2. 'Tis a Principle of Love inclining the Soul to love Jesus Christ as its Priest. When once there are Faith-glances in the Understanding at Christ crucified, and Faith-rollings in the Will upon him, the holy Fire (called a vehement Flame, or, as it is in the Original, the Flame of God, Cant. 8. 6.) kindles upon the heart and makes it burn with true love to Christ: Oh! says the Soul, this is he who made the Robe of Righteousness for me, and how much love was there in every thread of it? This is he who drunk off the Cup of trembling for me, and how much wrath did my sins squeeze into it? When on Earth he bore my sins upon the Cross, and now in Heaven he bears my name upon his heart; his Person is all desires, his Blood all preciousness, ⟨p. 392⟩his Righteousness all glory, his Love all heights and depths and breadths surpassing knowledge, and who can choose but love him? There is no high Priest or Sacrifice but himself, no Balm or healing but in his Wounds, no Intercessor above but his Blood and Righteousness, no Beauty or Glory in all the visible World like that in his Cross, and how can the heart refuse his Espousals? This is a Principle of sweet closure with Christ; this makes the Soul breathe after, nay approach to Christ, and when it hath a being in him, such is the holy aspiration of this Principle, that still it desires to be more perfectly and intimately in him; no embraces near enough, there's too much distance in every union: When the Soul is brother and sister and mother to him, still 'twould be nearer, nothing less than one spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17. and when 'tis so in some measure, still it presses hard after more oneness with him: Oh! that the Veil of darkness were quite off! that the remnants of separating Corruption were quite out! Oh! for more gales of Faith and Prayer to blow up this holy Fire! for more effusions of the holy Unction to feed and inflame it! Thus this Principle is hiatus Voluntatis, the opening or ⟨p. 393⟩thirsty gaping of the Will for more and more of Christ, and all that it may dwell in God who is Love it self.
2. 'Tis a Principle of Love enclining the Soul to love Jesus Christ as its Priest. When once there are Faith-glances in the Understanding at Christ crucified, and Faith-rollings in the Will upon him, the holy Fire (called a vehement Flame, or, as it is in the Original, the Flame of God, Cant. 8. 6.) kindles upon the heart and makes it burn with true love to Christ: Oh! says the Soul, this is he who made the Robe of Righteousness for me, and how much love was there in every thread of it? This is he who drunk off the Cup of trembling for me, and how much wrath did my sins squeez into it? When on Earth he bore my sins upon the Cross, and now in Heaven he bears my name upon his heart; his Person is all desires, his Blood all preciousness, ⟨p. 392⟩his Righteousness all glory, his Love all heights and depths and breadths surpassing knowledge, and who can chuse but love him? There is no high Priest or Sacrifice but himself, no Balm or healing but in his Wounds, no Intercessor above but his Blood and Righteousness, no Beauty or Glory in all the visible World like that in his Cross, and how can the heart refuse his Espousals? This is a Principle of sweet closure with Christ; this makes the Soul breathe after, nay approach to Christ, and when it hath a being in him, such is the holy aspiration of this Principle, that still it desires to be more perfectly and intimately in him; no embraces near enough, there's too much distance in every union: When the Soul is brother and sister and mother to him, still 'twould be nearer, nothing less than one spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17. and when 'tis so in some measure, still it presses hard after more oneness with him: Oh! that the Veil of darkness were quite off! that the remnants of separating Corruption were quite out! Oh! for more gales of Faith and Prayer to blow up this holy Fire! for more effusions of the holy Unction to feed and enflame it! Thus this Principle is hiatus Voluntatis, the opening or ⟨p. 393⟩thirsty gaping of the Will for more and more of Christ, and all that it may dwell in God who is Love it self.
