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Show The Spoufe kno~eth·the . vers not to know the voice ofChrifi, not to have an ordinary a. \ bilicy ro di[cern his voice,thev fuatl not know which way to take, whether this or chat way. The Papijlt indeed have found out a guide, foUm> the CbNrch tluy cry, do as they bid you : you are bid to he•r the Church. True, we are bound to hear the Church, convincing us of our fin J>¥ Gods Word : but are we bound alfo co believe 4f tbeCbur<bbelieves l to do as the Church would have us so? wlme•s that in the Word.ofGod? well, bttt fuppo(e we did think it lawful for us to deny our felves to be reafonable perfons, and to believe as others would have us, ( which is yet impollible,) yet what Church !hould we follow? The Catholick,.ChHrch in aD ages (they cry.) This indeed is a reverend name, but [ ·would fain know how many doctrines of f•ith, or matters ·of practice are·thus agreed? how many Scriptures are thus expounded to us? Is it fome particular Church they would have us follow ? and take all {he faith to be the voice of Chrifi ?· will any one fay that there is any particular Church that cannot err ? if they err we may err too in follO:Wmg them: and I \\IOuld lain know by what Scripture any will make it' good, That what I do jiH[uVy ill obedien~ to tbt Cbru-ch, the Chtn'ch,tlot I,JhaU anf"'er for al'tbe tlayofJudgmeHt, Till tliat be well proved, 1 fuall conclude1 That as· every Believer doth or Jtla1' k,n....,, and di{cerH the Htind of Cbrifl ; '[o he ought to walk according to. his own light and difcerning. 3' Again thirdly, Experiencemaketh·iq;ood, 'fhat belitvm do ordinarily k._nuw the voice of their Bel<JVed by i}je .ordinary abhor· rmce that they have of fuch P.reacbert, as inllead of preaching tlie mindaadwiUChrift, fpend their times'about other things, which have no foundation, no colour at all in Scripture ; but ate only founded in tbe natural. filth and corruption of the Preachers hearts, in the lying vanities of Heathens, and fuperllitious perfons. 1 fay, this common Senfe that is found in all parts of the world a· mongfi them that fear the Lord and walk clofely with him, agree· log, in the defplfing, undervaluing, jufi abhorring of fuch vain perfons, is a great evidence of this: efpecially confidering, with · that jut! reverence, and due alfe8ion which is found in all fuch perfons ; . fur thofe Minifiers of Chrill who faithfully and plainly open the Scriptures and prov~ their doctrines from them, and powerfully apply what they fay unto the hearts of their Hearers. That this is univerfally true, every one may obferve: that it is not in a faction and Cop[ piracy, to cry dQwn.a party bccaufe of thefe, The spoufe k_Ho~eth the voice ofChrift. 177 thefe, or thefe principles, &c. is pla~n; for ?~ferve it where· you will where there is any underfiandtng Chnfi~ans that favour the wa;s of God, and walk in them, you will ~n~ this true. . ~et a Minifier be of what parts and p~etended pnne~ples he w".l Ill o· ther thiogs, if yet he makes it hts bufinefs to open the mtnd of God ferioufiy, plainly, fpiritually, he is accepted by, and welco~e to every fuch Soul. If on the contrary he comes to vapour wtth his own parts, to tell pepple fayings of Philofopher~ ~nd .Fa· thers, to quibble, to vent his pallions, to broach Superf/tttont, &c. ht is received by fuch with a jufi detefiation. 1 added further, that the Beliwtr doth not only k_now tbe Voict •f 2· ·Memb. hit Beloved, bur be rejoyceth to hear it. 1J i1 ( faith the Sp_ou~e_J the Voice of my Be/otJed. &c. The phufe. doth not onlr f1gmfie the Spciufes difcerning of her belovtdt votce, but alfo her JOY at tt. From. what you have already heard, you wi~l ea.fily unde~fiand the fenfe' of this latter member of the Propofiuon 10 two thmgs. r. That in the time of Chri(IJ withdrawing (rom hi< ·Church, the true Btliev,er wiU wonderfuUj prize and rejoyce at all Ordinance,wlmt it can bt<t hear any_th ing of the voice ofChrllf • . 2. 'fhat in thi time of God1 witbdrawmgs of the gradual maniftftatiant of his love to tbt Soul; the graeiolll Soul wiU much rtjoy:e to· hear any thing of the voice of God in tbt znfo.,ncu of hit Spirit. I ' fay lirfi, r. That ina time or after fome time of abfence, the true Spoufe, the Church of Chrifi, will much rejoyce to bear but any thing of tbe tNice ofCbrifl in hi< pHblick,.Ordin~nca: I "fh•ll not need much to in· fifi upon the proof of this from Scripture. It is faid, r Sam.3 . 1. The Word of God will preciom ill thofc d•ys, for there Will Ho open VifiDII, 1 am aware that that Text is capable of an interpretation into · another fenfe 1 as precious fignifies rare and Jcarce (as every thin'g precious is;) but why the proper notion of it fuould be exclucted, I cannot tell the word is "~P' caru1 fuit. The Word of God was dear dearly 'efieerned, for there was no open Vifion. It was in the ;irne of Gods abfence ( in this fenfe ) from David, that he cries out, Pfalm 84. r. How amiable are tby tabernacla, 0 God! ' God told his people, that when he fuou\d fend among!\ them a {11mine •f hearing bit Word, then A mol 8. 12 . they Jhould :run to •Hd fro to Jeek, the word of the Lord, And Chrifi prophe{iod Mat. 22. 39• That when they fuould fee him no more, they fi10uld fay, l!.kffid i< {le that comn in the name of the Lord. The time hath bee~ A a (Chn-< ~ |