each PERSON dinaily. 295 evidencing delight to the utmoft capacity of the foul, Should I purfue all the initances and teftimonies that are given hereunto in that one book of the fang ofSolomon, I muft enter upon an expofition cif the greateft part of it, which is not my preí'ent bufinefs. Let the hearts of the faints that are acquainted with thefe things; be allowed to make the clofe. What is it they long far? they rejoice in? What is it that fatisfies them to the ut- inoft, and gives Tweet complacency to their fpirits in every condition ? what is it whole lofs they fear, whofe abfence they cannot hear ? Is it not thistheir beloved, and he alone? This alto they further manifeft by their delight in every thing that particularly belongs to Chrift, as his, in this world. This is an evidence of delight, when for his fake whomwe de- light in, we allo delight in every thing that belongs to him. Chrift's great intereft in this world, lies in his people, and his ordinances; his houfhold, and their provifion, now in both thefe do the faints exceedingly delight for . his fake. Take an instance in both kinds in one inan, viz. David, Pfal. xvi. 3. In the faints and the excellent, or the noble of the earth, is all my delight; mydelight in them. Chrift lays of his Church, that The is Hph- zibah, Ifa. lxii. ny delight in her, here Pays David of the the fame, Heph- zibammy delight in them. As Chrift delights in his faints, fo do they in one another on his account. Here lays David is all my delight. What- ever contentment he took in any other perlons, it was nothing in compari- fun of the delight he took in them. Hence mention is made of laying down our lives for the brethren, or any common caufe wherein the intereft of the community of the brethren does lie. For the ordinances, confider the faine perlon ; Pfal. xlii and lxxxiv. and xlviii. are fuch plentiful teftimonies throughout, as we need no farther en- quiring; nor (hall 1 go forth to a new difcourfe on this particular. And this is the firft mutual confequential alt of conjugal affeftions in this communion between Chrift and believers. He delights in them, and they delight in him; he delights in their profperiry, hath pleafure in it; they delight in his honour and glory, and in his prefence with them, for his fake they delight in his fervants (though by the world contemned) as the molt excellent in the world ; and in his ordinances, as the wifdom of God, which are foolifhnefs to the world, GN A P,
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