472 Book IV. 1Loolttng unto 'jlcfu.s. Chap. 2. sea. 9 . --~-------------------------------------~ Pfal. 3+· 5· Pfa. 123.1,2. Heb. 11. 27. 2 Cor. 3· 18. 'them, 0 ye dry bones hear the Word of the L~rd; And by this means it is that deadfou!s are quickened 1 the miniftry of th~ Word IS tht Trumpet of Jefus Chrift, when that founds, who knows but he may qu1cken the dead ? hearken therefore to this Word of Cod. 2. Ad: faith upon the Lord Jefus as to juftification. As is the clearnefs and fixed– nefs of our fouls in bottommg our fell'es on Chrift for righteoufr.efs. fo will be our quicknefs, and {ucccfsful progrefs m the work of holinefs ; becaufe Maries fins v.-hich were many were forgtven her, therefore jhe hrved much ; bl!t to whom little;, forgivm, the fame loveth little. Many a foulloferh much of vivihcarion, for want of clearnefs in its j~flification, or ~or want of fet_lednefs, and ftron~er mea fure of acting faith. Oh what ltfe would be ratfed as to hohnefs? what worktng binding, filling the Jaws of love, retribution, thankfulnefs would there be, when we fee our felves clearly reconciled with Cod, and wrapt up in the foldings of ever!a!ling love? 3. Trace every Ordin~nce, and_ every duty for the appearings of the Son of God. Bemuch mprayer, hearmg, readmg, fellowlhtp wtth the Saints, Jiving in the fulnefs of Sacram~ms; be much in fecret converlings with God, in meditation, expoftulari– on, e~qumes , fearclungs ; and .( wh1ch " a prmous work ) be much in diligent watchmg of, and hearkentng andltflenmg to the movings, workings, hints, intimati– ons of the Spirit of Cod ; be much in obferving the methods, and imerpreting rhe meanings and hnguage of God in all his fecret difpenfations with the foul. Certainly there will be abundance of the life of God conveyed ro him that walks in thefc parlts Blejfed are they that dwell in thy houfe, might Davidwell fay; and one Reafon is per-. tinem to this cafe, becaufe in our Fathers houfe is bre~d enough, and to [pare; while th~ Prodigal that goes out from it /hall feed upon hu<ks, and wirh Ephraim fwallow up the Ea!l wind. Oh for afpirit of prayer, meditation, &c. Oh for a fpirit even fwal– lowed up in communion with God! Tha~t meeteft him thot worketh righteoJ1nef, and thofe that remember thee in thy wayes. 4· Look much at Chrift raifed, Chrift glorified ; Chrift's Refurre<'tion was the be– ginning of his glory, and therein is comprehended both the glory that draws ddires "· rowards Chrift, and the grace and power that eflabltOJeth faith in its dependancy; They look§d unto him, and were llghtencd----unto thee lift f~tpmine eyes, 0 thouthatdwelleft inthehMvens; behold,., the eyes of the fervants look_ Jmto the hand of their M afters, and as the eyesof a maiden unto thehand•f her Miflru, fo o~tr eyes wait ~epon the Lordour God. It isfaid of Mofes, that he endured ajjliClion, aJ Jeeing him who u invifible :· Oh could we keep our hearts in a more conftam view, and believing medirarion of the glory of Chrift, our faces would certainly bring fome beams of Divinity wirh them from the Mount· We all withopell face beholding .u in a glaf the glory of the Lord, are changed into th; fame image from glory to glory. The very beholding of Chrift harh a mighty conforming and affimilating venue to leave the imprelllons of glory upon our fpirits, . s. See our own perfonal vivification linked unfeparably unto and bottomed unre– movably upon rhe refurrection cf Chrift : when we can by faith get a lig~t of this, jt is not ro fpeak how couragioully and fuccefsfully the foul will grapple m the contro~ verlies of the Lord againft rhe Devil, and our own deceitful hearts ; wirh wha~ !lrength could [ofhua, Gideon,. &c. go on, when backed with a promife, and ~hetrfptrtts ferried in rhe perfwafion of tt? and what ufe w1ll the promtfes be m thiS ktnd? and (more than all) the life and refurre<'tion of Jefus Chrifi, when we can clearly and fledfaftly reft upon this, rhat there isan infeparable concexion betwixt the refurrection of Chrill: and our perfonal holineJ:s, and perfeverance to the end? Oh that I could act my fauh more frequently on Chrilt's refurrection, fo that at Iaft I could fee ir by the light of God ro be a deflinated principle of my vivification in particular I what a ble!fed means would this be? . 6. Walk as we have Chrifl: Jefusfor an example. This example of Chritl:, though it be not ours as iris rhe S.cinians totum Chrijh, yet certainly it yields much ro our vivification ; ;.,ho can deny bur rhat acting with the partern ever in ones eye is veryad– vantageous? come then, and if we would live the life of God, let us live as Chrift Jived afrer his refurrection. Bur how is that? I anfwer.--- 1. See that we return to the grave no more ; take heed of ever returning to o1tr former ftate; you may foy, what needs this caveat ? bath not Chri!l faid, He that liveth and believeth in me Jh•/1 never dvc f or never fall away ? I anfwer 1 it is true, they " . - • JlJalJ
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