654 Spiritual PerfeElion. ---B-c-lic-ve-r.-T-h-n-ve-al:-<e-lt-h-as-asfull an Interell and Benefit i~ it! as if it had been oif<r'd folely for h1m, and may apply and approprJate Jt to b•mfelf wuh as true fo!id Comfort .as if he had. been prefcr1r at our Sa\'~our 's Crucifixion, and hear.d him fpe oking the word~ ~t, ~:~: o~~;,~'u~!rf:/ r;;,;~;';,e ~~ f,~i~~.c/~ftn{;.:mb~.~ ~~~ · r':.f o,:,~::;~~:'~in(:~~ Holy Spirit, who ~ rmgs ro our rcmembranc? the Death of Chrifl in that !ivtlr Sacra. ~~~r~:, ~~r~;.~~:~~~~~;u~t~dJ~~1 ~orhucs. par~~?~~~. ~~;~Yo~fo~~tuffe•~~~ ~~~~i~u;,n"m~%~; h1m ours by an wnmate ~nd 1nfeparablc umon ~n.d frumon. 14'e dwtU '" him, and 11( in m. How many drooptng Souls bavc been ra1fed, how many wounded Spirits have been healed, how many cloudy Souls have been ir.lighmed in that Ordinance? Here"" comfortin~ Spirit breathes, _our Saviour fb~ws his reviviug Countcmncc, God ~1e a ks Peace to h1s People. A Beltever taltes the luddcn Manna, and the Love of Chrifi, ""' i4 {wee/er tl,.n Wine: The brmfed Reed becomes a ltrong Pillar in the Temple of Gcd the fmo~ k in g Flax JS cherilh'd into a purer and more pleafant Ligh , than fprings froU: the Sun m JtS bnghtnefs. 3· Love to Chrilt is incePCas'd by partaking of this Ordinance, wherein his bloody Death is reprefentcd. Greater Love could not ~e Cxprefi,'d rhan in his dying fer us and leffer Love cou ld not have faved us from pcrdhing for C\.'Cr. He dyed not only !~ fatisfi t: his Father 1s J~llice, but his own Love to us. ,Trs fa id by t he Pr ophc.r, Hr (/; 4 0 fu of th~ t~Avel o' hts Sou!, And he fatisftd: The travel of his Soul implies hs Afft~hi(J and Aff!rC:bon, the llrength of h1s Lo~e, and his immcn f~ Sorrows. No\\' nothi /lg is more rtpugnant to the Pr incip!e fo deeply engraven in· Human Nawre, than not 10 rerurn Love for Lo~e . Our Saviour, by thedeareft tides, dcff:rves our Love; not on!y for his high Perfearons, but his deep. Sufft:rings.. He w~s without Form and comdint(i in the £..'1es of the Carnal l-11orld, when dnfigured by hts Sujferlnf!J· But can he be idS Jovc!y in his Suffe rings, wherein he dcclar'd his dearell Love? A 11onifhing Love appeared in his dying Countenance, Bam'd in his quenched Eyes, flowed from his pierced Side. To a fptrirual Eye1 he is as amiable with his Crown of Thorns, as wi[h l1is Crown of Glory. Our Love to Chrilt, like Fire out of its fphere, mutt be prefcrved by renewing iiS Fewel, or it will decline. Now there is nothing more proper to feed it than ChrifiS L ove eo us, and in this Ordinance the facred Fire is maintained : The Eye affu2s r1 1 c HeaJt. The mournings, the longings and delighiS of Love arc molt ft:nfil>le in fpirirual Communion with our Saviour at this Peaft. 1 he inflamed Spoufe, in a Rapture of Ad. miration and Complacency, breaks forth1 I am my bd~ vtd's, ~tnd he is mint. Sr. P 41 tf, who was rapp'd up to the third Hea~ens, and heard unfpeakable things, ~kclarcs Chriil crucified to be the moll excell ent ObjeCt of his Knowledge, his molt prccJOus Treafure, and dearclt Joy. 'Tis true, the carnal receiver of the Flemcnts is a llrangcr to this Love and Joy, that - is only felt by Faith and Experien~e. There ar: many Chrillians in tide, chat never felt any viral emanations from C~nll in rhis Ord10ance. The moll content thc~ ft .lv es with Sacramental Communion without Spiricual, and fed no correfj:>Onder.t Afh.Ebons to his extream Sulferings for us . But if there be a fparl< of Life in the Soul, if all ~c not cold and dead \\.'irhin, the remembrance of Chrifi's bleeding and dying Love \n!l incxpreffibly endear him to us Now our )anEtifi -;a tion was a principal end of his Death. The A pJ/1/e decla res, rhat Chrijllo ved Lis Chur&h, and g ave himftlf for it, 1h11t he m~~ ht [anlli/ie and cfea!J/e i t b7 the wafh~ng of rht tvatt.r, and hy the word: That he might,Pre{tnt 10 him{r!f axl~riom ChNr&h, not /;"vmg fpot or wrmkle, or apy {rllh thi11g ~ but th.Jt 11 fbould he holy and wu/;o,tt /;!umjb. Can we allow any Sin in our Hearts and ~rves, and dd~at rhc dcfi~ n of his Lm•e, and difparage the vertue of his ' offerings? Can we endure anv Sin ro n:igo in us, rha[ \\ a.s rhe C.J uf:: of hi~ De.t th, fil fuil of Ignominy and Torment? He has declared how pi~CI ~fsG~~~c~ ~~~i~~~t~~ ~;~% t h~~elt~e,~ ;w'~i~~~~i~~ :~:/\~!;ege~~i~~ria~n~~efo~~~~~:;~~: pure InJulgence for our Lurl s, when the end of a was our abfolure PuH:y ,? Can we comenr our fdves with low degrees of Holioefs, when ~~e paid fo dea .r a Pnce for ~ur PerfcClion-? The comfortable <Jtfurance I hat ht n'46 cntcifted for m, anfes from olfY. hem!. ~i~~~~~ ~~~ ~ ~t~,e~:ft:L~~~;::4{~;G::L~~i~:~;:o:;~ · m ~~~~d;~ ~ ~ ~~~~ t~:,rl:nr~!, r~~t:!~~~~ fr '~!~;~ a dead Body, that is uncapable of feeding ?"d nourifhmem: .Men mull bclie~e before they can receive fpirirual. no L: ri!hmcnt by , tt; and have the Life of Grace, betore c~;~
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