Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

® tllttntion. Chap.&. Se""tG· pleafures , fear not to enter that cfbte, ,where thou fha!t ever after ce~fe thy feares; ~it dow11, and fadly once a day bethmK thy fclf of,th1s Etmmy.: Among all thy Arithmetical numbers, !ludy the value of th1s mfimte Cypher, wh1ch th<;mgh. it !land for nothi11g itt the vulgar account, d-oth yet_ contain >11 our millions ; 0 fix thine eye on this Eurruty ?. Study through!y, fiudy thiS one word Ettrnicy; but to fiudy it only is hot enough; Come, roule up thy affdhons; awake, awake, be eo:larged, t ve, joy, d!Jire ; what? 0 my Soul, lzve and never dye ? rt)O}'"e a~zd ever reJoyce? 0 what fweet words arc thof<, llt':lo· and never ? 0 th•s word everbfbng containes the acCOl)lplifhc& perfed:ion of heavens glory. 0 my foul that thou would'fi believingly weigh this word Euerlajtmg ! tne thtnks 1t fhould revtve thee m the deepeft agony; Why, mMjt I Lord, thHs Hve ft.r ever.? trJtTt will I aLfo luvefur ever; nmft my joyes be imliioruf/;. 1 t.kM jlud!"') t/;,, ks atjo be immortal; Jimly if I jhal never lofe myglory, J ••ill "'fo •e'l!e>· allfo Ill)' f'"'" fis. 0 this fweetnef> of this Eternity! how il10uld I but relifh the fwcl'tnefs of it . () bldfccl Etcmity! 0 bleifed date of Saints in the Kingdom of Heaven'! 0 glory nor to b" cxprelled; even by thofewho are glorified! there is that perpetual fpring,which through the frefh and fweet breathingS\of the Spirit of God, fhall flourilli. ever; there is time (if it be time) alwayes after one fort, not diftinguifhecl into eveni;;g and mor– ning but continued with a limple Eternity. 0 Eternity of joyes, wonhy of continual fongs of Saints and Angels to celebrate thy praife! 0 Eternity of joyes r how.fholJ!d 1 extol thee, delire thee, love thee, and hate all this world for thee ? 0 Eternity •f joyes! how fhould my graces be aCted , my affections beraifed , my thoughts be rcfreil1ed with the delights and meditations of thee? 0 my fol(l,bring forth thy ltrongeft buming lo~·c. Here·s matter for it to work upon, here·s fomething truly worth thy loving; 0 my foul bring forth thy dcjir<, hopr, refolmion, joy; · herc·s matter for them air to work upon; 0 my foul look upwards! yonder far above yonder, fhalt thou be cncirled with Etmmy, and come forih no more; .yonder fhalt thou live , and ever live, and praife the Lord, and ever, ever, ever praife him: when :his mortal jha/1 put on immor– utlity, and this corruptible incormption, the date of thy Leafc fh'all no more expire, nor fhalt thou trouble thy felf with thoughts of death, nor lofe thy joyes for fear of lofing them: \Vhen millions of ages are pall, it is no nearer ending: Every day is oil noontide: and every moneth is May, or harV'efi: and every year is there a Jubilee;' and all rhis is one Eternity. 0 bleifed Eternity ! the glory of my. glory'; the perfeCl:ion– of my perfeCl:ion. 2. Complaint. But alas;- where is my fove, my longing after this Etmtity? what t'ittle tafte and favour have I of this fweetneife? my foul,what dulneffe and heavineife is this that hangs upon thee? my iudgment, 0 alas, is confounded, how then fhould(my alfeCl:ions be enlarged ? it is the abundance and exceffe of light hath ftrutk me blind'; now my thoughts are in heaven, which way foever I look, I lofe my light, in feeing an infinity round about me? Oh here·s length wi\hou·t points, brcdth without lines, depth with· out any furface ;· all content, alt pleafure, all refi, all delight, all an Extalie of frui'tions; 'fho can lhengthen my eyes to endure Eaglewife this glorious and refpendent Sunne? But 0 my foul, lay not all the fault on the weakneifc of thy judgement: fay, is there not fome other caufe? 0 how hath the worldbewitehed ~hee, that thou art become fo <;arnal, fo corporal, fo fenfeleffe of fpiritual things ( Thy thoughts run aftq riches, and they are uncertain; thou art ambitious after honours, and they arc llippery; thou art in love with pleafures, and their end is fudden, and there is bitterneife in die end; thou art daily conver!ing with men, but death fhal~ diffolve all knots of friendfhip with others. 0 prepofterous care ! what, all on the world? and now that Iltemity is thy Meditation (on which thou fhouldft tafte largely, & be affeCted deeply) art thou now all Amort? 0 what dulnefs, what drowfines, what fecurity is this? if thou haft in thee any fparks of that heavenly fire, firft breathed into thee by the Spirit of God; awak;, "'>ak$, 0 my foul; away, away with this dull fenllefs fecurity, and confider there's but a ftep betwixt tliee and Emnity,of joyes. What haft tho11 not feen f haft thou not heard.I and when all is done, art thou fo carclefs of thy home, fo fenllefs offpiritual delights ? A graciou~·heart takes not the .things ofH'eaven as gueifes and imaginary things, but looks upon them as certaih fubflaritial realities,and this is a fign of grace (0 my foul!) if_thou art able to look at t~e things of Heaven as the only real, fubftantiol, excellent thmgs, and fo' as to darken· all the thillgs of the world. CarGal·men look upo" thefe heavenly

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