A Saint Indeed

(1) It grieves the spirit of God, Eph. 4. 30. Banishes him from that breast in which it rages and tumultuates, God is the God of peace; the presence and comforts of God are only enjoyed in a calm: '•is a golden note one gives upon the forecited text. God doth not usually bless with peace of Conscience, such as make no conscience of peace. (2) It gives advantage to the Devil, Eph. 4. 26, 27. Satan is an angry and discontented Spirit, and finds no rest but in restless hear•s: he lives like the Salamander in fires of contention, he bestirs himself when the Spirits are in a commotion, sometimes he ⟨p. 135⟩fills the heart with revengeful thoughts, sometimes he fills the lips, and inflames the tongue wi•h undecent language; even a meek Moses sometimes spake unadvisedly with his lips. (3) It dis-tunes the Spirit for duty, upon this account the Apostle dissuades husbands and wives from jarring carriages and contentions, that their prayers be not hindered, 1 Pet. 3. 7. All acts of worship must be suitable to the object of worship: but God is the God of peace, the God of love. (4) To mention no more, it• disparages the Christian Religion. How would Plato and Pythagor as shame us if they were now living: Christ was as a lamb for meekness, and doth it become his followers to be like Lyons? O keep your hearts, or you will at once lose, not only your own peace, but the credit of religion.

(1) It grieves the spirit of God, Eph. 4. 30. Banishes him from that breast in which it rages and tumultuates, God is the God of peace; the presence and comforts of God are only injoyed in a calm: '•is a golden note one gives upon the forecited text. God doth not usually bless with peace of Conscience, such as make no conscience of peace. (2) It gives advantage to the Devil,