Chap.z.Sctt.7. ¥Lroiting unto jJcfuS'. Book ll. fire; love,likea watch, mufl be wound 'up, Ot' elfe it will fall downwa~·ds: wh~r dolt thou? why fland'fl thou idle 111 the hear ofthe day ? Chr!!t bath fire m_lus !land, tiS our looking up, and reachmg our thy hand t? rake It from lum: 0 ra~e ''· With both thy hands and be thankful tor Jt. Prayer, e1aculauon, conremplauon, JUdtcJOus obfcrvauon ofrhe'Spi• irs feafon, are rhy be:fl intirumenrs to kindle this _fire oflove in thee. • And merhinks thy heart lhould begm now to melr,met!unks 1t 010uld recetve more ealie impreffions from the object beforett;merhmk> rhefe erernalworks & acts of God & Clmll towards thy poor foul Jhould begin to overcome thee, and to bmne thy heart"' withcotes ~ad-~J' of 7 uniper. 'VVhy Lord, is it rhus? was I elected from all erernirie in ~hnlt I was I or- ""'· · • dained to a o\orious inhrrirance before there was a world? wa> tillS bulinefs to make me happy ,o;e of the cheef deep counfds of God? was this one of the works o~ his wifdome rhat he was exercifed about before the world began? was tillS the great dd1gne of God in 1mking the world; and in making heaven, the place of glory,to glorifie himfelfe, and to glorifie fuch a poor wretch as I am? 0 then how llwuld this bur mightily inflame my heart with the love of God, and love of Chnfl ? how 010uld I choofe bur fay as the Martyr did, Oh that I had as ma11y liv~s, M I have haircs o>1my hcad,to lay them down for Chrijl? Ah what ftames ofdtvtne affecbon, what raptures ofzeale, what raV!Ihmenrs ofdelight, what cxrafies of obedience can be enough for my blclfed God, and dearefl Redeemer. · S E C T. VII. Ofjoyinz ii! Jefm in th,,t refteEl. 7· WE mul1 joy in refw, as carrying on that great work of our falvation in that eternity. This ioy is a pd.Jlion arifing from the (weetnc{s of the obje& that we w;oy. 0 my foul, dofl thou bdieve? and art thou now call into a pang of love? how rhen OJOuld rhy.joy but come on? AsChrifl faid to the 70. in this rejoyce not, th.1t the Luk.to. ,o. fpirits 11.rc fu&je[f unto you, b~tt rather rej~yce becau[e your names are written in heaven; fo rejoyce nor thou in this, that the world is thine, that riches are thine, that thou hall fubdued men and devils,/ but herein rejoyce that thy name is written in the book of life, 0 what a comfortable point is this\ that the Father and Chrifl OJOu!d tranfaCl: a bargaine from erernirie, concerning thee by name • that the Father and the Son Owuld com• mune roged1er concerning thy heaven, as ifth~ir language had been thus; Father, what ]hall bsgiven to thy jujfice to ranfonefnch a one, .Abraham, Ifaac, !acob, !Matthew, Mar{z. Luf<!,J•hn,Mary,MarthJt,Hanna,G'-c. why no more but this, thou]halt dye my Son, and whofoever beiievetlJ in thft {IM!llive for ever. Why then faith Chrill,J will engage forfuf],, 1111d (uch "one; I will mter into bondfor fuch andfuch a per[on; .Abraha>n {l!all belief< in time; See I have writ down his name in the book._of life. And who art thou that readefl? art thou a believer? doll: thou believe in rhe Lord: J efus Chri!t? Chrilt faid the fame ofthee, and emred into a bond for thee and emred thy name in the book oflife. See the certainty ofthis inPhil-4-3. Thou Thomas,Andrew,Peter, Chrifl knows thee'by name, Phil. 4 . 3 . and thy nameis written in the book oflife. 0 go rhy way, and rejoyce, and take llrong confolatJon! JS there nor c~ufe ? why, I tell thee thy name is in the book ofheaven, and and 1f. tillSmay adde to thy joy, know there is none in heaven or earth n,.n ever be able to blot it Out again. No, no poor foul, there is 110 condtmnt~tion to them th..t are in Chrijf Rom S.r. lefi": God hath decreed rhy falvatien, ·and Gods decree 0Jall !land, let men and devils fay what they will to the contrary, the counfel of the Lordjfandethfor ever, -the tho,.ghts of hu hearttoa!lgenerations: it is as poJ!ible for God ro deny himfdf, as it ispo/Tible Pi:li·' 1 • for thee a be!tever to peri01. We are k!pt (faith the Apoflle) by the power of God through f~uh to falvatwn; and therefore rujoyce, and againe rejoyce; yea, raife up thy joy to that p t , P_ltch ofrnumph, which is joy eleva~ed; and elevated fo high , rhat it comes to viCl:o- 1 • ...,. rrouli1efs, and magnanimous conquell of heart over >11 things; fay with the J\poflle, what, my name IVntten in the b•ok.. of life ? who Jl!a/1 lay any thing to the charge of Gods eleFI: ? . -,-who t~en Jl!a/lfeparate me from the love of Chrijf ? Jhall tribulation, or dijlrefs, or per- ~'~.~8~-j:. ' fi ~JJt~on~ 0 ' f~mme, or nak£dne(s, or perzl, orfivord ? nay, I am perfivadcd that netther death, nor !if~' 1tQr Angels, nor principalities, not po~vcrs, nor things prefent, nor things to come, ".o 1 rlmght, nor depth, nor any other creatMe jl1all be able to (epararc me from thelove of God WJ:ch t5 tn Chrijl ]<[us my Lord. · SECT.
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