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

4. Another season wherein God meets the soul, and the Soul is visited by God, is, when Christians are met together to communicate experiences, or to discourse together about the great things of God. What though most of the world are ashamed to own Religion when it is out of fashion? ⟨p. 312⟩What though but sew dare meet together to speak of Gods goodness, and to praise him, and call upon his Name? Why, Christ says, Though there be but two or three of them, he will make the number one the more, he will be in the midst of them: And though they dare but whisper, it may be, and their meetings to serve God, and do good to one another, may be prohibited by the public Magistrate; and consequently what they do in this kind, must be done in a great deal of hazard, yet the people of God stand not long disputing, they know what to do in this case; yet they would be wise in it too; Not to dare the Magistrate, and to do what they do to confront Authority, but in the uprightness of their souls, they desire to meet together to worship God according to his own will. Yet for all this, though they manage their business with never so much secrecy, God will take notice of them, he hearkens and hears, and a Book of remembrance is written for them that call oft upon his Name, and God will make them up among his Jewels. But I shall have occasion to speak of something to this purpose afterwards, and therefore I pass it over the more briefly.

4. Another season wherein God meets the soul, and the Soul is visited by God, is, when Christians are met together to communicate experiences, or to discourse together about the great things of God. What though most of the world are ashamed to own Religion when it is out of fashion? ⟨p. 312⟩What though but sew dare meet together to speak of Gods goodness, and to praise him, and call upon his Name? Why, Christ says, Though there be but two or three of them, he will make the number one the more, he will be in the midst of them: And though they dare but whisper, it may be, and their meetings to serve God, and do good to one another, may be prohibited by the publick Magistrate; and consequently what they do in this kind, must be done in a great deal of hazard, yet the people of God stand not long disputing, they know what to do in this case; yet they would be wise in it too; Not to dare the Magistrate, and to do what they do to confront Authority, but in the uprightness of their souls, they desire to meet together to worship God according to his own will. Yet for all this, though they manage their business with never so much secresie, God will take notice of them, he hearkens and hears, and a Book of remembrance is written for them that call oft upon his Name, and God will make them up among his Jewels. But I shall have occasion to speak of something to this purpose afterwards, and therefore I pass it over the more briefly.