We see our selves in Christ, and see the love of God to us in Christ, these three sights are the foundation of all comfort, God gives us to Christ, and sees us as given to him, in his election, Christ sees us as given of the Father, as you have it John 17. And loves us as we are loved of the ⟨p. 431⟩Father, and then sees us as his own members, and we by a Spirit of Faith see Christ, and see our selves in Christ, and given to Christ by the Father, hereupon comes a desire of imitation and expression of Jesus Christ, when we see our selves in Christ God looks upon us in Christ, and we look upon our selves in Christ, and when we look upon the mercy of God in Christ, it kindleth love, and love kindleth love, as fire kindleth fire: Fire hath that quality, that it turns all to it self. Now the meditation of the glorious love of God in Christ it works love, and love is ⟨p. 432⟩an affection of changing, love transforms as fire doth, the love of God warms us, and we are fit for all impressions, as things that are warm, Iron is a dull and heavy thing, yet when it is warmed it is bright, and pliable, and hath as much as may be, of the nature of fire imprinted upon it, so our dead, and dull, and unflexible, and unyielding souls become malleable, and flexible by the love of Christ shining upon them, his love transforms them, and kindles them, so here is the way, how the glory of Gods love in Christ transforms us, because the discovery of the ⟨p. 433⟩bowels of mercy in God towards us, kindles love to him, and that being kindled it works likeness, for love to greatness transforms us, it works a desire to be like those that are great, where there is dependence, there is a desire to be like, even among men, much more considering that God so loves our nature in Christ, and that our nature is so full of grace in Christ as it is, the love of God in Christ, that hath done so much for us, it breeds a desire to be like Christ in our disposition, all we can.
Wee see our selves in Christ, and see the love of God to us in Christ, these three sights are the foundation of all comfort, God gives us to Christ, and sees us as given to him, in his election, Christ sees us as given of the Father, as you have it Iohn 17. And loves us as wee are loved of the ⟨p. 431⟩Father, and then sees us as his owne members, and wee by a Spirit of Faith see Christ, and see our selves in Christ, and given to Christ by the Father, hereupon comes a desire of imitation and expression of Iesus Christ, when we see our selves in Christ God lookes upon us in Christ, and we looke upon our selves in Christ, and when we looke upon the mercy of God in Christ, it kindleth love, and love kindleth love, as fire kindleth fire: Fire hath that quality, that it turnes all to it selfe. Now the meditation of the glorious love of God in Christ it workes love, and love is ⟨p. 432⟩an affection of changing, love transformes as fire doth, the love of God warmes us, and wee are fit for all impressions, as things that are warme, Iron is a dull and heavy thing, yet when it is warmed it is bright, and plyable, and hath as much as may be, of the nature of fire imprinted upon it, so our dead, and dull, and unflexible, and unyeelding soules become mallyable, and flexible by the love of Christ shining upon them, his love transformes them, and kindles them, so here is the way, how the glory of Gods love in Christ transformes us, because the discovery of the ⟨p. 433⟩bowels of mercy in God towards us, kindles love to him, and that being kindled it workes likenesse, for love to greatnesse transformes us, it workes a desire to be like those that are great, where there is dependance, there is a desire to be like, even among men, much more considering that God so loves our nature in Christ, and that our nature is so full of grace in Christ as it is, the love of God in Christ, that hath done so much for us, it breedes a desire to be like Christ in our disposition, all wee can.
