Book VI. JL;rolttng unto jJefu.s. Chap. 2. sea. 7· 567 'And what then? what matter; oppofiri~f m~.C f;long as Chriftdorh intercede for thee in Heaven ? 0 remember Cbrift's bowels; it may be he fuffers men to be mercilcf< on earth, that thou mayft look up , and behold how merciful he is who fits ab~v~, and tell me, harl thou no _experience of th1s truth? dorh not rehef {\rangely, co.n\' m now and rhan? why, wnteupon rhe forehead of fuch favours, I have 11 mrrcif,.t, and ci>m– pajfionatc Mediator in heaven. . .. • , . 0 I am muoh tempted (fayes another) that l caono; pray ;. hat:\:1 now ~~~~ l>,~y Qf prayer I cot~ld rhen unlock the cabinet where' all God's treafur~s lye, and takp .oQt what I'pleafed; but alas my prayers. are.dull, and weak, and.\lry, and V:'ithQ,Ut fpirit and life, I cannot pray .~If ·fo. behumbledfpr 1t ;,· q11d·yer know.r{us, rh~rwhiln -thou canft not pray, Chrift then _pray~s for thee, and he pr~yn tllaA thou m~yfl: pt•y : And tell me, ha!l: rhou no el'pene11c~ of tlnsuur)l;? bath 1101 fpm~urnes thy Jirj~it .be~n enlarged in prayer? haft thou not fometimes felt rby l•eart warmeil, or fa1•ingly aff<:~ed? harl thou not fomerimes in prayer been lifted ~p above thy fdf, and above tile world? conclude then, My Imafeffor .,buve hAth fenJ m~ thu _tift Ami. Spirit; it-PJ'IPt I, but Chrij/'s intercejfion that by an admirable and (<cm qper,qiop htttbgi1Jen me th< £-pArit to help my infirmity ; theft are the tnterce[Jions of the _Spmt of Chrifl, and they arc thevery .Eccho of the intercejfiom of Chrij/ m hu own pe{fon. 0 but I labour under fuch, and fuch COJfU!lrionj (fayes another) and the Devil is bufie, exceeding bu!ie, and he exceedingly prevails; bow am I overcome with •hefe corruptions, and wirh rbefe and tbefelins? It m~y be fo, and .yer. ~o nor altogether de– rpond; for Jefus Chrirl is ar God's right hand, and'there. he firs till all his enemies be made his foor.!lool; and what? are not rby fin~ !up enetllle> (. 0 be of gopd·.romfov.t, for Chrift will prevail ; it is one pie_ce of hi~ pro~<'~ thi'l ~W pl}ts .up fj:>r 1 rqee, ,To .kPP John 17, 1 5, thee frome·uil; and furely be Wlll e1rher keep thee from If, or ~efp thee iQ i~, t/.lat,in the iffue rbou !llllJ ~ave the v1ctory. Thofo that thM gavrft. me. .J: hay} ~f , (faith V er 1 , Chri(l) and none of them;, l•ft; 1f he undenak~; for thee, tbQ\1 ~r' f;fe ~nd fure ; Hf< lfai.' 5;." 3. Covenant u everlaj/mg, even the fur.e mcrcm of D~v•_d: and_tljqefore ·!fy~t · tl1oudolt nor, certainly thou fi1alt feel the yerrue pf Chnlt s mrercelhon; Gn mujJ b'\_fubdued, bell gltes 'fhall not prevail again!\ thee, qqvill not quench,thy fp,arks.un_ril he l;lrrng fonh judgment unto victory· . .' . : . . . . . Ohbut I am in a futfenng condmon ( flyes ~nother) and there rsnonedm regards or takes pity _on me; all my friends have deah t~qcherouOy .\Vi eh me, .among all my Lovers there rs none to comforr me< they have h.e~rd, tbat 'l f1gh, ~nl\ rhereis .none ~0 refrefh me; I !land for <:;hrilt, bdt rpere is.nonf ~ands by~-I I own!Jim,- but tbfre is ndne owns·me. Bleedmg Cbnft~an, ~ar up ! IS OO\ C)Jn~ ~ ;''ll!ifce.(lion a fufficienc -anfwer ro this cafe? alas thou would,ft be pirie4 [or all rl;ly weairpelte~; 'llhY. ki).Ow chat compaffion is natural to Jefus Chrifl; he is~ merciful high P~iefr, and cari be. no other to thee; God ordained him to officiate in f!lch a Tabernacle as wherein thou dwelle!l , he was in all things like unto thee, lin onlyexcep~~; it may be cljou art ill want, and fowas Chrifl:, be had no houfe; rhpp art per(ec.,u<;if, ~nd fo was Chrifl. lin loads thee, and fo it did ChriO:. A Ch~ifl:iaQs condition t)eeds cqmpafijon, ·and Chri!l knows bow much, and it is his work continually to lay ir open above ; 0 myFa– ther, ,bur, and thM it i.< with the Militant Church, not a Member ~nit, bJtt he i; ~tnder fin and ajfliEiixm; foe here the tears, heark§n to the fighs, t111d groans, "nd chatterings, and mournings of my Voves below; I prefont here their perfons ~nd perf.rm,mces; and oh rh•t they may find acceptance through my merits! Some fpeak of Heavens MuJick, fome tell us of Saints and Angels fingingand warbling in lively notes the praifes of Chrifl: in Heaven; and if any fuch thing be, certainly, it is ear-tickling, hearr-ravilhing mufick - 0 the melody, 0 rhe joy of Saints to hear fucb heavenly ayres with heavenly ears i bur be it asir wlll be, of this I am confident, that Heaven it felf yields no fuch mufick -as is the imerceffionof Jcfus Chrift; this (if any rhi~g in Heaven do it) makes me– lody in rhe emof God, and of all celefl:ial Spirits, Saints or Angels: And ( 0 my . foul) fup?of~ thy felf wit,hin the compafs, if now thou couldfl: but hear what rhy Je– fus is (aymg m thy behalf: Is n.otthi.< a brand newly p/uck:d out of the fire? WM not thio poor [onl but the other day in a flate of n11ture, defiled with fm, within a jlepof hell? and ·did not I fond my Spirit to recall him ? WM not thu preciom blood jhed for the redemption of him? and what <hor.gh fin flick_ "nd ciMvt to.him to thu day, yet have I not given thee cllarge to rak.; away hw filthy garments from him, 4nd to cloatb him with c,/o~nges of ray- . ment
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