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

Woe be to them that resolvedly make so cursed an use of such comfortable Doctrine & that suck such poison out of so sweet and strong a cordial, for fainting Saints, under the deep sense of their short-comings, in that which they would as fain be at, as ever they would be saved, and be in heaven: God will not certainly take that for willingness, nor will it be a ground of peace to the Conscience, that is not waited with designs, and endeavours through grace to improve and make use of present opportunities of doing duty, and with some measure of serious pressing towards the mark.

Wo be to them that resolvedly make so cursed an use of such comfortable Doctrine & that suck such poyson out of so sweet and strong a cordial, for fainting Saints, under the deep sense of their short-comings, in that which they would as fain be at, as ever they would be saved, and be in heaven: God will not certainly take that for willingness, nor will it be a ground of peace to the Conscience, that is not waited with designes, and endeavours through grace to improve and make use of present opportunities of doing duty, and with some measure of serious pressing towards the mark.

But it may be Asked, Wherein consists this willingness, ⟨p. 312⟩or what is implied in it? For answer, I would say there are (beside what is held forth in the distinctions that we offered the other day); These five things in it, 1. An high esteem▪ an• prizing of all the steps of Holiness (as was said before) I esteem, (sayeth the Psalmist, Psal. 119. v. 128.) all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; There is no piece of holiness, but the man that is thus willing loves it, and esteems it, were it to give all his goods to the poor, and his body to be •urned, when he is called to it, to be reproached, deemed, and ill spoken of, for Christs and the Gospels sake, as well as to pray, hear the word read, and sanctify the Sabbath, o do any thing that may gain respect to him from men; and that not only from the awe of God, that is on his Spirit, but out of love to the thing; he would not wish oe command to be changed, or altered even the most sublimely spiritual, and most difficultly practicable, let be dashed out of the book of God: Whereas th hyporire. f he try narrowly, will find that he doth on the matter, at least wish, that such and such a sin had been allowed, not forbidden at least; and that such and such a duty had not been commanded; as the young man, who was bidden sell all that he had, and give to the poor, could not digest that command, but declared by his practice, and refusing to obey i, that he thought it not to be right, and that he esteemed it not as such and o on the matter wished, there had ever been such a command.