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

2. Another excellent effect of Acquaintance with God, is, that it will make a man fall upon sin in good earnest. When the soul sees how infinitely good God is, it can't but see an unspeakable evil in sin, when is so directly contrary to him. When the soul hath really entered into a League with God, it presently bids defiance to all his enemies; when he begins to be at peace with God, he presently commenceth a war against his adversaries. Friendship with God makes enmity against Satan. That which formerly the man rolled under his tongue as a sweet morsel, is now like gall and wormwood to him. He that sometimes did commit iniquity with greediness, can now say, that it is the greatest folly and madness in the world; he knows that it is an evil and a bitter thing, as sweet as it tasted when his palate was distempered; he that gloried in his wickedness, now accounts it the greatest shame in the world; and hates the garments which are bespotted with the flesh, which sometimes he took for beautiful raiments. The burnt child dreads the fire; sin hath cost his friend dear, and him dear too. The child can't love that knife which stabbed his Father. He knows how sweet God is, and how much he hates sin, and that if he would have Gods company, he must bid an everlasting farewell to his deerest beloved sin; and therefore rather then he will offend so dear a friend, he will hew Agag in pieces before the Lord. He will as soon cut off one hand with the other, and be pulled limb from limb, as again draw his sword against his covenanted friend and again venture into the field in the cause that sometimes he did so deeply engage body and soul ⟨p. 189⟩in. He that thought before that it was no great matter to Damn, Curse, and Tear; but a trick of youth to Whore, and no harm to do what one had a mind to; to Eat and Drink, and Talk, and sleep as one lists, to give ones Lust whatsoever it called for; he that could once make a mock of sin, and Sleep securely upon the top of a mast, and thought it a piece of Gallantry to dare the Almighty, and was ready to laugh at them which durst not be so Prodigal of their Souls, as himself; the case is now wonderful altered with him, he now sees the Harlot stripped naked, he beholds how loathsome the whore is now her paint is washed of, sin and hell are a like to him;

2. Another excellent effect of Acquaintance with God, is, that it will make a man fall upon sin in good earnest. When the soul sees how infinitely good God is, it can't but see an unspeakable evil in sin, when is so directly contrary to him. When the soul hath really entred into a League with God, it presently bids defiance to all his enemies; when he begins to be at peace with God, he presently commenceth a war against his adversaries. Friendship with God makes enmity against Satan. That which formerly the man rolled under his tongue as a sweet morsel, is now like gall and wormwood to him. He that sometimes did commit iniquity with greediness, can now say, that it is the greatest folly and madness in the world; he knows that it is an evil and a bitter thing, as sweet as it tasted when his pallate was distempered; he that gloried in his wickedness, now accounts it the greatest shame in the world; and hates the garments which are bespotted with the flesh, which sometimes he took for beautiful raiments. The burnt child dreads the fire; sin hath cost his friend dear, and him dear too. The child can't love that knife which stabb'd his Father. He knows how sweet God is, and how much he hates sin, and that if he would have Gods company, he must bid an everlasting farewel to his deerest beloved sin; and therefore rather then he will offend so deare a friend, he will hew Agag in pieces before the Lord. He will as soon cut off one hand with the other, and be pull'd limb from limb, as again draw his sword against his covenanted friend and again venture into the field in the cause that sometimes he did so deeply engage body and soul