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Show · Haw I he Spoufe is obliged to Arife, and come ''IP4J· the vifible Church, the notion ofhisSpoufe, Jtr. 3· 14. in whkh there doubtlef< are many not converted,yea and many who are the L,rdJ Spv~tfe according to hi1 pttrpa[e: though the time of fpecial Lov,e be not come. as to their dfet!ual calling. Secondly, A:ije from a llate of[ecurityand cartzality. This is a bed upon wh1ch the Beloved ofChJiO doth fometimtsfleep: A .Jbte of tmperjdlton. Thts is the Hate of every child of God the Hate ol ~ads ~eople is fometimes fuch, as they cannot have'that co[Jlm\lnton With God th~y would ; of this lib all fpeak by and by. But there rs another ttme, when they do not mjoy that comm11• ~ton Wtth God they might. This is that I am now !peaking to the •caufe ~F w,hich mull be in themfelves, they are too coo fecure,'raytng ":tth D>vtd Pial. 3 o. 6. I jhaU never be moved; or the world wllh H!tprofits ~ath roo mnch divided them,,or with ill plrafuru j,~,h ton much mt1~ed t h<~; we hear our Spoufe crying out, I Jl ep. Theu lleep mdeed ts not unto death, but yet their eyes t!'ay.be c\Qfed, they m~y n?t keep up their Spiritual watch as they out;h( W -do. fr , w~s• {O hts..:ltfttples that Chti!i faid , rt>atch 4nd ~ray; he l<noiv.we· were inclined to fleep: Let him 'that ftand1, la1th the A ponle, t&kt heed left be faU. Thofe that fo fall mull a rife· yea and when the Lord makes their way plain, when he makes/;~ ?'"'to fhme Hpo" their Tabernacle, whe~ he_removeth his Spoufes unped tmehts, when he gtves them all rmagtnable incouragements. The '::<'rd expeel~,th they lhou!d arife. As Chriil came not only that !irs pocple mrght live but that their life may abound fo the · end of preac~ing the Go_fpcl is for the perfet!ing their 'saints, Eph. 3· 12._ p~rfefJt_ng thetr graces as .well as perfecting their numbers. Smtng fitll dotli not lit a Chlllltans life ( laith Mr. A in{ worth upon the Text, ) they mull run the way ofGodJ commalldmentJ, P{_OJ.,JI9· 32· 'they muff f oOow the Lamb whith.rfoever he g_otth, Rev. '4· 4· nan ef! in b~c vita diHiurnitM otii ' faith Bernard on the Text, though in a fenfe fomething 'different from this.) Thirdly, Arife from a ftm of afflillion and per(ewzion. Thus many inte~preters carry it. Jam [atiulomi latitajli ob vim per[ecutiOJtttm, qll.£ pm n>n font timende;jzm ltberta1 tibi rrftizut~ e{f,patn in · publicm» pra~ire, in propazulo compartre, nihtl adverfariorum mine ttmend£ (faith Mmer. ) Thou hall lien long. enough amongll the pots, perfer:utions have kept thee in long enough; I have now refiored liberty unto thee, thou mayefi now come abroad, and en-joy _ ~bliged ID Arife, and C()f}Je aWtiJ· joy my publick Ordinances: be not now as in former tim<S, I ex. peel n9w more from thee, be not fullen now , lie not (lill in thy c_orners : thy Pallors are removed out of their corners, thine eyes lee thy Teachers, do not !hut thine own eyes. Thus much may ferve for the firH Q:!ellion. 2. To wbom,or to what lhould the Spoufecome? "'1'-~ faith the H~br: ':"hich fume uanflate Ia thy own goad, lo thy awn •dvanJage; thts tn general, and indeed fuch are all Chrifis calls of us. We cannot be profitable to our Maker; - Can a man (faith Eliphaz, Job 22. 2. ) be projitablnoGod, M be th~l iJJ.,i{< may be profitable unto bimfe/f l lr it any plea fur~ lo the Almighty that thou art rigbteotu, or i1 it [l.•in to him that tiJOt• ma~ft thy way prr[rfJ ? Whenever "':e arife from the grave of fin, or from the jleep of fecurity, we anfe to our felvu, the profit is our own : when rt>t come we come to our felves : but this is but a general: and befides this particle may ('lis fome judg) be redundant, therefore 1 will not be too critical in it, nor lay mu'h I\ refs upon it. Whit) lr,r then fl10uld lh~-come ? 1. Come away unto Chrijt, 2. Come un· _ t~ ~ furth'r Vigo'fr.and per{e{Jion of Grace. 3· Come to publick,. com. "'union with Y"" Beloved. Let me fpeak a word or two to each of thefe. 1. Come unto Cbrift,you that are dead tn fin, bur the vozce oftbe Son of God and live ; a ad thus this term, Arife and come, expreffeth the whole bufinefs of convtrfion from fin unto God: and this a& rees with the learned Bez~'1 no!lon upon the Text, 'Iota Jabttil noftre invenlure ratio Cf!Htinetur in bil duobu_r. This the Lord eminently. cxpeth from people aben ,the voice ~ftbe·'Iurtl• is hea,rd in their Land, ~hen the impediments of their converfion are re· moved, and the necdfary means in order to them ardndulged, as I fl1ewed you before. 2. Secondly, Came unto a furthrrvigourand perfd1ipn in gract. t<,lone can fay he hath attained, fome may fay, rhey ate gone btckward, and they are fallen, and have _l'if! 1h1ir firft Lave : to thefe the Lord fatth, A rife and came away. I have given you all !he means of grace, all the encouragements of holinef< : I have removed your hinder~nces; now therefore go on to perfet!ion ;.If yqu be rifen rl'llh Chrl{f, fe•k.. tho[e thingHPhich are ab>ve, [rt yottr ajfdliaHt Hpan tht~g' whic~ ~re abpve. , qhrifi expecl:eth growtlJ• in grace proportioned to· the means of.grace, as 111 hls gH~io~s ac·ceprance he alloweth for our temptations, in our hours of temp.tar.ions : fo he |