05. THE FIFTH SERMON

THE FIFTH SERMON

It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.—Song of Solomon 5:2.

HITHERTO, by God’s assistance, we have heard largely both of the church’s sleeping and heart-waking; what this sleeping and heart-waking is; how it comes; the trials of these opposite dispositions; of the danger of sleeping, and excellency of heart-waking; and of the helps and means, both to shun the one and preserve the other. Now, the church, having so freely and ingeniously* confessed what she could against herself, proceeds yet further to acquaint us with the particulars in her heart-waking disposition, which were twofold. She heard and discerned ’the voice of her Beloved,’ who, for all her sleep, was her Beloved still; and more than that, she remembers all his sweet words and allurements, whereby he pressed her to open unto him, saying, ’Open to me, my love, my dove, my undefiled;’ which is set out and amplified with a further moving argument of those inconveniences Christ had suffered in his waiting for entertainment in her heart, ’For my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night,’ all which aggravates her offence; and his rare goodness and patience towards miserable sinners, so to wait from time to time for admission into our wretched souls, that he may rule and govern them by his Holy Spirit. Therefore, we had great reason to shun this sleepy distemper of soul, which for the present so locks up ’the everlasting gates of our soul, that the King of glory cannot enter in,’ Psalms 24:7, and to strive for this blessed heart-waking disposition, which may help us at all times to see our dangers, and, by God’s blessing, recover us out of them, as here the church doth at length, though first smarting and well beaten by the watchmen, in a world of perplexities ere she can recover the sense of her former union and communion with Christ. And surely we find by experience, what a woful thing it is for the soul which hath once tasted how gracious the Lord is, to be long without a sense of God’s love; for when it looks upon sin as the cause of this separation, this is for the time as so many deaths unto it. Therefore, the church’s experience must be our warning-piece to take heed how we grieve the Spirit, and so fall into this spiritual sleep. Wherein yet this is a good sign, that yet we are not in a desperate dead sleep when we can with her say, ’It is the voice of my Beloved that knocks, saying, Open unto me,’ &c. In which words you have, 1. The church’s acknowledgment of Christ’s voice.

2. Of his carriage towards her.

1. Her acknowledgment is set down here, ’It is the voice of my Beloved.’

2. His carriage, ’He knocks,’ &c. Wherein,

(1.) His patience in suffering things unworthy and utterly unbeseeming for him. He doth not only ’knock,’ but he continues knocking, till ’his head was filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night.’

(2.) His friendly compellation, ’Open to me, my love, my dove, my undefiled.’ Lo, here are sweet actions, sweet words, and all to melt the heart of the spouse!

First, the church’s acknowledgment is to be considered, confessing, ’It is the voice of her beloved.’ The first thing to be observed in this acknowledgment is, that the church, however sleepy and drowsy she was, yet notwithstanding, her heart was so far awake as to know the voice of her husband. The point is this,

Obs. That a Christian soul doth know and may discern the voice of Christ, yea, and that even in a lazy, sleepy estate, but much more when in a good and lively frame. God’s believers are Christ’s sheep, John 10:3. Now, ’My sheep,’ saith Christ, ’hear my voice,’ verse 4. It is the ear-mark, as it were, of a Christian, one of the characters of the new man, ’to taste words by the ear,’ as Job saith, Job 12:11. He hath a spiritual taste, a discerning relish in his ear, because he hath the Spirit of God, and therefore relisheth what is connatural, and suitable to the Spirit. Now, the voice of Christ without in the ministry, and the Spirit of Christ within in the heart, are connatural, and suitable each to other. And surely so it is, that this is one way to discern a true Christian from another, even by a taste in hearing. For those that have a spiritual relish, they can hear with some delight things that are most spiritual. As the heathen man said of a meadow, that some creatures come to eat one sort of herbs, others another, all that which is fit for them; men to walk therein for delight; all for ends suitable to their nature; so, in coming to hear the word of God, some come to observe the elegancy of words and phrases, some to catch advantage perhaps against the speaker, men of a devilish temper; and some to conform themselves to the customs of the places they live in, or to satisfy the clamours of a troubled conscience, that will have some divine duty performed, else it goes on with much vexation. But every true Christian comes and relisheth what is spiritual; and when outward things can convey in similitudes spiritual things aptly to the mind, he relisheth this, not as elegant and pleasing his fancy so much, as for conveying the voice of Christ unto his soul, so that a man may much be helped to know his state in grace and what he is, by his ear. ’Itching ears,’ 2 Timothy 4:3, usually are such as are ’led with lust,’ as the apostle saith, and they must be clawed. They are sick, and nothing will down with them. They quarrel with everything that is wholesome, as they did with manna. No sermons will please them, no bread is fine and white enough; whereas, indeed, it is their own distemper is in fault. As those that go in a ship upon the sea, it is not the tossing but the stomach that causeth a sickness, the choler within, and not the waves without, so the disquiet of these men, that nothing will down with them, is from their own distemper. If Christ himself were here a-preaching, they would be sure to cavil at something, as then men did when he preached in his own person, because they labour of lusts, which they resolve to feed and cherish. And again, observe it against our adversaries. What say they? How shall we know that the word is the word of God? For this heretic saith thus, and this interprets it thus. This is the common objection of the great rabbis amongst them in their writings, how we can know the word to be God’s, considering there are such heresies in the churches, and such contrariety of opinions concerning the Scriptures read in the churches.

