L~oking ut~to 1eft14, Book III· ana fet before thee a!! thefe paffages of Gods love in Chrift ; are net thefe ftrong attrachves to gain thy loves ? what wilt thou do ? canft thou choofe to love the Lord thy God ? {hall not all thi~ love ofGod in Chri£1: to thee confirain thy love? it is the exprefiionofthe Apofile, the loveofChrift conflrairtes us; God in t Coq.I4 Chrift is the very element of love, and whither fhould love go but to the element? ayre goes to ayre, and earth to earth, and all the rivers to the Sea : every element will to its proper place ; no~ God is love, and whither fhould thy love be carried but to 1 J ob.4, I6. this Ocean, or Sea oflove? Come my Beloved ( faid the Spoufe ' to Chrilt) let us get up early to 'the vineyards. let UJ fee if the Vine {Uiurijb, whether the tender grapes appear: t•here will! giw thee my loves: the flouri£hing oft~e Vine, and the appearing ofCant.7.u the tcl)d~r grapes , are the fruttes of the graces ofGod in the Affemblies of his Saints, now wherefoever thefe things appear, whether in Aif~mblies, or in fecret Ordinances, then and there (faith the Bride) will!gi'l!e t~ee my loves; wh~n thou ~omeft to the Word, Prayer, Medttatton, be fure ofthts, to gtve Chrift thy love ·: what? doth Chrift manifeft his prefence there? is ·there any abounding ofhis graces there? Olet thy love abound ·by how much more thou feel eft Gods love towards thee , by {~ much more do thou love thy God again;many fins being forgiven, how1fhouldft thou but love much ? • ------------------· -- ( s:EcT: VII. of joying in Ie{t14 in that refpec,1. I 7· w~ .E mu~jo~ in[efm.ascarryingon the great work ofour . . falvatton ~~a way ofCovenant. I know our joy her-e ts but m part; fuch ts the excellency of fpiritual j6J , that it is referved for heaven , God will ~~t permit it to_be pure and perfeel: he:e belo~;- and yet fuch as 1~ ts (though mwgled with cares and ~ame~) tt ts a bleifed duty; tt is the light ofour foules; and were tt qutte taken away, our lives would be nothing but horr~ and confufion:, -0 my'foui, if thou didfl: not hope to encountet - . - H. h 2. - joy I
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