The Excellency of Religion, I03 you under, and you goe on mourning, and through the grace ofGod you can deny your felves thofe fenfttall comforts that others let out their hearts unto, be no di fcouraged but go:; on and bleffe thy felfe in thy God, bleffe thy felfe in this, that Chrift bath iaid concerning thee that certainly thou shalt be comforted : Thus I have but run through the very heads of thofe things that may give a little light to the open- ing oftlrefewords. But that which I bad thought to have fettled On all thould have been the application of it,for to have fpoken to the people of God,,andto be force helpe to their comfort that Jefus Chrift wouldbave comforted, for if Jefus Chrift bath faid that thy fhall be comforted,it cloth concerne all men to comfort then; and efpecially the Miniftera of Chrift, I (-hall only fpeake a word ortwo for the prefent to that which concerns us all from what bath been delivered. Firít, younnay fee that there is a great Beale of excellency in Religion and godlineffe, why it is that that will make the mournfulleft condition in the. world to be comfertable,1uppo:e a manor woman had -loft all that ever they had, if they be god- ly, Religion will thew how they fhall be bleffed in this condi- tion, for they are bleffed before their comfort comes, to that thofe that are godly their faddeftcondition cannot hinder their bleffednef e, when others in the world fhall wring their hands - for their lodes be very fad,thou mayefl be fattsfied in this,. I have not loft my happineffe, thou may& fay, I have loft my eflate, and loft all outward comforts wherein I took fo Much delight, yet thou canft not fay that thou haft loft thy bleffed- neffe, thy bleffednef e is-not in any creature comfort, but it is in thyG,od,be.not flay therefore and afraid of zodLy forgo becaufe it brings trouble and afilie ion unto thee ; Be not de- luded with this temptation, for it is a temptation of Saran, whereby many foules are kept in bondage, and- kept of from the:wayes of God, that therefore when once they come hito the wayes ofGod, they think they (-]ìál1 never have merry day, a Orel- 4,1am yet we fee that there is comfort, abundance of comfortpronouncedby Clarify himfelfe even unto that duty which
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