But, _Secondly_, As it is an honourable, so it is a pleasing thing to walk with GOD. The wisest of men has told us, that “Wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace.” And I remember pious Mr. _Henry_, when he was just about to expire, said to a friend, “You have heard many mens dying words, and these are mine; A life spent in communion with GOD, is the pleasantest life in the world.” I am sure I can set to my seal that this is true. Indeed, I have been lifted under JESUS’s banner only for a few years; but I have enjoyed more solid pleasure in one moment’s communion with my GOD, than I should or could have enjoyed in the ways of sin, though I had continued to have went on in them for thousands of years. And may I not appeal to all you that fear and walk with GOD, for the truth of this? Has not one day in the LORD’s courts, been to you better than a thousand? In keeping GOD’s commandments, have you not found a present and very great reward? Has not his word been sweeter to you than the honey, or the honey-comb? O what have you felt, when, _Jacob_-like, you have been wrestling with your GOD? Has not JESUS often met you when meditating in the fields, and been made known to you over and over again in breaking of bread? Has not the Holy Ghost frequently shed the divine love abroad in your hearts abundantly, and filled you with joy unspeakable, even joy that is full of glory? I know you will answer all these questions in the affirmative, and freely acknowledge the yoke of CHRIST to be easy, and his burden light; or (to use the words of one of our collects) “That his service is perfect freedom.” And what need we then any further motive to excite us to walk with GOD?
But methinks I hear some among you say, “How can these things be? For, if walking with GOD, as you say, is such an honourable and pleasant thing, whence is it, that the name of the people of this way is cast out as evil, and every where spoken against? How comes it to pass that they are frequently afflicted, tempted, destitute, and tormented? Is this the honour, this the pleasure that you speak of?” I answer, Yes. Stop a while; be not over-hasty. Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment, and all will be well. It is true, we acknowledge the “people of this way,” as you, and _Paul_ before you, when a persecutor, called them, have their names cast out as evil, and are a sect every where spoken against. But by whom? Even by the enemies of the most high GOD. And do you think it a disgrace to be spoken evil of by them? Blessed be GOD, we have not so learnt CHRIST. Our royal Master has pronounced those “blessed, who are persecuted, and have all manner of evil spoken against them falsly.” He has commanded them “to rejoice and be exceeding glad.” For it is the ♦privilege of their discipleship, and that their reward will be great in heaven. He himself was thus treated. And can there be a greater honour put upon a creature, than to be conformed to the ever-blessed Son of GOD? And further, it is equally true, that the people of this way are frequently afflicted, tempted, destitute, and tormented. But what of all this? Does this destroy the pleasure of walking with GOD? No, in no wise; for those that walk with GOD, are enabled, through CHRIST strengthening them, to joy even in tribulation, and to rejoice when they fall into divers temptations. And I believe I may appeal to the experience of all true and close walkers with GOD, Whether or not their suffering times, have not frequently been their sweetest times, and that they enjoyed most of GOD, when most cast out and despised by men? This we find was the case of CHRIST’s primitive servants, when threatened by the _Jewish_ sanhedrim, and commanded to preach no more in the name of JESUS; they rejoiced, that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the sake of JESUS. _Paul_ and _Silas_ sang praises even in a dungeon; and the face of _Stephen_, that glorious proto-martyr of the christian church, shone like the face of an angel. And JESUS is the same now, as he was then, and takes care so to sweeten sufferings and afflictions with his love, that his ♠disciples find, by happy experience, that as afflictions abound, consolations do much more abound. And therefore these objections, instead of destroying, do only more enforce the motives before urged to excite you to walk with GOD.
♦ “prilege” replaced with “privilege”
♠ “disciciples” replaced with “disciples”