fhould we think that offenfive, which he counts as incenfe? We must not give false witness of the work of grace in our hearts, but blefs God that he will work any thing in fuch polluted hearts as ours. What though, as they come from us, they have a relifh of the old man, feeing he takes them from us, and perfumes them with his own fweet odours, Rev. viii. 3.; fo prefents them unto God? He is our high-priest, which makes all acceptable, both perfons, prayers and performances, fprinkling them all with his blood, Heb. ix. 13.

To conclude this point, let it be our study to be in fuch a condition wherein we may please Chrift; and whereas we are daily prone to offend him, let us daily renew our covenant with him, and in him; and fetch encouragements of well-doing from this, that what we do is not only well-pleafing unto him, but rewarded of him. And to this end defire him, that he would give command to north and fouth, to all fort of means, to be effectual for making us more fruitful, that he may delight in us as his pleasant gardens; and then what is in the world that we need much care for, or fear?

Now, upon the church's invitation for Chrift to come into his garden, follows his gracious anfwer unto the church's defire, in the firft verfe of this fifth chapter.

Cant. v. I." I am come into my garden, my fifter, my fpoufe; I have gathered my myrrh with my fpice; I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey; I have drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, drink, yea drink abundantly, O beloved."

Which words contain in them an answer to the defire of the church, in the latter part of the verfe formerly handled: " Awake, thou north wind, and come, thou fouth," &c.

Then (verse 2) is fet forth the fecure eftate of the church at this time," I fleep, but my heart waketh," in setting down whereof, the Holy Ghost here, by Solomon, fhews likewife, the loving intercourse betwixt Chrift and the church one with another.

Now Chrift, upon the fecure eftate and condition of the church, defires her to open unto him (verse 2) Which defire and waiting of Chrift is put off and flighted with poor and flender excufes; (verse 3.) "I have put off my coat, how fhall I put it on," &c. The fuccefs of which excufes is, that Chrift feems to go away from her, and indeed to her fight and fenfe departs; (verfe 6.)

"I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himfelf," &c. Whereupon the lays about her, is restlefs, and enquires after Chrift from the watchmen, who misuse, "wound her, and take away her vail from her," (verse 7.)

Another intercourse in this chapter here is, that the church, for all this, gives not over fearching after Chrift; but afks the daughters of Jerufalem what was become of her beloved, (ver. 8.) and withal, in a few words, but full of large expreffion, the relates her cafe unto them, that he was fick of love; and fo chargeth them to tell her beloved, if they find him. Whereupon a queftion is moved by them, touching her beloved; ver 9. What is thy beloved more than another beloved? She takes occafion, being full of love, which is glad of all occafions to speak of her beloved, to burft forth into his praifes, by many elegant expreffions, ver. 10, II, 12, &c.

1. In general, fetting him at a large distance, beyond comparifon from all others, to be" the chiefest of ten thousand," ver. 10. 2. In particular, ver. 11. &c. "His head is as most fine gold," &c.

The iffue whereof was, that the daughters of Jerufalem became likewife enamoured with him, chap. vi. 1. and thereupon, allo enquire after him-" Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou faireft among women," &c. Unto which demand the church makes answer, chap. vi. 2. and fo ver. 3. of that chapter, makes a confident triumphant close unto all these grand paffages forenamed-—“ I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine," &c. all which will better appear in the particulars themselves.

The first thing, then, which offereth itself to our confideration is, Christ's answer to the church's invitation-chap. iv. 16.

I am come into my garden, my fifter, my poufe: I have gathered my myrrh, with my pice; 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.

In which verfe we have, 1. Chrift's answer to the church's petition" I am come into my garden." 2. An appellation, or defcription of the church- My fifter, my fpoute." Chrift's acceptation of what he had gotten there" I have gathered my myrrh with my fpice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey." 4. There is an invitation of all Christ's friends, to

a magnificent abundant feaft-Eat, O friends; drink, yea drink abundantly, O beloved."

For the first, then, in that Chrift makes fuch a real answer to the church's invitation, "I am come into my garden," &c. We fee that Christ comes into his garden. It is much that he who hath heaven to delight in, will delight to dwell among the fons of finful men. But this he doth for us, and fo takes notice of the church's petition.

T

"Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit." The right speech of the church that gives all to Christ, who, when the hath made fuch a petition, hears it. The order is this,

First of all, God makes his church lovely, planteth good things therein, and then stirs up in her good defires; both fitnefs to pray from an inward gracious disposition, and holy defires: after which, Chrift hearing the voice of his own fpirit in her, and regarding his own preparations, he answers them graciously. Whence, in the first place, we may obferve, that,

God makes us good, ftirs up holy defires in us, and then anfwers the defires of his holy spirit in us.

