Bolton - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.B65 A2 1641

Lit Difcorirfeoftrue bappine. a print or skarre ofthefe wofull and wounded thoughts, ap- peare in theheart of the formali Hypocrite. Thishell upon earth,is only palled thorowby the heiresofheaven,while the childrenofhellhavecommonly their heaven upon earth. 2. Secondly,thoughts b compofed all ofpure comfort,joy, heaven, immortality, the fweet and lovely iffaes ofthe Spirit ofadoption. Thefe flowonly from the fountaine of grace, and fpringup in that foulealone, which having newly paf- fed the ftrange agonies, and fore pangs of the new- birth, is prefently bathed in theblood ofChrift, lulled in the bofome ofGods dearthmercies; and fecured with the feale, and fe- cret imprefl'ionofhis eternall love and facred Spirit;not only from therage ofhell,but alloofaneverlafting and royall in- heritance above. O the heart ofthe unregenerateman is faire too narrow, bafe, and earthly, to comprehend the unmixed pleafures, theglorious Sun-thine ofthofeblef!ed and joyful! thoughts, which immediately follow upon the flormes of feares and terror,ordinarily incident to afound converlion I 3. Thirdiy,thoughts of fpirituall ravithment, and unutte- r2blerapture,flafhes ofeternal!light, railed fometimes in the heartsoftheSaints,and occalionally infpired by the Spirit of all and endlefl-ecomfort ; which with unconceiveable amaze- ment andadmiration feedupon, and fill themfelves with the joyes ofthe fecond life, in filch an uncouth extafie and ex- ceff ,as is farce above,and without the compaffe and conceit ofall worldly comforts, the tongue ofAngels, or heart of man. In this point, I appeale to the confcience of the true Chriftian (forI know full well thatall my Difcourfe is a pa- rable and paradox to the prophane) whetherhe bath not fometimes as it were a Seaof comfort rained upon his heart, ina fweet íhowre from heaven ; andfilch a fenfible taRe of theeverlafting pleafures,bytheglorious prefence of inward 139 a I do not hereby exempt theftateof unregene- ration from all trëblings & terrors of conici ence for finne ; but only make it a privi- ledge of Codschil. dren, to paffe quite thoro w them into thefpiritu- all plea- Lures, and paradifeof the King. dome of grace, and to be able with an holy a- mazemèt & thanke. fulneffe to look back upon the skars and prints of thofe for., met woúds of a truly humbled and broken heart,alreadyhealed, and 6/wetly clofed up with the blond of Chrift.wheras is ochers,they commonly either work but a halteconverfion, are expelled vvth outwardmirth,or end in defpaire. b I meane thofcblefhed 1hi rings of the heart unfpeakable and glorious,when the Peale of remiflionof finnes is firft fet unto the foule by the Spirit of adoption. L jy

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