ttfo l. The 'Parable of tbe ---------------- before himinlove,_i.e. ro!bnJeverinhi1prefencebefore him, wirha fpirir of deare(t love unto htm. He!lce rhe Lord harh tJken the CJre of all chinas elfe _r _ht. 5· 7· rhanve might ~indanddo r?i>rhing; H in danger, he will &liver: 1f m wam, he IV' ll prOV!( e , 1fweJk, he Will ftrengthen , only no.v be re.1dy for the Lord, Pjalm 45· IO. Forget thy Country, and thy Fathers foufe, Jo jha!l the Lord deftre thy beauty. You are ndt: now free to love and follow whom you pl<i:afe rh_e Lord harh bound_ you to him~elf by love, ?X:d you have bound your fdf by prO: m1fe to the Lord agam: Therefore now a dmfhan after once efpoufed to Chri(t is better thm all rlie world, bt"inp the Bride cf the Lamb ; ~nd he harh a bene; and greater good for toeny;,y: therefore he fhould fcorn and abhor to march himfelf to, or to do any thing for any other creature; and therefore merhinks , fhould fit as one upon a watch-rower, looking our, and telling the dock now day is ne•r, waiting only for Chrift, Oh let it be fo: If in Heaven, you fhall have only ChriH , Oh prepare for him much more now. As a Womm that is Marchr to a rich man, all the fervanrs anend on her, and follow her,· fue is wholly and only for her Husband : fo it fhould be here. 4· Becjufe he bath prepared and made all rh;ngs elfe r<:ndy for rhe foul, it's hard if he luth prepared aplace in HeJven, and Grace in Heaven,not ro prepare an hem, and makeirreadyfor him, John 14. r, z, 3· his Kingdon was re.1dy Iona ago, and his Father ready to accept and entertain thee, and his heJrt loves and defires, a!Ltre ready after thee: hence be ready to meet wirh him. 1 am my Beloveds. · SECT. V. HEnce fee rhe great unkindne!fe of many afoul immediatly after hisefpoufing to Jefus ChriH , who having mice given himfelf to Cllrift , and received I comfort thereby, prefemly grows more carele!fe thm before he was marcht unro Ithe Lord Jefus, who fi1ould now fund in a holy WJtchfulndfe and readine!fe ro /receive Chri!t, as 'tis Pfalm 85. 8. Let them not ti!Yn again to folly; becaufe ' they are very apt fo to do. Many fay when in fome diltretfe 1 and after long 1 1 1.vairing, if the Lerd would pirry once, rh:n ~1ppy I; I would ~i~ a1vay any thing, all I hwe unto him: 1vell, the Lord pttnes rhe foul when mus low dbre, and rhen ir ble!ferhGod, but like the lfraelites, f'lon forgers his works, his love, and after great pe.t~e from God , comes gr:are!l careleine!fe : can this !t_and wirh ! Grace, and Chnft? very hardly; butyeutmay, for'tl1ere are Two rhmg1 char ll)akeforlr. · I 1, Becaufe-ar fit!honverfion there is much fee~ing ofChrift, for healing the horrourandfmartof!in, aswellasforrhecurin~of the wound andfcarof !in: !hence when efpou:ed, and horrour beingpaft, ttl.ltwheel being broken, a man draws mor~heavilynow, and negt.:Cl:s feeking; now rhe Knife is our of his heart he cries nor f'Oe~rne!liy. . z. Becaufewhenefpoufed, and much affeCl:ed, commonly a man trulls to ~ts affeCl:ions, when he bath a fulne!fe of them: hence the Lord le~ Satan prevail, Luk$ 2 z. 3 I, 33. Satan hath dejired to winnow thee M wheat , and I (faith Peter ) am ·ready to dye · with thee ; but you fee he Jell, and then when the Lord looked upcm him, h~ went o'Ut and wept bi'twl;_ : How !ha'!lefully haH thou fallen, fhoutd any lo\'e him more than you 1fever he pirry? well, for his Name-fake he bath done it. But how oft h1ft thou broken Covenant ? how forgetful of the Lords kindrie!fe? 'The Lotd looks upon thee this day, why haft thou fo foon forgot me, and forfaken me ? hl\'1! I n6t took thee from·rhe Dun~-hill , nay from Hell ? and whereas l h~d ro m~ny rhoufands ro fer my love on , i chofe thee ; and whereas thou couldeH not love me when I offered my feif, [bou couldell not return me · love
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