A Difcourje of true happinef,'e. that either he inhis greateft agonies can defire,or the bowels ofGods tendereft compaflïons are wont to powre into bro- ken andbleedinghearts; and that the joyful! light ofhis Sa- viours countenance may breake foorth uponhis cloudy and drooping confcience, with farre greater brightne% then e- ver the cleereft Sunne upon the faceof the earth. Neither doe I purpofe the difcouragement of himwhobathhappily patted the fearefull,but neceflary pangsofremorfe for finnes; and hathalready (by thegrace of God) laid hold upon the meritsand mercies of Chrilt,bya true,though a weake faith. I with that his foule (asanew-bornebabe in Chrift) maybe touched withthe fmootheft hand of the molt wife and cha- ritable difcretion; and that it may bee nourithed with the fweetelt milke of the molt gracious and comfortable pro- miles. I ever efteemed it molt bloudy cruelty toquench the fmoking flaxe, or breake the knifed reed, or toadde for- row to him whom the Lord bath wounded; and therefore rather infinitelydelire to turne the fmoking flaxe intoabur- ning fire ofzeale; to refreth the weake and wounded heart, with fofceft oyle ofGods deareft mercies ; to make the bruifed reede a pillar ofbraffe, that it may hand ftrong, and ,lure at the day of tryall. Whereupon,I pronounce out of molt certainegrounds of Gods eternal truth, unto the weak- eft faith, iftrue and found; that the gates ofhell, with all the furie and maliceofthe princeand powers of darkeneffe, Ihall never prevaile againft it. That neither Angels, nor principalities, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor depthsbelow, nor heights above, nor the creatures of tenne thoufandworlds, £hall everbe able to workea repara- tion ofit from the infinite love of God, which firit plan- ted it in the heart; or a disjunction of it from Chrift , which infpires it continuallywith life, (pink, and motion. It is not difference of degrees and meafure, that takes a- way the nature andbeingof it. A fmall drop of water is as well andtruely water, as the whole Ocean : a little fparke is as truely fire, both in of fence andquality , as the mightieft flame : thehand of a little child may receive a Pearle,aswet C ; as
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