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

Set thy Faith on work Soul, and keep it a work, and thou wilt find this no riddle; it will be so with thee too, we have much talk of Faith among us, and have the name often in our mouths, but how few are the real lively believers? Is it to be thought that such blessedness should not more affect our hearts, nay would it not ravish away our very souls, did we throughly believe it? And were it our present daily work to renew the bonds of a vital union with the blessed God, in whom we expect to be blessed forever, could that be without previous gusts of pleasure? Tis not talking of faith but living by it, that will give us the experience of heavenly delights and joys.

Set thy Faith on work Soul, and keep it a work, and thou wilt find this no riddle; it will be so with thee too, we have much talk of Faith among us, and have the name often in our mouths, but how few are the real lively believers? Is it to be thought that such blessedness should not more affect our hearts, nay would it not ravish away our very souls, did we throughly believe it? And were it our present daily work to renew the bonds of a vital union with the blessed God, in whom we expect to be blessed forever, could that be without previous gusts of pleasure? Tis not talking of faith but living by it, that will give us the experience of heavenly delights and joyes.

3. Take heed of going, in thy practice, against thy light, of persisting in a course of known, or suspected sin, that states thee in a direct hostility and rebellion against heaven; and can never suffer thee to think of eternity and the other world with comfort, will fill thy mind with frightful apprehensions of God, render the sight of his face, the most terrible thing to thy thoughts, thou canst imagine; and satisfaction with his likeness the most impossible ⟨p. 368⟩thing. Let a good understanding and correspondence be continued between God and thee (which is not possible, if thou disobeyest the dictates of thy conscience and takest the liberty to do what thou judgest God hath forbidden thee) that this may be thy rejoicing the testimony of a good conscience; that in simplicity,