Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Book. IV. Lookinguntofe{us. Cbap.5. Sed.9 caufes, occafions, matters of humiliation : as thus. loe there the evenneffe, gravity, gracioufoeffe, uniformity, holi~effe, fpiritualities, divineneffe, heavenlinelfe of Jefus Chrift; loe there the fragrant zeale, deare love, tender pity, confraot indufiry, unwearied paines, patience, admirable felfe-denial, contempt ofthe world in Jefus Chrift; loe there thofe many, yea continual devout, divine breathings of foul after God his Fathers glory, after · the fpiritual and immortal good of the precious fouls of his redeemed ones; Oh all the admirable meeknefle, mercifulneffe, clemency, charity, with all other excellent temperature, rare cornpofure, wonderful order of his bleffed foul! 0 the fweet exprefllons, gracious converfation ! .Oh the glorious ihine, blelfed luftre of his div.ine foul! Oh the fweet countenance, fa- .cred dtfcourfe, ravifbing demenour, winning deportment ofJelus Chriit! and now I reflect upon my felfe, oh alas! Oh the total, wide, vafr, utter diffcrenc, difrance, difpro.p.ortion of mine tberc:from! I fbould punctually ailfwer, perfectly refemble, accurately imitate exactly conforme to this life of Chrift, but ah my unevenneffe, lightnefs, vanity ! Ah my rudeneffe, grofeneffc, deformity, odioufnelfe, fleightneffe, contemptibleneffe, execrableneffe ! ah my fenfuality, bruitifbnefs, devilifbnefs! how clearly are thefe, and all other my enormities difcovered, difcerned, made evident, and plaine by the bleffed and holy life of Jefus ~ fo true is that rule, comraria juxta fe pojitill magis elucefcunr. 3. Let us quicken, prov<Jke, and incenfe our fluggifh, droufie fouls to conforme _to Chrift. If we will but firid:ly obferve our hearts, we fball fin de them very • hackward to this duty, and tHerefore let us call upon our fouls as David did, 'BleJTe the Lord 0 my jotd, and let all that is within me b!rffe his holy ']\(3me ; let us work upon our fouls by reafoning with our own hearts, as if we difcourfed with them thus , 0 my heart, or 0 my foul, if in the deep counrels of eternity this. was Gods great defigne to make his Sonne like thee, that thou aHl<l mighteft be like his Sonne, how then f1·10ulddl thou but endeayour to conforme ? and what fayes the P, poll:le? for whon-rhdidforr/z_now, he alfodid prrdeftinate, to be conformed to the image of hi.r _Sonne: this was one of his great purpofes from eternity; this l'!W God fet down, before he made the world, that I fbo.uld <;onforme to his.S.on, and what, 0 my foul,

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