Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its…

the goodness of God to them, makes them good to others; the open hand of the great Donor, makes them ashamed to shut their own.

Also they are happy in times of adversity. If a storm of persecution come, their happiness is not diminished, but increased; ⟨p. 263⟩they never had their Souls in such a posture, they never had such appearances of God, as at such a time; they melt in fresh acts of repentance; God draws their pardon afresh, and more legible than ever; they sigh and cry for the abominations in the Land; God sets a mark and a seal of distinction upon them; their hearts tremble for the Ark; his bowels are moved for them; their care is for his interest and great name; his care is to make up his Jewels; their Faith ascends up, and fixes it self upon him; his Power, Wisdom, Goodness, Mercy, come down and command Salvation for them; they cry and wrestle with him in their prayers, that that Gospel, the glory may not depart away from them; he hears them in one measure of grace or other; the Gospel, it may be, shall not depart from the Land, at least, not from their hearts; they are tossed in a Sea of troubles, but there is a calm within, and an Haven of rest (to which every wave gives them a lift) near at hand; they may look to Heaven, and sing, as the Martyr Babylas did, Return unto thy rest, O my soul. They are poor weak creatures, but the power of Christ rests upon them; that divine Power, which bore up his humane nature in his Sufferings, bears up them in theirs; being in the true Immanuel, they ⟨p. 264⟩are sure to have God with them; how heavy soever the Cross be, his everlasting Arms are under them; how bloody soever the Persecutor be, his rich Mercies are towards them; when great men leave them naked to their Enemies, he covers them with his wings; when outward comforts depart from them, he will never, never leave them, no more than Christs Divinity did forsake his Humanity; the joy of the Holy Ghost is their cordial in the greatest troubles; the Love of God shed abroad in their hearts, is able to sweeten Prisons and fiery Furnaces to them; when they have least of Earth, then they have most of Heaven; there are some sparkles of glory let down into their hearts; they taste some drops of the pure Rivers of pleasure which are above.