146 SERMONS upon Serro. XXII. conciled to fuch as make Confcience of Holinefs , and they may obtain at his hands whatever in Reafon and Righteoufnefs they ask of him ; he hath given them Liberty by his new Covenant-Grant and Charter, founded in the Blood of Chrift ; the Covenant is large and gracious , and their Claim Arm and fore , and therefore they come boldly unto him. But now Gods Prefence, which is the comfort of the Faithful , is the bur- den of the carnal and the guilty , terrible to them that live in fin , and therefore they think they are never better , than when they are furthelt off from God. Well then, you fee to have our Fruit to Holinefs is the pleafure and comfort of our Lives, for then we maintain our liberty in Prayer, and our confidence towards God , there is an open door of accefs to admit us to God, and free and full Communion with him. 6. Their Work is more eafre, becaufe it is not done againft the bent of the Heart, but it is the courfe of Life which they have chofen, Pfal. 40. 8. 1 delight to do thy will, O God, yea thy Law is within my heart. 1 Joh. 5. 3. This ís the love of God, that we keep his commandments , and his commandments are not grievous. And alfo for this reafon, becaufe it is their ufual practice, and that which they are verfed in : Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord isfirength to the upright. Others with much ado bring their hearts to do a little good , but the more we walk in Gods ways, the more we may ; one part ofgodlinefs helpeth another , and the more we obey God , the more we are fitted to obey him. As in a Watch-there are many wheels, and the one doth protrude and thruft forward another, the motion could not be fo confiant and orderly, if there were fewer wheels in it : So there are many Duties implied in Holinefs , and one maketh another eafie , and one Duty puts forward another , as Hearing fits us for Prayer , and Prayer for Praítice, and frequent and continual Pra &ice maketh the whole work go off the more roundly. Or as in the Body , labour begets an appetite , and when we have an appetite , food is more pleafant, and that helpethdigeftion , and that flrengthens us to labour again : So the more we exercife our felves to godlinefs, one part and degree fits for another, whereas Chriflian Duties are difficult and tedious, when men deal fuperfici- ally with God,becaufe the difficulty ever continueth, the work is not throughly minded. Partly alto for this reafon , becaufe the more Holinefs prevaileth , the more the rebelling Principle is curbed , and maketh leali oppofition, and is more weak and ineffeítual to tempt and draw us from God , Gal. 5. 16. Walk after the Spirit, and ye (hall not fulfil the lofts of the flefh. If you be fincere and true to Gods intereft, and cherub the better part, and follow the motions and direetions of it, the fle(h will languifh and dye away by degrees. There is yet a fourth reafon, Gods bleffing goeth along with our fincere refo- lution to walk in his ways; for as he punilheth fin with fin , fo he delighteth to reward Grace with Grace , and to crown his own work , Ifa. 58. 13, 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleafure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable, and (halt honour him, not doing thy own roar , nor finding thine own pleafure , nor f eating thine own words. I hen fhalt thou delight thy Pelf in the Lord. Pfal. 27. 14 Wait on the Lord , and be of good courage , and he (hallfirengthen thine heart, wait, 1 fay, on the Lord. The way to pray is to pray, to delight your felves in God is to delight in him. Pluck up your fpirits, take courage , and God will give you courage for every holy action, and reward it with a new fupply of Grace, whereby ftrength is renewed, and the Duty fincerely performed , bringeth its Grace and Hope along with it. Well, a Life fpent in Holinefs muff needs be a pleafant Life, becaufe the more we mind it , and let about it, (till the work is more eafie , it is the partial fu- perfidal obedience that is difficult , and the hard heart that makes our work hard : For when men are biaffed with flefhly Lulls, and are not eaftly, nor without much ado per - fwaded to let about Religion in good earneft, they are only acquainted with the toil, but never with the comfort , Confcience is hilI urging them to do that which they have no heart to do. 7. Thofe that have their Fruit to Holinefs, all their Mercies and Comforts are more fweet, becaufe they have them from Gods Love, and they ufe them for his Glory. 1. They have their worldly Blefftngs from Gods Love, a Covenant -Right is firstly much fweeter than a bare Providential Right, 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. All things are yours, for you are Chrifis, and Chrift is Gods. That is a Covenant- Right, when we have thefe things not only by the fair leave and allowance of his. Providence , but as fruits of his fatherly Love in Chrifi. We find molt fweetnefs in the Creature, when our perlons and ways are pleating to God, God accepteth thy works; Ecclef. 9.7. Alas ! others who are not reconciled to God, have their portion fowred by remorfe of Confcience , God may give them a liberal (hare of thefe outward things, but this is all, they mutt look for no
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