Reconiment

To the Reaper.

HAT Distin®:on, which the Learned” Dr. Henry More infifts so much up- | on, in bis Explanation of the Grand Mistery of 'Godliness, between the. Ani- . mal Life and the Divine Life, cer- 24inly of great Use 10 lead us into the understanding of that Mystery, What was the Fall and Apoftacy of Man, and what stil bis Sin and Misery, but ib u NW from the Divine Life, and givi nself wholly to the Animal Life? An was tbe Defign of our Redeemer, but to recover us to the Divine and Spiritual Life again 80 — 50 3 And to this it Gospel bas à dirett Tendency; His Fejow ie al Spiritual and Divine, while al - other Religions savour of the Animal Life.” Christianity ( saith be)] is that Period of the Wisdom and Providence of God, wherein the Animal Life is remarkably insulted, and triumphed over. by; the Divine. Book 2. Ch. 7. al se far, and _ 4 no further, are we Christians indeed, as tl 7 Ws Revolution is bt about in our Souls. + | The id is between these two; N

4 thing draws more forcibly than Pleasure ?

REY In order, therefore, to the 2 2 i, the Interefis of the Divine Life in myself and

42 boten,

Her in Wade 1605 n . ene el ler Fein, * .

eee *

is often re, ane Particular in ch S the Proverbs, represented, ant Proms, 0 mane to us Los the: Name 7.2 * ps nd 7 2 of Visdom; * it i P 7 2 he higheft Improvement of the Human

| 8 and the best and surest Guide of "> uman Life, It was one of the frf, ande 3 oft ancie m Discoyeries of God, Mind 3 N o the Childreiw of Men, To the 1! 4 * ive Part of them that are in Wh * ** Ty 5, F 13 isdom, and would have it at ay Rate pw | hen when. God made a Weight for the vinds, and à Decree for the Rain, hen ze brought all the other Creatures un?- er the Eftablish'd Rule, and Law of, heir Creation, according to their'repective Capacities; e ge 43 o Man, a reasonable Creature,” 2s e LAW of his Creation, Brod, the RA

e Lord, thas is Wijaom, and 10 de

| K 3 3255 e. sckosoa, 8 3 15 | {fputable” Authority over us, IG, wtf wuelfafes to reason with; to deu 11 22 ich the Cords of 4 Mar, and the Bind fiof 7 f-Love; when he might make use only f the "Cords of 4 4 God, and the Bands Plat. FR 3. * Law; 10 invite us to that 8 Mr Promises, which. be enjeins ü EP SM BEEN Ne tho! 820 len = age * Fes 78 fl Seat Gee of the fich when Men are once gf ©: 2 4.05 they: will be we by more? 5 . N. 1 A thing elle 3 Jevely, One 48; HE BIC

7 2 2 pr what” he can get, and thers fore a .

* himsc if! to that which he thinks He Is + 2 85 21 n Sei, 1 che common. Exquity- is, :

be bapp, world: abe 207 . * 55 Now It i here demonstrgted by. Eter-! 2

l Trat itselt, That A aur ef veg 8 77TFFCk᷑.᷑„! Religtef + N

nefit; that havivg laid up, lays out. Wa necessary. to our being Zapp,

that we have right Nations of Happh

nei; the Nature of it, wherein it consists, what are the Ingredients of it

and what the Ways that lead to it;

for many keep themselyes misergble by

thinking themselves happy, when really

they are not; * we have Reason-tg

+ Tusped@ their Mistake concerning, then:

1 selves, because' they mistake so grossj Mal, 3. 15. Concerning others; They-cal} the; Fron Plal. 10. 4. happy They bless the Cove tous wbom the + * Lordebbors,” It concerns us, therefore, to consider,” whence: we take our Messures of Happiness, and what Rules we

go by in Judging of it ; that we mag

not covet our Lot with those, witli whom we should dread to have out Los; that we may not say as the Psalmist wa tempted to say, when he look'd upon 1

CY „Out“

| | bs Le; that WIE surb + Cafe j.

detebmin'd/fo-say hid g upon the true f MY *

on happy, i that dae, the. Lord a {3 2 Jadgment;'iwe ate (preg ace 5 2 i Truth, Hax i. ih Ie, ide, fu 7 Wisdoms* tun nr 8 . 28 co

gious is here prod., RAT 6. 3 ket 12

Sen — 1 055 me ine regt that ig ta be | | F. g e + th ell. A oft univet fak:Adya A "" Tho". — be-Lotkemfoe ws

n,yet-weshalt not onl — -—< Nies butt we sua ll be u 4 nl tt oj | i ig he: Eads ee 88 with” | Wisd i aleats;; il Aer er. x. * band xe of it heuer tan the IM rcbar * „ . Si ver and the Gate: thereof than ofine\. 9 Gol, and that tis. more preziqgs m; Nubiet. As long since as Fob's ka was agreed that ti e Ren ligion were such, chat ac hey cou des be purchar'd,/ fo che y Cold * be ITY =O with ie G Qphin; the previous IR 5 or the. Japphit Ie Tap of Wk? cout not equal rhour, Lg Das nin ver; 16. : Wilgam's right ind, £V<n'Lafe: for 3 evermore; b\of Pap, ad -s | Sdortaing di them, and in ber een „ Liebes and Honour; be wn/earcholle-Rihex 1 of cbrist n anil chꝰ Honour that comes — = God; which ave: true: Ric hes, and wag” .- Nen, - because Dees 7

| ve ASIUKRE Of

Eternal, and for ever out of the Danger

in 41] Lahont tbere it Prustt, more op

lesa, of one Rind or other; but ho Profit

like that in- the Labour of Religion:

„ , Theywhomete's Bafiness of it; will find

Cdn hen great Advantage by it; its present. Jys' comes are valuable, and a comfortable, handurable Maintenance fors a Soul

hut its future Recompences infinitely more

sa, above what we are able either to

is to be sound in it. Here's Profit and

Pleasure twifted; which com pleats the

Ha ppiness. mne ralit punstum, qui wise

suit uiia dai. T hose that the

* Gas of the World du Wealth and Riches, must be willing to deny them 19741 .-, elves in tbeir NMeasures; and they that

F will indulge themselves in their Pless

sures, must be content not to get Money, but to spend it; As they that ate Coverous know they must not be Volups uon so they that are Yoluptuous leave no Room to bo Covetaus; but it is nat so in the Profits and Pleasures of Relis gion: Here à Man may boch get, and

f ave the spiritual Riches of Divine Grace

-- and yet at the same time bathe in a full Stream of Divine Consolations, and be never the — 2 Epicure 2 Satay Delights, sor bis Laying up Treofures ir — 3 the Soul may eyen then u

u Tase, when it is Jabouring most dilly, gentl for the Meat that endures to teva Life. eie 2

"This is that which the Text” speaks of; and both the Profit. and Meefure of

Words, Sbe is 4 Tree" of ie both enriching and delighting 4s tbem tba lay bold upon ber z what Gin or Comfort like that of Life???

Firs, We are here assur d That hey

pleasant Ways, but in the Abstract, Ways 227 antnest, as if Plcasininess were to those Ways, — any where else z and the Pleasantcess ariseth not from any foreign Circumstance, but from the innere Goodness of the Ways themselves Or it notes the : exceeding fu —— — Way as Fle 4 5 47 Pleasantness, , tis the Word Wave which Naumi had her Name in the Day of her Prosperi bs "which afterwards she - disclaim'd 3 C 5

but Marah "Yer ink you hear W dom saying on the contrary, Can ne wr Marah Vier, as some have miscal'e me, but call me Nomi, pleasant. The Vul-

Sweetness, so the Chaldee. ©

Wifdom's Ways ate so; i. e. The Ways which he has directed us to Walk ig, the Wayss of her Commzud ments, tho are such, as if we” keep close 0, ap gy on in, we Mall 'tertainly flod true sure and Satisfaction. Wisdom

e and Fou sha

*

aps are Ways of Pleasaymess; not only

Religion are put together in the next”

Ver. 18.

ar Latin reads it % be; Her ays are "beaurifu Ways ,, Ways of

2 — Yo Nes 56 aiming bit Pitz 2 * 75 n in che Way. That which is the, | "ous. .right Way to Happiaess, we. most 7 bee to travel, and ta pr Audi tsevore in it, whether it be fait oe, ul, plessant or uopleasant z- but: it is . a great Encoura n a Fravefslerꝗ

2 know on that is Way is nat only the; t a pleasant Way, a ud sucm

ly 35. to Heaven ij. r. 4 © God. had told us by lemon that we were 2. must em Hr Kyowledg e, mu give dur * e, Lhas we ed it, ang ereb for. it mut pate no Tung

7 tagct it; W me is Wikdom would reftrain us, br ol

ker e ofcthe cvil- Marpandrofathe Hale tet it wouldektep: vs mon allztbe;brbigdeniPleasices! of 2 — No Jefhithefe/Re/?painte from e $906 reins /ta. Keen and

L isc any from t ak - as 0 aa os here ah us, 1 only 118 aur Tai ond e = afitly..recompenc'd wit 0 Fey: ion bot che. Pleasures: We, — as

will bi abundantly. 2 NH, „ Fbg Eleasures we all erijoy | 1 | 4 e That all ber Paths are dee. Peace is > sometimes put 5 1 ne * it * the ozetion., Many: ©, IE 1292 125 1 9 5 clean, and!

the fate danggraus,) Vier "not. Ct 57 ge beset

But we

the same with-t Verse, As there is Pleasaninesi i in Wi on s Ways, so there 1 is Peace in all der Pat 9% Io 1. There is not 2 Peace is the 50 of Religion, but Peace is the My. There is not only Pea proviged 21 Bed, for good: Men io nl

their Warfare is arcom , TIL shall

also Peace provided as a Shade, for gaod Men to work in all Day, that 1 7 55 70 not oaly do their Work, but do: with Delight ; For even the Fn,

— e/s, as well as its Rewar Peace; and the immediate Effe reousness, as well as its I ue hs last, Our: ness and 2 or euer.

"Tis polfible,; that War may be the Way tagPeace, Stc eee Pacem, thus we pursue Peace, is the best Moti to be engraven.on. Weapons of War z but it is the Glory of those WhO are trply Rebut enjey it; The Peace of God their Hears and by that Means 1

-

Night, -when their Work is done, = ”

ligious, that they not only feet. ri

*

5 | 9 ä wen as 2 5 Serenity; and they am! f walk in them have God himself for their Shield, as well as their San, and are not only joyful in the Hope of Good, but are, or may be quies also from the Fear of Evil.

y take it for the Good af

Pleasure and Delight, and so it speaks. if At former Part of the

then 7 into Peace. rest an pheir Beds m., 57, . | ink. the perfelt Man, and-behold he up- fal. 37. 37.

right, for the End of that Man it Peace +.

tis everlasting Peace; But there i.

24 ten om: Yo 7 47 to 5 e these ie ngltrhe Pace either in their Way, or; 2 ii heir End; To fuch L. sa y, What hast . 9. tho# to do with Peace: turn thee behind me 3: while in God's Name 1 speak Peace to

all that are in Covenant with the God of Face, 2 be faithful Subjects of tbe

; "BED 2 not "only t. this: "Peace i if then gion in general; but ia the 4 " pirricular Paths of that Way: View it! - itf the several Acts and Tnftances of it; 4 1 of every Grace, in che 4 e of every Duty, and you! III find, that what is said of the Body, 295 Chriftianity, is true of every Part o The Wags of Religion are trad as. Tis the good vld* Way 4; THIER thataf&poge®] 2 Cote

ATI TILES

£

wi * same, Hedges of Diriuf Truths aid Laws, as to the Efsentials 2 Reli pion, it 4 F. 'if shall be 2

and has Comfort in wn te If we't _ 4mlerftand that the Kingdom of God, Way of Wisdom, , not Meas and Din we shall find it to be, Which indeed it is,

CA n. Rig bttoufmtss. and Pats,

—

uber Te x 3 of Prars che Bank

3 Godlinefs.:

„ cxtmot Tay sö of this World, That] „ ie Paths are Peate,' however.

dem ef Preteug 4c give the Min Attie Satisfaction 8 hayeth ot

Mags that Which one _ fee tend. another comes presently and 2mbiiters,

5.1. 1d be right; An tbe Wards off my Moi . 1 5 in Righreousuzss (faith Wisdom) 45 1 bee e or peruerse in them;

Hs 2 £ 40 there is a Universal Peace and Pleaat — — 2 = be 1 ＋ 3 Zohan Path is nok WL AY 35G " Tha i; be not, but kee ichin t

ol For

a 1 through the whole Web of serious

HY N mow is 1 3 1 in the Pehl of Religion, baue ef: ot teemed al} ro als of al wo ;

Airs i in che Pratice of Religion; Aer

—

_

k The Do&rioe,. r

Tat Trae Het bath True Phage: | foreman. Or thus; 1

The Ways.of | Religion are. Flo E — Sh 8

TSS

The Ss, 5 5 AE T3491 1.4% 2 fand er | T: is. a Rain Truth which we dave; 1 bere laid doun, and chere & little n it that needs:Explication; Tyere ell for us, 36 we-would hut.

1 ubscribe: ta the Certainty. & it, as we un ebend the Geo lse and Meavipg of it. N or Will ao cumplain, that it is hard be under fiood f but chese who bum oder Pleafires'ug those of Sensod 15 nd ret no other, and, dherefore, teore not to give Credit to it. Those, o think How canthig be, qe

75, Would be: Pieasure in Picty,. will be de, eg question, nt n the Me * 47. this Doctrine? and ite call ig f. | 15 Ang. Fr

Lou hnom what Pleasure b. hope, pu know something Hat the Pleasure f the, Mind is. a leafure which the.

not know somethiug what Piety is, a due

*Regacd to a-God above us, aud having

the Eyes of the Soul ever up unto him;

| and then you know what I mean when

5 - +1 say, That there is an Abundance of

= real Pleasure and Satisfaction, in the | | Ways of Religion and Godlinest.

But ta help you a little in the under.

'Kanding of it, and to prevent Mistakes,

First, That I speak of that as far as it goes. : 2 es are very muc Stranger; 0-the -Delights and Pleasures of Religion; nay, they are altogether so, for it is Jy a hic those. Strangers do pot intermedile N with, Counterfeit Piety can never bring 1 In true Pleasure. Me that f 4 Pot upon a Stage, the ĩt be the Patt of one _ that's never so pleasant, tho* he may 'bumour the Pleasantness well enough, the doth nok experiences it. The Pies:ferevof God's tye not in the out Cui, but within the Vail, None kno what che Peace of God means, but those that ate under the Dominion and O ration of bis Grace; nor can at deny "the Pomer of Godliness, expett u | 7 i dom enters. into in Heart, takes Posse 1 ion of that, and becomes alliving,aQin % A Principle there, then, and not till ther Prov. 2 flo. it is pleasant unto thy Sun. They that eum at no more but the Cradir of (thei *, Religion before” Men, juftly sall sbon of the Comfort of it in themselves, - be” wet race

eing RELIGIONS. T5

they delight. in, the Satisfaction pf the porid, the Gratifications of Sense, which put their Mouths, out of Taste ie spirimy Pleasures, so that they have v0 Pleasure in them. They thatchave their? Hearts ppon their Marketings, axe Amos 8: weary of the New Maons. and the Seb- "MD baths. With good: Reaspn, therefore,

doth Fob ask, Vll the H * 2 216 .* bimself in = : Almighty? TIO takes its Ease in he. and returns not to the Creator as its Et, and |

Ae 3 „een

Some Flasly Pleasure an Hypocrite may have oy Pies ion, from 2: Land- 9 Flood of sensible Affc&ions, Who yet 2 not the least Taste of the 8 of eat 36. 6. od's Plaeasure. There: were 446 bred 10 tnow;God's Ways, they, = —46. . "wich me precty: Notions is that surpriz'd: them, and pleas d their 166. 58. 2.

reprov'd for his e A Preacher, such a8 Nr Ps may to them as 4 very Jong of one 115 Erek. 33.38 can play well on an ps bf and yet at the same time, Ls Word of the Lord, Jer. K il it touch their Coalciences, and shew e * pt ant 1 to them

one

le - Fancies, but they did not delight to na in them, The tony, Ground - Luke 8. 13, now 10 1 Word mich rand yet.

bose no lasti ing Be Vit. Herod

J Folys gladly, he _—_ something very Mark 6. 26. t agreeable in his. Sermons, and which Naa wy £2c2! Conscience: could. not. but em-

1756 THrace, and yet could not. bear 40 4

-7: They'whose Hearts are not ripbt vn Go in their Religion, cannot have the IIa. 26. 9. Pleasure of Communion with Gai; for iti the Soul oxly that converseib with God, and 3 Tim. 4, 8. that he communicates himself to; Bali Exercise prosstetb line, and, therefore, Neaseib lie. The Service of God bi Bufthen, and a Task to an unsanRify4, a 8am, 21%. unrenewed. Heart, tis out of its Ek ment when it is brought into that Afr; and, therefore, instead of snuffing it up, -and saying, Behold what a Pleasure it Mal. 2. 1 3. is 7 it snuffs at it, and saith, Be bold wha 6 'Weariness it i?

Nor can they ike any Pleasure ik Cummunim with their own Consciences, or in tbeir Reflections, sor they are ready upon all Occasions, to give then Unea sinesss, by Charging them with that; which 5 A op to their Professioꝭ, + and gives the Lye toit: And tho” thy ery Fete, Price to 8 they dave that within chem, that telss then the God of. Herven doth not speak Peer to them; And this cafts a Damp upot All their Pleasure, that their Religion Jer. 17. 17+ itself gives thew Pain, God bimselt in Terror to them, aud the Gospel ftses condemus them fo their Infincerig.

And in Time of Trouble and Dift none are so much ꝝffaid, as the Sim

Tz 33. 14 n Zion, the secret Sinners there; and

Fearfulness is the greatest Surprize of al

Amos 6, 1- to the Hypocrites, that were 1 Fase i

Zion, and thought its strung Holds woull

be tbetr Secur.

Ana, therefore it is, that Hypocrits, - ©. [af]

*

SOS AMT >> eo apr nets.

caft off selves of t the rofelhon of it, after they have a While disgurrd em sees wich 1 , because i 1 did not ft.casy; and DIY weary of it; Tradesmen that” take de, Pleesure. in thee Business, will not Rick. to it long, no more will those that take. no Pleasure in their Religion z nor 1 | any thing carry us through ch. 'outw Difficulties of it, but the inmerd Dilighrs of-it; if those be wanting, the Tree * nos water d, and therefor Heat Leaf ri. 1. 3. will soon wither... The

not ways Se va God, wi: no? lo do it, because he ws] N bt bine "Job 27. 9, - in the Almig 4: this ough not 3.

wes a Stum i - Block. to 1555 . ypocrites ia Religiqn prove a from itz and the Reasoa is, because vey + 6 never found it plegsant; they REVer - found it-pleasavt, because | whe were nerer sincere in it, which 2 the Fault, . AB LAG: of the Religion they. x prosesi d. Let us, therefore, tale beed, 4nd K n. ware of Hypocri(y, as. ever we Rope to find Pleasure in Religion. Counterfeit Piety bath some other End i Ven, some other. End 10- serve, than that which is the Spring of true Delight; They who reft in that, bew them out ci, Jer, 2. 13. tern, that can bold but little Water, and that dead, nay, broken Cisterns that tan hold noWatrs and how can they expect the Pleasure which they have, chat wk to, N fe. draw from r Life and Living Waters 3 C3 No,

their Pleasures; as their Aims are, such Worid, and tothe World they shall go; but let not the Credit of Religion suffer Ne itz and fo, indeed, E 2. It is possible, that ue Christi may throngh their own Fault and F gion; and therefore, I say, True Plety a far a ir goes is very pleasant; as far at Tigbtiy doderstocd, and uA tw," © e abide by it, That lows Wajs tat Wisdom's Children are sometimes unpleasant, and therein come short of they oufht to do, and rather give Ad. vantage to her Acensets, and Prejudice Ways, and turn aside out of them, and so lose the Pleasure that is to be found Psal. 3, 77, they refuse to take the Comfore, which " they on have in thefe Ways. They pPlexities, make the Yoke bevy Which brist has made easy, and that frightful they indulge themselyes, and then-as e when he was angry, 1h themare their Foysz they appeal to the then, for the sake of thiose who bre why dies to it. * __ want very much of the Pleasire of el

it has its due Influence'npon us, and is are always pleasant, and yet must own, Luke 7. 35. Fuftifying Wisdom in this Matter as to her Cause, Either they mi these

in them: Or (which is a common Ca hamper themtelves with needlefs Perwhich he design'd should be excouragrng; clves ia causles; Griefs and Fears, and

think they do well to pur themselves inn Mark 14-33 4h Agen, to be very beauy and fore uma

No, as their Principles are, fuch ate

and

a 1 if R bh fo at 15 te kc a! as D is Gt th th 60 O WI th; the be

But let not true Piety suffer jn Reputation because of this for 8715 it be ed Nel Nel it b er so, sor it is contra nerd wor Nai F and Pale of Re while it afelf under the ur or of it, tends to fake rise from it. *

to be calfd a arifing from such a bb 7828 as the Heat. 1288 * Damons and Aae which i pra Top tort How of vis, Goodness, 4 W "is tte Tr t themselves.” | 7 SES if the Professors of Religion doo that in the Word, which 18 ti be had in

God only, and that is Pere, Hippine /i Or, if they look for 42 it tbemsẽ

25 0 og ba + on nh rot : at is a Kighreowsness*; they look for that on — Leier 60

be had n Heaven only, an that is pe.

fe Holiness, and then fret, and grieve,

and go mourniog'from Day to Day,

cause they axe distppyinted i their4 1

maps os they may thank — Lake 24+ 5

Why seek they the Living A abe

LE but Religion, true an — Nee =

ligion 3 in all the Laws and In

it command and prevail, and — *

will soon be wi der; Let but God's

Servants take their Work Rn *

low each Principle oft inthe *. J v

We Weight; and each male

due Place, and. Proportion, and let noc.dath one Precept of the Gospel, any more than one Table of the Lim a Pieces

ie, to be as much their Duty to ej in Christ Jesa, as to mourn for Si nays and more, for thy is in Order to 2that, and then "we shall not fear, that their 2 will 0 he ak 2. the 570

70 Pie, 1. fay, there ue z there, ia that which we. Ane ig, and fetch Satis-

There * a 1 jucuns dum as rell 26 utile. leasant

which is agreeable, "hich the. ul. 76%

eth in,. Or. at least ix nb in 3 or Which it relisberh, pleafeth itself 1 and deficeth 64 Coatinpancs oa imma of. Let a May's Faculties-be. their due Frame. and Temper, not vitiated, corrupted, or. deprav d, and there is that.in the Exercise of Rall.

gion, which highly suits them, and /& risfies them. - And this Pleasure is such

_ Damp upon it. 1. The Ways of Religion are riebe. and Meesant;, They are pleasant without the Allay of Injury and Iniquity; Sin pretends to have its. Pleasures, but they Job 33 27· ate the Peruerting of that which is xightz, Prov. 9-17. They are ftolfs Waters, unjusf, tho ann; * the Plealarey. of Watt

%

againft another ; Let them look upon

as is not ale d with any thing to call.

