Opened and L1ppfied. of rh~ir felf-love, than on rh~ feet of F.1irh. Now when Oiri!t cloth eff~ Cl:ually draw, he cloth it by love ; Oh this me ' ts, th ts draws , this breaks, this overcomes; · and now as we fay in Warr~, It is b~tter ro Reconci 'e an Enemy, thm ro Conquer hi:n by force ; becaufe th' one overwmes his power only , b~t the or her overcomes ~is will; fo Chrift could crull1 ( and he doth bruife hts peoples fouls wtth tntlenes, they would never elfe be fwtably affe.:tedwith thebruif~sof his foul) but this makesw.1y forlove; he overcomes the will by love. ~econdly , Or e\le if lov~ dorh meet, ;df~Cl:, and dra1v th.:m, yet ir doth not ov,:rcome rh~m, or dra'v rh~ mfrom rh~ hold of !inn~, but as Ivy clarps about ,he Tree wirh a roor of irs cwn. I have known fome that have b~en melred , aff~Cl:ed with the patience and ~oodnefs of God rowards them; rbat have been almo!t perfwaded , and yet have turned al mo!t__D~vil s afrerward; the Reafon hlth been, be c.1uf~ rhey were never q~ire taken off rhcir own bonomes. Now a foul whom Chri!t'dmvs, the Lo rd in drawing him ro himfclf, pulls hi:n fro:n his !inn~ , fo that he is we.uy of it ; the light of Chr Its grac<!, oh this draws indeed! that now not only. it dare not, will not, but cannot live in !lnne. Rom. 6. 2. Titm 2. I I, I 1. Gr~c: ap· pcareJ to all ; 6:tt it uachetb Ul ( faith che Apo!tle , ) t• de"] ungudline(je; unaodlinefs will be fuing and fee king for love, bur thex deny it; the foul chu~ come> t)ot unto Chrilt, wichout fo;:eling of !lnne in it, but th<lt the Lord would take away all iniquity from it. J er. 3· 22 . And b~caufe it fea res th.::re may be fome r.::cret evil ; its ca re ch~refore is , that the Lord would £l:rike the roor of all , and make it more bitter than death , to its · grave. • The greateH evil of all, is fin ne ; 'tis greaterrban D~ath , Grave,He·ll ;·hence Cbritls greate!t love is in Rede!ming fir!t from !lnne ; And as if there h~d never b~enfinne, grave, nor d!ath lhould never hold; [o when he breaks thepower of linne , no power of Satan , World, Death , !hall . hold cbee from Chrifl ; and 'tis never overcome by love till now. Let a man be in never fuch feares and troubles of minde, and finkings of heart, and fpon after he pretends to great joyes , and aflurance, but fin is not overcome ; thou&h it be fnibbed and hid, yet it will overcome you at l~lt, and would pullcnee down from heaven , if ever thou wert there; As if one that makes fuit to mother , and lhe is forced eo give confent, but lhe bath h art 1!111 to another Love r , he will never b.we her; Not that the Saints re really free fro:n all !lns, and weaknelfes, but they are free from peace with fin, though not free fro:n \Nar with lin till death; ~.s when two Lovers are fain out, it's enough if the League be broken. 2 . Dcgrre. The apprehending love of Chri!t; it Ca tiaces, filh,andfeeds the !oul wid1 the fweernefs of irs felf, now the foul being come to Chrilt , andfeeing the heishthanddepthof tbelove andpiryot Chrift. Pfal. 6,, 2, 3, 4· Blej{ed u the mlln whom tboN choo[eft, he jhall be f atuf ed ; the Hony ground received the Word YVith joy, was ;tffeCl:ed with the grace of Chrifl:; as one chat !lands by wh~re fmells are (but fmells do not feed) (or cbey may ta!l:e, buC: ta!tes do not feed nor fatisfie) So 'ris here. You know we feed on our meJt, that we may b~ Grengchened thereby, and it may be . turned to nourilhmenr, and good blood, and fle!h, and be made one wich us ; fo Chrifl gives himfelf to b~ fpi ritually eaten by Faicb, out of an earne(t defire, tl:nt he may have a neare, a very near union to him, and he to us. Now the 1naine en ~i of eating , is fatisfying ; and if a man b:: faciated with it, 'rbough be think it\vill never prove nourilhmenr, yet it cloth; So, where life is,&c. Joh, 6.56. He dwe/lJ in me, Rndl in him. If a man talles not agreater good in Cbriit, than in his lufl:s , he will fall to.them againe from Chrifl; but if he feeds on Chrifl, and is fatiate wich Aaaa him,
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