Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap.5.Secb L1oking unto :Jefus. Book IV. 479. "Worthiu, tU {ewell, Vjher, Downham, Perkjns, Hcok.g;, Roger1, Shepheard, Bolton, Ajh, Whittak.gr, &c. who /hall be as bright jrar.r in the P,rmament ~f that" Church ; and after ~hem I wilL r,1i[e up others to difcover this gre>~t clejigne to their generations, amongft WPhom jhall liv,e fuch andfuch men, fuch ar.d fuch women (and herein 0 my foul think of thy felfe, and if thou wilt of thy own family and relations) fur I owe a good will towatds Englund, it fh4/l 'P ( 1 . be[aidojEngla11d, asfom~time.r ofZion, out of England theperfe- a.)O %• Eticn of beauty, hath Godjhmed. 0 my foul 1 how iliouldft thou be raviilied in this one meditation? what? that Chrift ibould caufe the Sun of his Gofpel to come into this Zodiack, and that naw in thefelattertimes (when that Sun is fet in Zion, where it firftarofe) it fhould make a noone with us, and fhine more brightly here (for oughH know, or can yet learne) than in any other Nation, Country, Kingdome, through out all the world? Oh the depth of the riche1 both of rhe wi[d9me and counccll of Gud, how unfearchable are hh"judgements, and his wayeJ paft finding Rom 11.; F out? 9. Confider Chriil:s reception of Gnners. He fent forth his ' Apoil:lenocall them in, and if they would but come, how rMdy was he to receive them ? this was Chriil:s -errand from heaven, this was the work he came to do; I ct~me down from heav~n, mt to Joh!l6· 3s>39; do mine own will, but the wi71 of him that fent me ; and thi4 is the Father! will whir:h hath fent me, that of all which he hath ,given me I jhould loofe nothing. Be mufl: receive all his Father gives him, but he mail: 1oofe none; Chriil: muft give an account to God the Father of all which he hath given him, and this will be his account; thofe that thou gaveH me I have k_ept ~ ad none ofthem is John 17 . 1 a:, loft. Ah poore foul! why fhouldil: thou delpaire bec"aufe oHin? look on Chrift as fpreadi'ng out both his armes to receive thee to him; look on the gracious nature and difpofition that is in Chrifl:; look on the office of Chrift, it's an office of faving, and fuewing mercy, that Chnfr hath undertaken; i['s an office to receive Luke r 9 10 , finners; yea to feek, and to fave that l;Vhich wtU loft; to bring home ftraying fours to G9d; to be the great Peace-maker between God ·and man; to reconcile God to man, and man to God, and fo to be the head , and husband of his people. Certainly the devil il:rangely wrongeth m,wy a poorc troubled foul, ~~a.t ht: can bring them to h.ave hard thoughts, and fufp icious, tQ.o.ozhts _,

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