Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

_csz6 TnE WORD or GOD coMPARED :ro LIGHT, Book III· And though:fo bright, yet pleafant like the Doves; Charming all Htarts, where rejl diviner Loves. Look on his beauteous Cheeks, and thof< wilt jpy, 'Ibe Rofe of Sharon deckt in Royalty. His fmiling Lips, his Spmh, and WoKds Jo fweet. ·']hat all Delights and 'Joy in them d11 meet, Which tend at once to ravifh Ear and Sight, And to aKifs all heav'nly Souls. invite. '!'he Imagt ofhis Father's in his Face : His inward Parts excel, be's full of Grace. If Heav'n and E arth can make a rare Completlion, ·Without a [pot, or the leaft lmperjeflion; Here, here it is; it in this Prince.doth jhine ·: .He's altogether lovely, d l divine. If )'OU his Beauty Jaw, his Riches weigh: 1 ''Iwill charm)•ourEyes,your bejl Ajfefliom[way, } And in dark Minds light up eternal Day. j He's fairer than all others; Beauty fuch, As nont eau be enmnor'd of tqo much. 'l'his ObjeEt cboofe, yield him a holy Kifs } 'Ihat thou at !aft mayft jing, raptur'd .in Blifs, My· Well-beloved's mine, amd lam ·I-lis. Secondly, Chri!l: is gl0rious in refpeCl: ·of his Offices as Mediate~. See Meaiat~r; ,,.lfo King, Priejl and Prophet. Thirdly, As the Gofpd is glorious upon the Conflderation of the Revelation or Vifcovery which .is made thereip of Jefus Ohri!r in refpeft of the Excellency of his Perfon and PerfeCtions, fo likewife it is glorious as it reveals or makes known his .glo– ,rious Love to the Children of Men. Chriil's Love held forth in the Gofpel js glorious Love. I. From the Earlinefs of it, he loved us from Everlafting. We love him becaufe 'he firt1: loved us, he loved us when we had no love to him; nay when we were his Enemie~ and "hated him, 1 'John iv. '9· z. Chri!l:'s Love iS a glorious Love upon account of the Freenefs of it, there was no Conftraint laid upon him eo fix his Eye upon fallen Man, the Soul is Chrift's own free and voluntary Choice, and he cloth not begrudge us his Love, he dorh not think lie is roo high, roo rich, too honorable or toi' good for poor Sinners, Hof. xiv. 4· _3 . Chrift's Love bdd fort h in the Gofpel is a glorious Love, in rhat it is a drawing, engaging or attraCting_ Love, it is like Elijab's Mantle which he caft upon Eli/ha1 .qui£:t's Love hatb a kmd of Compul!ion m tt, nor by Y10lence but by fweet Influence, Hof. xi. 3· 1 'Jolm iv. I:f1 Kings xix. 20. 4· Chrirt's Love held forth in the Gofpel is a glorious Love, in that it is an undeferved Love, an unmerited Love. Where is the Soul char can fay it deferves Chrifl:'s Love? fame will fay, 0 fuch a Perf<:>n is worthy, fhe deferves and merits your Love, but it .cannot be faid fo here, Luke xiv. 23. 5• Chrif\'s Love held forth in the Gofpel is a glorious Love in refpeft of the Strength of it ; what Solomon fpeaks of Love, is true in refpec1 of Chri!l:, his Love is ftronger than Deatb, Cant. viii. 6. 1 • Confider from whence it brought him. 2. Confider whither it brought him 3· Confider hbw it ftript him and difrobed him. 4 . Coniider what he endured and underwent, as the E!feft of his great "Love and Affection. 5 . Chri!l:'s Lo~e htld forth in the Gofpel is a glorious,Love, becaufe it is a marchlefs Love, it is wonderful, it is fo deep no finding of a Bottom, fo long no meafuring of ir none ever loved, as Chri!l: loved us, He hath loved us and wajh~d us from our $ins in' his own Bhod, Eph. iii. 17, I 8, 19. Rev. i. 5· 6. Chri!l:'s Love is a glorious Love, in that it is a,conjugal or an efpoufal Love, Chriil: loves not as a Ma!l:er loves his Servant, nor (only) as the .Father loves his dear Child,

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