but

A notable place we have for this, Pfal. x. 17. which fhews how God first prepares the heart to pray, and then hears these defires of the foul stirred up by his own fpirit, "Lord, thou haft heard the defires of the humble;" none are fit to pray the humble, such as difcern their own wants: "Thou wilt prepare their hearts, thou wilt make thine ear to hear." So Rom. viii. 26. it is faid, "Likewife the spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for, we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the spirit itself maketh interceffion for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered." Thus, the spirit not only ftirs up our heart to pray, but also prepares our hearts unto it. Efpecially, this is neceffary for us, when our thoughts are confufed with trouble, grief and paffions, not knowing what to pray for. In this cafe, the spirit dictates the word of prayer, or else, in a confufion of thoughts, fums up all in a volley of fighs and inexpreffible groans. Thus, it is true, that our hearts can neither be lifted up to prayer, nor rightly prepared for it, in any proper frame, but by God's own fpirit. Nothing is accepted of God toward heaven and happinefs, but that which is fpiritual; all faving and fanctifying good comes from above. Therefore God

muft

muft prepare the heart, ftir up holy defires, dictate prayer; muft do all in all, being our Alpha and Omega.

Now, God hears our prayers: First, because the materials of these holy defires are good in themselves, and from the perfon from whence they come, his beloved spouse, as it is Cant. ii. 14. where Chrift defiring to hear the voice of his church, faith, "Let me fee thy countenance, and let me hear thy voice; for fweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." Thus the voice of the spouse is sweet, because it is ftirred up by his own fpirit, which burns the incenfe, and whence all comes which is favingly good. This offering up of our prayers, in the name of Christ, is that which, with his fweet odours, perfumes all our facrifices and prayers; because, being in the covenant of grace, God refpects whatsoever comes from us, as we do the defires of our near friends.

2. And then again, God hears our prayers, because he looks upon us as we are in the election and choice of God the Father, who hath given us to him. Not only as in the near bond of marriage, husband and wife, but also as he hath given us to Chrift, which is his plea unto the Father: John xvii. 16. "Thine they were, thou gavest them to me," &c. The defires of the church please him, because they are ftirred up by his fpirit, and proceed from her that is his; whofe voice he delights to hear; and the prayers of others for his church are accepted, because they are for her that is beloved.

To confirm this further, fee Ifa. lviii. 9. " Then thou fhalt cry, and the Lord fhall anfwer; thou fhalt call, and presently he fhall fay, Here I am," &c fo as foon as Daniel had ended that excellent prayer, the angel telleth him, " At the beginning of thy fupplications, the decree came forth," &c. Dan. ix. 19. So because he knows what to put into our hearts, he knows our defires and thoughts; and therefore accepts of our prayers and hears us; because he loves the voice of his own spirit in So it is faid, "He fulfils the defires of those that fear him, and he is near to those that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." Pfal. cxlv. 18. And our Saviour faith, "Afk and ye shall receive," &c. So we have it, 1 John v. xiv. "And we know, if we afk any thing according to his will, he hear eth us."

us.

Ufe 1.-Let it therefore be a fingular comfort to us, that in all wants, fo in that of friends, when we have none to go to,

yet we have God, to whom we may freely pour out our hearts, there being no place in the world that can reftrain us from his prefence, or his fpirit from us; he can hear us and help us in all places. What a bleffed eftate is this? None can hinder us from driving this trade with Chrift in heaven.

Use 2.-And let us make another use of it likewife, to be a means to stir up our hearts to make use of our privileges. What a prerogative is it for a favourite to have the ear of his prince? him we account happy furely he is much more happy, that hath God's ear-him to be his Father in the covenant; him reconciled on all occafions to pour out his heart before him, who is merciful and faithful, wife, and moft able to help us. Why are we difcouraged therefore? and why are we caft down? when we have fuch a powerful and fuch a gracious God to go to in all our extremities. He that can pray, can never be very uncomfortable.

Ufe 3.So likewife, it fhould ftir us up to keep our peace with God, that fo we may always have accefs unto him, and communion with him. What a pitiable cafe is it to lofe other comforts, and therewith alfo to be in fuch a state that we cannot go to God with any boldness? It is the greatest loss of all, when we have loft the fpirit of prayer. For. if we lose other things, we may recover them by prayer. But when we have loft this boldness to go to God, and are afraid to look him in the face, (as malefactors the judge), this is a woful estate.

I.

Now there are many cafes wherein the foul is not in a state fit for prayer. As 1. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not regard my prayer." If a man hath a naughty heart, that purpofeth to live in any fin against God, he takes him for an enemy, and therefore will not regard his prayer. Therefore, we must come with a refolute purpose, to break off all finful courses, and to give up ourselves to the guidance of God's fpirit. And this will be a forcible reason to move us thereunto, because fo long as we live in any known fin unrepented of, God neither regards us nor our prayers. What a fearful eftate is this, that when we have fuch need of God's favour in all eftates; in fickness, the hour of death, and in fpiritual temptation, to be in fuch a condition, as that we dare not go on to God? Though our lives be civil, yet if we have falfe hearts that feed themfelves with evil imaginations, and with a purpose of finning, (though we act not), the Lord will not re

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