4. It expreffes communicative joy; defigning his people fhould fhare of his joy, Lo, I come! The joy that Chrift has, as Mediator, is a fulnefs of joy, defigned for his people's ufe, that out of his fulnefs we may receive, and grace for grace, and joy for joy; grace anfwering grace in Jefus; and joy anfwering joy in him. Yea, Chrift, as Mediator, is anointed with the oil of joy, the Spirit above meafure, that he may communicate this joy, and give to them the oil of joy for mourning, Ifa. Ixi. 3. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; to comfort all that mourn; to give them beauty for afhes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the fpirit of heaviness." Chrift has a commiffion from his Father to communicate his joy; and therefore it must be communicative.

5. It expreffes triumphant joy, conquering joy; Lo, I come! And nothing fhall hinder my coming, nor flop me in my courfe. Mountains nor hills cannot hinder the fun rifing; this points out his coming as a conqueror, notwithstanding principalities and powers in his way, he can eafily throw them down; "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his ftrength? I that fpeak in righteoufnefs, mighty to fave," Ifa. lxiii. 1. Behold it is I: Lo, I come!.

6. It expreffes folemn joy. He comes with a folemnity, Lo, I come! according to the council of a glori ous Trinity. Now when the purpofe of heaven is come to the birth, and the decree breaks forth, and the fulnefs of time is come, he takes heaven and earth witness, as it were, to his folemn march on the errand: he fays it with a loud Lo, that all the world of men and angels may notice, Lo, come! And, indeed, all the elect angels break forth into joyful fongs of praife at this fo lemnity: when he came in the flesh, they fang, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and good-will towards men." And when he comes in the Spirit to convert a foul, there is joy in heaven over the foul that repents. It is foleni joy.

7. It expreffes infinite joy. If we confider who the perfon is that fpeaks, namely, Gon, affuming our nature in the perfon of his eternal Son. The joy of an infinite God, muft be infinite joy. Finite creatures cannot tell what infinite joy is; nay, the joy of faints is joy unfpeakable and full of glory; what then muft be the joy of the King of faints? It is infinitely above fpeech and expreffion, infinitely glorious. The joy of faints is unfpeakably great; the joy of the man Chrifl, of the human nature, is unfpeakably greater; but the joy of God, of God in our nature, is infinitely great above all finite apprehenfion.-Finite thoughts are loft in this infinite depth.

8. It expreffes everlafting joy, and eternal joy; joy from everlasting, before time; and to everlafting, after time. It is true, the Lo, I come! as I faid firft, imports prefent joy, with refpect to our view of it, but with refpect to God, nothing being paft or future, but all things eternally prefent to him, this Lo expreffes the everlafting joy he had, and will have for ever in this work now tranfa&ted in time. It is faid, Pfal. civ. 31. "The glory of the Lord fhall endure for ever. The Lord fhall rejoice in his work; the Lord JEHOVAH fhall rejoice in all his works together," (as we have it in the metre.) Why? his glory is everlafting glory, his joy everlasting joy in all his works; efpecially in that work wherein all his glory fhines molt brightly, his faving work, of which he is here, fpeaking, when he fays, Lo, I come !-Thus you fee what fort of joy is expreffed in this, Lo, I come !!

V. The Fifth thing propofed, What expreffions of joy is imported in the echo from the church, The voice of my Beloved! bebold be cometh! What fort of joy does this exprefs?

1. It expreffes joy with furprife. O but his coming fills the believer with a fweet furprife, like that, " ever I was aware," Song vi. 12. How abruptly dies the church here fpeak, like one fuddenly ravished! The voice of my Beloved! bebold, be cometh,

2. It expreffes joy with wonder and admiration: Bebold, be cometh! Wonder, O heavens and earth, that he fhould come to the like of me! And wonder that be fhould come back again, after I have heaped up mountains and hills of provocation in his way. "Is this the manner of man, O Lord? And what can David fay more?" What can I fay, but fit down and wonder!

3. It expreffes joy with faith: Bebold, be cometh! The eye of faith firit fees him coming, and then the tongue of joy fings, Bebold, he cometh! "Faith cometh by hearing: What? even the voice of Chrift, the joyful found of the gofpel. Chrift rides in that chariot; and the believer, by, faith, hearing the noife of his chariot wheels; yea, the fweet voice of him that rides in the chariot, who has grace poured into his lips; then he cries out, The voice of my Beloved! bebold, be cometh!

4. It expreffes joy with love. And, indeed, as faith is the head, fo love is the heart of the new creature: and the joy here is a loving joy; for it is in the view of Chrift as her Beloved, The voice of my Beloved! bebold; be cometh! He is the Beloved of the Father, who fays, "This is my beloved Son ;" and the true believer is of the Father's mind, faying, This is my Beloved, this is my friend, O daughters of Jerufalem." And what but joyful love, makes her here fpeak, with her heart at her mouth, The voice of my Beloved!

