SPIRITUAL PEACE 'AND COMFORT. 277 sorrow for the neglect of them ; and if we may not rejoice in our graces, we may not lament the want of them ; (for these are as the two ends of the balance, that one goes down when the other goes up or as day and night, light and darkness.) But the consequent is intolerable. 15. This would overthrow all religión. For what a man cannot rejoice in, he cannot love, he cannot esteem, regard, be Careful to obtain, be fearful of losing, &c. 16. God delighteth' in our graces and holy duties, and is well pleased with them ; and therefore it is lawful andheedful that we do as God doth ; Jer. ix. 24. Heb. xi. 5. Abel's sacrifice by faith obtained testimony that he pleased God. " To do good, and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is Well pleased " Heb. xiii. 16. 17. The saints of God have not only tried themselves by their graces and duties, and commanded others to try by them, bût have gloried and rejoiced in their duties and sufferings. " This is our rejoicing, the testimonyof our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation ampng you;" 2Cor. i. 12. " They gloried that they were counted worthy to suffer. for Christ ; " Acts v. 41. " I have therefore whereof I may glory in Jesus Christ, in those things which pertain to God ; " Rom. xv. 17. " We glory in tribulation," &c.'; chap. v. 3. "Though I should desire to glory, I should not be a fool. I glory in mine infirmities ; " 2 Cor. xü. 6.9: " Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he un- derstandethand knoweth me ; " Jer. ix. 24. " Thad rather die than any should make my gloryingvoid ; "' 1 Cor. ix. 15. " Let every man prove his own work, so shall he hive rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another;'" Gal. vi. 4. 18. Scripture nameth many of our own graces and duties, as the certain marks of our justification and right to glory.. Even Christ, with his own mouth, gives us many; ¶' Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also ; " Matt. vi. 21. "He that doth evil'hateth the light, " &c. John iii. 10. Matt. v. is full Of such ; "Blessed are the poor in spirit, the pure in heart," &c. 19. We may rejoice in other men's good works and graces, (and do, if we be true Christians,) therefore in our own. 20. We may rejoice in God's outward mercies; therefore much more in inward, and such as accompany 'salvation. All these, argu- ments prove, that we may take up our comfort from our own gra- cious qualifications and actions, (not in opposition to Christ, but in subordination to him) and most of them prove that we may fetch our assurance of salvation from them, 'as undoubted evidences thereof. I have said the more inanswer to theseobjections, (1.) Because
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