But the volumes of mercy written in your heart, are too great to be by me transcribed. I can easily appeal to you that are acquainted with it, whether such Heart-employment be not more pleasant and more profitable, than any of the entertainments that flashy wit, or gaudy gallantry, or merriments, luxurit, or preferments can afford? Is it not better converse with Christ at home, than with such as are described, Psa. 12. abroad? To dwell with all that blessed retinue, Gal. 5.22, 23. than with Pride, Vainglory, Envy, Dissimulation, Hypocrisy, Falsehood, time-wasting, soul-destroying pleasures, to say nothing of the filthiness which Christian years abhor the mention of, and which God himself in time will judge, Eph. 5.3, 4, 5, 6. Heb. 13.4. and the rest recited, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. If ungodly persons do find it more unpleasant to converse at home, no wonder, when there is nothing but darkness and defilement; and when they have ⟨image 10⟩put God from them, and entertained Satan, so that their hearts are like to haunted houses, where terrible cries and apparitions do make it a place of fear to the inhabitants. But if their souls had such blessed inhabitants as yours; could they meet there with a reconciled God, a Father, a Saviour and a sanctifier; had they souls that kept a correspondency with Heaven, it would not seem so sad and terrible a life, to dwell at home, and withdraw from that noise of vanity abroad, which are but the drums and trumpets of the devil, to encourage his deluded followers, and drown the cries of miserable souls. Your dearest friends and chiefest treasure, are not abroad in Court or Country; but above you, and within you; where then should your delightful converse be, but where your friends and treasure are? Matth. 6.21. Phil. 3.20. Col. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. When then is almost nothing to be found in the conversation of the world, but discord and distraction, and confusion, and clamours, and malice, and treachery, is it not better to retire into such a heart, where notwithstanding infirmities and some doubts and fears; there is order, and concord, and harmony, and such Peace, as the world can neither give nor take away? O blessed be the hand of Love, that ⟨image 10⟩blotted out the names of Honour, and Riches, and Pleasures, and carnal interest, and accommodations, from your heart; and inscribed his own in Characters never to be obliterate!
But the volumes of mercy written in your heart, are too great to be by me transcribed. I can easily appeal to you that are acquainted with it, whether such Heart-employment be not more pleasant and more profitable, than any of the entertainments that flashy wit, or gaudy gallantry, or merriments, luxurit, or preferments can afford? Is it not better converse with Christ at home, than with such as are described, Psa. 12. abroad? To dwell with all that blessed retinue, Gal. 5.22, 23. than with Pride, Vainglory, Envy, Dissimulation, Hypocrisie, Falshood, time-wasting, soul-destroying pleasures, to say nothing of the filthiness which Christian years abhor the mention of, and which God himself in time will judge, Eph. 5.3, 4, 5, 6. Heb. 13.4. and the rest recited, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. If ungodly persons do find it more unpleasant to converse at home, no wonder, when there is nothing but darkness and defilement; and when they have ⟨image 10⟩put God from them, and entertained Satan, so that their hearts are like to haunted houses, where terrible cries and apparitions do make it a place of fear to the inhabitants. But if their souls had such blessed inhabitants as yours; could they meet there with a reconciled God, a Father, a Saviour and a sanctifier; had they souls that kept a correspondency with Heaven, it would not seem so sad and terrible a life, to dwell at home, and withdraw from that noise of vanity abroad, which are but the drums and trumpets of the devil, to encourage his deluded followers, and drown the cries of miserable souls. Your dearest friends and chiefest treasure, are not abroad in Court or Country; but above you, and within you; where then should your delightful converse be, but where your friends and treasure are? Matth. 6.21. Phil. 3.20. Col. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. When then is almost nothing to be found in the conversation of the world, but discord and distraction, and confusion, and clamours, and malice, and treachery, is it not better to retire into such a heart, where notwithstanding infirmities and some doubts and fears; there is order, and concord, and harmony, and such Peace, as the world can neither give nor take away? O blessed be the hand of Love, that
