The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

This likeness, or conformity to God is an [Greek or Hebrew] a perfect temperament; an athletic health ness; a strong sound constitution of soul: Do but imagine what it is to a mans body, after a wasting sickness, to find himself well. Frame a notion of the pleasure of health and soundness, when both all the parts and members of the body are in their proper places and proportions, a lively, active vigour, a sprightly strength possesses every part, and actuates the whole, how pleasant is this temper! If we were all body, there could be no greater felicity than this. But by how much ⟨p. 107⟩the more noble any creature is, so is it capable of more exquisite pains, or pleasures.^* Sin is the sickness and disease of the soul, enfeebles all its powers; exhausts its vigour, wastes its strength. You know the restless tossings, the weary rollings to, & fro of a diseased languishing body; such is the case of a sinful soul. Let it but seriously bethink it self, and then speak its own sense, (but here is the malignity of the disease, it cannot be serious, it always raves) what will it be; O I can take no rest. (The way of wickedness is called a way of pain: Sinners would find it so,² if the violence of the disease had not bereft them of sense.) Nothing savours with me, ³I can take comfort in nothing. The wicked is as a troubled Sea, ⁴(as their name imports) that cannot rest. ⁵Whose waters, &c. The Image of God, renewed in holiness nad righteousness, is health restored after such a consuming sickness; which, when we awake, when all the drowsiness that attends our disease is shaken off, we find to be perfect. The fear of the Lord (an ordinary paraphrase of holiness or piety) is said to be health to the navel, and marrow to the bones. Our Lord Jesus invites wearied sinners to come to him, ⁶to take his yke on them, to learn of him, (that is, to imitate him, to be like him) and promises they shall find rest to their souls. How often do we find grace, and peace in conjunction in the Apostles salutations and benedictions? We are told that the ways of divine wisdom (i. e. which it prescribeth) are all pleasantness and peace.