Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

Thirdly, Come to Christ and thou shalt have Rest in thy affliction, because that then not only the curse shall be removed, but there shall be this blessing upon it, that there is no affliction shall befall thee; but such as may stand with Gods love, yea, such as shall come out of Gods love, and from Gods love, love shall be the great principle, not only of thy affliction, but from thy affliction, to know this, that though there are these and these afflictions upon me, yet I thank God there is no want of Gods love upon me, for I would not know any thing of Gods love then, if any spiritual judgment were upon me, but these are no other but what may stand with the love of God. Yea, but that is not so much, that they may possibly stand with the love of God, but this, that they come out of Gods love, and come from Gods love, they come as really from the love of God, as any thing that thou dost enjoy in this world. Thou thinkest, if thou hast a prosperous voyage, that God loves thee, if thou beest recovered out of an affliction that God loves thee, but I say, that the Lords bringing thee into affliction, may stand with greater love to thee than deliverance out of affliction to another. The afflictions that are upon the Saints now, they do not come out of revenge, as they do upon the wicked, the same, affliction that comes from the principle of love to thee, may come from the principle of hatred to another, and although therefore in the outward view they be the same yet they are infinitely different in the principle. It is not so much what we see, or what we feel, but from whence that comes that we see or feel, and indeed, a gracious heart is ever solicitous about the principles of ⟨p. 356⟩those things that do befall it, if it be an outward mercy, I but, what is the root of it? is the root of it the love of Christ to my soul? there is an affliction upon me, but what is the root of it? is the root of it Gods displeasure, Gods wrath, Gods hatred? Oh that were dreadful. Although the affliction were vast, if there were a hundred temptations, if the root of it were Gods displeasure, Oh that were terrible: I but then when he shall come to know that the root of it were not from Gods wrath, but his love, that is joyful.

Thirdly, Come to Christ and thou shalt have Rest in thy affliction, because that then not only the curse shal be removed, but there shal be this blessing upon it, that there is no affliction shal befal thee; but such as may stand with Gods love, yea, such as shal come out of Gods love, and from Gods love, love shal be the great principle, not only of thy affliction, but from thy affliction, to know this, that though there are these and these afflictions upon me, yet I thank God there is no want of Gods love upon me, for I would not know any thing of Gods love then, if any spiritual judgment were upon me, but these are no other but what may stand with the love of God. Yea, but that is not so much, that they may possibly stand with the love of God, but this, that they come out of Gods love, and come from Gods love, they come as really from the love of God, as any thing that thou dost injoy in this world. Thou thinkest, if thou hast a prosperous voyage, that God loves thee, if thou beest recovered out of an affliction that God loves thee, but I say, that the Lords bringing thee into affliction, may stand with greater love to thee than deliverance out of affliction to another. The afflictions that are upon the Saints now, they do not come out of revenge, as they do upon the wicked, the same, affliction that comes from the principle of love to thee, may come from the principle of hatred to another, and although therfore in the outward view they be the same yet they are infinitely different in the principle. It is not so much what we see, or what wee feel, but from whence that comes that we see or feel, and indeed, a gracious heart is ever sollicitous about the principles of