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Show 4· Rea[. Reafont of the spouje1 eleftrc, pinefs is concerned ~n fuch enjoy~enr; and therefore upon ~he leaH fenfe or fufpicwn of fuch wnhdrawmgs, ~annat ~ut with fome pat!ion cry out tr<rn rny Belovtd! . - Lallly, Every Soul naturally de.fir'5 a per/ellwH of ftate; hence the Schoolmen argue the incompleatnefs even of 1•ff Soulr,made a; perfect as they can be before the day ofJudgment, becaufe in all fuch Souls there mull remain a ddire of a re-union to the body, wnen both thall be made perfect in the full fruition of God to all Eternity. Now the pcrf<ction of the Souls felicity lieth mu~h in her Beloved's full prefence. We lhall not be made_~er~ect t11l he return from Heaven, whither he is afce.nded. N,Jr IS 11 potlible that without his gracious pre fence and lllf!uencc, the ~oul ~Ol~ld be perfecl: either in its attion and performance for hun, or 111 Its enjoyment and fruition of hi.m .. But I lhall cnlarg_e no fulfher, ~ut clofe up my difcourfe fo~ thiS tl~e, .and upon thiS Chapter, \\lth two particulars of pra<~hcal ApplicatiOn. What you have 4eard, may 01ew you that va(l d~lference which is betwixt a believing and another SoH!. I. The. beltevmg ~oul w1ll be fenfible of the Juft degrees ofCbriftr abfence to tt. 2 .It ,.,,u be ve'! • fervent and importHnate in prayer for bu r.rurn unto Jl , yea, for h1s mofl fpeedy return t<J it. Ah Lord ! how ~any thoufands ?f Souls are rhere in the world that neither do enJoy, nor ever dtd enjoy any rhing of Chrifls fpiritual prefence, yet hav~ ~o fenfe at all of it! The Apoflle fetting out the defperate condrnon of ~he Ephefiant while they were in the tlate of NatUJC,Ef''f.2.12: fa~th . of the '[hal al thai time they were without Chr.ff--··bavmg no bo e, a~d without a God ill the world! Is iiot this the tlate of lome s!uh before the Lord this day? Is t.here none here that .never knew what it was to be united to Chntl, or to have any th.tn~ of his prefence and are you not fenfible of it? Shall the behevtn~ Soul be fenlibte of an heart not fo Orong to duty a sat other time,'; and have YIJU no fwfe of your heart wholly ell ranged fromdd~H) (, wholl dead unto dur)', &c 1 Shall they be fenfible of a u ne s and dJadnefs of their heart unto fpiritual duty? and ~a~rb1youf no fenfe of a total want ofheart unto duty? Are tht_Y en I e? the relapfes of their Soul into lin for want !Jf th~ ,prelence ~f thctr B lo ed I and will not you be fenfible of your Souls dead tn tr<J·, :rre: and fins? The A poOle [peaks of Cq't'fl~, Ephef. 4· J 9· "' o ~•in paft frding have !'iven tim>~ (elver to laflwiOu[nrji, 10 work unclea~ mfi with greedinefr: but what can be expected of dead Sob~; 7 he Doflrine dpp!ied. but that they lhould be paj1foelin7, i' all fenfe is the effect oflifc; how can it be expected, that thofe who know nothing of Chrifi and of the fweernefs of his prefence, 010uld dtfire ir any more than :he Gadarenr defired his prefence? When he was up•ln 1he Earth.--/,;noti 11uVa cupido. The Soul mufi have fome knowledg ofrhe good and exctllemyof the thing, or perfon which it ddirClh. I cannot fpeak to your hearts, I cannot breath the breath of Spiritual life into your Souls, that is Gods work. B11t let me fpeak to your e31s a little: 0 do not think the Spoufe of Cluifi as a vain woman. Do you fee fometime ! gracious Souls in their hours of trouble ? Do you fee them mourning, and refufing to be comforted? and do you hear them faying, where is our God become? Oh, I am afraid, Chrift is departed from me; I am fo afflicted, fo diltreffed, fo full offightings wirhour, and of fears within : Oh, I cannot pray as at or her times, my God is departed from me ! Ah my heart is dead and dull, and fad, and every way out of tune ; 0 turn, 0 turn my Beloved I be tbou unto me lik.t a Roe and~ yo11ng Hart upon the mountai11r of Bet her : my fins have made a mountain of Bethtr, a mountain of Separation between Chri(l an me. But, 0 my Beloved, be thou like a Ror and a _young H'7t ro whom no Mountains are tmpaffable._ 0 do nut think your Brethren are fools, and that they complain for they know not whJt ! Say rather, 0 my Soul! Have I not m11ch more caufe to cry fo? I that never knew any thing of Chrilt, that never could fay unto him my Beloved; Sqrely (Brethren) Religion is not a vain thing. 0 what a difference there is betwixt a child of God and you! Confider on whofe fide the Advantage lies. Chrill is gone from us all, he will return again. 0 rake heed he returneth not to you as the Lion of the Tribe of [udah ; as the Apofile dcfcribes him, coming in fiamint {ire to tak.f vengeance ~<pon thtm tbat ~no"' not God, and obey not the Gojpel of Chrijr, 2 Thelf. 1. Oh, it will be f weer that day to fee him coming 1 ke a Roe a11d a young fbrt upon the Mountains of Bet her, I have done with one word more. Secondly, Let all thor fear the Lnrd learn ho.., much it ir their concern to i{ftp tht pre[e11ce ofChrift with them; and 2. what their duty u undrr bu withdra..,ings from them: I f•y, I. Firfl, How much it u your concern to pre[erve the pre{eHee of Cbrijrwith you: Why lhould you put your felves to that trouble that wil! follow every gradual withdrawing of him from your Souls? 0 look to the prefcnce of Chrill with your Souls! '· Keep Y y y your |