Book VI. Jloolttng unto jjefuS'. h-er-w-in-~-s-, -[<:-o t7 h-e-:L;-.o-rd-;-a-:-lo_n_e doth !~ad ;;;h;-za;rl~ Ori hi;-lhoulders, as the man found his foee~, andlaiduonh<>jbou!JmreJ•Ycmg. Nay,. Imu!tyetcomenearer, for Luke '5· 5· Chri!t by his mterceffion fets us nearer yet; Hu left hand uunder tu, and hu rzght hand c.nr. 2 , 6. doth irnbrace u; · he wears us in Heaven as a bracelet about h1s arms, wh1ch made the Spoufe cry our,'0 Jet me M a fcalupon thine arm1 he ll:amps arid prints us on the palms cam, 8. 6. of his hands Behold I have graven rhee on the palms of my hands; as if our names were !fa. 49· 16. written in le;ters of blood upoq Chrift's flelh; he.fers us as a feal upon his heart, that is the exprcllion of the Spoufe t?<>, 0 fct me M afc~l ~tpon thiM hef~rt; Nay, fo ~rec!- Cam. 8 , 6. ous ue the Saints to J efus Chnll:, chat they lodge mHeaven m h1s bowds, and m h1s heart. for they dwell inChri!t, Hereby we k,zlow that we dwl!/tin him; and they dwell in 1 John 4· 13 God,'and dwell in love, For God is love, and he that dwe//eth in love, dwelleth in God. 1 John 4· 16: I know not what more to f~y ; you know the manner ef the high. Prie!ls, was to carry the names of the children of Ifrael into the Holy of Holies on their lhoulders, and on their breall:s: but wos it ever heard that any high Prie!t, belides the great high Priell: of our profellion, fl!ould carry the'narnes of thoulands, and millions on his lhoulders, and on his arms, and on his hands,. and on his wings, and on his bo.fom, and on his heart, na.y in bis heart, and in his bowef•, as a memorial befor~ the Lord ( 0 unmarchable love! Merhinks this love of Chrlfi Plfluld now change my foul into~ Globe or gafs of Di-· vine love towards Chrill:, "'it were by the Spirit of the Lord. Methinks alight of Chrifi in his prefoming himfelf,. and, his facrilice to his Fa1her for me! flwul~ fo enamour my foul ~s that I (]Jould delight 111' no other light bu~ 1\us; then 1s a Chnilian fweetly ex-· ercifed, when as the golden Ball,of Dtvtne love IS toffed to and .again betwixt Chri!l's bofom and his. and in this refpect it is a wonder that before this I am not lickned and overcome wit\{ .love, and ready to cry out with the Spoufe, 0 ft~y me with jlaggons, and comfort me with apples, for I am fic/z. of love· . 0 I am wounded with the arrows of Cam. z. 5· love, {o "' neither grave, nor death, nor h,ll ;, nmher Angels, 11or principalities , nor po:wcrs, nor thingsprcfent~ nor tb:ngs to com:_ can e·ver ltc~the{e wounds,_ or enbalm, or bind them up. 0 myChrift, my Lord, my jeftuwhat Jhould I do but yuld over my [elf "'" Spoufi under the potver of h<r hmband? wh4t Jhou/d I do but lofi my[elf in 'juch" deep Ocean of loves, ftrongcr th~n wine, hotrer than coalsof {smiper, which hatha moft vehement flame ? · 2. Another motive of our l.ove to Chrifi, it is our propriety in Chri!l, Ye are not youro!M, faid th~ Apoftle of Ui ; and he is not kis ow~, may ~e.fay of Chrifi : If any 1 Cor· 6 • '9· ask how may tlus be? I anfwer, thanhe foul m lovmg Chnll1s not her own, a.nd in regard of loving, Chri~ is not his own ; every one makes over it felf to another ; and propriety or intereft to 1t felf on both fides ceafeth: .My JJ_eloved is mint, and I am his, faith tb< Spoufe; not as tf Chn!l Owuld leave off to be h1s own, or to be a free God, Cant. 2 ' 16 • when he becometh ours; no, ;w; ?ut he fo demeans himfelf in refped: of his loves, as if he were not l1is own ; he putteth on fuch relations, and affumes fuch offices (;f engage. mem, as if he w~re all for u;, and nothing for himfelf; thus he is calleda Saviour, " Retleemer, a King, aPriejl, a Prophet, a Friend, a Guide, an Htlld, an Hmband a Leader, Ranfomer, [nterceffor ;· and what not of this nature? ' . 0 my foul come hither, and put thy little candlero this mighty flame; if thou hadll: ren hems, or as many heam in 6ne as there are elected Men and Angels in Heaven and Earth, all thefe would be too little for Jefus Chrifi: only go as far ~s thou canll:, and love him with that heart thou halt, yea love him With all thy heart, and all thy foul, and all thy might; and as Chrill: in loving thee is not his own, fo let thy foul in loving Chrift be not bet own; Come, love thy Cl)rill, and not thy felf; poffefsthy Chrift, and notthy felf; enjoy thy Chrilt, and not thy felf; live in thy chrill:, not in thy fe]f. folacethy fclf in JefusChrifi, not in thyfelf; fay with theApofile, I am cmcijiedwithG 1 Chrifi, nevmhelefs I live, yrr not I, but Chrift /iveeh in me. Certainly, if ever thou a· 2 ' zo. come!l to love Chrifr truly, thou canll: not but deny thy fdf, and all created lovers. This love will fcrew up thy foul, f<,> high above the wotld, and above thy llelh,and above thy felf, and above all other lovers, that nothing on this lide Chrift, whether in heaven or o~ earth, will come in competition with him. Suppofe a man in the top of a Cafile higher than the third Region of the Air, or near the Sphere of the Moon, lhould look down to the fairell and lweetell: Meadows, or to a Garden rich with Rofes and Flowers, of all fweetcolours and delicious fmells; certainly he lhould not fee or feel any fweetnef<, pleafanmefs, colour, fmell, becaufe be is fo far above them. fo the foul filled . ·- - . ' _- . . ~irfl.
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