Chap. 5. Sett. 9 · Book IV. 337 art dli heaven of grace, full of bright jhining Jlars, Oh that of that fulnefsthou n·ouldft give me to receive evengr~ce for grace; 1pray Lord wuh an humble expeaatton of recnvmg from thee; Oh let me feel the droppings of the two ohve trees mto the golden c.<ndlefhc/,j, yea even into my [ol'/. . . . , , 5. Be we alfured that our prayer (If It b~ mfaith) IS even now beard; never any came to Chrilt with firong expectatiOns to recetve grace, or any benefit prayed for, that was turned empty away; befides Chrifi bath engaged himfelf by promife to write his Law in our beans; to make us l1ke h1mfelf; As he which hath called us uho!y, fo .foould 1 Pct.s: , 5 , (yea and fo !hall) IVt be holy in all manner of conver(ation. Ol~ let us bu1ld o~ 1115 gra- \ cious promife; Heaven and earth fl>all pafj awal' before one JOt or tmle o~ h1s Word thall fail · only underfland we h1s prom1fe m thiS fence, that our conformtty mufi be gradual, ~ot all at once, We all with open face, beholding '"-in a glafs, the glory of the 1 Lord, are changedinto the fame Image from glery to glory; ( '· ) from grace to ~race_; 'Cor. 3· S. or from glory inchoate tn obed1ence , to glory confummate, m our heavenly mhenrance. 6. If notwithflanding all this, we feel not for the prefent this confo1:mity in ~s1 at leafi in fucb adegree ; let us act over the fame partiCulars agam and aga1n; the g1fts of grace are therefore communicated by degrees, that we might be taken off from living upon a received flock of grace; and that we might flili be running to the fpring, and drink in there ; why alas we have a continual need of Chrirl's letting out himfelf, and grace into our beans, and therefore we muft wait at the weli-head, Chrifl; we mull: look on Chri!l: as'appointed on purpofe by his Father to be the Beginner aRd FiniflJCr of our holinefs ; and we mull believe that he \Vili never leave that work imperfect, where– UntQ he is ordained of the Father. We may be confident (faith the Apoflle) of thu very tht~i', thathewhichhathbtguna goodwork_inus, willperf~rmit, or ji~ij11it, untilthe day of efus Chrift, Ph1l. 1. 6. Oh then be not weary of tlus work unnl he accomphfl1 the de 1res of tby foul. I~ha.ve now done with this fubject: only before I finifl1, one word more. Sometimes ( 1/ I have obli:rved that many precious fouL, in their endeavours after grace, holinefs, ' flllctihca<ion, have been frequent in 'the ofe of fuch and fuch means, duties, ordinances; wherein I cannot fay, but they have done well; and for their help I therefore compofed that piece callefl Media; but of all the ordinances of Chrifl, this Looking ~<nto Jef~<s i> made leaft ufe of, though it be chief of a!I: It is Chrirl (when all is done) that is that great Ordinance appointed by God for grace and holinefs 1 and certainly thofe fouls which trade immediately with Jefus Chri!l:, will gain more in a day, th:in others iA a rnoneth, in a year. I deny nor orher helps, but amongft them all, if I would make choice which to fall upon, that I may become more and more holy, I would fet before me this glafs, ( i.) Chrijl's holy life, the great exemplar of holinefs; we were at firft .crea– led after his Image in holinefs, and this Image we loft through our fin, and to this Image we lhould endeavour to be reftored by imitation ; And how lhould this be done, but by looking on Chrift as our pattern? by running through the feveral .l)ges of Chri!l:, and by obferving all his graces, and gracious actings? in this refpect I charge thee, 0 my foul (for to what purpofe flwuld I charge others, if1begin not at home, and with thee?. that. thou make fOnfcience of thi; practical evangelical duty; 0 be much in the exemfe of 1t! not only m the day mtend Chnf\:, but when night comes, and thou lyefl: down on thy bed, let thy pillow be as Chrifl's bofom, in which John the beloved Difciple was fatd to lean; there lean thou with John; yea, lye thou between his brea!l:; ; and Let htm lye all night betwixt thy breajts ; thus mayeft thou lye domzin peace and jleep, and Clant. r. l'J. th; Lordon~ wdl ma~ thee to dwell in [Pfety; and when day returns again, have thiS mN.J. 4 s. mmd, yea, mall thy thoughts, words, and deeds, ever fook_umo [ejiu as thy holy examplar; Say to thy felf, If Chrijl my Saviour were now "P"' earth, wo11ld thefe be his thoughts, words, and deeds? wozeld he be thus difPofcd as I now feel my felf? WOII!dhe fpeak_thefewords that I am now mtering? would he do thu that I am now.pmtin~ "'Y hand ~tnto ? 0 let me not yieldmy felf to any thought, word, or a/1ion, which my dear fefus W01<ld be ajhamed to ow~! yea ~If it were poflible for thee to be fo conftant in this ble!fed duty) gomg and ftandmg, fittmg and lying, eating and drinking, fpeaking and holding thy peace,by thy felf or Ill company, caflan eye upon Jefus for by this means thou canfi not chufe but love lu~ more, and joy in him more, and uufl in him more, and be more and more familiar With h1m, ~nd draw more and more grace and verme, and fweetnefs from h1m; 0 let thiS be thy W1fdom, to think much of Chrifl; fo as to provoke thee to the ~ imitation
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