The divine life in three treatises

In brief, I answer, If you are unfeignedly friends to God, it is because he first loved you. Prefer him before all other ⟨p. 371⟩friends, and all the wealth and vanity of the world; Provoke him not by wilfulness or neglect: use him as your best friend, and abuse him not by disobedience or ingratitude; own him before all, at the dearest rates, whenever you are called to it: Desire his presence: Lament his absence: Love him from the bottom of your hearts: Think not hardly of him: Suspect him not: Misunderstand him not: Hearken not to his enemies: Receive not any false reports against him: Take him to be really Better for you than all the world: Do these, and doubt not but you are friends with God, and God with you: In a word, Be but heartily willing to be friends to God, and that God should be your chiefest friend, and you may be sure that it is so indeed, and that you are and have what you desire. And then how delightfully may you converse with God!

Direct. 2. Wholly depend on the Mediation of Christ, the great Reconciler: Without him there is no coming near to God: But in his Beloved you shall be accepted. Whatever fear of his displeasure shall surprise you, fly presently for safety unto Christ: Whatever guilt shall look you in the face, commit your self and cause to Christ, and desire him to answer for you: When the doors of mercy seem to be shut up against you, fly to him that bears the keys, and can at any time open to you and let you in: Desire him to answer for you to God, to your consciences, and against all accusers: By him alone you may boldly and comfortably converse with God: But God will not know you out of him.

Direct. 2. Wholly depend on the Mediation of Christ, the great Reconciler: Without him there is no coming near to God: But in his Beloved you shall be accepted. Whatever fear of his displeasure shall surprize you, fly presently for safety unto Christ: Whatever guilt shall look you in the face, commit your self and cause to Christ, and desire him to answer for you: When the doors of mercy seem to be shut up against you, fly to him that bears the keyes, and can at any time open to you and let you in: Desire him to answer for you to God, to your consciences, and against all accusers: By him alone you may boldly and comfortably converse with God: But God will not know you out of him.