A BEECH SIERRA HAS AN NMAC WITH A C172 WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN.

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WE (MYSELF AND PLT FRIEND) TOOK OFF FROM CRG RWY 14 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE WX WAS VFR BUT VERY HAZY. WE WERE DIRECTED TO TURN R TO 280 DEGS; CLB TO 2000 FT AND CONTACT JAX APCH; WHICH WE DID. ON CONTACTING APCH; WE WERE TOLD TO LOOK FOR TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND RPT IN SIGHT. WE BOTH STARTED LOOKING AND RPTED THAT THE TFC WAS NOT IN SIGHT. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TFC WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS AT 1 MI; 1300 FT; WHICH WAS OUR CURRENT ALT; ALTHOUGH WE WERE CLBING TO 2000 FT. WE STILL DID NOT SEE THE TFC AND NOTIFIED APCH A THIRD TIME THAT THE TFC WAS STILL NOT IN SIGHT. AS THE CTLR WAS TELLING US WHERE THE ACFT WAS; WE FINALLY SAW IT AS IT PASSED DIRECTLY BELOW US (ABOUT 200 FT OR LESS BELOW). WE NOTIFIED THE CTLR THAT THE TFC WAS IN SIGHT AND NOT A FACTOR. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 6000 FT ON COURSE. KNOWING THAT HINDSIGHT IS 20/20; WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR VECTORS AWAY FROM THE TFC; ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS HEADING FOR US AT THE SAME ALT. ALSO; BEING THAT WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE VECTORED US AWAY FROM THE TFC ANYWAY. THE LESSON LEARNED ON THIS FLT: JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN DOES NOT MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW. I KNOW THE IFR PLT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TFC AVOIDANCE IN VMC; AND THIS FLT DROVE THE POINT HOME!