There are many gracious Saints that have had no Impressions of Wrath, no fears and terrors of Hell, set upon their Souls in their first Humiliation; nay, the Consideration thereof hath had but small influence into their Hearts by way of Motive, in turning them unto God; but it hath been pure free Love hath taken their Hearts, and swallowed up their thoughts. Yet mark what I shall say unto thee in this Case, although indeed the less thou hast been moved in thy turning to God with such fears or impressions of Hell, it be in some respect the better, for the more kindly hath God's Work been in that respect ⟨p. 248⟩upon thee; and it also argues a special tenderness in God's Heart towards thy Soul, to have restrained the Roughness of the East-Wind from blowing on thee, as the Prophet speaks. Yet let me withal say, That the more any one hath (after Conversion) taken into consideration this Wrath, (I do not mean by Terrors, but) by a practical meditation of it, and his own desert thereof; the more (when joined together with the former, of God's pure Love) it will move his Heart to Thankfulness to God for saving him. And the more thine Heart hath this way been enlarged, the more of God's Love, which thou art either assured of, or reliest upon, must needs be greatened to thee; yea, and prove the higher incentive of Love unto God again from thee. Whereas on the contrary (that I may give a Caution) because there seemeth to be such an Ingenuity in Grace its working in that first respect mentioned, that Wrath hath had no influence at all. Hence such Persons are apt too much to neglect, or not to mind the Consideration of God's Wrath at all; no not so much as in this latter way mentioned; but thinking to keep up an Ingenuity of Love, they entertain not this at all in their Meditations. But sure this is far more blame-worthy than ⟨p. 249⟩that other is commendable; and that by how much there comes thereby to be a Loss, of so much and of so great a part of God's Love purposely thereby designed to be shown: (I term it a Loss, for what is not seen, and the Heart considers not, nor is sensible of, is as if it had not been.)
There are many gracious Saints that have had no Impressions of Wrath, no fears and terrors of Hell, set upon their Souls in their first Humiliation; nay, the Consideration thereof hath had but small influence into their Hearts by way of Motive, in turning them unto God; but it hath been pure free Love hath taken their Hearts, and swallowed up their thoughts. Yet mark what I shall say unto thee in this Case, altho indeed the less thou hast been moved in thy turning to God with such fears or impressions of Hell, it be in some respect the better, for the more kindly hath God's Work been in that respect ⟨p. 248⟩upon thee; and it also argues a special tenderness in God's Heart towards thy Soul, to have restrained the Roughness of the East-Wind from blowing on thee, as the Prophet speaks. Yet let me withal say, That the more any one hath (after Conversion) taken into consideration this Wrath, (I do not mean by Terrors, but) by a practical meditation of it, and his own desert thereof; the more (when joined together with the former, of God's pure Love) it will move his Heart to Thankfulness to God for saving him. And the more thine Heart hath this way been enlarged, the more of God's Love, which thou art either assured of, or reliest upon, must needs be greatned to thee; yea, and prove the higher incentive of Love unto God again from thee. Whereas on the contrary (that I may give a Caution) because there seemeth to be such an Ingenuity in Grace its working in that first respect mentioned, that Wrath hath had no influence at all. Hence such Persons are apt too much to neglect, or not to mind the Consideration of God's Wrath at all; no not so much as in this latter way mentioned; but thinking to keep up an Ingenuity of Love, they entertain not this at all in their Meditations. But sure this is far more blame-worthy than ⟨p. 249⟩that other is commendable; and that by how much there comes thereby to be a Loss, of so much and of so great a part of God's Love purposely thereby designed to be shewn: (I term it a Loss, for what is not seen, and the Heart considers not, nor is sensible of, is as if it had not been.)
