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thoughts of God, to conceive of him as one that would rather damn than save<br />
us. This is to put the blessed God into the similitude of Satan. When our<br />
ignorance and unbelief have drawn the most deformed picture of God in our<br />
imaginations, then we complain that we cannot love him, nor delight in him.<br />
This is the case of many thousand Christians. Alas, that we should thus<br />
blaspheme God and blast our own joys! Scripture assures us that "God is<br />
love; that fury is not in him; that he hath no pleasure in the death of the<br />
wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." Much more hath he<br />
testified his love to his chosen, and his full resolution to save them. O that<br />
we could always think of God as we do of a friend; as of one that<br />
unfeignedly loves us, even more than we do ourselves; whose very heart is<br />
set upon us to do us good, and hath therefore provided for us an everlasting<br />
dwelling with himself! it would not then be so hard to have our hearts ever<br />
with him. Where we love most heartily, we shall think most sweetly and<br />
most freely. I fear most Christians think higher of the love of a hearty friend<br />
than of the love of God; and what wonder, then, if they love their friends<br />
better than God, and trust them more confidently than God and had rather<br />
live with them than with God?<br />
9. Carefully observe and cherish the motions of the Spirit of God. If ever<br />
thy soul get above this earth, and get acquainted with this heavenly life, the<br />
Spirit of God must be to thee as the chariot to Elijah; yea, the very living<br />
principle by which thou must move and ascend. O, then, grieve not thy<br />
guide, quench not thy life, knock not off thy chariot wheel! You little think<br />
how much the life of all your graces and the happiness of your souls depend<br />
upon your ready and cordial obedience to the Spirit. When the Spirit urges<br />
thee to secret prayer; or forbids thee thy transgressions; or points to thee the<br />
way in which thou shouldst go; and thou wilt not regard; no wonder if<br />
heaven and thy soul be strange. If thou wilt not follow the Spirit while he<br />
would draw thee to Christ and thy duty; how should he lead thee to heaven,<br />
and bring thy heart into the presence of God? What supernatural help, what<br />
bold access shall the soul find in its approaches to the Almighty, that<br />
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