Even thus to object and ask is an argument and testimony that these men have not the Spirit of Christ, for ’his sheep know his voice,’ John 10:3, who, howsoever they cannot interpret all places of Scripture, yet they can discern in the Scripture what is suitable food for them, or in the unfolding of the Scriptures in preaching they can discern agreeable food for them, having a faculty to reject that which is not fit for nourishment, to let it go. As there is in nature passages fit for concoction and digestion and for rejection, so there is in the soul to work out of the word, even out of that which is hard, yet wholesome, what is fit for the soul and spirit. If it be cast down, it feeds upon the promises for direction and consolation; and what is not fit for nourishment, that it rejects, that is, if it be of a contrary nature, heterogeneal. Therefore, we answer them thus, that ’God’s sheep hear his voice,’ John 10:4; that his word left in the church, when it is unfolded, his Spirit goes together with it, breeding a relish of the word in the hearts of people, whereby they are able to taste and relish it, and it hath a supernatural power and majesty in it which carries its own evidence with it. How shall we know light to be light? It carries evidence in itself that it is light. How know we that the fire is hot? Because it carries evidence in itself that it is so. So if you ask how we know the word of God to be the word of God; it carries in itself inbred arguments and characters, that the soul can say none but this word can be the word of God; it hath such a majesty and power to cast down, and raise up, and to comfort, and to direct with such power and majesty, that it carries with it its own evidence, and it is argument enough for it, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. And thus we answer them, which they can answer no way but by cavils. ’God’s sheep hear the voice of Christ.’ He speaks, and the church understands him, ’and a stranger’s voice they will not hear,’ John 10:5. And indeed, this is the only sure way of understanding the word to be of God, from an inbred principle of the majesty in the word, and a powerful work thereof on the soul itself; and an assent so grounded is that which makes a sound Christian. If we should ask, what is the reason there be so many that apostatize, fall away, grow profane, and are so unfruitful under the gospel, notwithstanding they hear so much as they do? The answer is, their souls were never founded and bottomed upon this, that it is the word of God, and divine truth, so as to be able to say, I have felt it by experience, that it is the voice of Christ. Therefore they so soon apostatize, let Jesuits, or seducers set upon them. They were never persuaded from inbred arguments, that the voice of Christ is the word of God. Others from strictness grow profane, because they were never convinced by the power and majesty of the truth in itself; and then in the end they despair, notwithstanding all the promises, because they were never convinced of the truth of them. They cannot say Amen to all the promises. But the church can say confidently, upon sound experience, ’It is the voice of my beloved,’ &c.

Again, whereas the church saith here, It is the voice of my beloved, &c., and knows this voice of her beloved, we may note—

Obs. That the church of God, and every Christian, takes notice of the means that God useth for their salvation. A Christian is sensible of all the blessed helps he hath to salvation. To a dead heart, it is all one whether they have means or no means; but a Christian soul takes notice of all the means. ’It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh.’ It seeth Christ in all. And mark what the church saith, moreover, ’It is the voice of my beloved.’ She acknowledgeth Christ to be beloved of her, though she were asleep. So then here is a distinction between the sleep of a Christian and the dead sleep of another natural man. The one when he sleeps, his heart doth not only wake, but it is awake to discern the voice of Christ. It can relish in reading what is spiritual and good, what is savoury, and what not. And likewise take a Christian at the worst: when he is asleep, he loves Christ, he will do nothing against him. ’I can do nothing,’ saith Paul, ’against the truth, but for the truth,’ 2 Corinthians 13:8. He will do nothing against the cause of religion. There is a new nature in him, that he cannot do otherwise. He cannot but love; he cannot sin with a full purpose, nor speak against a good cause, because he hath a new nature, that leads him another way. Christ is her beloved still though she sleep.

Obs. Take a Christian at the lowest, his heart yearns after Christ.

Acknowledging him to be his beloved, there is a conjugal chastity in the soul of a Christian. Holding firm to the covenant and marriage between Christ and it, he keeps that unviolable. Though he may be untoward, sleepy, and drowsy, yet there is always a conjugal, spouse-like affection. ’It is the voice of my beloved,’ &c.

