Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the joyetofheareea. 919 patiled a'itli all there ioyes,comforts and delights,is the con_ fummation and perfehion ofall our happines :: for as in this life God hath endued man with fuch a nature, that his will, heart andaffethons, embracing their loucd and liked ob- iefts, he is (weedy affehed with them, and hath his heart o- pened with ioy,that(as much as may be)it may receiue them into ir, and fo reioyce in their fruition; with which ioy and gladnes the heart is cheated, the health preferued, and the life prolonged ; fo he retaining (lilt his nature, and naturali facul ties, though in farre greater excellencie and perfeftion, cloth, when he leech his /ummum bowery; and chiefe happines, God inñnic in all perfeélion,with hiswill and foule embrace thismoll beloved obieel,and having his heart with -this hea- ucnlyvifion, filled with all ioy and gladneffe, it doch more and more dilate and enlarge it, to make an open entrance and paffage, for this chicle good which it moll dearelylo- ueth, that by a more full fruition ofit,there may be Bill grea- ter cau(e ofglorying and reioycing., And this is that peace andinflnitioy which isbegun in all the faithful', euen in this life ; when as knowing God in Chrifl, and being affured by faith of the pardon of our fins, of ourreconciliation, and re- couery of his loue and fauour, by our Sauiours perfeft and al- liifficient fatisfahion, and of chofe future ioyes which in our heauenly countric are prepared and referued for vs; we du ioy andreioyce in this knowledge and affurance, not on- ly when we enjoy worldly profperitie, but all() in our grea- tefl afffi &ions and perfecutions.Neither is the ioy and peace Rom.,.rg. ofthefaithful' in earth, ofa diners kind, and different na- tureto that which the Saints (hall haue in heauen; for the wholekingdome ofGod, comprifing both the kingdome ofgrace, and the kingdome ofglorie, is rishteoufneffe, peace, Rom,t4a7. and ioy in the holy Ghoi, as the Apoflle fpeaketh :but the dif- ferencebetweene them,is, in their degree and quantitie ; for as theknowledge, fruition, and loue of God is weake and impeded in this life; fo allo is our peace and ioy; betides that it is continually molefled and ditlurbed, with many cares, fearer, andgriefes, arifing both from the things with- out vs,and within vs;from all which imperfeftions and trou -- Nnn 4 hies