JLoolting unto jJcfuS'. Book I. thouh4fravijhed my heart? my (ijler, myjpoufe,_ withoneof thine ey~s: Chrift was held Cant,6. f' in the galleries nnd captivated ·with love to Ius people, fo that Ius eyes was ever Upon them ; nay' be could not .get his eyes off them, C•n Mnother I orget her child ? no Ha. 49: x~. n:ore can I foruet Y"". and IS Chrtft .o tender m h1s love towa1ds us, tb.at he ever , minds us and"' lha!J o~r minds be fo loofe to him? fo Ifuttering , and fleenng ? Illall there be'no more care to bind ourfelves in cords of love to him, who bath bound him: [elf in fuch cords of love to us? 4- In not d1ily exerci!ing this bleifed d~tty; it may be n?w. and th~n they are a~ l<•akened, ~nd they get up into heaven to fee the~r Jefus ~ but 1t IS not d~ijy• . Oh COfl– lid~r! Js this now and then going to heaven Wtthm the vat!, to hve the hfe of fnends? is this to carry our [elves as children? what, to be fo llrange at homer but now and then, once in amoneth, in a year, there to. ~e feldom , where we lhould always be? is Jefus Chrifr fuch ~ mean thing, that a vlltt no~ and then llwuld ferve the turn? . , the QEeen of Shel•a hearing SoloTIWTIS wifdom, Oh faid lite: Bleffitl "'' thofe thy fer-• Kmg.lo.i. vtmts that t~lwa_rs ft•nd b•fon thee , and hear thy wifdom; tf lhe Wtre [o t~ken waft Solorr.on, remember that a greater then Solomon IS here; and n1all we depnve our felve~ of that blelfednefs, which we might enjoy by !landing always in thepref~nce,ofChri(r, tO bear his wi{dom, and tO behold his glory? , Oh my brethren, let us take lhame to our felves, that to this day we have been fo carelefs in fending, bending, binding our minds to.this blelfed object, J efus Chrifr; yea, let us .blulh that we have not made 1t our dally bufinef,. David . defcribes the Plat. 1, 2, IJirffid man by his de!tghtinff in the lawof the Lord, and by his meditating on that Law day and night ; how then is l1e to be reproved, that netther meditates on the Law of the Lord, nor on the Lord, the Law-maker, day t~nd night? 0 alas! We keep not a confLant courfe, we are not daily in the exercife of vjewing Jefus; nay I fear, we look upon this dmy of looking 1mto lefus, as a queftioMblething; it fwns to many as adr<ty un1<nown, unheard of, umhought of, it is nor iq their notice,. and how lhoul\i- it be in their praClice? But I leave this firft life. · · ' · SECT. IV. . "1 ..r· 'J, ) Vfo of ExhotJt!#hm. ·; J ' . ' l l ; ) . . ; I ·s inwa1'd , experimental lo~k_ing unto J•fM a.choice, and hlgh Gofpel.ordinance ? Vfo :£.' One ilfe of EXhomtion. I b£[erckl you ·by 'r:h4 meei(!lifs'flnd gentlenefs of (:hrift, I , «or. 10. r.' be[eechyollby the mercies of G'od , 1befeech you brethren, for the Lord [eflu thrifts [Ilk!, 1\0tll, u.1. ond for the ioveof the Spirit, to look.. unto !efiu : . or if-m.Y .befeeching will not_prevail, R.om. J5• 3"• why yet look on me as on Embalfador of Chnft, conhder a~ though God d1d befeech )'M by me, J. befeech, I pr•y y01< in Chri{fs ftead ;- it is amelfage that I have (rom God , to your fouls, to look., ttnto fc[m; and theret(Jn:[et your hMrts to all the w•rdr that lt<?or.s.:~.o: teft"ifie toy~« this day, for it is not a 11ainthing, bm it iY fwljowtliveJ. , ; Deut. 3t•46~ Othatlflwuldneed thus ro perfwade yo.ur beotts tolook..u«to [efusl What, isnot your J efus worthy of this? why then are yoilt thoughts no more upon him? why are nor your beans continually with him ( why. are-not your ftrongeft defires, and daily delights in, ondafre.r the Lord)efus? what's the nimer? will·not God give you leave to >pproach th1s ltght? wtll he not fuffer your fouls to taff and fee? why then are thefe words in the text ? why the11 doth he cry, ond dQuble his cry, beh•ld me, be– hold me? Ah vile hearts ! bow delightfull~'( and unwearied·ly.~an we think of vani-: ny? howtreely, and how frequently can w~ tl1ink of our pkaf11r~~. frien~, labours; Jufce? yea, of our miferies, • .wrongs, fuffetings, .fears? and what, i; not Cbvif~ in .all o~r thoughts! It was faid of,the Jews, that·they ufed to caft to the ground the book ot E{lher before they reo.d it, becaufe the name of God i.s npr in ir; and .Aaguftine c~ft by Cictro's writings, becaufe rhey contained not the ·name of Jefm; Chriftiansl wusll.ould you humble, and call: down youl'fenfual hearts, that have in them no more of Chnll: 0 chtde them for their wilfull or weak ftrangenefs to Jefus Chrifl:! 0 rum your thoughts from o~ all earrhly vanities, and l>end your fouls to !ludy Chrift, ha~ lllluOie your felves'to !uch contemplations as in tlie neJ<t Ufe I I!Jall prefent; and let 110t rhofe.thoughts be feldom or curfory, but fettle upon them, dwell there, bathe your fouls m t1.1ofe deitghrs, drench your affections in rhofe rivers of pleafures, or rather in the fea of confobtion; 0 rye your fouls in hea,•enly gall.eriei,. have your ~yes c.minu- . ~lly,
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