Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

604 The Life of Faith. ` take my parr, and may know that I (hall dwell with thee ' for ever : Ifnow thou wilt make me thy temple and ha- ' bitation, and wilt dwell by faith and love within me ; I (Ball ` know thee by more than the hearing of the car, and thy laft ' appearingwill be lets terrible to my thoughts : Thou wilt ' be health to my foul, when my body lyeth langui(hing in `pain : and when fle(b and heart fail, my failing heart will `find reviving flrength in thee : And when the portion of worldling; is (pent, and at anend, I that! find thee a never- ' ending portion. Why wouldeft thou cone down from Heaven to Earth in the dales of thy vóluntary humiliation, 'but to bring downgrace to dwell where God himfelf bath dwelt ? If the EternalWord will dwell in fi'e(h, the Etter- ' nal Spirit will not difdain it, whofe dwelling is not by fo ` elofe an union, but by Tweet unexprefliblc inoperations : This world hash had the pledge of thy bodily pretence, when thou broughteft life and immortality to light : O let my dark and fearful foul, have the pledge of thy illumine- ' ring, quickening, comfortingSpirit, that life and immorta- ' litymay be begunwithin me ! Thyword ofpromife is cer- 'tain in it fell; but knowing our weaknefs, thou wilt give ' usmore : Thy teal, thy pledge, thy carnal, will not on- ' ly confirmmy faith, as fettling my doubting mind ; but it will alto draw up my love and afire, as fuited to my in- ' cellet$ual appetite ; and will be a true toretafte of Heaver : . How oft have I gazed in the glafs, and yet overlook(, or not ' been taken with the beauty. of thy face? But one drop of 'thy Love, ifit fall into my foul, will fill it with the molt á fragrant and deledab'e odour, and will be its life, and joy, and vigour. I (hail never know efi'edualiy what Heaven ' is, till I know what it is to love thee, and to be beloved by 'thee : For what but Love will tell me what a life of Love is ? if I could love thee more ardently, more abfolutcly, ' snoreoperatively, I (hould quickly know. and feel thy Love. ' And Owhen I (hall know that profperous life, and live in ' in thedelicious entertainments of thy love, and in the fwect 'and vigorous exercife of mine, then I (hall know the nature ó-ofHeaven, rife wifdom of believers, and the happinefs of cnjoycrs

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