79 LA Declaration of the Glorious M Y s 1 E R Y glory and power, after his refurreaion, wherein he was declared to be the Son of God with power, Ron:. i. 4. cried unto him, My Lord and mÿ God, John xx. 28. There was in his words both a profelfion of his own faith, and a folemn invocation ofChrift. When therefore we have real difcoveries of the glory of Chrift, we cannot but fpeak tohim, or of him. Tbefe risingsfaïd- lfaiah when hefain his glory and fpake ofhim, Joh. xü. 41. And Stephen upon a view of it in the mica ofhis enragedenemies, teftified immediately, I fee the heavens opened, and the Son ofman f and- ing at the right handof God And thereby was he preparedfor that fo- lemn invocation of his name, which he ufed prefently after, Lord jefus receive my fpirit, Alts vii 56,:--59. And fo alfo upon his appearance as the lambto open the bookof prophecies, whereinthere was an eminent mani- feftationof his glory, feeing none elfe could be found in heaven or earth, or under the earth, that was able to open the book, or fo much as to look thereon, Rev. v. 3. the four and twenty elders fell down before him, and prefentingall theprayers of the faints, fang a new fong of praife unto bim, ver. 8, g, io. This is our duty, this will be our witdom, upon affeding difcoveries of the gloryof Chrif g namely, to apply our felves unto him by invocation or praife; and thereby will the refrefhment and advantage of them abide upon our minds. So is it alfo as unto his love. The love of Chrift is always the fame and equal unto the church. Howbeit there are peculiar feafons of the manifeftation and application of a fenfe of it unto the fouls of believers. So it is when it is witneffed unto them, or flied abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghoft. Then is it accompanied with a conftraining power, to oblige us to live unto him who died for us, and rofe again, 2 Ciar. v. 14, 15, And of our fpiritual life unto Chrift, invoca- tionof him is no Nall portion. And this fenfe of his love we might en- joy more frequently than for the molt part we do, were we not fomuch wanting untoour felves and our ownconcerns. For although it be an ad of fovereign grace in God, to grant it unto us, and affect us with ir, as it feems good unto him , yet is our duty required to difpofe our hearts unto its reception. Were we diligent in calling out all that filthinefs and fu perfuity ofnàughtinefs, which corrupts our afte&ions, and difpofes the mind to abound in vain imaginations; were our hearts more taken off from the love of the world, which is exclufve of a fenfeofdivine love i didwe more meditate on Chrift and his glory, we should more frequently enjoy rlrefe conftraining vifits of his love, than now we do. So lriinfelf expreffeth it, Rev. iii. 2C. Behold Ifand at the door and knock, ifany man bear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him and flip with him and he with me. He makes intimation of his love and kindnefs unto. us. But oftentimes we neither hear voice when he fpeaks, nor do open our hearts unto him. So do we lofe that gracious refrelhing fenfe of his love which he expreffeth in that promife, I will fup with him, and he 'ball flip with me. No tongue can exprefs that heavenly commu- nion andblelild intercourfe which is intimated in this promife. Theex- preffion is metaphorical, butthe grace expreffed is real, and more valued than the wholeworld, by all that have experience of it. This fenfe of the loveofChrift, and the effeft of it in communionwith him, by prayer and praifes, is divinely fet forth in the book ofCanticles. The church therein is reprefented as thefpoupè ofChrift i and as a faithful fpoufe fhe is always either folicitous about his love, or reloycing in it. And so-hen flie bath at- tained a fenfe of it, floe aboundeth in invocation, admiration andpraife. So doth the churchof the New Teftament upon an apprehetrfion of his love, and the unfpeakable fruits of it. Unto hum that loved us, and wafhed us from our
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