10. Lastly consider, that God will lay sufferings enow upon you for your sins, and suffer wicked men to lay enow on you for well doing, and you need not lay more upon your selves. You have need to use all means for strength to bear the burdens that you must undergo: and it is the joy of the Lord, and the hopes of Glory that are your strength. And will you cast away the only supports of your soul, and sink when the day of suffering comes? How will you bear poverty, or reproach, or injuries? how will you meet approaching death, if you feed your doubts of your salvation and of the Love of God in Christ, which must corroborate you? O weaken not your souls that are too weak already: Weaken not your souls that have so much to do and suffer: and that of so great necessity and importance. While you complain of your weakness, increase it not by unbelieving uncomfortable complaints. Gratify not the Devil and wicked malicious men so far, as to inflict on your selves a greater calamity then all their malice and power could inflict. It is a madness in them that will please the Devil, to the displeasing of God, though the pleasing of their own flesh be it that moveth them to it. But for a man to please the Devil, and displease God, even when he displeaseth his own flesh by it also, and bringeth nothing but sorrow to himself by it, this is in some respects more unreasonable then madness it self. Many cast away their souls for Riches, and Honours, and carnal accommodations; but who would do it for poverty, sickness, or disgrace? So though many undo their souls for fleshly pleasures and delights; yet he is a strange man indeed that will offend God even for self-tormenting grief and trouble. O therefore dear Christians, as you have let go all your sensual pleasures for the pleasing of your Lord, do not let go the pleasures of his love, for which you have let go all. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people, even in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy, and the meek he will beautify with salvation, Psalm 147. 11. It is meet therefore ⟨p. 373⟩that his people take pleasure in the Lord: that the Saints be joyful in glory; that they sing aloud upon their beds, and that the high praises of God be in their mouths, Psalm 149. 4, 5, 6.
10. Lastly consider, that God will lay sufferings enow upon you for your sins, and suffer wicked men to lay enow on you for well doing, and you need not lay more upon your selves. You have need to use all means for strength to bear the burdens that you must undergo: and it is the joy of the Lord, and the hopes of Glory that are your strength. And will you cast away the only supports of your soul, and sink when the day of suffering comes? How will you bear poverty, or reproach, or injuries? how will you meet approaching death, if you feed your doubts of your salvation and of the Love of God in Christ, which must corroborate you? O weaken not your souls that are too weak already: Weaken not your souls that have so much to do and suffer: and that of so great necessity and importance. While you complain of your weakness, encrease it not by unbelieving uncomfortable complaints. Gratifie not the Devil and wicked malicious men so far, as to inflict on your selves a greater calamity then all their malice and power could inflict. It is a madness in them that will please the Devil, to the displeasing of God, though the pleasing of their own flesh be it that moveth them to it. But for a man to please the Devil, and displease God, even when he displeaseth his own flesh by it also, and bringeth nothing but sorrow to himself by it, this is in some respects more unreasonable then madness it self. Many cast away their souls for Riches, and Honours, and carnal accommodations; but who would do it for poverty, sickness, or disgrace? So though many undo their souls for fleshly pleasures and delights; yet he is a strange man indeed that will offend God even for self-tormenting grief and trouble. O therefore dear Christians, as you have let go all your sensual pleasures for the pleasing of your Lord, do not let go the pleasures of his love, for which you have let go all. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people, even in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy, and the meek he will beautifie with salvation, Psalm 147. 11. It is meet therefore ⟨p. 373⟩that his people take pleasure in the Lord: that the Saints be joyful in glory; that they sing aloud upon their beds, and that the high praises of God be in their mouthes, Psalm 149. 4, 5, 6.
