BY IìEI.,IGIOIJS AFFECTIONS. 261 . which thou shouldst have borne, restored thee to the blessing thou hadst forfeited, and purchased the ad- vancement which thou must inherit for ever. And dost thou not yet know' him ? his hands were pierced, his bead, his side, his heart were pierced, that by these marks thou mightest always know him. Dost thou not remember when he found thee lying in thy blood, and took pity on thee, and dressed thy wounds and brought thee home, and said unto thee, live? Hast thou forgot- ten since he wounded himself to cure thy wounds, and let out his own blood to stop thy bleeding ? If thou knowest him not by the face, the voice, the hands, thou mayest know him: by that heart ; that soul pitying heart is his; it can be none but his; love and compassion are its certain signatures. This is he, 'who chose thy life before his own ; who pleads his blood before his Fa- ther, 4nd makes continual intercession for thee. If he had not suffered what hadst thou suffered ? There was but a step between thee and hell, when he stepped in and bore the stroke. And is not here fuel enough for thy love to feed on? Doth not thy throbbing heart stop here to ease itself, and like Joseph, seek for a place to weep in ? Or do not the tears of thy love bedew these lines ? Go on, then, for the field of love is large ; it will be thy eternal work to behold and love ; nor ;needest thou want work for thy present meditation. 12. How often bath thy Lord found thee. like Ha- gar sitting and weeping, and giving up thy soul for lost, and he opened to thee a well of consolation, and also opened thine eyes to see it ! How often, in the pos- ture of Elijah, desiring to die out of thy misery, and he bath spread thee a table of unexpected relief, and sent thee on his work refreshed and encouraged! How often in the case of the prophet's servants, crying out, Alas! ghat shall we do, for a host doth encompass us? and he bath opened thine eyes to see more for thee than against thee! How often, like Jonah, peevish and weary of thy life, and he bath mildly said, Dost thou well to be angry with m'e, or murmur against me? How often bath he set thee on watching and praying,. repenting
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