11. And first, it's a most singular honour and ornament, in the stile of the Saints Rest, to be called the Purchased Possession: That it is the fruit of the Blood of the Son of God; yea, the chief fruit: yea, the end and perfection of all the fruits, and efficacy of that Blood. Surely Love is the most precious ingredient in the whole composition: and of all the flowers that grow in the Garden of Love; can there be brought one more sweet and beautiful to the Garland, then this Blood? Greater Love then this there is not, to lay down the life of the Lover.2 And to have this our Redeemer ⟨p. 76⟩ever before our Eyes, and the liveliest Sense and freshest Remembrance of that dying-bleeding-Love still upon our Souls!3 Oh how will it fill our Souls with perpetual Ravishments? To think that in the streams of this Blood we have swam through the violence of the world, the snares of Satan, the seducements of flesh, the curse of the Law, the wrath of an offended God, the accusations of a Guilty Conscience, and the vexing doubts and fears of an unbelieving heart, and are passed through all, and here arrived safely at the breast of God! Now we are stupefied with vile and senseless hearts, that can hear all the story of this Bloody Love, and read all the dolours and sufferings of Love, and hear all his sad complaints, and all with dullness, and unaffected. He cries to us, Behold and see; Is it nothing to you, O all ye that pass by? Is there any sorrow like unto my sorrow? (Lamen. 1.12.) and we will scarce hear or regard the dolorous voice; nor scarce turn aside to view the wounds of him, who turned aside, and took us up, to heal our wounds at this so dear a rate. But Oh then our perfected Souls will feel as well as hear, and with feeling apprehensions flame again in Love for Love. Now we set his picture wounded and dying before our eyes, but can get it no nearer our hearts, then if we believed nothing of what we read. But then when the obstructions between the eye and the understanding are taken away, and the passage opened between the head and the heart; surely our eyes will everlastingly affect our heart: and while we view with one eye our slain-revived Lord, and with the other eye our lost-recovered Souls, and transcendent Glory, these views will eternally pierce us, and warm our very Souls.
11. ANd first, it's a most singular honor and ornament, in the stile of the Saints Rest, to be called the Purchased Possession: That it is the fruit of the Blood of the Son of God; yea, the chief fruit: yea, the end and perfection of all the fruits, and efficacy of that Blood. Surely Love is the most precious ingredient in the whole composition: and of all the flowers that grow in the Garden of Love; can there be brought one more sweet and beautiful to the Garland, then this Blood? Greater Love then this there is not, to lay down the life of the Lover.2 And to have this our Redeemer ⟨p. 76⟩ever before our Eyes, and the liveliest Sense and freshest Remembrance of that dying-bleeding-Love still upon our Souls!3 Oh how will it fill our Souls with perpetual Ravishments? To think that in the streams of this Blood we have swam through the violence of the world, the snares of Satan, the seducements of flesh, the curse of the Law, the wrath of an offended God, the accusations of a Guilty Conscience, and the vexing doubts and fears of an unbeleeving heart, and are passed through all, and here arrived safely at the brest of God! Now we are stupified with vile and sensless hearts, that can hear all the story of this Bloody Love, and read all the dolors and sufferings of Love, and hear all his sad complaints, and all with dulness, and unaffected. He cries to us, Behold and see; Is it nothing to you, O all ye that pass by? Is there any sorrow like unto my sorrow? (Lamen. 1.12.) and we will scarce hear or regard the dolorous voyce; nor scarce turn aside to view the wounds of him, who turned aside, and took us up, to heal our wounds at this so dear a rate. But Oh then our perfected Souls will feel as well as hear, and with feeling apprehensions flame again in Love for Love. Now we set his picture wounded and dying before our eyes, but can get it no neerer our hearts, then if we beleeved nothing of what we read. But then when the obstructions between the eye and the understanding are taken away, and the passage opened between the head and the heart; surely our eyes will everlastingly affect our heart: and while we view with one eye our slain-revived Lord, and with the other eye our lost-recovered Souls, and transcendent Glory, these views will eternally pierce us, and warm our very Souls.
- 1§. 1. 1. It is the fruit of the Love and Blood of Christ, whom we shall there also behold & enjoy.
- 2John 15.13.
- 3Quid mirum si caput p•o membris accepit curationem, quam tamen in se ipso non habuit necessariam▪ Nonne & in membris nustris saepe pro unius infirmita•e alteri adhibetur curatio? Dolet caput, & in brachio sit coctura; dolent renes & fit in tibia; •ta hodie pro totius corpo•is putredine Cauterium quodam infixum est in capite Christo. Berna. Serm. 30 de tem•ore. Fatescat ergo maeror tristitia fugiat; eliminetur dolour; rancor abscedat, ut liceat vacare et videre cum Moysi visionem hanc grand•m; qualiter Deus in venire virginis concipiatur; decipiatur diabolus, recipiatur perditum; ind•bitum accipiatur! Totum me trahit affectio, sed oratio deficit; Dives cogitatio vocis paupertate consunditur. Bernard. Serm. 24. in die Natal. Quid aeque mentem cogitantis impinguat? Nomen I•su M•l in ore; in aure Melos; in corde Jubilus. Omnis cibus qui non conditur hoc sale infatuatus est. Scriptura quae non fuerit interlita olco tantae devotionis, est insipida. Bernard. Serm: 23.Quid mirum si caput p•o membris accepit curationem, quam tamen in se ipso non habuit necessariam▪ Nonne & in membris nustris saepe pro unius infirmita•e alteri adhibetur curatio? Dolet caput, & in brachio sit coctura; dolent renes & fit in tibia; •ta hodie pro totius corpo•is putredine Cauterium quodam infixum est in capite Christo. Berna. Serm. 30 de tem•ore. Fatescat ergo maeror tristitia fugiat; eliminetur dolor; rancor abscedat, ut liceat vacare et videre cum Moysi visionem hanc grand•m; qualiter Deus in venire virginis concipiatur; decipiatur diabolus, recipiatur perditum; indbitum accipiatur! Totum me trahit affectio, sed oratio deficit; Dives cogitatio vocis paupertate consunditur. Bernard. Serm. 24. in die Natal. Quid aeque mentem cogitantis impinguat? Nomen Isu Ml in ore; in aure Melos; in corde Jubilus. Omnis cibus qui non conditur hoc sale infatuatus est. Scriptura quae non fuerit interlita olco tantae devotionis, est insipida. Bernard. Serm: 23.
