andMSon !fe[(ts .Ciiri~. . . ·· · .. ~ Vfo. 4 . IfChriil: be thus full, then iet ~hole that iove him fully,~dight in him~· Char,; 1.3.: and to that end contemplate all his Fulnefs. How will one that is inl ove wit~~ another, think over and over agam all the Perfeehons m them they love, to con~ firll\ their Choice? S.oG10uld we: And,nqt only fo, but take qur . full _Delight and.Coritentment in him. And that Chnfr ferves to all-.Ends elfe, befides thofe of our own, ofbeing Caved byhirri, will,' If IJleditated upon 1 exce_~dingfy .enc;rea!c· our Joys ana Delights in him. A Wtfe that h~d a f!ufband .en_nnent m al) Per-, feftions, \vhich Perfefrions yet fbe had no great sktll m, yet :he thought ~fthem would make her love him when 0nce he is hers; when.he is not only a gooq Hufband'Unto her, but alfo a good Commonwealths M~n, 1:1f emine~t _pl~ce in his Country; an excellent Souldier, Horfema'n, &c. Skill'd in all Learning, i(•r: thefe becaufe they commend and endear her Hofband unto others ( though Q1s bath not the Benefit ofthem direL!Iy) do yet cn,dear him u'n'to her the more, thaf allthefe are in her Hufband : So this fbould do Chrirt to us. V[e. 5· See the love ofChrifr to us, that having all Fulnds in him, wns IVil; - ') ling to empty himfelffor us. We were not only empty but ba~krupt to God; and to redeemus and fill us again, he was fain to empty himfelf; it is the Apofrle's Phrafe; 'Phi!, 2. 7· the Word we tran!late Of 110 Rcp11tatio11, is in the Original, Heemptied hiutftlf, that is, 'left himfelf nothing ofall his Fulnefs: So Dart 9· 26.. · Melfiah Jba/1 be mt off; andJball have nothi11g, fo it is in the Hebmv, as well as that which is tranfiated Not for himfelf, and fo varied in the Margent of your Bibles. He that had all that Fulnefs, and fills all in all, had nothing left, no Comfort in God or any Creature. Ifyou fbould fee the Sea ebb into fome other ·World, and fee not a drop of Water left, how would you frind artoniili'd at it? How much more at Chrirt ? He might fay as Naomi faid, Ruth.r.2c,> I. The Lord hat}, dealt bitterly with me : I came from Heaven full, but he bro)lght me to Earth empty, emptied ofall. For us to leave and abate any thing ofour FulnetS, how loth are we! To leave a full Land, a full Diet, a full Table, a full Houfe, fully furnifh'd, a full Condition, and lower our Sail, though for Chrirt: Oh but Chrirt did, he left Heaven and all the Fulnefs ofit, and removed to Earth,where is nothing but Vanity; and he who was Lord of Heaven and Earth,for our Sakes became poor, and left himfelfnot worth a Foot of Land, not a Houfe to hide his Head in. By what a fmall abatement is to our Spirits, let us think what fo infinite a Debafement, an empt}•ing was to him. V[e. 6. See his Love yet further, that though he be in himfelf thus full, yet that his Love is fuch as he thinks himfelf not full or perfect without us, but reckons himfelfdeftCl:ivJ! till he have us knit to him, and about him. As Chrirt faid to him that had kept all from his Youth, One Thi11g is wanting: fo I may C1y of Chrirt, that frill one Thing is wanting. Why, what can he want that bath alt Fulnefs? Even any one of his Members, and he would not think himfelf com– pleatly happy without them, for Eph. 1.1tft. though he be he that filleth all in all, yet the Church is his Fulnefs; Which is bis Body, the F>tf11eji of him which fil/eth all in all. His Glory would not content him in Heaven, if he G10uld want any of our Company there. Job. 17.24. He prays therefore, that they may be with him where he is, to behold his Glory; Father, I will that they alfo whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold m7Gior)' which tho11l"ifl given me t for tho11lcvedjlme before the Foundation of the World. As Raman faid, when he: reckoned up all his Riches, and Honours, and Glory, his Places and Favour at Court; what good will all thefe do me, fays he, fo long as Mordecai contemns me? So Chrirt in his Heart fays, If! have not all mine Enemies down, my Chi!• drerr about me, his whole Tale and Number, ifbut a Benjaminor a Jofeph were wanting, ' Heaven would be lefs to him. The firrt Adamwhen he had all Crea• tures about him, needed a Companion ofall his Delights; and fo Kings that have: full Pleafures, yet love to have Confortes Imperii; So cloth Chrifr, and till the'n reckons himfelfirnperfeCl:; and therefore, Heb.Io.i >· he is faid toExpell, Fronl henceforth expetiing till his E11emies be made his FootjiPol: Expectation argues De• feet. Now he had been alone in Heaven, if he had not died, John 12. 24, the; Dd Corn
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=