A25241:133
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.
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; 1they are in the case of Barzillai, who could not taste what he did eat, or what he did drink; nor could hear any more the voice of singing-men, or of singing-women: so they cannot taste the things of God, nor hear the spiritual melody which Christ makes to the souls of them that look up to him.
3. They have not that love to Christ, which Christs beholders have; they meditate not upon Christ, as lovers on their love; they delight not themselves in Christ, as the rich man in his treasure, and the bride in the bridegroom, which they love; their thoughts are rather on the world than Christ; their palates are so distempered, that they have no pleasure in the choicest wine, they cannot say that their souls long after him; and no wonder, for how should they love Christ, who turn their eyes from him who is the fairest of ten thousands to other objects? Surely they have no flaming, burning love to Christ, that will give every base thing a kind of preeminence above Christ.
3. They have not that love to Christ, which Christs beholders have; they meditate not upon Christ, as lovers on their love; they delight not themselves in Christ, as the rich man in his treasure, and the bride in the bridegroom, which they love; their thoughts are rather on the world than Christ; their palates are so distempered, that they have no pleasure in the choycest wine, they cannot say that their souls long after him; and no wonder, for how should they love Christ, who turn their eyes from him who is the fairest of ten thousands to other objects? Surely they have no flaming, burning love to Christ, that will give every base thing a kind of preheminence above Christ.