~ · ·, t46 Book IV. Jl..ooktng unto j}efu.s. Chap 2.Secr. 3 . born of Mary, and indeed the fi'ft-born of all creawres; and he was confecrat~ unto God, that by him we might be confecrate, and made hol~; 'and that by him we might beaccepted. when we are offered unto the Lord. Agam, obferve Chnlls flight ; 1110 Egypt; though the infancy is ufually moll: quiet, and devoyd of trouble, yet here life and toyle, began together; and fee how fpeedily thiscomes after Chrills dedication unto God: alas! alas! vveare nofooner born again, then we are perfecmed. if the Church travel, and bring forth a male, fhe is in danger of the dra~ons flreams.'Again Mat. 15. ,I• obferve C~rifl's return into Judea, he was not fent but to t he _loft flue~ of the houfe of Ifrael ,; With them alone he was pcrfonally to converfe m Ius mtntftry, tn which refpeCI: Rom. 1 r. 8. he was called a Minifter of circumcijiolf. And where /hould he be trained, and /hew him. fdf, but amongfl them to whom God had fem him? the Gofpel firfl began there and as a preparation to it, Chrifl now in his childhood returnsthither . Again obferve Chri!t difputing vvith the Doctors in the Temple; in his very nonage Chrilt gives a rafle ofhis future proof, fee how early his divine graces· put forth rhemfelves, Col.'· 3, in him were hid_ (~aith. the Apoflle) all the treafures of wi(dom a"d kpowledge; all the rreafures were htdmhtm, and yet fome of thofe rreafures appeared very early betimes : ltis wifdom in his very infancy is admired at, nor is it without our profit , for of God , «or, ,, 3 s. he u madewifdom untQ "'· Again, obferve how he fpent the remainder of his youth inall his examples he meant our inftructions, he went down with bu Parenrs, and w.; [11bjetl to them, he was nor idely bred, bur ferves his generation in the poor way of a Lam; 3· >J, Carpenter; it i> every waygoodfor a man to bear Gods yok! even from hi< infancy. Chrill is enured berimes to the hudlhipof life, and to thellrictobfervarion of rhe Law both of God and nature. See, 0 my foul, what a world of matter is before rhee to confider of, here is {efm under many anation, here'sthe annunciation of Jefus, the conception ofJefus, the du– plicity ofnatures in J efus, the real diftindion, the wonderlul union, the nativity of jefus, together with fame confequems after it. Go over thefe with often and frequent tho·ughrs, give not over till thou feelell thy heart begin to warm; true meditation is as rhe bellows of the foul char dorh kindle and inflame holy affections, and by renew– ed and more forcible thoughts, as by renewed and ftronger blans it dorh renew and increafe the flame. SECT. IJI. ot defiring after [efi<> in that refpeft. 3. LEt usdejireafrer JefU<, carrying on thegreat work of our falvation at hisfir!t coruing, or incarnation, It is nor enough ro know , and confider , bur we mull defire. Now what is defire, but a certttin motion of the appetite, by which the (out darts it felf towards the abfen~ good, purpofely to draw near, ttnd to unite it felf thereunto f Tlie incarnation of Clmil: according to the letter, was the defire of Nations; fo the Prophet, I willJhak! aii1Vations, ,md the defire of 11/1 Nations Jha/1 tome. 0 how they that lived before Chrill:, defired after this coming ofChrill ! Abrahamdefired ro fee that day two. thoufand years and more before it came : it was the expectation of all rhe Patriarchs, 0 when will that day come? and fure!y the incarnation of Chril1: in the fruit, or efficacy, or application is, or /hould be rbe defire of all Chrifiians. Therei• merit, and venue in Jefus Chrifl, in every palfage of Chrifl, in his conceprioq, incar– nation· inhisbirth, andinrhofeconfequemsafterhisbirth; now to make rhefe ours, that w~may have our !hare, and pan, and imerefl in them, we mufl here begin; 0 my foul do thoudefire, do rhoufeek to polfefs thyfelf o~Chrifl, fer th)1 defire (as the needle point) aright, and all the reft wtll follow : never will umon be wrth the abfenr good, but the foul by de/ire mull: firft dart it felf towards it. True it is, and pity it is, millions of fouls !land at a diftance from I efus Chrifl, and why ? they have no defire towards him : bur 0 that my foul, and thy foul (whofoever thou art that readell) would defire ! 0 that we could defire, and long after him until we langui01, and be compelled to cry out with rhe fpoufe, flay me with jlaggons, and comfort me with appl~s, for I art~ <Zanc. :. f~ fie"-. of love. . Js there nor good reafon for it ? what is rhere i": Chrift that is not defi:~ble?. v.ew over all rhofe excellencies of his conception ; of !us two nature•, really d~thngmlhed, and yet ~onderfully united; of his birth; ofrhof.e f.ew co.nfequems after !us b1rtu:
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