~Cor. I· 16 1: , ' r[a!, 89. 1 s– Cant. ~a~· , ,;b• '· ·s· ' ] ;bn·s-•J @ cllitatton . Chap 8.Sett. 7 _ 5. Petitio,"/, to t)Jce, Lord, 1 make my moan, to thee I tcncfer my humble Petition , and pl>ur out my foul : 0 give me a tafk and rclifh of this Ercrmty; 0 give me this >Wlur,ri~at 1 ".. ct:t £ba jf no mure ; · 0 give me fuc;:h a ~afl:e or rclHh of this water, that it m("Y be ut me a >v,/1 ef n•utcr fpri>~gm~ upinto eternal life: 0 inflame my foul with a love of thefe thoughrs, with a longYng defire afterth1s Etemity ofjoycs. 0 let me not alwaicsbe thus dull and brutifh, but thou that haft prepared Eternity for me, prepare my foul fot Eurmty ; teach me fo to carry on this earth, that I be not fhut out of thofc Eterntd M anfions in Hea.ven; open my cy~s that I may fee; draw afide this vall, rhat l may know what Eurmey IS; g1vc me fo to hve as one that labours for Etermey , contends for Eternity, fuffers for Eternity; let me never be fo fooliih as to fetlc my felf or\ vanity·, and to ncgle{t this Etemity th,;t never fhall hwe end.------ Uh Eather •fgtory, g n •eme thefpirittf Wrjdome and Revelation in the kz:towlrdgc •f Chrij/, that thcty<stf my twdtrJf~,,dmg berng illight'md ; I may /zyow >vhat is the hope cf thy calling , Md whm tht r:chu cf the ghry of thy inheritance ts in thp Saints; Lord here )s the fummary of my flllr that 1 '""Y 1(;1ow , not only the mhentancc of the Samts , but the m!JtntmJ<e in tht Samts, and theglory of the inheritance, and the riches of the glory; nor would I have a common under,landing to cyow this, but I defire thm the eyes of "9' underflanding may be ilbght'ncd ; and let th1s come from the k:Mvledge •f Chrifl , from theffirit tf JVtfdome and Revelation , and from the Father of glory. 0 Lord, my meaning is and my p<aycr is, that I may find fo111C cxpenmental, fwcct , and fpiritual good in my fclf, as the beginning of that £re)onal govd which I cxpe<ft; others may know what this Eternity i9 in Sermons, in Books, in the written Word; but the Saints only kz:101v m themftlvcs that they have" better and enduringfubjlanec. 0 Lord that I may k_now i71 my Jilf what this Eternity i,s, that I may kt)OW it by that experimental fwcetncfs ot the bcginr:ing of glory, that 1 find in myftlf, and IV hat isglory beg~en bm graceand holmrf;? thou feett, Lord, that it is no firange favour that I beg of thee, it i> no other than that which thou halt rjchly bellowed upon all thy vahant Martyrs, Confeffors, Servants from the beginning, who never could fo chearfully have cm')raccd death an:! torments, if through the midit of their flames, and paines they had not feen their crown of glory_. JVe faim not in fnjferings, bccaufe we look_tu things that are notJeen. Why Lord,one drop ofHeavm 1vithm mewould dark§n all the glory of the world witho~et me; 0 let me fee Heaven in the reality of it with a clear, fpiritual, fixed eye; let into n1y heart one fwect and faving thou~ht of Eternity, and then when thou wilt, Lord, let thyJervant depart in peaa. My times arc in thy hand, I am no better than my fathers; my life is a bubble, a f~1oak, a fhadow, a thought,. I know there is no abiding in this through- , fare ; Oh fuffcr me not to be fo mad, as whtle I paffe on the way, to forget the end; i! is that other life that I mufi look after; With thee it is that I mufi continue; Oh let me never be fo fpiritually foolifh as to fetle my fclf on what lmufi leave,and to negleC\ .f-ternity. 1haxc feen enough of this carch, and yet 1 lov·e it too much, Oh let me fee Heaven another while, and love it fo much more than the earth, by how much th~ things there arc more worthy to be·belbved. Oh God look down on me, and teach me to look up to thcc,and to fee thy goodnefs in the land of the living; thou that boughte!l: Heaven for me , guide me thirher ; and for thy mercies fake, in fpight of all tcm– . ptations,cnlighten thou my foul,;dire{t it, crown.it, that fo at lafi I may do that dmy; and receive that gl•ry of thy Saints, in joying , Jeci11g, and enjoying God to all eternity. ' 15, Confidence. Behold , 0 myJ•~tl, and do not meerly crave, but challenge this favour of God, a; that which he owes thee; he owes it, becaufe he hath promifed it, and by his mercy he hath made his gift his debt: Is there not a promife made? Blef!cd is the peopl' rhat kyow the joyf~tl[o1md, they fha!l walk_ in the light ofthy coltntenance, 0 L >rd _.-.... r.}iJ u the promife that he hath promifed us, even Cttrnallife. ------- Thf ething s hnvc r }.~rittm #nto yolt thatbelieve on the llame ofthe Sonne •f God, thatye may kz:101v1hatye have mmal li.£5: . and is it not an experience tryed ? IJ~tc d~rnHnder his jhadotv rvith great ddigM, $,)1 1>41 frltit was fwee( to my taj/e. 0 what IS th1s but the tajle oftternuy ? what IS thts but a glimpfe of unfpeakable joy? 0 Lord, let me tajle this fweetneffe by Come real exper.iments in my own heart ! give me Lord : what wilt thott give? give me a fpi– ritual eye that I may loqk at this Eternity a> a fpiritual thing ·l a carnal heart looks at iF Carnally, Oh theflajlm of joy to have a crown and 11 kjngdome! but a fpiritual hea~t looks at Eternity fpiritually .- 0 give me to look to heaven with a right eye, andin a nght
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