Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

Ufe r. 'The Parable of tbe peace , peace to fee that God is fatisfied. No1v if by Faith W<! cow.e to have the peace of the F.uhers fatisfaC\ion with us, then it fl'.ull: needs pitch upon the perfon of the Son firlt. Hence many never have re.1ce, bec.wfe 'cis not a Son himfelfthey look for, hutfomewhat from him: they are blind, and dead, and hard, and thefe things r~ey would luve he! red, but clofe nor wich Chrilt himfelf. Becaufe the Soul can neither aC\ually receive , nor expeCt: to receive any thin~ from ChriH, unlefs ir hath fir!l pircht upon the perfon of Chrilt. A man nuy hope he !ball, and prefume and think he l1ull, ami it may be receive fomewh.tt out of the common courtefie Chrilt !new> to rhe:n that·look towards him, bur never l11all receive ;my favin~-good thing till now, John 6. 53. Unlejfo ;•ceat the flcfh of the .Jon ofGod, and drmi(_ hu Blood, 7e have m life. Look as 'ri! in our eating, as if a manl11ould feek roger nourilliment out of meat or drink, not: by feeding onit it felf; fo 'tis here : Somefaid this was a hard faying,and {o 'ris to acarnal heart, Rom. 8. p. And hence obferve when rhe Lord promiferh any areat thing to his people, l[ai.7. I4· he ever brings in the Lord Jefus, th,lt if he"!ball be given, then all things alfo. · Becaufe true Faith ever clofeth with Chri!l by love to Chrift, as f.1lfe Faith clofeth with him our of felf-love, Cant. I. 2, 3· The Virgins love thee: that's love indeed which is fee upqn the perfon. The Lord never puts his Pe.1rl , nor fees it in a fwinil11 faith chat contemns the Son: no, 'tis aprecious FJith th.lt loves the Lord. Hence it carries the foul to th~ Beloved. 1--------------------------------------------- l SECT. IV. I HEnce fee thereafon why the Lord keeps his people hWlgry,and empty; and . cuts them !bon of m2ny fpiritual Bleffings : 'cis that they might clofe with, and be contented with the Perfon ofthe Sen. There are thr(e chinas fame ofGods feoplefeekfor,and find not, if the Lord intends good to them. 0 I. They defire the comforts, and convcniencies, and peace of this World, Oh rdl is fweet! 2nd the Lord will gi1'e them none of thefe, or keep rhem at l11ort commons with thefe : and why? that they mi1iht lay up their re.Ke, and find all inhiinfelf,Gen. r 5· I, 2. Abraham after the llaughter of the Kings was in fe1r that he might make the Lord his lliield, Ho f. 2. 6, 7. She fha/1 feel(_her L•vers, but fhall not overta"-! them. · I z. They feek for fo'lle good to themfelves; in themfelves, from rhemfelv11:s; I I would fain believe and c~nnoc ; I would fain do (faye' aman) but abfs he grows worfe and worfe; che commandment comes,you will do, there i~ your t~sk,do it, yet they langni!'h and dye, and why fo ? Jer. 3. 2 3. that they might look for help and righteoufnefs in anor.her, In th•Lord our God u the falvati<n of J[r.ftl; not from the Mountains the llronge!l helps and me.ms; in the Lord 'tis alone. 3. They reek for Grace, and l!rength , and peace from the Lord Jefus very importunately, 2nd many ti~r.es very impatiently , and f9 fmfully roo, and the Lord denit'ls them; it bath been better with them than now, therefore they wonder the Lord lhould be fo full, and they ro empty, and think fomecimes to reek no more, and the Lord denies a dole at this door to, that they mighr content them~ fe:ves, and lay up their joyes in the Lord Jefus Chrill:, 2 Cq. I2. 9· MJ Graceu fufjicient; It's ltrange that Chrilt fo able, fo ready to help, ~et denies: I con~ers 'ris rometimes fome lull and ltumbling-block the Lord Jefus fees , Oh but agamlt rhatthey feek, and truly here is the caure, that having no good frorr: him, thf.ly might place all their happinefs and felicity in him. Look as it WJS Wtth 'facob, a great Famine co:re<, and all the facks are fj:em, and they are ufed roughly, though j not hardly nor wrongfully, and all was to"bring them to the fight and emb~acelngs

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