5. It expreffes joy with praife and adoration (as well as wonder and admiration); The voice of my Beloved! bebold, be cometh! O blessed be the Comer, as it is, Pfalm cxviii. 26. Bleffed is he that comes in the name of the Lord." It is a bebold of adoration, as well as admiration; and, indeed, they both go together, ap admiring heart, is an adoring heart: as the prefence of Christ makes a heaven in the heart; fo it firs up the heart inftantly to the work of heaven, which is to fing his praife, and to glorify his name, faying, O glory, glory, glory, to him for coming to the like of me, that was afraid he would never give me a vifit. O let all the word praife him with me; Bebold, be cometh!

6. It expreffes joy with humility; Behold, be cometh! and cometh even to me: "What am I, and what is my father's houfe ?" Behold he cometh to me! I had no

power to come to him, no heart to come, and I would have remained for ever at a diftance from him, if he had not gracioufly condefcended to come unto me: I could do nothing but depart from him by an evil heart of unbelief; but he comes; His own arm bringeth falvation:" and he comes with all the falvation I need. Self is funk to nothing at the appearance of this glorious HE; Bebold, HE cometh!

7. It expreffes joy with contempt of the world: Bebold, be cometh and his appearing darkens all the glory of the world, and makes it difappear, as the ftars at the rifing of the fun. "I count all but lofs and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of him." O how little does the believer think of the world, when Chrift comes! (πάντα ζημίαν πάντα σκύβαλα ) all is dung and dog's meat, as the apofile phrafes it, Phil. iii. 8.; earthly crowns, kingdoms, thrones, and fceptres are but little defpicable toys. Here, here, is an object worth the beholding; let mine eyes be for ever turned away from beholding vanities: Bebold, be cometh!

others may fee O that all the

8. It expreffes joy with defire that and behold him; Bebold, be cometh! world would come and fee what I fee, come and enjoy what I enjoy! They that fee the glory of Chrift, though they flight a world of vanities, yet they pity a world of perifhing finners, and would gladly be inftrumental in bringing others to Chrift; "Come, SEE A MAN, that told me all things that ever I did; Is not this the Chrift?" faid the woman of Samaria. Thus David, "Reftore to me the joy of thy falvation; then will I teach tranfgreffors thy way, and finners fhall be converted unto thee."

In a word, this Bebold, be cometh! expreffes joy with all the qualities of heavenly and fpiritual joy.It expreffes unfpeakable joy, as appears by her broken fpeech, The voice of my Beloved!It expreffes glorious joy; for it flows, from a view of his glory, Behold, be com etb!-It expreffes holy joy; for the rejoices to fee him,

come

A

come skipping and leaping upon the mountains and hills of fin and guilt, and levelling all the high towers of ftrong corruption in his way. O how glad to see him coming down, and making the mountains to melt before him! So it is a holy joy: the very oppofite of all carnal and fenfual joys.-It expreffes a quickening and firengthening joy; for now her heart is open, her lips are open, whatever indifpofition for duty took place before; now the joy of the Lord is her ftrength.-Again, it expreffes a folid and well-grounded joy; it is no fancy, no delufion, nor enthufiafm; no: the word and Spirit both concur to this joy. The voice of my Beloved! there is the word: Behold, be cometh! there is the Spirit. Words cannot give the believer joy without the Spirit; and the Spirit will not without the word; the joy of the Holy Ghoft is ftill grounded upon, or agreeable to the word.-Finally, it expreffes a welcoming joy; Behold, he cometh! Lo, I come! says Chrift; Bebold, he cometh! fays the church: "Even fo, come Lord Jefus, come quickly:" come and welcome with a thousand good-wills. O may he be a welcome guest here!

VI. The fixth thing propofed was, To fhow whence is this combination and conjunction of joys: Or, why is it, that like a refounding echo, his Lo, I come! is anfwered with a Behold, be cometh! Whence is this? Why,

1. It proceeds from the mutual RELATION between him and his people, between him and his church: he is the Bridegroom, and fhe is the bride; he is the Hufband, and the is the fpoufe. He has commanded other hufbands to leave father and mother, and to cleave to his wife and he has done fomething like that himself: he that faid, "Thy Maker is thy Hufband," left his Father's bofom for the fake of his bride, faying, Lo, I come! and the conjugal tye being mutual, the believer having the Spirit of his glorious Hufband, whenever he hears the voice of an approaching Jefus, is obliged to fay, The voice of my Beloved! bebold, be cometh! :