Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Looking unt~ 1,fus. Book IV. he is called a Shepheard, I am the feoBa Shephe11rd, and k._now my J 1 d l.. f . ft h 1: • • 0 J, I O, I 4• jhup, an am K!lown o mme: or ee t .ou a 10untame, nvers, waters? he is called a fountaine, in that day there foal/ be a f ountaine opened to the ho11Je of David, and to theinhabitantJOj 'ferufa- zach . 13 • I , /em, for fin, and for uncleanne./fe ; or feeft thou a tree good for food, or pleafant to the eye? he is called the tree of life, and a. Prov. 3<18 . the apple tree among the trm of the wood, fo is my belovedamong the Cant 1 • 3• fonnes. seeft thou a rofe, a lilly, any faire flower in thy garden? c he is called a rofe, a lilly, I am the rofe of Sharon, and the lilly of anr. 1 ' 1 ' the vallyes, or to come a little nearer yet, art thou witl1in doores? I am the d~ore, by me if any man enter in he jhall befave~, andfoa/l Job, 10• 9 , go in and out, and foal! finde pajfure. · Art thou a:dormng thy felf, and takeft a view ofthy garments? he is called a garment, put ye Rom. x3.I 4; on the Lord 'fefm Chrift. Art thou eating meat, and takeft a view on what is on thy table.? he is called bread, the hread of God, Joh .6.~ q 5'~ true breadfrom hraven, the /!read of life, the living bread which 5_1. came down from hr~~ven : Why thus Chrift way-layes our thoughts that wherefoever we look, we fuould ever think of Chrift,- now thefe thoughts or contemplations of Chrift, are they that bring together the object and the faculty of joy~ I cannot think ofChrift, or the life ofChrift, ofCarift preaching, or of Chrift preached, but I muft rejoyce in Chrift; as fometimes the Apoftle faid, Chrift is preached, whether in pretence or truth, I matter not, Phil . I· 18. but in that he is preached, I therein do rejoyce, yea and wilt rejoyce. 2. Let us confiderln Chrift, let us upon good grounds hope our fhare and intereft in the )ife,ofChrift ; 0 this would ftrengthen our joy, yea fill us with joy unfpeakable and glorious, where true joy is there is firft a thinking of the good in our mind, and fecondly an expecting of it in our heart; hence it is that whatfoever doth encourage our hope ; the fame doth enlarge _ our delight ; th~ Apofile-joynes both thefe together, rejoyce in R0m. 1 t. I:, hope: hope and JOY go both together; ifl have but affured hope that Chrifts life ismine, I cannot but rejoyce therein: on the con- ~rary if my hope fluctuate, ifl am but uncertaine, ifl look on the Jnfluence and bene~ts of Chrifts life as only poffibly mine, and ~o further , than ts my comfort but unftable and weak; fomettmes we finde Chrift compared to a rich ftore-houfe; in him (faith the Apoftle) arehid fi ll the treafum ofwifdomeand kpowledge, but Col. ! , h · T t t 2 alas,

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