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moved by fuch Examples; for there is fo manifeft a Congruity and Decency, in fubmitting to any Adverfities which it fhall please God to lay upon us, that even they who have not the heart to Imitate, yet will not be able to forbear commending and admiring the Pattern we set them.

Would we indeed weigh things in a juft Balance, 'tis most unreasonable we fhould decline fuffering for Chrift, when it is fo very visible, that we are well content to undergo much forer Hardfhips for the World, than any he thinks fit to call us to.

And fhall Humour, or Paffion, or Temporal Intereft be fuffered to prevail upon us more powerfully than Duty? Efpecially, when that Duty promotes an infinitely better Intereft; and the more we are mortified to our felves and the World, the nobler Advances we make towards God and Life Eternal? These are refined Privileges, for which no Man is qualified, till he be first purified in the Furnace of Adversity; nor can the Spiritual and Divine Graces dwell in a Soul, till the Drofs of Earth and Senfual Appetites be firft wrought off. Affure your felf, that Suffering for, and in Obedience to Chrift, is not only the moft acceptable Thing to God, but really advantageous for your felf, and that which contributes moft to the Soul's Health of any thing that can happen in the Present State. And, would the Prejudices Flesh and Blood lie under, permit us to difcern and confider Matters impartially, this would be first in our Wishes, and preferred before all the Outward Profperity, or Inward Satisfactions this World can give. For who would not be ambitious of refembling our Lord, and his molt eminent Saints? Who is fo blind, as not to fee, that the thing in which they fignalized their Merit, was not the larger Degree of their Revelations, or the Pleafures they enjoyed, but the Number and Extremity of their Afflictions?

And

And we may be very confident, that if Chrift had known any better Way to Heaven than by Croffes and Patience, he would both have chofen it himself, and referved it for his Faithfulleft Servants, and deareft Friends. But fince his own Example, and his conftant Directions declare, That if any Man will

come to him, he must deny himself, and take Luke xiv. up his Cross, and follow him, it is but folly and loft Labour to think of any other Method; for when all is done, this will be the Sum and Conclufi

on of the whole Matter, that, Through Ats xiv. much Tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God.

The End of the Second Book.

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