Now, leaving the church’s notice of the voice of Christ, we come to Christ’s carriage towards her.

1. ’He knocketh;’ and then we have—

2. His patience in that carriage. ’My head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night,’ &c. Here is patience and mercy, to endure this indignity at the church’s hand, to stand at her courtesy to come in; besides, 3, the compellation, afterwards to be spoken of. The general observation from Christ’s carriage is this—

Obs. That Christ still desires a further and further communion with his church.

Even as the true soul that is touched with the Spirit, desires nearer and nearer communion with Christ; so he seeks nearer and nearer communion with his spouse, by all sanctified means. Christ hath never enough of the soul. He would have them more and more open to him. Our hearts are for Christ, who hath the heaven of heavens, and the soul of a believing Christian for himself to dwell in. He contents not himself to be in heaven alone, but he will have our hearts. He knocks here, waits, speaks friendly and lovingly, with such sweet words, ’My love, my dove,’ &c. We had a blessed communion in the state of innocency, and shall have a glorious communion in heaven, when the marriage shall be consummated; but now the time of this life is but as the time of the contract, during which there are yet many mutual passages of love between him and his spouse, a desire of mutual communion of either side. Christ desires further entertainment in his church’s heart and affection, that he might lodge and dwell there. And likewise there is the like desire in the church, when she is in a right temper; so that if any strangeness be between Christ and any man’s soul, that hath tasted how good the Lord is, let him not blame Christ for it, for he delights not in strangeness. He that knocks and stands knocking, while his locks are bedewed with the drops of the night, doth he delight in strangeness, that makes all this love to a Christian’s soul? Certainly no.

Therefore look for the cause of his strangeness at any time in thine own self. As, whether we cast ourselves imprudently into company, that are not fit to be consulted withal, in whom the Spirit is not, and who cannot do us any good, or they cast themselves to us. Evil company is a great damping, whereby a Christian loseth his comfort much, especially that intimate communion with God; whence we may fall into security.

Again, discontinuing of religious exercises doth wonderfully cause Christ to withdraw himself. He makes no more love to our souls, when we neglect the means, and discontinue holy exercises, and religious company, when we stir not up the graces of God’s Spirit. Being this way negligent, it is no wonder that Christ makes no more love to our souls, when we prize and value not the communion that should be between the soul and Christ, as we should. ’Whom have I in heaven but thee?’ Psalms 73:25. ’Thy lovingkindness is better than life,’ saith the psalmist, Psalms 63:3. When we prize not this, it is just with Christ to make himself strange. Where love is not valued and esteemed, it is estranged, and for a while hides itself. So that these, with other courses and failings, we may find to be the ground and reason of the strangeness between Christ and the soul, for certainly the cause is not in him. For we see here, he useth all means to be entertained by a Christian soul: ’he knocks.’

You know what he says to the church of Laodicea—’Behold, I stand at the door, and knock,’ Revelation 3:20; so here—’It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh.’ Therefore, in such a case, search your own hearts, where, if there be deadness and desertion of spirit, lay the blame upon yourselves, and enter into a search of your own ways, and see what may be the cause.

Now, to come more particularly to Christ’s carriage here, knocking at the heart of the sleepy church, we see that Christ takes not the advantage and forfeiture of the sins of his church, to leave them altogether, but makes further and further love to them. Though the church be sleepy, Christ continues knocking. The church of Laodicea was a lukewarm, proud, hypocritical church; yet ’Behold,’ saith Christ, ’I stand at the door, and knock,’ Revelation 3:20; and it was such a church as was vainglorious and conceited. ’I am rich, and want nothing, when she was poor, blind, and naked,’ Revelation 3:17. And here he doth not only stand knocking, but he withal suffereth indignities—’the dew’ to fall upon him, which we shall speak more of hereafter. Christ, therefore, refuseth not weak sinners. He that commands, ’that we should receive him that is weak in the faith,’ Romans 14:1, and not cast him off from our fellowship and company, will he reject him that is weak and sleepy? No. What father will pass by or neglect his child, for some failings and weaknesses? Nature will move him to respect him as his child.

