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

2. That if any delight did belong to it at all, it must be found only in peculiar extraordinary assurances and persuasions of Gods love; and be the attainment consequently of none but more eminent Christians.

2. That if any delight did belong to it at all, it must be found only in peculiar extraordinary assurances and perswasions of Gods love; and be the attainment consequently of none but more eminent Christians.

That apprehension being throughly admitted, both these misapprehensions fall and vanish. And it will take place, if it be duly considered, That there is a delight that will naturally arise from the congruity and fitness of actions in themselves, and the facility of them, that they flow easily from their proper principles. Whereupon there can be no true vital act of Religion but will be delightful. And we may appeal herein to the judgments of such as shall allow themselves to consider, whether the matter do not evidently appear to be so ⟨p. 213⟩upon a serious review and revolving with themselves of the several gracious operations that proceed from the holy rectitude mentioned in the former part; as the acts of even Repentance, self-abasement, self-denial, self-devoting, (appearing to be in themselves most fit and becoming things), and readily without force proceeding (as they cannot but do) from a rectified and well-disposed heart, how can they but be pleasant? And it is much in our way to the experiencing of such delight, to be at a point with our selves, and well-resolved wherein it is to be sought and found.

6. However all the acts and operations of true, and living Religion be in themselves delightful, yet apply your selves to the doing of them for an higher reason, and with a greater design than your own delight. Otherwise you destroy your own work therein, and despoil your acts of their substantial moral goodness, and consequently of their delightfulness also. That is not a morally good act, which is not referred to God, and done out of (at least) an habitual devotedness to him, so as that he be the supreme end thereof. You would therefore, by with-drawing and separating their reference to God, ravish from them their very life and soul; yea and perfectly nullify those of them that should be in themselves acts of Religion. So as that in respect of all your actions, that separation were unjust; and as to these that should be direct acts of Religion, impossible. Since therefore they are