i I 12 'The 'Parable 'Of the 1 --1--:::-~--:--~-~-~-- lufh, and rhorm_th .lt overgrow his growing>, and choakall at lalt ; and in condufon medi ,ces alc:Jgue between Chritt and his lufh, and feeks ro. reconciler hem roger her: Chrift f.>itb out with eve;y Luft, and let more of niy felf co1re in; no faith fin, I er n:e fby h<=re, rememberwh~t e.1fe, I\ hat honour I bring you,_ I cannot leave you: Nbw a man moderates, I l.e keep my LuH becaufe I love tt, but l'Je > eep i~ as my b~rden, that I may have Chrift wirh ir. Chrift r;!lls to feek f'or mor.e of htm,Lu!t fatth no, rhe work is rurd, and duties are difliculr.. And 'tis it may be ro no purFofe to feek, you have other irons in the fire. , many worldly bufinefles: Now here rJ1en rr.oderare; Do not fay thou 1\"ilr feek n0 more after him, nor indeed ufe means dilig~nrly for more of him; be fure only you give him forr.e defires robe betrer, af.ld thts will ferve the turn. The lord ]efus 1\ooes many a foul whom he never matcheth himfelfumo; one corr.es and wins rhe heart afrerwan;l,and m~kes the march: fohere, The J~, fts o(a mans hem grow fwcerer than Chntt and hrs Ordtmnces,and hence rhere IS no heart to feekafrer moreofChrifi, 1 1vhen the March is once made wirh rhe world,and atfeetions won, 2 Tim.4. I o. · 3. Some feek for more of Chrift, bur 'tis of an idol eh rift, no~ as manifefline himfelfin and by a Word : for loobs any :let of obedience is an aet of will':: worf.hip and im,,gery,that we have nor a particular command for, or is mt direcUy deducted from feme rule in the Word; to that aet of FJith is an act of 1villworD1ip, 1\ hi eh fees and chufeth Chrilt as his own, when he harh not a particular promifefor it, 'I is an imagination ofChrifi, not ChriH; an,d yell ha,•e qioreof your own imagination, not more of the Lord Jefus, 1 Ptt. r. 2 r. Monks had I fublim~onremplarions of God, Luther calls rh em fwch as looked UfOn a Dem & Chrijfm abfolunu,--- not beholding rhe beams of his love, and glory in the word. Oh therefore labour for more off11ch a Chrill:, as theword holds forth. And look as in He~ven, Firlt, They are all one with him in fellowlhip, the Father in him, and he in rhem, and they in him, and fo made Ferfeet in one. Secondly, They have his fellowD1ip only : fo do you long for more of his fellowlhip, fo as to be made more one with him, and him with you , fo as he may be your firengrh, and life, and reace, and for his fellowD1ip only , orherwife you may go without him at lafl,J,u~ 13. 16,27.Ha~•twenot eat aiiddrllnk,,inthJ prefence,&c. The Jews before Chritts coming had Chrifts prefence then, but a greaJ:er meafure of it is given ro rhe Church fince his Ref urrection and Glorification, fGr it was referved ro honour ChriCt in his firfi coming. But how many be there that fee no~ the Lord Jefus fo as rhey did under vails ? eitf.er get more , or fay Chrifi is not rifen, John 14. 16. ChriH: promifeth to fend his Difciples another comforter: who was th,lt? the fpirit of rrurr. whom the world could nor receive, becaufe it knew him not: Wby had the Difciples nofpirit now? yes, he was in them,butnot chat full meafure, with which rhough they were not as yet fealed, yet they knew rhey had liim, and that Chrifl was theirs too. So, halt rhou the Spirit of rhe Lord Jefus, Oh begg for more ofir, not miraculous gifts,for rhat is in vain,but more of the fpecial powerful prefence and fulne!fe of it, for •ris this that the world cannot r~ ee~ve. I have oft feared it•s thegreadin of this !all: age to comfort and ~e~tlechnfiiahs in their weak beoinning~, as rhough there was no more of Gods Spmt to be poured down in tin:ei of rhe Gofrel.. But confider, _ fjrjl, What came you into this wilderne!fe to Re,Reeds lhaken with rh~ wmd? No, for more of the Lord Jefus , and will you now f?rget th~ end for whiCh you come? it maybe you never found le!fe, no hut God IS emptymg_of you that _you might reek for more. Herod a long time defired to fe<i! Jefus, and then defp1fed him. Secomil;, You have here more means to have fellowlhip with the Lord , and will you conrenr your felf with what you have had. If you do what can you look for, bur rhat rhe Lord ihould take away Ordinances , if they do you no more go0d -------------------------
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