Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap.3.Seet,8. Book I. are to performe thi.s duty. Pratlic~ is th~ end of all found do- 1 ctrine, and dufJ IS the end of all rtght fatth, nOW that you may do what you have heard in fome good meafure, I Ihall prefcribe the directions in the next part prefcribed. But firfl in the work obferve thofe two parts of the text, the ad:, and object; the act is looking unto; and the o~jecr is {efm . t.By /ook.f.nc; unto,we meane (as you have heard) an toward experimental k_~owing, de.ftrirtg,boping; beleeving, loving, cal!itl~ .on Jcc /m and conforming to (efm : .it is not a bare fwiming knowledge oEC:hrill:, it is not a bare thinking ofChrill:; as Ch.rift hath various excellencies in himfelf,fo hath he formed the foul with a power ofdiverfe wayes apprehending ,that fo we might be capable of enjoying thofe divers excellencies that are in Chrift ; even as the creatures having their feveral ufes, God hath accordingly .given us feveral fenfes, that fo we might enjoy the delights of them all: what the better had we been for pleafant odoriferous flowers, or fweet perfumes, if we had not poffeft the fenfe of fmelling? or what good would language, or mufick have done us, if God had not given us the {enfe of hearing? or what delight fhould we have found in meats, or drinks, or fweetefi things, ifwe had been deprived of the fenfe oftafiing? fo what pleafure fhould we have had 'even in the goodneffe and perfection of God and Chrifi , if we had been without the faculty and power of k_nowing, de.ftrint, hoping, beleeving, loving, joying, and enjoying? as the fentes are to the body, fo are thefe fpiritual fenfes, powm, affections to the foul the very way by which we mull: receive fweecneffe . and firength from the Lord J efus. 2 •. By {ef u<, who is the object of this act,we meane a Saviour, carrying on the grer:~ t work,pfmans falvation from firft to !aft; hence · we fhall follow this method, to look on this {efm as our {e[UJ in ; tbefe feveral periods. r . In that eternity before all time until i:he creation. 2. In the creation the beginning of time until his firft coming. 3. In his firll: coming the fulneffe oftime uriti I his , - c<>ming again. 4- In his coming again the very end of time to , all eternity. In every of thefe periods, oh what a bleffed object is before us ! Oh what wonders of love have we to look upon ! ~efore I direct you how to look on.him in thefe refpects, I muft :· If! the firft place propound the obJect : fiill we mufi lay the co.. lours of ~his admirable beauty before y9ur ey~s, and then tell you 1 -- the, _ 47 .I I

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