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

Shall I that have forfeited my Life and Soul, and instead of Hell have received Heaven, instead of Damnation, Salvation; shall I instead of thankfulness again rebel? because the Grace of God abounds, shall sin abound? God forbid. To argue from mercy to sin is the Devils ⟨p. 191⟩logic: To argue from mercy to duty is true Christianity: One that is acquainted with God can expostulate the case with his own Soul, and say! What meanest thou O my Soul to stand parleying with Satan? hast thou known what that hath cost thee already? look back to Eden. Who was it that dispossessed thy Grand Father of that brave seat? What did Eve get by discoursing with such a Cheater; have you not lost enough already, but you must be venturing still? was it nothing for God of a friend to become a stranger and enemy? was it a slight matter to be divested of all that glory that once thou didst shine in, but that now again after thou art brought into some favour, thou must be tampering with that gamester who had like to have robbed thee of all? art thou talking of returning again to Egypt? what, hast thou so soon forgotten the Iron, and the Clay? Is this all the thanks that you give the Lord for his unspeakable mercy? Doth he that hath done such things for you deserve no better at your hands? Is this your kindness to your friend? What was it O my soul, that that undone Creature said unto thee? Did he say, it is a little one, and thy Soul shall live? what, did he ask a few merry hours that I should spare my self, that I should not be righteous overmuch? Did he so? a special Friend! I Thank you for nothing? and why didst thou not answer the Tempter as Solomon did Bathsheba when she asked a small thing (as she thought) for A donijah? and why dost thou not ask the Kingdom also? and why did not Satan ask thee to part with heaven, and thy interest in Christ, and those favours? as the Lord liveth, as small a request as thou thinkest his was, ⟨p. 192⟩that word was spoken against thy life, thy Soul. A virtuous man, or as the Stoic calls him, Auton.) One that hath God for his friend, when temptations are presented, he remembers who he is, and how he stands related to God, and how little grateful such an action would be to his Friend. And thus he doth resist the Temptation with a great deal of gallantry, when he remembers himself. Nay, sometimes, Temptations to sin do make Grace more to abound?