Chap.3.Secr.f1- Luuking unto 1efos. · Book IV. 447 firll tall of this fweetnelfe is ufua!ly at the firfl: taking of Chrifl:s yoake upon us; as Merchants defirous to fell their wares, are cofitent in the· firfi place to let you fee, and handle, and tafl:, thereby to induce you to ~uy: fo Je_fus Chrifi willing (as ~t were) to part with heaven, .he ts content m the firf1 p!ace to tmp!!r t a certaine tail: before hand, and to fweeten the waw. of godlme{fe untous· Beho!dlwillallureher ((11ithGoJ) t<ndbrirz.f, htr intotho H r' . wildernefre, andfpealz_comfortaGly unto her, What is it that God 0 ' 1 ' ' 4 •· meanes by alluring ofhis people? I anfwer , it contaipes thefe · tbings As,- I. AMcovery of the beauty of holineffe ; when God lirfl: effectually calls the foul home to himfelfe, he fets open the beauty of his fervice ; naturally the heart is poif~ {fed with much prejudice againfl: the wayes of Religion, Oh what a fl:riCl: rule is this to carnal men, to pull out their right eyes, to cut off their· right hands, to hate father, and mother, and wife, and·lands, and lifefor the Name ofChrifi, to cro{fe rbeir own deftres, to deny their own felves, to rryortifie their earthly members, ;to f~llow the Lamb through evil report and good .report , through i!fflicHons, and perfeEUtions, and manifold t~mptations whither fo~ver be goeth, to war with principalities, and powers, and fpirituljl wickedneffes in high places? and hence it is that the Lord i~ forc'c to fet forth the wayes of ( hrifi as beautiful, even under crolTes and afflictions; thus when the watchmen fmote the ChQrch, and wounded her, and took away her vayle, yet fhe frill acknowledged Cbrifr (for whofe fake fhe Iuffered) to be·'PJ,hite avd ·otddy, the{<1irefl of ten thoHfonJs. Chnfi fets forth himfelfe and his . . wayes in aH the g.-ace, and goodnelfe and beauty, an~.fwee;tn eife, Canr. 5· 7, !o,. and lovdinefs that poffibly may be; q. d. by tbefe I wijl allut:e . them hat belong Qnto me. z. An out· bidding ofall the temptations of othe-r lovers ; before Chrilt come, fouls go a whoring from Chrifl:, ~heir hearts aile allur d by othcr!over~; t 1 le world, tht~ li~(h, and d~vil come in and th ~ y proffer loUli luch and fuch conreatrnents . but when Chrifr wmes, he deales with fouls in a more pf)werful' way, .and he out btds all thei fqrmer lovers, q. d. did their )overs pro-ffer them comfort? J will bid more comfort ; did their lovers proffer g2inc• .? I ·.viil b d more gaine; did their lovers proffer f)ono!Jr and 1eip..:d? . I will out. bid-th(m in thatalffl, And indeed, then hath
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=