Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .O8 1721

302 Of GOMMUNIUN with for him, and his fake, that they may enjoy him. Sin and loft, pleafure and profit, righteoufnefs and duty in their leverai conditions, all. (hall go fo they may have Chrift. (2.) That they are willing to part with all things rather than with him, when they do enjoy him (a). To thinkof parting with peace, health, liberty, relations, wives, children, it is of£nfive, heavy and grievous to the belt of the faints. But their fouls cannot bear the thoughts of parting with Jefes Chrift. Such a thought is cruel as the grave. "The worft thoughts that in any fear (b) in defertions that they have of (c) hell, is that they (hall not enjoy Jefus Chrift. So they may enjoy him, here, hereafter, be like him, be ever with him, hand in Ins prefence; they can part with all things free- ly, chearfully, be they never fo beautiful in reference to this life, or that which is to come. 3. The third conjugal affehion on the part ofChrift is pity and compaf- non. As a than nourifheth and cheriilheth bis (d) own )!fefh, fo dot, theLord his Church, ;Ephef. v. 29. Chrift hash a fellow-feeling with his faints in all their troubles as a man hash with his own flefh. This ad of the conju- gal love of Chrift, relates to the many trials andprcffures of affinons that his faints meet withal here below. He dash not deal with believers as the S'amaritan,r with the Jews; that fawned cm them in their profperity, but defpifed them in their trouble, He is a tender (e) father, who though per- haps he love all his children alike, yet he will take moi pains with, and give molt of his prefence unto one that is lick and weak, though therein and thereby; he may he made molt froward, and as it Mould feet hard- eft to be born with. And which is more than the pity of any father can extend to, he hilnfelf fuffers with them, and takes (hares in all their troubles. Now all the ftifferings of the faints in this world, wherein their head and husband exereifeth pity, tendernefs, care, and companion towards theta are of two forts, or may be referred to two heads. it.) Temptati- ons. (a) Afflinons. (t.) Temptatiotas(under which head, Icomprize fin alfo, whereto. they tend) as in, from, and by their own infirmities, as all() from their adverfaries without. The' frame of the heart of Chrift; and his deportment towards theta in this condition you have, Heb. iv. 15. We heave not an high prie/l nhicb, cannot be touched with our infirmities. We have not fuels an one, as cannot. The two negations do vehemently affirm'that we havefuehan h_ig}t priest as can be, or is touched ; the wordy touched, comes exceeding- ly fhort of exprefling the original words; it is (f) mmpmrmirut to firffer to- gether. We have faith the a_poftle fuch an high *eft as can, and confe- 2}uetttly both fuller with us, endure our infirmities. And in what refpeft tar fuffers with us, in regard. of our infirmities, or laath a fellow-feeling with us in, them, he declares in the next words, for he was tempted like un- to ua; v. ib. It is as our ('g) infirmities, our temptations, Spiritual weaknefs; therein, imparticular hatln, he companionate fympathy and fel- low-feeling with us. Whatever be. our infirmities fo far as they are our temptations, he doth fuller with us, under them and compaffionates us. (a) Mu,. s. 37. (b) Cane. viii. 6. (c) Sal 11710 ,uri 74e Zx nd'r aoaá,,ue paetinep de r+n, Built. (d.). Faeeor, infrnm nobis elle cwporis, nostri chairaren, necee. EpiJt. q. Generi animannumOmni à natura triburum au te vicar corpufq; meato C,n,. off. a, (e) Pfal. ciii. r3, (f) Hoc quidon ce,rue, Rs hoc-voaabulo, fummum.illum confenfum,rpembrorum& apici,, ligniheari, de quo cones Paulus dif. kris. Deinde c, cumde Deo loquicur, ira, edam de Chriho &oriote dill tens fcripro a, ad nostrum cap. rum ledegtircir. Glóriofum. aucem addeaeeram payeis Chriftum redde eredjaus; obi dicing nofrismali, aiñci, quod libi factotum ducat quicquid nobis tic iniuria, alciores fpecula<ionesfcrucari,, nec utile eso coram exitinno, Be;) in loc. (g) Isom.viii, 26. e Conxi. 32. a Cor. xi. 30. chap. xü g, r0 Gal, ìv. r3. Hence

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