Direct. xv. When you cannot exercise a trust of assurance, exercise the trust of general faith, and hope, and the quiet submission of thyself to the holy will of God.'-The common pretence of distrust is, I know not that I am a child of God' and 'it beseems the ungodly to fear his wrath.' But, as the Gospel is tidings of great joy to any people where it cometh; so is it a word of hope and trust. At least trust God so far as infinite goodness should be trusted, who will damn none but the finally obstinate refusers of his saving grace. And with Aaron, hold your peace, when he is glorifying himself in his corrections. Remember, that the will of God is never misguided; that it is the beginning and end of all things; that it never willeth any thing but good; that it is the centre and end of all our wills. There is no rest or quietness for our wills, but in the will of God: and his will is always for the good of them that truly desire to be conformed to it, by obedience to his commands, and submission to his disposal. Say, therefore, with your Saviour, "Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me; but not as I will, but as thou wilt." There is nothing got by struggling against the will of God; nor anything lost by a quiet submission to it. And, if thou love it, and desire to obey and please it, trust in it, for it will surely save thee.

Grand Direct. x111. Diligently labour that God and Holiness may be thy chief Delight: and this holy Delight may be the ordinary temperament of thy religion.'

Directions for Delighting ourselves in God.

Direct. 1. Rightly understand what delight in God it is that you must seek and exercise.'-It is not a mere sensitive delight, which is exercised about the objects of sense or fancy, and is common to beasts with men: nor is it the delights of immediate intuition of God, such as the blessed have in heaven: nor is it an enthusiastic delight, consisting in irrational raptures, and joys, of which we can give no account of the reason". Nor is it a delight inconsistent with

y Rev. iv. 11. Rom. xi. 36.

* Lev. x. 3.. z Of enthusiastic impressions I have said more in my Directions for the Cure of Church Divisions, and in the defence of it, and in other books.

sorrow and fear, when they are duties; but it is the solid, rational complacency of the soul in God and holiness, arising from the apprehensions of that in him, which is justly delectable to us. And it is such, as, in estimation of its object, and inward complacency and gladness, though not in passionate joy or mirth, must excel our delight in temporal pleasure; and must be the end of all our humiliations, and other inferior duties.

Direct. 11. Understand how much of this holy delight may be hoped for on earth.'-Though too many Christians feel much more fear and sorrow in their religion than delight, yet every true Christian doth esteem God more delectable, or fit, and worthy of his delights, if he could enjoy him whereas to the carnal, fleshly things do seem more fit to be their delights. And though most Christians reach not very high in their delights in God, yet God hath prescribed us such means, in which, if we faithfully used them, we might reach much higher. And this much we might well expect: 1. So much as might make our lives incomparably more quiet, contented, and pleasant to us, than are the lives of the greatest or happiest worldlings. 2. So much as might make our thoughts of God and the life to come, to be ready, welcome, pleasant thoughts to us. 3. So much as might greatly prevail against our inordinate griefs and fears, and our backwardness to duties, and weariness in them, and might make religion an ordinary pleasure. 4. So much as might take off our hankering desire after unnecessary recreations and unlawful pleasures of the flesh. 5. So much as might sweeten all our mercies to us, with a spiritual perfume or relish. 6. So much as might make some sufferings joyful, and the rest more easy to us. 7. And so much as might make the thoughts of death less terrible to us, and make us desire to be with Christ.

Direct. 111. Understand what there is in God and holiness, which is fit to be the soul's delight.'-As, 1. Behold him in the infinite perfections of his being: his omnipotence, omniscience, and his goodness; his holiness, eternity, immutability, &c. And as your eye delighteth in an excellent picture, or a comely building, or fields, or gardens, not because they are yours, but because they are a delectable object to the eye; so let your minds delight themselves

in God, considered in himself, as the only object of highest delight. 2. Delight yourselves also in his relative attributes, in which are expressed his goodness to his creatures : as his allsufficiency, and faithfulness or truth, his benignity, his mercy, and compassion, and patience to sinners, and his justice unto all. 3. Delight yourselves in him as his glory appeareth in his wondrous works, of creation and daily providence. 4. Delight yourselves in him as he is related to you, as your God and Father, and as all your interest, hope, and happiness are in him alone. 5. Delight yourselves in him as his excellencies shine forth in his blessed Son. 6. And as they appear in the wisdom and goodness of his Word, in all the precepts and promises of the Gospel. 7. Delight thyself in his image, though but imperfectly printed on thy soul; and also on his holy servants. 8. Delight yourselves in the consideration of the glory which he hath from all his creatures, and the universal fulfilling of his will: as the prosperity and happiness of your friend delighteth you, and the success of any excellent enterprises, and the praise of excellent things and persons, and as you have a special delight in the success of truth, and the flourishing order, and unity, and peace, and prosperity of kingdoms, especially of the church, much more than in your personal prosperity, unless you have selfish, private, base, unmanly dispositions; so much more should you delight in the glory. and happiness of God. 9. Delight yourselves in the safety which you have in his favour and defence; and the treasury which you have in his allsufficiency and love, for your continual supplies in every want, and deliverance in every danger; and the ground of quiet contentedness and confidence which is offered to fearful souls in him. 10. Delight yourselves in the particular discoveries of his common mercies to the world, and his special mercies to his saints, and his personal mercies to yourselves, from your birth to this moment, both upon your souls, and bodies, and friends, and names, and estates, and affairs in all relations. 11. Delight yourselves in the privilege you enjoy of speaking to him, and of him, and hearing from him, and adoring and worshipping him, and singing, and publishing his praise, and in the communion which your souls may have with him through a Psal. exix. 162. Jer. xv. 16. b Gal, ii. 20. 1 Cor. xv. 10. 2 Cor. vii. 18.

