----·~--........... 7'he Rare . Jewel of Cbriftian Contentment. 1'2 3 ··--- tainly Jefus ChriA: can never be known in his beauty and excellencie till the Soul know that. I do not [peak vvhat [ecret vvorkof the Holy Ghofrthere may be in the Soul, but before the Soul can aCtually apply Jefus Chrifl: to its felf, it is impofftble but it muft come to know the evil of fin , and the exceiJencie of J e[us Chrift : there may be afeed of fait h put into the Soul, but the Soul mull: firll know Chriil, and knmv fin, and be made fenfible of it. Now how contrary is this fin of murmLlring to any fuc.h work of God..? bath God made me fee the dread ~ ful evil of fin , and made my Soul to be fenfible of the evil of fin as the greate!t burden? hmv can I then be [J much troubled for every little a61i&ion? Certainly if I fa1v what the evil of fin was, that light would [wallow up all other evils, and if I 1vere burdened with the evil of fin, it would fwaUow up al-l other burdens; wh'at am I now murmuring againft God's hand (faith fuch a Soul) when as a while ago the Lord made me to fee my felf to be a damned 9\'retch, and apprehend it as a vvonder that I am not in Hell? 2. Yea, It's mighty contrary to the fight of the infinite excellencie and glory of Jefus Chrift, and the things of the Gorpel. What am I .that Soul that the Lord bath difcovered fuch infinite Excellencie of ]efus Chrifl to? and yet vvhat lhall I think fuc.h a little affii6hon to be [o grievous to me, when I have had the fight of fuch glory in Chri[l: that is. more vvorth than ten tboufand worlds? (for fo will a true convert fay ) Oh ! the Lord at fuch a time bath given me the fight of Chrift that I would not be without for ten thoufand thoufand 1vorlds; but bath God giver:J thee that , and wilt thou be difcontent for a trifle in comparifon of that? · ,. A Third work, when God brings the Soul home-to himfelf, . it is, By ta~ing the he~rt lljf [row the Creature, the dijing.1ging the hMrt from all Cre~.ttre-comforts : That is the Third work ordinarily that the Soul may perceive of its felf. Ic·s true,Gods Work may be altogether in the feeds in him, bat ih the fever al a&ings of the Soul in turning to God it may perceive thefe things in it, the difingagement of the heart from the Creature, that's the calling off the Soul from the world- , fPhom tf.e Lml h~tth eA/led, he bath jufl-ified : what's the ca!Jing of the S z Soul
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