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

Yea, and is there not enough obvious in every mans experience, to incline him rather to the contrary choice; and, supposing a future blessedness in another world, to make him passionately desirous (with submission to the Divine pleasure) of a speedy dismission into it? Do not the burdens that press us in this earthly tabernacle, teach our very sense, and urge oppressed nature, into involuntary groans, while as yet our consideration doth intervene? And if we do consider, is not every thought, a sting? making a much deeper impression, then what only toucheth our flesh and bones? Who can reflect upon his present state, and not presently be in pangs? The troubles that follow humanity are many and great; those that follow Christianity, more numerous, and grievous. The sickness, pains, losses, disappointments, and whatsoever afflictions that are in the Apostles language, humane, or common to men (as are all the external sufferings of Christians in nature, ¹and kind, though they are liable to them upon an account peculiar to themselves, which there the Apostle intimates) are none of our greatest evils; yet even upon the account of them; have we any ⟨p. 407⟩reason to be so much in love with so unkind • world? Is it not strange our very Bridewell, should be such a Heaven to us? But these things are little considerable in comparison of the more Spiritual grievances of Christians as such, that is, those that afflict our Souls, while we are (under the conduct of Christ) designing for a blessed eternity; if we indeed make that our business, and do seriously intend our spirits in order thereto. The darkness of our beclouded minds! The glimmering, ineffectual apprehension we have of the most important things! the inconsistency of our shattered thoughts, when we would apply them to Spiritual Objects. The great difficulty of working off an ill frame of heart, and the no less difficulty of retaining a good! our being so frequently tossed as between Heaven and Hell; when we sometimes think our selves to have even attained, and hope to descend no more; and are, all on a sudden plunged in the Ditch, so as that our own Clothes might abhor us, fall so low into an earthly temper that we can like nothing Heavenly, or Divine; and because we cannot, are enforced justly, most of all to dislike our selves. Are these things little with us?