Saviour," It is written, And they fhall all be taught of God. Every one, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me; and he that cometh unto me I will in no wife caft out." When Chrift efpoufeth us, he doth five things for us; but, antecedent to this, God, by the application of the law, makes us feel our nced of them all. When the law comes home, the

First thing that it does is to discover our filthinefs. "By the law is the knowledge of fin;" and fin by the law becomes exceeding finful.

2dly. The curse of the law, and the wrath of God, pierce through the poor breastplate of all felf-righteoufnefs, which convinces us that we are unrighteous in the fight of God.

3dly. It discovers and ftirs up our carnal enmity, "The carnal mind is enmity against God; it is not fubject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

4thly. The law fills us with fear and torment, and leaves us in bondage to it. And,

5thly, It difcovers our blindness and our ignorance, and makes the old veil that is upon our hearts a darkness that may be felt. Such a foul, and no other, is a fit object for Chrift to embrace; and, under thefe circumftances, God leads us to him, as he did Eve to the first Adam; and Chrift receives us, at his hand, as his gift.

The first thing that Chrift docs for us is to cleanfe

cleanfe us from our filth, which the law has difcovered to us: "From all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you."

The second thing is to bring forth the best robe, and put it upon us. This is the wedding-garment: "The Lord (fays Zion) hath clothed me with the garments of falvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteoufnefs, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." Now the filthy garments of felf-righteoufnefs, difcovered by the law, are put off, and this change of raiment is put on.

3dly. The ring of everlasting love is brought forth to adorn the hand. This ring of divine love fubdues the carnal enmity difcovered and stirred up by the law.

4thly. The next thing is, the fhoes are brought forth for the feet; which fhoes are peace with God through Chrift, and peace with our own confcience through the application of the atonement: "Having your feet fhod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Thefe fhoes much charm the heavenly wooer: "How beautiful are thy feet with fhoes, O princefs daughter!"

The fifth thing is, the Sun of Rightcoufnefs now fhines upon us with healing in his beams. He views us with approbation, complacency, and delight. This is the faving manifeftation of himfelf to us, and to all that the Father hath given

him. This removes the old veil from the heart, which hung fo heavy upon us under the law: the face being turned to the Lord, and we emboldened and encouraged to look up, the veil is taken away. All this work is done, in a greater or lefs degree, on the day of our efpoufals, and on the day of the gladness of the bridegroom's heart. And now let me fhew thee the hand that faith, as an inftrument, hath in all this.

Firft. Chrift is the fountain open that cleanfes from all fin, and faith applies the atonement: God purifies our hearts by faith.

2dly. The Lord Jefus "is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth;" and faith lays hold of his righteoufnefs, and puts it on. Hence it is faid that "the righteoufnefs of Chrift is to all and upon all that believe."

3dly. Now, as faith has the honour of being the hand of the foul, which hand appropriates all these things to us; fo faith, as the hand of the foul, is honoured with wearing this ring, which is the eternal love of God: "Faith worketh by love." And, as a wedding-ring is an emblem of love, and, when put on the proper finger, is a fure token from a husband to a woman of her wedlock with him; fo the love of God fhed abroad in the heart by the Spirit of God is a fure token of our espousals to Christ, and of eternal union with him, and of God the Father's love to us in him. And, as there is, at times, in an affectionate young

woman

woman wooed, doubts and fears whether her intended will prove faithful at laft or not, which will not be removed until fhe is espoused with a ring; fo here the match will not appear clear to the foul; nor will doubts, fears, mifgivings of heart, and torment, be caft out; till perfect love takes place, or until we are made perfect in love, or until this ring be put on the hand of faith; the greateft, the hardeft, and moft difficult work of faith being this, to perfuade the foul that Chrift loves it with an everlasting love; and even faith's perfuafion must be attended with a feeling fenfe of this love too, or elfe the foul cannot reft fatisfied. But, when this is done, the match is made, and is indiffoluble, and the foul is more than fure of it. And now,

4thly, Faith puts on the fhoes. Being juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift;" and "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts."

5thly. Faith now looks through the veil, and fees him that is invifible; yea, fhe fees the promifed feed, and embraces him. And it is this eye that captures the heart of the heavenly wooer: "Thou haft ravifhed my heart, my fifter, my fpoufe; thou haft ravished my heart with one of thine eyes." This, my beloved fifter, is our efpoufals to the Lord Jefus; thus comes the second Eve to the fecond Adam. But ftill the Father doth not let his daughter go out of his hand; no,

"None,

"None," faith the Bridegroom, "fhall pluck them out of my hand;" and adds, "My Father is greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." Thus God holds her, and claims her as his daughter, and Christ holds her and claims her as his spouse, and as his Father's choice and gift to him. And, indeed, it was our heavenly Father that decreed, propofed, and made this match. Thus have I fhewed thee how we become dead to the law that we may be married to another, even to him that is raifed from the dead, that we may bring forth fruit unto God, even as the branch in the vine brings forth grapes.

But now observe what the Saviour fays: "I am the vine, and ye are the branches, and my Father is the husbandman; every branch in me that beareth fruit my Father purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." After we have enjoyed the dearly beloved of our fouls for a few months, our love, our fimplicity, 'meekness, contrition, tenderness, filial fear, &c. abate in their exercise; and we begin to creep into felf, wax proud, get fecure and carelefs; dream of ease all the way, and are very nice, and rather dainty; nothing but the best wine of the kingdom, and the very marrow of the feaft, will do for us; we muft fhew ourselves, seek admiration and applause, and appear to be fomething. But, when the Father fees this, he takes us in hand again; he vifits our fins