I Opened and Applied. I 187 / 1---------------------------------------------- I ~Jck a gait~, and th.tr afr-:r qu;;(tioaings_fom-:times, if ~v~r ther.: was gr;lCe I mdeed in tt; yea, · f not, yet oh that tt !hould rhus forl.1ke the Lord! nay,rh" Lord fo:nwme preventing b : fo r~ it \~ali fee king. ' I 1 1 J ~td.u fails, the Lord. never looks ~fr~r him; _l'ct<r falls, Chri!l l ook~ ' after ~im, and recovers h11n; _aU the Dtfctpks demed ChnLt, and ,fled after pronufe never to dolo; yer, laEh h~, 011/ar( I+ zS; r6, 7- I le g• 6:- 1fare ;ou to Galilee; my Sp.'rit H i" }"", Md jk·all be in ya11, tlo~<gh yo11 or:'evt it, ~wdfad it, ,Ad,zm f:1!ls, andonelin cut him from Gods hold I ';,f him; h::nce he da!h: .h qu;r;; to pieces; but now Chrift upholdin;; ono- I fall and fure , and keeps them from breaking utterly to pieces; nay, ifrhey rh::r termes , n~nce, rhou;h his people forfake him, yec he holds rh~tn (]ill / be as water fpilr on the ground, he will gatherthem up againe; h~ deaL; nor , fo wi ,hmhers, John 6. 6-$, Many forfake hi:n, b~in;; never3iven inde~d ro him, he lets rbem so; but Chril1 feeaks ro his Difcifl~s, Will ;a:~,~;• ? So if a man hHh a llran:;er in his Houfe, he will kt him go , and enquire nor / after him ; h~ came to me for a rime ; but if lie hatft a Son , and he is gon~ . j he will findc him out; and there p:: wondas at a Fathers love , ro f~~ his Spirit; So here; and hence co:n~ rh:: Saints to wonder at the Lord fo mucb, " What M nct 1 he Lord yagone? ' I fpeak this partly to rerrifie rhofe that go, and never return again, and to anfwer ObjeCtions of Sairirs; the Lord bath hid himfelf from me, and I haveforfa_ken him; yet mark, he will bring thee back again to himfelfhmcntiog;&c. 5· Degree, This appreh~nding love of ChriH , it now wirnclferh love to the foul mo(t clearly and fully; the ~eflion is, Dorh Chriil:apprehend any butrhoferowhomhewirnelferh love? No, forhedoth witnefs to all in fome meafure; but here comes rhe cleare man"ifertarion of it ; When I was dead he quickned me, and fince that I have lolt the Lord , and he me, yet he bath found me our ; and hence now the foul concludes , rh~ Lord loves ir. Gal.:~.. zo. wha laved me, and gave himfelffor me. Pialme 2.3. Vlc. The Lord r:H•mh m1 Sa~le , furelj mercy f/7tdl folhw o~e .. NOIV try if the lord nev~r deJlt rhus with thee. 1 • AHhi; may ferve to, diCcourag~, or terrific rhofe that nev~r did, fo it Ufe 3 • may encourage rhofe to preferve their faith who fo ap?rehend Chrifi, as that , they are apprehended of him; If aWoman was never Mmied to' fuch a. man, tor her to call him, orfpeak of hi:n, or think of him to be h~r Hufhlnd, 'ris prefumption; butwhenhehath given himfelf to her, then let her own her priviledge, and maintaine htr daime again{( all Law, and wran- ,_kts, and pre{erve her imerefi ; So rhofe that never were given to Chrifi, l~t th!m know their faich is but (rnoke and vanity ; bur let Job fay, Th•·<gh he kj/1 me, yet J'le truft him." David Pfal. 42. 3· had that temptation, where u na:P thy Gad? that hi< teares were hi.· meat, aild drink._, and was much fhaken ; and call: down by it·; but what; Ddth he li~ Hill ? No, he Hirs ' uphimfelf, audchidesbimfelf, Wh}'art thou c11fl dawn? Ver. 5-ti. lie M my God. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Fight agoadftghtof faith, and/ay hald.of eternal life whc>·rumathou art called. · Tis ve ry unfafe for any Chriflian to lay by Faith, and call: off the exercif: • 'of it , b-:caufe 'tis ChrifiS apprehending of us which cloth preferve us; Tru·e, but 'cis by faith, which may nor b-: at all rimes feen , as neither the orher can; and therefore take heed you make not this ufe of DoCtrine here, becaufe ':nany may apprehend Chriil:, who:nChrilt never apprehended; therefore what have I ro do to clofe with' Chrla ~ To b: kept from putting but Aaaa o. faith
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