114 Book lV. 1!.rolung unto ]ltfus. Chap. 5 .setb. ---- 1' lal.n . . nef~ ?f his wayes, tell me, is there not·hing ?f He~vcn in this meditati~n I is it fweet ? -; 99 or IS tt bmer to thy foul? thou mayfl: read m Scrtpture of many admtrable effects of \'er. 91 , meditation, as that it confirms our knowledge; I have more underfranding thail all my vcr. •>· teachers, for thy teflimonics are my n:editati•n: that it infhmes our love, Oh harv l~n~e I thy La1v ? it u my meditation all the d•y; that it call:s a fweet influence Pfat 104 ; 34 ,-on qur lives , I rt;ill meditate in thy prrctpts, and hiO'Vc reJFcEt unto thy W•I)'CS. I' , ·What? is it thns wuh thee·? canfl: thou fay with David, My meditation of hi,;, (al. 9~· '9· )hall be fwett ? And in the multiwde of my thoughts within me ,. thy comf•w e:r:~ cuding!J delight my fo~<l.? Why then thou· hafl truly tall:ed of Gods goodnefs, thou hafl: aCtual dtfcovenes of the fweetnefs of Gods wayes ; thou h>fl: experienc'd Matth. 1 q. this truth, that hu yo'"!c u eajie, and hu burthm i; light; 'that hu way<~ are wAyu Pfal. u9·99· of plul[antnefs t<nd all hu paths are pe11Ce. Oh tf men dtd but know what ravilhing fweetnefs were in the wayes of God, they could not hut embrace them , and efteem •n• d11yes fociety with Jefus Chrift (as Caracciolus did) betrer than all the gold in the world. Cant.$.io. II. Confider the holinefs of Chri!l's Nature, and the holinefs of Cbrifl:'s life. I. For the holinefs of his Nature if thou could'ft bur clearly fee it, what work would it make in thy breall:? Chrill:'s inward beaury would ravilh love out of the Devils , if they had but grace to fee his beauty ; yea , he would lead captive all hearts in Hell , if they had but eyes to behold his lovelinefs. 0 what a Flower? what a Rofe_ of love ~and light is the Lord Jefus Chrill:? ~ Beloved is white :'"d ru4dy, fa1d the $p.oufe, . the chiefejr •f ten th01{a11ds. Sum– mon before Chnll:, fatr Angels , glodfied Sptrtts , the azure Heavens, the light– iOme Stars , all th~ delicious Flowers , Gardens, Meadows , Forrell:s , Seas, Moun– ra;ns, Birds, Beall:s, yea and all the Sons of Men , as they lhou\Q have been in the world of innocency, and let them all ftand in their higheft excellency before Jefus Chri!l , and what .ar~ they ? the Saints .in. glory.now fee the F.ce of Chrifr ; ( i. ) they fee all the d1gmty, beauty , that Js m Chnll: ; and they are fo taken wirh hi$ light, that they do nothing .dfc but ll:are, and gaze , and behold his Face for Ages , and yet they are never fati<tied with beholding ; fuppofe they could wear out their eyes at the eye-holes in beholding Chrill: , they lhould ftill defire to fee more. 0 this loyeJinefs of Chrill: ravilhes the fouls of the glorifi– ed, how i9 it 0 my foul that thou .art not taken with this meditation ? But, 2. Go from thr holinefs of his Nature~ to the holinefs of his Life, it may be that will make deep impreffions on thy fpirit ; confider his charity , his felf-de– nial , his contempt of the world , his- mercy , his bounty , his meeknefs , his pi– ty, his humility, his .obedience to . his .Father. A fruitful meditation on thefe particulars ~annot cannot but caufe fqme refemblance within , and make thee like Chrift.' 0 the wonder, that any lhould difclaim the aCtive obedience of Chrift, as 10 his own jull:ification I Away, away with thefe cavils, and conf1dcr the obe– dience of Chrifr in relation to thy felf. God fent forth hw Son made of a woman, made under the Law, t•· redeem them that were under the L11w, that we might rt· ceive the adoption of fom. It is a fweet note of DoCtor Andrews, Chrift made under the Law ( i.) under th• whole Law; the one half of the Law (which u the direfiive part ) he WM made under thttt, and fatujied it by the innocmcy of his life , with<~~t breaking one j•t or tittle of the La1v , and (•. he. anjivers that part, as it might be the principal ~ the other half of the Law ( whtch H the pt~Mity) he IVM u~der that d/fo, andfatujied it by jisjfering " Wl'ongful de~rh, ~10 ~MY deferved or due by him, and fo he anfwemJ that part M it might be theforfett~IYe. But if wt come n•w to "'"- for whom u all thu? it iP only for us, that 1ve. m•ght be rrdeeme~ and ad•pted; m/.eemed from all evil , and adopted or. interejfed •nto all good. If th". b_e fo, 0 who would for a world of gold lofe the J~fluence, and the benefit of Chnft < aCtive obedience ? confider of this 0 my foul ! ull thou feclell: [ome vertue t9 come out of Chrill:'s life into 1hy fe.lf. , SECT.
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