DISCOURSES VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV. On Delighting in the Laws of God. I will delight myself in thy Commandments, which I have loved. P. 151, 171, 191, DISCOURSES XVII, XVIII. the Practice of Piety and Virtue recom- PROVERBS iii. 17. ker Parbs are Peace. P. 345, 363 DISCOURSES XIX, XX, XXI. . Records. JOHN XX. 30, 31. Presence of bis Disciples, which are not P. 379, 401, 427 On the Delight a good Man bas in the Contemplation of God and his glorious Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the Desires of thine Heart. O F all the Prejudices that are apt to render Men averse to Religion, there is none, more common, or which hath à more pernicious Influence than this, that they look upon it as an Enemy to the Pleasure and Satisfaction of human Life. They represent it to themselves a gloomy and melancholy Thing, Voli III. B: four sour and unfociable, in which no Pleasure or Enjoyment is to be found, nothing that can yield an agreeable Entertainment in this present State. Whilst Perfons are under the Power of such Prejudices, the Arguments and Motives of Religion are in a great Measure loft upon them. When they form such a disagreeable and unamiable Idea of a religious and virtuous Life, as if it were inconsistent with their present Happiness, scarce will the Promise of Heaven itself allure them to it; especially when it is regarded as a State of consummate Holiness and Purity. It is therefore of great Importance to endeavour to get our Minds divested of these Prejudices against Religion, and brought to a high Estimation of it, and Delight in it; and to this Purpose we should endeavour to fix our Views upon its Excellency and Loveliness, to represent it to our Minds in an agreeable and amiable which is its true and proper Light, and to behold at in its own lovely Form, and in the beautiful Harmony of all its Parts, all conspiring, to entertain the noblest Affections of the human Mind. We should pursue these Reflections till we come to this, as our deliberate fixed Persuasion, that Religion duly known and practised hath a Tendency to promote 3 the |
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