Spiritual desertions discovered and remedied. Being the substance of divers sermons preached for the…

2. Much less let us censure such. I confess, there are some who talk high of ⟨p. 91⟩their assurances, and joys, and raptures, that give serious Christians too mu•• reason to suspect that they labour of some fearful delusion, in that mean while they indulge themselves in a loose and licentious Conversation; and let all such take heed of the issue; those stolen waters may be sweet, but the dead are there. But let us not say that these spiritual joys are fancies, or conclude that all such as pretend to them are Hypocrites: no, spiritual joys belongs to the Godly mans portion, Psal. 97.11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. And God vouch-safes to his holy ones, when he pleaseth huge first fruits of that harvest in this life. If then we see any such living the more holy, engaged the more strenuously in a singular endeavour to show forth the virtues of him that hath called them out of darkness, into his marvellous light; let us acknowledge them to be the beloved of the Lord, and endeavour to imitate them in their holy lives, as knowing that this is the most likely way for us to enjoy more also of this blessing from Gods hand.

2. Much less let us censure such. I confess, there are some who talk high of ⟨p. 91⟩their assurances, and joys, and raptures, that give serious Christians too mu•• reason to suspect that they labour of some fearful delusion, in that mean while they indulge themselves in a loose and licentious Conversation; and let all such take heed of the issue; those stollen waters may be sweet, but the dead are there. But let us not say that these spiritual joys are fansies, or conclude that all such as pretend to them are Hypocrites: no, spiritual joys belongs to the Godly mans portion, Psal. 97.11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. And God vouch-safes to his holy ones, when he pleaseth huge first fruits of that harvest in this life. If then we see any such living the more holy, engaged the more strenuously in a singular endeavour to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darkness, into his marvailous light; let us acknowledge them to be the beloved of the Lord, and endeavour to imitate them in their holy lives, as knowing that this is the most likely way for us to enjoy more also of this blessing from Gods hand.