130 Diftourfe of`true happineffe. wardpeace ; heprefntlyapprehends them by thewatchfull eye of,his fpirituall wifedome ; examines themby the law of God, arraigns them in the confiftory ofan illightned con- fcience, and fo cuts them off in time by thepowerofgrace,, and fwordof the fpirit ; that is, byoppofing againft themat the firít riling in the heart (by prefentrepentance)prayer,and . after-watchfi llneffe; he bleffedly rids hhimfelfe of the mife- ries, anddiftraaion ofprophane and troublefome thoughts, That this isno Idea, I nowpropofe unto you ; howfoever it fo be toeveryunregenerate man, and fo when heheares it, he conceivesofit ; for littleknowes bee what adoe every child of Godbathwithhis thoughts; I fay, that this is no Idea,or idle abltraaion, appeares pregnantly and . plentifully in ` DavidspraFtice ; whoforall the ftrong eñticements,or dinarily incident to the pleafures of a Court, and naturali liberty ofPrinces; although the cares and 4waight of a Kingdome lay upon him, and that his Royall innocency was ftill haunted and affailed with fuch indignities and, vexations, which might almoft.have fwayed theblelfed and quietthoughts of a glorious Angell to diftraaion and dif contentment ; yet for all this,the LawofGod didfäll princi- pally take up his heart, and that dayand night. Gods. Word and workes, his ftatutes and judgements, were meate and drinke unto his minde, and hismeditation continually, as is. more thenplain in manyplaces ofthe t T9. Pfalme. O, faith be in the, z 3. portion, how lope I thyLaw 1 it ùmy meditation¢ co tinually. So nnexpreff ble heere was his pang of holy love untoGods Law, that he prefixeth aparticle ofzeale, and extraordinarypalfìon : O (faith hee:) And where the heart bath once truly and fixedly fet its love, there all the thoughts feaft themfelves with deareft apprehenfions, and with greateftimpatiency of all other i-mployment. This is . thevery cafe then of all Gods fervants; they meditate on the Word ofGod molt contentedly and continually,. becaufe theylove itfarre before and above all earthly things ;; and fo dearely doe they love it; becaufe in it with fpeciallfecu- rity_areconveyed unto them all the rich treafures ofmercy, . remillion y
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