incredible and impoffible to Unbelievers, yet it is really fo with regard to Chrift and the (true) Church, Eph. v. 30, 32. For as God caused a deep Sleep to fall upon the firft Adam, and then took a Rib from his Side, of which he made him a Wife, and brought her unto him : "And Adam faid, This is now Bone of my Bone, and Fiefh of my Flesh, she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man," Gen. ii. 21, 22, 23. So God, according to his eternal Counfel caufed a deep Sleep to fall on Chrift, the fecond Adam on the Crols, and then cut open his Side, by the Hand of a Soldier, as was foretold, Zech. xii. 10. For faith God," Awake, O Sword, against the Man that is my Fellow, faith the Lord," Zech. xiii. 7. Then one of the Soldiers with his Spear pierced his precious Side, and forthwith came thereout Blood and Water, John xix. 34. Of which myfterious Spring proceeds a numerous Race of new Creatures, who are the Children of the Promife, taught to believe in Chrift, as the atoning Sacrifice, and the cleansing Laver; which brings Peace to the Confcience, and Purity to the Soul. The Spirit which reveals him, influencing the Heart to love him, and forfaking all others, to become the Lamb's Wife, Rev. xix. 7. willing henceforth to honour and obey him, whofe Yoke is eafy, and his Burden light. And this divine uniting Love constitutes the new Creature in Chrift, without which all Religion is vain for in Chrift Jefus, neither Circumcifion nor Uncircumcifion availeth any Thing, but a new Creature; and as many as walk according to this Rule of Salvation by Grace, Peace be on them, and Mercy, and upon the Ifrael of God, Gal. vi. 15, 16. God, having created the Bride, now opens the Eyes of her Understanding, and fheweth her that without the Shedding of (her Hufband

Hufband's) Blood there could be no Remiffion
(of her Sins) Heb. ix. 22. And that he was
bought with a Price, and therefore ought to glo-
rity God with Soul and Body, which are God's,
I Cor. vi. 20. Likewife that the Blood of Chrift
cleanseth the believing Soul from all Sin, 1 John i.
7. Also that God can be juft, and righteous, as
well as merciful in justifying her Soul, by the
Obedience and Sufferings of Jefus, Rom. iii. 26.
And now the being cut off from her own Righte-
ousness, viz. the wild Olive-tree by Nature, and
ingrafted into Chrift, the good Olive-tree by Grace,
Rom. xi. 17. Every high and lofty Look is now
brought low; and the crooked Paths made straight;
and rough Ways fmooth, Luke iii. 5. Now hath
God made Peace with her Soul through the Blood
of the Crofs, by the fuffering Body of his Flesh,
through Death, to present her ever unblameable in
his Sight, Col. i. 20, 22. And now in the most
profound Humility, fhe often looks on him, who,
for her Sins was pierced, and mourneth in the
Bitterness of her Soul, that fhe was the Caufe of
Crucifying her beloved Lord, Zech. xii. 10. Here
the Holy Ghoft infenfibly mollifies her Heart, and
engraves thereon her Husband's Name, which is
Love, whereby she begins to know him, and grieves
as it were to Death over her fuffering Redeemer.
And fo fhe travaileth, fhe groaneth, and is in Pain,
praying for compleat Deliverance from the Burden of
Sin, while Chrift is formed in her, Rom. viii. 22. Gal.
iv. 19. Here the dieth unto Sin, by having an Eye
to the bloody Crofs; fhe hears his Groans by Faith,
and feeds on the Merits of his Death, and views
him that came by Water and Blood for her Sancti-
fication and Juftification, 1 John v. 6. For being
justified by his Blood, we fhall be faved from
Wrath through him, Rom. v. 9. For by his Know-

ledge

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ledge to redeem loft Souls, and by making himfelf known unto them, fhall God's righteous Servant justify many, by doing and fuffering his Father's Will, for he fhall bear their Iniquities, Ifa. lii. 11. He came by Water and Blood to fignify that he intended, and would not only justity, but also fanctify and cleanse her with the Washing of Water by the Word, Eph. v. 26. "Not for

