.,art 11. A 'S~Jnt ~r 4 Bruu.~ . l3~ hope,and love. And _with thofe ~hrifiians that have at~ained fiabi– lity and ft.rength,_ thefe CrJ'!forttng_graces a:epred~mmant : and their life 15 more mLove and Pr~ife, then tn vexatious fears and ;forrows:And it foould. be fo withal! believers :Love is the Heart of ;the new creaturc.lt is a life of.Love and .[o} and pr~~.ife that ~brill: .calls all his people to ; and forbids them all unneceffary doubts and·forrows; and keepeth them up fo fl:rictly from fin, that he may prevent their forrrnl's. And if you will .judge whether ·Helinefs be a·pleafant courfe, you mufi goeto the pre{cript, and .confiderthe natm'eand ufo of Holinefs, and look at thofe that live according to the mercies of the Gofpel ; and not look at the dejed:ions and forrows of thofe rhat grieve themfelves .by fwer– ·:ving from theway-ofHolinefs:as if you wouldjudge~thatHealdi is anpleafant, becaufe you hear aGc-k man groan. And yet even thefe weak and mournful Chrdlians uft:~ally ·have more joy then ·you. The very pre{ervAtien·oftheir fouls from that de[p11ir which fin wo1:1ld cafr them into if they·bad not a Chrifl to fly to, and .the little tafis of mercy whicb they have felt, and' che · revivi'ngs that rhey.tind between their forrows, and the hopes they have of obetrer ·days, are enough to weigh down all yopr pkafur.es aryd aH .their ownforrows. I 2. Lafily' confider that rhis is not the life uf perfect r OJ~ and therefore {orne{or'lows will be intermixt. Comfort will not be perfect till Holinefs be perfeCt ; and till we·arrive at the place .of perfect jrq. Wbacs wamingnoWwhi lewe Ii,·e in a troublefome malignant world,friall ilionly be made up in the Heavenly {er;t· fa /em, when we haveadmittance into our Ma/irrs joy. And then all the world fhall b~ eafily convinced, whether fin or duty, -a jlefoly Qr or Holy hfe,, bath the greater Pleafures and con-. t ents. Object But it" u not only 'the 'n'e~tkztefs ef prt~f(Jfors, h-ut' thB '.very way thatis prefcribed. them, that 1Mtft bear the blame; For the] arc commanded. to[aft, and. weep, and. mo1m:1. . Anjw_. 1. That is but with a medicinal necejfary forrrw, for prevemmg of agreater forro"PJ; as bitter medictnes and blood– letting, and Hri et diet, are for the prevention of death. God firft commande rh them to tak._e heed of fin, the caufe offorrow: But i£ theywill fall and break their bones~they mufi epdure the pain of f~~~!?g t~em again~ - · Uu
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