3-;.o Book. IV. Looking tmto :JefuJ: ·Chap.2. Sed. 3 ------------~--~ Hag. z. 7· ~ant.~·>• SECT. IlL ofdejiring after 'fe[m in that refpeFf. 3..,.Y Et us dejire afte_r 'j_efus, car:ying on ~he grea ~ work of our L falvatwn at hts hrft cornmg, or tncarnatton. lr is not enough to know, and confider, but we rnuft dejire. Nowwhat is dcjire, but a certain motiot. of the appetite, by which the foul dart..r it fel{e towards the abfent good, purpofelJ to draw neare, and to unite it felfe thereunto ? The incarnation of Chrift according to the letter,was the defire of '.l{:ttions; fo the Prophet, I will foal?! <~It 'JX3tions, and the de(ire ofall Nations foal/ come. 0 how they that lived before Chrift, defired after this cornrning of Chrift ! A bra- _ ham deGred to fee that day two thoufand yeares anamore before it carne : it was the expeCtation of all the patriarchi, 0 when will that day come? an~ fu~ely.the incarnation of(hri£1: in the fruit, or efficacy, or apphcattonts, or fhould be the defire ofall Chrifiians. There is merit, and vertue in Jefus Cfiri£1:, in every palfage ofChrift, in his'conception, incarnation; in his birth and in thofe confequcnts after his birth; now to make thefe o~rs, that we may have our !hare, and part, and interel1 in them, we mull: here begin ; 0 my foul do thou dejire, do thou _feek to poifeife thy felfe ofChrift, fet thy. defire (as t~e need!~ point) aright, and all the: reft will foHow : never wtll umon be wtth the abfent good but the foul by defire muft firft dart it-felfe towards it. True i~ is, and pity it is, millions of fouls ll:and at a di~ance from J efus Chrift, and why ? they have no defire towards htrn : but 0 that my foul, and tby foul (wh~foever thou art that readeft) would deGre! 0 that we could defire, and long after him until we languith, and be compelled to cry ?ut with the fpoufe, ~ay me :with fiaggons, and comfort me wtth apples, for I am Jick_ of love. Is there nQt good reafon for it? what is thefe in Chrifi that is not def!rable? view over all thofe excellencies of his conceptio-n; of his two natures, really difringuifhed, and yet wonderfully qnited ; of hi~ birth; of thofe few confequents after h1s birth: but above all, fee the fruit of all ; he was conceived th t our ,conceptions might be fanctified: he was thefon of man th?t he _,!ighl
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