The souls implantation into the natural olive. By T.HThe soules implantation into the naturall olive. By T.H

And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet, mighty in deed, and word, before God, and all the people. We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done, and whether he be risen again we know not. We find this by common experience, a man that hath his ⟨p. 145⟩mind possessed with some sad meditation, though his familiar friend be near him, yet he discerns him not: so the Disciples saw not a Saviour though he were in their presence: therefore in the 32. verse, when Christ had opened the Scripture, and revealed himself to them, see what they said, Did not our hearts burn within us, when he talked with us? As if they should say, We had pregnant testimony enough of the divine presence, but we had no eyes to see it: the burning of our hearts was argument enough that it was Christ that spake to us. So when the soul of a poor broken-hearted sinner is taken up partly with the hurry of imaginations, partly with the violence of some temptation, and partly in regard of some worldly misery that falls upon it, it is so taken up with it, that it cannot see the Lord Jesus Christ, though he hath sensible experience of Christ, and the heart burns in love to Christ. This is the reason why many a poor soul, when Satan lets fly at him, and some heavy temptation presseth in upon him, reveal never so many comfortable promises, yet by reason thereof we find it by experience, that always those distressed spirits forget whatsoever is spoken, & all their mind and talk is upon the evil, and the violence of the temptation, and they attend not to the comfort, and to the promises revealed ⟨p. 146⟩to them: their eyes are held in this manner, that though they are near to Christ, and even in the privy chamber, yet they will not take notice of Christ, because their hearts are thus held off from the apprehension of his presence. In Psalm 73.23. when the Prophet David was fallen into a desperate perplexity, because of the prosperity of the wicked, so that he began to question his own condition, at last he said, Nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. He could not see Gods providence over him, and his presence with him, because his mind was so taken up with the prosperity of the ungodly: