A25241:131
Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…
Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...
London: printed for Richard Chiswel, 1680
Book 1 › Chapter 3 › Section 5: Motives from our wants in case of neglect.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Such a case I confess may be; yea, as many Duties are neglected by some godly, so this main Duty is (I may tremble to think it) exceedingly neglected. But, O the sin, and sadness of those souls! O the wants attending such poor creatures! Consider them in these particulars.
1. They have not that wisdom, knowledge, discerning of Christ, as otherwise they might have. By looking, and serious observing of Christ, we gain more, and more knowledge of Christ; but if we will not look, how should we understand those great mysteries of grace? nor speak I only of speculative knowledge, but more especially of practical and experimental; without looking on Christ, we cannot expect that virtue should go out of Christ; there is but a poor character or cognizance of Christ upon them that are such; they have not so clear, and comfortable, and inward, and experimental a knowledge of Jesus Christ.
1. They have not that wisdom, knowledge, discerning of Christ, as otherwise they might have. By looking, and serious observing of Christ, we gain more, and more knowledge of Christ; but if we will not look, how should we understand those great mysteries of grace? nor speak I only of speculative knowledge, but more especially of practical and experimental; without looking on Christ, we cannot expect that vertue should go out of Christ; there is but a poor character or cognizance of Christ upon them that are such; they have not so clear, and comfortable, and inward, and experimental a knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2. They do not so taste the goodness of Christ, as otherwise they might; Christ is no other unto them, whilst neglected by them, but as an eclipsed Star, with whose light they are not at all affected; Christ is not sweet to them in his Ordinances, they find not in them that delight and refreshment, that comfort and contentment, which they usually minister: they cannot say of Christ as the Spouse did, I sate down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste;