Fourthly, that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is a heart-affecting-knowledge; it affects the heart with Christ and all spiritual things. O it doth wonderfully1 endear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul, Can. 2. 5. Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love. O saith the Spouse, my heart is taken with Christ, it is raised and ravished with his love, my soul is burning, my soul is beating towards Christ; O none but Christ, none but Christ. I cannot live in my self, I2 cannot live in my Duties, I cannot live in external Privileges, I cannot live in outward Mercies, I cannot live in common Providences; I3 can live only in Christ, who is my Life, my Love, my Joy, my Crown, my all in all. O the hearing of Christ affects me, the seeing of Christ affects me, the taste of Christ affects me, ⟨p. 341⟩the glimmerings of Christ affects me; the more I come to know him in his Natures, in his Names, in his Offices, in his discoveries, in his appearances, in his beauties, the more I find my heart and affections to prize Christ, to4 run after Christ, to be affected with Christ, and to be wonderfully endeared to Christ, Cant. 5. 10. He is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand: The knowledge that she had of Christ did so affect and endear her heart to Christ that she cannot but make use of all her Rhetoric to set forth Christ in the most lovely and lively colours. Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing, save in Christ Jesus. O God forbid that my heart should be affected or taken with any thing in comparison of Christ: The more I know him, the more I like him; the more I know him, the more I love him; the more I know him, the more I desire him; the more I know him, the more my heart is knit unto him His Beauty is taking, his Love is ravishing, his Goodness is drawing, his Manifestations are enticing, and his Person is enamouring. His lovely Looks pleases me, ⟨p. 342⟩his pleasant Voice delights me, his precious Spirit comforts me, his holy Word rules me; and these things make Christ to be a Heaven unto me. O but now, all that notional knowledge, that speculative knowledge, that leaves a man on this side salvation; never affects the heart, it never draws it, it never endears the heart to Christ, or to the precious things of Christ.
Fourthly, that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is a heart-affecting-knowledge; it affects the heart with Christ and all spiritual things. O it doth wonderfully1 indear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul, Can. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons, and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love. O saith the Spouse, my heart is taken with Christ, it is raised and ravished with his love, my soule is burning, my soul is beating towards Christ; O none but Christ, none but Christ. I cannot live in my selfe, I2 cannot live in my Duties, I cannot live in externall Priviledges, I cannot live in outward Mercies, I cannot live in common Providences; I3 can live onely in Christ, who is my Life, my Love, my Joy, my Crown, my all in all. O the hearing of Christ affects me, the seeing of Christ affects me, the taste of Christ affects mee, ⟨p. 341⟩the glimmerings of Christ affects me; the more I come to know him in his Natures, in his Names, in his Offices, in his discoveries, in his appearances, in his beauties, the more I finde my heart and affections to prize Christ, to4 run after Christ, to be affected with Christ, and to be wonderfully indeared to Christ, Cant. 5. 10. He is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand: The knowledge that she had of Christ did so affect and indear her heart to Christ that she cannot but make use of all her Rhetorick to set forth Christ in the most lovely and lively colours. Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing, save in Christ Jesus. O God forbid that my heart should be affected or taken with any thing in comparison of Christ: The more I know him, the more I like him; the more I know him, the more I love him; the more I know him, the more I desire him; the more I know him, the more my heart is knit unto him His Beauty is taking, his Love is ravishing, his Goodnesse is drawing, his Manifestations are inticing, and his Person is inamoring. His lovely Looks pleases me, ⟨p. 342⟩his pleasant Voice delights mee, his precious Spirit comforts me, his holy Word rules mee; and these things make Christ to be a Heaven unto me. O but now, all that notionall knowledge, that speculative knowledge, that leaves a man on this side salvation; never affects the heart, it never draws it, it never indears the heart to Christ, or to the precious things of Christ.
- 11 John 4. 7, 8.
- 2Plusquam mea, plusquam meos, plusquam me, Ber.
- 3Col. 3. 3, 4. Ignatius cried out, amor meus crucifixus, my love, my love is crucified, &c.Col. 3. 3, 4. Ignatius cryed out, amor meus crucifixus, my love, my love is crucified, &c.
- 4Psal 73. 23, 25, 26.
