The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being…

1. It must be free, ingenuous, voluntary. There •ust first be a resolution, and then a practice upon it, and without this it cannot be right or sin•ere. There is no Religious duty done acceptably to God, but what hath the heart in it, the •ill determined about it; there are many forced confessions, that men are driven to in distress, •hen Gods hand is upon them, and Conscience •undereth against them, that maketh them to •omit up their indigested morsels, and make a great •oise, as those that are extremely sick of Sin; but is not kindly, nor will it end well. Pharaoh •id thus when Gods hand was heavy on him; & •e Children of Israel did so in times of distressing judgments: but what came it to? What a remark •oth God make on it? Psal. 78. 37 God indeed •equently useth afflictive Providences as means, •nd Conscience as an instrument for the bringing •f men to a sincere confession, such as Ephraims •as, Jer. 31. 18, 19. But he causeth it to work •o on the heart, as to make the man truly affected with his. Sin, and with self abhorrence to confess it.

1. It must be free, ingenuous, volantary. There •ust first be a resolution, and then a practice up•n it, and without this it cannot be right or sin•ere. There is no Religious duty done accepta•ly to God, but what hath the heart in it, the ill determined about it; there are many forced onfessions, that men are driven to in distress, hen Gods hand is upon them, and Conscience undereth against them, that maketh them to omit up their indigested morsels, and make a great oise, as those that are extreamly sick of Sin; but is not kindly, nor will it end well. Pharaoh id thus when Gods hand was heavy on him; & e Children of Israel did so in times of distressing udgments: but what came it to? What a remark oth God make on it?