The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

Fourthly, Rejoicing in the Lord, thankfulness, and praise, are duties to which all Christians are bound; the Scripture calls upon them in several places, to perform these duties. The drawing up this Conclusion upon the forementioned Premises, is that which is the ground of all these duties; when the Christian can say, Christ is mine, my sins are forgiven, God and I are reconciled, this Soul, ⟨p. 292⟩and only this Soul, is fitted indeed to perform these duties Let once a Christian have his eyes opened to see, and Conscience awakened to make him understand his misery, let that man rejoice in the Lord, let his mouth be filled with thanks and praise if he can, so long as he cannot tell but God is his enemy, and Christ a stranger to him; no singing of Scions Songs in Babylon, the Harps then hang upon the Willows. Not yet in Hell, this I acknowledge is matter of thanksgiving to a Christian in this condition: but if you name all other things outward in this world, take other things, in Church, as Ordinances, Church-privileges, these signify nothing to him; Reprobates and Hypocrites have enough of these, such whom God will never love; tell him of the Gospel, a Redeemer manifested, precious Promises, the more is my torment; saith he, that there are such things, and I have no part in them: Let him have what he will, he looks on all, unless God be my God, and Christ be my Christ, and I am his, but as husks of mercies, and God hath but husks of praises. If then Christians be bound to these duties, then they are bound to this duty, which only qualifies them, makes them fit to perform them: now the man rejoiceth in God, now his high praises are in his mouth, now for any mercy outward, inward, he can give thanks, I have it in love, I have God and Christ in it; yea, now for the Rod, he can yet rejoice in the Lord when under it, while he seeth it is in his Fathers hand, and knows he means him only good, Conscience bearing him witness, that he hath not broken with God, to provoke his anger. What advantage this is to all the course of a Christian, whether in doing or suffering, I do not instance; I name only such as depend, if not wholly, yet chiefly, upon this.

Fourthly, Rejoycing in the Lord, thankfulness, and praise, are duties to which all Christians are bound; the Scripture calls upon them in several places, to perform these duties. The drawing up this Conclusion upon the formentioned Premises, is that which is the ground of all these duties; when the Christian can say, Christ is mine, my sins are forgiven, God and I are reconciled, this Soul,