I.-BOWELS OPENED; or, A DISCOVERY of the NEAR and Dear Love, UNION and COMMUNION, betwixt CHRIST and his CHURCH; and consequently, betwixt him and every believing Soul; in several Sermons, on the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Chap- II-A FOUNTAIN SEALED; or, The DUTY of the SEALED to the SPIRIT, and the WORK of the SPIRIT in SEALING, being the substance of several Sermons from Eph. iv. 30.-" And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemp- 281 III. The CHURCH's COMPLAINT and CONFIDENCE, in Three Sermons, from Isaiah lxiv. 6, 7, 8.—“ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away." 344. IV. ST. PAUL'S CHALLENGE; a Sermon, from Rom. viii. 30.- "What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can V. The CHURCH's ECHO; a Sermon, from Rev. xxii. 17.— - VI.—The SPIRITUAL MAN's AIM; guiding a Christian in his Affections and Actions, through sundry passages of this life; from 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31.-" It remaineth, brethren, the time is short, let those that have wives, be as if they had none," &c. VII.-The CHRISTIAN's PORTION; wherein is unfolded the unsearchable Riches he hath by his interest in Christ; from 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22, 23.—" Let no man glory in man, for all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, VIIL-DAVID's CONCLUSION; or, The SAINT'S RESOLUTION; a Sermon, from Psalm lxxiii. 28.-" But it is good for me to draw 389 404 430 447 BOWELS OPENED; OR, A DISCOVERY of the NEAR and DEAR LOVE, UNION and COMMUNION, betwixt Christ.. and his Church; AND CONSEQUENTLY, BETWIXT HIM AND EVERY BELIEVING SOUL. IN SEVERAL SERMONS, ON THE FOURTH, FIFTH, and SIXTH CHAPTERS of CANTICLES. SERMON I: CANTICLES v. 1. "I have come into my garden, my fifter, my fpoufe; I have eaten "my honeycomb with my honey; I have drank my wine with my milk: Eat, O friends; drink, yea drink abundantly, O beloved! THER books of Solomon lie more obvious and open to common understanding; but as none entered into the holy of holies, but the high priest, fo none can enter into the mystery of this Song of Songs, but fuch as have more near communion with Chrift. Songs, and efpecially marriage-fongs, ferve to express mens own joys, and others praises. So this book contains the mutual joys, and mutual praises, betwixt Chrift and his church. And as Chrift and his church are the greateft perfons that partake of human nature, so whatsoever is excellent in the whole VOL. III.] B world, world, is borrowed to fet out the excellencies of these two great lovers. It is called Solomon's Song, who, next unto Chrift, was the greatest fon of wifdom that ever the church bred; whofe underftanding, as it was large as the fand of the fea, fo his affections, efpecially that of love, was as large; as we may fee by his many wives, and by the delight he fought to take in whatsoever nature could afford. Which affection of love in him mifplaced, had been his undoing, but that he was one beloved of God; who, by his fpirit, raised his foul to lovely objects of a higher nature. Here, in this argument, there is no danger for the deepeft wit, or the largest affection (yea of a Solomon) to overreach; for the knowledge of Chrift to his church, is above all knowledge-Ephef. iii. 19. The angels themselves may admire it, though they cannot comprehend it. It may well therefore be called the Song of Solomon; the most excellent fong of a man of the highest conceit and deepest apprehenfion, and on the higheft matters-the intercourfe betwixt Chrift, the highest Lord of Lords, and his best beloved contracted spouse., There are divers things in this Song, that a corrupt heart, (unto which all things are defiled), may take offence at; but to the pure all things are pure. Such a finful abuse of this heavenly book is far from the intention of the Holy Ghoft in it; which is, by ftooping low to us, to take advantage to raise us higher unto him; that by taking advantage of the sweetest paffage of our life (marriage), and the moft delightful affection (love), in the sweetest manner of expreffion (by a fong), he might carry up the foul to things of a heavenly nature. We fee in fummer, that one heat weakens another; and a great light, being near a little one, draws away and obfcures the flame of the other: fo it is when the affections are taken up higher to their fit object, they die unto all earthly things, whilft that heavenly flame confumes and wastes all base affections and earthly defires. Amongst other ways of mortification, there are two remarkable: 1. By embittering all earthly things unto us, whereby the affections are deadened to them. 2. By fhewing more noble, excellent, and fit objects. That the foul, iffuing more largely and strongly into them, may be diverted, and fo by degrees die unto other things; the holy fpirit hath chofen this way in this Song; by elevating and raifing |