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

But if neither the judgements of God will persuade us, nor the mercies of God allure us, yet let the complaints and moans of Christ Jesus prevail with you to prepare for him. Consider our Saviour Christ hath taken a great journey from heaven to earth to save us miserable, wretched, and sinful creatures: conceive you saw those streams of blood trickling down his cheeks: conceive you saw him upon the cross with his hands thrust through with nails, and his side pierced with a spear, enduring the wrath of God for our sins; and behold now he standeth at the door, and saith with the Church, Lam. 1.12. It is nothing to you, have you no regard, O ye that pass by? behold and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, &c. Imagine you heard Christ say, I have suffered these, and these things for you; these hands of mine were nailed, this side of mine was pierced, this heart of mine was melted with anguish of spirit. Imagine you saw Christ standing and knocking at the door of your hearts, as indeed he doth, and say, Hoe all you within there, hoe all you proud hearts, hoe all you covetous and malicious hearts, have you no regard of a poor Saviour? have you no regard of a crucified Saviour? he that died for you, even the bitter death upon the cross for you, ⟨p. 63⟩and now laboureth to do good unto you? Would not this move you to prepare your your hearts for him, and to let him in? Nay, mark what Christ saith to the Church, Cant. 5.2. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. As if he should say, I have had an ill journey, a bad way, and unkind entertainment, and therefore come away my love, my dove, my undefiled, and open unto me. So he saith to every one of our souls, This day I have travelled a great way for you, and have had a very hard journey; I have suffered many crosses and afflictions, many mocks and scoffs; many buffets, yea, even death it self, for you: will you now suffer the Lord Jesus, wearied and perplexed, to stand knocking and calling, and weeping, and saying as he said to Jerusalem, Luke 19.42. Oh that thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things belonging to thy peace: but now they are hid from thine eyes?