A treatise of delighting in God from Psal. xxxvij. 4. Delight thy self also…

1. It may be said, Doth not all this tend to bring us, instead of delighting in God, to delight in our selves? To make us become our own centre and rest? And how can the relishable sweetness of gracious principles and dispositions signify Gods being to be enjoyed or delighted in? For what, are these things God?

1. It may be said, Doth not all this tend to bring us, instead of delighting in God, to delight in our selves? To make us become our own center and rest? And how can the relishable sweetness of gracious principles and dispositions signifie Gods being to be enjoyed or delighted in? For what, are these things God?

To this I only say: 1. That such holy dispositions as they are not God, so nor are they, in strictness of speech, our selves. And how absurd were it, to call every thing our selves that is in us! And how self-contradicting then were the very objection! for that would make delighting in God and in ⟨p. 99⟩our selves directly all one; and so the fault which it causelessly pretends to find, it would really commit. 'Tis true, that improperly holy dispositions are said to make up another self in us, a new man, according as corrupt and sinful principles and dispositions do make also a self, the old man. But then it is also to be remembered, that with no greater impropriety they are capable of bearing the name of God; as the image of any thing frequently doth the name of the thing which it represents, or the work of its Author: And they are expressly called, Christ formed in us; and is not the God? They are called the Spirit; for when we are cautioned not to quench the Spirit, how can that be understood of the eternal uncreated Spirit himself? And the very thing produced (not merely the productive influence) in the work of Regeneration is expressly called by that name (as it is no such strange thing for the effect to carry the name of its cause);¹ That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. There is Spirit begetting, and Spirit begotten. And the Spirit begotten, as it must be distinguished from its cause, the Spirit of God; so it must from the subject wherein the effect is wrought, our own Spirits; For they sure are not produced by the regenerating work. Yea, and when God is said to dwell in them that dwell in love, and that are humble and contrite; somewhat else is thereby signified to be indwelling there, than the mere being of God; for otherwise the privilege of such were no