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Show • what voice ofthe·Sp~tife't'hrifl dc{ire/to 'Act. ~.iu. 3l· 1'atld t~'erd > ar: ;e: clejidflical correption,:whic,h Is the . Att,of.·th'e·-'*ltolcCI\ul,ch by't1lei~o~~·b'<=. t ~is is ~!oblfn\ctl in the ,. G ~'ftl cl1 Nfo!t· 1,8. / 7· Tht fc ,¢h'q a,r~ dvex n:en 11\ th~ Lor:J Inn ~ -allll'lohtOl 'ih.em, I 'Ihejf 5. 12~ 2 TIJefr. 3. I 5. yea, and tf they · will not hc ar~he tn, they mufl1cj ecr t'hcm, Tit. 3• 1 a. Matt. ,8.17. This Ls uox Spo nf~, the vo!ce ofChri l\s Spou(e, though to tnen )1 mornDuj?,'h and unpleali"g voice tflan the ,other .; yet ·~ f61~e which you fee the beloved ddiferh , an.d req ~l rerh fr ofr]' .h!s Spoufe. Let m ~ hear thy voice ~ s a v01V~ng tM' ttuths,opemng them to others, perf wading them to embr"ce them lh,.thelr hearts by Faith, and to conform thei r lives' to tbe rule of them: fa alfo reproving thole, tlut with their tongues or in their lives deviate, and fwerve from them, reprov in ~ th~ m privately, re p ro.vi~g them by a Pafroral Authorit y, teprovtng them openly, and rt jecring them lf they will not hearken. .ll pan, and for the l1earing of this voice, Chritl commends the Church of Epbefia, Rev. 2 . 2. {he could not bear them th4t were evil, Jhe tried them that {aid tb(y were Apo}iles a11d wrre not. Fo! Chrill not hearing o. f this vOice of the Ch u idrofPer.g~imJs is'blamed; v. If. and theC,h ~ rt h ofThy•tyra, v. ~6. . . ' . Thir-dly, The're is (v~x c Dnftt~lttiJ) ab6tMr ·~oice of' the Spoufe which Chriflllelireth t\J hear, th~t is, her voice 'i:of:ftJfing. There is a twofold coJifeffion the Scriptur~ fpeaketh of. I. "the confirJiOit vf tbetruth. 2.. The collfe/fi•H of fin: the latter I int ~nd not to touch under this head, but the former only, viz. Th~ cdhf'rffiJit of Gods truths.' , It differs, f~.ll~ :I he profejJio lvf ~be·: tf~t,k) 1becaule this properly rel<ites to troublefome ridJes, · filffeHng ttmes; wh'en Chriflians are called forth to own the truths at God in oppolition to enemi es; and indeed' this is not [6 much the voice of a Church, (though .a. whole ChUrcfJ, rpay',be 'perfecuted l. aQd fo called forth to o\vn the rrutli of God ln'the' fdce M oRfio'lition, ) as the "voice oft he P.arttcular be!ievlnj;-Sou) ,' foi in f~ch'~ time ordinarily the . Church is fcatttred, bUt particular Chr i'flians are often feized oti, and called .to this confellion o!' Chrifi, and in fuch a cafe it Is their duty to let Chrifr hear this voice : with the mouth conf-Jfion is made, Rom. 1q. 10, It,is faid of Chrlft that before Pont iNs Pilate, he witnrffid a good conj ijjio11\ In' this fe'nfe you read ofit 'Job; 9· 22. If any man did con'fofl he j5.~l'eb}ifl .the J.ews had made a law hejiJould be putp:tt oft be SynagogiteJ:~ nd\.tbis is indeed the voice of the Spoufe in the clefts of tbe Rock.!, dri ven into cor-ners spoufe chrifl dpre.r to hear. nc~s through the force and violence of a perfccution. This is a votce of tbc Spoufe which Chrift defireth to hear, Matt. I O. 3 2 • Whofoever therrfo re jhaV confefi me before men him alfo r»iD I confefi before my F•ther which is in Heaven. 1 Joh. 4,. 1 5· Wbofoever fhaU confrji that }e[us ii the So11 of God, God dweUeth in bim and he in God.. Let that therefore be a third particular for the explication of the Text. 0 my Dovt! .that art ill tht clefts of the Rock.f, in thy perfecuted frate and condttton, let me hear thy voice,giving tellimony to my tr.uths and my ":ays, not denying my truths and Gofpel, but dartng to own me m the face of mine enemies, But, t· ~here is the Spoufis praying and praijing voice: of this the. mofr Interpreters expound it, though they do not refrrain it to tt, Pfalm. 5• 3. My voicejha/tthou hear ill the morning. 0 Lord ~~~the morning wiU I direll my prayer unto thee, and look, up. Ad m; tit ferz.ctzlo confuge, me in tribulatio>re invoca, foith Mercer. Thy vorce ts fweet m prayer,•!! the haufe of the Sanllrrary,faith the Caldet Paraphra]f, Now the ~poufe of Chrifr ufeth a threefold tone in prayer, con felling, fupplicating, giving thanks, we comprehend them all under prayer.By thefe words(faith Mr. Ainfwortb,) Chri/l Jheweth her ow11. cauf• of her Soul-troubles, that wat her on>ll jloth, and negligence rn prayer, and other holy Duties; and a/[o com{orteth her ag~znft her fears a11d ~onl-iltfirmitiet. The prayer of the Spoufe at all Urnes pleafeth Chrtfr. The prayer of the upright is hir drlight, Prov. I?· v. 8. But the Prayers of the Spoufe in a time ofclifttefs are parucularly acceptable. Placet de min a vox ecclt(ie ill difcrimilie ad iUum confugientis ( faith de Ponte upon the Text. ) Hence, Pja/. 50. 15. CaU upon meJn the day of trouble, and I wiU deliver thee, and thoujhalt praife me, Jam.5. 13. Isany man ajj1tlled let him pray; hence God i~ fer out in Scripture, as it were imi;ating a tender Mother,lovmg to hear the voice of the Child, and hiding ~erfelf on purpofe, to make the Clli!d call after her, Hof. 5. 1 5· firzU go and return to my place, ttll the;· acl{,nowledg their u{fmces ani/ ek my fact, in their •j]lilli011 they wiD [eel{,rnecarly. 1 told yo~ the Spou~e ufeth a threefold tone or language in prayer, every orie of them ts de~ red by h.er beloved. The firft is confeffim affin. I will return . (fatrh God tn the Text now quoted out ofHofe•) to my place, unttl they acl{,nowledg their offences. The confellion and acknowledgment of fin you know is often re'luired of God in Scrip~ ure, Jer. 3• 13. Only ack,now/edg thy trauf?,ref!im; you alfo lind •It frequently pracriced, Jer, '4· 20. Pfa/, 32. 5· 51• 3· many A a a promifes • |