-

being; RELIGIOUS: 921 ness are az agreeable tu dhe of our Nature, as they are 2 : 4 of the — and undedanched Defires 1 it.

ing given us the Creatures, has Aubert to give a Law suited to our Being, and-he bas | done it both by Naturab Consvience, and by the written Word; he hath faid, Thk is the Way wall int it; tis not on permitted and allow'd us, but 8 aud 2 us to 0 1 ith sent us as Meffengers from im yr:

vel this Road upon his Exraud. 4 They are Mi, for they lent dire. ly to our Great, dave a Ton t Nn to our Welfare, here und fo They are the only riglit wer 00 r which is the Felicity" of eur Being, which we-shall certainly miss and come short of, if we do not walkin this way, Y

F 1 e sanr;' Bebold, bow pede! Pf; 0 Psal. 25. 12, |

it is e 2 bg _ 2 * ? k 7 65 (and we 1 be fürs thats che right Way,) dut als that their Souls shall q well at ease 1 And justly y may they dwell as case, who'have nfinite Wisdom -icfelf o - chase 0

Way, and guide them in it. That m

be right which is not plea/ept; and Pleas

The, PLES RET

pleasant, which is not right | Sion is both. Therefore in the ray ver. 18. Fetse it is compar d to the Tree of Lz

The Tree of Knowledge sant to the Eyes, and a Tree 20 be defer'd, | but. it was forbidden, and therefore Re- Gen. 29. 6: ligion is d, A Tree of Life, which Aas. not qnly -plcgsant, but was. allow'd till Sin enter d. Fo. £3 01202

2, (They ate easy and pleasant; Plea

ant without the Allay of Tozand Diff

Corruption of our own Nature; That indeed, makes such Opposition, that we have need of: Arguments, and blessed

de God, we have good Arguments to. ry. the Praftise of Religion easy;

ut it is more than so, it. is pleasant, . Much less is said than in ended, when we — told that bis Command -

2 John 5. 3. ments are not grieumm They are not only not grievous and galling, but they are gracious and pleasing. His Yoke 13 Maz.1t.30 easyy The word there us d, [signifies xinbs. more than so, tis swees. and gentle Le Age hay . Easy- as a Yoke is to [the en tis so well fitted as not to 3 ory but easy as a Pillow: is to the Head when 'tis weery and fle. Tig not only: tolerable, but very comfortable. There; is not only no matter of complaint in the. ways. nothing to hurt us, but there is abu nt mat: ter of Jay and Rejoycing It is not — ly Work which is v0 Weariness; . but Work which is irs own Wages ; Such a

Tree ef _Life, as will not only sereen u

was indeed *

cult any mere than ariseth from the

ne Freese ee cc ne ener Ta mam

from

9 ern

be unpleasant, and chat —

SAS RF RFT

great Nelight, aud che Fruit of it vi 1 E 8 An EL — 19h: 3

That may be .

after wards may prove veryamprofurebte | i prej * Fit have Sin- Rom. be; es, which —

-

afteoityz The. th ICE ASI FURY: to. be balanc'd, . 32 222 The Gain of this World is usually | feteh'd in by Ton and uneafy Eabour, + elite | which is grievous to Piesh and Blood; 225

The Senn EY |

” Sorrows. in Wealth. labour end bereave ow. | Souls of good 5; blit the Servants 'of God 1. _ have a. Leven in the work they. e - are to get, and. ber: * | recompenc d fr. ae Bosides the Tendeacy tha

the Price of rien Godlificlstovur: Happiags in thovther Life, thore'is' much in it that conducs th to dur Com. A fort in this Lite. Nauid observes 1 1 the Honour of Religion, that not: -beeping, but in

keeping Commandments, there is # great 1

The PLEASURE: 3 eat Rewatd of Obedience

a present g | ; the Prov. weY Oben ee. A Man #s ed 1 ee en u that which D. of thi in him; / And: sar Placrgh.: 3 Saints are said to Ig inn waye\ of: Ple dankend a8 those that in en Plan ans sant Way e. 2 I And the closer ve adbere to tho Rules 1 of Religion, - and the mare, nal

our Convesse is with Divine the more we live with an E — 4

apd another Work); the- e Comfort: we are likely,:to*havecih — 6 | Psalm 119 soms. Great Pexce have they that love: 265. God's Laws, and the more they love it) the greater their Peace is nay, tis P19mivsd to the Church that ul hen Children sbal be 1anght of vie Seed {an. —

_ ape taught to t

Us, 56. 13 shall be ie Peace of ber Childrenz It shall be entaild upon them; Peace lite 4 4 in amn polu bilis m. Thirdly,:I-call at a true: Pleasure. : As x 3 is Sience, falsiy so call d, so chere 492 * iq lp afuze falssy so:calFd 2 One of the Damascen. Aggjents. uisheth. betweEn Hv Pd. e Mer and Made Tad Pleas sures that have some ruth in them, and Pleafures that deceive us with a Lye in gbeir Me - lan. Some have said that the Selido! -ofcEpiarnus, © whirb is commonly branded and.condemn'd-for ma bing Pleasure: A tbirf Good; did nat mean sensusl Fleasdre; but the Pleasure af the Mind: And we should

* u illing enough to admit it, but =

being R BLEGI OUS: 25 the other Principles of his Philosophy were so atheistical and irreligiousz but this we are sure of, that it is a true Plea sure which Religion secures to us; A Pleasure that deserves the Name, and answers it to the full, |

It is a true Pleasure, for,

1. It is reel, and not counterfert. Carnal Wordlings pretend a great Satisface tion in the Enjoyments of the World, and the Gratifications of Sense, gon, Luke 12:20 tate thine Base, saith one; / deus found , 12 . 14 ance, 72 2 $ 18 1

ye of my Hand; saith a Chir Isa. 37. 10% laue seen. The Wicked boat: J 2 bis Hearts Defire z but Selomon affures us, not only that the End of that Mirth 1 Heaviness, but that even an the Heart is ul 4 Both chose that make a of. their Belly, and those that make a God of their Money, find such a conftant Pain and Uneasiness, attending their spiritual [dolatries, that their Pleasure is but from the Teeth outward. Discontent at present Disappointments, and Fear of worse, ungovern'd Passoms { which scldom are made less rurbulews by the Gratifications of the Appetite ) and above all, Conscience of Guilt, and Dread of Divine Wrath,thesegive them the Lye,when they doast of their Pleasures, which with such Allays are not to be boasted of; They would not be thought to be dif appointed in that, which they have choen for their Happiness, and therefore, they seem to be ** they seem —

—

me out S the

be pleasant, when really their Heiit T It it &yows its own'Wickedness, canng }

Prov.14.1c. but know irs own Birternest. 0 e And many of the good Thitgs i i ©* this World, of which we' said, These Jum Wl © Ces. 5. 29. shall comfort ws, prove Vexations't6 wn 4 and we are disappointed in that; where. a in we most Hops. our al Jo> 7. 13- tion; If we say our Bed sball confars's, | 28 it is not a Bed to ress on, * 2 Bed to'tofs" bn; av it was th po | Fob, when wearisovie” Night wire "jj pointed to bim. Nay, such" strange Are we to real] Pleasure in the ing of this Life, and fo oft do we deff ourselves with that Rich is conrrerfait, ' that we wih to live to those Days of Necla. 1a. 1. Life, which we are told will be rf Diyi, and those rar of which wer affar4 that we shalf Tay; r ht Pleusur in thew. I 50% 02+ 4 242017 501 But the Pleasures of Religion aft folid,* substamial Pleasures, And not 8 painted; Gold, and not gilded over; Prov. 8. 21. These Sons of Pleasure inbertr Su bfu Tis that wbb; the Foundation fim, Job 15. 11. the Superstrutture strong, the'Con/ols tions of God not t, nor n, Whileq rain and foolisti Worid cue i / He

rn fly upon that which is not. World | Pepple pretend to the joy they have

not z but People conrta] meme they have z as he did that ha f! Treasure bid in the" Fields They hae John 32- like de n en ehen; A2. It is rational, and n. 5 up. * 5 hv th:

*

—

the Pleasure, of the Saul, not of Sense; Tis the peculiar Pleasure of a Man, not that which we have in Common wittt the. — Creatures, The Pleasurte of Religion ate not chose of the meer er fe, which arise stom the Graand its Appetites 3 No, they affect te

d to, che World: of Spirits, that Noble, Part of us, and therefore, ate to be. 1. leasuxes of a Man. earures have — erde. Scale that we have; and perhaps in some of them the Senses are more eqn, and consequently: they have f eme ia a much higber Degree,

Cotre. eee Reason e Cogscience a5 OUCS are, 23.the,

vt what are these to a Man,

Heeren, and being dignify'd above. 75 Bea La not. fo much 1 5 27 7 25 as I Ad 0 4 for Rel? 5.cestaialy. design xment "I a mare 2255 ent eee or Spiritual 25 11 Deli; Shts. When. God. F. the En- Wadi.” with 1

577 proper r_ for b 5 ea gaily'd 2 4.

ulications of the Senses of the Body

Hul, that Part of us by which we are

ho ye such merry Liese rather, who, plays in rhe; Deep PG. e or tag Birds, that ng among rhe Manches eu. 26.

In 1465. more than the Beatts Fe. the job 35+ 10% wig 5 Oh we; wiser than the bow ***

—

| Prov. 3. 8, faid 10 be Halil ro the N

the Pleasures of a Garden, peat recs and their Fruits, but Delights'of a Sou, that was 2 Ae Dir; and 2 of Divine Fire, newly breath'd into ' bias from above, and on which God's Imuge"29d Likeness was imprinted. And we never recover our Felicity, which we Joftby our first Parents indulging the Appetite of the Body, till we come to the dar xclifh of those Plcafures;which Mag ta

in — with — 5 gel, and a da#Cap

The Pleafarcs of en! win may at secoud hand affet he Body, and be an Ad to chat; Hence it is 1 1 18 is

mm to the Bones, hut its R the blen Min of the" Het 1 and Its / Comforts delight bs 1 1 he" fl 10 n "Tis

t like 2 e — Thefe are fares;, which 3 * uy Assistance of Divine Grate r himfelf m, and not- ut sua! Pleasures) rc son bimfelt

irs 1 no Pleasire separate. from that of Religion, which pretends foe an;hretteAgal Pleasure, but that of Zexning, and that of Henn z But 3 to the Breafure of a Prod Mus in bl Dignitiet, and 'the one ths id kim, as Herod, in the Acclamatiohs of the Crowd, it doth but affect the 2

=

— ane the 0 Ine en and 4 L ite tur | has car mon Vars and it is Me-.

—

*

Hongur,:fed by the Folly, of tbem S 8 ia = it doch net de- 482 7 Se Mydt Aalen! Bleasure. 5 . clot

0 Tae the Mndethat's gratily'd

by it, chat ia a much — Instance of

17 Dep acy, F the an. are, \

- And, as 19 * Pleasute of, a Scholars.

abftraded-trom Religion, it is, indeed.

rational and ale aa bag it is only the

Pleasure of he an knowing Truth.

aud not it G gpm —

had as mch of this ane ge

any Man Had, and as nice a Taste

it, jet hath afsur'd us from his —

Experience, that i/dem-of this pct, 2. 18 kind 5s much G 2, 40d ops 6 increaseth. 8

i Sorow. : Une t asuxes which.a Holy Soul Whine ag God, and in, Commubi are not only. of a spiria —.— but they are satisfying, they = ve filing to the Saul, and make a Hap- Pige ss adequate to its e

3. .Itlis remganing, and. no 20 TLhates vue Pleasure and desprves che Name, which will continue wich:ps a2 Jree of Life, and not wither 3s the grae n ie ts which will nes by da. the, Light oA Candle, u hic is foo durnt gut, bat as that of the, Sun, Abich Is Ly 3 in Heagen- Wg ast uesughle,. #bichjs mok FI 2 * Ib ; 3 Q!

30 The Piwas wks pleiserth and sartefpedb, © While Falls and furcbi 4 the Cractliog of Blaze, and à gtear Noise for- While; but soor end n Sof and A . ee the. Et bu Mirth i Heaviness,- leer is soa 22720 to into E. Isa. 21. 4. Consternation 3 Ib Night . sures of An are said to be but abe 2 an, far the End of 1b 7 Heavithey have no Cominuunoe. | q But the Pleasurcs- ol Religion wil | — with Time, aer doth Age wind their Beauty; Frofts nip them not, mae through the greateF Oppofitio of Events, and Jefpifs that me and the San, Believers when'they are sor Cor. 6. 10, Towful they are but ar forrowful, for —— 2. 14 God, who alm cunseth u % W If an Immortal Soul make ads EW Theft. 5.16. but that᷑ it should rejojce* eberatore 3 for as the Treasure, so the Pleasur is laid

"(000 the Lusts of 78 That which #t fir after Eccles. 7.6. under 4 Pos, Which make 2 ittle suen is the Dir "ofa As" they have nd Cee, so abid+ j they mier not in Wister, not nor 40 Storms last them 3 they conti- — Chance, which happens to all Things aner they are always rej 2 Thanks be 1 God its chief Foy, what should Minder up there, where NR Rn

tar corrupt, wor Thieves break wbroug and flex). Chrift's Joy which he

to those that are 4 is Joy key po John 26. 24 Men taberb f from them, for e

dat rcjorcerh ee *

. gener

12FESISREDSES

mud we

*. sev ke chat hex

beten than on A. e Ele ue.

ye the Truth”

# Godly" r Life}

that x 1 wrovgit Lak

ys Deli aui je urge ak

fully

fy attendin H nb f Bitterness laffer End LAT | God himself.

will make you bappy, truly an happy, and hall not you?

But we mij te t an "with Dit.

our Hea lon courses of de c canto s of Wisdom's Ways, bub they” will nok profst ynless they: be mixed Farb. O that we — all mix Faith witch this Truth!

that we would yield to the Evidence

e 909 Thiags. fa, DTS

Jodice, |

"

bring RRBILITGIOAB.

Cry ot che Adulcicude, That Neigen

is a sour, melanehaly' Thing, that *cis* ts bid — all Pieafure and Delight, and te spend your Days ig Grief; aud jour Years lu Sighing 7 and if , i: is a plenlnt Thing; aud the bet EGtertainment- that can be to the Mind, jou are ready'to sayasZyelkiefe Hearers -

did of him, Dork bv wor fpcot Bavabley'? Exek.20.45) spcale” Paratiozes?'' You:

- Da: gt measire Ren

youane th dhe Toes ns ON ught not

N o which its Affe have of it, or the I Name which ey endeavour 60 put it istef who" arither not what af Things they A 6: Ju-- Sify theinsolves in the Contempt of it, aid” eo Rinder others from Embmicit

A therefore, cite = 4

it z but int frevly of eit Matten

2. That vb would un this/4s @' Prigcipley/ and abide" breit That wer

N ade Tua), whietr o

she: w yourselves

Soul i 1he M: This is che Postulanun) Liay down, in Ordet to the Proof of — — bt bk will be readily granted me, Magn is wh

oi pa H to be ensider das asi immortal Being, endud wich spirituat

- Powets and: Capacities ag tothe

Do of Spirits, and agcouatable to Fatber of Spirits; That there is a Wit. in Man. — bas Sen satiuns and positions uf ãti dun. Actiye and Rec! 15 Faculties 1 distint from: those: the Body-z And. abat this isithe: Fart 3 #hiet we. are, and paght to * mo;concerg'd about; because it is really 2 OT, ill ib 1. according as. i Une U or ill with pur Hulle. - lie ve, That in fn Mat 2 n and the Body, kate send 4ontafting: Interests; Thel nt, 2 Ioforett ctq have i Appetites gracify'd;: and tobe jndulgiti

85. Inte 2 to have the Appetites

wd and:i mertify 1.

ee —— the

Wien

Be wise, the sore, be . Aud;

1 that ale 30 ed and

282 by Reason, and, axe; affetted.

wit get Reason fegte be

last in Sense. 4 but Kenne and

* by Divine Revelation (9.08 pod

A8 2 Soul hon

err

s Frs

—

not by &se f Let the Got rat and leer. rr yrs

4380 from whom your. 5

Now I 8 the first Pl 3 deavour, th&Pros of this D 1 0

thefi Jau want rsesres Judge, whit tber it 1 1 9 on ature, ply fant. * Af 1 in Religion 4. right; 0 l e tha ks iu. ra 1 N t. et · it but 45 vin cane i FOOL TAD ing of ts 4 . 4 ieee b and Propbrtiônz, al ia Love with it. 90,97 n Vou shall: fee the Pfeltite of Reli gion in 2 0 Iiftances ** „ We! Reh 8 t0-THrow-rbe ohn 17. 55 only AL Ole and "how be a r bath stent:. And itn pears, D de This is The fit Thi |

to get our Lid ita I fem ai entern, os 2 FA "fs 000 the Meliam ot dur Retigi 2 *

1 5 ane be Lerefbe This Light" n Heaven ge pee a ne h Ur 90n7

Souls ive Morn Light N "> and t6 be tone Smprefflonof ic,

a the ay th rhe Sat LED Ly 2 15 * sors: tech Sen

wi * 1 i⸗ 610 | fot 5 fu = deade n ith in ige DW * self all in

*

being RB k 1G FOWS 7 chem ticłs er out in a T ransport.of Joh, - laue I bave found 3 and may not 2h,

they much more boa st of che Discoveryꝭ wpnxxthat have dan tbe Knowledge of the n e 994%

We —— is no Pleasure in any Learniag like that of Leatning O ist and the Things that beieng 10 eur Everlasting. 4 for that which is-b known is. not small and trixial is not doubtful and uncertain, is not foreign o us, aud which; we are not concern'd in z which ate Things that may much diministhe Pleasure of guy Knowledge s Bur it is great aud sure, and of the: lat Im

— us, aud the Knowledge of es us Satisfaction; Here we may > our Souls. To kaow the Periections of the Divine Nature, the Unsearc hable Riches of Divine Grace, 40 Eph, 3. . be led into the Mystery of cur Redemption aud Reconciliation by Christy chis 1 Cor. 2. 7, "is Food, such Knowledge as this is a Feast to the Soul; Tia Meat indeed, and Print indeed; Tis the Knowledge of that mbjch ube Augels define in Took in- 1 Pet. 1.12 10% wo the Knowledge of the Law of Goch was so sweet to aui, smc ten tan pal. 19. 10. Haney ta bis Taste, how much more should —119. 102: the Knowledge of the Golpel of Christ pes 0 3 9 this W3sand 'Xrowledge, with it he gives Eccl, 3. 26. dai in Eiote. *

Lwonder what: Pleasure or Satisfaedon those can have in :themselyes, that are ignoram of God; and Christ, and another 9 tho r 32

there

*

The PEEASsun EZ of

3b mem ——————_—_———_—_—_— = — there is such a' Knowledge to be bad,

*

and there are those that have ir, and it

is their continual Entertainment. But

It is not only for our Under standi to embrace the Knowledge of him,

thus do Men stand in their own Light, n Darkness rarber ia * To be Religious is ta renn to God, and repose in- lim as 1he {| our Souls: And is-not that pleasant ops

but

_ our A ffections to fasten upon the En

joyment of him: It is to love God at our Chief Good; and to rest in that Love; to love bim with all our Heart, and Soul,

un Mind, ani Might, who is well wor

thy of all that Love, and infrnjtely more; -Amiable in 'bimself., Gracious to vs who will accept our Love, and retum itz ho hath promis'd to Jove-#bose tha love him, The Love of God reigning is the Soul C and that's true Religion)

43425 much a Si sast ion to the Soul, as

the · Love of the World is a Vexation to it, vhen it comes to be reflected upon, and

is found-to be so ill bestom d.

How pleasant must it needs be so far to recover ourselyes, as to quit the World sor a Portion and -Happiness as uttes y insusfiddent to be so, and to depend upon him to be so, who bas enough

in bim to answer our utmost Expetts

Ich 55. a. ties, and Spending” our

tions; when we have in vain souglt 4or Satis faction bers it is not to be had, to seck it and find it where it is; to come from doting upon Lying Veu- 2 Tho wh

-

being Rn LIGTO US) 39 which is 1. Bread, to live, and live 1 ar plentilully von a Gad that is enough; © ct a God Al- sussici- nt, and in him to enjoy our own: Mereies, : Did ever Anz. Jonah 3, 8; thing speak a Mind more easy, sad better pleas d than that of Hauid, Ker 8 turn umo thy Refi; o my Soul, to God as. Pfl. 116.7 thy Rest, for! in him 1 am where L | would be, I have what:TH would haves, | | Or that, ;0-my Su, tbon bast said une e the Lord, Thou. art m ird, the. Fun,] of my Inheritance, and of my Cup f] And then, The. $2 [ of Ec — — ant Plazes, e 4 , A; 57 that, bon be — —.— Pla", 73-25. . Thee, and there; is none ub Earth thas 4,” dere in Comparison, A ee o

.

Flesb and Heart fail, Iban. art the Sire and Joy f my Heart, and m Tem f > 111 ever. ern. 2 LEA 7 yas LETS.

; 2 4 1 We place not Religion in Raptutes and Transports, but without doubrz Hol Souls that axe at Home in God, that have made the Most Hg b 15 Hau pfa. 91. 9. \ btztion,"whols Dosixes are towards him, * whosc Delights are in him, ho axe ig him as their Centre and Element, dweft a Eisc. None can imagine the Plea. sure, that a- Believer; has in his Corevant Relation to God, and Interest in him, 20d the Assurance of his Loves, Have I taken:thy Testzmonzes to be my. lam 119. -

Huitage far ever? sur ly they. are the.

Re joycing of my Heart; 1 cannot be better,

provided for. When King 4% brought.

his People to renew their Covenant. ay

wth God, it is laid, They sware ung © F

40 The PEAR — ———— — EE 2 Chr. . the Lori with a Toud _ and'witb Shout- 14,15 igt thd wi Tump. and all Judah l 4 the ouib; for they bad fwory wn alf beit Hart. When we" come to make it our own Act and Pred, to Jen oufsever tbe" lend inn Buben © lating Covenant, and are upright ah him in it, we cannot but be phe : with what we have ee e #2 E cant. 2, 16. Covenin#r, tis made wich Joy; 49 Toved'is mine, and I um bis. _ © Thad4l, To be Religious iz to coal God & Father, in ani by Fesus Christ a Mediator: Aud is not this pfeasant f We dave not only: the Pleasure of aud Loving God, bur the" 2 Pai migh # nigh to Ri #68" haying ha humble Fre om and I Psal, 65. 4. With him, Blefsed ave ey Hat Hart by Courts, they shall be /arisfyd wb i Geodvese 6 bis Houses even of bit Temple; Religion is destrib? ab hor 10 God, and 1 can be —4 A able te & Soul that comes fm bin hi Tris to come th God A5 a Child to m Father, to his Fathet's House, to bis Father's Arms, and to cry 54 Fa. ther. To come as a Petitioner to his Prince, is a Priviledge ; but to-come as a Child bf th Father is 4 Plegfure t And this Pleafare have all the Saints, that have receiv'd the Spirit of Adoprian, =7 can look up to the God that mae them, at one that loves them, and hasa tender Com passion for them, as Failer | rene bas Aa bis Childres,*and delights to do them good, _ Pleasure i in4teir Pros# peri;

© wow wo

Gig ; as one Whom tho n have of ·

them as his Children, and encoutagetie*. |

them to call him Father. When he

afflicts them they know *s in Love,

and for their Benefit; agd that᷑ still it

et their Fathes; s good Pleasure to give them. Luke 12:32 Kingdom. When Ep bemoan'd.

ley as 4 Bullork dere, to the . 31. 18,

7k, God bemoadn'd: him & a dear” Son; * |

4 pleasant Child And if even Prod:

zals whea Penicegts betome ple

Children to God, sugely* they have no 4 Reason to de unplegsans to themselyes. But this is not all, Tis not only to come to God as 4 Father, uh. 16 * but it is to come to him e ©

loves us

Name fs Tesw. Chrifl, who is our Adve- ! cate with the. Farbet; that by these” 6 immutable Things we might have frong. Consol ation, that we have not oily 4 God to go to, but an leere to introduce us to him, a to speak for us. EY in Chcift; fom times expre so d in bim; for it is a4. Suns. en in the Methods, * 9 which Infinite Wisdom has taken, 'of bringing God and Man i a2

Mcdiator, . We; are the Circumcih hil. 3. 8 + re joyce in cui 5775 not only r whe +

on him, but rin de n him., Paul is not

ak. not ame of £ Cioss bf Clift but he g. et init; And when: the rea. ties nuch 15 a i leut in'C ris with |

E ”" what

e great £ | Souls agd Eternity. ( which, sutely, we cannot but have some careful Thoughts

is it, to lodge the

about) in such a SKinful, Faithfu) Hand,

as that of our Lord Jesus, and this we

do by Faith; to ag tbe Burthen upon

. kim, who is able to save #0 the utter mos, And as willing as be is able, and thus to make oursclves casy. How. is Ble ssed Paul clevated at the Thought of this,

Rom. 8. 34. Who i be bat condeaneth? Ir Cbrist tha

.

Tim. 1.12. J om whom! I Bave believed, and be i

, yea, rather is rien again; And with bat Pleatüre doth he 15 upon the Confidence he had put in Jesus Christ,

able to 1 tbat which 1 bave tommitted 1 bim again that Day. They that know what it is to be in Pain for Sin, andin Cpe to obtain the Favour of God, cannot but know, whit a Pleasure It is to believe in Chrift as the Propitiation for our Sins, and our Interce ssox with God,

How can we live a mote pleasant

Sal, 2. 20. Life, than to live by the Faith the dn

Sol in al our Creature-Comfarts + And

of God, to be continually depending on bim, and deriving from him, my referring all to him; and as we have receivd

"Fourth, To be Religious is to, nj

not that pleasant? It is to take the 1 Supports and Con ventences of if?, be they of the, ichen, or be the) of the meanef, as the Products of fe * Care concerning us, —

_ being REvwisows: 2 a the © Gifts of his Bounty to- üs, And in

them to Jaste, and: see vba | the Lori DG K od, good: to all, good to as: It bs to

ook above Causes to the firft, through the Creature to dhe Creator, and to fay- concerning excry't char

is agreeable, ant serviceable to us; This

Tal, and this I beve, from the Hand: of my-Heavenly Father, "What a noble Taste and Relish doth this pat ia to a1

the Blesfings, with/ which We'are daily.

loaded, out Heal and Ba our R and Sleep, our Food n Raiment, all

the Satisfection ue hate in dur Relations, Peace in our Delling Saccefsin our N. the ** hkels of 0 1 is more tha Aonbled, ty run

when by our Keligion e and enabled, to see them un eeming to us from the "Goodness of God, as our Great Bene factor, und thus to c% y, 8 them rich while chose who took no further than the Creature, them very poorly,” and A. e kbe rior Creatures do. Med: 267 5 Irreligys Neoptopens ey 293 8 . — . wy of. Dengtes o Sense,

dare take, nd therein” t 75 the ena chem, 4 fident, they Ba ve net h light in 5 chax g 8 — lee e area | .Syifates ure 2 5 fi 7 6s ung Thy; bar cute:5 1 tho* they do not thtwadufe od gbd te yet A

— — — — — . The PLEASURE of. — — ot the Comfort of receiving them from, their Father's Hand, because. they are not affected to him as obedient Children. Hosea 2. 8. They knew not tbat gave them-Corn, and ine, and oil. They make Use of the Ila, 22, 11. Creature, but They baue nat laobedl unto the Maker thereof, nor bad- Respedt ta hin that fasbion d it long ago, as good People do, and so they come short of the Pleasure which People haye. - - + Is it not pleasant to taste Covenant - Love in Common Mercies? Very plea - sant to see the Hand of our Heavenly Father spreading our Table, filling our Cup, making our Houses safe, and our — Beds easy? This they do, that by Faith, | bave their Eyes ever towards the Lord, that by Prayer fetch in bis Blessing upon all their Enjoyments, and by Praise give; the Glory of them to. that Mercy of his, _ Which exdurcth- for ever. And when thus a continual Regard is had.to that Mercy, an abundant Sweetness is thereby infus'd into all the Comforts of this, Life; for as the Wrath and Curse of;Go Lam 3. 19, is the Wormwood and the Gall i 4y;the Alictions and Miseries of this ffs 0 bis Loving Kindness is the Honey and Dil in allthe Comforts and Enjoy ments Pial. £3. 3. 3. Of this Lise; that's it that is better tban Life, and which is bundently, satisfying; Pla. 4. 6,7, Which pats Gladness.imo ibe Heart | the Foy of Harvest z Then the Ngtzons W 2 are 22 and fing er Foy, when not on- er Plal.67 4,6. 1y the: Eartb yields ber Increase, but with no i, God, even thezr.own God gives them bis Blessng: A when. the Church is

being RELLG HOWS:

brought to such a Sense of God's Grace, 25 to cry out, Hom greus is bis Goodgefs, Zach. 15 ad bow great ir his Beauty; at > 2

chat then C sbal mate — ——w (ber ful, intimating that we have 90. Joy of our 'Enjoyments,' no true Jeu of

them, *till we are led by these Streams.

to the Fountain. T the pure, all things Tic, 1. 14. tre pure; and the! more pure they are, the more pleasant they are Fifibly, To be Neligious, 3s to real our —— God. and: to commin all out. IVays and Works ig bim, with:an efsurence that be will-care fer ui And. is St chia

to be easd of some preiling which we — — Care is such a Burthen TE Yness in ibe He art of Many which:mateth ot | !9toopy No true Religion eriahles us;

then depend upon him to Sept, aud follow his Direstions, — leaning to un own! Undersi uinig it: is torefer ourselves and chin difpbfalibf;oves) ry thing that concerns i this N 5 to God, and to his Win and with an intire Atquiescence in. hi = ward and Arbitration; Here lan let Sam, 13. the Lord dorwith me, "a8 fedntenhegont) int, , 149 bis Eyes, ** 4 ka 4 dtd ee e Lo be trusy "Godly; 4 bare our Wills melted into the Will ot Gad in every thing, and to say Amen to it, not only as a Prayer, but 29'2/Covengnr,,, Father in Heaven, Thy Will: Ae; 10 as 1 but: a8 bo. wile, 7 Tis. wich

Phil, 4 11, Paul, through Chrift strengthning them,

Religi

the Diviae Providence, and Methods

of Divine Grace both concerning others and ourselves; to be satisfy'd that A 5 well that God dosb, and will appear so at last when the Mystery e God sha ll be th- nisbel 3 And bow doth the Mind enjoy icself that is come to this; Ho easy is it! *tis not only freed from racking Anxieties, but- filPd- wich pleafeng Prospects; Fears are hereby silenc d, and Hopes kept up and elevated; Nothing can come —— —— — 8 thus been taugh the Princi their. 2 make rhe best of tbas· which 5s, beca — Will of God; which is making 4 Verige of Nec + % aich What mfr ery Lives de they live, that are continually fretring at that which cannot be b-1p'd, quarrel: ling with the Disposals of Providence, when they cannot alter them, and thus by — Guilt as well as by Indulging Grief, then But how pleasantly

through the Wilderness of this World,

that constantly follow the Pillar of Cloudend Fire, and accommodate themselycs

to their Lot whatever it is; that like

have learn'd in every Eflate 10 be content, tnow bow to want, and bow to abaund. Religion brings the Mind to the cun -

dition, whatever it is, and so makes it

easy, because the Condition, tho' it be not in every; thing to our Mind, it is according to God's Mind, uh in all. . Ocdoubling: every Burdo they travel

Wers Gn ia.c co owe cffcq

OL LEES MCCOY

%

being: Rz14610us —A7

Occarrences-performerb -tbe Thing that Job 23. 14 need for mn, and wilkmake all work | or good te chem bas love him. When che Psalwift had directed us to Delight Ff. 37. 4:5 ourselves always in tis Lord, that ld to make our Religion à constant Pleasure to ourselves, he dirests us in Order thereunto to Commis eur Way u the Lord; to trust also in bim that he will bring it to pass, so as that we shall have the Desire of out Heart. And when St. Paul had encourag d us to he careful for Phil. 4+ 6, notbing, but is every thing: do mate our us, that

34} enen in 8 Sixtbiy, To be Religious is to Niere Phil. 3. 1. in tbe Lord always ; And is not that plea- —- 24 sant? It is not only one of the Fledges of our Religion that we may rejoyce, but it ia made one of the Di of it; We are defetive in our Religion, if we do not live à Lite of C- 2 placency in God, in his Being, bis aAr⸗ tributes; and Relations ce us, Ihen be a constant Plessure ta pe, e bia that there is 2 God, that be ig fnfb a One as the Scripture hagreveald bin to be, à :Beipg-infigitely: Wise aud Powerful, Holy, Just-and-Goodg That this God governs the World,” and gives Law to all the Creatures 3 That! he is out Owner and Ruler, that in higHand our Breath is, in his Hand our Times, our Hearts and allour, Ways e Ebus | , — certainly, it i, aud thus it * * it *

= The Pt EASU RE of — CCC happy they that:can;plesse the mselves

with these Thoughts, as those must

needs be a constant Terror to them -

fsstelves, who could wish it were other.

