A93249:283
A heavenly conference between Christ and Mary after His resurrection. Wherein the intimate familiarity,…
A heavenly conference between Christ and Mary after His resurrection. Wherein the intimate familiarity, and near relation between Christ and a believer is discovered.
London: printed for John Rothwel, 1654
A heavenly Discourse between Christ and Mary after his Resurrection.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Again, God requires cheerfulness, God loveth a cheerful giver, ⟨p. 217⟩and a cheerful doer. It is the disposition, 1that is required in every thing, give me thy heart in every thing thou dost. Alas, how can I perform cheerful service to God, when I doubt whether he be my God, and Father, or no? shall not I labour for a heart to yield cheerful obedience, doth it not come deadly off? surely it doth. We ought to comfort our selves, and how can a man comfort himself in a condition full of uncertainties, no comforts are comfortable without this, That God is our God, and our Father, unless we know this; comforts themselves are not comfortable unto us. None of the comforts we have, the comforts of this life, are not comforts to us, when the soul saith, perhaps God feeds me to slaughter, and perhaps I have these mercies as my portion in this world, 2and how can he be comfortable, when he apprehendeth not, that they issue from a spring of love, alas, comforts themselves are uncomfortable. And therefore shall not I labour for that, without which I cannot be comforted, especially it being a disposition ⟨p. 218⟩for our good, to be thankful, and cheerful, and joyful, and large hearted.
3. Again, God requires chearfulness, God loveth a chearful giver, ⟨p. 217⟩and a chearful doer. It is the disposition, 1that is required in every thing, give me thy heart in every thing thou dost. Alas, how can I perform chearful service to God, when I doubt whether he be my God, and Father, or no? shall not I labor for a heart to yield chearful obedience, doth it not come deadly off? surely it doth. We ought to comfort our selves, and how can a man comfort himself in a condition full of uncertainties, no comforts are comfortable without this, That God is our God, and our Father, unless we know this; comforts themselves are not comfortable unto us. None of the comforts we have, the comforts of this life, are not comforts to us, when the soul saith, perhaps God feeds me to slaughter, and perhaps I have these mercies as my portion in this world,