The Preface. andobfervably carried quite above it felf to God ; and minded) More the Will and Intereft of God, then its 073,1? Confolation or Salvation : Not that We mug at any time lay by the care of our Salvation, as if it were a thing that didnet belong to us, or that we jbould feparate the ordinate Love of our fives: fpm the Love of God, or fet his Glory and our Salvation in an oppofition : But the Love of God, in this Degree, iJ fenfibly predominant, and we refer even our own Salvation to his Imereil and Will : In this Degree, a Chriftian is grown more deeply fenlible ; he is not his owls, but his that made him and redeemedhim ; and that his prin- cipal Rudy mill not be for himfelf, but for God ; and that his own insereft is in it /if an inconfiderable thing , in comparifon of the intereft of the Lord, and that Rewarding us with Confo- latiGn is Gods p,rt , and loving andferving him t.-s, ours (affifled by his grace) ' and that the diligent 'Judy and praRice, of . our duty, 6.2ed the lively exercife of Love to God, is thefureft way to our Conf.( lation In our liracorrupt eftate we are carelefs of our fculs andare taksn up with earthly cares. In oureftate of Preparation we are careful for our fouls,but meerlyfrom theprinciple ofSeli-love. In our firft Degree of the Rate of faving grace we have the Love of God in 114 ; but its little obrerved , by reafon of the paffionate fears and cares of our own falvation that moft take us up. in our feconddegree of holy Love, we.lookmore fenfibly after God, for himfclf , but fo that we are yet moll fenfibly minding the Intereft ofour ownfouls, andenquiring after affurance of fal- vation. In our thirdDegree of lavinggrace, weftill continue the care of our falvation and an ordinate felf-love ; but we arefen- title that the I-Iappinefs ofMany, evenofChurch and Common- wealth, and the Glory of God, and the accomplithment of his is incomparably more .excellent and defirable then our own felicity : And therefore we fet our felves to pleafe the Lord; and ftudywhat is acceptable to him, and how we may do him all the fervice that poffibly we can, being confident that he will look, our felicity while we look to our duty; and we cannot be ,jai ferable while we are whollyhis, and devoted, to his fervici. arenow more in the exercife of Grace, 74enhefore.ave were more in tryingwhether we have it: Before we were wont to fay, Oa that
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