216 Dauids longing, andDauids loue. . fay nothingto thee torouze thee vp, nothingtoadmonifhthee,gothingrocom- fort thee: Howdoth thispleafe thee ? Art thouwell enough fatisfiedherewith, doth thy heartneuer mourne within thee toconfider this ? Art thou not afraid bPro;r9.rt. ofMormons Rule, t' Wherethere itnovifion ,there thepeople decayl Ordoeft thou groanvnder this heauie burden, anddoth thy foulepant aftera better blefsing ? Lookevotoit, count not thy felfea Friend to the Word, a Friend to God, a Friend to thy owne[pule, ifthou art not affe&edwith this mifery. This isthe firltfrgne. Thez.mrke: The fecond figne ofloue to theWord, is the privatevfe ofit: eO bow llose cpfal.uo.97.. thyLowe, it is mycMeditataon continually. There is, the tryallof his Loue. The reaCon is manifell : where wee louethitherdoth lone*aw ouraE dfions. The rich man mediratethof gatheringgoods, naturali Loners oftheir loues; ambiti- ousmen oftheir preferments: fo theman of Godhaving no greaterriches nor glorie then in the Word, cannotchufe but meditate inthe Word. It is but Cmall pleafure, fo longas we are in a garden to be delighted with the (mell ofheat ben, volefle weecarrie ofentry kinde fom'e, that fo we may haue Come benefice of the garden whenweebe farrefrom it : So it isbut a flattering Joy, riolonger tobce affefted with the Word then wee are in the Çhurch ; thereforefomething mutt be gathered here, which mayworke on ouciffe4ions when we beegone. Hee which heareth, and ioyneth not this with hishearing , is but like a man co- looted in the Sunne; fo hetgetteth fome fuperficiallknowledge, but it is fach as can affoord him no comfort. And this is eaufe why there is Co much prea- ched and Co little praained, even becaufe there is fo little prime exercife. I know there are other private duties, as prayer and conference, but I doe fpecially(land vpon this, becaufe this is the moll general] , and the mofi ef- fefluall; All cannot reade, all cannothaue opportunity toconfcrre, but every man is, or ought to bee, mailer ofhis thoughts, to apply to himfelfe that which heeheareth, and tovowtheobedience of itto the Lord. This is a need- full point to bee floodvpon, either becaufe it is not knowne, or it is not pea- Qifed. Many may be laid tobefermon- ficke, as there are fome laid robe lea- Ecke. Theywhich are feaficke , as longas they are epos the water , areof a very feeble flomacke, faint, and corn (as it were) readie todie; but comming once a land, and having panted fome little time, they begin to forgetthe troy. ble, and torecoure their former Ilrength t And after theCarne manner many there are, who beeirïg at the Sermon, are toffed too and froby the powerof the word , theirhearts areEcke, theirconfciences melr,and theyare much trou- bled; but when they are gone, and haue a little acquainted themfelues with the Aire of theworld, they forget what they heard and wherewith they were mooued', and returne backe againe to their illcourfes as before. Remember thistherefore, if thou wiltbethought tolone theword, to bellow fo^.repri- uate exercifing of thineowne thoughts, in and about the word. Ifa man fhould be flinted to one meale a weeke , hee would haue a pined bodyat the weekes end: what Emilthen becomeofour foules, if we thinke it ynough that they oncea weekebefedwith the wordof God , anddoenot giue them Come other priuáterefrefhing. The ;.marke. Thethird fightof loue tothe word , is loue to the obedienceof the Word d: d Iohrq.xs. Ifye loneme(faith Chrill) li,eepe my commandments : fo if we lonethe word, we cannot but make confcience to doe that which is commanded by the word. The reafon is this. Hee which truly Ioueth the word, mull needes render the credireof it and labour by all meases to maintain it. Now it is thegreatefl hbnourto the wordof God , that may bee , when men which poffeffe it , are ,phI,1.a7, ruled byit, and walke according toit°. Paalcommendethtothe Philipianso conxerfatiohwhichmay become the Go#eI. Hue vrgeth the like threetimes toone chapter;
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