The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

But flesh will be flesh yet a while! and unbelief will be unbelief! we are all too blame! The Lord forgive our overlooking his Loving kindness, and our dishonouring the Glorious Gospel of his Son; and our seconding Satan in his contradicting of that Design which hath contrived Gods Glory in so sweet a way.

But flesh will be flesh yet a while! and unbelief will be unbelief! we are all too blame! The Lord forgive our overlooking his Loving kindeness, and our dishonouring the Glorious Gospel of his Son; and our seconding Satan in his contradicting of that Design which hath contrived Gods Glory in so sweet a way.

And now Christian Reader, let me entreat thee in the name and fear of God, hereafter better to understand and practise thy Duty. Thy heart is better a thousand times, in Godly sorrow then in Carnal mirth (and by such sorrows it is often made better, Eccles. 7.2, 3, 4.) But never take it to be Right till it be Delighting it self in God. When you kneel down in prayer, labour so to conceive of God, and bespeak him that he may be your Delight: so do in Hearing and Reading: so do in all your Meditations of God: So do in your feasting on the flesh and blood of Christ at his Supper. Especially improve the happy opportunity of the Lords Day, wherein you may wholly devote your selves to this work. And I advise Ministers and all Christs Redeemed ones, that they spend more of those days in Praise and Thanksgiving, especially in Commemoration of the whole work of Redemption (and not of Christs Resurrection alone) or else they will not answer the Institution of the Lord: And that they keep it as the most solemn day of Thanksgiving, and be briefer on that day in their Confessions and Lamentations, and larger at other times! O that the Congregations of Christ through the world were so well informed and animated, that the main business of their solemn Assemblies on that ⟨p. 534⟩day might be to sound forth the high Praises of their Redeemer; and to begin here the Praises of God and the Lamb which they must perfect in Heaven, for ever! How sweet a foretaste of Heaven would be then in these solemnities! And truly, let me tell you, my Brethren of the Ministry, you should by private Teaching and week-day Sermons so further the knowledge of your People, that you might not need to spend so much of the Lords Day in Sermons as the most godly use to do: but might bestow a greater part of it in Psalms and solemn Praises to our Redeemer. And I could wish that the Ministers of England to that end would unanimously agree on some one Translation of the English Psalms in meter, better then that in common use, and if it may be, better then any yet extant (not neglecting the poetical sweetness under pretence of exact translating) or at least to agree on the best now extant: (the London Ministers may do well to lead the way) lest that blessed part of Gods solemn worship, should be blemished for want either of Reformation or Uniformity.