Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

.· _ _. Numb:n. 2o Dcut.26'.J9• 1 King., !3. 1 Cor. 29'.12. rr•. s6; s' Zcph.3 20. Ecclef.7. t Prov.:u 1 that fcckJ rim, what arrrhouto ~hrfo~l that Jindsrhee? Ifg~aubep!tafam, how pltnf•nt isglory? therefore the Saints dye fo pleafantly,becaufe there ts .• mcetmg of grace ond glory; grace is delightful!, glory more deltghtfull; but when both thcfe meet toge– ther, what delight will there then be? It '.sa fpeech ofone fpeakmg ofcarnal delights, 1Vone cmi go from deltght to deltght; but Jt JS not fo fpmtually; the more deJjght we hove here, the more we {hall have hereafter: And therefore let thts be all our prayer, f..wd g/ve m evermore thts pleafierc., fattJfic our:foul; Wtt~ thts_Plcafure; t_f the drops be fwtet the rivers of plcajiere and JOY that are at Chrtfis nght hand, how fweet are they?' i . .. . . ' I r. Above all, Oh tafte andfee how fweet the ord is, even in the want of all outward p!raji;m; this will bear up the hcll"t when all is goile. Altho"gh the jig-tree ]hall not blcj[ome, muher jl:./1fmit be in the vines, the labour of tht OlivejhaUfasle, and thefield jlwllyezld no mtat, theflock_jhall be cut offfrom thejold, and there jka/1be no herd in the ftalles; yet !will rejp)ce in the Lord, 1wrll joy in the God of my falvation. When ail is dark abroad in the world, then let our foules rejoyce in God alone, yea then let us ex– patiate our joyes to the utmoft. As it is a work ofgrace to moderate aUcarnall plea– jitrrs, and to keep them down, fo it is a fpeciall work of grace to expatiate the foul to the utmofl in all fpiritual pleafures, and rejoycings in the Lord. And to this purpofe we lhould exercife our faith in the word and office of the Holy Ghoft: Look upon the Holy Ghoft as defigned by the Father and the Sonne to bring joy and delight to the foulcs of his People. 0 what a vall: difference is betwixt the comforts ofa carnal heart and the comforts of the· godly? The one comes from a little meat and drink, &c: bur the other comes from the excrcife of faith about the office of the Holy Ghoft, who is defigned by the Father and the Sonne to be the comforter of his Saints. \Vhat fay we then ? are all outwardpleajitres gone? let them go: only by the help of the Spirit "J"Y'"' sn the Lord, and ag<tm I f"Y rejoyu m the Lord. Oh tafle and fee how goo.! the Lord is, even in the want ofall outward pleafures. SECT. 14.. Of the Denyal ofo11r honour, praife,favour, good n1111Jt among-mm: andjirftof Cautions. THe next c~mmon end which naturally men purfue and feek after, and which we muft Deny, IS honour, praife,favour, good name. In profecut10n of this (as in thefor– mer) I lhall . ~ ( Cau1ions. gtve ome . Direction!. The Cautions arc thefc.-- I. That honour, praife, favour, gootj. name are the gifts and bleffings ofGod. Mofcs was honourable; and before Mofes was gathered unto his people, the Lord bade him .to put fomc of his honour upon 7o.Jhua, that all the congreaation oftbcchildren~~ Ifrael ' might be obtdient unto hrm. And God ble!fed the chtldrcn of lfrael themfclves with honvur, he made them high above all nations in pratfe, and in name~ and in hono11r. And becaufe Solomon begged wifdome of God, the Lord told him that he wouldgive him riches and honour to boot. Yea, that thefe arc Gods gifts, David in his prayer fpeak· eth expre!fely, both riches and honour come ofthee, and thtlu reigneft over aD. And for agood name which is true honour indeed, the Lord hath made a promifc; to his, that he willgive them in his houfe a place, and a name better then of(ons and ofdaughters, ats everlajling name that j/Milnot be cut ojf.-- Yea, he will malt.! them a nameaYda praifo among all the People of the Earth. Surelythefe arethebleffingsofGod, yea compa· rativelyfaraboveotherble!lings. Agood name•is better then prcciMs oimmmt. Yea, Jl good name iJ rather to be chofen thingreat richo, and loving favour rather thenJilverAnd gold. 2. Notwithftanding they are the bleffings of God, yet we mull: deny them for God, as ·in thefe cafes. I. \\Then they are as fnare~ or baites unto finne. And in all thofe, fc. honoNr,.praifo, favour;good name, there are dangerous fnares, how prone do they make a·man to thofe finn es ·of v'ain·glory, felf-exaltation, fQ!f-admiratiori, felf-cftimation i Surely_ it is a great

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