Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

.. Io).6 :BookS. LcoHng unto 1eft~~. ~: chap.x.SecK6 Give me leave a little to enlarge upon tbefe words. No fooner Chrift begins the fentence , Dep~rt from me] but methinks I imagine the reprobates to reply ; how ? aepatt from thee?why 0 Chrift, thou art all things, and therefore the Joffe of thee is the loife of all things ; thou art the greate'fl: _good; and therefore -to be deprived of .thee is 'tbe greatell evil; thou art the very center,and perfcchefi of the foul, and therefore. to be. pulled from thee is the moll cruel fepmtion : we were made by .thee, and for thee ,''0 Jet us never be divided from thee; we were made according to thy Image, ' 0 never . drive us from our glorious Pattern; Away, a'Wt~] (faith .Chrifi) ye hne no pan in me, or in my merits, never fpeak, or intreat ,me any more, but depArtfrom-mt. But fecon'diy,they may reply again, if we mufl: depart, and depart from thee, at leaft give •US thy blelflng before-wego, thou hail: great !lore of bleffings to giv~, and we hope t_hou ·hafl: one yet in !tore for u~, we crave ·hut a fmall thing, but ableffing, 0 it ira little one ; thou arc our Father .( witntfs our creation) and it is a.chief property .of a Father co blelfe-his children. No; depart (rom m~ ye cur fed; . inpl11ce of. a blrjfing take ·the f;Jil CIJrfe of JIIUr -h1th~r; you htwe b~m mo/1 prodiga/and difob~dimt childrm: JOU havefol/qw~J him who hAamrfir ft curfe; and now jhAreye curfn with him,curfod 6e yqu in ]1JHT fqu!J ,and in your bodyn;a-nd in -,qur thoughts, andin your words, ~tnd in the haynoufnefs o_fyour fins, and h; the gritflouf1~tf[t of:y:our puni foment. But thirdly, ·if we-mull depart from thee, and depart accurfed, ·yet appoint us fome meet and convenient place to go into; create a fruitful piece of ground. and let a goodly fun daily -fhine upon i.e; let it have fweet a-nd wholefome air, 11nd be fl:ored with fruits, and flowers, of aJl .forms and colours ; give us the variety of creatures for eur ufe~, ; 0 if wee .mufl: go from thee , the fource •nd fountain of heavenly fweetnefs , afford us fome plenty of earthly pleafures, which may in fome fort recompence our p1ine of Joffe, fl?eak but the word, and fucb a place will prefemly !tart up, and thew it felf. No, depart from . me Jl CHr(ed into fire .; thoNgh fire natHTII/fy burns Plllt fPiritJ, Jtl I 'Will lift and eievtlte tbu fire 11bove its nature; J~li hAflt fimud 11gain{l natlire, and I wiD punifo yqu above nature; Fire? alas that ev:er we were bgrn ! who is able to reft ln fire? the verv . . · · - - -- --- - ·· - · · - - - -- thou.gbc

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