3. Let us come up to more and more and more fruition of Christ; all other things work our delight but as they look towards this; now in this fruition of Christ are contained these things: first a propriety unto Christ; for as a sick man doth not feel the joy of a sound mans health, so neither doth a stranger to Christ feel the joy of a Believer in Christ; how should he joy in Christ that can make no claim to him in the least degree? But to that we have spoken. Secondly, a possession of Christ; this exceedingly enlargeth our joy. O how sweet was Christ to the Spouse, when she could say,1 I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine; he feedeth among the Lilies, q. d. we have took possession of each other; he is mine through faith, and I am his through love; we are both so knit by an inseparable union, that nothing shall be able to separate us two; he feedeth among the Lilies; he refresheth himself and his Saints, by his union and communion with them; many are taken up with the joy and comfort of outward possessions, but Christ is better than all; in one Christ is comprised every scattered comfort here below: Christ mine (saith the soul) and all mine. 3. An accommodation of Christ to the soul; and this is it that completes our joy; It is not bare possession of Christ which bringeth real delight; but an applying of Christ unto that end and purpose for which he was appointed: it is not the having of Christ, but the using of Christ, which makes him beneficial. O the usefulness of Christ to all believing Souls! The Scriptures are full of this; as appears by all his Titles in Scripture; he is our life, our light, our bread, our water, our milk, our wine; his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed: he is our father, our brother, our friend, our husband, our King, our Priest, our Prophet: he is our justification, our sanctification, our wisdom, our redemption; he is our peace, our mediation, our atonement, our reconciliation, our all in all. Alas! I look on my self, and I see I am nothing, I have nothing without Jesus ⟨p. 328⟩Christ, here's a temptation, I cannot resist it; here's a corruption, I cannot overcome it; here's a persecution, I cannot down with it: well, but Christ is mine, I have interest in Christ, and I have possession of Christ, and I find enough in Christ to supply all my wants;
3. Let us come up to more and more and more fruition of Christ; all other things work our delight but as they look towards this; now in this fruition of Christ are contained these things: first a propriety unto Christ; for as a sick man doth not feel the joy of a sound mans health, so neither doth a stranger to Christ feel the joy of a Believer in Christ; how should he joy in Christ that can make no claim to him in the least degree? But to that we have spoken. Secondly, a possession of Christ; this exceedingly enlargeth our joy. O how sweet was Christ to the Spouse, when she could say,1 I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine; he feedeth among the Lillies, q. d. we have took possession of each other; he is mine through faith, and I am his through love; we are both so knit by an inseparable union, that nothing shall be able to separate us two; he feedeth among the Lillies; he refresheth himself and his Saints, by his union and communion with them; many are taken up with the joy and comfort of outward possessions, but Christ is better than all; in one Christ is comprized every scattered comfort here below: Christ mine (saith the soul) and all mine. 3. An accommodation of Christ to the soul; and this is it that compleats our joy; It is not bare possession of Christ which bringeth real delight; but an applying of Christ unto that end and purpose for which he was appointed: it is not the having of Christ, but the using of Christ, which makes him beneficial. O the usefulness of Christ to all believing Souls! The Scriptures are full of this; as appears by all his Titles in Scripture; he is our life, our light, our bread, our water, our milk, our wine; his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed: he is our father, our brother, our friend, our husband, our King, our Priest, our Prophet: he is our justification, our sanctification, our wisdom, our redemption; he is our peace, our mediation, our attonement, our reconciliation, our all in all. Alas! I look on my self, and I see I am nothing, I have nothing without Jesus ⟨p. 328⟩Christ, here's a temptation, I cannot resist it; here's a corruption, I cannot overcome it; here's a persecution, I cannot down with it: well, but Christ is mine, I have interest in Christ, and I have possession of Christ, and I find enough in Christ to supply all my wants;
- 1Cant. 6.3.
