Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap.2.SeCt:.4 Looking unto Jefru. Book IV.Part.VI. 983 heart ·iook what difpofition there is in it towards the m'embera-of Chrift; and thou maye£1: conolude, there is in Chrifis heart the ve: ry fame difpolition cowards thee. Ah ! do I think there is Jove in my bofome towards t~e Saints,and that there is no love in Chrifis bofome towards me? what? can I think that my narrow, fl:~aitned, !inful bowels are larger than thofe wide, compaffion:ue, tender bowels of J efus Chrifi ? as a drop of water is in comparifon of the Ocean, and as a·gravel-fione is in comparifon of the fand, fo is my heart to Chrifis,and my love to Chrifis,ancl my bowels to Chrifis. Come then ,and try by this fign; herehy we k..>~oW th• .e rre are tranjlt~--_r ]Qh. 3 , 14 • ied from death to life if 'We love the hrtthren; he tloat./oveth not hiJ · hrother,ah'ideth i11 dMth.-Herh; perceive we the !o-pt olqod,hectmfe 6 he laid do'Wn hi~ life jtJI' m, and we ought t_olay down our lives for the v.I ' lmthren;i s not this plain, ifl love the brethren,Chrift loveth me; if I feel in my he:~rt an holy-difpofi[ion to go to God, and to pray, and crie,and intercede [or a Saint in mifc rie; furelythe Lord J efu$ hath as much bowels towards me, to go and intercede for me, and to prefe nt my prayers untoGod theFather; his iocercdijon is mine. 4· lfi am C'Jllcd, jufiified,JanCI:ified, then i~ Chtifis interceflion mine: lre no t thefe the fubjeCl:-matter ofChrifls interceflion? I pray (faith Chrifl) that thou foou!Jft f<!ep them from the e-r,•il.--1 Joh.1 P >• pray thar i bou would(l fantlifie them through the·truth:neither pr11y 1 7•~ 0•14· 1/or the(e t~lone, but for th1m alfo Which {hall be!uve en me through their word, or prtaching;Father I will that thofe whom thou hap given me,6e 'With me inglory. He firfi prayes that we may be called and jufiified,and then he praics that we may be fanCI:ified, and faved: he holds at both ends of this golden chain of our f~lvation;the one end is hanged at his brefi,where the names of al his Saints are writ· ten , and the other end is at his heart that he may be the Au· thor and fin:tlm,the fidl: and lafi,the beginning and ending of our foufs' falv«tion: alas ! there is nothing in us, in our reach · here be· low; the firfi fiirrings of grace is up in heaven at the right hand of the Father; and the far end of any gracious thought is as far above us, as the heart of C.hrifi is above t~e earth : Come then, fith all hangs on this great pin of Cbrifls interceffioa; let us fearch & trie, are we called?do we beleeve on the Son? are we fanCI:died in fome meafure?are we kept from the evil, that fin may not have dominion over us? hath Chrifl: put up thefe praiers in our behalf, that now we feele ( JS- it were) and experience the truth of Chrifis prevailinf,S with hts Father in our hearts and lives ? 0 fnre figns that Chrifis inter cef-

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