Excellency of Chrtits love. _4Ik ion of bid people, as a head with the aftli &ion of the mem- bers, as a nude with the afHi &ion of her child ; look on him and fee him in love firipping hinifelfe of his glory, dignity and life it felfe for us, as Jonathan in his love fiript hinlfelfe of his fword and garment, and gave them to David ; Look upon this excellent love of Chrift, price it more highly then the thirfty pian doth ¡Vine,- then the worldly man his Corne and 0 }le, or the living man his life. Of all poffeulions the love ofCbrift is molt precious : nothing fweet like Chrifis loving kindneffe to the foules of Gods fervants ': nothing can make man miferable, or his condition uncomfortable, that hath the feeling of Clirifls love within him. Chrift at the marri- age in Cana turned water into wine ; the marriage of the foule with Chrift, the having of the love of Chrift, turnes the clouds of forrow into a Sun of comforts, the duit ofdiC. grace into a crowne of honour, the tempeft of trouble in to a calme ofpeace,and the empty citterne into a full fountain Oh how fweet, how honourable, how full, how well plea - fing doth the love of Chrif mike their condition, who have the beanies of his Countenanceofhining upon them ! Look upon the excellency ofChrifts consolations, which water and refreíh the foule, as the Rivers did the garden of Eden ; which revive the heart and make the inward man to flourifh after a long winter of afHi &ion, as the brames of the Sun doe the earth in the fpring feaCon confolations exter- nall in the miniftry and doftrine of the Gofpel, and inter_ nall in the fweet and, peaceable operation of the fpirit :Thus you may heare Chrift comforting his Spoufe after her long troubles, Loe (faith he) the winter it pafft' the raine is over and gone : the troubles and grievances railed by the malice of the world, feares, terrours, and forrowes of foule caufed by'fin, and railed, like a tempeft, by the fente of Gods wrath, are gone, appeafed, and put away by the fweet, gracious and comfortable comming ofChrift unto the foule, as the winter by the returning of the Sun. The flowers appeare : the graces and confolations of the Spirit appeare againe, adorning and fwetning the foule, and making it look with a joyfull face, as the flowers doe the earth. The time of the frrging of Birds is come 79 lîa.63,9. r Sanl.r3. Cant.1.3 PCI 4.1. P.al 63 3. John z,_ 4. Excellenc ofconfolaci. ons. CUM a. ; .,
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