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The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /
The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 / by John Howe ...The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 / by John Howe ...
printed by Sarah Griffin for Samuel Thomson, 1668
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A growing Knowledge of God, Conformity to him, and Satisfiedness of Spirit therein. What we expect should be one day perfect, we must labour may be, in the mean time, always growing.
A growing Knowledge of God, Conformity to him, and Satisfiedness of Spirit therein. What we expect should be one day perfect, we must labour may be, in the mean time, alwayes growing.
1. Our knowledge of God. The knowledge of him I here principally intend is not notional, and speculative, but (which is more ingredient to our blessedness, both inchoate and perfect) that of converse, that familiar knowledge, which we usually express by the name of acquaintance. See that this knowledge of him be increased daily; Let us now use our selves much with God: Our knowledge of him must aim at conformity to him, and how powerful a thing is converse in order hereto? How insensibly is it wont to transform men, and mould anew their Spirits, Language, Garb, Deportment? To be removed from the solitude, or rudeness ⟨p. 300⟩of the Country, to a City, or University; What an alteration doth it make? How is such a person devested by degrees of his rusticitio of his more uncomely and agrest manners? Objects we converse with beget their Image upon us.1 They walked after vanity, and became vain, saith Jeremiah.2 And Solomon, He that walketh with the wise shall be wise. Walking is an usual expression of converse. So to converse with the holy, is the way to be holy, with heaven the way to be heavenly, with God the way to be God-like.
1. Our knowledge of God. The knowledge of him I here principally intend is not notional, and speculative, but (which is more ingredient to our blessedness, both inchoate and perfect) that of converse, that familiar knowledge, which we usually express by the name of acquaintance. See that this knowledge of him be encreased daily; Let us now use our selves much with God: Our knowledge of him must aim at conformity to him, and how powerful a thing is converse in order hereto? How insensibly is it wont to transform men, and mould anew their Spirits, Language, Garbe, Deportment? To be remov'd from the solitude, or rudeness