They who thus delight in God have

always somet hing, and something very

commanding too to delight in 3a Fon

tain of Joy that can never be either

_ exbatified, or stopp d up; and to which

they may always have Access, How

Eccles. 11.8. saware there, that liue many Days, and

mrejeyee in tbem al! Such a thing is sup

mord, indeed, but it is never found tme

in any, but those that make God their

Pl2. 43. 4+ | = (mr Gladne si of their Foy, as the

salmist exprefseth it, their exceeding

909 and ia bim it is intended the Joy

„ fsbould terminate, when we are bid #0 1 Thes. 5.16 Menue evermore, n ene

- The Conversion of the Nations to

Christ, and his Holy Religion, is often

-prophesy'd:ef in the Old Teftament, un-

| der the Notion of their being brought

Pal. 96. 11 into a State of Holy oy. Lei -the Earth

3 97. 1. Hege ithas ebe Lord . reigns, and Jet the

— 100 r Multirade of Isles be. glad thereof -; "Re jojee

Rom. 25-16:ye'Wentiles wich bis Pepe. The Gospel

'is Glat-Tydings of great Foy 20 2 Prople;

When Samcriu receiv'd the Gospel,

Att 8, 8. There n thas City; so effential is Jo Religion.

7 And che Conversation! df these that

.

and to serve the Lord their Cod with jop: Deut. a8. .

fulness and glauness of Heart in the abun. dance 7 all things, yea, and in the want of all thin

gs too, Tho the Fig-tree Hab. 3 17:

do not blossom, and there be no Fruis in the Vine: Has God now accepted thee, and th Works in Jesus Chrift; Go thy way, E. cl. 9. 7. eu thy Bread with Foy, and drink thy Wine with 4 Merry Heart, It is the Will of God, that his People should

be a Chearful People, that his Igel peut 2611.

should rejoice in every. good. thing which

the Lord 2 God 4 them; * that

it is their own Faust if they have not

2 Continual Feeft, and be not made to re -

joce with the Out-goings of every Moring and every Evening, for the Compdssions

of that God in whom they rejoyce, are

not only Const ant, but New and Fresh daily. Seventhly, To be Religious, is to

nale 4 Business of Praifing God: And is

not that Pleasant? It is, indeed, very

Unpleasant, and much againft the grain,

to be oblig d continualiy to praise one

that is not worihy of Praise; But what

can be more pleasant, than to praise bim

to whom all Praise is due, and ours particularly 5 to whom, we and all the

Creatures lye under all possible Obligations 3 who is worthy of, and yet exalted

for above all Blessing and Praise; Fom Neh. g. 5,

bom all Things are, and therefore, to

bom all Things ought to be. There is little Pleasurt in Praising one,

whom none. praise that are wise and

good, but only the Fools in Israel; Rut

in Praising God . wich the 1 *

<

—o The PLEASURE of

—

—

— sed Angels in Heaven, and all the Saints, and do it in Consort with them, who the more they know him, the more they praise him. Bless tbe Lord, ze bi Angels, and 40 bis Hosts, and therefore, with what Pleasure can I caft in my Mite into such a Treasury, Bless the Lord, 8 my Suu;

There is little Pleasure in Praising one, who will not regard our Praises nor take Notice of our Expressions 6f

Esteem and Affection; But when we offer to God the Sacrifice ef Praise conti. xally (according to the Obligation which our Religion lays upon us) that

is the Fruit of our Lips giving Thanks 1

Tich.13:15. bis Name, we offer it to one that takes Notice of it, accepts it, is well-pleag'd

Gen. 8. 21, With it, smells 4 Savour of Rest from it, | and will not fail to meet those with his Mercies, that follow him with their

Praises ; for he hath said, that they

that offer Praise glorify bim; such a favourable Conftruftion doth he put upon it, and such a high Stamp upon

course Metal. |

Now what is it that we have to do

in Religion, but to praise God; We

are taken into Covenant with God,

Jer. r3. 11. that we should be to him for's Name, | and for a Praise, are called into his

x Peg. 2. g* marvellous Light, that we should shew Forth the Praises of bim that called us 3 And how can we be more comforta- -

bly employ'd? They are, therefore,

Ple 1.84. 3: Blessed, that d well in God's House, for they will be fill praising bim; And its * 0 1 :

DSS

—

1 good thing, good in itself, and 00d

for us; *tis very pleasant to giue Thanks Psal. 135 31 unto the Lord, and to sbew forth bis Praises; * 92.1

for we cannot do ourselves a greater Honour, or fetch in a greater Satisfaction, than by giving unto the Lord the Glory due unto. bis Name: It is not. only a Heaven upon Earth, but it is 2 Pledge and Earneft of a Heaven in. Heaven too; for if we be here every

Day blessing God, we shall be Praising Psal. 145:4

tim for ever and ever; for thus all that shall go to Heaven hereafter, begin their Heaven now. Compare the Hellish Pleasure, which some take, in. Profaning the Name of God, and the Heavenly Pleasure, which others take,, in Glorifying it, and tell me which is preferable, yr pig we. — Eigbtbly, To be Religious, is to bzve all our Inordinate Appetites correfed and. regulated: And is not that Pleasant? To be eas'd from Pain is a sensible Pleasure; and to be eas'd from that which is the Disease and Disorder of the Mind is a mental Pleasure. Those certainly, live a most unpleasant, uncomfortable Life, that are Slaves to their Appetite s, and indulge themselves in the Gratications of Sense tho* never so Crimi. nul; that lay the Reins in the Neck of their Lusts, and withold not their Hearts from any Toy. The Drunkards and Undean, tho* they are said to give themselves to their Pleasures, yet really they estrange themselves from - thatwaich is true "Pleasure,. aud subjett- _ F 2 them

"themselves to a continual Pain and Uneasiness. 1 _— Luke 21:35- The Carnal Appetite is often over- " charg'd, and that's a Burthen to the \ Body, and its Diftemper; when e- 2 nough is as good as a Feast, I wonder what Pleasure it can be to take mue | than enough; And the Appetite the more it is idulg'd, the more Humour som and Troublesom it grows 3 tis surfeited but not satisfied 3 it doth but

grow more zmperuous and more i rious; 'tis true of the Body, what Proverbs 29:21. Solomon says of a Servant, He that de | Hcately bringeth up His Seruant from Child, fsbal baue bim become. bis Son, nay, his Master, at the lengeb. If we suffer the Body to get Dominion oyer the Soul, so that the Interefts of the Foul mum ve £37222'4; fo-2ratify the Inclinations of the Body, it will bez Tyrant, as a Usurper generally is and will rule with Rigour 3 and as God said x Sam 8. 18. to the People, when by Szmxel he had shew'd them the manner of 2be” King that they chose, when they reje his Government, you will cry ous in tha day because of your King which ye thave. chosen you, and the Lord will not hear; . so it is with those that bring themselves into - Disorders, Diseases and Terrors, by the Indulgence of their | Lusts; who can pity them? they are Fror. 23. 9. well enough sery'd for setting such 4 King over them, Who bath Woe f Who bath Sorrow 7. None so much as they that tariy long at the Wine, tho ul

.

.

being RERLIGIOus.

*

think themselves to have the Monopoly of Pleasure; The Truth is, they that live in these Pleasures are dead: while they live 5 and while they fancyrhem/elves to take the greatest Liberty, really find themsetves in the greatest avery, tor they are led Capi Satan at 2 pet. 2.

tis Will; and of whom Man is overcome; of the same is be brought in Bondage. And if the Carnat Appetite have not-gain'd such a' compleat Possession, . as quite to extinguish all the Remains of Keason and Conscience, those Noble Powers, fince they are not permitted” to give Law, will gie Disturbance 3 and there are few that have so full an Eujoyment of the forbidden Pleasures of

Sense, but that they sometimes fee} the

Checks of Reason; and the Terrors of Conscience, which marr their Mirth, as the Hand-Writing on the Wall did Belfhaqzar's, and make their Lives uncomfortable to them, and ju#ly fo, which makes them the more so. KT 1, V. Now to be Religious, is to have the exorbitant Power of those Lusts and Appe tites broken, and fince they will.

not be satusy d; to have them mortify'd, and brought into a quiet Submission to

the commanding Faculties of the Soul, according to the Ditection of the Divine Law; and thus the Peace is preserv'd, by supporting good Order and Goverament in the Sou. Those, certainly, live the most easy, healthful, pleasant Lives, that are most ober, temperate, ＋ chafte; that _— 4 : N dy

—

The PLEASUR& of | not themselves to cat of any forbidden Tree, tho plegsant 10 the Eye 3 that live _regularly, and are the Masters not the 2 or. 9+ 27. Servants of their own Hellzes 3 that keep under their Bodzes, and Wing ie imo Subjestion to Religion and right Reason; and by laying the Axe to the Root, and breaking vicious Habits, Disposs - tions and Desires, in the Strength of Divine Grace have made the refraining of wiciou As very casy and pler

Rom, 8. 13. sant. If through the Spirit we morti: the 22. TH Body, we live, we 115 antly. 1 | Nimbly. To be Religious, is to all our Unruly Passions kekewise govern'd.

aeud subdu d: And is not that pleafant? Much of our Torment ariseth from our intemperate Heats, Discontent at the Provide ace of God, Freifulness at eve · ry cross Occurrence, Fear of eyery ima · gigary Evil, Euuy at those that are in better State than ourselves, Malice againft those that have injur'd- us, and an engry- Resentment. of every the least Provocatipn 3 These are Thorns and Briars in the Soul; These spoil all out Enjoyments, both of ouriclves, and of eur Friends, and of our God too; These make Mens Lives anpicdsant and them a Terror to themselves, and

to all about them. K

But when by the Grace of God these Roots of Bitterness are pluck d up, which bear (0 much Gall and orm wood, and we have learn'd of our Master, to be Mute ii. 22-Meck and lowly in Aan, we find Ref 19 a b,

S Kagerer ASE > =

”

SSN

break a meek Man's

Behold how good,

beim \RELIGIOUS.

our Souls, we enter into the pleasant * Landl. There is fearce any of the nan 2 — a — more

a nt Trag tisfac- NG — 2 in them, and annexed to them, than this of Methye/s, The edt; and be n They Pfal. 22. 26. shall iber abe Zach. They hall des a.. ge 5. ligbt tbemselus: 8 Traue; And they shall:rnerrase —.— 29. 15 Lord, which nothin cine ina

than unygovern'd Passwy ; for that 2 the Spirit of tive, the — 3

_ and provokes bim to withdrew.

How pleasant Is it, for'a Mun to be Master ef his owd Thvights, to have a Calmness aud Serenity in his own. Mind, as those have, that have Rafe. over their own Spirits, and thereby. are. bept in Peace. Pexce, That will k an angry Man's Hedfry — will not

_ Tennbly, To be Nen gious, js to de in Lou aa ur en 8 and to do ah the Good we can in this H,, And is not that pleasant? Love is the u. filing of is La; Ti the seeond Commandment to Love our Neighbour Rom, 13.1 ourselves 3 All our Duty is fom'd'up in one Word, which as it # a short Word, so it is a. swert Word, Tore.

and bow pledfumt it & Pf 133+ 15 io live in., tis not only, ling to God, and and düniabüs in the Eyes of all gaed Men, but it will be very comfortable to ourselyes for they that

-The PLEASUR'E'9 Religion teacheth us to be. easy to our Relations, and study to'plesse them woll: in all Things, neither to grue; nor resent Provocations, to bear with their Infirmities, to be courteous, and obliging to all with whom we converse, to

keep our Temper, and the Possession and Enjoyment of our own Souls, what - ever Affeoats are given us; And can any Thing contribute more to our Liv

r ons finite 2 1h by — we enjoy our Friends, and have Communion with them in all thei: arms e _ ” our own; - 1 cing with that do re joyce. se — recommend 0 thei Love, and what more*delightful, than to love, and be beloy'd? Love is the very Element of a pure and sanQify'd Mind, the sweet Air it breathes in, the Cement of the best Society, which contributes so much to the Pleasure of Human Life. The Sheep of Chriftuaiced in Flocks by the Bond of Holy Love, lye down together in the Green Pastures by the Sul Nuters, where there is not only Plenty, but Pleasure. The Apostle exhorting his Friends to be of ood: Comfort, and to go on chearfully n their Christian Course, exhorts them in Order to that, to be of one Mind, and is live in Peace, and then the God of Love and Peace will be with them; © * And what Pleasure comparable to that of Doing good? *Tis some” Participation of the Pleasure of the Eternal Mind, who delights 16 Bw la

being RELIGIOUS. 57 WT and to 40 good; "Nay, Befides the —_— vinity of this Pleasure, there is a Hunenity in it; The Nature, of Man, it it be * debauch'd and vitiated, cans not but take Pleasure in makigg au Body afe, and casy. It was a Pleasure to Fob, to think, that he had cans'd dhe Job vg. 13. Wi lows Heart to ing for Foy, had been 15, 16. Eyes to the Blind, and Feet to ade Lame, and a Farber to the Poor and that they #4 been warmed with zbe Fleece, 4s — . Sheep. The Pleasuxe that a 28 hath in Doing good, confirgys that | ing of our Saviour 's, That 7. i —— blessed to Been than 10 receipe, - To be 2 is to m 2 Le ö Fed e And is not that pleasant? G iiass being taken into Friendshig, have H 2 with he Father, and mii Jesus Cbrist, and make at theit Bu to keep up that Holy -Conves@& ant Correspondence, Herein:66nitfts the Life of Religionz do counerss with iGad, to receiue his Commungcatiangs-of Mercy and Grace to us, and to m Pious and Devout Affections to him; Ad can any Life be more eamfertable 2? Is there Aa Conversation, that can e poflibly be so pleasant as this ts S0 that kao Kio, and: Us W Re Medicating upon. Word of AF we bear God eating 10. us with a great deal of Condescention to us, and Concern for us, 82 freely to us, as à Mag doth te Priend, :

*

*

speaking comfortably to us in Com passi- Ga 0 A biftressfut Case; and what - can be more pleasant to those who have a Value for the Favour of God, elal 141.6. and are in Care about the Interests of | their own Souls; ben tbeir Fudges are overthrown in Stony Places, they sha bear my Words for they are smeet; the Words of God will be very sweet tg those who see themselves overthrown by Sin, and so they will be to. all that love God gawith what an Air of Plea. Eanr, 2. 8, sure doth the Spouse say, It zs the Voice 10. of my Beloved, and he speaks tome, In Prayer and Praise we speak to God, and we have Liberty of Speech, have Jud. 11. 11, leave to utter beet Words +l * the. Lord, as Feprbab did his in Mzzpeb 3 we. „ speass to one whose Ear is. open, is. | to our Prayers, nay, to whom Prov. 15. 8, the Prayer of the Upright is a Delight, 3 which catinot but make it very much a Delight to them to Pray. Tis not only an exse to a burthen'd Spirit to unbosom itself to such a Friend as; God is, but a- Pleasure” to à Soul that / Kknows its own Extraction, tohavesuct a Boldness, as all Believers have, to enter into the Holieft. * . Nay, we may as truly have Communion with God in Providences as in orinances, and in the Duties of Common Conversation, as in Religious Exercises; and thus that Pleasure may heeome 2 Continuak Feaft to our Souls. What can be more pleasant, than to- —_ |

—

det. th

—

. God to go to, hom we ma en, . wp. 7 fi ledge in all our Ways, and whom our Eyes. Pla, 27. 11.

lat are ever towards; to see all our Conbo forts comiog to us from bis Hand, aha dd, all our Crosses two 5 to O__ oursives, of and all Events that are concerning ys. are to his Dispose, "with an Afsurance That. 541 he will — all l for the beft.” Wh the a Pleasure-is'it, to bebold the 255 ta the _ in all his Forks; add to z | the 1 the Lord in all his Gifts 3. nat al ouir 9 — PD see 1772 er. 1 eediy bin; to 0 make G pb $24 Hope, 1 God bar | Fear, and God dur Joy, and God our | ol, Life, and God gur Al}; This is to live ve 2 Life of Communion with God. ; the Twelftby, To be Reli 27 jt to 13 | we up 4 const ant believing Prospett of 1 i oh reveal: tis to 177 LI om before us as the Mark we aim at; and bf the Prize we run for, and to. e the Col. 3. . ich Wl Things tbr ar Abdves And i not this © not pleasant? It is dur Duty to i 94 ; to of Heaven, to place bur Happiness ia as its Joys, aud thitherward to dire our. . hat Aim, and Pirsuits3 And what SubjeB, ick what 0bje# can be more e We "4; ner have need, sometimes, to en o schves from Sin, with the. of Bier- 3s nl Dearh'; But it is much more a Fart of our Religion, to enconrage” es in our 1 roy the 1 BY that: Eternal Life. which'G | that Life which # in bis Jo. 15 * rows pat What is Chrifffagity, but kev; — n 3. 20· wit ** New

Tie PLEASORE of Wh New Frrasalem, 2nd keeping up a con. © ant Correspondence with that Better Countrey, that in the. Heavenly 3 as the Countrey ve RISE and are in. em of, to which we remit our beff Effects and best Affections 3 where out Head aud Home is, and where we bye RR Then we are as we spould be, when our Minds are in a Heavenly Frame and Temper; Then we do'as.we should do, whey we are employ d in the Hen venly Work, as we are capable of Doing it in this lower World 1 And is not out Religion then à Heaven upon Ezrih? If there be a Fkiness of c aud Phot save in that Glory and Happiness, which is Grace and Holmess perfetted 3 There cangot but be an Abundance of Toy, aud Pleasure in that Grace and Hake / _ ness, which is Glory. and Hannes begun. If there will be such a compleat. Satisfaction in Man and Fraition, . thete

People, ' that they are born from Hew-: _—_ - 3 for Heaven, and hate 8 Lad ip their Treasure in Heavenz And They that Know bow great, how rich, bow glorious, and how. well secur'd, That Happiness is fo all Believers,-cannot but own that if that be their Chaa a | rafter,

lea ·

—

b Dee — rafter, it cannot but be cheir rigfpbakable Comfort and Delight... Now lay all this to „ and the tell me, whether R h de not plea hag a he, en even the” A of r es are fo much the, Pelig bes ciel nd Ahether we 00 We ave 2 good Wafer, "io Ba 10 our Work its own Wages, — has graciously providec Two | for Bone that * N v'd Ones f At

0 © bo Aar en 025 e. in The Pleasuntniel; of Agi provd from the Probi 1 * is made, : for the Com ort of those that are Feli e 19

r ka orbit Sant by gals (O chat we could alt lay, we. tad found by Zxpericxce? ) that che very Prinezples anc Dralkers of Religion themsclyes have a 'grext deal of Pleaantness.in het, and the one half ok 22270 us" And yer the ©) Comfort that aten Religion, ant fotlows after it, N but exceed chart

which is zyherens in It, ang mer wat.

it. If the Work LW: 2 be Pere, 11 much more is Rig 8 so, If the Precepts 25 eligion d sach an Air of Sweetnefs in che what tuen have * it?

Lay

ile Pe

walk in the Ways of B Wisdom, have, or may have, true Peace and Plegfare; for God hath both taten Care for their

'Comfort, and given them Cause to be

-comforted, so that if 70 do ow live eafily and pleasantly it is their own. Fault,

Fast he God whom ny Poke 1 in general, ta ken Care

Comfort, and us Cone enough to con ·

vince them, that it is bis Will should be comforted z that he not only Lives them Teave to be 7 but would bave them to be so; for what

could have been done more to the oy tisfation of bis Family, than de has -Cone in it. 5 There is a Purchase made of Peace and Pleasure for them, \sq that they come to it fairly, and by a good Title, He that Nea them a peculiar People. 00 win took Care ther should be a pleasant. People, that their Comforts

49 1 be a 9 to his Cause, and

e Joy of his Servants in his Work, | mill * Reputation to bis Family, Nom. 5. 1, We have not only Peact withGod through 3. our Lord Fesun Cbrist, but Peace in 7 own Consciences too, not only, Peace above, but Peace within; and nothing

. lefs will patify an offended Conscience, than that which Jawifyd: ag offended God, Yet this is not au, ue hate oot only inward Peace, hüt we „joe i

** Glory” ee

— P ERASURE ” as 8 pic, even in this Worle, "ost 1 that flicy that

—

being RELLIGIOU 8.

2 Think what a vast Expence (if I

hat MW may so say ) God was at, of and

ne, Treasure, to lay up sor us, and secure

wes to us, not only a future Bliss, but ieir present Pleasure, and the Felicities not be only of our Home, but of our Way.

lire Chr ist had Trouble, that we might have wit, peace; Pain, that we might have Plea rve, sure; Sorrow, that we might have Foy. heir He wore the Crown of Thorns, that he con · might crown us with Roses, and a lastbey ing Joy might be upon ut Heads, Heonly put on the Spirit df "Heaviness; that we but might be array'd with the Garments ef phat Praise. The Garden was the Place of Sa WW bis Agony, that it might be to us a Gf bas den of Eden, and there it was, that he in- 5 lente with his Prosecutors, for che Dit eace Wl ciples, upon bis- Serteadring himse lf, they Lying in Effect to all Agonies, as he did itle, WW to them, If ye seel me let these £0 their

—

cople Hay; If I be resign to Trouble, ler be 1 them depart in Pease. John 18. 9. sorts This was that which mad='Wisdom's

Ways Pleasantnesi, the everlafiing REA tou nesa, which Christ, by dying vrought out, and brought in. This is the Foum dation of the! Treaty of Peace, and consequently the Fountain of all, those Consolat ions, which Believers are happy in. Then it ir, That 'al-'the Seed 77 of Istael glay, when they can each 1 47. 244. dec of them fay, In the Lord bave I Rigbee - + not. BY ousness and Srrenzih; And chen ral Jer. 23. 6.

shall d well safely, in a holy Security, hen they ha ve 3 to: call _ * * ; | 2 y

wess. If Christ had not =

Father, as our High Priest, with the

John 14. 28. Blood of sprinkling: in his Hand, de

could never have feed, but must

wo” always Trembling. — e

Ihrist is our Peace, not only as he

ra ade Peace for us with God, but as be

preacbed to them that were afar off; wi

to them that were n:gh ; and has eng

that his People, whenever they

have Trouble in the World; shall baye

John 16. 33. Peace in him; upon the Assurance of

which, they may be of good Cheer; whatever happens. It is obseryable, that

-in the Close of that Ordinance, which

Christ instituted, in the Nzgbt wherejy

le was berrayed,' to be a Memoriatof

his Sufferings, he both sung a Hymy of

Fer and preached 'a- Sermon of cm.

fert, to intimate, that that” which

de design'd in Dying for us, was to

2 Thes. . 16 give us eve Hafling Consolation, and gol

Hope tbrougb Grace, and that we should

Aim at, in all our Comme morations of

Peace and Comfort are boug bt, and

paid for; If any of those ho were de ·

fign'd to have the Benefit of this Pur -

chase, deprive themselves of it, let them

bear the Blame, but let him have the

Praise who intended them the Kindness; and who will take Care; that

tho? his Kindness be defer'd, it shall not

be defeated; for tho* his Disciples may

: be sorrowful for a time, their Sorrow Johs 16,20: ball be turned futo Foy.

2. There

2. There are [Promises made tu Be.

lie vets of Peas and Pleafiire 5 The Bene fits Chrift t for them are --- vey d to them, a sewledupon them in

the Covenant of Grace g which ive; 8m. 43. der A in a Things, for the Comort 2nd Satisfaction of thosc, Who haare made that Covenant all their Sutvazion, - aud all their Desire; There it is, that Lights is sown for the Righteom, and it u ill come up again in due time: The Promises of that Covenant are the Webrof ia. 22, 3-- Salvation, out of: which 1 2 Wet ter with Fey; che Breasts of Consolation, — out of Which, by Faith, they 4, 1. tre sati A. I

The Promises of the Old Testament: that point at Gospel Times, speak mostly. of this as: the Blessing resery'd+ for

those Times, that there should be great | Jy and gs ing-3" Tie Desan shall ire Us. i jojce, and as the Rose; one shine, — 60, .

for thy 7 for the Desiga off che Gospel was to make Religion a2 more plegsant thing than it had been, by Freeing it both from che burtbensome Sruices which the Fm were under, and from the supesstitiom Fears, which the Heatben kept themselves, and one another in Awe with; and by Enlargjag the Praviledges.of God's People, and. making them easier to came at. Every particular Believes is interested in the Promises made to to the Church, and may put them in Suit, |

aud fetch: in the Comfort. confained in -

__ as every

Citiren has: the Bene- | 5 Bhs fit.

