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Show Cant, 2, 16, 17• MY Belo~ed u mine, and I am bit, &c. J Am now come to the fecond of thofe Propofitions which I olY• ferved from thefo words : · 1he h<lievi11g So11l m•y come to a capacity to foy, My beloved i< mine, and I am hi1: Y'•• and to Jay thi1 Hnder fame partie~~lar withdrawing! ofdivine favo><r, with the fame breath with which !he fays, Turn thou my Beloveti, and be Hnto me llf a Roe, or llf a young HJrt upo11 the n~a~tntaiHs of Betber. She yet fpeaks and fays confidently, My beloved if mine, and I am hiJ, Here are two parts in ,this Propofition, (or rather two Propofitions put to-gether.) • ,, 1be believing Soul may ~ome to be able t• [ay, My Belrtved it mine, and 1 am his. 2. She may come to an &bility to fay Jo, even rmder fame gradual withdrawinzt of htr Beloved1 pre[e>tcc ; when at the fame time (he is praying, Turn my Beloved, ~nd be unto"'' as a Roe, or as a young H•rt, 11pon the Mountain~ ofBether: I {hall handle them, and apply them-jointly. I begin with the lirft, which I !hall, J, Opm to yo~<, ~. Then confirm and fo pafs to the fecond Branch: for the Explication of the firft Branch take thefe three or four Conclufions. Every truly believing S •ul is not able to j:.y this, nay it- i1 poffible, that a true believer may go da1l'n to his grave not able to fay: My Belo7ediJ mine, and lam bii. It is one thing to have a truth of faith, another thing to have a fight of this faith,or the truth of it. They ue two diflinfr gifts of the Spirit of God, Phil. 1. 29. To you it is given on the behalf of Cbrift to believe, and by the Spirit we ~{_How the things that a.e freely given ut of God, 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now the latter is not given to every one. There may be one that[eareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of hi1 fervants, who may alfo trzt.}i in twe name of tbe Lord, andftay Hpon hit God; who yet may wal'<. in dark_nrfi and h~ve no light, I[ 501 I o. faith is a direCI: vifion of Cl;ri}i,a lookin-g upon him whom we have crucified: Sight is a reflex vifion. Therefore ( poffibly ) fome ancient and eminent Divines (in too much oppofition to the Popijh_ faith of mere affcnt to to the Propofitlon of the word) went too far on the other hand ; in defcribing it by af•U perfn>ajion •f the lovoofGod inChrift to otlr Souls, which certainly muft be the faith of a j~tftifi,d per{ on, not firiGtly juftifYing faith; which is plainly defcribed, ]oh. t. 12. To be a receiving of Chri~, which is the Ali of the n>iU, opening it felf and clofing with the obje{l, So that as it is undoubtedly true, that the perfon of the Mediator, is the primary and proper, and formal objeCl ofjufiifying faith ( not the mere Propofition of the word ) though the promife ol the Gofpcl be the proximate objefr, in and through which the Soul receiveth Chrin : So it is undoubtedly true, as to the Ali ofF aith, That the Soul may be in the extrcife of it, though it be not abk to difcern it sown operation, and the truth of it : Chrift may be in the houfe and yet be hid. And this ig moil eminently feen in three cafe<. 1. Where Chri[lians are difad vantaged by dark,, natural, melancholick,. di{irmpers; thefe ( as I have often told you ) IJ•turally difpoli: the mind to jealsujin, fear! and Jufpicimt, according to the nature of thofe things, wherein Souls be tore thefe clouds have overfpread them, have placod their great happinefs; hence it is as , natural for a Soul under them, whofe defires have in health been · after God ; whofe chief care hath been about their Salvation, and who have faid or defired in their health to fay , 'I he Lord is my portion, under thefe difiempers,to be· 'jealous of the love of God,fufpicious of the truth of their own grace, afraid of Gods wrath,&c. as it is for a poor covetous wretch, who hath fet his heart upon riches, and made his chiofhappinefs to lie in his bags, when he is fallen under thefe dark clouds,to be afraid every one thou Id rob him, that he !hall not have eno'Ugh to live on, he !hall come to want,than which nothing in daily experience is more ordinary. Now though God often bleffeth natural means ta-t he removing thefe clouds, and when they are removed, the Soul returns to the enjoymcqt of its former light, or goeth on to a farther light; yet fometimes they are not removed to a Chriftians dying day, in which cafes a Soul rarely is able to fay, r.-ly Beloved it mine: nor can it indeed be expeCled without a miracui<;JUs operation of God, (the caufe remaining.) Some rare examples, I have, thought not known, yet been a!fured ofby authors fufficicntly credible,of perfons who have been many years under thefe ditlemper~, and fad effcfrs of them this way, refuGng all manner of comfort, and' being fo far from b~ · ing abk to fay My beloved i1 mine, that they hlve concluded the quite |