Chap. 16.1 EXEMPLIFIED. 255 ness ; for if thou wast thyselfworthy, what shouldst thou do with my worthiness ? Did I ever invite, or save, the worthy and the righteous ? or is there anysuch upon earth ? Hast thou nothing ? art thou lost and miserable, helpless and forlorn ? Dost thou believeI am an all-sufficient Savior, and wouldst thou have me ? Lo, I am thine ; take me ; if thou art will- ing, I am ; and neither sin nor Satan shall break the match.' These, O these, were the blessed words which his Spirit from his Gospel spoke unto me, till he made me cast myself at his feet, and cry out, ' My Savior, and my Lord, thou hast broken, thou hast revived my heart ; thou hast over- come, thou hast won my heart; take it, it is thine; if such a heart can please thee, take it ; if it cannot, make it such as thou wouldst have it.' Thus, O my soul, mayst thou re- member the sweet familiarity thou hast had with Christ; therefore, if acquaintance will cause affection, let out thy heart unto him. It is he that hath stood by thy bed of sick- ness, hath eased thy pains, refreshed thy weariness, and re- moved thy fears. He hath been always ready, when thou hast earnestly sought him ; hath met thee in public and pri- vate ; hath been found of thee in the congregation, in thy house, in thy closet, in the field, in thy waking nights, in thy deepest dangers. " If bounty and compassion be an attractive of love, how unmeasurably, then, am I bound to love him ! All the mer- cies that have filled up my life, all the places that ever I abode in, all the societies and persons I have been con- versant with, all my employments' and relations, every con- dition I have been in, and every change I have passed through, all tell me that the fountain is overflowing goodness. Lord, what a sum of love am I indebted to thee ! And Nifiw does my debt continually increase ! How should I love again for so much love ? But shall I dare to think of requiting thee, or with recompensing all thy love with mine ? Will my mite requite thee for thy golden mines ; my seldom wishes, for thy constant bounty ; mine, which is nothing, or not mine, for thine, which is infinite, and thine own ? Shall I dare to contend in love with thee, or set my borrowed, languid spark, against the sun of love? Can I love as high, as deep, as broad, as long, as Love itself? as much as he that made me, and that made me love, and gave me all that little which I have ? As I cannot match thee in the works
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