Now, Christ is merciful both by his office and by his nature. Our nature he took upon him, that he might be a merciful Redeemer, Hebrews 2:17. And then as God also, he is love, ’God is love,’ 1 John 4:16 : that is, whatsoever God shews himself to his church, he doth it in love. If he be angry in correcting, it is out of love; if merciful, it is out of love; if he be powerful in defending his church, and revenging himself on her enemies, all is love. ’God is love,’ saith John, John 4:8 : that is, he shews himself only in ways, expressions, and characters of love to his church. So Christ, as God, is all love to the church. And we see the Scriptures also to set out God as love, both in his essence and in his relations. 1. In relations of love to his church, he is a father: ’As a father pitieth his child, so the Lord pities them that fear him,’ Psalms 103:13 And, 2. Also in those sweet attributes of love, which are his essence, as we see, Exodus 34:6. When God describes himself to Moses, after his desire to know him, in the former chapter, ’Thou canst not see me and live;’ yet he would make him know him, as was fit for him to be known—’Jehovah, Jehovah, strong, merciful, gracious, long-suffering,’ &c., Exodus 34:6. Thus God will be known in these attributes of consolation. So Christ, as God, is all love and mercy. Likewise Christ, as man, he was man for this end, to be all love and mercy. Take him in his office as Jesus, to be a Saviour; he carrieth salvation in his wings, as it is in Malachi 4:2, both by office and by nature. And here how excellently is the expression of Christ’s mercy, love, and patience set out! He knocks, ’my beloved knocks,.’ &c., saying, ’Open.’ He knocks for further entrance, as was shewed before. Some he had already, but he would have further. As you know we have divers rooms and places in our houses. There is the court, the hall, the parlour, and closet: the hall for common persons, the parlour for those of better fashion, the closet for a man’s self, and those that are intimate friends. So a Christian hath room in his heart for worldly thoughts, but his closet, his inmost affections, are kept for his inmost friend Christ, who is not content with the hall, but will come into the very closet. He knocks, that we should open, and let him come into our hearts, into our more intimate affections and love. Nothing will content him but intimateness, for he deserves it. As we shall see, he knocks for this end. But how doth he knock?

Every kind of way. 1. It is taken from the fashion of men in this kind, God condescending to speak to us in our own language. Sometimes, you know, there is a knocking or calling for entrance by voice, when a voice may serve, and then there needs no further knocking.

Sometimes both by voice and knocking. If voice will not serve, knocking comes after. So it is here. Christ doth knock and speak, useth a voice of his word, and knocks by his works, and both together sometimes, whether by works of mercy or of judgment. He labours to enter into the soul, to raise the sleepy soul that way. He begins with mercy usually.

(1.) By mercies. All the creatures and blessings of God carry in them, as it were, a voice of God to the soul, that it would entertain his love. There goes a voice of love with every blessing. And the love, the mercy, and the goodness of God in the creature, is better than the creature itself. As we say of gifts, the love of the giver is better than the gift itself. So the love of God in all his sweet benefits is better than the thing itself. And so in that we have. There is a voice, as it were, entreating us to entertain God and Christ in all his mercies, yea, every creature, as one saith, and benefit, speaks, as it were, thus to us: We serve thee, that thou mayest serve him that made thee and us. There is a speech, as it were, in every favour. Which mercies, if they cannot prevail, then, (2.) Come corrections, which are the voice of God also. ’Hear the rod, and him that smiteth,’ Micah 6:9.

2. But hath the rod a voice? Yes, for what do corrections speak, but amendment of the fault we are corrected for? So we must hear the rod. All corrections tend to this purpose. They are as knockings, that we should open to God and Christ. And because corrections of themselves will not amend us, God to this kind of knocking adds a voice. He teacheth and corrects together, ’Happy is that man that thou correctest, and teachest out of thy law,’ saith the psalmist, Psalms 94:12. Correction without teaching is to little purpose. Therefore God adds instruction to correction. He opens the conscience, so that it tells us it is for this that you are corrected; and together with conscience, gives his Spirit to tell us it is for this or that you are corrected; you are to blame in this, this you have done that you should not have done. So that corrections are knockings, but then especially when they have instruction thus with them. They are messengers from God, both blessings and corrections, Leviticus 26:24, seq. They will not away, especially corrections, till they have an answer, for they are sent of God, who will add seven times more; and if the first be not answered, then he sends after them. He will be sure to have an answer, either in our conversion or confusion, when he begins once.

3. Many other ways he useth to knock at our hearts. The examples of those we live among that are good, they call upon us, Luke 13:2-3; 1 Corinthians 10:33. The patterns of their holy life, the examples of God’s justice upon others, are speeches to us. God knocks at our door then. He intends our correction when he visits another, when, if we amend by that, he needs not take us in hand.

