3u ,Book. IV. Looking unto :Jefter. Chap.l.Sed. r ProV. -4• J 3· Lukex. p. enough to ~udy, and know thefe great myfieries, but according to the mea lure of knowledge we have, we mufi mufe, and medi· tate, and ponder, and confider of them. Now this confideration brings Chrifi nearer and clofer to the foul; C onjider.rtivn gathers up all the long-fore .paffed acts and monuments of Chrift and findes a deal of fweetnetfe and power to come flowing from ~hem. confidcration fafiens Chrifl: more Urongly to the foul, ad!· as it .were rivets the foul to Jefus Cl:wifi, and faftens htm intbe heart . afoul that trueiy confiders and meditates of Cbrifr, thinks and ralkes of nothing elfe but Chrii1:; it take> hold and will not let him go. I will k._eep to thee (fairh the foul inmeditation) for t hou art m_y life. Why thus, 0 my foul, ccnjid,'r thou of Chrifi , and of what he did for thee when be was incarnate ! and that thou mayeR: not confound thy fdfe in thy med:tations, con!ider apart of thefe particulars. -As - . 1 . Confider Jefus in his fore-runner, and the bletfed tidings of his coming in . the flefh: now the long-lookedfor tiwe drew neare, a glorious Angel is fent from heaven, anJ be comes with an olive branch of peace; firU, be prefents himfelfto Z echarie and . then to tMary; tober he imparts the melfageon which God rent him into this m~ather world, behJid, thou /halt CDnctive in thy womb,lmd bring j'orth a Sonne,trnd fhalt call his Name {efm. Till now humane nature was leffe then that ofAngels, but by the Incarnation of the Word, it was to be exalted above the Cherubims. What fweet newt:s ? What blelfed tidingswas this mef. fage ? the decree of old rnuft now be accomplilhed, and an Angel proclaimes it upon earth ; heare 0 ye fonnes of .Adam, this concernes you as much as the: Virgin; were ye not all undone in the Joynes of your firft father ? was not my (oul, and thy foul in danger ofhell fire? was nut this our cafe and condition, that after a little life upon earth, we fuouhl have been thrown into eternal torments, where had been nothing but weeping, wayling , and gnalhing oheeth? and now that God and Chrift (hould bid an Angel tell the newes, ye fh all not dye; loe here a Virgin fhall conceive 11nd beare a Sonne, and he /hall beyour '1 [M; he/hall fl zve you from this hetl, and dwh, and ft/'1: he /hall J liveryour [ou!J, he fha/l [ave you to the utmoft, his name is Jef u.r, and he fhall n&t be arehis name f or naught; believe in him, andyou foal! live wjth him inglory. 0 bleffed newes! men may talke what they
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