5. Faith in Christ is so well pleasing to Christ, because that only will put us upon such a life and conversation as is acceptable to him, which is joy and thankfulness; It's very pleasing to God that those who are his would walk cheerfully and thankfully, that all the world may see it's better to serve the Lord then sin; Hence you see the Psalmist so often calling upon the Righteous, to rejoice and be glad; yea, to shout for joy, and in the New Testament▪ Rejoice, and again I say rejoice; Hence it's called Joy unspeakable and full of glory; And for thankfulness we should have our hearts and mouths filled with praises; Praise is comely for the upright, Psa. 33.1. It is very fit, that he who is full of Gods love and his mercies should also be full of Thanks-giving, In all things give thanks, 1 Thes. 5.18. So that you see joy and thankfulness should be the constant life of a Christian, he cannot honour Christ or the Gospel more, but how can these be unless there be faith in Christ, Being justified by Faith we have peace with God, Rom. 5.1. where there is no peace, there is no joy, no thankfulness, and indeed all those bitter briars and thorns which the godly have, arise from that bitter root of unbelief; Why is it that they go bowed down, and none seem farther from comfort and thankfulness then they do, but because they exercise not this faith in Christ; It's more pleasing to God to be filled with heavenly joy, then tormenting doubts, and this joy is the daughter of faith; If then all these things be duly considered by the godly Convert he may be awakened, and wonder how he indulged himself in such doubting, fearing, and unbelieving thoughts, he may cry out, what glory have I robbed Christ and the Gospel of? What heretics and Papists with their corrupt doctrines have done against Christ the same did my perplexing, inflaming fears do; I lived not as if I had received the Spirit of Adoption, but of bondage and fear: Thou wilt then find the dark Cloud with Lightning and Thunder to pass away, and the clear Sunshine to appear; Thou that wast like the Disciples afraid of Christ, as if he had been some formidable Spirit, wilt then know what Christ is, and how ready and willing to receive afflicted sinners; Thou wilt then stand and wonder, how could I be so injurious by my low and narrow thoughts of Christ?
5. Faith in Christ is so well pleasing to Christ, because that only will put us upon such a life and conversation as is acceptable to him, which is joy and thankefulnesse; It's very pleasing to God that those who are his would walk chearfully and thankfully, that all the world may see it's better to serve the Lord then sinne; Hence you see the Psalmist so often calling upon the Righteous, to rejoyce and be glad; yea, to shout for joy, and in the New Testament▪ Rejoyce, and again I say rejoyce; Hence it's called Joy unspeakable and full of glory; And for thankfulnesse we should have our hearts and mouths filled with praises; Praise is comely for the upright, Psa. 33.1. It is very fit, that he who is full of Gods love and his mercies should also be full of Thanks-giving, In all things give thanks, 1 Thes. 5.18. So that you see joy and thankfulnesse should be the constant life of a Christian, he cannot honour Christ or the Gospel more, but how can these be unlesse there be faith in Christ, Being justified by Faith we have peace with God, Rom. 5.1. where there is no peace, there is no joy, no thankfulnesse, and indeed all those bitrer briars and thorns which the godly have, arise from that bitter root of unbelief; Why is it that they go bowed down, and none seem farther from comfort and thankfulnesse then they do, but because they exercise not this faith in Christ; It's more pleasing to God to be filled with heavenly joy, then tormenting doubts, and this joy is the daughter of faith; If then all these things be duely considered by the godly Convert he may be awakened, and wonder how he indulged himself in such doubting, fearing, and unbeleeving thoughts, he may cry out, what glory have I rob'd Christ and the Gospel of? What heretiques and Papists with their corrupt doctrines have done against Christ the same did my perplexing, inflaming fears do; I lived not as if I had received the Spirit of Adoption, but of bondage and fear: Thou wilt then finde the dark Cloud with Lightning and Thunder to passe away, and the clear Sunshine to appear; Thou that wast like the Disciples afraid of Christ, as if he had been some formidable Spirit, wilt then know what Christ is, and how ready and willing to receive afflicted sinners; Thou wilt then stand and wonder, how could I be so injurious by my low and narrow thoughts of Christ?
