A25241:153
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 7: More Motives to encourage us in this work.
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.
7. Consider, it's but equal that your hearts should be on Christ, when the heart of Christ is so much on you. Christ is our Friend, and in that respect he loves us, and bears us in his heart; and shall not he be ours? Surely this is ill requital; this is a great contradiction to the law of Friendship: But Christ is our Lord as well as Friend; and if the Lord of glory can stoop so low as to set his heart on sinful dust, one would think we should easily be persuaded to set our hearts on Jesus Christ. Christians! do you not perceive that the heart of Christ is set upon you! and that he is still minding you with tender love, even when you forget both your selves and him? Do you not find him following you with daily mercies, moving on your souls, providing for your bodies, and preserving both! doth he not bear you continually in the arms of love, and promise that all shall work together for your good? doth he not give his Angels charge over you, and suit all his dealings to your greatest advantage? and can you find in your hearts to cast him by? can you forget your Lord, who forgets not you? Fie upon this unkind Ingratitude! When the Lord speaks of his thoughts and respects to us, he gives this language, Can a woman forget her sucking-child, 1that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. But when he speaks of our thoughts to him, the case is otherwise:2 can a Maid forget her Ornaments, or a Bride her Attire? yet my People have forgotten me days without number, q. d. you would not forget the clothes on your backs, you would not forget your braveries, your Ornaments, your Attires, and are these of more worth than Christ? yet you can forget me day after day.
7. Consider, it's but equal that your hearts should be on Christ, when the heart of Christ is so much on you. Christ is our Friend, and in that respect he loves us, and bears us in his heart; and shall not he be ours? Surely this is ill requital; this is a great contradiction to the law of Friendship: But Christ is our Lord as well as Friend; and if the Lord of glory can stoop so low as to set his heart on sinful dust, one would think we should easily be perswaded to set our hearts on Jesus Christ. Christians! do you not perceive that the heart of Christ is set upon you! and that he is still minding you with tender love, even when you forget both your selves and him? Do you not find him following you with daily mercies, moving on your souls, providing for your bodies, and preserving both! doth he not bear you continually in the armes of love, and promise that all shall work together for your good? doth he not give his Angels charge over you, and suit all his dealings to your greatest advantage? and can you find in your hearts to cast him by? can you forget your Lord, who forgets not you? Fie upon this unkind Ingratitude! When the Lord speaks of his thoughts and respects to us, he gives this language, Can a woman forget her sucking-child,