Hall - HP BX5133 .H34 1647

Meditation! and f/orm. Cent. Ill. not have found out waking. I doubt notthercfore , but as God heretofore bath A taught future things in dreams (which kind of revda<ion is now ceafed) fo llill he teacheth the prefent ellate of the heart this way. Some dreams ar~ from our (elves, vaioe andidle,like our felves: Others are divine,which teach us good, or move us to good:andothers devillilh, which follicite us to evil!. Such anfwer commonly fhalll give ro any temptationin the day,as I doe by night. I will not .lightly paffe over my very dreames.They fhall teach me fomewhat; fo neither night nor day fhall be fpent unprofitably:The night Chall teach me what I am,thc day what I fhould be. 2I Men make differencebetwixt fervanrs,friends,and fonnes. Servants, though neere us in place, yet forthcirinfcriority , arc not familiar. Friends, though by rcafon of their cquality,aod ourlove, they are familiar; yet flill we conceive ofthem as others B from our fdves. But childrenwe thinkof, affectionately ; as the divided pceces of our ownc bodies. But all thcfe are one to God:his fcrvoms are his friends, his friends are his fons,hisfoos his fervaots.Many claim kindred ofGod,and profeffefriendthip to bim,becaofc thefc arc privil<dges without dillicultie, and not without honour: all the triall is io fervice.Thc other are moll in affctlion,and therefore fecrer,and fo may be diffembled, this confilling in action,mull needs Jhew it fdf<! to the eyesofothers. Ye are my friends, ifyedoe whatfocver !command you: friendfhipwith God is in fCTvice,and this fervice is in otlion.Many wearc Gods cloth that know not their M•· ller, that never did good chare in his fervice : fo that God barb many retainers thot wcare his livery,for acoumcnance,ncvcrwaic oa him; whom he will never owne for fcrvants eith<rby favour,orwages;few fervants,and therefore few fons.lt is great c favour in God,andgreat honourro me,that he will vouchfafe romake me the lowell drudge in his family; whicb placeifl had nor, and were aMonarch ofmen, I were accurfed.l delireno more but ro fcrve1 yet Lord,thou givell me more, to be thy fon. I heare Dll'llitlfay, Sttmtlh/t A r... a ""'"" ,.,••, tlltthefoninl••" A King? What is it rhcn,oh what is ittobcthetrueadopted fooofthe Kingof glory~ Let me not now fay as D•vid ofS•ul,bur as SANis grand-cbild ro D•vid;Oh,what is thy fervanr, that thou Jhouldclllook upon fuch ad<ad dog as I am! 22 lamallrallgerherebdow,myhomeisabove;yetlcan think roo well of thefe forrainc vanitics,andcannot think enoughofmy home.Surdy,thot isnot fo far above my head,as my tboughts;neithcr doth fo far paffe me in dillancc,as in comprehenli- D on:and yet I would notllandfomuch upon conceiving, if I could admireit enough : but my llrair heart is filled with a little wonder 1 and hath no room for the greatell port ofglory tbot rcmaineth. 0 God, what happinelfe hall thou prepared forthy chofen? What a purchafc wasthis,worthyofthe bloudoffucha Saviour! As yet I doe butlook towards it afar off": but it is ealie to fee by rhe outfide, how goodly it is within:Although as thine houfe on carth,fo that above bath more glory within,then can be bewraycdby the outward appearance.The outer part ofthy Tabernacle here below, is but an earthlyand bafe fubllance;but within,it is furnithed with a living, fpiriruall,and heavenlyguell:fo the outer hcavens,though they be as gold to all other matcriall crcaturcs;yctthcy arebut droffc to thcc:yct howarc even the outmoll wals ofthat houfe ofthine, beautified with glorious lights, whereof every one is a world E for bigneffc,and as an heaven for goodlinelfe! Oh reach me by this tolong aftcr,and wonder at the innerparr,before thou letll me come in to behold it. •3 Riches or beauty, orwhateverworldly good that bath been, doth but grieve us; that which is,dothnotfatisfie us;tbat which fhall be,is uncertain<. What folly is it to trull to any ofthem! 24 Securiticmakcsworldlings merry:and therefore are they fccurc, becaufcthcy arc ignorant.That is only folid joy,which arifeth from a refolution;when the heart bath call up a full account ofall caufcs ofdifquietocs, and findeth the caufes ofhis joy more forcible;thmupoo fctling it [elfin allayed courfeofrejoycing. For the other, fo

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