16o Book IV. JLoolung unto jjefu.s. Chap.t. ~ea. s. ----~~--~~~~~~~-~--~~-- fingfor joy this joyful fong of gocd will towards men f Awake, awake 0 my foul, awake, awake, utter a Song! tell over thefe paffages, that God is come down imo the world, that God is come ~own in llefl1,_ that God is come down in flefl1 in orderto thy reconciliati~n; that God Is_come downm the ltkenefs of ma·ri, that he may bring thee upintothchkmefsofGod;andtha_tallthefearebur the lirfi openmgs of the Grace, and goodnefs, and Glory of God mChnft unto thy Soul ; and Ob 1\>hat work will t~femake in thy foul, if the Spirit come in, who is the Comforter. SECT. VIII. Of <a/ling on Je(m in tloat rrfpdl•. S.LE.t us.a/1 on {efM, or on God the Father in and through Jefus. Now this caflini onJefiu contains Prayer and Praite. I . We muft pray that all thefe tranfa<'tion> of J efus at his firft coming or incarnation may be ours ; and is not !1ere encouragement fot our prayers? If we obferve it, this very point of Chrifuincarnation o··ens adoor of rich ·entrance into the prefencc of God; we may call it a bldfed Port;! into heallcb. 10_10, ven, nor of Iron, or Brafs, bur of our own Fldh ; this is that new and Jiving way which he h~<th confecrated for m, through the Vail,that i<to(ay,hu fojlr; with what boldne!s and Ereeryds may we now enter into the Holieft, and draw near unto the Il 1rone of Grace? :-vhy, Chri~ is incarnat~, Go~ is come down in the flelh; thougtf'Tiis Deity may confound_us (1f we Jhouldunmedtately and folely apply our f~lves unroit) yer his humanity comforts our faint and feeble fouls, God in his humility~matesour fouls ro come unto him, and to feek of him whatfoever is needful for us. GOthen to Chrifl:. away, away OmySoul, to Jefus, orroGodtheFather, in and throughjefus· and 0 defirethattheelfed, thdruit, the benefit of his Conception, :Birth, ~d of ;hewon– derful union of _the two nature~ of C::hrift may ~e all thine_. What? do'fl: thou hope in ]efus, and _behev~ thy part 1_n thts Incarnation of Chnfl? why _then pray in hope, and pray m faith; what 1s prayer, but the !\ream and. nver of Faith , an 1 Sam. 7. , 7, iffue of the de!ire of that which I joyfully believe? Thou, 0 Lord God of Hojfs, Go.! sf Ift~tel, haft revealedtothy Servant, [tiJing I will b1•ild thee an hOHfe, theriforr hath thy fervant found in hi< hrart, to prAy thi& Prayer unto rhee. 2. Wemuft praife. This was the fpecial duty pra<'tifed by all Saints and Angels at luker.<f6, Chrifts Birth, My Souldoth magnijie the Lord (faith Ma?) ""d my Spiritrejoywhin Luke 1 • 68 • God my Saviour. .And blrjfed be the Lord God of !ftael (fatd Zacb~ry) for l" hath vi– foed 11nd redeemed hil people ; and Glory to God in the higheft, faid the heavenly Hoft; Luke •· 11 , only one An~el bad before .brought the Ne~s,.unt6 ;:•u u bornthil d.-ry in the City of Dav1d a· Sav101m, wh11h u Chrifl the Lord) but Immediately after there were many to fing praifes; not only fix Cherubims, as Jfaiah faw; nor only four and twenty Elders; as '/ohn faw; but a multitude of heavenly Angels like Armies, that by their heavenly Hallelujahs gave glory to God. 0 my foul, do tbou endeavour to keep confort witb thofe many Angels . 0 fing praifes, fing praifes un_to God, fing p~aife.s. Never was like cafe fince the firfl Creation : never was the w1fdom, truth, Ju-!ltce, mercy, and goodnefs of God fo .manifeft before ; 1 /hall never_ forger that lafl fpee~h of a dy!ng ~aim upon the Stage, Blejfrd be God for {e{M Chrift. 0 my foul, hvmg and dy1ng let this be thought on: What? Chrifl incarnate for me? why bltfs the Lord, 0 my foHI, t~nd all that u within me blefr hi& holy Name. SECT. IX. 9 -LEt us conform to Jefm. in re~erence .to this great tran~acHon of his Incarnation. ' ' Looking to Je(M contams thiS, and 1s the caufe of this ; the fight of God _w,D make us like to God . and the light of Chrift will make os like to Chrift ; for as alooktng– Glafs cannot be exp~fed to the Su 11, but it willll1ine like-the fame; foGod receivesn~ne ro comecpplate his face, .!~ut he transforms them into his own likcnef$ by theirradtarl~f
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