Cent. Ill. Meditations and Vorm. A bo perfonally, and lQcally in the throng ofthe'world, as to ~vichd~aw h~s affe~ions from it, to ufe it, and yet to contemn lt at once, to comp_ell1t to h1s ferv1~e wnhout any infedion, beco~es well the n~ble cour~ge ~fa Chnlh~n. !he world !hail. be mine, I w11l not be h•s,and yet fo mme,thathls evllllhall be lhll h1s own. 89 He that lives in GQd,cannot beweary ofhis life,becaufc he ever liodsbothlome· what to doe, and fomewhat to folace himfelfwith; cannotbeover-loth to part with it becaufe he !hall enter incoa neererlife and fociecy wichthac God in whom he deli~hteth, Whereas he that lives without him, lives many cimesun comfortably here, b~caufe partly he knows not any caufe ofjoy in him felf1and partly he lindes not any worthy emploiment to while himfelfwithall;diesmifcrably,b:caufe he eitherknows B not whither he goes,or knowes he goes to torm~nt-There lS no rrue hfe, but thel1fe offaich. 0 Lord,let me live oucofthe world with thee, (if thou wile) but let me not live in theworld without thee. c D E 90 Sinne is both evil! in it felf, and the effect of a former-<'vilf, nd the caufe of tinne fol!owing;a caufeofpuniOJmem,and laftly apunifu em it fe!f. cis a damnable ini. quicy in man, eo multip!yondio uponanother1 bur to punifhone fin by another, in God is a jndgement both malt jult,and malt fearlull;fo as all the ltore-houfeofGod hacb not a greater vengeane<: with other puni01mencs the body limrteth, the foule with this .I care not how God off<nds me with punifi1ments,fo he punifh me not with offendtni: him. . 91 I have !<:en fame afllitl their bodies with wilfull famine,and fcourges ofcheir own making;God fpares me that labour;for he whips medaily with che fcourge of a weak body;and fometimes with ill rongues.He holds me fhorr manytimes ohhe feelingof his comfortable prefence, which is in truth fo much more miferable an hunger then chat ofche body, by how much rhe-foule is more render, and the food denied, more excellent. He is my Father; infinitely wife, ro proportion out my correction according to my eltate; and infinitely loving, in fitting me with a due meafure. He is a prefumptuous child,thac will make choiceofhis own rod. Let me learn to makea right ufe ofhis corre&ions, and I !hall nor need tocorrect my fdf. And ific fhould pleafe God to remit his hand a little;I wilgovern my body,as aMaller,nor as aTyrant. 91 IfGod had not f•id,Bieffidareth-ft th.t hun!rtr,I know notwhat could keep weak Chrillians from linking in defpair : Many times alii can doe,is to find and complain cbatl want him,& wifh eo recover him:Now this is my ltay,thac he in mercy efteems us not onlyby having,b~~t by defiring alfo; and after a fore accounts us to have that whiehwe want,and defire to have: and my foule arfuming,tells me I doe unfainedly w1fh h1m,and long after that grace I milfe.I,et me delire frill more,and I kno1v I fi1al not delire alwayes,There was never foule 1)\ifcaried with longingaftergrace.O blef. fed hunger, that ends alwayes in fulnerfe! I am fory that I can but hunger; and yet I would not be.full;fur the bldling is promifed to the hungry:Give memore,Lord,bllt fo as I may hunger more. Let me hunger more,and I know I lh11l be fatisfied. 93 There is more in theChriltian then thou leelt.For he is both an entire body of himf~lfe,and he is a lim ofanother more excellent; even clfarglorious mylticall body of hiS Sav1our;towhom he is fo united,that the actions ofdther are reciprocally refer. red to each ocher.For,on the one lide,the Chriltian lives in Chrilt, dks in Chrilt, in C:hnUfulfilsthe ~aw,poffeffechheaven: on :he other,Chrilt is perfecuted by Paulin hts members?and 1s perfecuced in Paul afterwardsby others :llC fulfers in us,he lives in us,hc works·~ and by us: fochoucanlt not da<eithergood or harm to a Chriltian, but thou dolt 1t to h!SRedeemer, eo whom he is invifibly unired. Thou feeft him as a rna.n,and therefore_worthy offavour for humanities fake : Thou feelt bim not as a Chnllian,wort~y_of honour for his fecrer and yet true union with our Saviour.! will love every Chnlt~an,for chat I fee;honour him,for chat I fhall fee. 94 Hell
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