fiireEliollS to excite tf,e low of God. to atfdt us here; and will raife ns as high as means can raife us. The greateft things, and greauft in~ rcrefi of our fouls being there, will greatly nife us to the Love of God, if any thing will do it: To forcfec how near him w<: {ll;ii.JI be ere long, and what a glorious proof we fhall havt of his good will! and how our fouls will be ravifhcd everlafiicgly with his Love! To think what hearts the hletfed have that fee his glory, and live with Chrifi ! How full of love they a~e? and what a ddight it is to them rhus to love J rnuH needs affect the heart of a Belitver. [''Lift up thy head, poor drowlie finner! '( Look up to Heaven, and think where thou rnufi Jive fo.r ever ! Think whar.t.he holyones of God u are doing! Do tbr) love God, or do they not? Mull tt not be then thy hfe and work for ever? HAnd eanO: thou forbear to love him now, that js bringing thee to fuch a world of Love? Thou 4' wouldfi love him more, that would give thee fecuriry to poJTefs a Kingdom which thou never "fawcfi, than him that giveth thee but {ome toy in hand. And let it not iCem toodiftant to affect '·' thee : The time is as nothing till thou wilt be there: Thou knowell not but thou ffilifi be there "this nij!,ht: There thou fhalt fee the Maker of the worlds, and knc.-w the myllerics ofhis \~onderous "works. There rhou !h1lt fee thy blelfed Lord, and feel that love which thou readdl of in the Go– " fp::l, and enjoy the fruits of it (or ever: There thou fhalt fee him that fufltred for thee, and rofe u again, whom Angels fee and wor!hip in his glory. Thou !halt ~ee rhcre a more defirable fight, ''than thofc that fiw him lteal the blind, and hme, and fick, and ratfethe deJd; or thofe that faw '' him in his transtlguration ; or than thofe that faw him on the Crofs, or after his refurreelion, or ''than Sttphen fd.w "'hen he was fioned,or p,ucl whenhe was converted, yea,more than it is like he faw H when he was in his rapture, in the third Heavens! 0 who can think believingly on the life which " we mufi: there Chordy live, the glory which we muf\ fee, tht love which we mufi receive, and '' the love which we,mufi exercife, and not feel the fire bep,in to Aame, and the Glafs in which we "fee the Lord, become a burning-glafs to our alf,C{ions? J CHRIST and HEAVEN are the Book·s which we mufi be often re1ding; the Glaffes in wh1ch we muH daily gaze, if ever we wiU be good prohcients and practitioners in the. Art of holy Love. . 9· 34· Direct. IJ· Exrrci[< your fouls Jofrtqucntly and diligently intbiswayofLove, tbattheMe- Dirr{J. i3: thod of it may b( f~Jmiliar to you, and the meanJ ttnd mativu jiiU at hand, and yott m"1:ty pre{ently be ablt to faU inta the way, tJJ one that iJ w_cU acq11ainted with it, and may not bt diflralied and ltjl in gene~ rail, aJ not ~{_~towing where to {ixyour ''JoughtJ. I know no Methods alone will fc-rve to raife the dead, and caufe a carnal fenfelefs heart to love the Lord: But li know that many honefi hearts, that have the Spirit ofLove within them, have great need to be warned, that they quench not the Spirit, and great need to be directed how to fiir up the grace which is g,iven them: and that many live a more dull, or difirathd, uncomfortable litC, than they would do, if they wanted nor SkjU and Diligence. The foul: is moH backward to this highefi work; and therefore hath the greater need of helps: And the belt. have fo much need, as that it is well if all will fervc to keepup Lovingand Gr.~Ztefu/thoughts of God upon their minds. And when every Trade-, and Art, and Science, requireth diligence, exercife and experience, and all are Bunglers at it at the firfl, can we reafonably think .that we are Jike to attain any hi,;h degrees, with fleight, and Chort, and ftldom thoughts? ?: 35• Dintf. I4· Yet [,t not weafl..-beadcd or mel.mcholly prr[ons, {et tbem[elves on thofe Mt- Dire/1. li: tbn"d.J or Jengtlu of hl!ditatio1t, Jl'hich tlleir hcttds caitlkt beqr, lrji tbe Tempter get advanttJge of them 4nd abate_tbcir LotJe, by makJng Religion fiem a torment to tlum : but let fucb taJte up with.fhorter ob: vWu1 MtdilationJ, and rxercifl their Love j11 an allive obcdie-nti~Zl nuy of living. That is the bell Phyfick rhat is titled to the Pariems firength and cafe: And thats the bell Shoo thll is meetefi for the foot, and not rh>t wl,ich is the biggefi, or the finefi. It is a great defign ofSatan to make all duties grievous an~ ·bllrd.er~fome to us ; and th~reby to ca{t us ineo continual pain, and fear) and trou~ L,le, ~·nd fo dcfiroy our deligbt in G~d, and co~{\quently our Love. Therefore pretend not ·to difabi, ~1ty for carnal unwtllm~nd~ and lAzmefsof mmd; but yet man rtot all by grafpmg .at more than y6u _are ~b)e to bear: Take on.a~ you_are _ab!~, ~nd,incrtafe your work,ifGo~ increafe ~oUr 1lrength. ff a melancholly pcrlon cr•ck Jus bramWith Imll]oderate, unfeafonable endeavours, he will but dilable him!Clf tOr all. . 9: 36. Diw!t. IS· Keep c/tar, and h,/d f41 the Evidences of thy Sincerity, tb4t tb,,;. maift pmeivt Direli; 1 S; thy tntereft in. tbeWe of God·; andreJiff the tempt~tionl whicb would hide bU Lo'lte to thee, and caufe ihet to doubt of it, ~r deny it. Satan hath not hi< end when he hath troubled thee, and robbed thee of thy peace and comfort : It is worfe that he is feeking to elfect by this : His malice is more againfl God, than agamfi thee: and more= agamfi God. and thee in this point of Love, thln in any other grace or duty. He k~Joweth that God <fie<meth thiS maR:. And he knoweth if he could kjU thy lovt, he I(!Ds thy foul; And he knoweth how natur~l it is ro man .to love thofe that love him, and hate thofe that hate him, be rhey never fo excellent in themfelves. And rhercfore if he can perfwade thee inro derp_a~r, and t~ think that G,od ~atctb tbe_e, an~ is refolved to damn thee, he will not dtfpair of drawmg thee ro hate God.. Or If h~ do.but bnng thee to fear Jhat he lovtth thee not, he will think ~~cOrdiO~~)y to ahAt~. thy love_. I know t_hat a truly graCious·foul kecpeth up its love, wheri it lotfrh Its a~ur~l1cf, and m~urmt?,, anEI.lmget~; and feek.,etb i~ love, when ir cannot triumph and rr:jayce in love: But yet thc:re arc: fame prn:m !e~t on the heut, of ns former apprehenfions of the love ot God : And fuch. fouls excel'dingly d1fa~ya~t~ge rherp.ftlves as to. the ex~rclfcs of love, and ,[nake it a work of wondrous dilliculry; b it --;ill exceedingly ki!Jdle love, when we can foe Gods furri\ Love-tokens in our. heaits~ and look to the proi?ites, and fay_, They !Ire all mine; and think of Heaven, as that which !hall cert~inly be, o~r own: 1 and can fay with Thom<W, lr[y Lord, •n~my God : and with p.,tiJ; that Tbt life ,.b"h I llllt m thtj!tjh, I IIVt by thtfaith of the Son ofGod, ti>•lloved mt, •lidgave.hjm-. X i felf
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