Those that are taken into sweet fellowship and communion with God certainly they are in a blessed condition. Those to whom God will be intimate, and manifest himself in a way of gracious communion, are blessed. Now thus he doth to those that keep his testimonies: ‘If any man love me and keep my commandments, my Father will love him, and we will make our abode with him.’ The whole Trinity will come and dwell in his heart.
But now you must know, there is a twofold keeping of God’s testimonies—legal and evangelical. Legal keeping is in a way of perfect and absolute obedience, without the least failing; so none of us can be blessed. Moses will accuse us; there will be failings in the best. But now evangelical keeping—that is, a filial and sincere obedience—is accepted, and the imperfections Christ pardoneth. If God’s pardon help us not, we are for ever miserable. The apostles had many failings; sometimes they manifested a weak faith, sometimes hardness of heart, sometimes passionateness when they met with disrespect, Luke ix.; yet Christ returns this general acknowledgment of them when he was pleading with his Father, ‘Holy Father, they have kept thy word.’ When the heart is sincere, God will pass by our failings,
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