Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Lou king unto 1efus. Book .I. world are _mifplaced ; ther•s few that have a care of this choice, ofthis high Gofpel-ordmance ; I iliall therefore reprove both ·the ungodly, and godly. 1. For the ungodly, not qod, nor Chri.ft is in all their thougliis. I'fal, 10 , 4 ;, · Alas! they never heard offuch a duty as this; they cannot tell ' what it means to lookJmto [efU4. Nor fpeak I only of poor Jndi- ·ans and other favages of the unchriftian world,whofe fouls are o· ver~clouded with the blackefr i:nifrs of irreligion that the.Prince of darkneffe can pofiibly inwrap them in,who came into the world, not knowing wherefore , and go out of the WQrld not' knowing whither, an heavie cafe, which cannot fufficiently be bewailed with tears of blood; But I fpeak of fuch as live within the Para<iife of the Chrifrian Church, that hue nothing to difl:inguiili them from thofe Indian mifcreants but an outward conformity, outward formalities,' 'the charity of others, and their own Oight imaginations; why alas ! thefe are·they that the Lord complains of, that they have eyes, and fee not; /Wy pfople have forgotten me dayu without n11mber, they have neg-· Jer. t, ~11 • ligently fuffered me to be out of their minds, and that for a long time. You will fay, is there any fuch here? Can J taxe any of you, that you fhould not ·!ool(.up to -7efU4? are not your eyes towards Chrifl: in your prayers, praifes, foliloquies, publike and private duties? Nay, are not you now in the dht)' whilefr I am .(peaking, and you h~aring? r I anfwer, however you may deeme that you 'do this orthat; yet God reckons it as a thing not done in thefe refpeB:s. ·- I. -When it's not done to purpo(e; as if our loo~ to Chrift makes us not like Chrifr; a man may give a thoufand glances every day towards Chrifr, yet .if there be no effectual impreffion upon the heart, Chrifl: takes it as if he had never looked towards him at all. ~· When it's done unwillingly. Sometimes men think of. Chnfi, but they knownot how to fhun it. the Lord breaks in upon their fpirits whether they will or no 'whereas their own ~em per is to foll?w, and to purfue other o~jects : thus you drop mto our affembhes out ofcufrome, or falhton, or for fomeBnifte~ en~, and h~re is Chrifl: lifted up upon the pole,he is dikover- Ira. ; , z. . ed tn hts beauties, graces fweetneffes excellencies but when you 3 r. h' r. , ' ' ~e~ tm~ you 1ay, he hath _no forme, nor comelinrffe, there u no E ee",luty

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