Lioking snto 1efus. Book IV. ' birds we know to be mothers when we fee them in their nefts, but np other way; only the hen difcovers her felfe to be a mother, when her chickens de not follow her; for then her feathers fiand up, her wings hang down, £he clockcth mournefully, and goeth feebly; now in refpeCl: of this fingular love, Chriil: com- .pares himfelfe to an hen; Man hm gatbers her t·hickfns, fo would I have r:athered 'faufa/cm. 4· In that he adds fo ,dolefully but ye would not. I would, but ye would not ; q. d. in me no care fo great as to f~ve your fouls, in you no care fo little as your fouls falv1tion. I firove towards you in ads of love, andyou fhove ;towards ~e in ads ofingratitude; I would have done you good. but you would not rec~:ive it; I we11ld, yea how ofren would 1? but ye wouldmt. 2. Chrifts reception of finners appeares yet more in his, praCtice. How welcomewere all forts offinners unto hi~ ? he · cafl:s out none that acknowledgtd him for the Mcffi.ah, he turned none away that gave up their fouls to be faved by him. in his.own way. This he manifefh. I. Parabolically. 2 . Really .· 431 I, Parabolically, efpecially in thole three parables, of the loft groate, and of the loft £beep, and of the loft fonne; I £hall in- Luke 1 ) 10~ fiance in this I aft, which may well ferve for all the refr.--- when ·• · the prodigal WM yet afar off, hu Father f"-w him,and had compajfion QH him, and rnn, and fell on hu ntck,., and kjJTed him. In thefe words obferve. I. Hu Father fees him before he fees his Father; no fooner a finner thinks of heaven, but the Lord fpies him and takes notice of him. 2 . The Lord fees him whiles he was yet "great way &if; he was but in the beginning of his way : his Father might have let him alone till he had come quite home to his houfe, and it had been a fingular mercy to have bid him welcome then; but he takes notice ofhim yet agreat way off: linners may be far off from God in their own apprehenfions, and yet the Lord even then dt.l\vs aeare, whiles thus they apprehend. 3· His Father had pity or comp.~Jlion on him; the Lords bowels even. yearoe , a11d worke, and Jlir within him at the fight of his return~, ing prodig&ls; when Ephraim had bemoaned himfelfe thou hnft Jer. 3 1 • I8,r:JJ ch4fifed me, and I WM ch.iflifed, M II bullock__ unaccuftomed to the ver, 10 ' · JMk!; why then cries God, u Ephraim mJ deare fonne? u he t~ ple~fant child? for (iNce 1 JP•zk!_ agaii:1Jt him, I do earneftly remember · him,
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