Christ are unspeakable to those who know him; yet not terrible glories, to distress them with fear, but sweet and attractive glories, to win them to love. "Therefore do the virgins love thee." The sum of all is this: Christ, for his saving grace and excellent glory, is incomparable, "the chief of ten thousands, and altogether lovely."

Having views of the Redeemer so exalted, and so endearing, it is not surprising that the Church should breathe after Christ with insatiable desires for greater nearness and communion; and hence the earnest expression in the text, "Draw me—we will run after thee." These words contain a prayer and a resolution; and in the sequel, having a textual illustration in view, we shall attempt to unfold the complex sentiment expressed or implied in either clause of the text.

We have seen what glorious views of Christ's saving benefits and personal excellence the believer, in the context, already entertained. And the first thing that strikes him, is a perception of his own short-coming. He sees himself at a great distance from the full measure of things attainable, and which he ought to have attained; and he feels himself far behind others, and far behind

his own desires, in the knowledge and enjoyment of Christ: for the soul is most sensible of its great distance and deficiency in seasons of the greatest illumination. It is never so near Christ, but it wishes to be nearer to see him more clearly-to feel him more sensibly-to know him with greater certainty and assurance. Even in our best state on earth, there is somewhat of removal and separation. Not a removal from the virtue of his presence, for he never leaves his people, nor forsakes them; nor a separation from his love, for that is uninterrupted and everlasting: Yet by reason of our bodily frame, and often infirmities of spirit, we cannot come so near, nor keep so near to Christ as we would..

"Knowing," says the Apostle, "that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." We are not absent from his Spirit, or the presence of his grace; yet are we far-very far remote from the presence of his glory, and from that full knowledge and fruition of him which we expect hereafter. We see ourselves behind in every attainment, in faith, in love, in patience, in sanctification.. We are beset with deficiencies; and in our best times, we breathe after nearer approach to Christ, and higher

attainments of

grace; we

we pray

"Draw me,"

-a petition that evidently flows from a sense of distance.

But, further, it implies an ardent love to Christ, and to things spiritual. It is the language of a heart thoroughly desirous to be disengaged from sin and sense, to be detached from the attractions of worldly objects, and wholly turned unto the Lord. It is the language of one that, having tasted 'the blessedness of true religion, disrelishes earthly pleasures thenceforth, as not suitable, and pants for the enjoyment of Christ. The world indeed has its good things; "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." These, its chief and most goodly provinces, it discloses to the eye of sense, and through a medium that magnifies them exceedingly. But what are objects such as those to a soul that desires to be drawn away from the vanities of earth and sense, that longs vehemently for Christ, and counts it happiness to converse with him in endless fellowship and love. In this book, the language of the Church is, “I am sick of love!" "My heart breaketh," said one, "for the longing that it hath to thy judgments." And in frames like these, can the believer but seek advancement in true reli

gion? can he refrain from praying, “Draw

me ?"

And the more is he put on prayer, from a deep sense of his own inability. Unhumbled men, who attempt nothing in religion, may sit still in self-sufficiency, and vaunt their self-determining power, and applaud themselves for the inherent mightiness of rational nature. But if they would only try their strength for a little while, in the way of loving God with all their hearts, and if they would actually set out to run in the way of God's commandments after a spiritual sort; a single day-a single hour-and even a shorter space, would convince them that they are without strength. "Without me," said the Saviour, "ye can do nothing." "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think a good thought." "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not ;" that is, in myself, for "through Christ strengthening me, I can do all things." And a full conviction of this inability we hold to be indispensable to successful exertion, and not a hinderance, as the vain reasoner alleges, when he derides these confessions of inability, and bids us gird up the loins of our

own sufficiency, and run, without idle complaints. But the believer has an experience of inability and weakness, that the vain reasoner has never sought; and therefore, denying all confidence in the flesh, he prays, "Draw me;"a petition which, indeed, would be idle and uncalled for, but for the deplorable fact of our own want of to advance.

power

Nay, farther, there is not only inability on our part, but a degree of resistance too. As in objects without life there is no tendency to motion, but rather a resistance to it; so in men, dead in sin, there is no tendency to spiritual motion, but the reverse. Much overcoming influence is needed to make them begin spiritual motion at all; and even when quickened, and put under the motives of grace, there is resistance to continued spiritual progress, from the remains of a contrary principle in us. For we are but "renewed in part." "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these," says the Apostle, "are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things which ye would." The renewed part would follow hard after Christ and things heavenly; but there are other tendencies in our natures,