How great a dt~ty praijing' God u. 175 upon the foul; and therefore tcndcth moll effeCtually to make us more holy, by the encreafe of rhcfe graces. . . . §. l9· 7 .1 0 be m11cb cmpl")''d in tbi Praife of God, dotb tend rx:ccdmgly to the v~11quijbmg of aY fJtmf 11 l d 1111 b 11 , 1111 d fc,;r 1 , and {ttrrows. Jt'l and Praifr promote. nch other ; And thts tt doch 1- By keeping rhe foul near to God, and WJ_dnn the war~th of .h~s love :md ~oodnefs, Pfal. 140. I3• 2 , By the cxcrcifc of Love :md Joy, whtch arc the cordul, rcvtvJ~g, ~rt:ngthnm~ graces, Pfa/. 94~ I9· & 1 :6. 1 • ; . By diJfipating dillrullful vexing thoughts~ and ?1vcrtmg the mmd to fwe~tcr r_htngs, l'fa!. 104 . 3 4 • 4· By kecpingotf the Tempter .; who u{ually ts lca_H a?le to follow u_s With hts mo– kfiatiom, when we are higheH in the pr'iifes of our G_C?d· s· ~y brmgmg out the Ev1dences of our 1inccri:y into the light, while th~ chi<:fdl grJ.ces arc m exerctfe, 2 Cnr. 3 r8. 6. And by way of P.eward from God that loveth the Praifa'J of his me:mefi fervant~. And here I would comrn.:nd this experiment to uncomfortable troubled fouls, thatha_vc not fo_und comfOrt by _lo~g fcarching after cvidct~ce in themfelves. Excrcife your fdvcs tnuch m the Prai{c1 of God: Thts IS aduty that you .Q have no pretence againll. Againfi Thank.fgi•'ing for his grace, you pr~tcnd thl~ you ~norr not that you bave received hH grace: But eo prili{e him in the excellency of hts pcrfeCbons, htspower, and wifdorn~ and goodnets, and mercy, and truth, is the duty of all men in the world. While you are doing this, you will f,el your graccsHir, and feel that comfort from the fac~ of God, which you arc not likr to meet with in any other way whatfoever. Evidences are exceedmg ufcful to our ordinary tlatedpeace and comfort": But it is oft long before we confidently di{cern them: and they are oft difcerned when yet the foul is not excited eo much fenfe of comfort and delight : and we quickly lofe the figbt of euidcnca, if we be not very wife and cueful : But a life ofprai[e bringeth .r;tt comfort to the foul, as Handing in the·Sunlhine bringeth ligb.t and warmth : Or as labouring cloth · warm the body: or as the fight and converfC of our dearel\ friend, or the hearing of ghd tydingc; doth rejoyce the heart; without any great reafoning or ar~uing the cafe. This is the way to have comtOrt by frrling, to be much in the hearty praifa of the Lord : When we come to Heaven we !hall have our Joy, by immediate Vifion, and the delightful txrrcife o! L'"' and Praife: And if you would taHe the Heavenly Joyes on earth, you mull imitate them in Heaven as near as poffibly you c.1n: And this is your work of ncarcfi imitation. §. 2c. 8. To live a life of praiji~tg God wi.U ma~ Rcligio11 [wcet and c.l}it tc ztr, and talzt off tht n:eurjfomnt{r of it, and mak_.e the worlz of God a pleafun to zu. Whereas they rhat ftt themG:lvts only to the works of humiliation, and leave out the(e foul· delighting exercifcs, do cJCi: themfdves into exceeding dangcr,by making Religion {Cem to them a grievous and unddirable life. This makes men bJckwJrd to every duty, and do it heartldly~ and ealily yield to temptations of omHTion and neg~ led, if not at lafl: fall off through wearine:fs : whereas the foul that is daily employed in the high and holy Prayfes of his God, is flill drawn on by encouraging experience, and doth all with a willing ready mind. §• 2 r. 9· No duty iJ more plea[ing to God, tban the cheerful Pr.zifer of hi1 Scrvantr: He lovech your prayers,tears a td groans; but your Prai{c1 much more: And that which pleafetli God moft mull he moll pleafing to his fervants: For to plca{t him is their End: This is the End of all their labour, . that whether pre{ent or ~bflnt, they ma)' be accepted of him. 2 Cor. 5 9· So that it is a final tnj,ying, and thcretore a defightmf!, duty. • §. 22. 10. Tobe mucb cmpJ,ryed in the Prai{t1 of God, wiU acqu,int tbt WJrld witb tbe nature of true Religion, and remove tbtir prejudice, and con{1tte th.:ir dijhonour;~bl~ tbougbu andaccufationJ of it, and recover the IJonourof Chrift, and hi1 h{)ly wayes, and fervant/. M.1ny are averfe to a holy life, becaufe they think that it confifieth but of melanchully fears or fcmpulofity : But who dare open his mouth againfi the joyful praiftr of his M.tker ? I have heard and read of feveral enemies and murderers that have br~ke in uponChrifiians with an. intent to kHl them, ?I carry them away, that finding them .on then knees m prayer, and rcverencmg the work fo much as to fiay and hear them till they had done, have reverenced the peifons alfo, and departed, and durtl not touch the heavenly wor . !hippcrs of God. This life of praife is a continual pleafure to the foul; clean contrary to a Melan– cholly life' It is recreating to the Spirits, and healthful to the body, which is confumed by cares, and .tears,and farrows. It tS the way that yieldeth that mirth which tkth good lik.! amcdicinf, and is a conunual feaft, ProV.Ij·22. & 15·15· Therefore faith the Arofile, Jamu )·13· I! an)' merr)'? Let him Jing Pfaltn_J· He cannot ~tter exe~cife ~irtb, than in finging praifes to h1s God. This keeps the foul co~unually on the wmg, definng {hll to be nearer God, that it may have more of th<:fe delights : And fo 1t overcomes the fenfe of perfecutions and affii6l:ions, and the fears of death ; and is a mofi excellent cordi~l and cornp~nion in the greateH fuffe:rings. Was it not an excellent hearing, to have been a Wttncfs of the JOY ofP11td and Silar, when in ~he Prifon and Stocks, with their backs fore with fcourgos, they fang at. midnight the praifes of the Lord! A11s 16. 25. fo that all the doors were opened, and all rh: pnfoners bonds were loafed, that had been their auditors; fo great was Gods acceptance of thCir work. 0 that we would do that honour and right to true Religion, as to !hew the world the na;ure and ufeof it, by-living in the cbmful Prai[<s of our God, and did not teach them to blafpherne It by our m1f-doings 1 I have fai~- che ~ore of the excellency an~ benefits of this work, becaufe it is one of your hefr hel.Ps ~o p,r,o~t~ 1t, to know the R~a[uns of.tt,_a~d how much of your Religion, and Duty, and com– fort coufi!lcth m Jt : and the forgettmg of thiS, IS the common caufe that it is fo boldly and ordinarily ne~;lc6ted, or flubbered over as it is. Aa
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