324 Book IV. lLooittng unto jjcfu.s. S E C T. VI. Of Loving {e[11s in that refpe£1.: 6.LEr us /011e !efiu, as ~arrying on the great wo:k of our falvarion for us during 1 . Life. Now what IS Love but a motion of the Appetite by tvhich the So"[ · Hs f · · d · ' .., ltmtes rt [elf !o what feems tllr unto tt .; An 1f fo, 0 what a_love! y Object is the Life of Clmll? ~ho can nad over IllS L1fe, who ea~clunk over Ius worchinefs, both in his per– fon, rel~uons,actiOns, and feveral admtmltrattons, and nor love him with afingular love? Tharwh1c~1 f~r the Daughters ~f !erufalem 111 a pofture of fee king after Chrifl:, was «ant. ~.Jo,ll that defmptton of Clmft, wluch the Spoufe made of him · My Beloved u wh · 1 d "• 1 3,14, 1 5• ruddy, thechiefeftof tenthoufands, hu head is M the mojf ftneGold, his LockJa:e~:foy and black_ M a Raven ; hiuy.cs are M the eyes of Doves, by the Rzvers of water, wajhed wuh_ mzlk_, andfinely [et, hucheck,sarea;abedof Sp,ce.r, and fiveet jloiVtrs; his lipslikt Lz/lzes droppmg jivect fmcllzng myrrhe, &c. By thefe are mrnnated unro us rhe gover 1 _ menr of_Chrif!:, the unfearchable counfels .of Chrilt~ the pnrc nature of Chrifl:, witll– out any 1mpumy or uncleannefs ; the gracwus promtfes of Chrilt, the foul-favin<> in– flructionsof Chrilt, the holy actions and jult adminiltrations of Chrift, the rende~ af– fections, and amiable fmilings of Chrift, the gracious, inward and wonderful work– ings of Cbrifi ; [o that be is altogether lovely , or lte is compofed of loves. from top to toe there is nothing in Chrill, but 'ris mofi fair and beautiful lovely and de: firable.--Now as this Defcription_ enflamed the Daugbters of ferufa!e,;,; fo to act our loves towards the Lord Jefus Chnll,_ take ~e a copy of th~ Record of theSpirit in John 5~ 39• Scnptures; fee what they fay of Cbnfl:; thts was hts own advtce, Search the Scriptures for- they arc they which teftifte of me. ' Omy foul, much bath been faid to perfwade thee to Faith ; and if now thou believ– cll: thy part in thofe fev<ral actin~s of Chrill,why let tby Faith take thee by the hand,and lead thee from one ll:ep to another; from his Baptifm tt> his Temptations· from ] 1 is ,Temptations to his Manifeftationg ; and fo on : Is not here fewd enough l~r Love to feed upon? Canll: thou read the biHory of Love (for fuch is the bifl:ory of Chrifl:'s Life) and not be all on a flame? Come, read again! tbere is nothing in Chri/r but 'tis lovely, winning, and drawing; as,-- r. When he faw thee full of filth, he goes down into the waters of Baprifm, tbat he might prepare a way for the cleanfing of thy defiled and polluted foul. 2. When he faw the Devil ready to [wallow thee up, or by his baits to draw and drag thy foul down to hell, he himfelf enters into the Lilt with the Devil, and l~e over– comes him, that thou mighteft overcome, and triumph wirh Chrift in his Glo– ry. 3' When he faw thee in danger of death through thy own unbelief, for (except thoa faweft irt hu hands the print of the nails, and put thy finger into the print of the nails; ex– cept thou hadlt clear manifell:ations of Chrilt even to thine own fenfe,_ thou_wouldeft not believe) he condefcends fo far to fuccourthy weaknefs, as to, ma~tfelt htmfelf by feveral witne[es . three in heaven, and three on earth: yea he mu.ttpltes bts three on earth ro thoufands of thoufands; fo many were the /ignes witneffing Chrilt, that the Difciple which teftified of them, could fay, If they jhoteldbnvnttmcvcryone, the world John a. 2~· t:oRid not contain the Boo/zi thatjhouldbe t>ritten. 4· Whenhe faw the buying and felling in_the _Temple, yea makingMerchandize of the Temple it felf, I mean of thy Soul, whteh 1s the Temple of rhe holy Ghofl:; he fl:eps in to whip out chafe Buym anqSellers, thofe Lulls and Conuptwns: O(cnes he) wilLyou fell awayyour fouls for trafo? 0 what ts a man }Yojircd though he ggm the whole !Vor/d and lofe his own Sout .' . . 5. When he faw thee like the horfe and mule, more brutijl, th,m any man, not havz_ng Prov. 30 , 2 , 3 , the underftandingof~ ma': ;_ thou n:ither learnedjf !Vi(dom, nor hadft the kpo!Vledge of the moft holy ; he came wtth h1s mfrructtons, addtng hne unto. Ime, and pt ec~pt on precept, teaching and preaching the Gojpet of the Kingdom; and fealtng hiS truths wtth many Mtra– Mauh. 4· •3· des, that than maift believe, and in believing thM m•ghteft have life thro~tgh hu Name' and Oh! what is this but to make thee wife unto falvation? · 6. When he faw thee a tinner of the Gentiles, a~ranger from the common-wealrh of Jfrael,
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