Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times. Delivered in…

II. HEAD OF MOTIVES.

The next Head of Motives which I shall insist upon, for the enforcing of this Duty of acquainting your selves with God, I shall take from the glorious effect of this acquaintance with God.

The next Head of Motives which I shall insist upon, for the inforcing of this Duty of acquainting your selves with God, I shall take from the glorious effect of this acquaintance with God.

1. The first effect of this acquaintance with God is, it makes the soul humble, and consequently fits the soul for greater communications from God still, and to do God the greater service; but of that particular afterwards. Acquaintance with God, it makes the Soul humble. When God comes into the Soul, he brings such a glorious light along with him, that he makes the Soul to see, not only his beauty, but its own deformity. Psal. 119.130. The entrance of thy word giveth light: it giveth understanding to the simple. Before the Soul was acquainted with the word of God, and by that had some discoveries of God made to it out of the Word, why it was in the dark, and saw nothing at all of its own vileness, it took no notice of that Sink, that Hell that was within it, consider not its own Treason against the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and the dangerous hazards that it did run every moment upon that account; but the Soul thought very well of its own state, it flattered it self in its own in-iniquity, the man thinks he is rich and increased in goods, and hath need of nothing; but when he comes to look into his Purse, to open his ⟨p. 183⟩Treasury, and to tell over all his Gold and Silver in the light, why then he perceives a sad mistake: all his Silver is drossy, and the best Riches that he hath is but dung: When the light comes in, he sees the darkness of his Understanding, the perverseness of his will, the disorderliness of his Affections, the distemper of the whole soul. He before took himself for a beautiful creature, but by his light & this glass he sees his beauty is great deformity, he beholds heaps of lusts crawling up and down, which before lay undiscerned, and then that man that reckoned himself so happy, cries out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? what shall I do to be saved? I am undone, undone, how shall I live, where shall I dwell for ever? Time was, that the man admired what the Ministers ailed to Keep such a stir about sin, but now he wonders that they are no more earnest in their preaching of it down. It was a little while ago, that he thought himself whole, but now he feels himself sick to the very heart, wounded, sainting and ready to dye; he made full account that he was pure, but now he cries out unclean, unclean; it was not long since he said with indignation, am I blind also?