The PLBASURE:'

fit of the Charter, even the meaneds What a Pleasure may one take in Ap Plying such a Prumise as that, J will never leave thee, nor sorsale thee 2 Or that, Al bins. — to them tbr love God. These, and such as these, Luke 1:79. = our Feet in the, Ways of Teace, and ay they are a firm Foundation on which to build our Hopes, so they are a full Fountain from which ta draw our Joys. 2 Pet. 1-4. By the exceeding greet, and precia F. - - Mises, ue partake of @ Divine-Nature, of this--Inftance-of it as much as amy, a _ comfortable: coler Pr of: ourselves; a

—

*

. —— Prien 8 is made good, Re joyee

9e with Jerusalem, and be gat ber age that Jpue ler. 3. There is Proviseu made for the 2

plication of that-which 1s promis d to the Saints. What Sill i it _ avail, that there is Wine in the Vessch if it be not drawn ont? That there is a Cordial made up, if it be not ani; vier i? Care is. therefore, taken, that the People of God be assisted, in makiog use of; the Comforts. treasurd up for tem in the Everlasting Covenant. A Religious Life, One may well en a, should be a 3 117

deere

being RELIGIOUS

for infinite Wisdom has dewis's all the Means that could be. to make it fog Whes 5 could beve been done more for God's Tine- 1s. 5. C. zd, to make it founisoing zu well as

;tful, than what he has dune in it 5,

There is not only an over- flowing Eul- | ness of Oil in the Gad oe, — ; Pipes (as in the Pro Vision) for:

the Conveyance of that Oil — — the 1

Lamps, to keep them burning, When God would himself furnish a Paradise. for a beloved Creature, there, was no thing wanting that might contribute to the — itx/in it was planted Every 3 Gen, 2. 6. and good for Food: 80 im the \

there is a Paradise planted, for ali the

spiritual of as Godput Mam into Paradise, aud — 1

8 so de hasthe Giving of Pa to all —

lievers, of all Nhat and Plea--

sure that is laid up for them. As in the

Garden of Edler, [nnocency and. Pleas 77

sure were twisted together, so in the

Gospel of Christ, Grace and Peace,

r; and alt is done that could be

wish'd, in Order to our uur 1 2

Res, this hlessed Sablatism

we have not the Benefits of it, we may

thank ourselves, God would have comforted us, and we would noche com.

8 Four

The PLEASURE of Four Things are done with this * tis Pity they. shonld receive the- Grace of God herein in —— 3 | 1.) The Blessed Spirit is to 2 as — ve oh doth also enlighten, | . convince, and sanctify, but he bath his. Jobs 14, 16 Name from chis Part of his Office, he

is 3 wage xanlos, The Comforter. As the = was sent to be.the Guy olationapply the Consolation

Jesus has provided,

te Peace, and the Spi-

Peace, and to male ms to bear,

Psa, 51. J. 25 Gladness, even such as will cause

having wrought: out the Salvation. for

us, the Work of the Spirit is to give a the Comfort of ir Hence the Jo

tze Saints is said to de che Fey ke

1 Thes. 1,6, Holy Gbost 3 -because it is bis Office to

administer such Comforts,-as. tend to the filling of us with Joy.

- God by his Spirit naving an tbe Fat

tbe Waters, — the World according to the Word of his Power; And by

bis Spirit moving on the Souls of his

People, even when they are a perselt.

Us. 57. 19. Gbaos, he creates the Fruit of i #bg Lips,

Peace, the Product of the Word of his

Promise; and if he did not create it, it

would never be; and we must not only

attend to the Word of God-speaking to

25 but submit: to. 2 of | God

work:

working upon us the Werd. The Spi re ace wat given not only for the Relief of the Saidte in the sussering Ages of the Church, but to continue with the Church elways ts tbe End, for. the Comfort of Believers

ia reference to their conftant-Sorrows both Temporal and Spiritual: 3. Aud what

Sending of the Son of God to re u,

and for Which, therefore, we should be no less hem N

but let us always. give Thanks to him, who not only sent his Sox. to make Seefaction for ue for bis 988 tion to wy for bis Mercy 4 sent his Spirit not only to mort in ug gh Disposition of Children towards him,

but also. to witness. to ous: Adaption,

and seal us 20 the Day of Redempeion. 4

The Spirit is given to be aur Texcher, and to lead us into alt Thumb, and as fying our Mistakes, and sEtting things in a true Ligbt, be.lileacath-our Doubts. and Fears, and sets things in a: Plegsant Light, The Spirit is our Kemembrancer,

to put us in Mind of that Which we do

know, and as such he is a . ;

for like the Disciples, we distrust ©

Christ in every Exigence, because we.

mortified, and Grace wrought, and RR 5 strengthen'd.

Let this Article, n. ver be lest out of our Songs of Praise -

Spirit is our Sen#ifierg- by bim Sia is

"Th FAN

ftrengthen'd, and as sich be * our Comforter;, for nothing tends so much to make us Fafy, as that which tends to make us Holy, The Spirit is our Jau, and we are said to be led by the Spiris, and as such he is our Comforter; under his Conduct, we cannot but be ted into Ways of Pleasermness, to the gw Pastures, and stil Waters. © -" (24. The Sriprures are written that

1 may be ful that we may have

*

te Word with Fey, at

that Foy which alone-is filling, and hath that in 17 which will fill üp the Vacaneies of other soys, and ads up their Deficiencies ;- And that we may be ful of ber Foy 3, may have more aud more of it, may be wholly taken up with it, and may come, at length, to the full Perfection of it in the King:

#8 you; not only that = may receide rst, when it's 2 new thing to you, but that your Foy

man be full, and constant. The Z Word

of God is the main Pipe, by which Com-

| fort is conyey'd from Chrift; the Foun

tain of Life, to all the Saints. That Book, which the Lamb that was ain, took ont of the Rigbt Hand of ' bim that

sate on the Throne, is that which we are

by Faith to feed-upon a eft, and to er, Sal with; and 4 we al ft that it” will, like Ezelie bs Roll, be in

our Mouths as Honey for Sweetness 3 - and

the e of its I wilt- e 4 new.

dom of Glory: Thefe thing: are written

its Conveyance is suc

F ˙ ˙ ˙ůãu I ooo mm E Ow T7 CEP Vo CW ̃ N! ÜÄu. e Gn” go Ggeu TT OOO * 1

L Tr — Seri re Light is pleasant, Much more — 2

sweet. 1 pleasant, than for the.

Eyes a behold the Fm 3 op manner

kes it *

Ape o

.f . Arus after the manyer u, Our o |

Langage, INS SOV, which * |

Scripture | wry; are che Jos.

Mercies of Rey! as "we 78.

ond © res we may have a r

ways with 7; whenever we will, © 3

we we may aye. Recourse to them; Db.

that we need not be to seek for Cor-.

dials at any, fime! The Word i High Romans 10:4,

(thee, in thy House, and in thy Hand,

and tis thy own fault if it be got in br,

thy Moushy.and in thy Heart. Nor is, x;

it ring shut ups or Fountain 33 4%

those that compare Spiritual Thing 2

irma, will find che Scriprors. i is 1

own. Inzergreter, and Spiritual Pleasurs — © |

to flow from it as easily, ' as plentifully,

to all that have Spiritual Senses cxercised, as the Honey from the Comb, All the Saints have Wund Plealute

in the Word oi Godz 2 5 .

to Dan: | ig that ir dee

them z fraft upon them with as L ren l noceiry” Fon > x Mes

Hun; And oo Fg on com moms of” their 3 cious Inten

rough e might. | ( o E3-9 vY Holy Orftinences were — Furtberance of our and to make our Re

on Pleasam unev us; The Converfation

| Friends witheach other, is reckon'd*one of the

atest Delights & Os this World, now dinaneerate iustituted for the keeping up of our Communzoy e which is the greatest Ben of ns 1 i, to the 07 oth, ro the Yew! Church, + great any casts in the Year Cand one no, ney dur for one Day on Purpo a, "that one, e in 720 9 57 Lord tear e e theit Families Behn z an Qctinance of God, a -l. - yore for the Fetching 1 fl of | e and ces which is is pro us. It is intended to Bees | oTH =? youu Ace of gur Hearts, by k e as. 1 Was of Hanna. who. when fie had pray del

al did nut, and: 8 no 1 |

2 sinted, in whole Name to come; The Spirit ef Grace given to help our Infirmities, andan Afeos and all chis, that we mighc fetch ia not only ing Grace in 7e A

House, ia hie Wilen Ghilken dwell, "is cad A House 3 20 thicher os A _ to male t Joy <,7 6 ; 1428 $6. 7. _ Singing of - Tjalms id Gospel Ora: nance, that is dciget to conttibute co the Me eur Religion; not only to hut to kxite, and to

cedse ou ly j da Singing. 10 the

of Peace promis d to cvery Prayer: - 9 :

of our Subvetion; ,- When the bad warned:all Christians to take — 4

of Drunkenness, Be not urunł mith & ine, 1 |

wherein js Excesr, deft they shouid think, that thereby he reftrain'd them stom any Mirth that would do them geo,

he direts them instead of the Sing of Feb. 5+ ut the Drunkard, when ue Hears it merry '*

e. fg entertain 9. — ich the 5 Angels 5 Sealing #0 yourjerues ( hon god — dispas d th please ou selves) in alas, and Hymns, aud Sp — * +

1 The PLEASURE: of

| _— in your Heart to ib Lords There is ag

-but che Word and Prayer put together,

Tune being à natural Means of Afet.

ug our Hearts, both with the One and

-with the Other, God in Condescension

to our State, hath been pleas d to make

d particular Orginance of it, to they

| how much it is his Will, that we shonld

Jam. 5. 13. be Chearful. Is any merry? let bin fing

Psalms. Is any vaivly ner? let him

suppresi the Vanity, and turn the Mirth

Ano a right Channel; He need not .

nisbd, or abjure the Mirth, but let it be

—4⁵ heavenly _— and in 5 t him Psalms.” Nay, 18 any 4

And 1 fy Affliction, let him shew

a 16. ait by Singing Psalms, as Paul and Sl

did in tbe Stocks, 8

The Lord's Day is appointed to be a

pleasant Day, a Day of Holy Reft, nay,

and a Day of Holy Joy 3 a Thanksgiving Pa-ri8.24. Day; This is the Day which the Lord bath made, we will rejoyce, and be glad in it, 1 The Psalm and Song for the $ Day Plal, 92. 1. begins thus, Js is @ good Thing 10 give Thanks to the Lord, ' So far were the Pri

mitive Chriftians carry'd in this Notion, That the Lord's Day was design'd for Holy Triumph and Exultation, that they thought it improper to Rue 7 in any Act ef Worship on that Day. The Lord's Supper is a spiritual Feast; cl, 10. 19. and a Feast ( Solomon saith Z was. male for Laughter, and fo was this for Holy Joy 3 We celebrate.

eng NELIGIOUS 75 his Deaths chat we may rejoyce in the victories that he n the Pur chases he made. by his Death; and. may apply to ourstlves-the; Prixiledges * Comforts, which bye the Coyenant © Grace are made aus. e we cannot but be glad, and re jene in him, where. we remember bis Love more than Mine. Cant. x. 4;

(4 The Ministry is appoisted for th Comfort of the Saints, and their Guides ia the Ways of Wisdom are .inftcuited, by all Meags polsible, to make them. Ways of Pleasanmess, and. to encourage them to go on pleasantly in those Ways.

The Priefts of 014 were ordzin'd for Men, Heb. 3 1,1

aud were therefore, raken from am mm 1 -:- = Men, that they might have Compassion. . 1 upon the Mourners.. And the Prophets, ay ths PAY in their Commil: . |

n, Compors ge, Comfort Je my. People, Isa. 40 2 God, (peak ye comfortably to Jeru em. , * P ]

Golpel-Mianifters ia a special manner,. re appointed to, be the Helpers of. the, Joy of the * DE 4 19506 Fane? bs, Sons of: Consolazzons; to. [Trengthen', Sor. 1.24. the. wegk e |

Beart, - be „ The Tebermacles of the Lord of Hosts being. amiable, the. Care of all that serye in those;Tabers.

nacles, must be to make them-appear, _- 2 |

so; that they who compass the Altars., of God, may find him God, their exceed- .

Thus bath God taken Care for the Comfort of his People, so that he is not. | | .

" Secondly,” There are mavy- particular Hin

Benefits and Priviledges which they are

Blood of Chrift those Benefits and Pri. on t viledges are 'pricur'd for. w hich l ks them bighly' veludbse, and by. the Covenant of Grace they are secur i to thaw. which speaks them analieyble, * . 8. Thofe that walk in Wisdem's Ways are disebarg d from the mo of Fn, and that's pleasant; They a {abbr Romans 5:33. from Arrefts, le Pa ly their Chuge? While n l Gol Ws them, ad will sranck by his dun 45 againft Hel and Earth, And Ze 5. " ways neat? ther jn histen 1bem 5 Aud se i their Advoeate that lends: For them, nearer than their Accuser, tho' he taut as their br Hind 10 ve f them, and able 10746 bin ont,” and all tis Accusations" Surely, they put a Fores upon them selves, that are merry aud pleasant a der the @uilr of Jin, for if Cbnseience be awake, it of but Have a fenrfel Looking for of Wrath 5 But if Sin be done away; the Bothe is remov'd, -the N77 is head; an& all is well 1 J. fs vod Chezy, tho? fick of k Pal(y, yet be chearful, for thy nt are forgivn tbee; and therefore; not only they thall not hart thee, but God is reconciPd to thee, and will do thee good; Thou may'ft enjoy the W of this - ow an

„

—

being RELIGIOUS,

a6d ear ub Snare * mug bear rafscp of this * in th em;

tor or Amazement. The Pain uhich true Penitents have, Experience of, in their ions upon their Sins, makes the Pleasure: >. |

Satisfaction they have in the Assura nce of the Fardon of them+doubly fwerr +. As the Sorrow of a.Women in Travail is not an Ala, but rather a For] to the

Foy, that a Child born upon it into bs orld. No Pain more acute than that of broken Bones, to which the Sorrows. . of. a eniiem Sinner are compar. ; but when-they are well set, and well; i gain, they arc not only. made easy, but

they are made 10 rejoyce, to Which: tha.

Comforts of a-pardon'd Sinner are compar d. Male me to bear Foy and Glad. ness, that the Bones which thou hast 1

rejojee, All dur Bones, when. = 22 of them was broken, must

Lajd, who is like unto thee ? But there 5x 8

2 mate senssble "4h for one d; prey Bone. reduc'd, for the Multizude - of the Bones that were never burt 3 as r one Jost Sheep brooght home, than for Ninety, and nine that ment m -aftray.; such. i the Pleajure . which, the have. that kaew their Jo are pardon d., When-,Goy's. Prophets. muff Week comfortably, to Ferusalem, they must

tell her that her Iniquiry. 16 en 40d

Such a Pleasure, there is in the Sense

* H des

. an fic, for the People that dwellerh {ball be forgiv'n ibeir Imiquity 5 And to — — - 2 of Temporal Mer. | hey are 0 the! —— and securd. 6 ecovery Vs 38. 17. from Sickness 3 Thou best in Jr my | Soul; eur d 55 Body, and delmtri n fom dür Fit of Corruption, for thou 1 cal all my Sins bebind ay Back. If our Sins be patdon'd, and we know it, ve may go out; aud come in n Pegce, nothing cat come amiss to us; we thay he down; and rise up with Phase, for all is clear between us and Heaven; Thu.

B mg # May" whose Iniquity + for. "2. They have the Sfr of God wij- * pub their Spirits, that they are ile 4 of Gedi; and that's" pledsan. oprion accompanies Juli cation; And ness of our Sims, according m 1b 'Rithet of Golf's Grace, we have an Afftrance of this fyrther Comfort, that we were predeffingted unto the Adoption of Children by Jesu Cłrist. The same Evidence, the same Testimony that is giv'n of our be- | ing par don i, serves as an Evidence au Tei of dur heing prefer, our being thus prefer l. Can the Children of Princes and Great Men, themselbes with the Thoughts of the Honours and ExpeRtations that attend that

- Relation? aud may" ove the —

—

—

tion they hae Aloption, and that Sp irit's ame 10 Adoption? And +4 Pleasure must be a nellen ef eater, and make the stronger Im of Joy, when they remember, / that they were by Nature not only 3 ers and Foreigners, but Children Ly „ and yet thus hy by fru. "The Comfort is none of the least 0 the A this Lie; I But what Comfort of Relations com- _—_ parable to this of being related'to God, - = as our Father; and to Chr Elder Brother; and to all and Angel co, as brionging ame | Family, which ws are brought into "Relation to. The sure of Claiming and this Reta tion, is plaitily intimated vur Ning taught to cry, Abba, Pather 3 why i pf Rom, $, 25: it be thus doubled, and in two. Lat guages, but to intimate to ds che 1 accountable Pleasure and Satisfaction, with which Good Chriftians call God

„ Robes che String they, harp up-

With? "what 7 doth "Davies own Sn witness to Hal, Pk x6, thou bast said untb rhe "Toy "4 we |

: Tord: And it is mure te m eat is

mine; than if all the World were tine

| But wh * ft the iris of t1.£ ga God witnesseth this to, ing to thy

Soul, yea, E 3s thy God, and 8

2s one of his Family; "ivess What, ke

has wrought both in thee, As

*

+

£13 ints to the 4

8 The PLEASURE: of:

; by my Hand; what joy doth this fill de dab with, Jen un/prebable; espe.

__ © cially considering that as the Prophet Hof. 1. 10, speaks, in the Place, in the same Heart and Conscience, where it was said (and. by the Spirit too, when.he conyiac'd as.

a. Spirit of Bondage) % are. not my.

People, even there it sha be. said um, them, by the Spirit, when he comforts as.

a Spirit of Adoption, 7e are the, Sons of

3. They have an Access whb Boldness. to the, Throne of, Grace, and that's pleasant, . . Prayer, not only. fetcheth in Peace and Pleasure, but it is itself a; great Priviedge, and nat only an . our, but a Comfort 3 one of the, greatest Comforts of our Lites, that we bave a God to go to, at all Times, so that we need not fear coming unseasanably, or coming tas often; and in all Places, tho' as Foneb in the Fishes Belly, or as

Der Peri, of in the Fuds of,

Earth. 7 : ene. a

Tis a.Pleasure to One that's full of, Care and Grief to unbosom bimself, and

we ate welcome to pour out our Complaint.

before God, and to shew before, bim aur pla 142. 1% 770uble.z. And to one that wants, or, feats wantiog, to pernon One that is, able, and willing to supply the Wants.

Aud we have great. Encouragement to.

an Access with Confidence, not an Access.

with Difficulty, ' as we, baye to.great- Men, nor an Access with Uncertainty, of Acceptance, ab the Nineuites, Who

cap

AAT

-

now SD =

being RELIGITO AB. —— can icl if God ill retuom. e uw 7oBut c have an Accefe with an Asserance, whatys John 1 server we at in Faith, according to his + Will, we brow that we. haue Wann that we defir'd of bim. ' | Tis a Pleasure: ta 1 lore, and that we know: loves us, 7 tho' far above un, yet takes Notice. f. what we say, and is tenderly concern'dh; for us; What; 2 Pleasure in then gs.pe RR ITED refute. Access, a Libery tee — to utter ll u, Mind, hamblys agg in Faith 2 ss 10: enter into the. Hebrews 10:19, lieft by. thet Blend of | Fesut, and w_ with-2c- Fear arid Frembling #3 the High rief. under theqLawenimred — Folia _ 284 Boldurss to poor dir aur Higher Pal 62.8, fare God, a2 One the he knoss 0lf:; . 1. 8 0 % Case, better than weionfselves, yet % — us the Satiskaction of knowing: ie Regs rs 2 yl — | . have Gas: yas any athet People; 2 Tis ths Cafe uf Geode Prnplelg Ther are Beggars, but chidy: are Beggars W 2 a bountiful | Benefactur, that ãa Nabu Merq to all Aba cn bim Bleffed-are: ; they that wa d a nie Posts: of N Proverbs 6:30 dow's Door If the Prayer of the Upright be Gad Detight, it cannot bot Cast, 2. 15 be th dier esa bility 9 45 4. They have Ar oo on - their Creature Comforts 3 — that's teous, and a1 — 2 ot all their Cen $- The Kere, aaa or a> 23: Ps

2 The PLEASURE of

| | too; Man — he Ir; both n Succeses when be goes forwards, wad 1 bis Disappointments when he goes backwards 3 He bien the Work of their Hands, and his 2250 Proy. 10-27, nale rich, and adds no 'Sorrow with i more is imply'd' than is express d, it adds” Foy with it, infuseth n into ite Pr 2 hat Gos Pet coplebave, be it litle | or much; ay — it from the Love fed, and With his Blessing, and then Lake 1941 Bebold "al are clean — sweet to them; they come the Hand of 2 Father, h the Hand of a Mediator, not- iu the Channel. of common Providevice; but dy the Golden Pipes of the — — Gudilyt: 1 Cor. 7, tho' not (an 5 8 jet ij suntt iy i 10 ibe believing Wife z and fo is the Comfort of other pt pie those who please: God every thin or ec be. fo, — and is made fs by his Favour- And | Pr. . 16 hence it: is, that 4 Linde that A Righteoul * Man ba, having a Heart — Ag with it, and the Divine Skill of En; 5 ing God in it, is better. to him than ttz Riches of many Wicked were to them; : Pror.a 916, and that z Dinner of Herbs where Love u, 1341 and the Fearof be Lord; is better, and yields abundantly more Satisfaction, than 4 flaled 8x: and Hatred and Trouble theremiibdz. . They have the Tellimeny. of hot. own Consciences for them in. all Conditions; And that is pleasayn A good Consci-

.

—__ is not only à Brazen Wa; but a

as it did gab, M Hears spal not. reps

12 ron

Continual Feast ; and all the M Lof _- Solomon's :Instruments ; of Muck of oft _ A Sorts, were not to be compar d with | that of the Bird ia the Bosam, when it sings sweet, If Paul has a Gonscrence void of offence, tho he be 1 sarrowful,

be is 41ways re g nay, and even f = he i — s — bow: and has Cor. 1. f. 18 —

ant cence concerning an xe & 2 OY

As nothing is more painful and unpleasant, than to be smitten and re- — by our own Hearts, to have our Consciences ay i in our Faces, and give us our own 3 so there is nothing more comfortable, than to be upon good Grounds reconcil'd. to ourselyes 3 to prove our own Work. by the Touchstone cal. 6:8 of God's Word, and to find it right, for then have we Kejoycing in ourselves alone, and not in another; For if aur John 3. 2 Hearts condemn. us 10t, then baue we Confidence towards God; may Jift up our Face without Spot unto him 3 and comfortzbly appeal to his Omniscience; Thou 0 Lord Jer. 11 y tnowest me, thou bast seem e - ny Heart towards thee... 3 I This. will not only "make = 640 Aae the Censures and Reproaches of Me

me, tho? do.3 and Paul, 4 i a snal Thing with me i le wy ment; But it will de a Co

bel

TER to * to have our e

look back upon a

ay, Vel done, For — lignten d, well. informed 1 the Hoe of God; Tis his Deputy in the Soul; The houghts of the sober | Heathcn- berwe en themselves when they

0 1 was but to enruse, which 4 the best of b; But they, who

' Bearty led fom

4 Man has, in che Reflectron upon the successful Kesistance of a strong and threatni Temptation ; the seãsonable Suppr sing and Crossing of an unruly Apps tite or Passion, and a Cheek given to the Tongue, when it was about to speek nnedvisetly, What a Pleasure is it to ny good Word'fpoken, or any good Work a done, in the Strengen of God's Graee, to his Glory, and 407 way to the Advantage of our Brethren, __ either for Soul or Body, © With whata sweet Sarisfaction may a good Man'lye don in che Ctose of the Lord's Day, if God has enabled bim in some 2 5 art a of the D Day, according as the en d erri hi

ur Work? thro

rere eee rr eee,

—

being RAL AGIOus. 85.

6. They have the Farneitt a "_

tister of Eternal Life. and: Glory, and

that's'pleasarit indoeed. They have it

not only secur 4 to them, but ein g

_ in the 'First-Fruits of it, such

* Sn cope eh their present

Things are writ 1John 5. *

jou thee — oz the Name of e Son. God, mw. May know, not only-that you z but that you

beve Eterna ues you are seat d with Eph. 1. 155 Prhat Holy Spirit & Promise, marked for '+ God, which is the our unberitance, not only a Ratificatzon of the Grant, but Papt of the full Payment. Canaan, when we come to it, will be 2 Land flowing ulth Milk and Honey; In God's 3 there is 4 Fulness 1 Psab 16.11. Foy, and Pleasu- 1 evermore 3 But left we 3 think etre we come to it, the God whom we —— has been. pleas'd to send to us, as he did to ra, some Clusters of the Grapes of that good Land to meet us in the Wilderness z Which if they were sent us ia Ex · cuse of the full Enjoyment, and we were to de put of with them, that would a Binterness taco them; But being ent us in Earnest of the full-Enjoyment, that pats a Sweetmess into them; and makes them plossant indeed.

A Day in Gods Courts, an Hour at big, 84. 16

Table in Communion with him, is verypleasant, . better than 4 Thousend: Days, than ten thousand Hours, in any of the Enje of Sense 3 But this very

mu -iacreaseth the Pleakabtnesyof its. I that

that it is the Pledge of a Blessed Eter · nity, which we hope to: spend witlin the Vail, in the Vision and Fruition of

* God. Sabbaths are sweet, as they are Bones of on hppa Prom „leb. 4. ot Keeping of 2 Sabbath (as the le: 7 Tut 1 N 1 the People of

Gd. Gospel Feasts are, therefore,

0 sweet, because Earnests of the everlast; 71

| ing Feaft, to which we shall ft donn 2 on "Wt with Abraham, and Isaac, and jacob.

"x. _ 'The Joys of the Holy Ghost are sweet,

2s they are Farnests of that Foy of our, Tord, into which all Christ's good and REA -faithfu}'Servants shall. enter. Praising © "God is sweet, as it is an Earnest of that

Blefled State, in which we shall. zor es Day or Nigbt from Praising God.

