Good to 6e informed about true bleffedneffe, in this when you frll give up your names to Chriíl; That what - foever afietions and miferies you indure in the world, yet there is a happineffe wherein you may be bleffed, you will ne- ver hold on in the profeffion of Chriffian Religion, but you will be offended and in a finali time call it all off. Chrift doth not fay, you ought to be poore in fpirit, it is your duty to hunger and thirfl', and to besneeke : No, he doth not come that way, But 6lef ed are the poore in fpirit, and blef- fed are they that hunger and thirft .; he goes by way of com- mendations of what fhould be in them, rather then by way of exhortation, or threatning the contrary. From whence we may learne this Note : That it is a very ufefull and profitable way for the Miniflers of the Gofpel to Peek to gain people to the love ofwhat is their duty,by chewing them what is the excel- lency and glory of it, and what good and happineffe they (hall come to enjoy by it,that's the way,not altogether to be meerly in laying the burden of a duty, in exhorting or threatning for want of the duty, though thefe things are feafonable in their times, but a main thing that Miniflers of the Gofpel fhould ayme at should be to convince people that in what is required of them there is a bleffednefe, for if we fhould get people to let upon duty meerly upon necety , becaufe they muff be done, this would do but little good, and they would be ready to fall off from what they doe ; But now if we can gain peo- ple not only to do what God requires, but to be in love with what God requires, that they may fee there is an excellency in it,that they may fee they are bleffed by it, we then gain their hearts to the duty and to Chriil for ever. And yet there is one note more, from this fcope of Chr ill in his bletfednefe: That Chriil Both not here begin his Sermon thus, Bleffed are thofe that do believe in me,and thaç are .godly and righteous;why Both not Chrill fpeak of bleffed- nefle that way in generali, of righteous men, of beleevers, of Saints, but thofe that are poore, thofe that hunger and thirfl, thole that mourn, theyare the bleffed ones; Why this is be- caufe
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