Chap. 5 . sttt6. j'L,oolitng unto 'j}du.S'. Bool;. lV. P> ij;-i7n~utGod in the world, he fem his Apo!lles and Melfengers abroad, and b;d,tltcm preach the Gofpel to thee; q. d. Go to fuch a one in the dark.. corner of the \rorld, a?J Jjle at fuch adtjfance from th' Nation of the Jews, and [et up my Thront 1 m 10 ngft that ,people, open the moft prectotu Cabtnet of my Love there; and t~mongft that People, tell jiteh a Soul, that Jefm Chrift came tnto the world to fave jinners, of tvhom he iJ one. 0 admirable Love ! . · . 7 , when he faw thee cafl down Ill thyfelf, and refufing thy own Mercy, crymg and faying what'! is it po(Jible that 'fefu< Chrift fhould fend a Mef!age to fuch '!_dead>Dog tt1 I mn t 'why rh~ Apoftle~ Commi/Jion feems otherwife: Go not into the way of the Gentiles, or into any City of the Samaritans enterye not; bm go ratheno thcioft fl"epof the Houfeof !f.~t. 10.5, 6. Ifi'ael. 0 Jam a loft Jheep, but not be.ng of the Hou[c of Ifi'ael; wh~t hope u there that •ver I jhoteldbe fotmd ? He then appeared, ana even then he fp~ed hts ~rms wtde to receive thy foul; he fatisfied thee then of another Commtffion giVen to hiS Apoftles; Go, ·reach all Nations: And he cried even then, Come unto me tholl that art weary and heavy laden with fin, and I will receive th.e into my bofom, and give thee reft Mat. , 8. tp. there. 8. When hefaw thee in fufpence, and heard tl1y complaint, But if! comr, fhall I find fivect tvelcom .' I have heard that hi. ways are tMrrow and ftraight; Oh it i.; an hard paf!age, andanhiohafcent up to heaven! Many Jeek..to euteriu, b~<t fhall notbeablt:L k Oh f wh,lt jiMII b;come of my poor Soul.' why then he told thee o~herwife;. that all hi; u • '3· ' 4 • ways were ways of plert[antnefs, and aft his paths pesce; he wonId gtve thee hts Spmt that Prov. 3·'7· lhould bear the weight, and make all light ; he would fweeten the ways of Chriftianity to thee, that tholl fhoulddl fihd by experience, that hisyoks w:u eafie, and his burden ll'ttl M , 11 , , ~ lizht. · • • • -~· 9· When be faw the wretchednefs· of thy Nature, and original pollution, be took upon him thy Nature, and by this means took away thy original fin. 0 here is the lovely Objeer! What is it but the abfolnte holinefs atjd perfed: purity of the Nature of Chrifl? This is the faireft Beauty that ever eye beheld ; thiS is that compendium of all Glories : now if Love be a motion and union of the Appetite to what is lovely, how lhouldfl tbou flame forth in loves upon the Lord Jefus Chrift? this is rendered as the reafon of thofe fpark\ings, 'fhott artfairer than the children of men: Pfal. 4S· i. ro. When be faw thee aCtually unclean, a tranfgrelfor of the Law in thought, word, , and deed ; then he faid, Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God; and wherefore would he do Hcb. 10 • 9• Gods will, but meerly on thy behalf? 0 my Soul, canlt thou read over all thefe palfages of Love, and doll thou not yet cry out, 0 ftay me, cemfort me; for I am Jick..of Love ? Can a man flanJ by an hot and fiery furnace, and never be warmed? Oh for an hean in fome meafure anfwerable to thefe Loves! Surely even good natures hate to be in debt for love; and is there in thee (0my foul) neither grace, nor yet good nature? 0 God forbid! awake! awake thy ardent love towards the Lord JefusClii·iff! why thou art rock, and not flefh, if thou beefl not wounded with thefe heavenly darts; Chri(\loves thee, i< not that enough? fervent affection is apt to draw love, where·is little or no beauty; and excellent beauty •s apt to draw the heart where there is no anfwer of affeCl:ion at all ; but when thefe two meettogether, what breafl: can hold againCtthem? See, 0 my foul, here is the fum of all rhqmticulars thou haft heard, Chrift loves thee, and Chrift is lovely; his heart is fet upon thee, who is a thoufand times fairer than all the children of men . doth not this double confideration, like a mighty loadflone, fnatch thy heart unt~ it, and almofl drawn forth of thy very breaft? 0 fweet Saviour, thou could!l fay even of thy poor Church (though labouring under many imperfeCl:ions) 'fhM haft ravifoed my Heart, . my Sijfer., my Spou(e, thou haft ravifhed mine heart with one of thineeyes, with one chain Cant. 4' 9,10, ofthy ncc/z_; how fair is thy love , my Sifter, my Sp01qe ? hotv much be:rer is thy love thati •vmc, a,d the (mell •f. thme omtments th.111 ll!l Spices.' Couldfl: thou, 0 blelfed SaVIour., be fo taken wnh the'"!ncurious and homely features of the Church, and flJall not I much more be enamoured \Vith thy abfolute and divine Beauty ? It pleafed thee, my Lord, out of thy fweet ravilhments of thy heavenly love, to fay to thy poor Church, Tttrn away. thine Eyes from me, for they have overcome me; but Oh let me · fay to thee, Turnthmeeyestome, thattheymay overcome me; my Lord, ltvouldbethtuCont,f. 5i ravijhed, I would be O'Uercome; I weuld be tl1!u o11t of my [cif, that I might be all in thee. Thus is the Language oftrue love to Chrift;bHut 1 alas, ho1v dully ~nd flatly do~ fpe,k it; . 2 0
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