4. But besides all this, there is a more near knocking that Christ useth to the church, his ministerial knocking. When he was here in the days of his flesh, he was a preacher and prophet himself, and now he is ascended into heaven, he hath given gifts to men, and men to the church, Ephesians 4:11, seq., whom he speaks by, to the end of the world. They are Christ’s mouth, as we said of the penmen of holy Scripture. They were but the hand to write; Christ was the head to indite. So in preaching and unfolding the word they are but Christ’s mouth and his voice, as it is said of John, Matthew 3:3. Now he is in heaven, he speaks by them, ’He that heareth you heareth me, he that despiseth you despiseth me,’ Luke 10:16. Christ is either received or rejected in his ministers, as it is said of Noah’s time, ’The Spirit of Christ preached in the days of Noah to the souls now in prison,’ &c., 1 Peter 3:19. Christ as God did preach, before he was incarnate, by Noah to the old world, which is now in prison, in hell, because they refused to hear Christ speak to them by Noah. Much more now, after the days of his flesh, that he is in heaven, he speaks and preacheth to us, which, if we regard not, we are like to be in prison, as those souls are now in prison for neglecting the preaching of Noah, 1 Peter 3:19. So the ministers are Christ’s mouth. When they speak, he speaks by them, and they are as ambassadors of Christ, whom they should imitate in mildness. ’We therefore, as ambassadors, beseech and entreat you, as if Christ by us should speak to you; so we entreat you to be reconciled unto God,’ 2 Corinthians 5:20. And you know what heart-breaking words the apostle useth in all his epistles, especially when he writes to Christians in a good state, as to the Philippians, ’If there be any bowels of mercy, if there be any consolation in Christ,’ then regard what I say, ’be of one mind.’ Php 2:1. And among the Thessalonians he was as a nurse to them, 1 Thessalonians 2:7. So Christ speaks by them, and puts his own affections into them, that as he is tender and full of bowels himself, so he hath put the same bowels into those that are his true ministers.

He speaks by them, and they use all kind of means that Christ may be entertained into their hearts. They move all stones, as it were, sometimes threatenings, sometimes entreaties, sometimes they come as ’sons of thunder,’ Mark 3:17; sometimes with the still voice of sweet promises. And because one man is not so fit as another for all varieties of conditions and spirits, therefore God gives variety of gifts to his ministers, that they may knock at the heart of every man by their several gifts. For some have more rousing, some more insinuating gifts; some more legal, some more evangelical spirits, yet all for the church’s good. John Baptist, by a more thundering way of preaching, to make way for Christ to come, threateneth judgment. But Christ, then he comes with a ’Blessed are the poor in spirit,’ ’blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness,’ &c., Matthew 5:3. All kind of means have been used in the ministry from the beginning of the world.

5. And because of itself this ministry it is a dead letter; therefore he joins that with the word, which knocks at the heart together with the word, not severed from it, but is the life of it. Oh! the Spirit is the life, and soul of the word; and when the inward word, or voice of the Spirit, and the outward word or ministry go together, then Christ doth more effectually knock and stir up the heart.

Now this Spirit with sweet inspirations knocks, moves the heart, lightens the understanding, quickens the dull affections, and stirs them up to duty, as it is, Isaiah 30:21, ’And thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee saying, This is the way, walk in it.’ The Spirit moves us sweetly, agreeable to our own nature. It offers not violence to us; but so as in Hosea 11:4, ’I drew them by the cords of a man.’ That is, by reasons and motives befitting the nature of man, motives of love. So the Spirit, together with the word, works upon us, as we are men by rational motives, setting good before us, if we will let Christ in to govern and rule us; and by the danger on the contrary, so moving and stirring up our affections. These be ’the cords of a man.’

6. And besides his Spirit, God hath planted in us a conscience to call upon us, to be his vicar; a little god in us to do his office, to call upon us, direct us, check and condemn us, which in great mercy he hath placed in us.

Thus we see what means Christ useth here—his voice, works, and word; works of mercy and of correction; his word, together with his Spirit, and the conscience, that he hath planted, to be, as it were, a god in us; which together with his Spirit may move us to duty. This Austin speaks of when he says, Deus in me, &c. ’God spake in me oft, and I knew it not’ (f). He means it of conscience, together with the Spirit, stirring up motives to leave his sinful courses. God knocked in me, and I considered it not. I cried, modò and modò, sine modo. I put off God, now I will, and now I will, but I had no moderation, I knew no limits. And whilst Christ thus knocketh, all the three persons may be said to do it. For as it is said elsewhere, that ’God was and is in Christ reconciling the world,’ &c., 2 Corinthians 5:19. For whatsoever Christ did, he did it as anointed, and by office. And therefore God doth it in Christ, and by Christ, and so in some sort God died in his human nature, when Christ died. So here the father beseecheth when Christ beseecheth, because he beseecheth, that is sent from him, and anointed of the Father. And God the Father stoops to us when Christ stoops, because he is sent of the Father, and doth all by his Father’s command and commission, John 5:27. So besides his own bowels, there is the Father and the Spirit with Christ, who doth all by his Spirit, and from his Father, from whom he hath commission. Therefore God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost knock at the heart. ’Open to me, my love, my dove, my undefiled;’ but Christ especially by his Spirit, because it is his office.

