b . 'ffols at all to hold the Confolations cf God; I mean,- no hungecafter Gods nn~g no _vethc Ordinance: or, 2. Becaufe they bring vc!Jtls fo little, and fo narrow– pre e~c~ "~hat they will hold but very little water; I lllean, they bring fo little hunger nfoutGc J. that Gocl will not vouchfafe to fatisfie it: or, 3. Bccaufe they bring \tcr ~·~ary hearts, their carnal and worldly hearts to heavenly and Spiritual Du– t etrhoe: rt' s unfuitable to the Duties, hearts unfenfible of the Duties: Thus a man tees, ,1 h r · b r h. · r b findes no fweetneffe inhis meat ; t e rea,on ts not ecaUJe t~mcat ts un,avoury, ut becaufc his tafre is dif!empercd ; the Ordmances are fomctnnes fwect, and would 1 be fo were the fou ls palate always m the fame temper: or, 4·· Becaufe :h~:l~fome' .Achanunftoned,. fome finne ~nrepented of, that edipfeth the light of Gods countenance, fome Sptrttual ob~ruchons ; thefc, and fuch ltke ~re the c~ufes, h the Saints fometimb mtfs of thetr comforts. But the fault ts never m the ~ y which is brim-full of rare and ravifhing comfort; that as Ecrnard relates the ft::?~f himfclf, Sometimeswhen he >vent tohis Prayers, he found him[elf dull, and heavy ; b~~t afrer he had jfrugled a /mic twh hu dulne!Je, all on a Ji.tdd:n he was t.;jitedwtththe vijitatiom oftbe .Almighty: I jhould acco•mt my [elfhappy (fatd he) if:hefevijitattom wouldalways /aft; but Oh, it conumw but a wh:le ! And Auftme relates fhts ftory of him– felf, that Vpon a time, when he andhts Mother Momca tvere difcourjinltogether abom the joys of H eaven, and the comforts~~Gods Spmt, t h,ey werefo filled Wtth joy, that .Auftine ufeth thefe words, L ord, thM /i.poweft m.that day, how vdety,Jve d:d efteem of the world, with all his deligh~s .~The comforts of the world are not worthy to be named. that day that we fpe~k o~ thefe comforts: 0 t~e pure, ~he unde~led comfort>and ~el1ghts that are to be found ·mD•tt:es, \V hen God ts,found 1~ ~hem ! Can a man. who IS cold, come to the fire and not be warme~ ? Canhe that ts m the ~ark, come mto the open Sun and not be enlightened ? God IS the fpnng of Comfort, \ and therefore furely our hearts will be comforted, if we meet with God in our D u ies. I might adde fome caveats, but I refer you to chap. 5. ·fetl:. 20. , And yet here iet me warne you ofone dangerous fnare; fome think if they fetch in their comfort by b~ttes M by prayer, med:tauo~, &_c. th"t then tt \Vould be a comfort onely of their o\Vn hammermg out, . and not the ge.n?me JOY ?f the h~ly C?hofl:. ~defperate miftake; they fet the\~orkmgs ~f Gods fpmt and thetr own~~mtmoppofitton, when their fpirits mufl: ll:and m fubordmat10n to Gods : Gods fpmt ufually works our corn- ' forts, by fetting our own fpirits awork upon the promifes, and by raifing our-thoughts to the objects of our comforts. And yet I deny not, that if any fhould fo think to work out his comforts by meditation, prayer, reading the Word, as to attempt the work in his own ll:rength, and do not all in fubordination to God, and the fpirits affifl:ance, the comfort will be nothing but vanity, a comfort indeed of their ownhammering out. SE G T. 8. .. Of the e!Jential Requijites in DutiOf, .B ~twhat are they we call Du:ies? orwhatarethofe e!Jenrial R equifits (0my foul) mDums ? Many by Dutm mtend nothmg but that which is external and (enfible, as Coming to the Church, t<nd receiving ofSacraments. &c. . · I anfwer, thefe are like clothes upon a dead man, that cannot warme him.' .beqQfe the~e is no life with~n. T~e foul ofall Dmies is that which is internal or effe~>ial; Iri whtch refpetl: three mgredtents are neceffary, viz.. .5 From God. , That they be (. Through God. 93 Beii/UtlJ 1fte · predicttrem., &c. &d r•ro hor11, breviJ mera, cl} fi du,aret~ Baoard. f.Z!!Iim muniuJ evrluit cum omnibus fuis ddell~ttionibHs~ Augufl. . To God. · 1 • Fr?m God : It is of the very efl'ence of a Duty, that it be comniande.d by God. ~nee, mone Chapter we read thirteen feveral times I am the L ord,q. d.fuch and fuch tcv.. rgi omrr~ands I injoyn you : Would you know the grounds ? I am the Lord, a God of fohy~ratgn Bower and aothority, and my Will it is that fuch Duties be done. Look to t !S (0 my f?ul) in thy Duties, know the Commands, and do them, becaufc they are ~ommandedb: .If tho~ do.fl: them, and y~t knoweft not that God commands them, this IS no true o edtcnce; or tf t\Jou knowr ·i ey are commanded, but yet dofl: them nat hecaufe they are comman.ded,bt inCanfciei(~e ;o hisConimand,rieither is this obe@ience . ·- t 'j
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