To know God in general as a Creator, and doing good, &c. the Heathens did that by the light of nature, but we should labour to •ee him in the face of Christ, that is, to see him appeased, and loving us, wishing us well, concerning eternal glory, that must be by the light of the Gospel, and by the Spirit: therefore in hearing of the Word, and reading, and meditating, desire God above all, to reveal by his Spirit, his gracious face in Christ, that in Christ we may see him as a Father, as a Husband, as a Friend, in those sweet relations of love that he hath taken upon him. It should be our daily desire of God, to manifest his love more to us in Christ Jesus, then in any other fruits of his love: for there be common fruits, as to give us health, and friends, and liberty, and quiet government, which are great favours, that we see denied to many nations: oh! but the soul that is touched with the spirit of God, and the sense of his own condition by nature, is thus disposed; Lord I desire, that thou wouldest show the fruits of thy love to me, but I desire not so much those common fruits, that the reprobates may have as well as I: oh! show me by thy holy spirit,1 that thou hast a particular, and peculiar love to me in Christ, and for this end, give me grace to know the mystery of Christ, more and more, & the mystery of my natural corruption; that knowledge, that may drive me to make much of thy love, and grace in Christ. ⟨p. 296⟩Now the Spirit, that knows the deep things of God, the depth of Gods love to any one in particular, and the depth of our hearts, if we beg the Spirit, to reveal the good pleasure of God to us; in time God will show unto our souls, that he delights in us, and that he is our salvation, this shows, that the soul is an excellent temper, that it sets a right price and value on things, that it prizeth Gods favour above all things, that is the nature of faith, for what is faith, only to believe in general, that Christ dyed, &c? No, but to esteem Gods love better then all the world: for Gods love is entire in pardoning, and curing too, by this the soul is raised up, to esteem the love and mercy of God, in pardoning, and healing sin,2 above life it self, Psal. 63. Thy loving kindness is better then life.
To know God in generall as a Creator, and doing good, &c. the Heathens did that by the light of nature, but we should labour to •ee him in the face of Christ, that is, to see him appeased, and loving us, wishing us well, concerning eternall glory, that must be by the light of the Gospell, and by the Spirit: therfore in hearing of the Word, and reading, and meditating, desire God above all, to reveale by his Spirit, his grac•ous face in Christ, that in Christ we may see him as a Father, as a Husband, as a Friend, in those sweet relations of love that he hath taken upon him. It should be our daily desire of God, to manifest his love more to us in Christ Iesus, then in any other fruits of his love: for there be common fruits, as to give us health, and friends, and liberty, and quiet governement, which are great favours, that we see denyed to many nations: oh! but the soule that is touched with the spirit of God, and the sence of his owne condition by nature, is thus disposed; Lord I desire, that thou wouldest shew the fruits of thy love to me, but I desire not so much those common fruits, that the reprobates may have as well as I: oh! shew me by thy holy spirit,1 that thou hast a particular, and peculiar love to me in Christ, and for this end, give me grace to know the mistery of Christ, more and more, & the mystery of my naturall corruption; that knowledge, that may drive me to make much of thy love, and grace in Christ. ⟨p. 296⟩Now the Spirit, that knowes the deepe things of God, the depth of Gods love to any one in particular, and the depth of our hearts, if we begge the Spirit, to reveale the good pleasure of God to us; in time God will shew unto our soules, that he delights in us, and that he is our salvation, this shewes, that the soule is an excellent temper, that it sets a right price and value on things, that it prizeth Gods favour above all things, that is the nature of faith, for what is faith, onely to believe in generall, that Christ dyed, &c? No, but to esteeme Gods love better then all the world: for Gods love is entire in pardoning, and curing too, by this the soule is raysed up, to esteeme the love and mercy of God, in pardoning, and healing sinne,2 above life it selfe, Psal. 63. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life.
- 1Beg the Spirit of revelation.
- 2Psal 63.
