Chap·2·SeCl-4. 1£ooiltng ttnto Jicfu£). Book IV. 147 bur above all, fee the fruit of all; he was conceived that our conceptions might be fanctified : he was the fon of man that he might fuffer for. us, and the Son of God that he might fatisfie divine juftice : he was God and man in one perfon, that -we . might beone with him, members of hu body , ~nd ofhi<jlejh, and of hH bones; ·he w~s Eph ). 30 ; born of the Virgin , that there mtght be a fpmtual conce~tton anJ b~nh of Chnft in our Viroin-heans; or he was concetved and born that we fmght conceiVe the grace ofChrilt i~ our hearts, and bring it forth in our lives; what? are not thefe defirable rhinos? never tell me of thy prefent enjoyments, for never was Chriftfo enjoyed· in this life, but thou haf'c caufe to delire yet more ofChrif'c; It is worth thy obfervation , that fpiriwal dejires after Chrift, do neither load, nor cloy t·hehMrt, bm rather open, and enlarge it for more and more; who was better a~quauJted With God the11 J11ofes ? and • yet who was more importunate to kn0w h1m better ? I befeech th:e fhnv me thy Fh_~d. B· t8. glory : and who wa~ more acquainted with Chrift than Paul .' and yet who was more P 1 • 1 " •3· importunate to be with lum nearer? I dejire to be dt/Jolved, and to be tvtth Chrifl-_ further and further union with Chrif'c, and communion with Chrif'c, are mof'c delirable things, and are not thefe the fruits of his incarnation? the e~ect~ of his ~ypoflatical , perfonal union? more and more peace, and love, and reconoltanon betwiXt God and us are defirable things; and are not thefe the fruits of Chrilts birth , the effects of his budding out of the earth, was it not then that righmufnefs looksd do1vn from lteaven ? that mercy and trmh met together, and righteoufnefs and peace i:jjfcd each other l an higher degree ofbolinefs, fanchfication, likerrefs to God and Chrift are defirable things ; and are not thefe the fruits of his circumcilion, and prefenration to the Lord? the effects of all thofe confequenrs that follow after his birth? come, foul, and f'cir up thy delires; true defires are not wavering and dull, but refolute and full of quicknefs; obfervehow the nature of true defires in Scripture is fet forth by the moll pathetical and f'crong limilitudes of hunger, and thirft, and thofe not cotnmon neither, but by the panting of a ryred Hart after the rivers of waters, and by the gaping of dry ground after fame fef'{onable g,owers. 0 then how is it that the palfages of tliy defires are fo narrow, and almof'c ihut up? nay, how is it that thy velfels are fo full of contrary qualities, that there is fcarce any room in thy foul for Chrif'c, and all his train ? will nonhe . defires of the Patriarchs witnefs againfi thee? how cryed they after Chrif'cs coming in the flen1, botv thehe~11ens 0 Lord, andco:ne down , Pfal. 144. 5. Oh that thou wouldeft l'(al. '44· ,; rent the he~vens, that thpu wouldeft come do1vn, Ifa. 6f. I. Drop down ye heavrns Ha. 6,. r. from above , and let the skies pour dow" righteou(ne(s, let the earth open and bring forth falvation, Ifa. 45. 8. is it poffible that their defires fhould be more ,·ehe- J(a. 45. s, ment after Chrift then ours I they lived on the dark-fide of the cloud, but we on the bright-fide; the vail was upon their hearts, which vail is done away in Chrift; they faw Chrif'c afar off, and their fight was very dim , and dark ; but we all with open face, M in a glafs , behold the glory of the Lord. One> Cor. l · rs. would think, the lefs any .thing is known , the lefs ir lhould be defired . 0 my_foul, either thou art more ignorant of Chrif'c tlJan the Patriarchs of old, or thy heart IS more out offrame than theirs; fufpect the latter, and blame thy heart, it may be thy t~rp1d and nugg•O, nat.ure bath layed thy_ defires alleep; if an hungry man will fleep, Ius hunger wiii.neep w_~rh h1m, but 0 fitr up, and awake thy defires !· prefen[ before them that glonous ob1ed, the incarnation of JefUJ Chrift; it is an object which the very Angels dejire to look_into, and art not thou more concern'd in it than the Angels? ts ~ot the fruit of the incarmtion thine, more efpecially thine? come then, fiir up thofemouons of thy appetite; by which the foul darts it fdf towards the abfent good; draw neater and nearer till thou comef'c to union and enjoyment, cry after Chrif'c, why is ud . hu chartae (o long 1n comtng ? ;rhy tarry the whecles of hu chariots? J '! 5 · ' 8 ' s E C T. IV. Of hoping in Jefm in that refpeEl. 4· LE 11 t . us hope in [efm , carrying on the great work of out falvation at hr$ 1 f'c commg , or mcarnanon. Only here remember , I fpeak not of every hope, but only_ offuch an hope as is grounded on fome certainty and knowledge. This i~ the mam quef'c'?"· whether Chrifls incarnation belongs unto me? the Prophet tells us,thac unto"'" ch,Jd u born, and ~tnto "' "fon u given. But h<1w may I hope that.this chile! ir, · 6 · u 2 '{;l a. 9 • •
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=