Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

For the 2d. viz. the profitableness and excellency of it, it is not only a commanded duty, but a choice mean for bringing about many excellent ends; I shall instance its excellency amongst others in these three respects. 1. it's excellent in this respect, as it is a most clear, fresh, and refreshful evidence of a tender walk, and of a man that maketh Conscience of his way; He that doth truth (saith Christ, John 3. 21.) cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God; He is not only content to abide a trial, but he putteth himself to it; He bringeth his deeds to the light, to see if they be wrought in God; on the contrary, he that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not unto it, lest his deeds should he reproved; Must not this then be an excellent duty, which is so clear a character and property of one that walketh tenderly in all duties? Nay, let all duties be put together, without this none of them, nor all of them in a conjunction, can evidence a mans tenderness; for it's this that giveth him (as it were) a grip of his duties, and putteth them to the touch-stone, and showeth what reality is in them; what are to be looked […] acceptable to God through Christ, what not; without this he is but a guesser. 2dly. It's excellent in respect of the great influence that it hath on the life of Religion, and power of Godliness; look to the most spiritual duties, it hath great influence on them, not on a few of them, but on them all, whether it be Mortification and Repentance, it keepeth the heart as it were melting; the word • ▪ Zech. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have ⟨p. 205⟩pierced, and shall mou• and be in bitterness; or humble walking before God, it's impossible without it; or the heightening our thoughts of Gods grace, and the commending of Christ to us, it exceedingly contributes to that; Every discovered infirmity in the search maketh a new errand to him; or the lively way of going about other duties, as praying in the Spirit, hearing profitably, singing in the Spirit, &c. they cannot be performed to purpose without it: A person that hath been reflecting on a by-past duty as of Prayer, or of a Sermon that he hath heard, will readily have from it a memento or watchword not to be so superficial in the next. 3dly.