Obj. But some may object, Christ can open to himself, why doth he not take the key and open, and make way for himself? Who will knock, when he hath the key himself? and who will knock, when there is none within to open? Christ can open to himself, and we have no free will, nor power to open.

Bellarmine makes this objection, and speaks very rudely, that he is an unwise man to knock, where there is no man within to open; and that if Christ knock, and we cannot open, it is a delusion to exhort to open, and that therefore there must needs be free will in us to open (f). The answer is, first, Christ speaks to the spouse here, and so, many such exhortations are given to them that have the Spirit of God already, who could by the help thereof open. For good and gracious men are moved first by the Spirit, and then they move; they are moti moventes, and acti agentes. They are acted first by the Spirit, and then they do act by it, not of themselves; as the inferior orbs move not, but as they are moved by the superior. The question is not of them in the state of grace, but at their first conversion, when especially we say that Christ speaks to them that he means to convert. He knocks at their hearts, and opens together with his speech. Then there goes a power that they shall open; for his words are operative words. As it was in the creation, ’Let there be light,’ it was an operative word, ’and there was light,’ Genesis 1:3. Let there be such a creature, it was an operative working word, and there was such a creature presently. So he opens together with that word. With that invitation and command there goes an almighty power to enable the soul to open. Were it not a wise reason to say, when Christ called to Lazarus to ’come forth,’ John 11:43, that we should reason he had life to yield to Christ, when he bade him come forth? No, he was rotten, in his grave, almost; but with Christ’s speaking to Lazarus, there went an almighty power, that gave life to him, by which life he heard what Christ said, ’Arise, Lazarus.’ So Christ by his Spirit clothes his word in the ministry, when he speaks to people with a mighty power. As the minister speaks to the ear, Christ speaks, opens, and unlocks the heart at the same time; and gives it power to open, not from itself, but from Christ. Paul speaks to Lydia’s ear, Christ to her heart, and opened it, as the text says, Acts 16:13, whereby she believes;* so Christ opens the heart.

Quest. But why doth he thus work?

Ans. Because he will preserve nature, and the principles thereof; and so he deals with us, working accordingly. The manner of working of the reasonable creature, is to work freely by a sweet inclination, not by violence. Therefore when he works the work of conversion, he doth it in a sweet manner, though it be mighty for the efficaciousness of it. He admonisheth us with entreaty and persuasion, as if we did it ourselves. But though the manner be thus sweet, yet with this manner there goeth an almighty power. Therefore he doth it strongly as coming from himself, and sweetly, as the speaking is to us, preserving our nature. So the action is from him, which hath an almighty power with it. As holy Bernard saith, ’Thou dealest sweetly with my soul in regard of myself;’ that is, thou workest upon me, as a man with the words of love, yet strongly in regard of thyself. For except he add strength with sweetness, the work will not follow; but when there are both, an almighty work is wrought in the soul of a Christian; and so wrought, as the manner of man’s working is preserved in a sweet and free manner, whilst he is changed from contrary to contrary. And it is also with the greatest reason that can be, in that now he sees more reason to be good, than in the days of darkness he did to be naught, God works so sweetly. God speaks to us after the manner of men, but he works in us as the great God. He speaks to us as a man in our own language, sweetly; but he works in us almightily, after a powerful manner, as God. So we must understand such phrases as these, ’I knock; open to me, my love, my dove,’ &c. We may take further notice, Obs. That the heart of a Christian is the house and temple of Christ.

He hath but two houses to dwell in; the heavens, and the heart of an humble broken-hearted sinner, Isaiah 57:15.

Quest. How can Christ come into the soul?

Ans. He comes into the heart by his Spirit. It is a special entertainment that he looks for. Open thine ears that thou mayest hear my word; thy love, that thou mayest love me more; thy joy, that thou mayest delight in me more; open thy whole soul that I may dwell in it. A Christian should be God’s house, and a true Christian is the true temple of God. He left the other two temples therefore; but his own body, and his church he never leaves. For a house is for a man to solace himself in, and to rest in, and to lay up whatsoever is precious to him. So with Christ. A man will repair his house, so Christ will repair our souls, and make them better, and make them more holy, and spiritual, and every way fit for such a guest as he is.

Quest. How shall we know whether Christ dwells in our hearts or not?

Ans. We may know by the servants what master dwells in an house. If Christ be in the soul, there comes out of the house good speeches. And we watch the senses, so as there comes nothing in to defile the soul, and disturb Christ, and nothing goes out to offend God. When we hear men full of gracious sweet speeches, it is a sign Christ dwells there. If we hear the contrary, it shews Christ dwells not there. For Christ would move the whole man to do that which might edify and comfort.