Christ, on his days, and at all times, in his sacraments, and in all your lives. And say as Solomon, " And will God inIdeed dwell on earth? Will he dwell and walk with sinful men? When the heaven of heavens cannot contain him." "Let those that seek him rejoice and be glad in him. Let us be glad to go to the house of the Lord, and join with his holy assemblies in his worship. "The streams" of his grace" make glad the city of God, the holy tabernacles of the Most High: God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved"." 12. Delight yourselves above all in the forethoughts and hope of the glory which you shall see and enjoy for ever. I do but name all these for your memory, because they are before spoken of in the Directions for love.

Direct. IV. Understand how much these holy delights are pleasing unto God, and how much he is for his people's pleasure.'-For it much hindereth the joy of many Christians, that they think it is against the will of God, that such as they should so much rejoice; or at least that they apprehend not how much he hath commanded it, and how great a duty it is, and how much pleasing to their God. Consider, 1. It is not for nothing that the nature of man is made capable of higher and larger delights, than the brutish, sensual nature is: and that in this we are made little lower than angels. 2. Nor is it for nothing that God hath made delight and complacency, the most powerful, commanding affection, and the end of all the other passions, which they professedly subserve and seek: and the most natural, inseparable affection of the soul, there being none that desireth not delight. 3. Nor is it in vain that God hath provided and offered such plenty of most excellent objects for our delight, especially himself, in his Attributes, Love, Mercy, Son, Spirit, and Kingdom: which brutes were not made to know or to enjoy. 4. Nor hath he given us in vain, such excellent, convenient, and various helps, and inferior preparations which tend to our delight; even for body and mind, to further our delight in God. 5. Nor is it in vain that he maketh us yet more nearly capable by his Spirit; even by affecting humiliations and mortifying, cleansing, illuminating, and quickening works: and that the kingdom of heaven consisteth in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy 1 Kings viii. 27.

d Psal. xl. 16.

• Psal. xlvi. 4.

:

Ghost and that the Spirit hath undertaken to be the Comforter of believers, who is sent upon no low or needless work. 6. Nor did Christ purchase his people's joys in vain, by the price of his grievous sufferings and sorrows. Having borne our griefs, and being made a man of sorrows, that we that see him not, might rejoice in believing, with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 7. Nor is it in vain that he hath filled his word with such matter of delight and comfort, in the most glad tidings that could come to man, and in such free, and full, and faithful promises. 8. Nor hath he multiplied his commands for his rejoicing and delight, in vain; again and again commanding us to rejoice, and always to rejoice. 9. Nor is it insignificant that he hath forbidden those worldly cares, and fears, and griefs which would devour their joys. Nor that he hath so clearly shewed them the way to joy, and blameth them if they walk not in it. 10. He filleth up their lives with mercies, and matter of delight, by his direction, support, provisions, and disposals : and all this in their way of trial, and in the valley of tears. 11. How tender is he of their sufferings and sorrows; not afflicting willingly, nor delighting to grieve the sons of men. 12. He taketh not away their delight and comfort, till they cast it away themselves, by sinning, or self-afflicting, or neglecting his proposed pleasures. 13. He never faileth to meet them with his delights, while they walk in the way prescribed to that end: unless when it tendeth to their greater pleasure, to have some present interruption of the pleasure. 14. In their greatest needs, when themselves and other helps must fail, he giveth them ofttimes the greatest joys. 15. And he taketh their delights and sorrows as if they were his own. In all their afflictions he is afflicted, and he delighteth in their welfare, and rejoiceth over them to do them good. Cannot you see the will of your Father in all this? 16. If you cannot, yet lift up your heads, and foresee the eternal delights which he hath prepared for you, when you shall enter into your Master's joy and then judge whether God be for your delight?

Direct. v. Take special notice of the reasons why God commandeth you to delight in him, and consequently how much of religion consisteth in these delights.'-1. Thou vilifiest and dishonourest him, if thou judge him not the wor