How to delight our fel"Ves in God. DIRECT. XIII. ·Gr.Dir-IJ· Diligently labour that God and Holinefs may be thy chief 'DELIGHT: and tllu f~'G~f'ei'g" holy 'DELIGHT may be t!Je ordinary temperament of tby !J\!ligion. Direllion.J for D E L I G H 1 ING our felvtt in God. D' ell. I. ~- I. Direct. I. Rightly 'underftand "''JJI Dtlight in God it;., that you muj! f<•k.. and txtrcife. lt o~rEmhufi· is not a mee.r {tnfitive Delight, which is exc:rcitt:d _about the objects of fon[e a!lick impref- or ph:mtafir, and iscommon to beafis with men : Nor is it the delight/ of immediate intuition of God, fi1)m1hl~e fuch as the b1dfed have in Heaven~ not is it an Entb,fiajficl( delight, confilting in irration.2l rapturu, fa1d;o;; ~n and joys wbich we can give no accoun1 of the Reafon of them. Nor is it a Delight inconfillent wich ;:; th~rc~~~15 forrow a~d {e11r, when they are duties: But it is the folid rationalcomplacencicof the foul in God and ofChurch di- Holinefs, at iCing from the apprehenfions of that in him, which is jufily deldhble to u~: And it is fut:h yiriom, ~nd in as in cjfim~tion. of iu object, and inward complacency and glMlnea, though not in parfionate joy or ~?ei;;:~;;c~n mirth,_ mu.fi excc~ our dtligiJt in temporal pleafure; and mtut be the t1Jd of all our humiliations and other books. other mfenor dutu:s. Direll. 2 • §. 2· Direct. 2· Vnderjland bow much of thiJ holy Delight may bt h'fcd f"" on earth. Though too many Chrifiians ti:el much more fear and farrow in their Religion than Delight : yet every true Chri– fii ..m doth ejteem Gud. more Delellable, or fit, and worthy of his Dtli~btJ, if he ~ould. enj:1y him ; whertas to the carnal, fldhly things do feem more Ji• to be their Delights. And though moi\ Chri– Hians reach not very high in their DeligbtJ in God, yet God hatlt preicribed us fuch meanJ in which, if we faithfully ufed them we might reach much higher: And this much we might well expect: I. So much as might make our lives incompuably more quiet, Contented and ple'atam to us, than are the lives of the greatell or happieft worldlings. 2. So much aS· might make our tboughtJ of God and the . life to come to be ready, welcorn, pleafartt thoughts td us. 3· So much as m1ght greatly prevail againfi our inordinate griefs and fears, and our backwardncfs to dutie5, and wearinds in ~ht:m; and might make Religion an ordinary Pleafure, 4• So much as might take off our hanker!Hg ddire afrlr unnecelfary recreations and unlawful pleafures cf the flefh. 5· So much as mighr fwctten all our mer– ·cies to us, with a fpititual perlume or rtli!h. 6. So much as might make Come fufferlngs joyful, and the refi more eafie to us • 7· And fo much as might make the thoughts of death lefs terrible eo us, and makeus ddire·ta be with Chrifi. ' ' ' \_t Dircli. . 9· 3· Dire&.~· Vnderj!~nd ."'hat thmu in God and. .Ei,lintfi whi7h i< {it to be lht !'[oul1 Delight. Pf>l 99 . L. As '; Behold hun m the rnfimte perfections. of h!S Btt~g~. h!S Om~•pole~ce,. Omn•kJtnce, and hJS 1 Chro. 1 6. 34 . Goodnefs, his Holmtfs, Eterruty, tmmutabJhty, &c. And as your eye dehghteth m -an excellent ::. Chro. S· 13. pl8urC", or a comely bu"ilding, ot tielcl.s, 01: gardens, ndt~btcaufe they dre jouri, bur b'e~aufc: they are a l'ft >r- 7· delef!"ble abje8 to thet'}t; (o let your tllinds·ddight thetftl<lves in God co11fidered i• him[elf, as the on· ~ 1~81j 4 . ly obJecrof higheft delight. z, D.tigh< your felvc!i alf11in his Ref.livl Atiributu, i'i whrch is ex• pf,J. 9 ,.'4, 5 preffql· his Goodnrji to his Cre•turtJ: A! hls &llfuffi<iency', 1aild faiihfulr\'ds IJr midi, his lienignity, his &: 1;6 4· rricrcy, .,and compaffion, 'and patience to firtnets; ana llis juHice tidto :HI. ·p. Dd:g~r yoot fc!ves in & '" 1> 6 •7• him- as his Glory appearolh iM his >~>ondrous works'; of Creation and daily Provid>rtce; ,. 4·. Ddlgnt "' u.& ';~:your felve. in. him as he is Rel'ated to y!ni as you! God and.•Father, and, h lll yot\1 ih(c?2fl, Hopeand Job !6.>4 >6. happinefs is in him alone. • 5· Delight ybur fe!vts ih 1tim_as hi! excell~ncit's !hine f<lrt'h!h,l\is b!elfrd l'fal. Io,. "· Son. . 6. And as they ~p~ear in the ,wir~om and g'~dn~:r.JQf',,his WotW, in' ~it the prt:~lpJ$ and pra– ~,·1~46 ''6. ?'ifes of the Gofpel. Tfolm. i I9·· Il>z. Jer. '.5· r6: 7· De!tght fhj< fetf 1n hi< fhl.t~tlhough bur Rev. t. ~. 1mperfedly prmtcd on thy foul; ~nd alfo on h1s holy fervams. Gal. 2. 20. 1 Cor. J 5· 10. 2 Cor.J.I8. }oh, 15 . 9 . S. Delight your fdvc:s in the conhderarion of the Gkry which he hath from all his creatures, and rhe Gal.'· 2o. univcrfal fuUfiling of hi< wiU: As the profperity and happinefi of your friend ddighteth you, and Eph. 1 · 17' 18 · the fuccefs of any excellent enterprifes, and the praife ot €Xcellent things and pt"rfons, and as you &1. 6'iS~~!~ have a fpecial delight in the fuccds of truth, and the flouri01ing order, and unity, and peace, and Pf.·d. 1;o. 6,7. profperity of Kingdoms, efpecially of the Church, much more than ln your perfimal profperity (1m~ Ffal. 9'-l' 9· lefs you._bave fel.fifh, privare, bafc unmanly difpofitions ) ; fo much more thould you dt!ight in the & 94• "· G!ory~na HJppintji of God. 9· Delight your fclves in the {afety which you have in his fav<ur and ~ Jt; 68. defence • and the treafury which you havr. in his AUfufficiency and Love, for your continual fi1pplies &: 91 , 1: 9 • in every want and delivtrance in every danger; and the ground of quiet conrenrednefs and confidence & ~7· 1. which is offered to fearful fouls in him. 10. Delight your felves in the puticul:u difcoveries of his & 59· 16 • common mtrcin to the world, and his JFrcial mercies to his fointr, and his perj7m.:J/ mercies to )'our :C:t~S~~i:tL felvu, from your birth to this moment; both upon your fouls, and bodies, and frienJs, and names, & 11 6. 1,1,3· and elbtes, and affairs in all rebtions. 11. De: light your felves in the Priviledge you enjoy of[pea},– & ro3. t,:.,,. i11g to him, and of' him, and beari11g from him, and adoring and worfhipping him, and fingi.ng, and &66. 1 11 16 · publilhing his Praife, and in the communion which your fouls may have wich him through Chrilt, J 7 & H· 1 J 1 ' on his Days,. and at all times1 in his {icraments and in all your lives. And fay as Solom~n, • 1 Kings 8. 27'
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