for us. O the wonderful virtue of that sacrifice which hath taken away the sins of the world! Praised be the tender mercies of our God, which have forgiven us so many trespasses. Praised be his mercies, which have not only forgiven us, but restored us to life and glory again by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Let us rejoice and be glad in that great salvation. Let us bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by that resurrection of his from the dead. Let us lift up our heads and look to heaven our ancient country, for there he is exalted: and let us thank our God, who hath set him at his own right hand, and made him most glorious for ever.

See how all the angels welcomed him thither; and falling at his feet, most humbly worshipped his Majesty. See how they all now wait upon him, and constantly attend his pleasure. And let us worship him too with the devoutest and most lowly reverence. Let us praise him in his sanctuary; where he appears before God for us; from whence he sends down the gracious influences of his Spirit on us, and commands his angels to minister unto us. Let us praise him, the glorious King of angels and men who hath conquered death, and triumphed over all the powers of darkness; and, opening the kingdom of heaven to all the faithful, hath promised that they shall reign in glory together with him.

Let all the angelical ministers praise him. Let the apostles, prophets and martyrs praise him. Let all those who are departed in the true faith and fear of him praise him. And let all the living, who partake of the daily fruit of his bounteous love, continually praise him. Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Let them praise him in the greatness of his power, in the wisdom of his counsels, in the carefulness of his providence, in the riches, the exceeding riches of his grace, in the steadfastness of his word, and the faithfulness of all his promises. And let them all join together and beseech him to come again; that he may both accomplish our hopes and perfect his own praises.

O let him come that we may give him better praises, in one body for ever.

CHAP. XIX.

More expressions of this devout affection towards our Lord's appearing; and the way whereby we may excite them.

THIS is some of the language of love; which wishes every knee would bow to Jesus, and every tongue confess that he is the Lord; to the glory of God the Father, who hath thus highly exalted him. For its desires are unlimited; and its kindness, like the fountain of it, is inexhaustible and infinite. It is the brightest image of Jesus. There is nothing represents him so lively to the world. He now appears most in those who love most; and who long and wait with pure and ardent desires to see him come in all his glory. For they will keep his commandment without spot, unrebukable until his appearing: which in his times he will show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see; to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Why then, O my soul, do we not let this blessed guest be lodged in our heart? Or why do we not entertain it so that it may stay with us, and we may feel it stirring there in restless motions towards Jesus? What is the cause that we, who are made to love, should not let our love turn divine, and address it most devoutly to him who best deserves the love of all the world? Or what may it be that keeps us from running with the whole current of our affections towards that heavenly Lover, who sues so earnestly to us for our hearty love? Hath he not loved us enough to make us love him? Was he a cold and indifferent lover, that could not touch the heart with a sense of his kindness? Was he perfectly frozen and careless in our concerns, when the urgent wants of our souls called for his kind and compassionate relief? Or did he pretend a great deal of kindness, and make long protestations of his love, but did just nothing to merit our affection?

There need no answer to such questions; which serve only to reproach and confound our insensibleness and negligence; who have nothing to say why we do not love him. For so

apparent is his love, so confessedly great, so costly and expensive, so tender and obliging, that, as it had no example, nor can be ever exactly imitated, so it must needs attract all those and fill them with the greatest love, who do not turn away their eyes and their ears and their hearts from this Lord of love.

Let us but listen a while to him, and we shall hear him say, Was there any love like unto my love? What is it that you would have had me do for you more than I have done (without your desire), to win your love? Hath any man greater love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends? But what were you for whom I died? Herein God commended his love towards you, in that while you were yet sinners, I died for you. And what was the purchase I made by that price, which I laid down for you? Who is it that hath the keys of hell and death? To whom is all power given in heaven and in earth? Can any but I forgive your sins, and open to you the kingdom of heaven, and restore you to the joys of Paradise; nay, make you eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God?