Rt The Communion of Saints is sweet, as

1 pe to have in che Genera Afsembly, bey that travel Wim Ways, tio, sometimes they find=chemsclves. walking in the low, and darksom Valle of the Shadow: of : Death, - where t — .

| see but à little Way befor

At other Times, ate Jed: with-Me-- es tothe Top of Mount: Pie, ES on _ thence have a pleasant: Prospe& of the

Land of Promise, and the:Gloriesof that: <: .*. good Land, not with such. a Damp up- 2 _ 7 4 bene ny had Deut. 34-4. Thon spalt see. it with thing Eyes, but thou: ww shalt nat ge over thither; but such an Ad. Gen. 13. 14, tion to the Pleasure. of it a8. un | had, when God said to him, 45 a 1 2

0% it 818 za pas Aviog found · R TI Nature pleasant, and the Comre

| being” R E L 18 1 0 US. Land which tbon see; to bee will 1 give

1. Take the Pleasure of the Prospect,

as a Pledge of the Possesslon shortly, . ICE TW 2I12775

[ts and Privisedges so with which it is

attended, we shall next try to malte this Truth more evident, by Apt to

such ag may be thought com witnesses in sueh a- Case, Leon

=

Auimal (as the Word signifies ) that

from Consenting to this Truth, and Conand oppose-it.z Our those, that have some spiritual Senses exercis'd, for otherwise, The Bruitisb Man Psal. 32. 6

noms not, neither dotb the Fool understand

this. off 213 195218: gat ene We mut therefore be allowed to look, upon Cite Sinners, and Com- - forred Saints;

; wicked. People whom the Spicit-hath- rouz'd out of a Sinful Secyain, and Godly People whom, the Spi- +56 BR 5 5 Tit.

dog; 3 * igion in its-0wn-

| of: © 3 de ve appeal to the Nauru Man, the meer 1 Cor. 2 34:

looks no further than the Things. of Sense, and judgeth by no other Rule than Sense, and receivetb not the Things of the iris of God fox; they are Foolish -

Appeal must be to

tit bas pus 10 70st in a boly; Serenity, are the most competent proper Witnesses to give Evidence! in this Casp and and to their Experience we appeal. Rs e Ask those that have y "the ays of Sin aud Wickedness, af Vice and e and begin to pause a little, and to consider whether the they zre in be Right; and let vs heir 1 are their Experiences" 2 | ing those Ways 3 and ky "ppc | them, is in-the' Words ef Rem. c. a1. Nut bad ge ten in —

1 Kot xy:

oof ye are now asbanied, N bat Fruit will ge have. = laft;

che Ead of these ' Thing

Rs 21 e e hi FEM Monrbs is cui 0 — But 7 Fruit, what P ealune bad 5e bbc why bby were in the as i regs ga the |

— Mot „that have hid the Reiss

2 walked inthe Way 55 Han, ni itbe Sight of thear Hes bave taken a boundless Liberty in the Gratisications

of Sense, and have made it their 1 siness te extract out of thiss World,

whatever may pass unde 88 Name of e

Pleasute; But nen *

think (which they could not od their Hearts to do, while they Zoing on in their 92 A — * What they think 5 ; es,

hes

ful, and unsatis

ture,

dt rt igang .- - "Win..."

— — 7 which pretend to vie with thole 1 and they will tell ou, 1. That 4 Sn may — Enjoymemsy which then they Rad no reason to boast of, It was a n TER geath the; Dignity of a Man; — KS which could not be ork but by yield-+ ing up the Throne in the Soul, te the inferior, Faculties o ea A „ And allowing them the in ion bret N and Conscience, which: ought to cmnnd ang give Law. It was the graing of an Appetite which uas the; Disease. of the Soul, and; which would; - not be E but like the Dangh-+

ters of, Alen e. UP Give, 4: rie 149 nor 8 What poor-Pleasure. hath'the Caen) ;

tous Man in the Wealth of the World; 'Tis the: Lust of the Eye, that is thereby John 4 humour'd, for bat Good bath the r thereof, save the Bebolding + thereof with. bis Byes £' And what a wi, Satisfaction. is thats: and yet even that is no Satis. faction neither, for be 20: lot nf Sl geclef. f. 2008. ver, will find, that che more be has, 1, 12. the more he wolid bave, so that he: shall not be satiased wia Siber; ny it fastens / upon the Mind 2 Burthen ab Care angPerplexity, so that be abun- - 2 of ahe- Rich will not suffer im 4 ee Ob N xi 243 . 1 4 2 Drunkenness passeth for a- pleasant Sin, but u fh Pleasure, for it puts a Forer upon the Powers of Nadisturbs — of-Reason, .. - 13 - aa:

— een en ene — Men out of the Possession

—

and t of their don Souls ; yielding any true

and ris it from yi Satisfaction, that the 3 of wy base Appetite, is but bringing Oil

Flame ; When /awike, I wil ** _

a

kard. jt

"Contention and Revenge, Pretend to be pleasant Sins 6 2 Ei vind:84 bon. vnd jucundius but it is so far from being los that it is, of all other Sies, the most Vexacjous 3 It kindles a Fire in the Soul, 5 into a Hurry and Disorder 3 they are, there is Confusion 29s every Fol Work, The Jam. 4. . Luft, from whence not only Wars and Fightings come, but other Sins are said to war in the Members 3 they not only ve. 2. 13, 4 gin ibe Soul, and threaten — Destruction of its trus Interests, but they war in ie Sow}, and give Disturbance to its present rf and All it

wit continual Alarms. that *baye- made — 3 Su ves to their Lusts, win oun, that it was the greatefi in the World, A 2 — re — in the Pa- Ia the Pr young Gen- Yeman hiring himsenf to os. ther sent luke.15.16, bits into bir Field 10 feed Swine; where de was made a*Fellow-conmoner with them, and would fain bave fi by. Belly wůb the Hull, that Soon,

,

at Lands”

again, is the Language of the Druttru anc ked Ba He M4 his wh ar

=

but her Bud birter ar Wormmord. © © Prov

edna Lenin ds rd bl St ora reed CERES Sh Sd IS

fen I citust my Shame to yo ? chere is n

surely that of iti-got Gain would, be-

= —_— * - - | L: . 4 d: bs a ' „ K 7 0 * Ped — — "I * ** . — = ' 1 p * = * a: N, Y D N 8. 8 = — . 92 433 — 43 0 E22 * = 5 ti. od i. te 4 2 ” 9 9 4 # - N „ 5 = 2 -

ate at the Beck of, and their Disagree-- ment among n for. _ Ta afe Arge ferving divers Lufts 4 # a les sures, and therein ted captive by Stan, their swern Enemy n bs FFI | 2. That the Pleasure of Sin was very We wilt allowy\ that there: is a leasure | in Sin for # Seasen, but that” Season'is Heb, 31. ox: soon over, and is succeeded'by another” Ji Season that is the Reverse of it; the Sweetness is foon gone; and leaves the — ＋ 1 3 of the Cup z The Wine is red, and gives 7ts k Colour, its Flayour very get. but Fronegget. at the last it bits Jike a Serpents, and fing: | like an "Adder; Sin is that Strange Wonay, whose Fla tteries are charming,

' . When Conseience is awake, aud tels

the Sinner he — ts „when his Gen: 43, 4. Sins ate fet in Order before him in their | true Cotour, and he-fees himself ＋ 1 |

and d by thety, when brown e- jer. 2. 19. 5\ begins ko corre en, and bis Buieslitings to- bim, and his own Heart makes bim foarh bimfelf for ul h Abominations, where is the Pleasure of. his Sin chen.* As the Thief is abin'# when he 4s disrover d to the World, so. are the tin - the hn, her disedver d t theme yes z Md Jay, Where ©

Remedy but 1 mist r down in n, If he Phasute” of toy" Si would WH,

9% The PLEASURE+0f- . cause there is something to Den for ir it z 9 Aud yet tho! that Wickedness be smees Job noi 11 in the W. e tho“ he hide u under bis Tongue, yet in h Dowels. "ris tum into the Gall of Al ; He. Sy swallonid dawn Riches, but shall be fore. to vomit-zhew up 4g EE) lr 46 Pcs -* Solomon had: skim'd the Cream of sen: sual Delights, and pronounc d not only VPanit and vexation concerning them all. even the best; but concernig Ho of them- that. were sinful; the Pleasures into. which. he was 2 205 that the Reflection upon them Aill'dnim with. Horror and Amazement 3 I apply d my Heart, aich he, ta nom the; Victednesi of Folly, even of. Foalishnasa an Madness,. (0-he_now calls the:Looses be had taken; he cannot speak bad enough. of them, for 1 more bitter than Daatb, Kel i 26. the Woman w 4 Heartis Snares aud New, | and ber Hande as Bang. 8 And is such Pleasure as this, worthyto come in Competition with the Plet- | „ ri o Religion, or to be nam the ame Day with them? What endes Creatures are the sensual, that will not be perswaded to quit the Pleasures. f 2 Brutes, when they L 2 in Ex: change the Delights ef. a 8 Ask those chat — 2 | Ways of Wisgow, what are their | Job x. 1, riences Ag pain? Weg Ways. "Gut now if there be | and to which. of 1 BY aint. 1 ya Ry Turn you to hich you wall, aadrthey wil e a e

then, but those whose Businesi hath led

beg RELIGTHOUS. ©

oc Plessammess, and ber Pathy Peace, However about some Things.chey marx differ in their Seatiments, in this they

are all ofa) Migd, chat God is a good Master, and his Service not only-persect Freedom, but periest Pleasure.

Experienced Christians owe to

their Master, add to gbeir Rellaw-Servants, both w Christ and-Chriftians, 4 to bear their Teflimoony to.this Truth; and the mare explicitly and felemaly: they datit the better; Let themrigel. . other, bas Gad bes done for their Souls; Plal. 14. and how they have rested thus be it gradio Let them om te the;Hogoyr of God ad Nel hat there her: ares Linge 8.56 foil d one; Word Se goed Promise — which; he Ansign u to make his Servants =

pleasant 3 chat what it said os the Plear 5 lantaest of Religion is really sos Let them es 10 their Sal ulat n is true 7 John 1. .

it haue their Probetum en 3 ne here found it soa. Nerd dannn 1 The! Religion and Godliness | are: the gbod. old Ways No i you Jer, 6. 18 would hate an Account ot che Way es

have to ga, ire of those

ount of that hade traveil'd its not those who. have occasionally. Rept into'it now and +

them to Frequens-it, ' Ask the Aci Treuclers,. whether: they have found ' Ae to their Souls in this may, and there

are few you shall enquire-of, but they

will be ready to owa these four Things — I- That

„ tentment add

27 5 and his own Imerest, he would comport

6. be t u and there is a wonderful Decorum in it.

Advancement of our Powers and Facul-

" The PERU,

have found 1b Ruby ani Dif ates of Religion very *agyecable both to right Reason, und to" rh0i In. terest 3 and-therefore' pled sant. UT have found tbe Word-nigh them... aud 40 commodated to them, and not at: fuck a mighty Distance as they were made to believe. They have found 2H God's epts concerning all Thengs to be right, and reasonable, and: highly equitable; and when they did but e themselvet Men, they could not but conse; and fabscribe 19 nde Lam, that it was goody

The Laws of Humility aud Meeks

ness, Sohriety and Tet ce, 7Con | d Patiesce, Love and Charity, these are agreed id ourselves,

when we are io our right: M, ne

are the Ardiinde of dur Nature; the

ties z the Composure-of our Minds, and the Comfort of our Lives, and carry their own Letters of Commendation-along with them. If 'a *Man' understood? himself,

with these>Roules,and-govern-himfelf by them, 'tho*there were no Autbory over _ 2 — So ity All that have

roughly try'd them, willfay they are so far rom being Chico dw —

to a Man, and as Ferters to his Feet, that

they are as Cin of omament to him, and as tbe C idle io bis. Linus. Ask Experienc'd Christians; and

they will tell you, what Abundance. of

Comfort and Satisfaction they have had 142 9 | - in

£1610 us Ioh

in Keeping sober, when they have been ia Temptation to Excesi;; an dving eh when they might have ga ind by Dishonefty as others do, and nd Body know its in wing un injury; when it sas 1] in the /Power-ottheir Hand to revenge. — it; Ia giuing Ain: to the Poor, when: per ha ps they streighten d themselves by 25 it; in sabmitting 40 an di n, when: 1 _ the Circumstancerok it: were. very ag gravating; And ia Briuling their Passion: under great Provocations: With what! Comfort does Nebemiab reflect upon it, that tho higPredeceffors in che Govern? meat had ahusd their Power, yet $0 did Nh. 5. 15; xt / ( saith he) because of the Fear of. © God. Aud with what Pleastftedoth Sanue! make his Appeal; hose One bave 18am. 12 3. taten, or whom; baue / deftauded; and Paul his, I baue covered: no Man's Silver, or Gold, or Apparel. If you would have a Register, of Experiences:to-this Put: pose, fead the zigtbh Plalm; which is. a Collection of Deus Testimonies to; the Sweetnesi and Goodness of God's Law; The Equity and Brcellency of it; and the abundant Satisfaction that is to he ound in à constant conscienn..-- tions Consormity to.. 2. That they have found abe E,]j,ů- Devotion to be very pleasant and m. table, and if there be an Heaven up- EE IS + in his Ondinapees34 i bearing; from” him, in speaking to e the Tokens of i Favour and Communications of his Grace, and returning 90 pious

with God, which I would not exchagge for all the Delights of the" de, of Men

— didthose * v 3 — ty te in the Solemnot. — — aud Satisfaction in Attending on tim, they would never have continu'd cheir At-

Mor. 15. 32 Endance three in à desurt Place, as we find they did. No wonder then, that his on Disciples when they —

Spestate of his Transsig Auditors of his Discourse — Mac. fy. 4 — in the holy Mount, said, Male, for un 10 be 56 Hexe let * = uber Tappen! to all, that know what it is ede een —

*

will own, that. Deligh

world; which Service of: God, and in the belii

to worship him n the Hiri, — they hate not found: abundant Satisfartion in it2: They will say with the

Spouse, I sate dow" maiden. bi Suu Cant, 2. Z- |

with Delight,” aud bi Fruit mas: sweet un-

10 my Tafte : And withithe Noble Marof Nico, Let their Money perish with — that esteem all ibe Wealsb and: Fleasure of this i worth: one Hur Cununion with God in Fesm\Gbraft,-+ They they neverrhad that true

tand Satisfaction in any

nts of this

which they have had ine the

Relishes of that loving Nindnesi ofthis, Pra, 63 3:55

vhich is better than 2 These have put Gladness into liche ir Hearts, more than there livide tba tions fox solema Oruinances they have

Hur ved, or theitłs that Af in chrir Pre paragene forth weeping; bearing pnocious-Sted, ele rag 1

yet they have come again with Ne icing ringing tbeir Shewves with them,” Sn ;

— That nt ta overcome the Puli: Sense; and to tate ont tb.

1 W ares tale off the Terror:

Excellency af Spiritual Pleasures, that Kligious Gonuidt ions will soon” conquer

Sensua} Delights and quite extinguish

them, Son that they became as Sougs 18 s be aeux Heart, fon a Hurd Spiri 1 can bear? But it has osten beru suund;

that: the Pains of Sense have up been 2220 —

have found abe Plrasufe A 47.488

„ them, . This is a plain e

-

be PLEKSU RR

The Plea sure that © Kay e. | an God, & it neuds not to be:/uppony/

can Tejojcein.the Lond, — God of their g- — ever: eben, when the N. bdee

4 Provitled that in him they should hate ee ee For thls we may appoal to the Mar- PS and other Sufferers sor the Nu If Christ ; How: have their spiritial Joys made their Bonds for Christ easy,

„ * 9 wy "IS" K a 3 . * , * a n of. - - . = S os - - . — S * * * = * 4 = CE a K * : _ 23 22 ** > Ss — W o - 1 0 3 . " lf | , n bs * - 4 [ 7 EH 1810 WS * TP - "_ n.

yet he daubts not & to. 3 Course. with Foy. Rt | Nay, we may 2ppazh to- the Sich. K Beds, and Death- Beds af many. god dye Christians for the —— hen uearisom Nights have heen biated a to them, yet n have s,thein Sungs in 1 One, buck bless God, / baeve eure; veak and dying saidanother,butsutLucsmas, Light and Comfort enough within. ' The Delights of Sense: forsake us, when ve most need them to be a Comfort to / us; when'a. Man is ebasten — 3 295. | nn bis Bed, aud the Multizade of bis 20. Bones with from Puin, be abborreab Bre ad aud dainty. Meas, and cannot relish it 2 the Bread of Lise and: — tual Dainties have the swestest Ne li — s 0 Tu — 1 x 18205 found it o; s is my C im mine pla. 1 Midion, that the Er barb n; This has made: a 1heir Bed in. Sickness, and made it ealy,

The Pleasanmmess of: Wisdom's Ways bath sometimes been remarłkably attested * the Joys and Triumphs of dying Chi flians, in restetting upon that Divine | — 2 — comfortably through t his Worid, andi is chen "0 carrying them more comfortably out of | it to a better, '' What's thus Light which I fee, said an Eminent:Divine upon his Drath- Bed 1s is. the Su- Shine, fad.

One that was by; No, reply'd he, 't * | ny Fauinur i Sbine; 5 20 Joys, 0" ther aden the 1 fect.,.

gone, tbat Gau dealr familiarly with May,

Mr. Jasepb Allein's Lise and Mr. Joln

nin them By this it appears,: that the Pleasure takes its Excellency from the

rok Slogthfalness and Trifting in these, Ways,

too much in Love with the Body, and

The PLEASURE s

or out of tbe Bady, I cannos tell; but 1 see and fee! Things that are unutteralle, and full of Gioty. O let is be pre uabed as my

I am as full-of comfors a m heurt can lol.

ane ways have remarkable Instances of: this. Auburn een UL St Sr

4. They have found, that / the-closer they baue kept to Religions Ways, and the. benter ., Progress ty thave made in thise. Ways; the: more Pleasure they have found

Religion, that the more Religion prevails the greater the Pleasute is. What Nisquĩet and Discomfurt Wisdomꝭ Chil den have, is owing not to Visiont Mays, those are pleasunt, but to their Deviation from those Ways, or their

those indeed, are unpleasant 3 and sooner or later will be found s. If good People are sometimes: droq - ing, and in Sorrow, it is not because they” are good, but becaufe they are not so good as they should be; they do not live up to their Profe ssion and Principles, but ate

hanker too much after the World, the“ they do not turn back to Sodom, they look back towards it, and are too mipd- | ful of the Country, Fon which tbey came oub, and this makes them uneasy, this forfeits their Comforts, and grieves their Comforter, and disturbs their ts. Peace,

-

—s Peace; which would baue been o them; if they had been 15 e But if we turm aside out he Ways of God, we are not | think it strange; i the Coosolatibne oF: God do not follow us. "But if we cleave 10 the Lord with fall

Purpose of Heer, then we fidd the Fopof the Lord our Sirength. Have we nog

found those” Duties most plrasum, in: which ue haue tiken mast Ni dad most Care; and that wer have had the most comfortabie Sabbath-Visits made to our Soul 0, When week n nost in Ye $13 mt on the. 4 _And'the'lbnger we continue, and the.- mote; we ment our Pace in these Ways, . de more Pleafire we; ut un. them. 70 18 e -of Prarecommends chem N that his e crease bp „lo. they from with'ri — ; The Difficulci 955 ich. may. at SR be fouod ig che W ays of Religion „ and the: 9 8 GN

wear off hy De it grows — s \ and 706 Jags, of 3 36. 2

Rose” ey he back-slitidea from

the inder Oda. ha ve left, their Grit Love, "and la to berhink, them elves; and to remember hence are fallen; whether ye Frog 93 gp ho deal more” Comfort when t

close to Goc, than they have . |

they turn” d afide from bim and. they — will iy with chat e

faund the M ef ter Apoltacy.

bee ;

up with Thorns, I will go, an return 19

bug, the King's High-

"FThe:PLB ASSURE ; Ale

it then it was: beiter we than now, There is nothing got * srom OY and 17

Nein 1

Jan Way or Journey.

HE Praise of A i I, in Scripture, spoken of as a Way; and our walking in that Wo; Tis the Way of God's s Commandmencs,. tis a way, the King of Kings High-way 3 And *hole

they are Compre ben sores They, then ed, ate at Home 3 3

have . Here they

ate fn cheis Fourne: , there at their F Faw:

ney's End; Now j Heaven de the 2575 End, the Prize of our Abe Ching and we be sure if we 1 run as we ought, that we shall obtain that, it is enough to enga e, and encourage us in our Way, tho” it be neyer so unpleasant 3 but ue

_ are told ex abundanti, that ue EP also

*a pleasant Road. Now there are te lue "which bel to make a” Taue 15 Mee

—

"Tring Rt vatous. wp | there is something like to each of thesmm which-may be found in the Fay of Fise dom, and those who walk in that way.”

_ First; It helps" to make a-

_ plez(ant to go'upoul 4 good Errabd,” He

chat is brought up a'Prifoner in the Hands of the Miaisters of jute, whatever Conveniencies he may be accommodated with, cannot have a pleasam Journey, but a melancholy One;

Andithats the Case of a Wicked Man,

He is going on, in this World, 1 2 |

De struct ion, the, Way he is in, tho wide

and broad, leads directly to it; and

while he. persists in it, every Step he

takes is so much -nearer Hell, and | therefore be cannot have 4 pleasant Journey; tis absurd and indecent” to

pretend to make it e: Tho? the Way may seem'right to 8 Man, yast there can Prov. 172 he no true Pleasute in it, while 1be F thereof ir the "Ways of Death 5 and the

Steps tate bold on Dl. Prov. 3. 5. - But he that goes ine a far Colntry Luke 19:12.

10 receive for bimself a N dom, what- -* <*

ever Biffieulties may attcad his Journey, —= = yet the Errand he goes on is enough ta maktꝭ it pleasaut, and on this Errand they go that travel He Ways ; they look for 4 Kingdom which camot be moved, and are pressing” forwards in the

hopes of it. Abrabam went out of his | own Country, nt krowing

J white de Heb, 11. went: But those that set o and n | on, in the Way of Religion know whither it-will bring them y that it Jeads 70 Mac. 7. 34, Life; Eternal.

Rom, . 2 bu, hir it: in the Gu/pelc of bis

1 . n ban | | 749, He that is: Weab and Sickly,

and Lame 1 pleasanteft

not only curd; of their naturg} Na-

1960: a at: che End of its Jin ent N ond 2 8. 141 y Gaad People: go upoa ag Etrand, forthey za · an Gai Brand, as well, as on their mm they are ftirving.and 815

risyin him, barns someth ing to

his Honaur-, and che Advancenientof the Interests af his Kingdom 5

9 3. and this makes it Pleasant; and bag u ich puts so got 3 Arputation upon the Duties of Reilgien, as that by them God is served and / glorified; canat but put so muahithe mare Saniisalli - a into them. With whatPirasuse doth Pau} appeal toGed, asthe God whom be

can find: no Nleasu re in the Walks; haw' should he, 8 avery — inn Pan? But a flrang e qq ceib io man Ree; while-ba thar's-fechle: treniblex #0 fee one; Foot. before another; Now this makes: the Ways of Religion pleasant, that they whowalkin those Ways, are

nesr, but are fled withypinirasl.Strengthy. Ae. anot in their own might, in the Greatness of bis Strength) who

is: mige 10% aF’. W ta Were theyc to proceed in tir ous Strength, they: wouid? have, liivte Pleasute in the Journey, every little m_ * | | ou

*

being B/BLLG£O.US.\.. 165! calty wankd foilebemy and they mould, tire presently.z.But-they go forth; and ff, 71416... go on in the: Sirength of: the Lord Gol, and upon evety Occasion according to bis — ow rene mt 1 them, : mount up wi Wings like: | 4 208

then they not only go, hut ran the Way la. 19. fa

of bis Commandnte ts: : 28 my 1 22 wth: That which:t@ the 014, Nature is imp acticalle and unpleasant, and, which,

there fore, is declin'd; or gone about |

with Reluctaue y, to the New Nature is FH. 63.8:

ea[y and pleasant 3. and This New, Nature

is given ta all. the. Saints, which, puts |

2 New. Life and - Vigonr into them,

ssrengtleni them. with! a Might in the in. Sol. 1. T1.

ner Man unto all Diligence in Deing-

Work, Patience in Suffering: Work,

and Perseyerance in both; and fo all

the Lord, and in tbe Power of bis Mipht,

and this not only kee ps the Spirit willing,

even then when the Flesb i weak, bug —

makes even the Lame May to leap as an Ia. 35. 6.

Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb to hug... ;

1 can do 4, Things through Christ sirengebs Phil, 4 13,

ning Mes. ') TERS 007 90 1 NTT Thirdly,.. It, helps to make à Journeypleasant; to baue Daj-Laght;. *Tis. very "| __

uncomfortable Travelling in the Night,

in the black and dark Night; He that

wal betb in Darkness, saith our Saviour, John 14 35

knows not whither be goes, right 0g

fal. 82. 3 knen nov, neiilor wl they unden

—

Ti Naa =

be stumblerb, because bin z And'this is oftan spoken of as the miserable Case of wicked: People, They.

_ toy wall on in Dan ene, in _ contianal: „ and: so much ths

more, if they be _ ia continual fear, But Wisdom Children are al ch.

e even to Light "Dip * t much more so to one that is

a Jpurneyꝭ and'doubly fmeerito: those

were Darkne(s, but are 2 walk ab-Children'of

5 en in the Dat, a u all did, bas das ger 1. n

and theg they ate, indeed, ab Pe ars when: we are guided into them, and guided in them by che

in the: Light of Gospel

fail: e walle To: the/ Eight of Gel.

it, and of being

that the Sun

sha ll u maze

KF? EPR vx And in an- John 21:30. ther Place, | 4 Man walk in e Ng there 5s no Ligbain

upon us, not only % p our. Ryes, but tonne Nos iato the Faris oft h xi

Tight of the Sospeb of Christ, And all chat wattvndust, cannot

Comforts... 211 W £2613 D275 And it adds bo tho Pleasure of having BU our Travels, is we are in no:Danger of B

benigbted; and this is the Case of-those

NN a e char pry hw 1. wiel kaling bis Wigs, 7 ads 5 shal'b "heir"

Feier sert Ss re

wad Fuithf; one cin in. f

—— not muede 80 for Both a it

en * promis, thi br

— 07 WAG. Hall gib 2 Tr Ne — — 3 n— to R Ms Go Tram Fong ti boo res the-Wildetoefs by 1 Pier of Clu e die "and de Lord s

in it. rer ENA 1 ales the Way of

This 4s ther which — ion such a H-, "4s chat the Men v0 -Foots: u "non err

bere are Fools' wicked 6 walk aftor the Vie. that mile chr take 4 and wander — meg

meien "every xc.

-be \tnowerh not bow = 10 — eror# Oy z But those Fools chat hall not ort — are nf m, The -

-

.

212 PE U RB . © _ their own- Folly are — as to gire up themse lues intirely to the Condust of the Spirit, both by -Conscience _ and the written Word, and if they have dane this in Sincerity, they knom bum

L to big: Glory, + I hese may £0 on ay ae] ent who are prothat w — they are in Bout, — n Danger 101 | "milled: they —＋ shalt bear a Voir [og- ; ing 10 them, Ibis in be Way, mall in it. + -Fifibly, It helps to make a fourney *pleasant,- to be under 4 good Guard, ur Convoy, that one — sajely.. Our Way lies through an Enemy crx, and they are 2e subtil — N The Road is;infofted with Rob. bers, chat lye in wait, to spoib and to destroy; we travel by the % Dent, Andi the Moumtaint of tbe: dx And — „ 8 Danger is the greater, that it atiseth not from Flesb and Blood, but spiri- 1 Pet. 5. 8. tua Wickednesses. 1 Sctan: the World and the Flesh, way-lays us, and feels to devour -w so that we could not with any Pleasure go on our Way, if God | himself had not taken een * E 4 I I? 5-2 ” = „ same, Spirit that is 4 4% 6 | | tac wi — is their Guard also; at RP _ for.-whoever. are santify's by- the. Holy | Jade 1, © ee him preferv's in Ctrisi Je- %. fu; preserv'd blamelessz and shall be pre 4 Tim4.18.servd.10 the; Heavenly Kingdom, so as that

„wer wan nos de roh e _—

alan ies IONS S.. £& bo.

