Vert. 22. thé firth Chapter to the ROMAN s. 145 put gladnefi in my heart , more than in the time that their corn and their wine inereafed; And Pfd. 63.3. Becauf thy lovingkindnefi it better than life, my lips fhall praif thee. 3. As God will owne them, fo Confcience Ipeaketh peace and comfort to them, that have their fruit to Holinefs. Before our full and final reward we have this folace , that our own hearts do not only acquit us , but approve what we do, and a. holy courfe of Life is ufually rewarded with peace of Confcience 5 it is not only without offence, Act, 24. 16. Herein do I exercife my felf to bave always a confcience void offence towards God and towards man : but it breedeth Joy , 2 Cor. I. 2. Our rejoycing it this., the teflimony of our confcience , that in fmplicity and godly fncerity, not with flefhly wifdom, but by the grace of God , we bave had our converfation in the world. On the contrary , mens hearts finite and reproach them for their fins , and the breaches they make in their Duty yob 27. 6. My heart (ball not reproach me as long as I live ; the words imply , that the heart hath a reproaching and condemning power, when we do evil, we (hall fenlìbly find it, by accufiog thoughts within our felves, Rom. 2. 15. Their confcience alfo bearing witnef, and their thoughts in the mean time accufing, or elfe excufing one another. Confcience muff be better ufed, before it will fpeak a word of well - grounded peace to a man. They that keep the thorn in the foot , will never walk without pain. If you would prevent the checks and upbraidings of your own Confciences , you muff take away the caufes and occafrons thereof, walk fo that our hearts may not reproach you. Do you take care of your Duty ,. and God will take care of your Comfort 5 but if you give way to fin, Confcience will awaken upon you. 4. Our Title to the heavenly Inheritance is more clear, and our Right confirmed by Holínefs. There is fdnefs of joy referved for Gods People, Pfd. 16. 1 r. and if we look to the end, it mutt needs make the way the more pleafant and comfortable; efpecially when we have by Faith a lively forefight of this endlefs Glory and Ble(fednefs, Heb.1 t. t; Faith is the fubflance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not f en : and by Hope and Love a foretafte of it , Rom. 5.2. We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God. Bleffed will the time be , when ye (hall be for ever with the Lòrd , and fee his Glory ! and this is the end of the way you walk in. Alas I others can never have folid comfort , they know where they are, but know not where they (hall be when they dye they mutt into an unknown World , and which is worfe to an unknown God of whofe Love they ne= ver had any Tafte or Experience : But thofe that live always in the fight of the World to come, and keep themfelves in the way that tendeth thither , and look continually when God will tranflate them into his immediate Prefence, they have the Fòretaffe be- fore they have the Injoyment: the Promife is matter of joy to them , which is Gods Grant, Pfd. 119. 1 I. Thy tefiimonies have I taken its an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoycing of my heart. The way they walk in is matter of Joy to them, becaufe that con- . firmeth their Right, 1 Tim 6. 12. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art alto called, and haft profiled a good profeffion before many witnes. While they are in the way, they look to the end of their Journey while running their Race , they fee a Crown fet before them; the very Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love are pleafant, Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, *bat ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghoff. r Per. r. E. Whom ha- ving not feen, ye love, in whom , though now ye fee him not , yet believing ye rejoyce'with joy unfpeakable and full of glory. Well then, who live the more pleafant lives, they that walk upon the brink of Hell every moment, or the Heirs of Eternal Life and Happinefs, who have an Heaven to wait for. 5. They have eafier Accefs to God, or more free Communion with him here thati others have; becaufe there is nothing to hinder, neither on Gods part, nor theirs. God bath affured them of Audience and Welcome , and they have in a great meafure over- come their legal Bondage, fo as they are not thy of God , nor (land aloof from him; they do not allow themfelves in the omiffion of any known Duty, nor in thecommif- liion of any known fin, and are fincere, though not perfe t, r yob. 3. a I, 22. If our hearts condemn us not, then bave we confidence towards God. And whafoever we ask,. we receive of him , becaufe we keep his commandments, and do the things which are pleáing tit his fight. Two things obfirn& our ready accefs to God, our own Guiltinefs, and Goat Terror. Our own Guiltinefs (traitens the heart ,. and flops the mouth , and makes us afraid and flay of God :. but they who are renewed and pardoned , come out of this flare of bondage, their hearts do not condemn them for living in any known difobedi= ence to God, or courfe of fin, which whofoever doth, carrieth his fling and his wound about him, and is fubject to tormenting evils and legal fear. On Gods part, he is re- T t t t t conciled 4
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