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

because the heart cannot possibly be kept any, the least moment in Gods company, if it be left to it self; There would be a frequently renewed looking up to him, to fix it; I will (saith the Lord, Zech. 12. 10.) pour upon the house of David, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication, they shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and shall •ourn. Christians are then tenderest, when looking to God, and so fittest for this Duty, and would therefore be much in it. 5ly. We would not only look on it as a Duty, but as a mean exceedingly contributive to our spiritual good, to the preventing of sin, to the promoving of […], to the keeping of our Conscience calm and quiet, and to the attaining and maintaining of Peace, (as hath been said:) There are many things which we ⟨p. 209⟩count to be hard, and difficult, because we consider not the great profit of them; Therefore to make this insuperably like difficult Duty the more easy, we would fill the eye of the Soul with the many and choice advantages that come by it; O! such mortification of Lusts, such progress and advances in holiness; such thriving and growing in Grace, with many other notable effects, that it through Gods blessing produceth. 6ly. To make it easy, we would in the going about it, have a manifold respect to Jesus Christ, by the exercise of Faith on him, both in the undertaking, and performing of it; There is a respect to be had to Christ in all Duties; but here (as I just now said) a manifold respect would be had to him. 1: A respect would be had to him as our peace, who only can purge and pacify the Conscience; and take away guilt, and wash us throughly from it: It may be some under-take self-examination as a sort of penance, or whipping of themselves; and indeed in that case it cannot but be a very hard exercise, when they mind nothing, but the bare ripping up of their sores, and the making of them (as it were) to bleed; but if they went about it with respect to Christ, to bring, and drive them to him, as to the Physician, that would make them to endure the smart and pain; and would make the Duty far more easy; the […] end of self-examination, not being simply to afflict us, but to send us to Jesus Christ for cure. 2ly. Respect would be had to him, not only as the healer of our sores, and wounds;

because the heart cannot possibly be kept any, the least moment in Gods company, if it be left to it self; There would be a frequently renewed looking up to him, to fix it; I will (saith the Lord,