I 90 Meditations and DifcourjeJ .any one is to Heaven, the more earnefl:Jy he de· fires to be there, becaufe Chrift is there. For the more fi·eqnent ansl fteady are onr views of h;m by faith, the more do we long and groan for the removal of all obfirndions and interpbfitions in our fo doing.Now groaning is a ' Vehement defire mixed with farrow, for the prefent want of what is defired. ' The defire bath farrow, and that for. ·row bath joy and refi·efhment in it ; like a fhower that falls on a man in a Garden in the Spring ; it wets him, but withal refrefheth him with the Savor it cauferh in the Flowers and Herbs of the Garden} where he.is. ·And this groaning, which when it is conftant and habi~al, is one of the choi(1efreffeets of Faith in this life, refpec1s what we would be deliveredfrom, and what we would attain unto. The fir(f is expreffed, Rom. 7· 2.4. ,The other in the places now mentioned. And this frame with an intermixture of fame fighs from wearinefs by the troubles, farrows, pains, fickneffes ofthis life,is the befc we c1nhere attain unto. ALAS! we cannot here thi1zk of Chriff, but . we ..are quickly afhamed of~ and troubled at our own thoughts : So confufed are they, fo unftea· , ' dy,fo imperfect. Commonly they ifhteinagroan or a figh ; Oh -when fh.-zll we come unto him? ·when jhalt 1.ve be eruer with him? 1vhcn Jhall 1.ve fee him as he is? And if at any time he ber;ins to give more than ordinary evidences and intimations of his glory and love unto our fQuls, we are not able to bear them, fo as to give them any abiding refi· dence in onr minds. ·Bur ordiuariiy this rrouble and groaning: is amongft our beft attainments i_n thiS
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