Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

Chap :;.Sdt.q. M :lancholty, but how will_ they endure the difinall thoughts of an accufing, tor– menting confcicnce everla~bngly? Now thetr ftdh IS damry, d IIcate~ and re.nder, it mulelye fofr, and fare delicio!Jny,but how will it endure thof~ cverla.hng burnmgs? p der the carri•ge of the Saints before us. Yvu know the m' an prov1hon that J ,,,., h 6 ' Bonri rr the foreruimer of Chtilt had hu 'arc lra' lcwjf,, ar,a lll·" hoMy, and yet t e ap · ' ' ' 1 ' f 'd f k' I b there was not agreater born of woman bcf~re. D,tntelwas ~ ra1 o ta mg 1 erty to his flcfh in eating the Kmgs meat, and the time hehad his mo,t heavenly VIIIon, J-i, '~t no .pitafam bru:ul, netther r:ame fttjh, nor ~me tilto hu iJJ(Jttth, rletther drd he ,:MO}'·: ht.mj, J: at all. Paul was careful! /0 beat down htJ body, to club" do wt., even tr/1 /.( WaJ b.ack "·" blew fo the word; ~,., •<(« fignifies. Ttmothy, although he 1~as fickly, yh wot.ld not take,liberty to drink_a little wme, but onely traar, till }' ,uti Wrote tO i1im, an_d m that liberty there was but a ltttle granted, and that f o•· hu ftomadz. Fk:.·, and '"' •!, en ".f'"-. nmieJ. Bajil in an Epiftle to fu!zan mennons the mea~ f1re he, and others with nun lived withlll, he ate noJzrfh, they had no needofCook.J, all,_,,,. provtjw" IM> but tht ltavn of piams, and a little bread: And Hirrome reports of Hdarwn, that he never ate any thing b.fore the S~:n went down,_ IFtd tha1 whttfJ at ar'J tlirJC ?e ate was very m~an: Arfd Hieromehimfelf hved fo abftemwu!ly,that he had nothmg daily but a few aryeiJ f'i!.' wtth ,·old water. 7, Do we in fome meafure for Chrift, as Chri1 out of meafure hath done for us. \Vhat ? was he content to part with the pleajitrCJ of heaven, the bC~fome of his Father to redeem poor man? and fhall not we part 1Vith the plea;~zre,ofa little meat or drink for him? Wh"t? was he content tu part With h1s blvo.l Ior us? ·and fhall not we be content to part with our lm1s for him ! Is not all I is glory revealed in his word and wurk f, fficient to fhew him wo_rrhy of our lov.s, and t.o m.ke us will-. ing to part with fnch empty, poor, n,ght 'hin~' as a deal of fcnfuall pitajitm? Surely the daughters of pleajure muft undrelfo; if ever they wit! be beautiful! in Chri lts· eyes, they mu t lay afide their paintings and dreffings,rhur curlings and perfun'lings of the haire; Tb..~-r ornament mufl not be the oun:vard adoU'Jing 11j piattmg the haire, cmd of wearnggold, and ptttting on ofapparel, but the_hidden matt 'f the he·art, in that whtch" not corrupubLc, even the ornat.J.ent (J a meek_and qmctfptrtt,lVhuh u m the jzght vf God, ofgrcP.t price. Marrh, 3,4. 0 JD. 10. J I Cor. 9· l7 I Pet. 3 3,4 re·n.,tcf.dch" ~ ms di.JJ~·Io.tht.' 8. Keep on in the wayes ofgodlinelfe; by this means we fhrrll not loie, but change our pha[.'"' for the better: If thmgs may be nghtly fcanned there is more pleafun in the very a:!: of Self-denyal, then in all thepleajizres of mens lives. and if fuch plraji.re be in the denyal of falfe pleafuu, what is there in enjoying of true? Surely God hath pl<a{ure enough for us, if we had on heart to truft him with our plenjiJre, we fhall here– by only lofe our fin,but not our plettfore. Bernardharh a notable exprcffion to this pur– pofe, lfyoct be wi/lmg (fayes he) toJacrifice_ycttr Ifaac, whtt-hJig•ifies laughter, your Ifaac, your pltajitrejiJa/1 no~ dye ; t s th' Ramme (1.e.) you;ftout.>h JF of fpzrit ,y, 1<7 fi"lfwt!!ed;. ejfe tharJha/1 dye, b11t Iraac }hall !tve, you Jha/1 have yottr pleafmJUl. Do nor harbour iil thoughts of God; do not think God is an enemy to your plenji<re; If you would trull: him with your pltajitre, you iliould have plcafure enough, 1it may be in this world, or howfoever 111 the world to eome.. Augujftne harh fome expreffions to like purpofe, howfveu Wal tt to me of.ajizdden (G11d he) to be Wtthottt thofe Jivect vaniticJ ? Thou Lord who l!rt the lri<e Jivcetnrjfe didjl caft themfrom me, and in jfead ofthem didjl enter in thy Jclf who art 1mre delzg-htftl tbm all pleafurc, and mote clear then all light. Keep on· Aug Conje§. 19·'·'· therefore mGods ways; lfwe would 'JOt befad, let"' live well, (aid Bernard. · . 9· U11derli:~nd what are the wayes of godlinelfe, and what is in the wayes of god– lmelf~ to caufe del1$hts. .Nothmg more deadens the heart to falfe delights then rightly to know what It IS mGoas wayes thatcaufeth true delights: Now it is the love of God that appears upon our fouls in every duty which caufes delight, it is the prefence of God. and the glory of God that appears iri every graci'>us action which makes it de– lightful; let us therefore thus look.upon the wayes of godl inclfe. I'Vbny go on in duty haled by conf.:,cnce, but they htrle underll:and of the plca~antndfe of Gods ways, and for want of the fence of thefe fpmtual ple~.fures, no wonder if they fatle m the denya/1 of outward, fenfual, carnal! plca(ure, , Io. Medttat~ on thofe plea(um above, and fay(you that have the experien~e of the ple~fantnclfeofGods wayes) if theneather fprings be fo fweet, what will the up– ~er b~_. Ifthe lower ]erufdhmbe paved with gold, fmely thatup];ler Jmfalem i~ pa-· ed W1th pearls. It is an excellent fpeech of Bemard, Guod au rhou 0 Lwd to tht Ji.uf r t'hat' B~rn. a~-:-: ime n. dom~ C. 4So

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