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Show '/'he Dof!rine applied. r. Labour to improve intbe fiar , hatrtdallrl-ab~orrtnu.'fmy (i11, The finfulllf[l of fi-n ,as i< is rJ . 11 'v lis the greater,ts a Subject worthy che choughts of every Chrifl ian CY<ry day, fiudy the con~rarre- 11 of it to che purity and Holincfs ol God, the vamty and vtlencfs of it in it fel£ 2. Labour to impror1e in the love of God and hil'l~ay. ' T is the H 1 pocr it cs recci vic· g th< Truth not in .the lov7 of ~1, that betrays him to Apcfiafy ; laddie not chy fell m wa!ktng 1n the ways of God, wichout feeing the beauty and excdlency of them, and how eligible thty are f0r chcrr,ftlves. '• Ktcp clofe 10 God in Ordinqncn. There's little hope of a 5< ~Is pcrfeverance that is" cary of duties, and begins to ~e llack •nd carelcfs, ar.d pcrfLmctcry in chc performance of them; the Sain•s flourifh in •he Courll of thtir God, 4· Keep y our judgmmtt joJIHR in 1ht lr~ttbt of God;thofe who make fi1ip wrack of cheir faith, will quickly make havock of a good Conk: ience. 5· Take beed of loofe company. The ordinary co~panion of fools will quickly be like thcm,and fhall be dellroyed wtth them. 6, Often f er before your eyer, the dreadfHl E: .. mpltt of Apoftattr, and the dr<adful rh•-. •nings in the word. of God agatnfi them. 7 b,y bad bettrr never k._no..,nthe way ofGod,fallh Pettr:thty that dra., back._ God1 Sot;"/ can tok$ 11a pleajurr ill them, they ~re 1111 fit for the_ Kingdom ofGod. There rrmair.erh no more Sacnfice for fin,Heb, 1o. they draw back to perdition. , 7· Laflly, To name no more,confider thepromifrr made to Per! fverance and thofe made for pFtfeverall;.e, and the fhorrnefs of the 1Jct wt h;ve to mn; the lhortnef:S of the time we have to watch. But I ll1all add no more, and having named th efe only, !tav( them to be impr ~ ved in your more private Meditations. Cant. Cant. 2, '7· T11rn my Btloved, and be thou lil{o oJ a Roe, and at a young Hart, up• n the Mou"tain1 of Bethtr. THE Spoufe hath declared her faith, both with .eference t.o the rime prtfrnt. So the had faid , I am my Btlovedr, and my Behved i1 miile, and with reference tn the rime ro come) that it thould be fo, JtntU the day break._ and thejhado•ri (hould flu aw.ry. ;we are now come to her -prayer, turn ( my Beloved!) and be lik" - as a Roe and aynuttg H,rt,upon the M1unt <i11t nfB etbtr: LoCit<.bic difficil/imt<I, It is a very difficult Text ( faith a lenmd Author.) I mull therefore fpend a liule tim<; in the explication ot the words, Much oft he. difficulty lies in the word, T11rn. The ltarned Mmll' agreeing it the voice of rhc Spoufe,mal<es it her rcquel\ ,r lut Chrilt would bttakt him{< If to the Mou11tai>tt; Tete in eo1 recipe. So Indeed it found t th, Cap. 8 v. 14. But there it is, flee or m>l{o h4fe, M,.:J here .:JO, and fo by the Mountains of Brther, fome undtrtland H<avm , fome Gofpel Ordiluncet ;. from which , anJ by which the Ch-urch or the believing Soul defires to be fed, un ci I the day of J••dgment. B-Jt rhe generality oflnserprecerscxpou nd it, of tbe Spoufes praytr, that her btloved would return, not !rom' her but to her; and in that fenfe I 01all cJrry ir, not as the Churches defire of Ch,iils afcention into Heaven, and feeding her from thence until the d'y of J.udg•nenr; but as the ddire of rile Church, ond the bdicving Soul, that her Beloved, of whom 01e h-ad not at ptefent as full fruition as lhe dtfrred, would return unr_o her and be unto her in thi< life as Roe, ·and a> a JIIHnf!. H""· L>. -que; non adeffi quem rwocat,faith Bernard; fhe calls ~o him to re. turn , 'irs plain then he was not prekot: yet ( fJI!h he ) Cum /tnt it KrtJti.1m a11.m{ cit prttfenti.Jm, cum nan abj(ntiam qmrttHT, ru r(il$< p.r.e[e11i;,m q11-trit. She reels his grace, and ackn··•·•k d!leth hcs · prefence; I he compiJirr> not of his abfence, yet 01e ddcrcrh hts pre fence. There are degrees of Chrtlts prefencc w.rch '" • ev er.y degree hath a great amiabknef:, and is the refore ddirable. She detire rh,faith Brza, thJt no difficulty mrght htndn ?cr the. full en.ioyment of her Bduved. The only, remaining d.ili;ult)., ts '~<.the Meta ph.oucoh |
