Hook IV·. CHRIST's LOVE coMPARED TO WINE. 6u CH RI 8 T's L 0 V E coMPARED TO WIN E. For his Love is better than Wine, Cant. i. 2. WHEREAS Chrift's Love is ·preferred to Wine, it is tc;> be underll:ood Synecdochi– cally; fo Ainfworth. Wine here is put for the moft pleafant, joytul, retrefhing, and corcllal Things; as Bread by the fame Ftgure ts frequently put for fuch Thmgs a• ftrengthen, &c. M ET AP HOR. I. WINE is the Fruit of a good Tree, a choice and pre– cious Plant, and it is the beft of natural Liquors. I!. Wine is pleafant, delectable, and fweet to the Ta[\e. Ill. Wine is to be had only in fame partJcular Countries; fame People never tafte of it as long as they live. IV. Wine is highly efteemed and valued, when the excellent Virtue thereof is known. V. Men will not part with Store of the beft Wine for Toys and Trifles. VT. Wine is of a ongular Ufe to revive and make glad the dif- · confolate Spirit: Give Wine to hiw that is of an heavy Heart.* VII. Wine caufes a Man, if he drink freely of it, to forget his Sorrows.t PARALLEL. I. THE Love of Chrift is the Fruit of th~ choiccft Pl•nt that ever was planted. Men and Angels are nor to be compared to him. L Sec Vine J And Ills Love is the beft and choicell of Love. Wine is natllral, bm hi~ Love is divme and fupernatural. None ever loved, asChrift loved. ll. There is nothing fo plealam and delectable to a believing Soul, as the ManJfeltarion of Chrift's Love; it excels all things for Sweetnels. Ill. Chrift's Love is not known to many that live in the World; divers never tafted ot it, do not know how good it is, died without any Sight or Affurance of Chri!l:'s Love. IV. Chrift's Love is efteemed by all that know his Worth; they value him above Wine, or Gold or the beft of earthly Things. V. Saints will not part with the Love of Chril1: for all the good Things of this 'World; they are but TriAes and Vanity, in comparifon of his Love. If a Man would give all the Goods of his Houfe to a Saint, fo that he would part with Chrift's Love, it would be contemned, Cant. viii. 7· V f. The Love of Chrift is the moll fovereign Thing in the World, in the Maniteftations of it, to revive and comfort poor difconfolate Souls. 'l'hou haft put more Gladnefs in my Heart, than in the'J'ime when their Corn and Wine increafed, Pjaf. iv. 7· VII. The Evidence or Manifeftation of Chrill's Love to a poor Soul, doth caufe it to forget all its former Bitrernefs, Terror of the Law, and Horror of Confcience for Sin, which pollibly for a great while it lay under, Rom. vii. 10, 15, 18, 24, 25. VI!!. Wine, Naturalifts tell us, VIII. The Grace and Love of Chril1: will recorepairs decayed Nature. A Man ver Strength that hath been loft. A Saint may may faint by fame fudden Qolalm, faint, and need a Cordial, by means of a Temp– and need a Cordial; and that which ration, when Grace is not much decayed in him. may revive the Spirit, may not reA Draught of Chrift's Love, I mean, the Mani– cover a Man out of a Confumption feftations of it, will recover, in a fpiritual Senfe, o·r one brought by a languifhing a Chriftian that has been a great while confump– Diftemper almoft to the Grave. tive, whole Vitals are impaired, and he almoft dead. IX. Wine was ufed in legal Sacrifice in Time of the Law. • Yi,:aparant animw 0\·id. 3 IX. The Grace of Love, that Fruit of the Spirit which flows from Chrift, is the only Ingre– dient to ftir up our Devotion. ':Ne can perform · t Cura fugit, JiluittJrqut Merr• Ovid. no
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=