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In another place, is the enfuing Meditation upon those words of the Apostle, 1 Fet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love.

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Bleffed Lord, can I hear of any thing generously or bravely done, by such whom thou haft endu'd with Celestial or Humane 'Virtues, and not be mov'd to love the Per'fon who acted them, especially if fuch a one

be the Deliverer of his Country, and by 'whom, I my felf, or others at this Day reap 'fignal benefits. Who can read of David's ' act against Goliah, and not have their Souls 'knit to him as well as Jonathan who did fee him. And if he were any where ftill a-. ' live and might be feen, who wou'd not be ' defirous to pay him Honour, Refpect and Love? -Lord Thou liveft,who haft done fo great Things for us; who can but love what . Thou haft done? Who can but love the • Meeknefs and Goodness wherewith Thou haft done them? Who can but Love, Honour, and Efteem Thee who haft done them? When we behold Thee in the Agoદ ny of Love and Fear; Fear deterring Thee, and Love engaging Thee to fuffer, when we behold Thee fpeaking fuch words of Love and Tenderness as never Man fpoke, to his Dearest Friend: Are we Marble Lord, are we harder than Flint? Do we change our nature and become otherwife to Thee than we are to all the World befides? . O let us at least equal Thee with thy Creatures, and having not feen let us Love Thee. But let us Love Thee as becomes the noble

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'nefs of the Object, and long, O Gracious Jefu to pay our Homage to thy presence, whom abfent we adore. Amen.

The Comparison betwixt the Love of Chrift and his Servants with the Love of David and Jonathan, he elsewhere pursues in the following manner.

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"We cannot hear the Story of the Loves ' of Jonathan and David,without being affected with it; and why, but because of the earthly Grandure there is in it; a Goliah 'defeated, a Robe and Belt, a Royal Table, the Jealoufie of a King; all which Men are naturally apt to revere, these add Grandure, and Grandure Affectingness to 6 to the Story.

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Awaken thy Mind, my Soul, open thy Eyes: Behold a greater Love than both theirs is here; get up above the round level of this World; raife up thy head a while, and fee as Angels fee, and think as Angels think; Thofe things that are highly esteemed among Men, are low in the fight of God. Here is the true Grandure, here is that which affects the minds of Angels. "The only Son of God on the one fide, and the Princes of his Kingdom on the other. 'Here they seem mean and contemptible, but to thofe Blessed Spirits who know the • Rank referv'd for them in Heaven, and the vacant Thrones belonging to each of them, they appear with true greatnefs. The tokens of this Love, are Jewels of Immortal Stamp, not an Earthly Robe, that fits loose

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on him that gives it, but the very Body and 'Blood of the Giver. The Acts of this

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Love, are an effectual Reconcilement of his < Friends to God the Father, tho' with the Expence of his Glory, and Life. And on both fides, this act is metual, of facrificing all they had, and Life it felf for each o'ther. The Expreffions of this Love are the C most folidly Endearing, the most substantially Tender, without Extravagance, Fondnefs or Pomp; not with ftrain'd appellati' ons, but in the natural Terms of Children and Friends: As the Father hath loved me, fo have I loved you; let not your Heart be trou bled; be of good chear. My Peace I leave with you, I will fee you again. The Circumstances of this Love, are his glorious Refurrection, with the Miniftration of Angels, opening the Prifon Gates, and his Triumphal Afcenfion with the whole Quire of Angels attending; Promifing at the fame ⚫ time to be mindful of his poor (but great) "Friends whom he left here behind, in the 'midst of his and their Enemies: Nor was 'he unmindful of them afterwards, like Pharoahs Buttler: But when his Martyr Stephen was over-born by the violence of his Perfecutors,he caused the Heavens to open to fhew to this his beloved Friend, that be beheld him in his conflict,and would immediately bring him to his own glory. Had he by Angels taken him 'ftrait up to himself from the midst of their Confiftory, the Scene wou'd not have been greater to thofe Heavenly Spectators, than as he was

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' pleas'd to manage it. For as we laugh at the Rage which our Enemies express against ← the Dead Bodies of our Friends, fo do the Angels in Heaven at the Rage of Men against our living Bodies here, being only a Lump of Clay and Corruption, which must be fow'd before it can be quickn'd, and put off Mortality, before it can be invested with • Glory.

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O poor fighted Mortals; That this Scene does not appear to you with that ← Grandure as the Loves of Earthly Prin6 ces, when to the Blessed Inhabitants of the other World, it appears fo heroick, and fills their thoughts with more affecting joy and wonder than all the Earthly Pomp cou'd do ours: This noble Scene of Love be<tween our Blessed Lord and his Servants, from his firft quitting his Glory for their sakes, to the last Act of Love that fhall appear on this Earthly Stage at the final confummation of all things. How Divinely great will thefe Stories appear in the An‹ nals of Eternity, to entertain that Blessed Society with, through never ending days of Blifs!

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I fhall add but one Meditation more upon his Love to Cod; and that has a particular Relation to Gods Laws and Commandments by which, with what goes before, the Reader may judge of the fincerity, and fervency of this his Divine Love, especially with respect to the adorable Mystery of our Redemption. Pal

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C Pfal. 119. 127. I love thy Commandments above Gold and Precious ftones.

The Commandments of God, are the Rule of our Life; the Revelation of the Holy Will of God, the means of perfecting our Nature, and making us ever happy, So paffionately did David love them, that he had rather all the Jewels of his Crown 'fhou'd be loft, than one of them taken away. (Not one of them are to be spar'd, they are

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all adorable,all to be beloved.) Who wou'd 'be content to lofe one of his Members, tho' ( not Essential to his Life? But the Command" ments of God, are Links of the Chain of E( ternity, as much worth as Heaven and Immortality: Who can but love that which 'is holy, juft and good? What true Servant of God, can but love every Declara'tion of the Will of his Heavenly Father? Is it not condefcention enough to captivate our Hearts, that the Almighty fhou'd re'veal his Will to us? Better Heaven and Earth fhou'd pass away,than one tittle of the 'Law of God fhou'd be withdrawn. I love then < every Commandment of my God, even that ' which moft contradicts my finful and natu'ral Inclinations; and wou'd not wish it to 'be taken out of the number, for a Thousand Worlds. For I know the Will of my God is Holy, (his Will is our Sanctification) and I can't be happy without being like him; nor can I be like him that is Holy, if any part of 'this His Law fhou'd be withdrawn. O Almighty God, give unto us the increase of thy • Grace;

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