Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap.z.Sect.z. L9okingunto 'fe[ut. abfent all is night, but ifChrifi: appeare he turnes a'Jagaine into a lightfome day; there is ~o forr?~ like that which apprehends Chrifts Ioife,and therefore 10 helltt ts looked upon as the greatefi: paine . of the rwo (fay Divines) it is a greater torment to lofe God, ~nd to lofe Jefus Chrifi:, than to endure all thofe flaming whips, unquendw.ble fires, imollerable cold, abominable french; and on the other fide , there is no joy in heaven like to that which a·_pprehendsChrifts prcfence, In thy prefence there u fu!neffiof;o}! P[ 1 6 , 111nd lit thy right hand there nre pleafurn ·evermore. I had rather 6e :l ' 1 .u•. iii hell with (brift (faid one)'than in heavm without Chrift. This is the very top of heavens joy, the quinte!fence ofglory, the highefi:happinelfeoftheSaints; 0 my foul feek with UUarJ,' yea feek, and weep, and weep and feek, and never reft fatisfied till Chrift appeare. If thou art but in the ufe ofmeanes he will ap. peare fooner or later; 0r what if thou never faweft a good day on earth, one fight of Chrill in heaven will make amends. -· Surely if thou kneweft the joy of Chrilh prefence, thou would£!: run through death and hell to come to Chrifr, it was P au/s fay • .ing, I defire to be dif{olved, and to be with Chrift which u jt~r better; Phil.I.13 ,· he cared not for death fo he might go to Chrifr, for that was bett-er than very life 1t felfe. 2. Mufe oo his apparition to the ten Difciples, whe;; the dawes were jbHt for feare of the fCWS 1 thftl Clime ref us, ;trtd ft ood in the Johol0.19~ midft,[aying to thrm, peace be unto you. Before his apparitions for· row and feare bad rolfdfed all their fpirits : fometime they walked abroad, and were fad ; and fometimes they kept within, and !hut the doores upon them as being exceedingly afraid ; In this condition Jefus Chrifl (that knows bell the times and feafons of grace and comfort) comes and frands in the midft of their alfembly; he comes in, they know not how 1 and no fooner he is in, but he falutes them in this manner, peaoe be 11114 toyou. ' · This was the prime ofa !I his willies; no Cooner is he rifen but he wi{heth pe,rce to all his Apofrles; no fooner meets he ~ith ·"" them, but thevery ·OP,eningofhisltps w:;.s with thefe words; t-hey arc the firfr words, at the firfl me·~l i ng, on the very firfi: day.-A fure tigne that peace was in the lwon ofJefus Chrift . howfoever it is with us, peace,or war; there is a rommon-weal~ where Chrill: is King, and ~~er~ is peace, and no~hing but peace~ . come~

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