A64995:154
The true Christians love of the unseen Christ, or, A discourse chiefly tending to…
The true Christians love of the unseen Christ, or, A discourse chiefly tending to excite and promote the decaying love of Christ in the hearts of Christians with an appendix concerning Christs manifestation of himself to them that love him / by Thomas Vincent.
London: printed by J.R. for Samuel Sprint, 1677
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.
If, beside the Apostles, all the learned Fathers (whose Works are extant amongst us, who lived near the Apostles times, and some of whom▪ suffered Martyrdom for Christ's sake) did see reason to believe that there was such a Person as Christ, surely you have reason to believe, and no solid reason to discredit the report of him in the History of the Gospel. And when you have attained a firm Assent unto this, get a full persuasion that Jesus Christ is such a person as the Scriptures do record and testify him to be. Be persuaded of his Amiableness, his Greatness, his Holiness, his Wisdom, his Faithfulness, his Fullness, his Kindness, the Relation he stands in to the Father, his only begotten and dearly beloved Son; the Relation he standeth in to his People, especially in his Offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, as I have set him forth in the Motives to stir up Love; acquaint your selves with the History of his Birth so ⟨p. 116⟩Wonderful, of his Life so Holy, of his Works so Powerful, of his Doctrine so Heavenly, of his Sufferings so Great, of his Death so Painful and yet so Voluntary, of his Resurrection, Ascension, Session and Intercession at the right hand of God, so needful for us, as you have this History upon record in the New Testament: the assent to this in your Minds, will be a preparative for the attaining of true Love to Jesus Christ in your Hearts.
If, beside the Apostles, all the learned Fathers (whose Works are extant amongst us, who lived near the Apostles times, and some of whom▪ suffered Martyrdom for Christ's sake) did see reason to believe that there was such a Person as Christ, surely you have reason to believe, and no solid reason to discredit the report of him in the History of the Gospel. And when you have attained a firm Assent unto this, get a full perswasion that Jesus Christ is such a person as the Scriptures do record and testifie him to be. Be perswaded of his Amiableness, his Greatness, his Holiness, his Wisdom, his Faithfulness, his Fulness, his Kindness, the Relation he stands in to the Father, his onely begotten and dearly beloved Son; the Relation he standeth in to his People, especially in his Offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, as I have set him forth in the Motives to stirre up Love; acquaint your selves with the History of his Birth so ⟨p. 116⟩