—

and 70 Comforte, which art their F. dences for; and —— of Eternal

Life; the V are en the power Gol 1 Per. x. 5; tbrougb Faith * — 8 fre may er 6'on/Chearf

Proteffion”to al Chrift's- good Subj in their Travels, and gire them such a holy Security, as lays a Foundation ” a conftant Serenity, Eternal TD itself hath afsur'd them; that 5 thing sbal/ befal tbem; nothing really and destrucively Evil, no Evil but what God wil bring Good te them out of;

God — hath == 5, ap their ceper, and to preserbe one 2 ming in, benrefortb and" for on Jooks” as" far ee as and by svch Promises.

ever,” W pk re icselff;

as these, and that Grace which is conyey'd through them” to alf active Be | lievers, "God carries tbem as u E neu. 4 1 bring them i bimself. 4 eig are appointed for a2

an, to alf that walk! ih Wwe, ul. 5. 11. to bear tem in their Arm, whe gen and te pitob abe, Nennt round bout Fl. 3+ ** them where they reff, and fo to keep? then u an rhei Ways; How easy may” * they be chat are thus guarded,” aud how well under all Events, as

A between ke elps to make a Journey — Se os th — 0 gone before n ame andg'on = W ns | Un

-

1 tos

-

Taub was, whe went om bis Way, and ie Gen. 35 16

E 2 ones 3 But in the Way Religion, we are both direfed —5 en- Fa d by. the. good Examples of those E tha6--have+chosen,.the May of Truth | before us, and have walk d in it. We ate bidde n e. ate now Alb. 6. 12. through Faith and Patience ( thole travel- * Graces ol a Christian) r | 8693 * | | pleasant to think, that we are. Le be! — in the same Way with Abrabam | 2 and Jacob, with whom we hope shortly to fit down in the Kingdom of God. How many holy, wise, -good Men have govern'd themselves by the same Rules that we gevern ourselves by, with the fame Views, have lid d the same Faith that we live by, oc h ing for the same blessed Hope, and have "Hebrews 11:2 It obrein'd good $; And MS: -Caut. 1. 8. forth by tbe pens of the Plock, Let us, therefore, to make. our Way an- 3. 10. easy and pleasant, tal⸗ egy s for an + 4 ; And being c about with of Wime * that like tbe 04 7 in t Wiler that went be- + _ fore Ispael, not only t0 ben them the Way, but to smootb it for chem, let run. with Patience, and Chearfulne fs; ide | Race that is set before us, looking unta Je. su; the most encouraging.,Pattern e All. who has left 24 an Example, bat we Hed. 12. . should follow bis Steps and what more pleasant than to follow such a Leader, whose Word of Command is. Follow me! 28 Ic helps to- make a Journey.

1 baue good cp his e-

— being 1 RELI GA Ous. 11 Du. | Doe ceivesthe Time and takes of the Te diousgess of a Journey as much as/any | Thing, Anm pro Vebiculs. It is: the Com bx of tho who walk in'Wisdonys B+ that tho there are but few walk- Pfal. 122 24. rhose'Ways, yet there are some, —. those the wisest and best, and m. e exce lent iban tbeir Neighbours; and it will be found there are more ready to say, v will go with yon, for we haue beard — Tech 8. 2 | Gold + 3 with %. 2 FU 18 . Tue Conmunion"of Ae cee 2 ? much to the Plegsenimess of Wisdom's 5 Ways; We have many Fellow - Travellers, that quicken one another, by the Fel- Pp dave one with: another, as Companions in the Kingdom an Patience Rev. 1. 4. of Fesu chin: It was a Pleasure to 5 them, Who 3 —＋ to Jemen. to worship their Numbers in - 2 f creasd in every Town they came to, | and fo they went from Strength to Strengib, they ' grew rather 3 . | ith in Zion appear d N for fer where so it is wich God's'spiri- ens 0 . ua Mes, to Which we have the Plea sure df seeing daily Additions of such TIE OT ERTIES EE EET They that travel togerher make one - | another pleasant by Fami sian Converse Ko 3 1 P. and it is the W il of Qod that his People | | should by that Means encourage one 48 another, and strengthen one anogher s Hands; They! thes fear the Lori should Malachi 3:17 spaab ofrew- ane $6"! anatber, exhort? one another daily, and communicate their n _ will: add much co 2 the

*

„

"unpleasant ones ; But in the = .

r we are both dire&cd and enaurag d by the good Examples of those That bare chosen the Waxy of Truth before us, and have walk d in it. We

ate hidden to follow them, who are now Aab. 6. 12. through Faith and Patience ( thole travelling Graces ot a Christian) wk |

+3be;Rramil £5,

in the same Way with Abrabam 2 and Jacab, with whom we

- 2 shortly ta fir down in the Kingdom . of God. How many holy, wise, good Men have govern'd themselves by the

:same Rules that we gevern ourselves by, with the fame Views, have li d. by

the same Faith that we live by, leoking for the same blessed Hope, and have

Hebrews 11:2 Hit obtain d 4 good -Caut. 1. e Foonfieps the Ploch.

L?e. et us, therefore, to make our Way | 1 5. ro. easy and pleasant, tale ibe Prophets for an

Example; * And being c og reat 4 d in

assed about with

su; the most encouraging.;Pattern 6f

All, Who has left as an Example, that ne 4. 12. 2. should follow bis Steps 3 and what More

pleasant than to follow such a Leader,

whose Word of Command is Follom me!

Seventbly, It helps to make a Journey. eee, his dece ive

a pleasant to think, that we are |

of Wimesses, that like the | Wilderness that went be- © aa 2 Ifrael, not only to sbem them the "Way, but to smooth it for chem, let run with Patience, and Chearfulnesi, ide

| Ratenbat as set before u, looking unto; Je.

brew the Time, and takes off the Tediousness of a Journey as much as any

—

dual sure of seeing daily 4 spall be fe 20 f. 1 Niet n 41

Hands; spsab of es. ane $6: anotber, exhort one

Amicus pro Vebiculd. It is the

Thiag,

— of those who walk in Wisdomes

Ways,” that tho*thereare but fow walk- Pfal. 122 15. ng in those Ways, yet there are some,

— those the wisest a and best, and we excellent tiban their Neighbours; and it will be found there are more ready to say vil go with yon, for we deu beard d that Tech. 8. 235 |

God - "with on.

much to the*'Pleesenmess of Wisdom's -

Ways; We have many Felow-Travellers, .

that quicken one another, by the Felhave one with: another, as

Companions in_the Kingdom and Patience Rev. 1. 3.

jesu chi: It was 'a Pleasure to

them, ho were going up to Ferusalom ..

to worship; that their Numbers in- _

creasd in every Toun they came to, — so they went om Strength to Strength,

they grew more and more numeroas, one of them in Zion appear d be- p; Pla. 84. 7

z*and so it is wich God's spiri- 1

ac}, to which we have the Plea-

Additions of such

ae travel togerher make one - | another pleasant by Fami lian Converse;,, . and it is the Will of Qod that his People | should by that Means encourage one another, and strengthen one another's They then fear the Lori should Mel. 3. 17.

another daily, and communicate their Erperiences, and 1 will. add mucho L 2 the

the Pleasure of this, to consider the kind Notice God is pleas'd to take of it; He begrkens, and bears, and 4 Book of Remembrance is wrinen for *bise that Far the Loi, and. think on hi —— —4 Ei "Ys It e 5 plealan „ to bave #be ny through green Peinres, and by Rib aten, and so the Ways of Wisdom do. Dei speaks his Experience here in, that he was led into the green Pastures, | the Verdure whereof was grateful to the 5 Eye, and by the still Waters, v hose soft — ory Murmurs were Masick to the Ear; And be was not driven through these, but made to he denn in the _ of these Delights, As Isrerl when tbey encampꝭd at hn, where - Exod. 1 there were twelve Hells of Mater, aud l Ae and ten Palm ure. . Gosper Odinancoes, in whichime degl much in our Way to Heaven, are very _ agreeable to all the Children: of God, | 2s these green Pastures and stil Huter; ; They * Abluth 6 Desigln, and Prayer a Delight, and the Word of | God a Delight. These are ir glea- 1 G ri. Sant things; There it 4 River of Comfort in Gospel Ordinances, the Streams Psal. 46. 4- whereof make glad the City of God, the Hoy Place of the Tabernacles of the mai „gb, and along the Bank of Wis Ra ver their Road lies. T hose that: 3 from the Ways 06 God's Commandments, are upbraided with the Folly of it, as teavieg:a | 1 * * an unpleasant _

Plat, 23.2

*

Vila Man, 2 Traveller be such a Foo 25 to leave my Fields,” which are smooth — _ 14 and e ven, Cre — rugged i da erous, or t oun = 1 Sball tbe "running Mets be forsaken n cold; Muters; .. | Thus are Men Enemies to themselves, and the Foolifomes's of Man perverteth b 5 Way. S

Nimbly, I adds to the Pleasure of. journey o have it fair over. Head. Wer and stormy Weather takes off very much ef the Pleasure of à fourney; But tis Pleafant Travelling when the 3 Sky is clear, aud the Air calm and serene 3 and this is the Happiness ob - them that walk- in Wisdom's Ways, that all is clear between them and Heren; there are no Clouds | Sui to EE, inter pose between them and the Sun. .. of · Righteousness, and to — .

refreshing Beams; no Storms-of 1

gathering that threaten them. 100 Our Reconciliation to God; lands - Acceptance with him makes every... > thing pleasant; How can we be ne!“ * laneboly, if Heaven snile upon us? Bev — ing justified by. Faith we beve -Peace with ber- God, and Peace from Ged, Peace made for us, and Peace spoken to- us, - and then we rejoice in 'Tribulation.: Those - Travellers cannot but rejoice/ a - Oi Day, whe nth in:b0-Lie0s of -Goty: . . Countenamer

4 It adds weg ges n

al needful dass Ammon for "Do *

The ——— 2 hat walk in the Way .

brance, rather than any Turtberance, jet they have good Bills; having Acces hy Prayer to the Ibrone of Grace vhereever they are, and a Promise that they shalb receive what they 4b; and Access

by Faith to the Cavenant of Grace,

which they may dra Tee and drow

Christ our Ae lebixedec brings. forts

en. 14.38, Bread and Wine for the Refreshment of

3 faint by the Way. When Elie bad a

the poor Travellers, that they may not

long Journey £0 go, he was uiii u alled — God will give Grace sus -

2Cor. 129 · fitient to his People for all their Ex-

Cat, 1.7.

uvellers must have 54775

Pleasure of a Journey £9

ereises; Strengib according to 'the Day } verily they shall be fed, And face Tia

Places, and reft ing · places, Chrift has provided at Noon, in the Heat of che Day, those that are his; and Rest at Ng oO; Return #0 thy en, 0 my Saul. Eleventhly, It adds something, to te Sing in Way; This takes off spmething of tbe Fatigue of Travelling, exhilarates the Spirits 3 Pilgrims us d it 3. and God

Pal. 4. 3. Has put a Song, 4 vew: Song: into. tht

being: RALI Gs; 105

their God, and Comtort to themselves.

He hath giren us Cause to be chearful, and Leave to be chearful, and

Hearts to be chearful, and has made it

our Duty to ve Nein abe dent.

It is — 4 to those, who are brought to praise bearing the pfal.

Words of bio Mouth, that they shali ng *

in the Ways of #be Lodz And good Rea

fon, far gre es is abe Glory ef the Lend.

How pleasantly did the released Cap+

tives return to their on Countrey,

when eam with umd Zion ? Ha. 51. 1

And more Febosbapbar's Victor ĩous

Army, when ga ug 7 alem, 2Chr. 20,28.

with Psalteries and H, House of

the Lord; for the Lord e them to

t joyce over tbeir Enemies. With this

the 8 —_ one another,

2 let m sing unta the Lare. | e It helps to make 2 Jour. | leasant to have: 4 good Praspect.

The vellers in Wisdoar's Ways mass book abaut them wich 1 as no Travellers ever could, for they can call all about them their on, even the 1 Corinthians 3:24 World, Aud hi Death, and: Things present, and t to come in this State, 6b i yours, if go be: Chris. Fhe uh Creation is not only at Peace with e, but at their Service.

They cas Jook before themmich Plea fure,z not with Anxjetyand-Uncertainty, but a, humhle Arr, not with Terror, but Joy Tig pleasant in 42 Journey. to S408 Aa Pee of the CORD Bud 5 to-sce that 22

*

The PLEASURE of

are in leads directiy ta it; And to fee. that it cannot be far off 3 Every Step. we take is so much nearer it, nay, and: we ate within a Sie ps of it: We have a Prospect of being shortiy with, Shrist in Paradise; yet a little While, and we shall be at Home, e-shall be at Rest; and whatever Difficulties we may meet with in our Way, When ve come to Heaven AP will be well, Eter- —— 2 eee e e

1 544 TED vi The 1 Deller vindicated from what inch be objeied 0gainst Wa, 219

1 nuch to ys) Fwill that I hube yer to 'sptak on God's Geer ebe, somerhing woll 2 say in Defence of this Truth, 5 against that, which may seem to weaken tie Force of it. — — — Cern pufkselves for the Finn liness, aud to speał her . for we know - ny every- : ten gain: And there is 50 Trut ;

plain so —_ but at there heroes

those that have — The

Pee will raise what Mists

pe can to cloud a Frath; that stands so directiy a gainst his Interest, but Great

ebe Pub. n GH pre a.

Now 8 to the Truth of the Pleasant-”

acl. ef Religion, * n inne | =,

Job 36.

Firft, It is cap to confrems he |

2 of the Enemies of Religzon, 2 — it into an ll Name. There are those who make it their Business, 3 48: 23.6, ver ted their own Ways, to the right 10.

Ways of ibe Lord, and 7 ts on them; ds Elymas the Sorcerer. did, vith Design to tum away the Deputy fam 5 Faith, 12 1 like the wicked

pies, that brought up an evil, Report up- Numb, oa the pr 2 Hed Land, 252 Land that _ 1 did eat up theslnhabitagts thereof; and © © neither could. be conquer, PF MIS

worth e the later Nays: fpeak foeak

LI. LEN BBY BY

ESD

The

il of Religian, as à Tad and, a, Brudgery3 they drefs it Emp IR 77 for · ars,

midahle but vary to deten others from Picty, = to jn sity. . in, the ir- gn Im piety. brift's Toke id, rn eu £0 8 N ob Abs to cuxa a n N. TW e Mat. 5.246

— . . wo - There, Mete those 7 85 ts repraach'd the Ways of God der'd Religion, sor thep. 1 3 WT Mat. 3.146 in serus Sd, there's. hc 1 EIA har: Comfort in it, aud what Profit we baue kept hir Ordinauces, and we {oe rug their i Description of Religion) ta we hve wilted marsh bfre the Lord of Hafts z as if co be Religious was to walk mournfully, whereas indeed it is to walk chearfully. Now

Gen. 3. f.

Aan

is not so. They Who say thus of Re-

2 ker. a. i: Hg on, "speak Evil of the Things wth thy ude 10,

a a brute Beafts, in those thin s they t arri tbemselvet. The Devil a Liar from the Beginning, and a false Accuser of God and Religion, and i this particularly represented God to our firft Parents, as having dealt hard. Ty and unjust!

and Pleasufe they would attain to by eating of that Tree; Add the same

- Minds from the Life of Power of Godliness. But we 'knoy, and are sure, that it is 2 Brotindles

| "Ways of * Plasagteest; n ME

abn. iat R 47 N 12 144 *there''are among the Peossle of the

F770 ILM

© Now in Anfwer to the Calomnie we have this to say, That the Matter

* know not; while

they know neturify

with them, *in- tying them out from the Tree of Knowledge; as if he enyy'd them the Happines

Method he ftill takes to alienate Mens God, and the

Imputa tion, for Wisdom's Ways arc

Paths

are Peace, © Secondly, It is cah also wit gil the Bop ar them 1 Fit 2 "As there afe that blaspbemez so

Lord those that give them great Ocaeifon to do fo, as did. How ma Wounds doth Religion:receive” in House of ber Friends, false Friends t are, or footith Ones, unworthy to called Wisdom's Children, for they do not * th 44 as they ought; but through ake and * of their — Wear.

ELIGHOUS.. Weaknefles betray her Cause inftcad of pl-ading it, and witnessing to it; and confirm People's Prejudices aga inst it, vbich they should endeavour to re move. Some that profess Religion are - se and sow in their Profession, m_ aud ill-humour'd, and make the Exercises of Religon a Burthen, and Task, and Terror to; themselves, and all aout them, which'ought to sweezen the Spirit, and make it easy and Handy aud compathonate to the Infirmitiesthe weak, and: feeble of the Flock. Others are -melencholy and N in their Profession, — 2 i Le * Day to Day under prevailing - Doubts, 144 "Feats, and Pisguies 5 nents about their spiritual State. We now some of the best of God's Setnats have Ne Trouble of. Mind a 2 to — fever 26 a Mets Lin; 20d let them bear their own: Bur then, . f ut let not Religion be blam* ipr itz Aud as to the latter z tho there a6 sme very gd People that 5rd of, a-1, r Spit Jet ue will abide by it,, 1 | -+-ag hay e Had. in Tenn, 2 But, (7) "God is sometimes pleas'd for wise, and holy, Ends, for a Time, to s 4 the Communication of his Comto his Peoples 9 0 pi % Fare. be found to praise, and rege and 14 Os | the Ippearing of c Chiist,, bl o much elt |

„

*

more sor. their being @ whil © in He

| tro manifold Temptiarions. Thus he: = them for what has been done ile them,” and takes this'Coutse'ts; whar is amiss” n them; even Winter Seasons contribute tothe Fruit fulness of the Earth. Thus be brin them to 2 closer, aud more humble upon Christ for ali their Com- Dre, and teacheth them to live entirely. 54- 7,8. Neben Aud tho for N smalf Moment be thus forfebes them, it is hut to mags nify His Power fo much the more in supporting them, and to make his Re. turns the sweeter, for he wilf gather them with Sr. * Kindness, Light is sown” for and i wil come up again. [4 This as it is their fa, God Hand must be acknowiedg'd in it, his | righteous Hand, yet zbere is n in n, and that is from themschves.. Good Peve have not the orgy then + might in their Religion, a

Fault is it? They may thank — selves; They run themselves into the _ and oy ie their 1 against fu. 38. 5. Light. ounds "ore oP corrupt, Frith David; The Wounds of Sin, which Om myself are unheaFd, not bond. d with 0immen, And Bro it core of 2 I in Gilead, a Phy - there? Gil, 95 3 hyRc Pos

being;RELIGT QALS... to Mee Avgui of Sir it, At 155 Exod. 6. 9. ö Bondaga 3 But: igt nut the, Blame. hid upon Religion, Which

has, 7 ded Comfort tor tneit Sons, Hut 1c them hear the Blame whole Seat re-

—

fuse 40 be Comfaried 3 974; who do. net

dale e tox Comfort 5

who dp not Mien their: Rer. penting ang avid os

liexigg 4

anted Comiort,

seeks,

wg: Hearts ate upright With Him, thaugh.

they. art \compab'® about, with Iafixnity3 He will net -always hide; He:

doth not delight in the! Deuibh of them hat Exel. 3 3. 115 de, but would rather they shauld urn

ad live: Nor doth he Delight in the 3 that N dath; not - lid willingy, nor Grieve ile (hid en i am.

Men —— less his qνnñ Children, *** but would rather they mould be. upon,

good Grounds W Religion ST | |

then

then clears itself trom all Blame, which rake Octafion--to cast it, from the uncomfortable Lives Tome lead that are Religions. 04)

But. Thirdly; It will r more eee Truth the- Plrasanines: Ways,” with that bich the — Gud ir felf tek us of, the Difficulties which the of Religion are mju — 2 oy

not the -Misap — entas —

2 Ehe ._ecrning Religious Wayry bars we 2 l Word ef God is 6f 4 Fites with jtselfe3 and doth not eon tradict leself; our Masters hath T — — Kall "ks: Way . a obs eben, AfftiBed _ Diftresses 755 — 7 5 tur many Things ae de It i true But that doth in contru. Alit chis Doctrine, chat the: Ways of are Fleasant 3 Fbr the; Plealant · that is in W3sdow's Ways-is intends of to be'a Balance, and it is very much -n-Ofcrbalands to that in them hh a ay Distafteful gr suchmmol ibu — ane pear E. — 4

rd Dreams of, 4 Lien ie on in the-Syrace, we do not..

gard them, but there are some real Difficulties.in it, as well as real Com- Zccl. 7. 14. forts 5 fur Qa laub ses abe one'over-aguint

:the order, that ue might study to co* 3 pore with both, and ot 25

We HN not, we Darenot wake the Matter batfer _ it is. bat will allow tiiovof.in:Rehyion,; ati firit — wenn ant —— gp to she that id bein, Consi stne at ab atPldafureg: which we main tain borbe in Keligion, aud so to take: off all Exceptions agaiaft this Doctrine. Amica Jcriptururum Ates, utinam & nofra 4D were well if we could n with; one: anot deen, doth with $ 10 area; willed a2 There are pur Things not. weil to conũist 2 and yet tis certain they do- . Fire} It ds trus, that to be Regious; ist live 4 Life | anoe, and yet Religious Ways are Pleasant not. vithflanding; It is true me mast: Mow _ for Sin Daily, and Ressect with Regret: upon our manifold Infitmities 3 Sin must be bitter to us, and vr m̃ust even loatli and abhor ourselves for our Cor rupt ions, that dwell in us, and the many actual Transgressiuns that arecommitted by us. We must renew our Repentance Daily, and every Night - must make some sorrow ful Reflections upon · the 1 of the Ons But then, |

< Wisdom; — us — but our in that Way, and our

afide ont of it; if we would keop close to these Ways, and pass for- — ag as we — would

which

which. seem

Prov. 5. 11. than mourn” at the Ia. To continue Excl. ĩ ule, ĩnpenitent, is not to put away Sorrow from

there is 4 true Pleasure; a Pleasure 4

The PPEASUA E'%

be no Occasion for Re pentanee Ife were as we should be, we should be aff

ways praising: God, and rejoycing in kim; but we leber N | "Me felues, by our own:Folly;, and; then cont.

plain that Religion is unt, nöd whofe Fault dene always loving, and delightmp- inc God, and would Ive a Life of Ebert with him, we (houtd have no Occasson ti rx pent of that 3i But if we! leave the Fuuntain of living Water d ud turn aside to broken Ciflerns, or the H in Suwmer, and see Cause (ds doubtless ue shall ); to repent of tat; we may thank ourselves, rien 2137 JSY bus What there is of Zirtemress in Repenkance, is owing not to our Relig but to our Defetts and Defauks ii Re. ligion; And it proves not that there is Riteernessiin the- Hays of Gad, but in the Hays of n, which make à pen tential Sorrow necessary. for the Pre venting of a Sorrow a thousand Times worse; for sooner or later n will las Sorrow. If Repentance be bitter, we must say, not this comes of being/podly, but cis comes of being sinful; This a thy Wicked:ss because it is biner, If by Sin we have made Sorrow neceflary, *cis certainly better to mourn now,

thy Heart, but to put it off to a worle Place. #:12..2:33 10 v0 LA. nut 2. Even in Nepentante, if it be right,

companying

_ with an Exrest of

ompanying it. Our Saviour bath faid

of them who thus mourn, not only that. they hall be-compartedy but that they ere t. Py

bfseds WBen x Mad is consridus co himsrit, that he bas done au i Thing,

be hurt ful ta him, tis incident to him ys”

to repent of it; No Religiot? hath - - found a Way to put a: Sweetness into that Bitterness. Repentance, when it is from under the Influence of Religion, is nothing but Bitterness and 4 Horror, as: Fudss's was; But Repeittance, as ibis made an Act of Religion, _ Is one of my —— — % ant, as it is the Railing. of the Spirit, and the Discbarging of that — 22 noxĩous. and offensi cee — — a —— — 1 — 4 Care, that Penitents be not overwemd Sorrom and swallon mm up by it, that their Sorrow do not work -. Death, as the Sorrow of the World doth; But it has ret that even this bitter Cup should be sweemed 3 - And therefore, we find that under che Law, the Secrifices for Sin were commonly attended with Expressions of Fop 3. : And while the-Priefts were sprinlling acur 2845. the Blood of the-Sacrifices to make H. 25. ine ment, the Levitesattended with'Psal- - terie: and Harps, fot᷑ so was the Command ment of abe Lord by bi Prophet. Even e the Day to asflict be vn is the Day of i Htonemens,; And when we,receive- the - - Atonement, we joy in God throtigh our - Lud. Fesm..Chrift; In giving Consent to,

-

”

=

— — the Atonement; ds take the ness of the Atonement.

