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

Is it not enough saith that heavenly Soul that is acquainted with God, that I have done such and such things against God, when I knew him not, but that I should again engage against him after I have been obliged by a thousand mercies, after I have tasted and seen how good the Lord is? is it a light matter that I did so long fight against him then? and shall I now renew my rebellions, when I have had so much experience of the folly & madness of such a war, where I shall be as surely conquered as I draw my sword? and hath God kept me by a miracle of mercy out of Hell, and after I had run out so wretchedly, and undone my self, set me up again, after I had plaid the prodigal, received me again into favour, and shall I after all deal thus ⟨p. 194⟩basely by him: No, I'll die a thousand deaths before I will willingly yield to any thing that may be in the least offensive to him, whom my Soul hath such an infinite reason to love above the whole world. The knowledge of Gods service, and Satan's too, makes a Soul to distinguish; he that knows what it is to be made free by Christ abhors his old Master, he remembers full well the great hardship that he then underwent, when he had nothing to live upon but Husks, he calls to mind the Clay and Mortar, he can't forget the cruel vassalage that he served under; Garlic and Onions were his dainties, and truly he can't desire to leave his Manna for such kind of Food; he is not in love with the Whip and Scourge, he doth not dote upon the fetters, the Iron which went into his Soul, but he is glad with all his heart to be free from those Task-masters, which made him to serve with rigour, he hath no mind to return to his old Work: My meaning in all this is, he that was a servant and a drudge of Satan's, and a slave to his lust, when he once comes to taste the sweetness of Spiritual liberty, to ••••de free by Christ, he hath no desire again to be enslaved, but doth with the greatest detestation, reject all the proposals and promises that the Devil makes, to bring this business about; he knows Satan too well to love his service, he remembers that all his pay was promises and no more, he remembers that he fed him with poison, and made him do that which had like to break his bones, and undone him for ever; he sees what Satan's designs were, and what had become of him quickly, if he had gone on in his service;

Is it not enough saith that heavenly Soul that is acquainted with God, that I have done such and such things against God, when I knew him not, but that I should again ingage against him after I have been obliged by a thousand mercies, after I have tasted and seen how good the Lord is? is it a light matter that I did so long fight against him then? and shall I now renew my rebellions, when I have had so much experience of the folly & madness of such a war, where I shall be as surely conquered as I draw my sword? and hath God kept me by a miracle of mercy out of Hell, and after I had run out so wretchedly, and undon my self, set me up again, after I had plaid the prodigal, received me again into favour, and shall I after all deal thus