3. As there is fo intimate a relation between Christ and believers, we may hence infer the certainty of their perfeverance. They that are once his, fhall be always fo. Having loved his own, he loved them to the end; and will keep them by a power not to be overcome through faith unto falvation.

4. This may confirm our faith as to the refurrection and future bleffedness of them that fleep in Jefus. This, the fpoufe's triumph plainly includes, in her faying, My Beloved is mine, and I am bis. The meaning is, I am intirely fo; his, as to foul and body, time and eternity. And without this, how little would it fignify to fay, My Beloved is mine; for if in this life only we had hope in Christ, and our relation to him, and all our expectations from him were to end at death, we should be of all men the most miferable, 1 Cor. xv. 19.

But his friends, when going to refign their fouls, and lay down their bodies, may hear him speaking full to their comfort with reference to both, Becaufe I live, ye fhall live alfo: of all that the Father hath given me, I will lofe nothing, but raife it up at the last day.

5. Who would not wish to be one of the happy number, who, with reference to Chrift, can use the language of the text as his own, faying, My Beloved is mine, and I am his? Whilft you have no ground for this, how comfortless muft you live, and how much more dreadful will it be to die? Who can think of leaving the world without horror, who has no intereft in the only Saviour? But for the encouragement of

fuch

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fuch as may have hitherto lived without him, you are to be affured in his name, he is yet willing to be yours, and ready, upon your coming in, to receive and own you for his. He waits for your confent, and would rejoice in it. And, as he came to feek and to fave fuch as are loft, may every one that feels himself so, as being melted by his grace, fay, Lord, if thou wilt pity and regard fuch an one as I, if thou wilt forgive, receive, and fave me, I yield myself to thee, to be thine, thine only, and thine for

ever.

6. Lastly, Having done this, let it be remembered, that the relation between Christ and every believer, is mutual. As foon as As foon as grace enables any one to fay in truth, true, that he is theirs.

I am his, it is equally

If we love him, it is because he loved us first; and therefore the spouse in another place, (Chapter vi. 3.) begins with her own consent, I am my Beloved's, and thence argues, My Beloved is mine. The fame method I would direct the humble Christian to take, to get over his doubts and fears: fay this night, fay tomorrow, when commemorating your Redeemer's death and love, Lord, I am thine: I defire, I defign, I confent, I refolve to be fo: I call heaven and earth to witness to the declaration I make, the engagement I bring myself under, I am my Beloved's. And in this way, wait for his Spirit, to enable you to add, My Beloved is mine.

And, for your fupport in waiting, tell your fouls, he has been known to others in breaking

of bread; why may he not be fo to me? But duty is ours, comfort is his; and how long foever he hide his face from me, I would not think the worse of him. If he will have me go mourning to the gates of Sion, I would hold on after him, though with fear and trembling; I having fome hope too, that I fhall at last hear his reviving voice faying, Come up hither, the days of thy mourning are ended: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

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SERMON X.

EZEK. XLVII. 11.

But the miry places thereof, and the marishes thereof, fhall not be healed, they shall be given to falt.

IN

N this chapter we have an account of Ezekiel's vifion of the waters of the fanctuary; by which the doctrine of Chrift, attended with the gifts and precious influences of his Spirit, are commonly understood to be reprefented, the river that makes glad the city or church of our God, and which was prefigured and predicted to do fo under these our New Testament times.

As to these waters, we may obferve,

1. Their rife, ver. 1. They ilued out from under the threshold of the house; fignifying, that from Zion fhould go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerufalem, Isaiah ii. 3. There the Spirit was to be poured out upon the apostles of Chrift, endowing them with the gift of tongues to preach the gofpel to all nations, beginning at Jerufalem, Luke xxiv. 47. In the temple they were to ftand and preach the words

of this life, that is, of eternal life and falvation, as obtainable by poor finners through Jesus Chrift; and from thence to carry the glad tidings farther.

The waters iffued from the temple and as they are faid to come down from under the right fide of the house, at the fouthfide of the altar. Some think reference is here had to Christ, who purchased the gospel, and all the bleffings that accompany it, by offering up himself to die a facrifice, and through whom they flow to us. From God, as the fountain, in and by Chrift as the channel, they are conveyed to us.

2. We may obferve their progrefs and increase. The waters went forth eastward; and Ezekiel, and his guide, followed them, and found them grown deeper and deeper as they

went.

Having measured a thousand cubits, they went thorough the waters, and they were to the ancles, verse 3. A thoufand cubits farther, wading through again, they were to the knees. Then walking a thousand cubits more, and croffing a third time, they were to the loins. After this, they walked a thousand cubits farther, and attempting to go over, the ftream was found too deep to be forded: for the waters were risen, waters to fæim in, a river that could not be passed over, verse 5.

This notes that the waters of the fanctuary, the gospel, and the grace wrought by it, are progreffive and increafing. The gofpel church was very small in its beginning, like a little purling brook ; but by degrees it improved, as

the