6. Moreover, to walk with God is an excellent preparation for sufferings and death, because it tendeth to acquaint the soul with God, and to embolden it both to go to him in Prayer, and to Trust on him, and expect salvation from him. He that walketh with God is so much used to holy Prayer, that he is a man of Prayer, and is skilled in it, and hath tried what prayer can do with God: so that in the hour of his extremity, he is not to seek, either for a God to pray to. or a Mediator to intercede for him, or a Spirit of Adoption to enable him as a child to fly for help to his reconciled Father. And having not only been frequently with God, but frequently entertained and accepted by him, and had his prayers heard and granted, it is a great encouragement to an afflicted soul in the hour of distress, to go to such a God for help. And it is a dreadful thing when a soul is ready to go out of the world, to have •• comfortable knowledge of God, or skill to pray to him, or encouragement to expect acceptance with him: To think that he must presently appear before a God, whom he never knew, nor heartily loved, being never acquainted with ⟨p. 276⟩that communion with him in the way of Grace, which is the way to communion in Glory, O what a terrible thought is this! But how comfortable is it when the soul can say [I know whom I have believed? The God that afflicteth me is he that loveth me, and hath manifested his love to me by his daily attractive, assisting and accepting Grace! I am going by death to see him intuitively, whom I have often seen by the eye of Faith, and to live with him in Heaven, with whom I lived here on earth; From whom, and Through whom, and To whom was my life! I go not to any enemy, nor an utter stranger, but to that God who was the Spring, the Ruler, the Guide, the Strength and the Comfort of my life. He hath heard me so oft, that I cannot think he will now reject me: He hath so often comforted my soul, that I will not believe he will now thrust me into Hell: He hath mercifully received me so oft, that I cannot believe he will now refuse me: Those that come to him in the way of Grace, I have found he will in no wise cast out.] As strangeness to God doth fill the soul with distrustful fears, so walking with him doth breed that humble confidence, which is a wonderful comfort in the hour of distress, and a happy preparations to sufferings and death.
6. Moreover, to walk with God is an excellent preparation for sufferings and death, because it tendeth to acquaint the soul with God, and to embolden it both to go to him in Prayer, and to Trust on him, and expect salvation from him. He that walketh with God is so much used to holy Prayer, that he is a man of Prayer, and is skilled in it, and hath tryed what prayer can do with God: so that in the hour of his extremity, he is not to seek, either for a God to pray to. or a Mediator to intercede for him, or a Spirit of Adoption to enable him as a child to fly for help to his reconciled Father. And having not only been frequently with God, but frequently entertained and accepted by him, and had his prayers heard and granted, it is a great encouragement to an afflicted soul in the hour of distresse, to go to such a God for help. And it is a dreadful thing when a soul is ready to go out of the world, to have •• comfortable knowledge of God, or skill to pray to him, or encouragement to expect acceptance with him: To think that he must presently appear before a God, whom he never knew, nor heartily loved, being never acquainted with ⟨p. 276⟩that communion with him in the way of Grace, which is the way to communion in Glory, O what a terrible thought is this! But how comfortable is it when the soul can say [I know whom I have believed? The God that afflicteth me is he that loveth me, and hath manifested his love to me by his daily attractive, assisting and accepting Grace! I am going by death to see him intuitively, whom I have often seen by the eye of Faith, and to live with him in Heaven, with whom I lived here on earth; From whom, and Through whom, and To whom was my life! I go not to any enemy, nor an utter stranger, but to that God who was the Spring, the Ruler, the Guide, the Strength and the Comfort of my life. He hath heard me so oft, that I cannot think he will now reject me: He hath so often comforted my soul, that I will not believe he will now thrust me into Hell: He hath mercifully received me so oft, that I cannot believe he will now refuse me: Those that come to him in the way of Grace, I have found he will in no wise cast out.] As strangeness to God doth fill the soul with distrustful fears, so walking with him doth breed that humble confidence, which is a wonderful comfort in the hour of distress, and a happy preparations to sufferings and death.