Where do you read of any king, who, at his coronation, gave such royal gifts to men? From whom do you expect the crown of righteousness, and an eternal inheritance, of which I gave the earnest so long ago? Can you think of any thing comparable to the glory of my appearing? Or is there any doubt whether I will come or no, or whether you shall appear with me in that celestial glory? What would you have me do to satisfy and assure you, more than I have already done; by my word, and by my blood, and by my angels, and by my Holy Spirit; which I have sent down from heaven to bear witness to me, and to tell you that I will certainly come again, and give you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world? Believe it, I will as surely come again, as I died, and rose from the dead, and visibly ascended into heaven, and, according to my promise, poured out the Holy Ghost upon my apostles, and inspired them to proclaim this in all tongues and languages; that I still live, and that because I live, you shall live also.

And is it possible for us to think we hear him speaking to us in this manner (as he doth in his blessed gospel), and not be provoked to summon all the powers of our soul to offer up

themselves in devout and hearty love to him? What hath the dearest friend, whom we love with so much passion, nay, even our tenderest parents, done for us, in comparison with this love? Or what can the favour of all the princes on earth (should they unite all their powers to love and honour us) bestow and heap upon us, worthy to be named together with this miraculous love? It ought to call us from all vain delights. Our minds should continually study to comprehend the breadth and length, the depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. Our wills ought to be more passionately bent towards him, and grow every day stronger in his love. Our memories should be a most faithful treasury of the manifold tokens of his love. Our tongues and our hearts should never cease to meditate and sing the praises of his wondrous love.

For if we could speak to him, (as we may conceive him speaking to us,) and ask him what he did before the world, he would tell us that he loved. If we could ask him what moved his almighty wisdom to make the world, he would tell you that he loved. If we could further ask what he hath done ever since, he would still say, he loved. And what brought him down from heaven (if we could ask again) to be partaker of our miseries, he would tell you again that he loved. And could we ask again why he would humble himself so low as to take the form of a servant, and die a base, servile, and ignominious death, the death of the cross, he would again tell you that he loved. And if you could still go on to ask what moved him to send the Holy Ghost, and give such gifts to men, you would still receive the same answer, because he loved. And could you beseech him not to be angry, and you would inquire again what he hath been doing since those days, and what he now does, he would give you no new answer, but that he loves. And if you should pray him once more to tell you what he loves, he would let you know, it is nothing but love, abundance of love.

This is all that hath obliged us

This is the thing he would win by his love. he asks and desires at our hands, though he so much. For this he solicits and beseeches, having set his heart upon it, as the fruit of his incomparable love. He intreats for this, as if it were for his life, that we would be at

last so sensible of all his kindness as to let him have our unfeigned love. For he, being love himself, loves nothing else but sincere and hearty love.

O blessed Jesus, should all our hearts then say, how much doth thy love differ from ours! Love brought thee down from heaven to us; but how few of us (and how slowly) doth it carry up thither unto thee! Love made thee die the most shameful death; but it doth not make us live the most glorious life. It made thee endure the sorest pains; but, alas! it doth not make mankind take the pleasure of following thy steps to the greatest happiness. It made thee think perpetually on such poor wretches as we are; but how seldom are our minds fixed, or how small is the number whom love inclines to think upon so glorious a person as thyself!

It persuaded thee to come to us when there was nothing to call thee but only our great miseries; but it doth not bring us all to thee, when we are moved by the merits and the precious promises of so great a love. Thy preaching was love; thy miracles were love; thy whole life was love; thy death was the most singular love; thy last breath, in a manner, was love; one of thy last words was love, even to thy bitterest enemies; thy sacraments are love; the Holy Ghost the Comforter is love; thy ambassadors were love; thou art, we see, all love; and yet, dull and stupid blocks that we are, we are nothing less than this divine love.

O sweet Saviour, what wilt thou do with such vile, such wretched hearts as these of ours? Canst thou endure so much as to look upon such souls as are so frozen before thy fires? Canst thou shed one beam more upon such icy hearts, that are so insensible of all thy flames? Is it possible that thou shouldst be so patient as to bear with the prayers of those whose breasts are so full of love, so propense to this affection, so free to pour it out to every thing, and yet allow so few or no drops of it unto thee, who deservest all the love we have?

O, dearest Lord, if there be any room still left in thy heart for such as we are, be pleased once more to cast thine eyes upon us most miserable sinners. If thou canst lend thine ears to the requests of such foolish, such obstinate hearts, as have been so senselessly deaf to all thy gracious intreaties, hear the