Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

Chap.2..Se8:.7· ;;frtearn habitually to fay, Notl, bitt Chrift in me· we do, * as the efficient, final cauf~. Let us frill inten!ll: Chrift inall 'fJ confdfe, it is amoft . . nc..:dlary par t Chriftiao wifC'do.me tokeep our fuboFdi.nali_on ro Gott, ant! dependence on.Htm.. Tak_e heed of Oacktngour of .ourx e8:;uions of renewed hclp,or of growing tnfenfthlc: ~fche nccc:ffiry of the conrmual taftuence and afflft~oce da~ ly e. -~·ir When we be&in once to rrull: w our flock ofhabtmill grace 1 and '?~epeod oTJ our owu untlctlhndtngs ofchc: fpt . · f d d holy walking we are then 111 a dangerous dccltmng Hate. In every du1y remer.ber our ancl. rcfolutlol\5, or my an ~ , - · • fuffici<ncy is cfGcd. 2 Cor. 3• S· / SECT. 7· Of the Saints delights ill Duties, .. M r yok.fis e.rjie, and ''Y burthen is_light, faith Chrift·;_and that which makes itfo, . is, The delightswlich the Saints have in Gods fervtce: 1 havedebghteJ!JJ .the way ofthy teftimonies, faithDavid: 1have .? yes, and I wdl deltght m thY, jlatutes; / will .1 yes, and T hy tejfimories are my delrght: They are .? yes, and Jl!ydebght fhf'IL,hf;'": thy Cowmmdments: They]hall be.? how l~ng? ever\ to perpetUity tt fe!f l I wdlde!tght continually in thy ftatutes. rhefe are_the ~nngs Dav•d beats ~pon, and they make hea– venly Mufick : Mufick even chearmg htm .m the mtdft of hts farrows ; Tra~ihle and anguijh are upon me,yet are thy Commandments my deltght; and, Vnlejfe thy Law had:~een my delight I Jhould have perijhed m my afft.Chon. ; • 1 Mar. it. 30. r fal. "9· ••• !6. 21 . Now the reafon why Gods people find fuch delight in Duties, is, r. Bc7aufeln Dit– ties they come to fee the face of God In Chrift : Hence Dmies a,re called, t'he/n~f or prifence of'God; The Worfhip of the ]ewes was called, An appearmg before God. Dav1d Exod~ >Jj7 ' breaths out his defires in the fame e:&preffion, When]hall I come and apper.r before Go.d.? The Q!!een of Sheba counted it an high favour to !land before ~ol?mon: Wh~t )lig'h pfil%4•-. 1, favour then i~ this to ll:and before Jefus Chnft, and to hear wtfdome tt felf.fpeak to our fouls ? 2 • Be~aufe inDuties they have converfes, and communion with God, who is the God of all confolation ; and with the Spirit of God, who is called the Comforter: Now as a man that walks amongft perfumes, muft needs fmell of the perfumes ; f~ theythatconverfe with the Godofalljoy, muft needs be filled with all joy: ..and therefore Davidcalls God His exceeding joy. The Saints look upon Duties(tlie Wo~;'d, Sacraments, Prayers, &c.) as Bridges to give them a paffage to God, as Boats ~o carry Pfal. 43 . 4,- ' them into the bofom of Chrift, as *means to bring them into more intimah!'Giimmunion with their heavenly Father, and therefore are they fo much taken with them : • Wh(n rhou When they go to the Word, they go as one goes to hear news of a friend; , wlien the_y ~~~~ l'P_blicke p;ayer, let it be in hope to 'cc thy heart nearer God, when thou ope~~{\: rhe Bible~ ~~~\~er :~~k~t l~tric be wuh _rh(,li hope tomecr Come paffage: ofdiyine trmh,a~d fomc_ fuch bleffiogc: o[ the~rpiric wirh ir, as may r;ife thine affelttoR$ nearer heaven 1when thou gGeft to the pubhkc ordmance and work. fay10g, r. hope to meet with.fom~· what from God, that may raifc-my affcdions bdore I rcrurne. Ba.rcer Sainf.s E-verlr.jliiJl Jteft: .l\_ ...·.-: - - · ' go to pray,they go to talkwith a friend; when they go to read, they gq ro reacj ~~ett~r ·:<'~;.. from a friend; when they go to receive,they go to fup with a friend :. They loqk 11~ Dutoes and Ordinances, as thofe things whereby they have to do with God and 91J.rjQ, and therefore are Duties fo precious. Indeed, to them who have to <!o with qothing.b11t DutymDuty, but Prayer in Prayer, but Hearing in Hearing, to themDuties are.- dc~d and dry 1 _and fpiritleffe things; but they that have to do with God a11d.Chriil:_i(l..,()ut;r; to them Dmies are paffing fwe~t and precious. This feem~ a Ridg)~ to unregGI\~'\te men~ they wonder what the Samts find in. Duties wh,ere the fwectn~/fl;, w~a~th~ Gomfo~t 1s, wha~ fecret golden Mines theyfind in thefediggings, w~e.n ~hemfclv<;s1fi1]d,not?mgbut burthenfome Stones and Clay: Oh! the Saints meet with ,Chr\ll: in I>tt!ies, ~-d therefore they cannot but find great treafure: David's foul JV!f< 1 f1thjrfl, _npt.)or.JI Pfal. 42 • ~' "·m&dom, but for God, for the Living. G~d; Pfal. A: . 2. It is thG htghp/l;,r,eward, .the very wages Whtch the Saints.look for in Duties, to find God in them, ,,·•,Bleffe"·is.eh• man - , · wh h h .r..a JJ' "f • l'fol~:ss· ~· ·' Jl ombt ou c "1'1' ,and ca,feft to approache unto thee, thflt fle may dwell'in,thy O:ollrts:; !;::we JaiL efatHjied wirhthegoodnejfe ofthy hoJ<[e, wen ofthy holy Templf. . , -· ~ ,~ .. A good G!veat m thefe dayes, v{hen fo many do c~·y down b,/i~s : .. w~~i);··WY llrethren, Shall we look upouJhat ~sour \J!m~en;· whtch ts our qelight ? uur p 9ndage, .·::\-~'1.. N :1. which

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