Ch-;p.--;-~-2-.---=1.L=--'"""ro_lt_it_tg_u_n-to--;:'jj~cf;--u-:-s:-.----;:;B-oo'k-I;-;-V7"".-2-1_3_ ~<nd glorification to thofe poor foul'; lay you (or at leajl fome of you) the foundation of the Chrijtian faith amongft tho{e heathens, thofe JinntrJOf the Gentsles; and afrer ;ou, I will rai(e up fome o,her Minijfen of the Go{pel zo confirm the fame:. Yea m tbe L<ft t"nes I will raife np many WorthteJ, as Jewel, V ]her, Downham, Peri{:ns,. Hooktr,. Roger~, Shepheard, Bolton, Ajh, Whittaf<tr, &c. who fhall be as bright Stars m the Ftrmament . of th. 1 t Church; andafter them I will raife "Pothen to difcover thi< great dejign to thetr generations, amongft whom ~Jail live jitc? and fuch men, (uch and (ucb women (_a~d here– in 0 my foul rhink of rfty fclf, and 1f thou wzlt of ~hy own fam1ly and relauo~s) fur ] owe a good will towards England, "jl~<ll bt fa•d of England, a' fommmes of Zzon, out Pfat. S<>. t. of England the perfellion of bemtty, bath God jhined.. 0 my foul! how lhould~ thou be ravifl1rd in rhis one medztanon? what? that Clm!t floould caufe the S)ln of hzs Gofpel to come into this Zodiack, ~nd that now in thefe latter times ( ~hen that S~n is fer in Zi 011 , where ir firft arofe) u f110uld make a Noon wnh us, and flune more bnghtly here (for ought I know, or c1n yet learn) than in any. o~het; Nation, Country, King– dom,rhroughout all the world? Oh the depth of the rtches bom of th; wsfdomand coum:rl of 1\om. II: 3;. God, howmfearchable.<re hi< judgments,and hi< way., pajf finding oltt l 9· Confider Chrifts re,ceptionof {inners. He fenrforthhi> Apo!lles recall them in, and if rhey would but come, how ready was be to receive them? This was Chrift's er- Joh. 6 • 18 . 19 ; rand from Heaven, thts was rhe work he came to do; I came down from Het~ven, not to · do mine own will, but tht will of him that fem me; and thu u the Fathe,., wilt whi•h h~th Jentme, that of all whichhe bath given me 1 Jho~tld Iooft >1othing. He muft receive all his father gives him, but he mullloofcnone·; Chriltmullgivean account to GodtheFa- J h· , ther of all which he bath given him, and this will be his account; Thofe that thou!g,wejt u • ' 7· '-• me I have k,;pt, and none of them u loft. Ah poor foul! why f110uldft thou defpair becaufe of fin? look on Chrill as fpreading out both his armes to receive thee' to him; look pn the gracious namre and difpofition th:it is in Chri(t ; look on 'the office of Chrift, it's an office of faving, and fliCwing mercy, that Chrill: hatl\ undertakeh; it's Luke 19 • ro, an office to receive finners; yea to feel(_, and to fave that \YMith war loft, to btlrig ho~1e firaying fouls to God; to be the grc1t Peace-m1ker between God and man ; to 110!t{)f1Cile God to m1n, and man to God, and fo to be the Head, and Husband o( hil'~~oiJie. Certainly the devil ftrangely wrongeth m1ny apoor troubled foul, that he eanbring them ro have hard thoughts, and fufpicious thoughts of J efus Chri!l, how can they more contradict the office of Chrifl? how can they more contradict the GofiJel-defcription of Chrill, than to think him a dell:royer of his crea\ures ; one thatwareheth for thei~ haltings,_ and one t?a.t hath more mind to hurt, than help them? Alvay, away wrrh all preJud1care optmons! refolvc 0 my foul to throw thy fe!f oh !lim tor lzfe and for falvation: why, if thou wilt bur come, he.ll!l.th ptomifed free!~<t'o make thee welcome; all the day lo'ng·he ftretcheth out his arme~;' anc;l would failr garllerrh~e and all others into his fweet embraces. · . C. · · ' \ ·.•·, ei; • 10. Confider rile ealinrfs Of his ):oak, and the lightnefs of hi~:bnn(len .. Manya one p r,Jm 40 , 8 •. ts wtllmg to take J efus as the1r Savrour, btlr they are Ulllllllltn}j 10 take hun on his own r Juhn r. ,. ' fweet terms; Ohrlley. imagine it a~\ liard task, :ind an llcavy Gnrtbcn, JVho may endure Pf.J. 34· S. Jt? itwas.otberwrfewrtll Chnft, I do delight todothywillO myO'od; and 'tis otherwife wuh Chnfl1ans, for his commandment' are not griev•m, faith John; and theref6r€·De- Afl. 0' !Yhn. vsdcalls on others ro try this truth, Oh t4c, a1rd fee ho1v /(ood the Lord iL It is faid offol. t]6r. Ma!!er Sandm, that a little before his death and martyrdom he rold hisWife, that /~e had no riches to leP.'Ut h.er, bm rh~'lt trea(ure ofrafting how fivrtt 'C~rifl io to hungry Co11}oiencrs; . .And of that ( fard he) aJ I feel fome part, and I \l'oitld feel more, fo I betp«mh ii'lmto Pf•'.u9. 11 . rh:e, and to the refl oJ my beloved in Chrift. 0 my foul if thou c:lnft b~t taftc, · thtlu Wtlt find aworld of f"eetnefs in Chrift's wayes; there is fweeznefs in the Word; H~·w fwectare zhy Wordrto my zajle, )'"' fiveater tha11 honey to my mou~h l There is f\veernefs in prayer, hall thou ~or k~own the time t!m 'rhou h•ft r?ucli~d ·ihe hem of·.Chtifr's gar- Rom. 10 • 11 • menr, a~d raned 01 tbe )oyes of Heaven in prayer ·? haft thou not fecn Hea\<en clefr and Chnll firung at God's tight hand? S1mly the Lord zi rich to all them th"t callupon him~ ,There Is fweetnefs 111 meduauon, fame call thJS very duty, The Samts p.-jlime, which recreates and perfum" the tired fpirits: New 0 my foul thou art Ill the exercife of this dury, now 1hou art tn the meditation of the r;afirtefi ;f Chrift', bnrthm, and of rh~ fweet- . ne fs
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=