Serm.9. and bow to inflame it. his face from us ; then we love him. David loved God heartily, and therefore when God smiled, he rejoyced, Pfal.4.6. and when God bid his face, he ;you as much troubled then, as before delighted ; 'Tis thus Pfa1.3©.2, in every relation, where there is fincerity of affe&ion, as the bond thereof, and a dependance between them, of the one upon the other ; 'Tis chus between a Prince, and a loyal Favorite ; between a Husband, and a loving Wife ; 'cis thus between the love-f ck foul and Chritl ; when the enjoyeshim, then none fo light f®me in Countenance as fhe ? According co the nature of love, her affe&ions arc hardly concealed ; they are even too big for her heart to cover and therefore fhe can fcarce withhold her felf from a Holyexultation before every one that meets her. Whereas on theother fide, if Chrif} but withdraws, if the calls, and hegiwes no anfiver ; if he feems toavoid her Company, and to de- fpifcher familiarity ; what then ? Oh then her Joy is turned into Gall, and her Pleafancnefs into Wormwood ; t hen her Countenance grows dark andfable, and her thoughts within her are full of horrour,deje i- on, and confufion;fhe goes up and down like a perfon almoft dillradled, and every place is made to Eccho co her griefs,and mournings ; the goes fromOrdinance to Ordinance, and from one Watchman to another, and proclaims to them all the ficknefs of her foul, Ifperadventure file may recover again the fight of her Beloved. All this andmuch more with incomparable eleganceyou may read defcribed in the Songof So- lomon.Thus as the Marigold opens to the Sun in the firmament,fo cloth the heart of aSincere Chriflian to )the Sire of Righteonfnefs, Chrift in Glory. 8. CharaUer. WhereLove is Sincere, the foul will be often on the wingof Medita- tion, and belied in the contemplation of Chrift. It'san old Rule and a true one[ Anima eft ubi amat, non bobs animat, or ] The foul dwells as much where it hath fixed its love, nay more there, than where is hath its molt natural operation : Chrift and the Believer that loves him, live as if they had bat one foul betwixt them: 'Tis not the diftance between Earth and Heaven that can feparate them ; True love will find out Chrift whereever he is ; when he was upon the Earth, they that loved him, kept his Company, and now that he is gone to Hea- ven, and out of fight, thofe that love him are frequently fending up their hearts unto him. And indeed they never think themfelves In- telligentin any thing that is worth the knowing, until' they have made their fouls much acquainted, and familiar with their Crucified Saviour, a Cor.a.2. D d s 9.Cbaratïer. 203 1
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