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Show 3.Prop. '!he DtltJ nfChrlflitt111 11p6n the (orefightofiOPI~tter. this outward profefilon; look now that there be .life. in the ro~d; I!'< t<l your inward exercife of Grace, your medttattn~ onbbG•· k' your believing in him, yea and reJoycmg roo With Ba •~u. • 1bouf!.b th< Figtree doth not bloffimt, and though tb!"ebt .'" fruit tit tbe Vine; all thefe things will ar~ue that there IS hfe I~ the r<:ot, and that (as il is with the plant m the Winter) there s n.othmg hinders you from the lame pub lick pro~lion, pubhck ownmg the ways of God,but only the badnefs of the weath~r; and whcnf~ever the Summer returns again( as the loogell :Wmter ever was had_ an end,) you !hall bring forth open·frutt with more ~lory. and Beaury,and in more abundant plenty_,becaufe or your Wmter, buc this is enough to have fpoken to thts'Propoliuon. The next P.opolitiop will be for your Comfort. . In the worfl Winter and molt Ratny weather the Spoufe of Chrilllhall yet be Chrifts Love, his (air one, &c. . . I proceed ro the third Propofitton; The Spoufe of ~brift tH the midtr of hrr Winter, and the worj! of her rainy weather, 11 yet Cbrifts Love and his fair ""'· By the Spoufe ofChrifl I yet underlland, ~h~Churc?, the t!Ht ChHrch of God, and every particular .soul rhat behe~eth In Chr11l; this is the Lambes wife, of whom Samt 1ohn fpeaks 10 the book of I!.tvelationr, the Bride adorned for her. Hnsba11d, Revel. 2 I, .2 •. The Bride of which Saint John fpeaks wtth reference unto Chnfi, John. 3· 2·9· He that hath the Bride is the Bride-groom. By the Spoufes Winter and rainy weathtr, I have alrea~y told you what I underfland viz. Any ~ind or degrte of aff1tt1l01t, by which either the Beauty of rhe Church or particul~r Sot<~ is fpoi!ed, or her fruit hind red, or by which .her com'?un!on vnth h~r Beloved, whether more external or mternal IS. hmdered,. ~netber thefe a.fflillions be perfecutions in the Church, or bodtly ~Jflzt1Jonr, or divine defirtians,· or diabolical temptat~ons • . -of thefe t~mg~ I have fpoken before, that which I alfert In thiS Propolit10n, 15,_ Th~t during thefe the trHe Spo•tf• of Chrift, is·yet ·Cbrl}fs Love, hu fm one .: Here a;e two things aiT<rted, J, !he is Cbrifts Lovt. 2. !he ' is Chrillsfair one, . Firfl, !he is Chrifts L~ve : the Hrb. word is. t~e fame whtch we met with .Chap. 1. v. 9· and again, v. I). It Is 'l'l'tl., when 1 tirll met ,.;ith it, Chap. J, v. 9• Jlhe~ed you th.at th~ word c?mes from the Heb 1'111., which in its pnmary lignrficauon, ligmfieth to .feed as a Shepherd feedeth his flock, and becaufe Shepher?s ufe fnendly friendly to alfociate together, thence in aficondary {info it lignili-ethfriendly to affociate, thence comes n•v., a !he-friend or aiToci-ate, which is the word ufed in the Text,and often in this Song,and lknow not whether any where-elfe in Scripture in that.fenfe. It lignifieth (as I told you then) any one that doth intimately alfociate him or herfelf with another, and fo may be tranfiated, Myfillow,my friend, my Love, or by any terms of equivalent Ggni• fication, It is not material by what fuch term it is inter pre~ ted. I difcourfed upon this Tam largely then; and lhewed•you, • 1. How Chril\ hath approved himfilfta be his Spoufrs fellow and companion. • . See my Notes 2, How he appear! to be her nearrft frimd, and declares her in dud on Chap.1.9, to be his Love, That which I have now to prove is that Chrill is fuch to her,in her Winrer, in her ,.inyweather: Many waters ( faith Salomo11) ca11not qt~mch Love. It is true concerning that love which is betwixt creatures, but it is much more true concerning that Love which flows from God to the Creature. Affiictions are waters, God himfelf cajleth them fo, If.43 ,2, When tltou paffilf thrpugh the waters I will be with tbee,•Hd through theRivtrs they fhaU not averj/o'W thee, Thefe m.any waters cannot quench divine Love . . The Church under petfecution, the believing Soul toifed with Tempells, Perfecuted, groaning under outward miferies, nay when it is forfok.fn of God (according to that gradual forfaking of which alone It is capable,) when it is (through divine permilfion) bulfeted by Satan at his pleaftlre (as one ~ould think) y,et even at this time Chrill is its fellow, its companion, its intimate and near friend. You read in Scripture as of a frllow-Citizm, and a fellow-worker and labourer, fo of afellort~-prifoner; Ari{tarchus and Epaphras were both fo to Saint Paul, Col. 4· 10, Phil. 5· 23. and of a feUow-fouldirr, Phil. 2. 25. when the Spoufe is figbtiHg as a Souldier, wreflling (as the Apollle calls it,Ephef..6. 12.) not againft f/e{h a11d blood, but againft princip•lities, againft porr>err, again{r the Rulers of the dark.,ne{i of this world, again{f Spiritual wick!dnefi in high-places, Chrill is then its fellow Souldier. When the Spoufc ofChrill is ~y the Sons of men madeaprifoner,af~Jferer iuany degree, when hke Jofeph, Pfal. 1 05. v. 17, 18, !he ts fold for a SaTJant, and her feet are hurt with fitters, and jhe is laid in Iron; yet even then Chrill is her feUow, as her fellow-Souldier fo her fel/owprifontr. The word I told you imported as afeU•wfhip or part- • N n ntrjhip |