How to try our affi Sions to Chriß, Fifthly, this may fhew as a meanes how to confume all bafe and kitchin-! loves and lufts in us, fet upon the? fenfi-all worldly things grow up in this fpirituali love to Chrift, and will allow up and confune thel Jeffer fires; the greater light wiles tingwith the Leffer, as the Sun will pur out the kitchin fire to this king fire of Chrifts love in us will burne, and car out áli luit in us, Sixthly, this may comfort the trac Church and children of God, in affa rance of their perfeverance: if out love to him be fo ungliangjabi, thai thany waters of allions cannesi quench it, for floods of temptations drowne it, if it be fo Arong as dearly! that it will devour all before it, how much more is his love to us ! Seventhly, this lets us fce that the Churches that are well edible thumfelves, must not contemine the weake neighbour Churches, but rik care, and use all good meanes for ther eftablishment and growth: How far fhould greater Churches bee from Ch.8. An evidence for our perfeverance. 261 curring off the breads, or breaking downe the walls of their fmall neighbour-Churches. Eightly this may teach Magiftrates V8. to be as walls to keep out all diforder, tand up as a wall if there come in dif orders, ftand fo high that they cannot come over; if any would goe a begging, keep them in, reftraine beggery, idleneffe, drunkenneffe, whordome, and prophaneneffe, all evill courfes be as a wall, whereon to reate à filver Palace for ever; whereon to lay the frame of a good motion, courfe, or order, to be taken for the publique! good; any good motion made, or ro jbe made, is as a wall to divide equally to all men their righ, dopo Ninthly, this may reachy Minifters Ufe 9. o be as doores to open a wide entrance for the people to come to Chrift, not as thofe Scribes and barifces, which Chrift complaines of, which neither enter in them-Lukera. felves, nor would fuffer others: fuch are rather Port-cullifes, yea, gates of Hell.. 52. De day of magicrates and via ajetry ! Terthly, this may katus fte che du› ¦ tyof Magirates; if Minifters ber doores, it should bee the care o heh them in with board. of Cedar, Ito provide for their fecurity: it is thé dury of every Magißrate and member to hem them in, that no ene ay thay be able to oppose them, but that they maybe without fear among them, as it S Sex ilat Timothy be without feare a soan jou. Eleventhly, this may let us fee a Church enjoying a faithfull Minitr«, d a Chriftian Migiracy, enjoyeth a fpeciall favour from Chrift. Twelfthly, this lets us fee what cat Care Chrift will one day have his Church, though Lyons, Dra 1s, and Beares have broken in upte Church ro-devout it; and b es many Foxes have fought to fabIver it, and to cut the finewes of it! der; yet when Chrift fhall cake: the Lovernment of it into bis bands, there fhall be no enemy to offer vio Kane to it: When the great Devia hall be punished,even Leviathan thar! Chrift wilfree his Church from all enimies,263 that crooked Serpent, and the Dragon that is in the fea fhall be flaine; In that day fing yee unto her, a vineyard Ifa.27.1.2. of new wine; yea, the Lord will keepe ir, he will water it every moment, left any hurt it, he will keep it night and day; yea, Chrift will one day free his Church from all oppreffion, and give free paffage to all his ordinances. Finally, this ferves to teach us all fe 13. what affection we fhould have to the comming of Chrift to Judgement, to defire him to be as the Roeor a young Hart upon the mountaines of spices; to take us up into the higheft heavens, where are all manner of sweet and fragant and pleasant things, even fulneffe of joy for evermore. The faithfull Spouses of Chrift do earneftly defire his comming to judgement, but Harlots would put off his comming: A chafte wife, and a loyall Spouse defires her husband to fend no more letters, but to haften his returne, and come home; but a harlot would have her husbands comming deferred; fo they whose hearts are a whoring Pfa.16.1 2 Tim.4.8. 164 Chrift's comming defired by his Spouse. whoring after the world, neither defire Chrifts comming, nor love his appearing. That we may therefore fhew and approve our felves to bee the true Spoufes of Chrift, defire his hafty comming, and fay, as Revel. 20. 20. Even fo come Lord Iefus, come quickly, Amen. The Lord work this good work and frame of grace in our hearts, for lefus Chrifts fake, Amėn. Alas who bal live when God doth this ? FINIS. |