P~ut tr;. ~· St:lnt ,,. "A'Bruie; it u afPort tb do.m!fchief, Prov.. 1 o. 2 3. and _fo jrtat a mifchief .u-· fin u: and yet bruh no delight tn underflandmg, Prov. I 8. 2. De.._; . lightun~tfeemly(or fuc-hfeels, Prov.19~ 10.. . Andhowwick$d ts that Hu~rt as well as Bbnd,that 1s fo aver{c to God and Holinefs? ·Doth not this fbew thee, I. The abfence of Gods holy image, z. And the prefence of Satans image 11pon· thy foul · ?~ . · . . . . . · Nothing doth more certamly prove-what a man 1s, then the 'complacencJ and difplacency of his'Heart. If you knowwhat it is in your felves or others , that pleajeth and difpl~afc th mofi, you may certainly know whether you have the fptnt and grace of Chrifi or not . . This.is the durable infallible E'llidence, which ~a...-· tan (hall never be able to invalidate, and which the weakell: Chri- · {tian~ can {c~rt:e tell how to deny in tb~mfelves : Could they be more Hol], it wouldple4c them better then to bemore rich :Could ·. they believe rmre , and Lo'l:Je Gsd more, and trujf him more, and ()bq ·him.better, it wouldplea/e them more then if yon. gave them ' all the honours of the world : ·They are never fo ·we/J pleafed · with their own he.trts, :;1s when they_find them neareft,Heaven, and : have moft ' of ihe Knowledge of God, and imprds of his attri~ . butes, and fenfe of his prefeilce. They are never fo well pleAjed : with their li.ves, as when they are mofi holy and fruitful, and may fuHyefi be called Awalkjng with God. They are never fo ' much di fp!eafed with themfelves , as when they find leajl of God : upon their beans, and are moit aar/is, and.dull; and un~ifpo[ed · to holy Communion with him. They are never fo much weary of , · themfelves, as whet! t_heir lives are leafl fruitful, holy and exact. . And this is a certain Eviden-ce of theili fincerty : For it fhew5 · / -what they Lvve, and wl!lat it is that bath their Hearts -or Willt~ And it is the He.-trt or Will that is the mttn; in Gods a<i:counr.·. God takes a man to be what he fincerely woul-dbe. As he u-:,-fa he · .LevethandWilleth ·: and as he Lovcth 'and Wiiie-th ; fuch he ·h• . Hi!l complttcency or difpl.rcency -are the i11Jmedi11te f ure -di.fcoverie·s • of his bent -or irzolination : .This certain-Evidence poor . doubting :\ :fouls fbould.have oft: rccourfe,to; .and improve• . And orrthe eontr·ary, it is ·as fure an E~i~ence of .your mifery~ . when )Oufavour nqt ·the thingJOj the Spirit·, Ro-m. s:) ,.6;7. and i when it ple4ethyou more to begr,e4t·, rh er.~ to begood;- tO be rich~ . tben to be religious and rilf.hteom, ; to ferve ye>ur Jujf:t; then · to ' · f~r~~ -~h~-!-o~~ ~ Wh~~ you fet l)lore byth~ app/Piu[c cf men, then 1 ' U..u 3) bj.J
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