ten Vir.~ ins Opened and .Applied.- oood and ea(e you of the burden of the Lord of Ho!ls ; or fend fad and he ·vy rry- ~ls: 'It's th.Jt I hwe oft rhoughr of, why are thewickedec l ~ ed, and Saints debafed ? the worlt are nor bad enough ro receive their plagues , nor the belt good enough ro partake o\:'blefli1ig>. You h.1.ve had fo:ne me1m .do )OU fon1e ·goo.::J, here you have more, rh.tt you may recet\1C m?re g.ood, more ltle , more of <...hnlt Jelus; if not, rhcn look for fire m purge youtfy?u b~ Gold, or flames. to devour you if you be but ronenneCfe and !lub?le.. But IS this rhus? the Jews d1d long for Chrilt,and when he c~ :r.e they cruClhed h1m, they loved the Prophets, rhey llull have Prophets .md therr plood too, rofhy the n; you love the Me!fengers ofChri!l, and you would have more of Ch rilt , (;-c. they have them Lord, bur defpife them, they have rhem, burconde:rm then, they have them, and though they will nor calt the:n our of thc1r place>, yer they wi1l !'o weary rhe· r fpirits , and ·grieve thy Spirir in rhem, rh.1r they will make then glad ro bury rhemf'elves, and le;;,·e thei r places. You lhalllnve Prophe:s, and their Blooo too, and their tears and fo rrow.s too. But wlTy do I co11pl1in ?· Let me perfw,de: oh I •bour for moreofChrilt in his Servants, na his Ordin.mce>, in his Providence>, in his Sainrs, until ar laH thX, defire> break thy ve!fel , and carry thee up ro behold the Lord in Heaven. If there were n~er raving workof Grace wrought , bur_ rhou haH only re!led .in Duries without Chri ft, !low fell thy felf out of all fo r hn1. If rhere be any that the Lord harh fetled th~re ·on his pro·nite which never c.1n be Ouken, hold your lledfatlnefs but yet !till grow in Grace,md in rhe knowledg of rhe Lord Jefus. '~ ' , ·.· · sECT.VIII. 11] OH long' to be with the Lord Jefus. Bef~re a man h1th Chrill, nowhi,s de- Ufe 5 fir~s t'h.ou'lq ~ ro hav~ . hi m;> when he. h~~liCh.rilt, ~ow his longing< lhould be Of E.~h,-r. to be With h1tn. Do thus m tlits place, efrectally m this Age. · I h1ve ofr rhoughr one great end ofGdd> bringing his own people inro rhis place is tole 'r>lt l'>e:n to die, and be with Chrlll. Men h 1ve he1.rd .of C~riH, and paifed rh vgh the w~ves of denh, and ftood many a week w1rhm fix mches of De,uh to fc e Chrilt here; wc;ll, wh:n you co:r.e here,God vi(its you with trouble,, re·nprar'on; ,loCfes, deferrions, fem for future time> ; here it may beyon fee (as fon:e fee) an end ~fall perfecti~", Church-builders, Church-ordinances, Church-profelfor;, &;. or if they find the Lord, 'ds foon gone; why all is that you 'might long ~o be at ~~ . The Lord when he called .Ahrilhlfmout of his owri Coumry ro hi> . fr~ends , he 1 Muive l. foltowed the Lord he knew notivhither. You live now out of your Fathers hOufe 1 · ~nd fro n ~~~ y&ur Friends that long to fee you, nay areleframon~ ene11ies,1nd yo~ ' ' know wht;her you are r_o_go, ta Gad tl.e Judgutfllll, ~Utdto 11n tlmH11Uri!Uecomp1P!J of Angels, And t~ the Spmts af fHft mm mAde P"foa. ' Look bm u;:on rhe rr.enof this world, tfley lo~gforrhings here • rbouoh but Mative ~· I tenforal, though they h.we no Chri!l. Gh long for this though thou fi'aa no . ~~ . u· When Chrirt would needs go to Jerufolem, Jah" 11. 16. faith ThomM, Le1114 ltiVe 3• ga f!nd die wiTh him, ~nd !hall noove go to live wi him ? Did Mofes forf.•ke Egrpts honours, treai'ures, an e11br~ced the reproach of "Chnlt as L1r becrer. Oh if ( od lhould fur thej;! up ma e Oh depart from Mativt-J• ,'i!tq en;oy rhegl,>ry of Chritt H:nfelfipGlory! . ' Grant I?earli ~clre, cl ful,, yer~hen Soldiers ' fee their Ctprain upon. the wall< M~tive S• among the eneme,, •hey wtll o·~fle h1rd .tfter c:> follow, though rhey d~e in the ~bre,cli. To pm wirh fin is bitre· , 9r to p:~rr 1virh Chrifl: , · but .to part with the J b6,ly for a time i aild calt off the clothes, this will be foupq ~o be excc:edinf fweer. ' ' , · · · • Q.. . Friends
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