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Show commands tears for the beloved object when loll, or not enjoyed. Mary wept when (he knew not where they had laid her Lord. Chrill wept at Laz~rus his Grave, at which the 'jews faid fee how be loved him. The mournings of a gracious Soul for the want of Gods Ordinances, or of the llrengthening,eomforting, quickening influences of his Spirit, which it formerly enjoyed, !peaks much love; and thus doth the gracious Soul !hew, that Chrill is its beloved, it goes fadly mourning all the day-long, the child of the Bridechamber mull mourn when the Bridegroom is gone. S· A fifth way by which the Spoufe lheweth her Love to Chri!l in abfence, is, By ber eorm/t defires, afltr lur.J•IIer enj"ymcms of Cbrijt and jeek,jng after it. For this you have an in !lance at hand in the fpoufe in this fong, Chap. 3· v. r, 2. By nij!,ht o10 my bed, I fmf!,bt him whom mySottlloveth, I [ought him btU I found him 11ot; 1 wwt about the City and the ftreets, aud tbe broad-placts, Seek,jng him whom my {rlltll>veth , l[ottght him, &c. Thus the Wife 01ews her love to her abfent Husband; (he fends, fhe writes to l1im,01e fpeak· eth to every one going towards him to fpe.ak to him that he would thin It upon her, and return back that 01e might enjoy him as formerly. Thus the Chtnch, thus .the .gracious Soul, 01ews her love to her abfent Saviour. She fallcs,fhe prayetb, fhe pleads with God for his ancient me1cies, &c. · 6.A fixth way( which is the !aft which I !hall mention by which the Spoufe of .Chritt lheweth (in · the time of his ab!fnce from her) that he is her beloved, is by . keeping fixed and clofe to his Commandments, notwithOanding her want of the Encouragement of his ancient mercies. You have an admirable in !lance of this in the Church mentioned, Pfal. 44· v. 9, 1 o, r r, r 2, r 3, J 4, r 5, r6. In all which Vetfes you have a fad .llory how God had affl icted her, but yet ( faith (he) v. 17. AU this is come upon 1u, yet have we not forgotten thee 11or dealt faljely in tlry Covenant. .Our heart is not turned back, neither ~re our fleps declined fromJby law, &c. v. r9, 2 0. And indeed this [peaks great love when the frowns and rebuk~s of Chrifl will not drive the Soul from him: but w,ill [orne fly. , r. Wbence is this that Chrift in abfence is fo much beloved of a gr~ciou1 Soul ? .J.The firll and indeed the great reafon ofit is, The Divine p,,.,, and force ol Love, Divine Love (I mean). We fee there is a great · force How Lwe to an ahfent chrijl difcoverrit fe!J. force in Love that is of a meaner extract dian that which is from heaven heavenly; How freque!lt are the experiences we fee among!! men and women ! The man it may be is an unkind Husband, leaves his Wife, carrieth himfelf every way roughly and inhu" manely to her; yet (he cannot but love him, and all his unkind-nefs cannot alienate her heart from him · If he be abfcnt, !he fends, fhe writes to him to return, (he is as careful of his com· mands, of his· eflate, as if he had never done any n.nkindnefs to her: what reafon can be given of this but only the nature o£ Love,which is offo gr~at a Force, and Power that in this (he act; not Co much out of choice as from a nece!lity of nature? Bnt liG1¥ .. .Powerful then mull divine love. be! That fire which comes from ~eaven, and 'is kindled, and blown up in the Soul by the holy Spirit of God. The gracious Soul loves God ( in fame proportion) as we fay that God loves himfelf nece!fJrily, and yet freely, and many waters cannot quench this Love. 2. A fecond Reafon which may be rend red .of it is the Souls Spiritu>l Illumination. The Soul in this exercife of Love acts ltut accordiog to its reafqn.able nature, fupp.ofing jts Spiritual Illumination. There are. fame Perfons !Jpcn whom .we have fo. nece!fary a dependapce th~t we cann9t be out with them, fame things of which we h~ve ,fq nece!fary,, .~nd. conllant an ufe that whatever evil we have receiyed fro<;l :them, yet '\fe cannot but love them and that from a ~rin<iple,pf Reafqn dictating to us · ~o confult our own Good. T he gra,ious _Sq~l 1kno ws that God IS to it the Fountain qf ·all good;;, th~t it could better be without the Sun in the firmament, , o~ the light in the air, than without the pre fence of God. It fait l\,~v ilh. f!e;ter ( when our Sa vi· our aske~ him and the rell if they a!fo would go away,) whither f?ould w,y,go l w< know that wit!) thee are the words of eternal ~1fe &c. H ~nce, if the Lord be in any me~fure abfent from him, It cannot but earoelily•dtfire his ·return, ,and· in all things endeavour to procure his return unto it again .. ---- It allo knows how• n~och it hath deferved at Gods hands, of affi iction and mifery, :ind how little mercy is its due·, and therefore cannot b~t jullific God in his withdrawing of himfclf and alfi;> thankfully receive.. what mercl' G,od will pleafe to bellow on it. ' B C~t I .have faid enough forth~ proof of fo plain a propo!ition; let me in .a few. ~ords come ro the App,lication. vf~ " In the fi rll place this letteth us fee the great dilfersn,e, h•-· Y 2 twixt |