My Lo"Pe. --------------- - knowthe heartof a lover is more where it loves, then were it lives(as we ufe ro fpeak)and indeed, ·there is akindof agoirg out (asir were) to the · thing beloved, with a heedlefne!fe of all-other things, where the affeCt: ion is in any excdfe, it carries thewhole foule with it. But befides this,when Chrill: faithmy love,he fl1ewes, that as his love goes and plants, and feats it felfe in the Church,fo it is united to that, and .is not fcattered toother obJeCts. There are \beames of Gods generall love fcattered in the whole world; but this love, this exceeding love is onely fafiened upon the Church. And indeed there is no love comparable to this love of Chrifi, which is above the love of Women, of Father,or Mother,ifwe confider what courfe he takes to thew it : For there could be nothing in the world fo great to difcover his love, as this gift,and gifc of himfelfe; And therefore he gave himfelfe (the bell: thing in Heaven or inEarth,) I withall to thew his love, The Fat her gAvehim. When he was God equall with his Father, he lo– ved his Church, and gave himfelfe for it ; how could he dircover his love better tben t<> take our Nature to 1bew how he loved us~how could he come nearer to us,then by being incarnate, fo to - be bone ofour bone, & fldh ofour fleth,& took our nature to fhew Row he loved it~- Love dr11wes thing-s neilrer- wherefoever it is; It drew him out of I Heaven to the Wombe ofthe :Virgin,there tobe l incarnate,anda,fter that, when hewas borne not onely to be aman, but a miferable man, becaufe ,. vve 175 \ ---l 5-·B R. VII.. ! 2 . Eph.) 30. i j 1 j 1 I .
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