antipathy against them, John xv. 19. And looks as when the darkness of the night follows the lightfome day, and fits down on the beautiful cities, the green hills, the pleasant meadows and gardens, all these lose their luftre and beauty, and become black and gloomy; fo when once a foul is married to Chrift, the world lofeth its former beauty to the man; it is quite another thing in his eyes than it was before; the vain world is turned out of its gaudy day-drefs, into its night-drefs, where its former beautiful appearance is gone, Gal. vi. 14.-"The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

3. Yet the Sun of righteoufnefs is ftill hid to their eye fight, however he lets out fome rays of light to them, and they difcern him by faith, 1 Pet. i. 3. In some northern parts belonging to this kingdom, the body of the fun, about this time of the year, does indeed go out of their fight about the middle of the night;

yet

yet fill certain rays from it appear all along; fo is it with the believer. Therefore he must look on it as

night; though it is but a fhort one. That Jefus to whom they are joined in fpiritual marriage, is gone to heaven, and there he abides hid from their eyes, though manifest to their faith, Cant. iv. 6. As Jacob married to Leah, got not a broad view of her till the morning; fo the believing foul married to Chrift, will not get a broad view of its Husband, till the day of eternity break.

4. Lally, The beauty of the light let into them natively caufes a longing for the perfection of it, Phil. iii, 13, 14. As one with a dim light difcerning a beautiful object, presently calls for a clear light whereby to difcern it fully; fo the foul that has feen as much of Christ's excellency as to engage the heart to him, longs for a full fight of his glory; and while the light will not ferve that purpose, it natively concludes, that it is night still.

III. I fhall next fhew on what grounds they juftly look on it as a night time, a fhadowy one.

1. They justly look on it as a night-time. For, (1.) It is a time of much darkness with them, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. darkness of ignorance, and of uncomfortablenefs. However vain men may pride themselves in the knowledge they have reached, puffed up therewith as empty bladders; serious Chriftians will still be bewailing their ignorance and weakness in the divine myfteries, Pfal. Ixxiii. 22, Prov. xxx. 2. 3. And however lightfome a life the native vanity of mind may make fome; it is not poffible, but the imperfections, infirmities, and struggles attending the Chriftian life here, must make much uncomfortableness in it, Pfal. xcvii. II. How then can they but count it night?

(2.) It is a time, wherein the wild beasts are got out of their dens, ranging about, Pfal. civ. 20, 21. In the darkness of this life, what howling and yelling of the infernal crew, the devils and wicked men acted. by them, do reach the Christian's ears, and make his

heart

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