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

When the most Spiritual Christians do complain, it is more of themselves, then of their persecutors! O my unbelieving heart! O that I should love God no more! O that my heart should be no more taken up with the great things of Eternity! This is the condition which those that are most Spiritual, are in Poverty, Imprisonment, Banishment, and all ⟨p. 226⟩these things which most call dreadful, when they come to a man that is much in Communion with God, they find him Patient, Meek and Calm, these are not the things which put him upon the rack; God is his Friend, and that answers all.

8. Another glorious effect of Acquaintance with God, is, That it will make all our enjoyments doubly sweet. He hath what he hath in love; he need not be afraid of poison in any of those Dainties which comes from his dearest Friends Table; he may eat his meat with a joyful heart, and not tremble for fear of the reckoning at last; what he enjoys is freely given him; all his Dishes have this brave Sauce, they are seasoned with Love, and come out of the hand of a Father. He that is the great Proprietor, hath given him leaven to use these things, and hath promised also to give him better things then these. He knows that this is not his portion, that this is nothing to what he shall possess; it is no small comfort to him, to think that he shall never want any thing that is needful for him, or that if he be brought into some exigences, he hath a Friend that he can go to when he will, and be heartily welcome; he hath a portion, an estate in another Country that can never be spent, though he live at never so high a rate, and the more he spends upon it, the greater it is; he hath a key to that storehouse which can never be emptied; he hath an interest in him in whom all fullness doth dwell: his Friend is noble, let him but ask and he shall have, seek and he shall find, knock & it shall be opened unto him. God is so free that he takes care of all his creatures; yea, so great is his Royal Bounty, that it doth largely provide ⟨p. 227⟩