Works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to his Mercy, he faved us by the Washing of Regeneration, and Renewing of the Holy Ghoft," Tit. iii. 5. Here the beholds "the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the (believing) World," John i. 29. and asketh him, "What are these Wounds in thy Hands? and he answering, "Those with which I was wounded in the House of my Friends," Zech. xiii. 6. Here the views him who is invisible, being every Way fuitable to her Cafe, and fees him altogether lovely, Cant. v. 16. And as Jacob put the Flocks to conceive before Rods, which being partly pilled, had white Strakes in them, in order that they might bring forth Cattle ring-ftraked, fpeckled, and fpotted; all which was to be his own, Gen. xxx. 38, 39. So God puts his Flock to conceive before Chrift, prophetically styled, The Rod of Jesse, Ifa. xi. 1. Having first partly pilled him, when he made long Furrows down his Back, by fcourging him in Pilate's Judgment-hall, Pfal. cxxix. 3. Mark xv. 15. And then hanged him on the Crofs, in order that the Flock might clearly fee the Blood and Water flow down his facred Body in Strakes of white and red; of which Materials God forms and creates his new Creature, or Image, in every Believer. And they being God's Workmanship, created in (and from) Chrift Jefus unto good Works, Eph. ii. 10. Therefore, God alfo calls them his own

peculiar Treasure, Pfal. cxxxv. 4. My Heritage, laith God, is unto me as a speckled Bird, and the fpeckled Bird (the true Church) being adopted into God's Family; therefore the Birds round about are against her, Jer. xii. 9. And the Bride, being fpiritually produced of the Effence of Chrift's Blood (as Adam called his Wife, Woman), therefore, holy Men of old, being moved by the Holy Ghoft, called the Bride of Chrift, a Chriftian (or one anointed) The Holy Ghoft honoured the Difciples with Chrift's venerable Name, and called them Chriftians first at Antioch, A&t, xi. 26. God the Father now views his Son's Bride with great Complacency, the being all glorious within (Chrift dwelling in her Heart by Faith) and the panting for Holinefs, crieth like God's Elect Day and Night, and prayeth with great Vehemency, faying, "Teach me, O Lord! the Way of thy Statutes, and 1 fhall keep it unto the End. Give me Understanding, and I fhall keep thy Law; yea, I fhall obferve it with my whole Heart. Make me to go in the Path of thy Commandments; for therein is my Defire," Pfal. cxix. 33, 34, 35. Forafmuch as the Eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous, and his Ears open to their Prayers, 1 Peter iii. 12. He immediately anfwereth her Requefts, and inftru&teth her in the School of Chrift, directing her "As fhe received Chrift Jefus the Lord, at firft, fo to walk in him," Col. ii. 6. "Looking unto him, who was the Author, and will be the Finisher of her Faith," Heb. xii. 2. "Look unto me (faith Chrift) all the Ends of the Earth, and be faved," Ifa. xlv. 22.

And as Mofes lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernefs, even fo muft the Son of Man be lifted up, that whofcever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have everlafting Life," John iii. 14, 15. Thus by looking on him through Faith, having an Eye

to the Merits of his Sufferings on the Crofs, the Vail of Legality is taken away. And all Believers in a Measure, with open Face, beholding as in a Gofpel-glais, the Glory of the Lord, in the Face of Jefus Chrift, are changed into the fame Image, from Glory to Glory, by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18. which is a Spirit of Love and Praife. "Whofo offereth me Praife (faith God) glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his Converfation aright, I will fhew the Salvation of God," Pfal. 1.23. The Bride having received the Answer of her Prayer, and God's Promise made good, wherein he faith, "Before the (the Church) calleth, I will answer, and whilft fhe is yet fpeaking, I will hear,” Ifa. lxv. 24. For he anfwers the Cries of his own Spirit, who fearcheth the Heart; and according to the Will of God, maketh Interceffion for the Saints with Groanings which (in the extenfive Manner they are conceived) cannot be uttered, Rom. viii. 26, 27. And the Bride, being united to Chrift, (the Elect of God) in whom his Soul delighteth, Ifa. xlii. 1. is made comely, through his Comelinefs, and acceptable in him, Ezek. xvi. 14. She being now all glorious within, and her Clothing is of wrought Gold, Pfal. xlv. 13. She, having put on the Lord Jefus by Faith, can through Peace and Joy in believing, live happy without the finful Gratifications of the Flesh, Rom. xiii. 14. All Christ's Righteoufnefs, from his Birth to his Death, fhe puts on as her own. He is called The Lord our Righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6. and Jerufalem, (the Church) The City of the great King, has the Honour of bearing his Name, Jer. xxxiii. 16. being the Place of his Refidence, and himself the Bride's Habitation, Pfal. xc. 1. and xci. 9. She being now clothed with the Ornaments of Salvation, the Bride's Wedding-Drefs, the beautiful Garments which the