Again, where Christ comes, assistance comes there. When Christ was born, all Jerusalem was in an uproar; so, when Christ is born in the soul, there is an uproar. Corruption arms itself against grace. There is a combat betwixt flesh and spirit. But Christ subdues the flesh by little and little. God’s image is stamped upon the soul where Christ is; and if we have opened unto the Lord of glory, he will make us glorious.

Christ hath never enough of us, nor we have never enough of him till we be in heaven; and, therefore, we pray, ’Thy kingdom come.’ And till Christ comes in his kingdom, he desires his kingdom should come to us. Open, saith he, stupenda dignatio, &c., as he cries out. It is a stupendous condescendence, when he that hath heaven to hold him, angels to attend him, those glorious creatures; he that hath the command of every creature, that do yield presently homage when he commands, the frogs, and lice, and all the host of heaven are ready to do his will! for him to condescend and to entreat us to be good to our own souls, and to beseech us to be reconciled to him, as if he had offended us, who have done the wrong and not he, or as if that we had power and riches to do him good; here greatness beseecheth meanness, riches poverty, all-sufficiency want, and life itself comes to dead, drowsy souls. What a wondrous condescending is this! Yet, notwithstanding, Christ vouchsafes to make the heart of a sinful, sleepy man to be his house, his temple. He knocks, and knocks here, saying, ’Open to me,’ &c.

Use 1. This is useful many ways, as first, cherish all the good conceits* we can of Christ. Time will come that the devil will set upon us with sharp temptations, fiery darts, temptations to despair, and present Christ amiss, as if Christ were not willing to receive us. Whenas you see he knocks at our hearts to open to him, useth mercies and judgments, the ministry of his Spirit and conscience, and all. Will not he then entertain us, when we come to him, that seeks this entertainment at our hands? Certainly he will. Therefore, let us labour to cherish good conceits of Christ. This is the finisher and beginning of the conversion of a poor sinful soul, even to consider the infinite love and condescendence of Christ Jesus for the good of our souls. We need not wonder at this his willingness to receive us, when we first know that God became man, happiness became misery, and life itself came to die, and to be ’a curse for us,’ Galatians 3:13. He hath done the greater, and will he not do the less? Therefore, think not strange that he useth all these means, considering how low he descended into the womb of the virgin for us, Ephes. 4:9.

Now such considerations as these, being mixed with the Spirit and set on by him, are effectual for the conversion of poor souls. Is there such love in God to become man, and to be a suitor to woo me for my love? Surely, thinks the soul then, he desires my salvation and conversion. And to what kind of persons doth he come? None can object unworthiness. I am poor: ’He comes to the poor,’ Isaiah 14:32; Isaiah 29:19. I am laden and wretched: ’Come unto me, all ye that are weary and laden,’ Matthew 11:28. I have nothing: ’Come and buy honey, milk, and wine, though you have nothing,’ Isaiah 55:1. He takes away all objections. But I am stung with the sense of my sins: ’Blessed are they that hunger and thirst,’ &c., Matthew 5:6. But I am empty of all: ’Blessed are the poor in spirit,’ Matthew 5:3. You can object nothing, but it is taken away by the Holy Ghost, wisely preventing* all the objections of a sinful soul. This is the beginning of conversion, these very conceits. And when we are converted, these thoughts, entertained with admiration of Christ’s condescending, are effectual to give Christ further entrance into the soul, whereby a more happy communion is wrought still more and more between Christ and the soul of a Christian.

