Even Food and Rayment, and the Neceffaries by which Life is fuftained, are a Grievance and ObftruЯtion to zealous and refined Souls: But what must be a Burden, let me not make an occasion of Sin; by ufing thy Creatures intemperately, by a Luxurious Indulgence, or Inordinate Appetite. Nature, I know, it is my Duty to fupport; and therefore, entirely to refufe and neglect thefe Provifions, were Sin and foul Ingratitude. But to enlarge our Defires beyond the proper Uses of thefe things, and let them loofe upon Superfluity and Vanity, Delicacy and Delight: This the Law of God hath moft wifely forbidden; because it were in effect to connive at all Licentioufnefs, by cherishing the Flesh, and animating and fupporting it in Infolence and Rebellion against the Spirit. Between these two Extremes there lies a fafe middle Way, in which I humbly implore the Guidance of thy Hand; left I decline from Virtue on either fide, and going aftray after my own Inclination, or unadvifed Zeal, forfake my Path, and fly out beyond the Meafures Thou haft prescribed for me.

CHA P. XXXI.

Self-love the greatest Obstruction to Virtue and

Chrift.]

SON

Happiness.

N, if thou aim at Purchafing All, know that it is not to be bought at any Price,less than thy All. Earth must be bartered for Heaven, and where I give my felf, I expect the whole Man in exchange. Think not therefore of any private Referves of Intereft or Pleafure, in Bar to my entire Poffeffion; for all the World cannot do thee greater Prejudice, than fuch Self-love. This ticks more clofe, while

other

other things are loose and at a distance, and all things fasten upon thee, only according as the Degree of your own Love and Inclination for them gives opportunity and advantage. If your Mind and its Affections be pure, and fincere, and moderate, nothing fhall have the power to enflave you.

And what pretence can you have for fuffering them to be otherwife? For who would fet his Love upon things, which cannot be obtained without Difficulty, oftentimes not with it; or, if they be, cannot be enjoyed without Danger? Who would court Bonds and Captivity, and be fond of having that, which will obftruct his weightieft Concern, and Rob him of his Liberty? Were thefe Confiderations duly attended to, it must appear prodigious Folly, for any Man not to refign himself up entirely to Me; to waft his Strength with unprofitable Vexations, and labour in the Fire for Vanity, and create Troubles which it is in his power to avoid. Obey my Will then, and submit all to my Difpofal, and then thou art out of the Reach of the World, and its Temptations. But, if Intereft and private Refpect ftill Govern in thy heart, all thy Application will be in vain. Thou runneft away from Troubles in one place to meet them in another; feeking Reft but finding none, because thou always carrieft thy Torment about thee. For, even in thy moft fuccessful Attempts, there will be fomewhat wanting to give thee compleat Satisfaction; and in thy moft private Retirements thou wilt be dogged and haunted by fome Croffes. The World and its Advantages can do thee no Service by being enjoyed,but by being flighted, and despised. This is the Cafe, not of Riches only, but of Honour and Reputation too, for They also make themselves Wings and fly away; and thou canft never be fafe or happy, but by mortifying thy Ambition and Vain-glory.

How

How many People please themselves with fond Imaginations of Eafe and Leifure to be Good, in a Country, or a College-life? But Cloifters and Defarts fignify nothing, without the Zeal and Difpofition of a Hermit. The Convenience of Place is very little; and all its boasted Expectations vanish, except the Man be changed, as well as his Refidence, and manner of Living. And this Change is not, cannot be effected, unless his Mind be fixed in Me alone, as the proper, the only Center of all its Affections and Defires. The Liberty Men enjoy otherwife, is very short and unfaithful; for frefh Occafions of Sin and Trouble will quickly offer themfelves; and then, not only the old Inconveniences will return again, but new and greater, and fuch as are peculiar to that new State of Life upon which they have entred: And thus their very Refuge becomes a fresh Temptation.

CHA P. XXXII.

A Prayer for Purity of Heart, and Heavenly

Difciple.]

Wisdom.

Establish me, Lord, with thy free Spirit,

being ftrengthned in the Inner Pfal. li. 11. Man, I may purge my Soul from all vain Anxiety, and banifh Idle Fears, and get over the Dif couragements and diftracting Troubles of the World. Let not the wild and impatient Defires of any thing here, though never fo alluring and feemingly valuable, perplex my Thoughts, and draw me off from Thee. Give me Grace to confider my felf and all below, as things full of Vanity, and of very fhort Continuance. For fuch indeed are all Things under the Sun, vexation of Spirit, and altogether lighter than

Vanity it felf. And he who conftantly looks upon them as fuch, is the truly, the only Wife Man.

Matth. xiii.

Impart to me then, O my God, I befeech thee, that heavenly Wisdom, which may difpofe me to seek thy Kingdom and thy Righteoufnefs; to Sell all for this one Pearl of great Price; and to esteem my felf rich in no Treasure but Thee; to love and delight in thee alone; to take Satisfaction in all things elfe, in fuch Degrees, and in Subordination to fuch Purposes only, as thou haft appointed; and to receive every Difpenfation of Providence, with fuch a Spirit and Temper as becomes my Duty, and may render it ferviceable to the Ends for which thou fenteft it. Grant me fuch Prudence and Conduct in all my Converfation, that I may decline and defpife the Infinuations of Flatterers, and meekly receive the Contradiction and Reproaches of Gainfayers and Slanderers. For this is Wifdom indeed, when a Man is not carried about with every Blaft of Air, but stops his Ears against the Syren's Charms; and refolutely proceeds in a straight steady Course of Virtue, in defpight of all the Subtilty of those who labour to entice, or the Malice of them who would terrify and drive him from it.

CHA P. XXXIII.

How a Chriftian ought to behave himself when Men Speak Evil of him.

Chrift.

M

Y Son, if Detractors and Slanderers fpeak or think ill of thee, let not this much disturb thee. The Provocations to Impatience and angry Refentments, which fuch ill Treatment ufually minifters, will be much better employed against

thy

thy felf. Take then this Hint of improving thy Humility, by reflecting how many things which lie concealed from Human Sight, thy own Mind is conscious of; and the more their wicked Malice labours to leffen thy Reputation, fo much the lefs do thou appear in thy own efteem. If all be well within, and thy Heart right with Me, the impertinent Cenfures of bufy envious Men will make no very deep Impreffion. And when these reach thy Ears, instead of Recriminating and Indignation, it will be wifely done to look up to Me, and not to be difordered at any Judgment which Men fhall take upon them to pronounce concerning thee. For why fhould thy Satisfaction be placed upon a thing, which makes thee not one whit the better or the worfe? If they commend and cry thee up, thy real Merit is not the greater; and if they revile and run thee down, thy Innocence is not the less. Seek then true Honour and Satisfaction from Me, from Me alone; whofe Sentence never fwerves from Equity and Truth. And great fhall thy Content and thy Quiet be, if thou neither folicitously court the Favour of Men, nor fervilely fear their Cenfure and Displeasure. For, after all the Complaints of outward Accidents, the true Original Ground of all Difquiet is within; For inordinate Affections and vain Fears are the polluted Fountain, from whence those bitter Streams of Difcontent, and perplexed Thoughts, and every Confufion and Disorder of a troubled Mind flow.

CHAP.