Chap-:l.Sect·3 · JLoolting unto jjtfu.s. Book Ill. 97 I. Delire after thy incerell: in tl!e covenant; 0 fay in thy felf, u it th,.? ;, .the l'~ov.t.u,•J· Lsrd \¥illing ro rrceive me to hi; grace ? w.u that hi; voice in the ftrects, how long ye fimple o11es wi/lyelovefimplicity ? wrn ye at my reproof, behold I Wtll pour out my Ha 5). t. 1· Spirit unto yo11? WM th•t hu proclamation , Ho, every one that tiJirftcth, c•rne ye to the waters, encline your ear a11d come unto m<. ,---and I wt/1 mak§a~ everlaft– ingcovenantwithyou, even the Jure merc>es of Davtd? and arethefe the proTt~i[es offered , . in the covenant, I will put my Law mto yotrr wward parts, and I 1Vtll wme tt m your Jer. ''·ll• heares, and I will be your God, and ye p,al/ be my people ? Oh the blejfed condttton. of thofe people that are in covenant with God! Blejfed art thou 0 Jfraci, who is life.! ~glt: 13· •9, muo thee, a people faved by 1he Lord ; oh happy u the people that be in fuch a cafe , a · ' 4 4· 1 > • yea, happy is tfmt peopl. whofe Godts the Lord. But ah! what can I fay ? no fin hk§ ltnt~ my fin, no mifery likeltntomy mifery; aiM, I aman alien to God, I am feparated from hi;people, I nm out of the covenam; like apoorpYDdigal, I dye for hunger, .whileftthofe that are in my fatbers ho•sfe have bread enough : Oh thAt I were m thezr Colldttton I never. didDavid long morefor the \Nte>'s of tiJ< Well ofBethlehem, thm my foul 11ow toll<hedwith rhefenfeof fin, doth deftre to be at peace with God, and in covenannvith (Jod; Oh Ithirft, I pant, Igaf?e.afurhim, Jlongforcommumon, andpeacewtthhtm; Wtthmyfol!ldo /defire thee itHhe mg'ht, yea, \Vtth my fjmt Wtthm me do Iferk_thee early• . Ha. t6. 9· 2 , Delire after thy improvement of the covenanr; it may be God hath given .thee ··an interelt in.it, but alas thy hold is fo weak that thou fcarcekAowell:themeaning ofit. the Lord may anfwer , but yet he fpeaks darkly , as fometimes he fpak< to the ~oman, go thy way and fin no more; it i~ a ~iddle kind of expreffio~, .neither Joh. s.u: alfuring that her fin was pardoned , nor yet pumng her out of hope but tt mtght be pardoned . fo it may be God hath given thee fome little eafe, but he -hath not fpoken full peace'; go on then and de!ire more and more after confirm1tion : fay in thine heart, 0 Lord thou haft begun to jhew grace n11to thy fervant, bnt oiJ manifeft to me all thy goodnefs; thou hajf given me a drop, and I feel it fo fweet, that now 1 thirft, and long to enjoy the Jotmtain; thouha}fgivcnme a k..ifs of thy mouth, and noli! I pant to be ~mired to thee in amore perfe& Md confummate marriage ; thou haft given me a tafte, but Ront. 8 2 • my appmte and defire H not thereby dtmunfhed, bm enlarged; andgoud reafoll, fvr what · 1 are thefe drops, and taftes, but only th' firft fruits of the Spirit! andearnefts of the Spirit? llpher. •· 14. oh then what are thofe harvefts of joy ? what are thofe treafitres of wifdom, t111d free grace hid in God? I have indeedbc!Jeld" feAjf of fat things, of fat things full ofm~rrow, of winesonthelees; ofwines onthe/eeswe/lrefined; bi<t 0 what a f"mine u yet in my fpirit! 0 Lord I have longedfor thyfalvation.I am ready to[w•onfor further union, t<ndclearer mani~ fcftation of my]hare andintereft in thi; covenam ofgrace, come Lord {efu;, come quickly. 3. Delire after continuance ofthy covenam-ll:ate: many a fweet foul cannot deny but that the Lord bath lhewed mercy on him, but he fears that he lhall not hold out : he feels within fuch a power ofcorruption, fuch flrong temptations, fo many lufls, that now he doubts, 0 what ~¥ill become ofmy. poor foul? what will be the ij{ue of thi; woful work_? why come now,and ddire after perfeverance: when Peter was ravilhed on the mount, it u good beinghm(fayes he) Ictus build three Tabernacles; his defire was to have continued there M t , 7 for ever; and it was the prayer ofChrilt in Peter's behalf, I have prayed for thee that thy L:k~ t~.\,; faith failn•t; what was this prayer but Chrifls vehemencdelire ofPeter's cominuino i.n th.efaith? lhall.Chrifl delire, and wilrnotthou delire after thy own perfection~ 0 c~me wtth thefe pannngs, and breathmgs after God; put forth t,hy defires in thefe or the like expreffions, 0 L.rd thou haft[aid I will betr81h thee tmto me for ever; and what means tht1 !Iofea ,; 19 , but that the conJugal love of Chrift Wttha graetom foul]hall never be brok£11 .' ;vbat 1pefi./1J thu but that thebondofuni011 in abeliever to Chrift i; faftemd 11pon God,andthe Spirit ofGod holds thtoth~rend of~t'. andfoitcan never be brok!n? 2.0 Lord thouhaftdifcovered in thy Word; that thiS l<nton u m the Father,who bath laidafitre foundAtion,the fo•mdtttion of Godftandeth 1 Tim. , ; 19 .' Jure, havmg •hu {eal, the Lord"-zloweththem that are htJ: and that thu »mon u 111 tbe Son, ]oh. 13 • 1 • • who loves hu to theend : and that thu J<nion i; in the Spirit w!.o abides in the ele.'l: fo;- ever. 3, Thou haft de(covered, that th< mountains jlo.tU depart , and the hills be removed, but my kf:ndne{s jha/1 not depart fro"' thee, mither ]hall the.covenant of ·my peaae be removed, Jatth. the Lord, that h'thmercy on thee. 4. Thou haft [aid that the Saints UJ. 14• 10 ' Jhall be k§pt bf the. power of God. q. d. The fpeci11lpotver I medn to put forth in this world, 1 Pet. '· f, tt "•to upho.d th- {ptr~ts of my Samts; the fpeceal worlzJ have m the world to exercife my power about, tt Hto ~epChrifland the Saintsro;;erh<r ; it u through the power of God th.r heaven aHd Mrth" ktpt u; ., bu, if God m11ft with-draw his po!Ver from the om •f o theJe
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