and so it's good for us to part with houses, with ships, with fishing, with nets, with plucking of ears of corn, or buying of bread, yea it's good to part with Ordinances, preaching to the Jews or Gentiles, with working of miracles, healing the sick, or casting out of devils, influences of glory were as connaturally received ⟨p. 395⟩in the soul that is near God, and heavenly minded, as the Moon and Stars receive light from the Sun, and dry fuel receives fire where clay and the earthy and drossy, part of the Lords creation, and his foot-stool, can receive no light at all; so if earthly mindedness have fixed a seat in the affections, the spirit of grace and glory cannot shine through gross and earthy hearts; give us corn, wine and oil, and the influences of the lovely countenance of God say worldlings, we do little value; whereas it is night and winter, and hell for a child of God, when the Lord withdraws influences of faith and feeling, loving, rejoicing and near communion with God; worshippers of God never miss gracious influences: when the soul is sick after Christ, influences of God, for the high praise of Christ, abound, Cant. 5. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, &c. and Psal. 63. 1. when the soul thirsteth for God, and the heart and flesh cry out for the living God, Psal. 88. 1, 2. and the soul panteth, as the hart for the water brooks, for God, Psal. 42. 1. (which are crying signs of a heart in heaven) then influences of grace, like an high spring-tide, and like a full river, flow most abundantly, even to the satisfying of the soul as with marrow and fatness, and to the tongue praising of God with joyful lips, and the remembering of God in the bed, in the night-watches, Psal. 63. 4, 5, 6. and to the extolling of the Lord as God and King, Psal. 88. 1, 2, 3. and the breaking of the heart and bones when God is reproached, Psal. 42. 3, 10.
and so it's good for us to part with houses, with ships, with fishing, with nets, with plucking of ears of corn, or buying of bread, yea it's good to part with Ordinances, preaching to the Jews or Gentiles, with working of miracles, healing the sick, or casting out of divels, influences of glory were as connaturally received ⟨p. 395⟩in the soul that is neer God, and heavenly minded, as the Moon and Stars receive light from the Sun, and dry fewel receives fire where clay and the earthy and drosy, part of the Lords creation, and his foot-stool, can receive no light at all; so if earthly mindedness have fixed a seat in the affections, the spirit of grace and glory cannot shine through gross and earthy hearts; give us corn, wine and oyl, and the influences of the lovely countenance of God say worldlings, we do little value; whereas it is night and winter, and hell for a child of God, when the Lord withdraws influences of faith and feeling, loving, rejoycing and neer communion with God; worshippers of God never miss gracious influences: when the soul is sick after Christ, influences of God, for the high praise of Christ, abound, Cant. 5. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, &c. and Psal. 63. 1. when the soul thirsteth for God, and the heart and flesh cry out for the living God, Psal. 88. 1, 2. and the soul panteth, as the hart for the water brooks, for God, Psal. 42. 1. (which are crying signs of a heart in heaven) then influences of grace, like an high spring-tyde, and like a full river, flow most abundantly, even to the satisfying of the soul as with marrow and fatness, and to the tongue praising of God with joyful lips, and the remembring of God in the bed, in the night-watches, Psal. 63. 4, 5, 6. and to the extolling of the Lord as God and King, Psal. 88. 1, 2, 3. and the breaking of the heart and bones when God is reproached, Psal. 42. 3, 10.
