Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

.118 Book. II. Looking unto :Jefus• ·C1nr.6. r. .Cam.S.6.• thy hands, and be thankful! for it. Prayer, ejaculation, contem-, plation, judicious obfervation of the ~pirits feafon, are thy bell inftruments to kindle this fire of love in rhee. And methinks thy heart fhould begin now to melt , methinks it fhould receive more eafy impreffions from the object before it. methinks thefe eternall workes and acts ofGod and Chrift to2 wards thy poore foule tbould begin t.:> overcome thee , and to burne thy heart as witbcoles of'funiper. Why .ord, is it thus? was I eleCted from all eternitie in Chrift? was I ordeined to a glorious inh~ritance before there was a world? was this bufine!fe, to make me happy. one of the chiefe deepe counfels of God ? was this one of the works of his wifdome that he was exercifed about he· fore the world began? was this the great defigne of God in making the world, and in making_heaven, that place of glory, to glorifie himfe!fe, and to glorihc fuch a poore wretch as l am? 0 then how fhould this but mightily inflame my heart with the love of God, and love ofChrift? how fhould 1 choofe but fay as the Martyr did,oh that I bad as m.tnJ lives, as I haw haiers on my head to lay them downe for Cbriff? Ah what flames of divine affeCtion, what rapt.utes ofzeale, what ravitbments ofdelight, what extafies of obed1ence can be enough for my ble!fed God, and deareft Redeemer? · SECT. VII. ofjoyi,;g in Jefus in thatrefpe/1. 7· '\T 7 E mufi jQy in {efus,as carrying on thar greatworkofour V V falvatlon in that etermty.Thts F1 iJ rt pt!Jfivn ,,;-;Jingfrom thr ['ll'eetene(s of the obje£l that we enjcy 0 my foul , dc. fi thou be· lieve? and art thou now caft into a pang oflove?how [hen {hould thy j Jy but come on? As Chrifi faid to the ;o. in this reio)'ce not, that the fpirits are fubjeEt unto yw , but rmher reioyce bect.1n(e your names dre written in heaven; fo reioyce not thou in th1s, that the world is thine, that riches are thme, that thou haft fnbdued men and divels, but herein reioyce that thy n~me is written in the book of life. 0 what a comfortable point is this! that the Father . ~d

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