that they shall, in the depth of their policy, advise things for the compassing of the ends they do propose as unsuitable as any thing that could proceed out of the mouth of a child or a fool, and as directly tending to their own disappointment and ruin as any thing that could be invented against them. "He destroys the wisdom of the wise, and brings to nothing the understanding of the prudent,” 1 Cor. i. 19. This he largely describes, Isa. xix. 11–14. Drunkenness and staggering is the issue of all their wisdom; and that upon this account, the Lord gives them the spirit of giddiness. So also Job v. 12-14. They meet with darkness in the day-time:" when all things seem clear about them, and a man would wonder how men should miss their way, then will God make it darkness to such as these. So Ps. xxxiii. 10. Hence God, as it were, sets them at work, and undertakes their disappointment, Isa. viii. 9, 10, "Go about your counsels," saith the Lord, "and I will take order that it shall come to nought." And, Ps. ii. 3, 4, when men are deep at their plots and contrivances, God is said to have them in derision, to laugh them to scorn, seeing the poor worms industriously working out their own ruin. Never was this made more clear than in the days wherein we live. Scarcely have any wise men been brought to destruction, but it hath evidently been through their own folly; neither hath the wisest counsel of most been one jot better than madness.

3

(3.) That this wisdom, which should tend to universal quietness, hath almost constantly given universal disquietness unto themselves in whom it hath been most eminent. "In much wisdom is much grief," Eccles. i. 18. And in the issue, some of them have made away with themselves, as Ahithophel; and the most of them have been violently despatched by others. There is, indeed, no end of the folly of this wisdom. The great men of the world carry away the reputation of it;—really it is found in few of them. They are, for the most part, common events, whereunto they contribute not the least mite, which are ascribed to their care, vigilancy, and foresight. Mean men, that have learned to adore what is above them, reverence the meetings and conferences of those who are in greatness and esteem. Their weakness and folly is little known. Where this wisdom hath been most eminent, it hath dwelt so close upon the borders of atheism, been attended with such falseness and injustice, that it hath made its possessors wicked and infamous.

1 "Isthuc est sapere, non quod ante pedes modò est,
Videre; sed etiam illa quæ futura sunt,
Prospicere."-Teren. Adelph. 3, 3, 33.

2 Isa. xxix. 14, xlvii. 10; Jer. xlix. 7; Obad. 8.
3 "Prudens futuri temporis exitum

Caliginosa nocte premit Deus:

Ridetque, si mortalis ultra

Fas trepidat."-Horat., Od. iii. 29, 29.

I shall not need to give any more instances to manifest the insufficiency of this wisdom for the attaining of its own peculiar and immediate end. This is the vanity of any thing whatever, that it comes short of the mark it is directed unto. It is far, then, from being true and solid wisdom, seeing on the forehead thereof you may read "Disappointment."

And this is the first reason why true wisdom cannot consist in either of these, because they come short even of the particular and immediate ends they aim at. But,

Secondly, Both these in conjunction, with their utmost improvement, are not able to reach the true general end of wisdom. This assertion also falleth under an easy demonstration, and it were a facile thing to discover their disability and unsuitableness for the true end of wisdom; but it is so professedly done by him who had the largest portion of both of any of the sons of men (Solomon in his Preacher), that I shall not any farther insist upon it.

To draw, then, unto a close:-if true and solid wisdom is not in the least to be found amongst these, if the pearl be not hid in this field, if these two are but vanity and disappointment, it cannot but be to no purpose to seek for it in any thing else below, these being amongst them incomparably the most excellent; and therefore, with one accord, let us set the crown of this wisdom on the head of the Lord Jesus.

Let the reader, then, in a few words, take a view of the tendency of this whole digression. To draw our hearts to the more cheerful entertainment of and delight in the Lord Jesus, is the aim thereof. If all wisdom be laid up in him, and by an interest in him only to be attained, if all things beside him and without him that lay claim thereto are folly and vanity,-let them that would be wise learn where to repose their souls.