Use 2. Oh, but take heed that these make not any secure. For, if we give not entrance to Christ, all this will be a further aggravation of our damnation. How will this justify the sentence upon us hereafter, when Christ shall set us on the left hand, and say, ’Depart from me,’ Matthew 25:41, for I invited you to come to me, I knocked at the door of your hearts, and you would give me no entrance. Depart from us, said you; therefore, now, Depart you from me. What do profane persons in the church but bid Christ depart from them, especially in the motions of his Spirit? They entertain him in the outward room, the brain; they know a little of Christ, but, in the heart, the secret room, he must not come there to rule. Is it not equal that he should bid us, ’Depart, ye cursed, I know you not’? Matthew 25:41; you would not give entrance to me, I will not now to you, as to the foolish virgins he speaks, Matthew 25:12, and Proverbs 1:28. Wisdom knocks, and hath no entrance; therefore, in times of danger, they call upon her, but she rejoiceth at their destruction. Where God magnifies his mercy in this kind, in sweet allurements, and inviting by judgments, mercies, ministry, and Spirit, he will magnify his judgment after. Those that have neglected heaven with the prerogatives and advantages in this kind, they shall be cast into hell. ’Woe to thee, Chorazin,’ &c., Matthew 11:21, as you know in the gospel. This is one thing that may humble us of this place and nation, that Christ hath no further entrance, nor better entertainment after so long knocking! for the entertaining of his word is the welcoming of himself, as it is, Colossians 3:16. ’Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you.’ And, ’Let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith,’ Ephesians 3:17. Compare those places; let the word dwell plenteously in you by wisdom, and let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith. For then doth Christ dwell in the heart, when the truth dwells in us. Therefore, what entertainment we give to his truth, we give to himself. Now what means of knocking hath he not used among us a long time? For works of all sorts, he hath drawn us by the cords of a man, by all kind of favours. For mercies, how many deliverances have we had (no nation the like; we are a miracle of the Christian world) from foreign invasion, and domestical conspiracies at home? How many mercies do we enjoy! Abundance, together with long peace and plenty. Besides, if this would not do, God hath added corrections with all these, in every element, in every manner. Infection in the air, judgments in inundations. We have had rumours of wars, &c. Threatenings, shakings of the rod only, but such as might have awaked us. And then he hath knocked at our hearts by the example of other nations. By what he hath done to them, he hath shewed us what he might justly have done to us. We are no better than they. As for his ministerial knocking: above threescore years we have lived under the ministry of the gospel. This land hath been Goshen, a land of light, when many other places are in darkness. Especially we that live in this Goshen, this place, and such like, where the light shines in a more abundant measure. Ministers have been sent, and variety of gifts. There hath been piping and mourning, as Christ complains in his time, that they were like froward children, that neither sweet piping nor doleful mourning would move to be tractable to their fellows. ’They had John, who came mourning,’ Matthew 11:17, and Christ comforting with blessing in his mouth. All kind of means have been used. And for the motions of his Spirit, who are there at this time, who thus live in the church under the ministry, who cannot say that God thereby hath smote their hearts, those hard rocks, again and again, and awaked their consciences, partly with corrections public and personal, and partly with benefits? Yet notwithstanding, what little way is given to Christ! Many are indifferent, and lukewarm either way, but rather incline to the worst.

Let us then consider of it. The greater means, the greater judgments afterwards, if we be not won by them. Therefore let us labour to hold Christ, to entertain him. Let him have the best room in our souls, to dwell in our hearts. Let us give up the keys to him, and desire him to rule our understandings, to know nothing but him, and what may stand with his truth, not to yield to any error or corruption. Let us desire that he would rule in our wills and affections; sway all, give all to him. For that is his meaning, when he says, ’Open to me,’ so that I may rule, as in mine own house, as the husband rules in his family, and a king in his kingdom. He will have all yielded up to him. And he comes to beat down all, whatsoever is exalted against him; and that is the reason men are so loth to open unto him. They know if they open to the Spirit of God, he will turn them out of their fool’s paradise, and make them resolve upon other courses of life, which, because they will not turn unto, they repel the sweet motions of the Spirit of Christ, and pull away his graces, building bulwarks against Christ, as lusts, strange imaginations, and resolutions, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Let the ministers say what they will, and the Spirit move as he will, thus they live, and thus they will live. Let us take notice, therefore, of all the means that God useth to the State, and to us in particular, and every one labour to amend one. Every soul is the temple, the house, Christ should dwell in. Let every soul, therefore, among us, consider what means Christ useth to come into his soul to dwell with him, and to rule there. And what shall we lose by it? Do we entertain Christ to our loss? Doth he come empty? No; he comes with all grace. His goodness is a communicative, diffusive goodness. He comes to spread his treasures, to enrich the heart with all grace and strength, to bear all afflictions, to encounter all dangers, to bring peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost. He comes, indeed, to make our hearts, as it were, a heaven. Do but consider this. He comes not for his own ends; but to empty his goodness into our hearts. As a breast that desires to empty itself when it is full; so this fountain hath the fulness of a fountain, which strives to empty his goodness into our souls. He comes out of love to us. Let these considerations melt our hearts for our unkindness, that we suffer him to stand so long at the door knocking, as it is said here.

If we find not our suits answered so soon as we would, remember, we have made him also wait for us. Perhaps to humble us, and after that to encourage us, he will make us wait; for we have made him wait. Let us not give over, for certainly he that desires us to open, that he may pour out his grace upon us, he will not reject us when we come to him, Matthew 7:7; Habakkuk 2:3. If he answers us not at first, yet he will at last. Let us go on and wait, seeing there is no one duty pressed more in Scripture than this. And we see it is equity, ’He waits for us,’ Isaiah 30:18. It is good reason we should wait for him. If we have not comfort presently when we desire it, let us attend upon Christ, as he hath attended upon us, for when he comes, he comes with advantage, Isaiah 60:16. So that when we wait, we lose nothing thereby, but are gainers by it, increasing our patience, Isaiah 64:4; James 1:4. The longer we wait, he comes with the more abundant grace and comfort in the end, and shews himself rich, and bountiful to them that wait upon him, Isaiah 40:1, et seq.