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The benefit of this consideration and exer∣••ise being universal upon all the parts of piety, I shall lesse need to speci••ie any particulars; but yet most properly this exercise of consider∣ing [ 1] the divine presence is, 1. an excellent help
to prayer, producing in us reverence and awful∣nesse to the divine Majesty of God, and actual devotion in our offices. 2. It produces a con∣fidence in God, and fearlessenesse of our enemies, [ 2] patience in trouble, and hope of remedie, since God is so nigh in all our sad accidents, he is a disposer of the hearts of men, and the events of things, he proportions out our tryals, and supplyes us with remedie, and where his rod strikes us, his staffe supports us: To which we may adde this, that God who is alwayes with us, is especially by promise with us [ 3] in tribulation, to turn the misery into a mercy, and that our greatest trouble may become our advantage by intitling us to a new manner of the Divine presence. 3. It is apt to produce joy and rejoycing in God; we being more apt to delight in the partners and witnesses of our conversation; every degree of mutual abiding and conversing being a relation and an endear∣ment: we are of the same houshold with God; he is with us in our natural actions to preserve us, in our recreations to restrain us, in our pub∣lick actions to applaud or reprove us, in our private to observe us, in our sleeps to watch by us, in our watchings to refresh us: and if we walk with God in all his wayes as he walks with us in all ours, we shall finde perpetual reasons to enable us to keep that rule of God, Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes, and again I say rejoyce. And this puts me in minde of a saying of an old re∣ligious person, [There is one way of over∣coming our ghostly enemies, spiritual mirth, and a perpetual bearing of God in our mindes] This effectively refists the Devil, and suffers us to receive no hurt from him. 4. This exercise is apt also to enkindle holy desires of the enjoyment [ 4]
of God, because it produces joy when we do enjoy him; The same desires that a weak man hath for a Defender, the sick man for a Physitian, the poor for a Patron, the childe for his Father, the espoused Lover for her betroth∣ed. [ 5] 5. From the same fountain are apt to issue humility of spirit, apprehensions of our great distance and our great needs, our daily wants, and hourly supplies, admiration of Gods un∣speakable mercies: It is the cause of great mo∣desty and decency in our actions; it helps to recollection of minde, and restrains the scat∣terings and loosnesse of wandring thoughts; it establishes the heart in good purposes, and leadeth on to perseverance; it gains purity and perfection, (according to the saying of God to Abraham, Walk before me and be perfect) holy fear, and holy love, and indeed every thing that pertains to holy living: when we see our selves placed in the Eye of God who sets us on work and will reward us plenteously, to serve him with an Eye-service is very pleasing; for he also sees the heart: and the want of this consideration was declared to be the cause why Israel sinned so grievously, [For they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not: therefore the land is full of blood, and the city full of perversenesse.] What a childe would do in the eye of his Father, and a Pupil before his Tutor, and a Wife in the presence of her Husband, and a servant in the sight of his Ma∣ster, let us alwayes do the same: for we are made a spectacle to God, to Angels, and to men; we are alwayes in the sight and presence of the Allseeing and Almighty God; who also is to us a Father, and a Guardian, a Husband, and a Lord.
••n vit•••• S. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
Ezek. 9.9. Psal. 10.••••.