CHAPTER IV.

Of communion with Christ in a conjugal relation in respect of consequential affections His delight in his saints first insisted on, Isa. lxii. 5; Cant. iii. 11; Prov. viii. 21-Instance of Christ's delight in believers-He reveals his whole heart to them, John xv. 14, 15; himself, 1 John xiv. 21; his kingdom; enables them to communicate their mind to him, giving them assistance, a way, boldness, Rom. viii. 26, 27-The saints delight in Christ; this manifested Cant. ii. 7, viii. 6—Cant. iii. 1–5, opened—Their delight in his servants and ordinances of worship for his sake.

1THE communion begun, as before declared, between Christ and the soul, is in the next place carried on by suitable consequential

'The division to which reference is here made will be found on page 56. The figure [2.] should have been inserted at the head of this chapter, to correspond

affections, affections suiting such a relation. Christ having given himself to the soul, loves the soul; and the soul having given itself unto Christ, loveth him also. Christ loves his own, yea, “loves them to the end," John xiii. 1; and the saints they love Christ, they "love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," Eph. vi. 24.

Now the love of Christ, wherewith he follows his saints, consists in these four things:-I. Delight. II. Valuation. III. Pity, or compassion. IV. Bounty. The love, also, of the saints unto Christ may be referred to these four heads:-Delight; Valuation; Chastity; Duty. Two of these are of the same kind, and two distinct; as is required in this relation, wherein all things stand not on equal terms.

I. The first thing on the part of Christ is delight. Delight is the flowing of love and joy,—the1 rest and complacence of the mind in a suitable, desirable good enjoyed. Now, Christ delights exceedingly in his saints: "As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee," Isa. lxii. 5. Hence he calleth the day of his espousals, the day of the "gladness of his heart," Cant. iii. 11. It is known that usually this is the most unmixed delight that the sons of men are in their pilgrimage made partakers of. The delight of the bridegroom in the day of his espousals is the height of what an expression of delight can be carried unto. This is in Christ answerable to the relation he takes us into. His heart is glad in us, without sorrow. And every day whilst we live is his wedding-day. It is said of him, Zeph. iii. 17, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee” (that is, dwelling amongst us, taking our nature, John i. 14) "is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing;" which is a full description of delight, in all the parts of it,-joy and exultation, rest and complacence. “I rejoiced," saith he, "in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men," Prov. viii. 31. The thoughts of communion with the saints were the joy of his heart from eternity. On the compact and agreement that was between his Father and him, that he should divide a portion with the strong, and save a remnant for his inheritance, his soul rejoiced in the thoughts of that pleasure and delight which he would take in them, when he should actually take them into communion with himself. Therefore in the preceding verse it is said he was by him as ; say we, "As one brought up with him," " alumnus;" the LXX render it appólovσα• åpμólovoa· and the Latin, with most other translations, "cuncta componens," or disponens." The word taken actively, signifies him whom another

with [1.] on that page. The insertion of it, however, would have required great changes, and rendered the subsequent numeration very obscure.-ED.

1 Ηδονὴ μᾶλλον ἐν ἠρεμίᾳ ἐστίν, ἢ ἐν κινήσει.—Arist. Eth., lib. vii., cap. 14. Τελεῖ δὲ τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἡ ἡδονή.Id. 1. 10, c. 4.

takes into his care to breed up, and disposeth of things for his advantage. So did Christ take us then into his care, and rejoiced in the thoughts of the execution of his trust. Concerning them he saith, “Here will I dwell, and here will I make my habitation for ever." For them hath he chosen for his temple and his dwelling-place, because he delighteth in them. This makes him take them so nigh himself in every relation. As he is God, they are his temple; as he is a king, they are his subjects,—he is the king of saints; as he is a head, they are his body,—he is the head of the church; as he is a first-born, he makes them his brethren,-" he is not ashamed to call them brethren."

