Bookiii. THE kiSSES OF CHRIST's MOUTH, SH attributed to ]onath. Uz.iel, rendred ·~"1N "1'0'0 l1P'lll:l ?v ab ofculum Verbi Domini, To the Kits of the Word of the Lord. L)'ing Lips do not become a Prince; that is, lying Words. Now the Reafoh why the Church ddires Kiifes of Chrift's Mouth, may be as followeth. METAPHOR. I. KISSES of the Mouth are Exprellions ofhigh Favor; much more than to kifs the Hand. ii. Kilres of the Mouth have Virtue in them; they tend to en– create Love in the Object, or be– get more ardent AffeCtion. PAR ALL EL. !. CHRIST in a high Manner exprell"es his Pavor and exceeding great AffeCtion unto his People in his Word: 1 lay down my Life for my Sheep. Greater Love than this bath no Man, John x. 15. and xv. '3· ll. Evidences of Chrifl's Love from hisWord and gracious Promifes are full of Life and Vir– tue; they wonderfully draw out the Soul in Love and Longings after Chrifl. How did. that fweet Word (or Kifs) of Chrift to Mary endear her to the Lord Jefus ; Woman, thy Sins are forgiv mthee, Luke vii. 49• .50. Ill. Kill"es ot the Mouth are lll. Evidences or Manifeftations of Chrift's plain and vitible Evidences ofcorLove to a believing Soul, are clear Demonftra– dial AffeCtions, and many Times tions of Chrifl's real AffeCtion. When a Pro– put a Perfon out of doubt about mife is fet home, and imprinted upon the Soul or the Reality of the Giver's LO'/e. Spirit of a doubting Chriflian, it caufes all his Fears to fly away: Remember thy Word unto thy Servant, upon which thou hafl caufed 1/le to hope, Pjal ex. 49· . IV. The Mouth is the JnftruIV. The Word of Chrifl is the Way or gloritnent or Medium to convey the inous Medium he makes ufe of, to convey or make ward Conceptions of the Heart known thofe gracious, high, and eternal Concep– and Mind, whether it refpeets tions of his Heart and Mind to his'EleCt; alfo Thoughts or Aetions, to the hereby he opens and explains to us the End of Knowledge and Underflanding of his Coming into the World, and his Deiign in others. dying, and in all Things he did, which otherwife would have been hard to us to have found out, 1ohn i. r. Matt. xi. 17. Heb. xi. 2. John x. 10. and xx. 30. M ETA PH 0 R. I. Q THERS many Times kifs them they do not love out of Compliment. 11. Others give fometimes a flat– tering and diifembling Kifs, like that of Abfalom's kitTing the Peo– ple, thinking thereby to fteal away their Hearts fromDavidhis Father. Ill. Others falure Perfons often– times with an unchafle and wanton Kifs. IV. Others kifs when they de– iign to murder. Thus ]oabkilTed Abner,and Oew him; Judas ourSa– vior, and thereby betrayed him. D IS PAR IT Y. I. CHRIST never vouchfafes any the Kiifes of his Mouth, but to thofe that he dearly loves. 11. Chriil: always, when he vouchfafes his gra– cious Favor to any Soul, doth it in all Simplicity and Integrity of Heart, in his Heart is no Guile or Deceit. Ill. All Chrifl's Kiiles are holy, chafte, hea. venly, harmlefs and innocent. IV. Chrit\'s Deiign is w fave thofe whom he kill"es : He came to feek and to Jave that wbicb was loft. I come thatye might have Life. I N F E R E N C E ~ I. pROM hence we may perceive what a vail: Difference there is betwixt the Godly and the Wicked: The one have their Hearts fet upon heavenly ObjeCts, the other on carnal; the Deiires of the one are holy, heavenly, and fpiritual; the Deiires of the other are flefhly, earthly and fenfual. , I!. If the Ki·ll"es of a Savior, or Evidences of his Love be fo fweet, methinks this fhould ftir up all to deiire Kiifes of Chriil:'s Mout!!. Ill. it may be fome Souls are ready to enquire, How may I come to attain this great Happinefs and Honor, to be embraced in the Arms of the Lord Jefus? 7 B r. Wouldeil:
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