Direrri. I . Of SanEl (cation. 149 Fourthly, The nature of the duties of the law re- quireth a comfortable Rate of the foul for the perfor- mance of them. I have before proved fuificiently, that they require a perfuafon of our reconciliation with God, and of our future happinefs, and ftrength whereby we may be able to-walk in holy obedience: Jofhua muff be flrong and very courageous, that he might obferve to do according to the law that Mo- fes, the fervant of the Lord, commanded him, Jo- fhua i. ¡. Ifhall inflance briefly in thecornforts,with- out which, feveral great duties Cannot be fincerely performed. Can we love God, and delight in hire above all, while we look upon him as our everlafting enemy, and apprehend no love and mercy in him to- wards us, that may render him a fuitable good for us, and lovely in our eyes? What doleful melody will the heart make in the duty of prafe, if we account, that all thole perfeaions for which we praife him, will rather aggravate our mifery, than make us happy ? What a heartlefs work will it be to pray to him, and to offer up ourfelves to his fervice, if we have no com- fortable hope that he will accept of us? la it poffible for us to free ourfelves from carking cares,by calling our care Upon theLord, if we donot apprehend hecar- eth fora? Can we be patient inafili;lion,with cheer- fulnefs,and under perfecu.tions,except we have peace with God, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God ? Ro. v. i, 2, 3. What reafon can perfuade us to fub- mit willingly according to our duty, to the ftroke of prefentdeath, if God bepleafed to lay it upon us, when we have no comforts to relieve us againit the horrible fear of intolerable torments in hell for ever ? If we lhould be called to fuffer martyrdom for the Proteftant religion, as our ancetlors in this nation have done, we fhould find it neceffary to abandon the late upftart notions that have been bred in a time of eafe, and to embrace the comfortable dottrine offor- mer Proteflants, which, through the grace of God, Ode fo many courageous-and joyful martyra.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=