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

5. Another effect of acquaintance with God, is, That it will make us more highly to honour him. Here familiarity is far from breeding contempt. Those that are strangers to God see not his worth and excellency, they honour him not, but they have the most vile, low, contemptible thoughts of the infinitely glorious Majesty, and they think any thing will serve his turn, they make more bold with him then they would do with a man like themselves, they put him off with the leavings of the world: When they have been feeding their lusts, and serving their pleasures, and gratifying the Devil all the day long, then they come between sleep and awake, and pretend a great deal of love to him, and anger with themselves for their sin, whereas God knows, they do but play the hypocrites in all they do, & mean nothing that they say: Lip-devotion, knee-religion God shall have, and but a little of that too; and that pitiful stuff that they present him with, they think God is very much beholding to them for. As for the sanctifying the Lord God ⟨p. 217⟩in their hearts; as for inward hearty-love; as for high prizings and admirings of God, as for a real honouring of God, and worshipping of him in Spirit, and in Truth, it is that which they understand not; and as for them which do, they laugh at them, as if they were guilty of the greatest folly in the world. But now he which converseth with God, beholds such a beauty, excellency, majesty, and glory in him, that it is ready quite to swallow up his soul; he speaks much of God, but yet he thinks more; he wonders that a God of such infinite goodness should be no more loved, that a God of such infinite greatness, justice and holiness should be no more feared, that a God of such unspeakable power should be no more obeyed; and while he remembers his own contempt of God in former times, and the too mean thoughts that he hath at present of him, he doth even stand astonished to think that he should be on this side the state of the damned. He that before thought every thing too much for God, now thinks nothing enough for him. The man is strangely changed by his new acquaintance, so that he may not improperly be called a New man, all things are new with him. In honour to this new guest, he hath got on new clothes, he is cl•• with Righteousness, as with a garment: new food, it is his meat and drink to do the will of his Father which is in Heaven;

5. Another effect of acquaintance with God, is, That it will make us more highly to honour him. Here familiarity is far from breeding contempt. Those that are stangers to God see not his worth and excellency, they honour him not, but they have the most vile, low, contemptible thoughts of the infinitely glorious Majesty, and they think any thing will serve his turn, they make more bold with him then they would do with a man like themselves, they put him off with the leavings of the world: When they have been feeding their lusts, and serving their pleasures, and gratifying the Devil all the day long, then they come between sleep and awake, and pretend a great deal of love to him, and anger with themselves for their sin, whereas God knows, they do but play the hyprocrites in all they do, & mean nothing that they say: Lip-devotion, knee-religion God shall have, and but a little of that too; and that pitiful stuff that they present him with, they think God is very much beholding to them for. As for the sanctifying the Lord God