_Direct._ II. Understand how much of this holy delight may be hoped for on earth.[122]--Though too many christians feel much more fear and sorrow in their religion than delight, yet every true christian doth esteem God more delectable, or fit and worthy of his delights, if he could enjoy him; whereas to the carnal, fleshly things do seem more fit to be their delights. And though most christians reach not very high in their delights in God, yet God hath prescribed us such means, in which, if we faithfully used them, we might reach much higher. And this much we might well expect: 1. So much as might make our lives incomparably more quiet, contented, and pleasant to us, than are the lives of the greatest or happiest worldlings. 2. So much as might make our thoughts of God and the life to come, to be ready, welcome, pleasant thoughts to us. 3. So much as might greatly prevail against our inordinate griefs and fears, and our backwardness to duties, and weariness in them, and might make religion an ordinary pleasure. 4. So much as might take off our hankering desire after unnecessary recreations and unlawful pleasures of the flesh. 5. So much as might sweeten all our mercies to us, with a spiritual perfume or relish. 6. So much as might make some sufferings joyful, and the rest more easy to us. 7. And so much as might make the thoughts of death less terrible to us, and make us desire to be with Christ.
[Sidenote: Psal. lxviii. 3-5; lxix. 30, &c.]