HEAVENLY MEDITATION. 997 entreaties to feed upon it ? Canst thou love a little shin- ing earth, a walking piece of clay ? And canst thou not love that God, that "Christ, that glory, which is so truly and unmeasurably lovely ? Thou canst love thy friend, because he loves thee : and is the love of a friend like the love of Christ. Their weeping or bleeding for thee does net ease thee, nor stay the course of thy tears or blood ; but the tears and blood that fell from thy Lord have a sovereign healing virtue. -0 my soul ! if love deserves, and should beget love, what incom- prehensible love is *here before thee? Pour out all the store of thy affections here, and all is too little. O that it were more ! O that it were many thousand times more! Let him be first served that served thee. first. Let him have the first born, and strength of thy soul, w"ho parted with strength, and life, and love for thee.- - O my soul? dost thou love for excellency ? Yonder is the region of light ; this is a land of darkness. Yonder twinkling stars, that shining moon, and radiant sun, are all our lanterns hung out of thy Father's house, to light thee while thou walkest in this. dark world: but how little dost thou know the glory and blessedness that is within ?Dost thou love for suitableness? What person more suitable than Christ? His.godhead and humanity, his fulness and freeness, his willingness and constancy, all proclaim him thy most suitable friend. What state more suitable to thy misery than mercy ? Or to thy sin and pollution, than honour and perfection? .What place more. suitable to thee than heaven ? Does this ,world agree with thy desires? Hast thou not had a suffi- cient trial of it? Or dost thou love for interest and near relation ? Where hast thou better interest than in heaven, or nearer relation than there? 12. "Dost thou love for accruaintance and famili- arity ? Though thine eyes have never seen thy .Lord, yet thou hast heard his voice, received his.benefits, and lived in his bosom : he taught thee to know thyself and him : he opened thee that first window through which thou sawest into heaven. Hast thou forgotten since thy heart was careless, and he awakened it; hard, and he 10 P p
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