In Sorrewing bor the Death of some

Gave Friend or Relation, tkus far we

have souad a Pleasure in it, that it hath

2 19-given Vent to our Grief which out Spi

Tits were full of so in Sorrow sor Sin,

the Shedding of just Tears is some 85

tistaction to- us; if tis a Pleasũre to be

angry, when a Man thinks with Jonah,

he doth well tobe angry, much more i

it a Pleasure to be sorry, when a Man is

sure he doth well to be sorry. The same

Word in Hebrew figiifies both consola-i

and penztere, both to comfort and to re

pent, because there 1 Comfort in true Repentanee. -

3. Much more after Repemance, the n 2 Pleasure attending it, and

tom it. EK isa Way of Pleasantneh,

sior it is the Way to Pfeasantaess. To

| them that mourn m Zion, that sorrow

aftera 5 Sort, Godhathiappointed

Wa. gr. 3. Beauty. s, and. the Oi ef Foy-for

. Mourning, And the more the 1 18

' humbled: under the Sense of Sin, the

more sensible will the Comfort of Par-

; don be; *Tis wounding in Order to

3 heal'd's The lee Frumpet

sounded in the Close of the. Day of

Soul- Ait ion, which proclaim'd the

Ae Je Tear-of the Lord; the Year

j — Releast : And an Acceptable Tea

jt is; indeed, to those, who find them.

bes <7

Lon ©

Tue

—

*

Way, must be in an Agony, so the Word

. take t by Force; And when we are in that Way, uwe mut un with Patience, Heb. 12. 1. 4 The Bread of Lite is to be eaten the Sweat of our Face; we must be al-

"True Penitenes go Weepiye, ot

tis true,

hut it is to. seek the Lori of Hosts, a | seek him as*#brir- God, and to ente in- | 10 Covenant with him; And let their Hearts re jeres that seełk te Lori, for they shall find him, and find him their bu ewarder. bey Sorrow not as those. baue 1s: Hope, but good Hope that their Iniquities are forgi- q ven, and what Joy can be greater than that of a Pardow to one Condemii'd 7 * *

Secondly, It is true, That to be Religious is to tałe Cure, and tale Pains, and to Jalor e "and yet Wisdom's Lake 23:25: Ways are 2 Fleasaumesi. It is true, we must sirive 10 enter into this

is. Fhere is a Hialence which the Mat. dom of Heaven, as pv op.

ways upon our Guard, and our

Hearts with all Diligence; „ for God and ——— is what we are not allowꝰd to be Slothfutin, butifervent n,

in Spirit serving the Lords We are So — |

diers of Fesws Cbrist, and we must endure. „ must War the good Warfare till it be accomplished; + - |

And yet even io this Cortenties, ther is. Comfort 7p Tis Work indeed, and: Work that requires Care, and yet it will appear to be. pleasant Work, if we consider how we arc enabled fot 2B. 2 tert

.. Howe

—

= How, we arc enetlcd: 7971 i and ffrengtben d Vieh Screngrh in gur Souls

to goon in it, and go trough witd it. It would be vopleasant; and would gg on very heavilx, if we were lefktoon Fes to Tei in out on Strength z by. ze, ir ies nyo K | tter it, an ier Pyoner Phil. 2. 12, K r tis pleasant. If God 13. Mort in "us both to Malt and 10 Do of bi own: good: Pleasure, we shall haye no Rrason to complain of the Difficulty of our Work, for God ordain Paus su Iz; 36-24 au Peace and Pleasure N en all gur Works in u + We may Ling at our Works. if; our- Minds be by the Spirit of God brougut do it. our Hands strengthen'd fbr it, Kom. 8, 26, And Our Insirmities help d, and particu lar ly our Infirmities in Prayer chat by it we may fetch in Strength, for every, Sor vice, Stren 2 according ta ibe —4 Daniel at fir st found God's him a Terrur, he could not bear it, bot Das. 10 17, when one like the Apptarance-of--a May 23, 19. came ani touch'd him, (who couldibe dd. . othec\but Christ the Mediator) and h. Strength into him, saying, Peace b um...." thee, be Strong, ea, be Strung, it was-. cet quite another pleats wich him, then nothing more Pleasant, Let bas a Lori: The the Way to Heaven be up Hi, yet if we be carried on in it's upon Eagles Mings, it u ill be Pleasant; and those ate so that uait upon the Lord,

„ bet ere

—

"being Rania as

renew ir Strengt! * b „„ 2 Work, -tho' poor the — cur Corcu pt Natures, for the-doingiof yhich, we haye not only. a nem Nating Lips us; ipclining us to it, and — ee 9 4 cor, 12. 8 = fo: the doing of it, promis d us 10. 2 by- one who knows what Strength we need, and what will serve, and wil neither be Unkind to us, nor 2 — to his own Word 3. And it is; that when: Goc tha? he eass d not Pn ef the Then in the Pie yet aid that good Werd to him, - sufficient for thee, immediately it — Therefore 1 tale. ain 7 mitiey, in 3 2

true, 4 uf take Pains, but — —

s good Work, and is to be dene, and

is done hy all the Saints from a Frinel⸗

ple of Holy Love, Dan -makes it: John 3.

fleasant 3 5 Jacob Service for Rab

vas to him, because he loy'd her. Dia

Galt hey 12 on ristians, that they ate tagea An. he with them 3 — *

their ex 8 is upon them, 2

in Secret, and will x r

now accepteth tber M uns, 5

my and his Spirit N to pr

—

betont Hestagt FPradise we mustense

being; ELIGNHOMS:

Thirdly, It is true, That to be Relieions, is: to deny vu salvęs in mam Things thts are pleusing ta S, Hun get WI dom Way a ot jess fo aulit bat.

It is, indeed; eat dat dalaved

corrupt t 8 : which, c. 2 by we 4s * * * _—_ "04514 Eye, and. Cuming <5. 29; Hands, There are forhidden Pleasysos chat must be a 10 7 — kept X gti a hang

put ir to aj 3 an | we bre 6 Joarn in the Schoalcof 5 Chrift is to deny ourselves, ami this mut Mat. 16 2%

eursclyer ta deny aur selars, anche

take dai. — will mot: Uhis spoil all the Plea

fire of A Nell Lie 2; No, ie win dot; fo ad es of;Sease.which e ure tu epy: ourselves i in age cmparatively: dcspicsble 41 and ready d.

These: ius es Me are to deny | auxsabtes in, re crompsratively:tr[picebley 5 How much soe ves they are vad and

eee nd, y those. MO Hye by Pepe,

and know ue better they ate loo d upon with penexous C tempt,by those. who live by Faith, and are acqua inted ya pm a Spiral ma"

And iris no Pain to deny onrsclves in these Pleasures,” when we know our selyesentitVd to bene, more rational, and noble, aud agreeable; nenne bf the Blefsed Spirits above; e Db rea ns: — =o

doted upon

; Numb. 5. how to value N the as Wilderness, 'or the Milk and. +” pa 2 so che er- sordid P are re e e and vitibüs Appetites of the

ä Mind 3 But 3 7 4 Man bar leatud od * E! -c 40:

a dub Eftimate upon 7rd Pleasures, thse that ate Frusuul have „iost all their Sweetnels, and are become

the most sb Things in the Wort;

have no Plcasbre in them in Compa- Tison With that far reste Pleasure

Toys and Sports whieh fie was fond of

| when de was a Child; Foe when he

them, tor be i zcquamted with those Entertainments that ate man an more generous; Thus mean and Ittle, do che Pleasufes f Sense kppkar to tchose; that have 1earn'd, 40 delight them{tives in the&Lvre: 0! 127 wot | 7 425 Are real If Hgerens '5 They ar tate awi 2 Heurt If the F \be. ser upon them, they blind the Mina, deba "the Undetffauding an W and in mn 1

und e Where chere is a known;

the Sparks of Convittion, aug of That Holy Fire which. comes from Heaven, — tends to Heaven. They are in Danger of Drawing away the Heart

from God, and the more they, are va - h'd and:coveted, the more dangerous they are, of piercing ut tbro0ughwethimany Sorrows, and of drowning 4s in Destruction and Perdition; To deny ourselves in them, is but to avoid a Rock, upon which” Multitudes have facaly Wc. themsclves;” | x s I

What Diminution is ic tothe Pleas ure of Asase and bappy Way os fure Ground, which will certainly bring us to our s Enid, to deny qurietyes the false } and 'pretended Satisfaction, of walking in a fair, hut dangerous Way, chat leads to Deftrudtion? Is it not much pleasanter Travelling on a nugb Pavement, than on a smooth 4 er there can be no true Pleasure, and therefore, the Want of it 48 00: Loss, or: Unecasiness. — 2 $4 7

Wust Pleasue can wise or-considerate Man take in those Entertain ments ig:awhich he has contioual Reasos to suspott a Snare, anda Desigu upon bim, any more than he that was at 2 Feast could relish the Dainties of it, when he was aware of a naked Sword hangin 5 directly over him by a single Thread. The Foolish Vom, indeed,

calls the Stolen Waters sweer; and — 9. ,

2 n Sveret pleasant 3 But those find . 10 Difficusty, or 1 in denying

134 The PLEASURE — — — | ing them, who -know 'that the Dead are there, and ber Gu = are. already in the Depths of Hell. - Therefore, however the corrupt Heart may find some Reluctancy, in refufing those forbidden Pleasures, we may say of it as Ahbigci# #$m.e;.3:.4id, of David's denying himself the Sa- ; tisfaction of being reveng'd on Nabal; Afterwards this shall be no Grief um #s, nor Offence of Heart. 4 34.23, Fourtbly, It is true, that Through many Tribulations we must enter into te Xingdom of God; That we must not ovly deny ourselves the Pleafures of Sense, but must sometimes expose ourselves to its Pains 4 we must take up our Gross when it nes in our Way, and bear it after Chrift ; We are. told, that Mi ther mill tive Godly im:Chrifs Fesus must: susser Per. ' secution, at least, they must; expett it, and get ready for: it; Bonds and At fliions- abide them, Losses in their Esta tes, Balks in their Preferment, Reproaches and Contem pts, Banisbments, Deaths muft be counted upon z And will not this spoil'the Pieasure of Re- | 1 rg e. A 1 4%. 1. It is but 7:gbs Aflicb ian, at the +9 worst, that 2 call d out to suffer, and bus for a Moment, compar'd with the 7 more 3 = | gun Weight of Glory that is referv'd- for us; Row, 8.18. wich which the Safferings. of. this presens Tine are not worthy 10 be compar d. All :" 1+.” these Trouble do but touch the Body the Outward Man, and the Interests o

being REL1G10US. 159

—

they break the Shell, or pluck off the. Busk, but do not bruise the Amel. .

Can the Brave and Couragious Sol dier take Pleasure in the Toils and Perils of the Camp, aud in Jeoparding bis Life, in the High- Places of the Fie | in the eager Pursuit of Honour, an | in the Service of his Prince and Coun- 5 try 3 And shall not those who have the laterests of / Christ's. Kingdom near their, Hearts, and are carry'd'on by a: toly Ambition of the Honour that comes from God, take a Delight in Suffering for Christ, when they know that those Sufferings tend to bis Ho- -nour, and their own. hereafter? They that are persecuted for Righteousness sake, war, f. 125 that are revid;-and--have-all- Manner 12. :

Evil said against them falsly, because *

they belong to Christ, are bidden not only to bear it patiently, but to rejeyce

in it, and to be exceeding glad, for great

is their R ward in Heaven, Every Reproach we endure for Christ will be a

Pearl in our Crown shortly. x. ep

2. As: those 4flitions - abound for 2Cor,1-4,55-

Christ, so our Consolations: in Chrift do

much more a bound. The more the Waters encreas'd,; the higher was the Ark

lited up; The more we suffer in Gods

Cause, the more we pattake- of his

Comforts, for he will not be wanting

to those, whom he calls out to apy

Hardships: more than ordinary for, his

Name's sake. The Lord wis with Fo-. -

sepb in the Prison, When he lay. there for ©

.a. good Conscience; And those went

. IANS SIAN

ing them, who ino that the Dead are there, and ber Guests are. already in the Depths of Hell. - Therefore, bowever. the corrupt Heart may find some Re ⸗· luctancy, in refusing those forbidden Pleasures, we may lay of it as Abige# #82m.e5.3:.4id, of David's denying himself the Sa-

| tisfaction of being reveng d on Nabal; Afterwards this shall be n m

xt, nor Offence of Heart. * n. Furth, It is true, that Through many. Tribulations we must enter into ti Kidom of God; That we must not ovly

deny ourselves the Pleasures of Se nse,

but must sometimes expose ourselves to

its Pains ʒ we must take up our Gross when

it ties in our Way, and bear 4 on

Chrift ; ; We are told, that Tag live Godly in Chris Fesus mu Jer Fo secntion, at least, they must

and get ready for it; Bonds 3 flictions abide them, Losset in their Esta tes, Balks in their Preserment, Re -/ proaches and Contem pts, Banishments, Deaths must be counted upon; And will not this spoil;the-Pleasure af Renf No, % . For) L 172

bor 4.97. 1 1. It is but light Alicia, at the

worft, that we are call'd out to suffer, ter and but for 4 Moment, compar d with, life the far more Exceeding, and Eternal Ca

Weight of G ee toe rey: for us 4 Row, 8. 18. with which the Sn $. of this 2 : Time are not worthy to be compar d.

:"1-*.” these Trouble do but touch dhe 8527 the Outward Man, and the intere f 0

chat, they eee T2 *

eng RELI GTOUS.

—ss8sssrʒaeü. — | they break the Shel, or pluck of 7 Husk, but do not bruise the em-

Can the Brave and S bat 88. dier take Pleasure in the Toils aud Fey

rils of the Camp, and in Jeopardi Lite in the High. hed, of the Feld hs. in the eager Pursuit of Honour, 3 in the Service of bis Prince and Cougntry z And shall not those who hawe the late rests of Christ. Kingdom pear tbeix Hearts, and are garcy'd'on toly Ambition of the Honour comes from God, take a Delight C. Suffering for /Chrift,- when they know

that - those Sufferings. tend to bi Ho- -nour, and their own. hereafter? They

only to RE it patiently, but to rejoyce

in it, and to be exceeding glad, for great

il their Reward i in Heaven. Every Re-

[bes we endure for Christ ll be a earl in out Crown shortly. -

' 23 As those Ain

Christ, so our Conjoletions:in Cbrist do

„ eee

ters encreas d, the higher was the Ark lited up; The more we suffer in God's Cause, the more we pattake of - his Comforts, for be will not be wanting to those, whom he calls out to apy Hardships more than ordinary for; his Name's sake. Ibe Lord ws, with Fo-.

that are persecuted for Righteousness fake, Mat. Manner 12.

ey belong to Christ, It bidden not .

much more abound. The more the Wapb wake Pre on, ; when he lay. there for. * T

=

*

gbeund Sc 8

— Pat ebe Cuseil re

ing, that — counted worthy to suffer Shame for Che ist s

Name 3 wete ee to be disbononr'd

sor him tip 20 1 traf 24d +4

Thus the ry Supports and Joys u hien che, experience, that patiently suffer for Rightedusness sale, zd much more to the Pleasantness uf the Ways of Wisdom, than the Suffer ings themselves de, or can, derq 8. ic; for the Sufferings are humane the Consolations are! d vine They fi in the Flesh, but. e SORT rit. They suffer for" 4 time TG rejoice evermore, and "Whie

Farms ered from- A tin

the Alnatin 47 th \ Piftrine?

Fo; VOncerning, this Dbarine bf: the | Pleasammesi af Religeons. * bY, we may now iy as ba doth of his Principle, Lo this; me have searched it. so it is tis unconte sta hly true, anu therefore, we may conclude as be dot

' Hear it, and know” thou it for thy Good;

Kno thou it for 1byself; so the Margin

Feads it 3 Apply it to thyself, Believe

bie W not oni that ; 5x

g good, but that it is good for me to dn near 10 God 5 and then only we hear | Things, and eee for our when

when

„

when we hear them, and kgow them for

0u7 2 EOF

Inferences. by way of Counsel. ion, ue tall. draw from.

First,. Let us all 1 24 be\peefmaded,, ad prevail d with 10 enter into, and to. walk in these Paths of Wisdom, that are so... very ple puts 8 This is what I principalỹ intend” Pass and Proving this. Truth; 118 People would. rather be. durted, than: leechers to⸗their * , Much "might * laid to f; igbten you on a of the Ways of Sin and "Folly, bu. 4 ould hope to gain the same Point ano- - ther Way,z dy * ou. into the Ways of Wisdom and Holiness, This. cames to invite you to a Feast, which the 5 8 Lord of Hosts hath, in the Golpe), made to, 41 Nations, and to all in the. N ations, . and to you among the reft, for none are excluded, that do not by their Unbelicf - EF exclude themselyes, 4 Feast of fat Things - full.of Marraw, of Wines on.the Lees woll © refined 3 Delights for Souls infinicely-.-

transcendigg the Delicacies of Sense; -

ou are 3 to this Feast; Come or all Things are now. readyg me 9 u, of Wisdom's., Bread, and drink of tbe - ine tha she. bas mingled. ;, _ Is a Life of Religion tuch a sweet - and 2 Life, why then should. not we, be, Relegiom? It such as these = the, 7 Wisdom, why should not

ve he Travellers in bote Wag Let

this, recommend to us a Life of fincere --

*

Proverbs 24:13, him with these Bands of Love. My -

conform to all its Rules," aud give" up ourselves to be ruFd by them. It is not enough to have # good oH of Religion, and to give it a” good Word," that will but be a Witness against us, 15 we do not set ourselves in goed Earneft to the Practise of it, and make Conscience of living up to it.

I would here with a 15

pressing Importunity, address e to you that are young; to periwade you, now in the Days Ne Vouth, now in the present Day, to * Religion you Choice and your Byfmess, and Hass. e you if you 40 so, you' will find it your Delight, God by his Grace con- 3 25 you, of che real Comforts that are to be had in 'real Godliness, that you may be drawn-chearfully to Chrift with these Cords of s Man, and held fast to

( faith Slomon to bis little Scholar thou Honey beranse it il good, the

Honey Comb 'which is sweer 10 po, Tastes

He doth not forbid him the Delights of Sense, he may use them soberly and

. moderately, and with due Caution;

But remember that, } the Know ledge of "Wisdom be to vby Spal, when thin

bal found it; Thou hast better Pleas

sures. than these to mind and pursue, r and rational tes 3 aud inead of being made indifferent to those

e should 7 — be led to them, a

quicken d in our Desires after them Chee: Delights of Sense, Which G

— to engage us to bimfelss *

*

sire, You think you 4 now be — |

82 young Prop Fe Cart

Reri ra wer 139

to take your Pleasure 3' O that 50 | take ix, 1455 seth it thene — | is to be bad; and that is in à strict Obs: servance”"of the Laws of —.— and Godlin e. Would you lie à N Life, begin betimes to lie a rows Life; and the sooner you. mop pleasant it will de; "Tis best Naing in # Morning. i or Th,

of wi Touth; de not walk 2 e

vu cbfrupr and carnal Hearts; but in

the Way of God's Commandments; for | he knows What's good for you, better

inthe Si fbf our: her W tis. in t — are apt to — * which 15 not, but | *

_ the Fvillente of Things we ow will lead you to that which 77; for Wildom water

rhose char love ber 10 inberit "Substance, p and fl rbeiy Treasures, and thence Art. e seth their true Satisfaction

That which I would per swade yo

be Sober- minded, to be "Thotightfal*

bout your Sous and your eycrlaffing.

— and get your Minds well Priticipla al lt 9 — DI

be PLEASUR Ef

— — ""santwess of. this Way z you cannot do better for yourselves than, by. a Fae] Prov. 23-15+8Ous Course of | Life. My... if 16. thine Heart be Wise, my N even mine, yea, my Reins Re — thy Lips, ont of che abundance of thine Heart speał right Things, Bor that is not all, not only uy Heart (hall Rejoyce, but thy, own.1 wish yon would — And serjously y. consider the two 2 that are makiug 5 FE Cn u for your. Souls, for Joux. 1255 belt AR ions, Chri and Satin, and. act Wisely in disposing of yourlelycs, and make. such a Choice as you. will afterwards Reflect upon with-Comfort--. | Mou are now at. the aunning Time of Life, Turn right now, ànd al a5 1 44 made for ever. : /dom faith, who Semple. let him zufn in to me,“ will cure him, of his Simplicity; bel N saith, whoso & Simple lei: bim turn in me, and she will take Advantage of his. * No let bim come. . bit your, Hearts are, and give. them — and you shall have dae 27 * gain more youf n. That yon may determine " well-thcen these two en 254 'hrone in voor. Find, See the Folly of e e Per sures, and Nr you will never pe, in, 1 with 5 Pleasures ' y Religion, Jon are. fall aut with forbidden. Pleasur.

vo 4 wort

Mirth, Sport, Plays, \Daln ties are the

Idols of young People, they arethete: |

will come, the\evil. Dags, whenthes =

themselves; will nN they have n Plea- |

he is old can nd more-relish "what be 3

Ears, and whathe:Prinksz O that Rea -

son, and Wisdom: and Grace: might

make b.] as: dead to them nom, as

Time ànd Days will make you afterca

while op NAH w ata es:

Wil you believe one that ty the

ut most of What ethe Pleasures of Sense

cauld do tquarda making a. Man Ha.

oy He said af Laug lter, it is mad, | ang Eccl. 2. 3; Mirth dr long it ss Andes s 7-3

what the Pleasures of the Son were,

and yet chose: gather to Ai Keb. 11. 257

with tir People of God; than to continue 0

in the snare ofthem And you must make

the same Choice; for you will never

ligion, clogyathayeireteuncht he Pleasures of Sin. Covenant agaioit | them;<therefbre, and; Watch againft * then bus FA wn. bop For)

If zan would Ive, an |

d ga m the of Vnderst enti g, you mu iforsahe3I Prov. 5 6.

of the Way | both „7 and of 1 0

om it and pas 1 oy Pleasures as mn and much below y0u 3 Look upon them as vile and much

n Again

—

"Mcondly, Be convined' of tbe Pleasure

. and do not onl 2 t dread them, aud He evey ee sported with the Hesb.

Wifdom's Ways, and come and try t ou are, it ma be; prejudic'd aga inf - Religion as a melancholy thing, y +:

Jobs 1. 46: Philip said to Nathaniel, Conn and see,

Believe it possible that there may be a Pleasure in Religion, which you have not yet thought of. When Religion is look d upon àt à Distance, we fee not that Pleasure in it, which we shall certainly find when we 5 better inted with it. Peter Mari in a 2 mon, illustrated this by this Com- 3 and ic-prov'd a means of the. Conversion of the 7 of Vico z He that looks" upon Persons 283 at a distance, would think they were Mad, but let him come nearer, and ohserve how they take every Step by Rule, and keep Time with the Musick,” he will not only be pleasd _ it, but inclin'd to joyn with 3 Come and rate 's my and vou will find it easy 8 2 e/there is in the ge of God and sesus Christ, and in iu Conterse 3 Sp "Plea ee Eternal Gor 4 ry the e of Serios / A

Se and youth find it far er- _ cxeds that. of Vanity and'Self-inidulpence, Fey the Pleasure of Meditation on the Word of God, of Prayer and Praise, and Sabbath-San&ification;- and yon bong think vou have made. happy "> Change

*

— — - Change of the Pleafure-of, Vain and Carnal; Mirth-tor-these true Delights. | 2 Tryal by ran per 721 n ee 57 : 1. That ne beef End 5s to lars. fy Gad and enjoy him. Our Pleasures vill be according to that which we npog and pursue as our Chief End; If ue can mistake so tar, ab to 2 tis our Chicf Eud to Enjoy the 2 2 1 7 and our Chief chem, n

and please him, be accepted. of him. 5 8 5

w A greater | | than” that AL De have teen c think will eg Peer oops W 1 God as our Chief,

e of themy e Oy e mess i in —— r Kok —— Are gulity of al greater it

3 8 6 That che bun n ibe May, and thet's bir i tht” is Vet$<for our Suu Eeafh to think * micaiily of this Flejh, oy ich we are ald tothe Earth, 42 Dot * — it is form

ff of-t is Dust, and it is bastnin "to i pol; and then the thing e geg ir vim do de much E steem'd * of

any great ! toment; Meats JE B ind the Br

tr, 4 Tek fem, and Idols of them.

But the

whic a Hea en,

axe the Comforts we 4

aud give the Ive — 2 to,”

meddle wah at Weh

not under the” Dy an deere e of E Bur Wien a byes ol and

beim RELIGIO

a

tell them the Satisfaction he has. Christ

had Meat 10 cat which the World knew not John 4. 32. | S

of, and so have Christians to whom he is the Bread of Life. . 3 1 2

4. That all x well that ends everlastingly well. That Pleasure ought to have the Preference, which is of the longest Continuance. The Pleasures of Sense are Withering and Fading, and leave a Sting behind them co thote — —__ that plac'd-their Happine(s in them 3 But. the Pleasures of Religion will a bide with us; In these is continuance ; a. 54. . they will not curn with the. Wind, nor change with the Weather, but are Meat which endures t6everlasting Life,

Reckon that the best Pleasure which

vill remain with you, and stand you

in stead when you come to Dye; which will help to take off the Terror of Death, and allay its Pains. Ihe Remembrance of sinful Pleasures will

| — us killing Terrors, but the Rememrance of religious Pleasures will gixe us living Comforts in dying Moments. They that live over Reiber ar's Revels may expect to receive the Summons of yp" with the same Confusion that he did, when the Foynts of bes Loint Dan, 3. 6, were. loosed, and bis Knees. [mote aue 4 g4inft another; But they chat live over Hezekiab's Devotions may receive them with the same Composure that he did, when with a great deal of Satisfaction

be look d back upon a well-spent Lite, | Naw Lord remember bow 1 baue walked 16. 36. 3

before” #bee in Truth, and with an upri Hears 100 3

Secondly, Let as that profess Religion, M tin f -Audy to make it more and more pleasant 10 ourselves. We fee how much is done to Ml to thc \/ make it so, let us not receive the cepti! | Grace of God herein in vain. Let feast them that walk in Wisdom's Ways, Bu _ raste the Sweetness of them, and Re- both lish it. Christ's Service is perfet® Free. ef V Aom, let us not make a Prudgery of it, MW what nor a Toil of such a Pleafure. We MW God sheuld not only be recontii d to our Du- ff is gr. _. ., ty, as wEought to be to our greatest and 1 + = AMiifions, and to make the geh of it, W yents But we should e, in our Duty, and quity © Sing "as "our Work, If God intended W 28 re that his Service should be à Pleafureto MW come his Seryants, let chem concur with 1 and not walk contrary to

im. . No in order to the making of our W whe! Religion Pleasant to us, more and mote W that, so, Tshall give seven Directions, Flzsh. Let u almays keep up good Hoy, K ly; F God, and' carefully "watch again hard i * Thoughts of bim. — As it is the original fant Pal. 50. 21. Error of many that are Loose and Care- to h lest in Religion, that they hint God al- M do h. © Together such a one as tbemselues, as much It 2 Friend to Sin as themselves, and as os, | indifferent whether his Work de done © wict or no; so it is the Error of many that BY he: are severe in their Religion, that tbey Fat think God like themselves, a hard Master; wit] The 28 fuch Thonghts of him, as Chi "Fob Pad i an Hobr of Temptation, and When helook'd ypon God as sething tor

Deca ont against him mmmbering bis 12 7

%

{

nd watt bing over bis Sins; "and taking fob 13-2465 * 1 he were n 4 6

reme to mark Iniquities, and implacable to those that had offended; and not accepting any Service that had in it the jast Defect or Imperfeftion. _ © But the matter is not so, and we do both God and ourselves a great deal of Wrong, if we imagin it to be so;; what could have been done more than God has done, to convince us that he Exod. 34-4, is graciom and merciful, slow 10 anger, 7 . and ready to forgive Sin when it is Rpented of, I sad I will confess m Ini. Fla. 3%: 5:; quity unta thee;” and thou forgavest; And as ready to accept: the Services that come from an upright Heart. He wal - not always chide, nor contend for ever. So far is he from taking Advantages - against us, that he makes the best of n: where the Spirit is willing, he accepts. that, and oyerlaoks the Weakness of the, Ft. Let us deal with him accordingly; Look upon God as Love, and the God of. Love, and then it will be pleasant to us to hear fram him, to beak ' to. him, to converse with him, and to do him any Service, . It is true, God is great, and glorious, and jealous, and to be, worshipped - with Reverence and holy Fear, but is he not our Father? a tender gracious

Father? Have we not an Advocate 2 cor. 5487

with the Father? Was not God in Christ, reconciling the World to himselt, and to all his Attributes and Relations to us, by sewing 2 willing to be

*

—

reroncib to us, notwithstandipg our Ptovocations. See him, therefore, upon à Tbrone of Grace, and come boldly to him, aud that will make your Ser. vice of him pleasant, __. 2. Let us dwell much, hy Faith, the Promises of God. What pleasant Li ves should we lead, if we were but more intimately acquainted with those Declarations which God has made of. his Good Will to Man, and the Assurances he has given of his Fayor, and all the ble ssed Fruits of it to those who serve. him faichfully, The Promises are mayy, and exceeding Great and Precious, suited to our Casa, and accommodated to every Exigence 3 There are not only Promises to Grace, but Promises of Grace, Grace sufficient; And these Promises all 722 and Amey in Christ, 2 F 1 | : What do these Promises stand in our Bibles for, but to be made use of; Come then, and let us apply them to ourselves, and insert our own Names in them by int Cen. 15. 2, Faithz what God said to Abrakam, 1 Flo 17, 1- an thy Shield, I am EEsbaddai, à God of All-sufficient; what he said to Josbua, it;

Jolk. 1. 5. I will never fail thee nor forsake thee, be D. saith to me. What he saith to all that lon Romans 8:28. love him, that all things (ball work for 61. | good to them, and to all that fear bin, i wi Psa). 34- 10. that no good Thing shall be wanting to guy | them, he saich to me, and why should ce not I take the Comfort of it? ou T.hese Promises and the like, are co

Hells of Salvation, from which we may

Fj draw)

lam Water with Joy 5 and Breasts of Consolation from which we may fuck, and -. be. satisffd;, They will be both our Strength, and our Song in tbe. Hoase of; our Pilgrimage. So welForder'd is the a Sam. 23. .,, Covenant of Grace in ail Things, aud so sure; that if having laid up our Por--. tion in it, and so made it all aur. Sefve- . tion, we would but fetch our Mainte- . nance from it, and fo make it ab our See pla. 119. Defire and Delight, we should: have in 11. it a cominual Feast, and should. go on our Way rejoici ng. |

3. Let us order: the. Affairs of our R. ligiom with Difcretion. Many make Re- | ligion anpleasant to themfelyes, and di; couraging to others, by their zmprudens - Management of it; making that Service to be a Burthen by the Circum- -. stances of it, which in itself would be a Pleasure; doing Things out of Time, or. tasking themselves above their

Strength, and undertaking more than

they can go through with, especially - | at first, which is like putting new Wine Mat. g. . into old Bottles; or like over-driving the Gen. 33. 13 Flocks one Day. If we make the Yoke. - 1 of Christ heavier than he has made it; we may thank ourselves that our Drawing in it becomes un pleasant. Y- Eccl. 7. 13. lomon cautions. us against being rigbieous overmuch, and making ourselves overwise, as that by which we may defiroy ourselves, and put ourfelyesout-of Conceit with our Religion; There may be over · doing in well. doing, and then it becomes une t. 28 But a.

