Chap. 3· Sett. 4· 1Loolttng unto 'jjefu~. Book IV. 197 2 Though you feel not ~hefe things for the prefenr, yet in time you may do ; yea cert~inly if you belong to God, in time you will do; 0 bu~· when? you will 'fay, when? I anfwer, the fir!ha£l of this fweemefs is ufually at the fidl taking of Chrifls yoak upon us; as Merchants dellrous to fell tl~eir wares, are content m the firft plac~. to lee you fee and handle, and tilt, chereby t.o mduce you eo buy: fo Jefus Chrtft wil,mg , (as it were)' to p.•rr with heaven, he is C0ntem in the fir!! place to impart a certain tafl: be- Hof. •· '4• fbre hand, and to fweecen che wa¥es of godlinefs unto us; Behold I will allure her _(faith God) and bring her intothe)~i/dernefs, and fpealz.c?mforta~Ly unto hn·: What IS It char God means by alluring of Ius people? _I anfwer, It comams chefe chtngs. As,-- 1. A difcovery of the beaucy of holtnefs ; when God fir!): effechially calls the four home to himfelf, he fets open the beauty of his fervice; naturally the.heart is po!Te!Ted with much prejudice again!l:. thnv'ayes of Religion, Oh wh~t a !!rid rule is this to catnal men, to pull out thetl· pght eyes, eo cut off rhetr nght hancls, to hate father, and mother, and wife, and land~ , and life for the Name of Chrifl , to crofs their own defires, to deny their own felves, eo mortifie their earthly members, to follow the lamb through evil report and good report, through affii&ons, and perfecutions, and manifold temptations whither foever he goeth, to war with principalities, ·and powers, and fpiritual wickedndfes in high places? and hence it is that the lotA is forc'd to fet forth the wayes of Chrift as beautiful, even under cro!Tes and afflictions; thus when the watchmen [mote the Church , and wounded her, and tool< away her vail, yet .lhe !\ill Gmt. S· 1 , 1 o. acknowledged Chnft (for whofe fake lhe fuffered) to be white and ruddy, the faireft of ten thot<[ands. Chrit! fets forth himfelf and his wayes in all the grace, and goodnefs, and beauty, andfweernefs, andlovelinefs that poilibly may be; q. d. by thefel will allure them that belong unto me. 2 . Anom-bidding of all the temptations of other lovers; before Chri!l come, fouls go a whodng from Lhrift, their hearts are allured by other lovers ; 'the world, the flelh, and devil come in, and they proffer fouls fuch and fuch comentments; but when Chri!l: comes, he deals with fouls in a more powerful way'· and he out-bids all their former lo– vers, q. d. Did their lovers proffer them comfort? I will bid more comfort; Did their lovers proffer gain? I will bid more gain ; Did their lovers proffer honour and refped ? I will out-bid them in that alfo. And indeed, then bath the G~fpel a true; and full, and gracious work upon the hearr, when it yield,s eo the proffers of the Gofpel, as finding that all that the world can bid is now our-bidden, you know, when one comes to offer fo much for a commodity, and another our-bids him, he carries it away; fo when the world, and luft, and tin proffer to the foul fuch and fuch contents, then comes Chri!l: and our-bids all, and fo the bargain is made up, and Chriil: carries the heart away ; fin– ners, it may be as yet you feel none of thefe things, but in time you may do, and in the mean time you fee here is a word for it, Behold I will allure htr, &c. 3. They object, the Saints themfelves feel no fucb things, for ought appears to the world; whofe fpirits are more heavy.and fad? as it isfaid of Chri!l himfelf that he ne- C 1 ver laughed, and as David faid of hirnfelf, Why art tho~t caft down 0 my fo~tl, andwhy P•,• 4 '· s. art rbsu difquieted within me ? So it may be faid of fome Chriflians, if they arc ftrid that they are feldom merry, or pleafant.·-- ' But~ anfwer-- r. Chri:!lians that keep indeed dofe eo the rule, are for the ll!oft partfenous, and the word may fuppofe them, as fad. z, It may be they are not in their element, in the acts of Religion, and therefore they cannot exprefs rheir fpirirual cheerfulnefs . a fifh cannot delioht it felf on the earth, but. whet~ it is in the water; a bird doth not ring on the ground, 0 but when it is got up into the_atr; Gods ~cop le cannot rejoyce in fin, as drunkards and revellers do, bm when theu· hearts are m Religious exercifes, and in communion with God, they are merry and p!eafanr. , ?· It may be they are in fuch company as may make them fad: the men of the world obJect agamfl Samts, that they are heavy, and four,and melancholy men,bur in the mean tltne they confide~· not that their fwearing, revelling, and dilhonouri_ng of God hath madethem fo penftve. Why finners! your carriage grieves the very Sptrtt of God, You Gen. 6 • 6 • gne'Ve Godat. the heart, as it is exprefTed, Gen. 6. 6. and therefore no wonder if the god- A ly cannot ~-eJoyce tn your finful fociety; you are the caufe of their fadnefs; but admit them once Into the company and fellowfhip of che Saints, and they kno'Y how eo be J·oyM . - 4· If
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