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Ephef6.=s.
Cants,q:
r
Cor.q.=4.
Canc.=
Doti.
We mull
mark
ltheex
eriments
ì
which
God
thawed;
us one
way
or
other.
PfaL=o;.
=o,
1.4s8,I9:
Doff,
We
=ewe
a-
ble
to
receive
aIIChrl4s
love
maim.
Iolw
L1)111405,
k../
V
E
a.
1$,
ìn
Cbrtfl fetus?
shall
tribulatien,or
diflreffe, or
perfecution,
&c.For
as
he
that
goeth onthornes or
fharpe flints
may goe boldly , if
he be
well
!hod
c
So we
,
if
ire
be
fhod
with thepreparation
of
the Gofjel
of
peace,
i.e. with this knowledge
of
the
love
of
God
in
Chrift,
which the Gof-
pet
revealeth,then we!hall walk not
offended at
our
tribulations.
Love
is
the banner
which
he fpreadeth over
his people
;
Now
a
bannerdoth
not onely
ferve
to
gather the bands,
but it doth
animate the fouldiers
to quit
themfelves likemen under their colours:
ßo
it
is
unfpeakable
how Gods
love
doth
incourage
us
to undergo whatfoever for
his
name,
when it
is
flied
plentifully intous.
Again,
if
wee hold all ftrength
,
yet if
love Mould not
draw
us ,
wee would not put forth our ftrength
to
fuffcr
for
his
name,
for
this
is
the tweet
fpurre,The
leve
ofChrill
ceuflraineth us,
faith the
Apoftle.
Wherefore
we mutt above all things
Peek
to God to
let
us have his
love reported to our
hearts,
then nothing
fofweet,
but
we
Ihall wil-
lingly forgoe
it,
for
this love is better then wine
,
then
all
delights
what
-
foever, nothing
fo
bitter, but this will fweeten
it
fufficiently.
2.
That
he wifheth
them
experienced, and
fo
more ftrengthehed
by
meane
of
love
fhed
in
their
hearts,
that thus they might
be able to
fee
Chrift
his
love;
it
doth teach
us,
That
we
mull mrak
the
experiments which
God
giveth
us
in
effeas
this
way
or
that
way
,
if
wee
will
be
able to know
the
things
which
his
grace
worketh
for
ms.
David feting
that
God did
not
reward
them after their
deferts,
butput their
pines
from
them as
fore
as
the Eafi
is
from thewefi;
he came
to
fee
that God
his
mercy was exceeding great
to
them that
feared him: SoMofeshaving obferved
that God had
pardoned
his
people from
Egypt
to that
houre
,
did comprehend
that
God was
flow to
anger, great in
mercy
,
forgiving
iniquity and
tranfgreffion.
Wee
cannot
view directly the divine
effence,
a
light
to
which
there
is
no acceffe,
but
wee mutt
by obferving the
works
of
God,even
as by
aglaffe come
to
view thefe invifible things
of
God.
3.
That
he wifheth them flrengthened inlove
that they might
fee
further love,
he
doth
give
us
to
confider,
That
wee
neither
doe,
nor are able
to
receive
all
that
love
of
Chrift
at
once.
Firft they had tatted love, then
in
weakneffe
they
had further ex-
perience
of
love, then more
experienced
they
were to comprehend
further
love.
If
yetlovemeand
keepe
my
Commandements,
then the
Fa-
ther
'hall
love yea,
and
come
and
dwell
with
you;
that
is,
if
you
have
been
drawne
by
my love to love
me and
doe
teftifie it by keeping my com-
mandements,
then
I will
Phew
further
love then
yet
yce have
tailed.
For God,
as in
grace,
fo
in
love, he
doth
prevent us with love
and
fol-
low
us
with love,
quickning
us
in
his
wayes when
wee
droop
in
temp-
tations,
we are veffels
which grow greater
and
greater,
and the filling
eif
us
is
anfwerable.
Nay
we
are
not able,
for looke
as
it
is
with chil-
dren:
A
child
doth
meafure his love by
his fenfe, if he be played
with,
all
is
well:And
as
his childifh
underftanding'doth
difinable him
to
con-
fider
of
the cate, the hand, the providence
of
a
Parent toward
him
:
So