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

1. Possess thy soul with the apprehension that thou art not at liberty in this matter; but that there is a certain spiritual delectation, which is incumbent on thee as indispensable duty. Some whose moroser tempers do more estrange ⟨p. 364⟩them from delights, think themselves more especially concerned, to banish every thing of that kind from their religion and fancy it only to consist in sour and rigorous severities. Others seem to think it arbitrary and indifferent; or that, if they live in a continual sadness and dejection of spirit, 'tis only their infelicity not their fault, and apprehend not the obligation that is upon them, by a divine Law otherwise to manage and order their spirits. But what then? are such words thought to be spoken at random,¹ Her ways are ways of pleasantness. The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance. The Lines are fallen to me in pleasant places (or in the midst of pleasantnesses, as the expression hath been noted to signify) Do such precepts carry no sense with them; Delight thy self in the Lord.—Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice, ²with many more? Do all passages of this kind in Scripture stand for cyphers or were they put in them by chance?³ Is there such a thing as an aptitude to delectation in our natures, ⁴and doth the Sanctification thereof entitle the joy of Saints to a place among the fruits of the Spirit, and yet is the exercise of it to have no place in their hearts and practise? Do not think you are permitted so to extinguish or frustrate so considerable a principle of the Divine Life. Know that the due exercise of it, is a part of the order and discipline of Gods Family. That it is a constitution of the divine Goodness and Wisdom both to cherish his own, and invite in strangers to him, yea that is the scope and aim of the whole ⟨p. 365⟩Gospel-revelation, that the word of life was purposely written to draw souls into fellowship with the Father and the Son that their joy might be full.