12. .Rea[. z, Reafon 3· rhe 'Parable of the Soul mufl be Divorced from, before it can be match'd to the Lord, Ho[. 2. 2, I fuall nor need ro prefs this here ; bur there are two orher things which I fuall thew, for there are two things that every man doth before he is efpoufed to rhe Lord Jefus; either firfi he departs and g0es a whoring by unlawfully lulling afrer the crea~ure, Pfal.73· 1.7, James4. 4· Orz. He is lawfully married as he rhinks unto the Law, Rm;. 7• 3,4. the Law is there compared ro aHusband, from which Chri!l:indeed delivers his, yet fomewill flick to it: either the Soul takes conrenr in fome crearure more than in Chrilt , or in fome righteoufne!fe more than in rhe Lord Jefu'; Now to be divorced from all other things, is for the heart to be taken offfrom all worldly contenrmenrs. Secondly, from comforting it felfin the bofom of its own work and ri&hreoufnefs , and this mufi be found in all the-m that look for communion wirh the Lord Jcfus. SECT. IV. I THe heart mu!l: be divorc~d from Lulls after,and pleafures in any creantre; for proof, we mufi know this : , I, The foul of every man mu!l: have fomething to quiet and comfort it like the fiomack, it's death and hell to want it (as the lfraelites in the wilderne!fe:) hence it mull have it. 2. That there is nothing that can comfort the thirfly heart , but 'ds either in the fpring, or ci!tern, fount-ain, or bottles, either in God, or in the creature. 3; Hence man having lofl:God, andallgovd there, feeks for it in the creature, and becaufe he finds not enough in one, digs for it in another, Pfal. 4· whb wilt fhm m an; good? and hence the Soul becaufe it never found that infinite fw!lerne!fe in God himfelf, hence lulls after, and delights in the creature for it felf, loves pleafure for pleafure,delights in creature for the crearure, not for God, why ihould be, feeing he never found content there? and here the foul of man cleaves night and day, committing fpiritual whoredom before the face ofGod; now ifever any foul bath communion with Chrifl:, it mufi be divorced from all 'rearures thus , for bill is a deGre after, and contentin the creature for the creatures fake. I Becaufe while the heart is ih league with anycreatun: befides the Lord, 'ris at deJdly enmity wirh the Lord, James 't· 4· If a man hath a rich commodity , and I one comes and offer,s half the worth of it, he takes it as a contempt; if it be not worth this, it is worth nothing; fo the Lord is worthy of all our love,our lives, our fouls though we had a thou[and of them, and will a man not part with his lulls for him? I reil you the Lord takes himfelffleighted,contemned, and loathed ; if not worth all a mans love,he is worth nothing; now the creature is made aGod,becaufe made a mans !aft end , which is as proper to God , as to make him the Alpha of all. Here the greateft wrath is ro give aman his fill of the creature• 2 Becaufe fo long the foul can!lot fee, nor come by the eye and feet of Faith to the Lord Jefus, John 5. 44· anq think Chri"fl: better th2n all ; as Birds in aftring may fly high, hue when they come tbthe·end of the line, fall down there; and fo though the foul flies to Chrill , yet when indeed it comes ro the end of parnina withall, it falls down, and falls off from Chri(l. Whole men have no heart no~ defire after Phyfitians; when all limbs are whole and ltrong_, no defire after PlaiHers: fo while any thil!g eafeth and conrenteth the heart, there is no defire after Chrift, Hof. 4· II, whoredom avdwine have tak!nawaphe heart. 3 Becaufe fo long the heart ifit docome,cannot fiay with Chrifl: to do any thing for Chrifi, Mat. 6, 24, To1uanntt Jerve Gadandn'ches, i.e. two Mafiers, who havecon!l:am employment, and Chrifl: bath feu us fuchemploymenr. Hence men on fick-bed,s are tame as may be, pro~ife any thing , be,caufe their joy in the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=