Chap. S .Sea.5· whipt him, and fcourged him, and crucified him, anti preferred the vilelllull (any fin whatfoever) before the LordJefus.. And now I am mufing of this low ofChnjr, alas, I feel it not, or ifl feel a httle, htt!c lo11eofdefirc, yet I have no fenfe, no taf\c no relifh of that love ofcomplacmcy; there is no fuch fire, no flames in my brell toward~ the Lord Jefus. 3· Wijhing. . , And yet, 0 that I could love the Lord jefu; ! 0 that he hacf my heart ! 0 that now I could bid adieu to all otherlovers! 0 that the Father oflove, and the Spirinf love would !hike one [park of love fiom the Promife, to kindle it in the heart of his poor creature! 0 that I felt a dilatation of my defircs after Chrill! that God would llretch them, and widen them to the utmoll:, th~t I might lo<•e Chrifl with all my heart, f6ul and might! 0 that I were even fick__of l"ve! 0 that I were call: into the melting panos of a divine Chritlian love ! 0 that I could feelingly fay Ilove thee, even as !feel! love my felf. 0 my foul confider the want of Chrill and the worth of Chrill! 0 con. fider the benefits of Chrill:s death, the fweetnefs of Chrills promifes, the pleafantnefs ofhis commands, 'the precioufnefs ofhis graces, and above all the infinitenefs of his love, and thou canll: not but love him ! Confider that foul-ravifhing Text, God who is Efh.>. 4 . 5 , 6 rich in mercy for hisgreat love where-with be loved ru, even when we were dead inJins,hath quick:_ned m together with Chrijl, and hath rai[ed m up together, and made us fit together m heavenly places in Chrift 'Jefus; ·that in ages to come he might jhew the exceeding riches of his /!race, in his kjndnejfe to>~ards "'.through Chrift 'Jrfus : and thou canll not but r;ry .out w1th the ardency of affecbon, With the ll:rcngth, the z.eal oflove, 0! To him, unRe•el. I. S, 6 tD hiln thatloved and wajbed m from onr fins in his own blood, and hath made us Kinffs am! Priefts unto God, and his Father, To him beglory and dominionfor •vcr and c vcr,Amcn. 4· Conft!Jion. 0 my foul, thefe are fweet motives: But alas, how dull is thy underllanding? how' dead thy affeCtions? I clearly fee there is no llrength at all in thee. 0 how cord, ana weak, and faint, and heartlefs are thefe thy wifhes ! 0 Chrift ! I would love thee, but· I cannot; I find no ability in my felf to love thee; I am no more able to lo'!'e· thee, than cold water is able to heat it felf. 0 where be thofe fcalding affeCtions to Chrilt Jefus, which holy men have felt in all ages, and ll:riven to cxprefs in their Soililoq"i"? 0 where is this holy, conll:ant, conjugal love? 0 where are thofe fwellings, and throwings, and wrclllings, which others have felt in their bowels? 0 where be thofe holy fits, 'thofc pangs of love, thofe love-trances, thofe Seraphical flames of conjugal Ca•r; •· S affetlion, which made the fpoufe cry out, I amfick__of love? Alas, I feel a dillemper in my affeClions; I find it not fo calie to ·rove Chri{f, as many men think, furely it is a very hard and difficult thing to love the Lord Jefu's. . · ' . 5 Petition. 1 lixodus ~~ - Come then blefi'ed Lord, and £hew thy own fclf to me, I br(eech thee if I have 13, 18 found grai:e in thy fight, Jhew me the way that I may f0ow thee:-- I befeech theejhew me thyglory;- give me the Spirit of wifdome and revelation in the k;.101vledge of Chrifl; let me fee the beauties and glorious excellencies, and by this means blow my love inEphef•., 17 to a pure flame, yea advance it to a degree of Angelica! fublimity. Surely, Lord, 1 cannot love what I fee not, and therefore anoint mine eyes with thy cye-falve, that I may·fee thy lovelinefs, ai1d love thee with my beft loves: 0 kind,lc, inflame, and in· large my love that it may relllargcly in thee;inlarg.e the crany which the Spirit hath bo– red throu,gh the flefh into mySpirit,tha.t} may!largely feeithee,and fo largely love thee; inlargethe'arteries &condnit-pipes,by·\lihich thou the head & fountaine of lovello11ldl: into thy mel,Tlbers,that being abundantly quick'ned and wateredwith the Spirit of love, I may abundantly love hee:and donot onely come much,but come often into ma,& let my Spirit'often be ot\.e Spiiit with thee,in communicative and fruidve unions, for fuch often unions wit'n thy .!)piri~will make my Spirit mor~ Spiritual,a!ld the more fpjr.itual {he is, the more will (lie'lo,(e thee, the God of all fpirits. Blelfcd Lord, iwilt thou love the image, and fhall n'9q)le imagemuch more lovethe paten!' ? ? tbUI I werefick__of/,ve! t\l.attny ljndcrllanding, ~,ill & affeCtions were all over-flown, ollerc9me & amaz.cd,that my faintings were inflamed towards thee, and even melted into ·\hee! 0 fweet Jefu, touch my foul with thy Splr.it, that v~rtue n1ay go out ofthee into:'!le, and draw me unto th~~l let the fh,our of thy oyntments (whofe very breath is love) be ever mmy noflrils':Ciiwme theh••ms ofrhe new.wine oftht Kingdom,which inay lift up rny foul a· ' o><> 'boVC
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