—Burlet us take our Religion a3 Cbrid hath settl'd it, and we shall find'it ex.

When- the Ways of our Religion are Ways of Wisdom then they are Ways of Pleasantness 3 for the more Wisdom the more Pleasantmess; that W:/dom which

dwells with Prudence. Wisdom: will

dire& us to be even and regular in our

Religion; to take Care that the Duties of our General and Particular Calling,

the Business of our Religion, and our

necessaty Business in the World do not

znterfere, or intreneb upon one another.

| Xcel, 3. 11-*T will direct us to time Duty aright; for

-

*

every thing is beautiful and plegsamt in ita Season; And Work is then — we are in Frame for it.

4. Let us live in Love, and keep up Cbrislian Charity, and the Spiritual Coms

Comfort, we must be ef one Mind;

Acer 13.1 i“ of Saints. If we would be of

- And, therefore, the Apostie presseth

Brotherly Love upon us, with an Argument taken from the Consolations in

Christ, i. e. The Comfort that is in

Christianity; As ever you Hope to ha ve the Com fort of your Religion, submit to that great Law of it, Vat in Love. For Behold how good, and how pleasant it is, how good in itsell,

and pleasant to ns, for Brethren to dwell

Plal,120, 5

together in Unity. The more pleasing we are to our Brethren, the more plea · fant we shall be to ourselves.

Nothing makes our Lives more uncomfortable than Strife and Contention; Wo is me that I dwell among __

rene

being RETLTGSIOus. _ that. bars Peace,” Tis bad being among

worse having in ourselves z Disposstion 26

to quarrel.” The Resentments of Con- „

tempt put upon us are uneasy enough, and Contrixances to revenge it much

more comfortable, than Strifes and Contentions about that. We forteit, and lose the Pleasure of it, it we entangle ourselves in

our Duty, by these to make all the other Parts of our Duty pleasant to us; and for that End we d abound

Hearts, nor our Thankfut Praises int

aut,

those that are dispas'd to quarrel, a

more so. And nothing makes our Religion

e Disputings about it. f But by Holy Love ws ann our Friends, which will add to the Pleasure of Enjoying God in this World.

Love itself sweetens the Soul and re-. vlves it, and as it is the Loadone.of. 4

Love, it fetcheth in the further Pleafure and Satisfaction of being belov'd 3

and so it is a Heaven upon Earth, for What is the Happiness and Pleasure of

Heaven, but that there Love reigns in

Perfection. Then we have most Peace:

in our Bosoms, when we are most pegce- ">: ol _ ably dispos q towards our Brethren,

5. Let us be much in the Exerdfe Holy Foy, and employ ourselves much in Praise, Joy is the Heart of Praise, as Praise is the Language of Joy ; Let us engage ourfelyes to these, and quicken 185 out selves in these,” God has made tbese

mueh in them, and attend upon God with Foy and Praise. Let us not croudour spiritual Joys into a Corner of our

ph "Corner of our Prayets, but give. both and hem to both. - et us live a Life of Delig ht in God,

one wham we love and value. Let the Floying, in. of every Stream of Comfort. lead us to the Fountain; and in

8 Ships, that is gratesul to us, let us

4 4 graciom. Let the Brying 145 p. of every Stream of Comfort drive us to the Fountain; and let

Bs 141 the more in God for our being. of. {bass eh we us A to Tejoyee in Let us be. fs ent agd 1 5 in our Thanksgi will be pleasant to us to-recount t 13 of God and thus to make some Returns for them; tho” -

Poor and mean, yet. such as God will...

ful sor them; Aid it infuse

than a double Sweetness into our Eu- N that they Furnish us witn

atter for that Excellent Heay'oly

Plat, 1 35,3, Work of Praise. | Sing Praises unto bis

Name, for it is pleasant; comfortable as well as comely. _ 6. Let us 4d in a constant Dependance

upon Fesus Cbrisi. Religion would he

much. more pleasant, if we did but

cleave.more closely to Chrisi in it, and

2 A in lr Name * Thus more preciom Chris

Christ is to us, the more pleasum will

every Part of dur Work be; and therefore, Believing in Chrift is often ex- Phil. 3. g.

press'd by our Rejoicing in bim. We may re joyce in God, through Chrift as the Mediator between us and God 3 may rejoyce in our Communion with

God, when it is kept up as Gully a Eternal ue;

may rejoyce in hope

-

that kath the Son of God bath Life, i. e. 12.

he has Comfort,

There is that in Chrift, and in his Undertaking and Performagces for us,

which is sufficient to satisfy al our

Doubts, ta silence all our Fears, and to balance alf out Sorrows. He was appointed to be the Consolation of litacl, ©

learnt not to look for that in ourselyes, -

which is to be had in him only, and to

make use of bis Mediation in every thing wherein we have to do with * When we rejoyce in che Righteousness: -

Uniyersal Ageney and Influence, and in the Progress. of his Gospel, and the Conversion of Souls to him, and pleases ourselves with Prospects of his Second

Coming, we have then a Joy, not only which no Man taketh from us, but which will encrease more and more, and of the Znrrease of Chrift's Govern- Isa. g. 7.

ment, and therefore of that Peace there shall be no End. Our Songs of Ine

—

154 The PLEASURE of © then most Pleasant, when the Burthen of them is, None but Chris, None but Chrifte * F, 2 7. Let us Converse much with the GI

This abundantly satisfies the Saints, and Plab36.8,9.is the Fatness of God's Houle on Earth.

4 watered Garden.

Let us look much to the End of our |

Way, how glorious it will be, and that will help to make our Way Pleasant.

This makes

it the Fountain of Life, whence all these Streams Cc | | hope to fee Light, everlasting Light.

By frequent Meditations on that Rest

which remains for the People of God,

we now enter into that Ref, and partake.

of the Comfort of it. 22 Our Hopes of that Happiness through Grace, would be very much

strengthned, and our Evidences for it clear'd up. insenfibly, if we did but

converse more with it, and the Discoveries made of it in the Scripture, We

may have Foretastes of enn De- 5 ]

ghts,

they are here on this Earth, may in return fetch thence some of those for: ; and Pleasures that are at God's Right-. Hand, That which goes up in Fapors of Holy Defire, tho* Insensible, in. Groanings which cannot be utter'd, will come down again in Dews of Heaven - ly. Consolation, that will make the Soul.

. em now to Drink of tbe. Nuer of God's Pleasures, that with bim

e, and in bis Light they

lights, while we are bere on "Earth, Ge from Cunaan, while we att et in bis Wildefness, aud no Pleasure comparable to that which these afford. | That's the. sweetest Joy within us, nich is'botrowed from The Jer before u. And we deptive durselves yery much of che Comfort of our Religion, in not having our Eye more to that Joy. We Tejoyce. most” Trium- | phantly, ah Re Mew we Degrees; of Hol 8, when, we” "EF

| [ee us make it" 2 8 | * indeed, T0 12 be E N sr, and ber Piths Peace

we haye experienced this Truth, Revs |

evidence gur Experiences, and not

only in Word, but in Deed, bear our' Testimony to the Truth of fe. Let us "us * those that believe the Sweekness: John 1. 5. 0 of Ne ion, not 2 we ate told

it, ut are have zasfed it.

K be then (to borrom the Apofi Words) We lebe *taffelt that the 1 ver. . Tord "is gration 7 we have, indeed, tad it 4 plealant T hing to be Neie ede ee 12 Jie x6rcifet, und aff bn

ef Gospel-Obedience, The "more" Pe. sam the Service of God is, the 1 we spouid abound in it. ben 4 enlargeth our Hearts with his 'Coi 1 "8 tions, 'he'expets that we thould un ue of bis Commandments, * 9 | 5 ; ?

= exert dee 7 mm Dor

witch more Vigor the . nean tower " Peofeli

ON. This should make us "ward. to egood Work; and Ae to olose

. with Op Oppo rtunities of Terving God,

_ and doing, ; That ahich we take 2 Pleasi i we need not to be twice cad io. If indeed the Hearits of those

pfal. 105. 3. 7ejoyee that seek the Lord, then when 2 OW od: saith, seek ye my Face, how Readi-

Fial. 27.8. Iy should our Hearts answer at the first * ord, Thy, Face, Lord, will we seek; and _ how gi will they be, Mew! a is sed

This fuk; make us fi 0 o

50 of Charity, that there is a Plea

sute in doin 2 and we shall re-

' fle@ with fort upon it, that we have done Ct 6 that will turn to

the Honour of God, 3 our nee

l should ng us Lively. in our Duty; the Heart fix d in Heating the - _Word,and-in Prayer and Praise. Those That take Delight in Mufick, how doth it engage them; How do all the Marks of a close Application of Mind appear in their Countenance aud Car- | . Tlage,: and shall not we by our ien - he Cor: 7.3. N on the Lord without Distraltion, make it to appear, that we attend upon him _ . with Delight, and ate in our Element ea we yo in his Service. Let this

Days of * He. Sine

Rat}

*Y Wwe WS mr SOONOno OT

| dine, 1s hy; Light is, 8 1 1s the dun

1 mould = us 1 aud Unwearjed in the Work and Service. of _ God, What is res y, our. Delights we. are: nöt Toon weary: 7 fe. 19 6

in approaching, to God, 5 will * bim Daily; a nd make i it our daily; Work

Prayer be sweet, let them be our Day- \

1487155 z and let thig bind our Souls

wich 8 Bond to Gad, Kod the e 3

25 tb Corlls 10 the s of the Aft bar, . Lo. With. this we should answer all Te 5 iss

tations, to Kpestacy z shall I qui

good à Maker, lo good... a ! 25 8 i

Inireqs. me not to leave Chrift, or to turn Kn x. 56; I

fam e . after bim.3 for it is good , -

Hefe Jet us make 4 net Max. 17. 4.

whe else shall we. ga, ag. but. co

that has 3be Words 2. Let our 7 sat;

the, Ways of, Religion; Plealant? Let be Pleasant * them, both to -.

selyes, and 10 thole- about us. As dor : 7

thole 25 fre yi a ap. State of Sin and | 8

rea soq to 4 Ae lan- e cboly, [et the Sinners i Zion be ad, |

be atflidied, © 1 4 lebten Fruit to,

lejgce t 0 Istagl, for, Foy 4%

rn fun 1 thou bat gone 4 e G

But those, who- through Grace, ; te N cab d out of Darkness inte a mervelow 1095 ba ve. Cause to be-Chegrtul, apd TH

have Hearts to. be. so. Arif 3

be ated

158 _The Pi/kASURE T of Righteousness risen upon us? Let us arise and Jook forth @ the Morning with the Morning. That Comfort which | Chrxist d;re&s to our Souls, let us de a, 52. 1,2, hack upon others. And as our Light it come, so is our Liberty 3 Art thou loosed from the Bands of thy Neck? o Captive E e, Zion, awake, awake, put un thy Strength, put oꝝ thy beautiful Garments, and soake thyself from the Duff, arise ani sit down, 0 Jerusatem. - Tho vain and carnal Mirth'is botha great Sin, and a great Snare, yet there is a holy Chearfuiness and Pleasantness of Conversation, which will ooc'only consist very well with serious — but greatly promotes it in ourselves, an greatly adorns it, and recommends it to others. A merry Hears, Solomon sanb, 2Prov.17.22, doth good like a Medicine; | and maketh fiat the Bones; while a broken Spirit doth hurt like a Poison, and drzetb the Bones. 2 The 04 news to” keep up a ches emper; and not in- 3005 Beal in e which is Sning and Disquzeting to the Spirit 3 And they should she w. it in all holy Conversation, that those they converse with, may see, they did not renounce Pleasure, When they embrac d Religion. lam sure, none have so much Rexson to rejoyce as good People have, nor so much done for them to encourage their Joy, and therefore to allude to 4 Sam. 13. 4. that of Jonadab to Amnon, why tre thou, being ibe King's Son, jean from Day to Daz ? Are ve in Prosperity ? agg 25 * Et +

*

—

ELIGTO.US.

let ns be cbearfuly in grabitude,-to the God of our Mercies, who expects that we should serve bim with Gladness o Heart, in the A ef all

'Things, 48d justly takes it ill if we do

Triftis end feli: f

wi Lemont cigt boc Fortuna cave to, Ilngratum dicet te (Lupe) fscierit, Mart.

| chearful, that we make it appear. our

Happisess is not laid up in the Creature, nor our Treasures on Earth, If it is the Priviledge of Christians to rejoyoe in Tribulation, let them not throw away their Priviledge, but glory in it, and make use of it. Let the

Joyof the Lord that bath znfus'd itself nto our Hearts diffuse itsels into all our

Converse, Go: thy way, eat thy Bread with Fey, and drink thy Vins; nay, if thou shonld? be reduc'd to that, Drink

fair Water, with 4 merry Hearty if thou

Ect9.79.

hast good ground to hope that. in Christ.

sjesus, God now acceptath thy Works 3 And this Foy of the. Lond will be thy Strength, - 3. Let us. loot with Contempt upon the Pleasures of Sunse, and with Ablorrence upon the Pleasures of, Sin. The more we havegested of the Delights of Heaven, the more our Mouths should be put ous > of Taste-to the Delights of this Earth. et not those Who have been feafted - with the Milk and Honey of Canzan,.. 7 after the Garlick and Ogions 3 P. 232 Lett

Let us keep at 4 Distance from all forbidden Pleasures; There's a Hook under those Baits, a Snake under the green Gras; -a Rock under those 'fmooth Waters, on which Multitudes

have split. We must so dread the

Proverbs 23:31. Drunkard's Pleasure, as not to look 1p -

on the Wine when it is Red; so dread the

* -Pleasures of the Adulteter, as not to

Mat. 5. ab. 100k upon 4 Woman to Luft after her; fot i - *these Pleasures of Sin not only are but for a Season, but at the last they he like 4 Serpent, and fiing like an Adder, Either Spiritual Pleasures wilt deaden the Force of the Pleasures of Sin, or the Pleasures of Sin will {spoil the Re- 'lish of Spicitual Pleasures. v5 Let us keep uf 4 boly"Indiffer#ncy, e- 2 Tim. 3,4, ven to the lawful} Delights of Sense g | and take heed of loving theni more nan | God. The Eye that has look dat the Sun is 4a771ed to every thing else; Have ty we behcid the Beauty —— Lord? Let us fee and own, how little Beauty = | there is in other things. If we be tempt- '8 | ed to do any thing unbecoming us, b/ the Allurements of Pleasure, we may well say, offer these things to those that know no better; But we do; and will never leave Fountains of living Water, for Cisterns of puddle Mater.

p 4. Let not our Hearts enuy Sinners:

for. 23.17. Enyy ariseth from an Opinion that

the State of others" is better: than our own, which we grudge and are displeanano OT ASN

Narren

ond against this in; Ze nat then enui- Prov. ous again evil Men,

change Condition with any Sinner, even in his best Est ate. Eavy not Sinners: their outward Prosperizy, | their Wealth and Abundance which puts them into a- Capacity of having all the Delights of Sense, wound up to the Heights of Pleasurableness; Tho they he upon Beds of

Ivory, and ftretob themselves upon ber Amos Couches, and ear the Lambs ont of the 6. Flocks, an #be Calves ant of ibe midit--

of the Stall, tho they chant to the Sound--

of the Viol, drink Wine in Bowls, and anoint tbemselvet with the chief. inwii them z for if there be all this.. Pleasure in Religion," and we have ex. perienc'd it, surely we would not ements; Vet those: have no Reasan-to < _

enry them, whose Souls dwell at Base: - in Gad, who are fed' with the Bread of Life, the true Manna, Angels Food, and drink of the Water of Life freely;

that make Melody with their Hearts to

the Lord, and are made to bear fron him Foy and Gladness 3 and have receiv'd the Anointing of the Spirit. If we have relish'd the Delights of Reeat of their Dainties. | Envy not Sinners the Ziberry-they -; take to sin; that they ean allow theme - selves in the full Enjoyment of these.. Pleasures, which we. cannot think of

ligion, we will say as Dauid, Let 1 not e040 1444

without Horror; But have not we then

the Enjoyment of „ -

2 The-PLEASUR E W v. <j . — — — - - +7: ce infinite ly better; and which there

Strangers to? We cannot have b th,

and of the two, are not ouri, without Difpute, pteserable to their, and why then should we envy them? Their Pleasures! are en slauing: ours enlarging 3 Theirs de. basing to the Soul, ours ennobling; Their | surfening, ours satisfying 3 T heirs offer F Fu ue to, ours pleafing to him; Theirg

| will end in Painand Bitterness, ours will: My be perfected in endles 7; And what

BEE Reason then, have we to envy thm ?

5. Let vos our Spirits fink; or be de jena under ite Asstictions of ibis presemt Time.. We disparage our Comforts in God, if we lay too much to Heart ouf Erosses in the World; And therefore, hereby let us evidence, that being satisfy*d of God's loving K indness; we are satisfy d with it. Let gs look upon that as sufficient to balance all the Vykindiiefses of Men. They that value themselves upon God's Smiles, ougght not to vex themselves at theWorld's Frowns. The Light of God's Countenance can shine through the thickest Clouds of the Troubles of this present Time; and the fefore, we should walk in the Light of the Lord, even then when 2s fo our outward Condition we it in — 7 , Darkness. IT i 4 ie 41 "SS. "oy 7 We manifest that we have found true Delight and Satisfaction in the Service of God, and Communion; with him; when the Pleasure of that will make the

_ |. bitterest Cup of Affliction, that our Fa-

— _ therputsioto our Hand not only passable,

duet feat; so that like blzssed. | nts EI _ when 1 24

being R/EELGTOUS, - LO”

ehen we are as Joiranfil,c yet: we mays - be always rejojeirig, and may tate Pleasures ©

*

io Infirmivics and Reproaches, becau feste 1.

sor. che present: they are not joyous:bue, grie vous, yet when afterwards, they. go. rield the peaceable Fruit of Righteoub:

els they become not grievois, but truly”

— Blessed is the May whom- thou bν⏑ /

6. Let the Pleasure we baue sound in Religion, dispose us to be liberal and cbari · table to tbe poor and distressd. The plea - sing Sense we have of God's Bounty to us, by which he has done so much to nate u 2 should engage us bounti-, fally to distribute 10 tbe Necessnies. of. Aints, according to our Ability; not only to keep them from perishing, hut to make them easy z and that they may rejoyce as well as we; Chearfulness that enlargeth the Heart, should open the Hand too. Paul observes it concerning the Churches * rn

of Macedonia, who were very ready to give for the Relief of the poor Saints at Ferusalem, that it was the Abund anee acor. f. i #beir Foy, their - spiritual, Joy, their 24 oy in God, that abounded unto the Riches of their Liberality. eg ron.

When the People. of Israel are com- | manded torejoyce in everygood thing, which Dept. 26. 1 God had given them, they are comͤ⸗ —_ -

manded also to give freely 0 the Leu,

the Stranger, the Fatherless, and ibe Widow, -

that they may eat, and be Ged. And when _

upon a particular Oecasion, tbepate d rected to ear rhe Fus, and drink the Sweet, Neb. 8. 1%nm ͤũ

—

at the same time they ate . 5 n

—

n Portions to them, for whom nothing is. — 1 43 — he F will be their Strength. By our being cbaruiable we should © show that we are chearful 3 that we chearfully taste God's. . Goodness in what we have, and'muft his Goodness. for what 2 % hereafter want. 7. Let us do what we can, 10 bring otbers to partabe of the sume Pleasures in Region that we bave _— efperially thosp t are under our Charge.. It adds v mach to the Pleasure of an E to communicate” of it to others, especially when the Nature of it is sueh, that we have never the less, but. che more rather, for others sharing in it. What good Tidings we hear char are of common Cancern, we desire that others may hear them, and be glad too. He that has but found a lost Sheep, calls hi Friends Luke 15:6. and bis Neighbours to re ce with bim, much more he that has found Christ, | and' found Comfort in him'; who can -* >. ay, Not only come and rejojee with ne, but come and partale with ne; for yet there is Room, enough for al, thoꝰ never so numerous, enough for wach, _ e o nere ssson and arg. Jad-14-8, When Simpson had found Money ie the Careass of the Lion, be brought some ot it to bis Parents, that they might artake with him; Thus when we have Bund a Day in God's Courts better ban 4 N 1,/, Thoufond, we should invite others iato those Courts, by relling them whar-God b 6. 16. Fas done for our Souls; aid h _—

he is to do the To for TT if _—_ 4 in like manner apply themselves to him. When. Andrew.with a surprizing Plea- Je hn 1

sure had found: the Mesfieh;' he cannot 45.

rest. *cill be has brought his Brother peter to him 1 nor Philip till he bath brought his Friend Nathaniel. They that are fea sted with the Comforts of

God's House, should not covet to ent

to comtheir Morsel alone; but be willing municdte of their spiritual Things. 8. Let us e to dye, ani leave is” World; We have Reason: to be asham'd of our selves, that we-who have not only laid up our. Treasure above, but

fete dur Pleasures thence, "yet re as

much in Love with our present State, and as loth to think ot Auitting it, as f our Treasure and Pleasure, dd Alt

were urapt up in the Things of Sense -

and Time, The Delights of Sense enr are'

tangle us, and hold: ub here; The/e

the Things that make un loth ia dye; as One

once said, viewing his fine House and Gardens. And ate these Things suffi? cient to court qur Stay here, when Go

a World of. Sense to a Vid of ir since we Have found the Pleasures Sense not wofthy to be compar'd with Spiritual Pleasures: When in old Age,” which is one of the Fallies of tbe adm

lighcs of the 155 25 but they become sa * tasteless, as they were to Ba.

ee we can o longer relish: the

calls , and N i yop Mi .

ou# Rest. Lt us not be afraid to remove from /

"Ffal, .

- Sing? Let uz then evidence our Expeliving Ilie, and Fear of Death

* here as we lum and love but in

* — we need 2 callthose 8 and Fears, in which.we have 10 Pleg- Fit we bave walkd, and qe geaat

in Wisdorh's. Ways ;; or ff. & may —

triumph over it, Death, mb thy.

riences of the Pleasures of Religion, by above the inordia ate Love of

ly, Let us long for the Prrfo zen of.- in Pleafures-i inthe K ingdom of.

. When. we come thither, and not. {ng then, they: will bo perfedel 3. While

Leih,

0 we re joyce but in part, even. - our ak Joys here, have their . Damps

—

meg Te eter imo uhs. fs their bord; #40 shalt be. Ev

Of 5 And whay 0 the Pleasures. in. the. of Wisdom compar'd with thole at

the End . if nd Lore he's 1 BR

in the Divine Beauty! and Lo pleasaut while we are in the

the Lord, what will it Tn

put off the . and go

when we

God's Courts, and a few Minutes spent there in his Praises be"so-pleasan what will;an"Bterfiity within the Vai boys among them that Ie ii bis House!

2 — are Bill p- m 11 e I of our uber tau 410. comfor- © .

able, what in The Inheritance is E 1 7 2

be | 8 1 "Now wherever there is. Grace it wil tf hs

be aiming ats and. pressing towards its

own Per oo Tis 2 Vell of 'Water John 4, *

springing up to Erernal Life Thi _— 3 1

fore, we mould be Jonging for. *

in Heaven twill be Love 4 r Re 17 wheo Thall e ee "05 which remain for the: People of Fo hy — have the Pleasure of — * towards God, 0 u shall we me, f appear before him Our | Jesus, 2 at his NO roar which be ne vi)

PETE edc to eat ich bis: Disciples, beta "Mic 25. drunk of the Fruit ibe Vine, he speaks' as One 2 5 Fi as 3 pee: Pp. ingdom Fit Tü very p i Ys to set ve Christ here, but to depen; „Ad ti be wu Christ it far better.” Vow: . 2, are. the” Song 0 of-God, and Kis very pleasant to A 0 een; It 2 bt et appear what we Something: 1 in Rescrye,” which-we ate kept In EX tion of; We are not 1 Home, but should long to be chene +: and keep up holy*Defires of th tis be'reveaP'd; that we may be quickned; s long as we are here to preis rowurds

5 Mark 5 17 Price of the ee.

| . or, Tn Folly*c | 2% Ache en dug on Sduls, 2 9 a perrc<in tub Sefmons de young 1 Neher Pier on Proverbs 15:32 the latter on Prout 19 ss E:Sober-Mindeanels press'd upon; 4 an In a Discourse on es 2 | n Favour to, iets Sbisreb, end: and improy ii In 4 devon ch dat the poblick Bape; Vid in 2 Marthe. 17 — blih'd with Tome Enlirgt 14 ay Be Requeft of di 15 that heard it.