each PER SON difilnO: 45 the tarcafs, but the bare letter in, the promife, if it come to it as to the grave of thrift, of which it may be Paid (not in it felt but in refpea of the Seeking foul) he is tieen, he is not here, this amazes the foul and it snows not what to dò: As a than that hath a jewel of great price, hav- ing no occafion to ufe it, lays it afide at he fuppofes in a fare place; in an agony and extremity of want going to Peek for his jewel, he finds it not in the place he expelled, and is filled with amazement, and knows not what to do, fo is it with this pearl of the gofpel ; after a man bath fold all that he hath for it, and enjoined it for a feafon, then to have it miffing at a time of need, it muff needs perplet him. So was it with thefpoufe here, Ifought biro, faith fire, but Ifound him not ; a thing which net fel= dom befalls us in our communionwiththrift. But what doth fire now do? Doth fhe give" over and fearch no more? Nay, but fay file, v: z. Iwill arife, I will not fo give over, Í inuft have thrift or die, I will now arifé; or let me àrife, and go about this buff- nefs. [Li She refolves to put her Pelf upon another courfe, à more vigorous inqueft ; I will arife and make life of other means betides thofe of private prayer, meditation, felf-fearching, and inquiring into the promifes, which Me had infifted on before. It carries, FirfI, Refolution and a zealous, vic- lent carting off that frame, wherein fire had loft her love. I(a) will arife, I will not rest in this frame: .I am undone ifI do, So fometimes God calls his church to arife and fìake it felt out of the dull, abide not in that condition. Secondly, Diligence, I will now take another courfe, I will leave no way unattempted, no means untried whereby I mai poffibly, recover communion with my beloved. This is the condition of à foul, that finds not the wonted pretence of thrift in its private and more retired inquiries. Dull in prayer, wandring in meditations, rare in thoughts of him! Iwill not bear this frame, whatever way God bath ap? pointed I will in ftrengtlr vigoroufly purfue, until this frame be altered, and I find my beloved. [2:] Then, the way the puts her felf upon, is to go about the City. Not to infift upon particulars, not to ftrain the parts of the allegory too far, the city here intended is the cityof God, the church, and the palling through the broad and narrow Briefs, is the diligent enquiry, that the fpoufe inàkes in all the paths and ordinances givenunto it. This then is the next thing the foul addreffes it felf unto, in the want of Christ; when it finds Trim not in any private indeavours, it makes Vigorous application to the ordinances of publick worship ; in prayer, in preaching, in admini- ftration of the Peals Both it look after Chrift. Indeed the great enquiry the fouls ofbelievers make in every ordinance is after Chrift: So much as they find of him, fo much fweetnefs, and refreshment have they, and no more: efpecially when under any defection they rife up to this enquiry. They liften to every word, to every prayer, to find ifany thing of thrift, any light from Trim, any life, any love appears to them. Oh that thrift would at length meet me in tins, or that fefmon and recover my poor heart to fame fight of his love, to force taft of kindnefs i The folicitouf- nefs of a believer in his inqueft after thrift, when he finds not his pre- fence, either for grate or confolation, as in former days, is indeed' inex- preffrble; much of the frame of fuch a heart is couched in the redoubling of the expreflìon, Ifought him, Ifought him ; fetting out an unconceivable (a) ifa. Iii. x. ifa. Is. i e e 6 , pa4frarr`r
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