I shall choose out one particular from among many as an instance for the proof of this thing; and that is this:-Christ reveals his secrets, his mind, unto his saints, and enables them to reveal the secrets of their hearts to him;-an evident demonstration of great delight. It was Samson's carnal delight in Delilah that prevailed with him to reveal unto her those things which were of greatest concernment unto him; he will not hide his mind from her, though it cost him his life. It is only a bosom friend unto whom we will unbosom ourselves. Neither is there, possibly, a greater evidence of delight in close communion than this, that one will reveal his heart unto him whom he takes into society, and not entertain him with things common and vulgarly known. And therefore have I chose this instance, from amongst a thousand that might be given, of this delight of Christ in his saints. He, then, communicates his mind unto his saints, and unto them only;—his mind, the counsel of his love, the thoughts of his heart, the purposes of his bosom, for our eternal good;-his mind, the ways of his grace, the workings of his Spirit, the rule of his sceptre, and the obedience of his gospel.1 All spiritual revelation is by Christ. He is "the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world," John i. 9. He is the "Day-spring," the "Day-star," and the "Sun;" so that it is impossible any light should be but by him. From him it is that "the secret of the LORD is with them that fear him, and he shows them his covenant," Ps. xxv. 14; as he expresses it at large, John xv. 14, 15, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for3 all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." He makes them as his friends, and useth them as friends,-as

2

'Mal. iv. 2; Luke i. 78; 2 Pet. i. 19.

"Voluntatem Dei nosse quisquam desiderat? fiat amicus Deo, quia si voluntatem hominis nosse vellet, cujus amicus non esset, omnes ejus impudentiam et stultitiam deriderent."-August. de Gen. Cont. Man., lib. i. cap. 2.

66

3“ Vox rávra ex subjecta materia, restrictionem ad doctrinam salutis requirit." -Tarnov. in loc.

bosom friends, in whom he is delighted. He makes known all his mind unto them; every thing that his Father hath committed to him as Mediator to be revealed, Acts xx. 24. And the apostle declares how this is done, 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11, "God hath revealed these things unto us by his Spirit;' for we have received him, 'that we might know the things that are freely given us of God."" He sends us his Spirit, as he promised, to make known his mind unto his saints, and to lead them into all truth. And thence the apostle concludes, "We have known the mind of Christ," verse 16; "for he useth us as friends, and declareth it unto us," John i. 18. There is not any thing in the heart of Christ, wherein these his friends are concerned, that he doth not reveal to them. All his love, his good-will, the secrets of his covenant, the paths of obedience, the mystery of faith, is told them.

And all this is spoken in opposition to unbelievers, with whom he hath no communion. These know nothing of the mind of Christ as they ought: "The natural man receiveth not the things that are of God," 1 Cor. ii. 14. There is a wide difference between understanding the doctrine of the Scripture as in the letter, and a true knowing the mind of Christ. This we have by special unction from Christ, 1 John ii. 27, "We have an unction from the Holy One, and we know all things," 1 John ii. 20.

Now, the things which in this communion Christ reveals to them that he delights in, may be referred to these two heads:-1. Himself. 2. His kingdom.

1. Himself. John xiv. 21, "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him;"

-“manifest myself in all my graces, desirableness, and loveliness; he shall know me as I am, and such I will be unto him, a Saviour, a Redeemer, the chiefest of ten thousand." He shall be acquainted with the true worth and value of the pearl of price; let others look upon him as having neither form nor comeliness, as no way desirable, he will manifest himself and his excellencies unto them in whom he is delighted, that they shall see him altogether lovely. He will vail himself to all the world; but the saints with open face shall behold his beauty and his glory, and so be translated into the image of the same glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18.

2. His kingdom. They shall be acquainted with the government of his Spirit in their hearts; as also with his rule and the administration of authority in his word, and among his churches.

(1.) Thus, in the first place, doth he manifest his delight in his saints,—he communicates his secrets unto them. He gives them to know his person, his excellencies, his grace, his love, his kingdom, his will, the riches of his goodness, and the bowels of his mercy, more and more, when the world shall neither see nor know any such thing.