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falfe Bottom, feeks her self what the values in others, and is oftentimes deceived and disappointed: The latter reposes her whole Hope and Love in God, and is never mistaken, never deluded by falfe Expectations.

Chrift.]

TH

CHA P. XXXVII.

Of Self-denial.

Hou canft not, Son, be entirely free, till thou haft firft attained to fuch a Mastery, as entirely to fubdue, and deny thy felf. For covetous Perfons and Lovers of themselves, the Luftful, and Bufy, and unfettled Men, the lovers of Pleafure more than lovers of God, are all Slaves; Vile and Unprofitable Slaves; condemned to fruitless endlefs Toil; feeking what they cannot find, and contriving what they cannot compafs; or if they could, what they cannot long enjoy. For every thing which is not of God, is foon brought to nought. Obferve this fhort, but certain Aphorifm: Forfake all, and thou fhalt find all; let go Defire, and thou fhalt lay hold on Peace. Confider this Rule diligently, and tranfcribe it into thy Practice, or Practice will explain and prove it to thee.

Difciple.] This, Lord, is not the Work of a fingle Day, a Maxim not fitted for weak Capacities, but fuch as in one fhort Sentence contains the utmost Perfection of a pious and refigned Chriftian.

Chrift.] And why, my Son, fhould that Perfection affright or difcourage thee? Call up thy Zeal, afpire to true Greatnefs of Soul, and the nobler the Virtue is, the more eager and generous Refolution do thou exprefs of attaining to it. Oh! that thou wert of that

happy

happy Difpofition, which utterly difcards all narrow and felfifh Confiderations, and fubmits it felf entirely to the Obedience of my Commands,and the Disposals of my Providence! So fhould thy Perfon and thy Behaviour be acceptable to thy God; fo fhould'ft thou enjoy great Satisfaction, and Peace in thy own Breast. Alas! there are ftill many things which must be abandoned, Many, which till thou haft Sacrificed to me, the Happiness thou aimeft at can never be obtained. Buy therefore of me the pure refined Gold of a heavenly and refined Difpofition; for that fhall make thee Rich, above all the Treasures of this World. Caft off the Wisdom of this Generation, and do not footh thy self with their foolish Imaginations: for they purfue Shadows, and take delight in Vanity and Nothing. Remember I have told thee, that the things which are lightly esteemed, must be purchased at the expence of thofe, which this World efteems moft precious. For what is more despised and mean in common Reputation, what more neglected and forgotten than that true heavenly Wisdom, which renounces all Merit of its own, and is content to be difregarded by the Men of this World? This mortified and humble State of Mind, is what indeed fome People profefs, and in Words commend; but their Practice plainly condemns it, and gives the lie to all their diffembled Praises. And yet this Wisdom, poor and defpicable as it appears to common Eyes, is that Pearl of great Price, for which all other Poffeffions are wifely given in exchange. That hidden Treafure, which is always like to continue hid, fince it lies low, and few either do, or care to find it.

Matth. xiii.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

The Changeableness of our Temper, and how to fix it.

Chrift.] D

O not, my Son, depend upon any prefent Difpofition of Mind, with which thou feeleft thy felf affected, for this is fickle and of fhort duration. Variety and Change is what Men must be subject to, fo long as they carry the Frailties of Flesh and Blood about them; and all their endeavours cannot fo fix their Hearts, as to keep them conftantly the fame. Sometimes they find themselves difpofed to Mirth, fometimes to Melancholy; now they are Even and Serene, by and by all over Disorder and Confufion; this Hour Fervent and Devout, the next Lukewarm and Cold; Studious and Industrious to Day, flothful and unfit for Business to Morrow; Serious and Grave, and Thoughtful now; and anon, again, Gay and Trifling, and light as Air. But the truly wife Man, who is acted by the Spirit of God, gets above this changeable Region of the lower World; He fuffers not himself to be carried about with every Blaft and Impulfe of Inconftancy, but fettles upon the Basis of the one excellent End, which is always first and most in his Thoughts, the Port to which he makes, and the Compass by which he Steers all his Designs and Actions. For by this Method it is very poffible for a Man to continue unfhaken, and unmoved, by any Guft of Inclination from within, or Accident from without. The natural Changeableness of Human Affections being yet more improved, by Mens own voluntary Uncertainty, and propofing no conftant End or Rule to themselves. Now that Intention, which fixes upon God as its only End, will keep Men steady in their Purposes; and deliver them from

being the Jeft and Scorn of Fortune; and this in Scripture is ftiled a Single Eye, because it ever looks and aims but at one Object.

The more intent then that Eye is in this Prospect, the lefs diverted from its Mark, the firmer and more confiftent Men are with themselves; and the less Impreffion does any Change of Wind or Weather make upon fuch diligent and wife Pilots. But ftill infirmity prevails in moft, and if fome Pleasure or Profit come betwixt, they retain fo much Tenderness for themfelves, and their temporal Advantages; as to be diverted from the fame vigorous pursuit of their first Prize, and allow this fresh one a part at least of their Endeavours and Defires. They love God, but they would love the World too; and in this State of divided Affections fomewhat refemble the John xii. 9. Jews; who, as the Evangelift obferves, came to visit Martha and Mary at Bethany, not only that they might fee and hear Jefus, but that they might fatisfy their Curiofity in gazing upon Lazarus, whom he had raised from the Dead. It must therefore be your great Care and Bufinefs to compofe this Diftraction of Thought, to fix your Heart to one Purpose, to feek one Good, one End, fo zealously, that nothing else may come into Competition or Partnership with it; to look upon every thing which diverts you from, or cools you in this Purfuit, with an Eye of Contempt; and conftantly to keep your Hope, and Defire, and Love (which are the Spring and Guide of all your Actions) upon Me alone.

CHAP.

CHA P. XXXIX.

The Happiness of them who love God.

Difciple.] IN having God, I have all things:- For

whom can I have in Heaven but

Thee, and what is there upon Earth that I can Pfal. Ixxiii. defire in comparison of Thee? Oh fweet and comfortable Words! But this is a Sweetnefs, which none can tafte, but they who love the Word of God, and not the World, neither the Things that be in the 1 John ii. 15. World. My God to me is All; I need add no more; the Men of purified Underftandings find this enough, and they of purified and heavenly Affections cannot repeat it too often. When thou art prefent, Affliction and Death are pleafant; for in thy Favour is Life and Joy. When thou art abfent, Life it felf is a Burden; for thy Difpleasure is worfe than Death. Thou makeft a merry Heart, a cheerful Countenance, in Thee is abundance of Peace, and a continual Feaft. Thou giveft me right Notions of all Events, and rendreft every Accident a Matter of Joy and Praife to me; without Thee Profperity it felf is naufecus, and I loath my very Mercies. For nothing here below can please our Palate, unlefs thy Favour and Wisdom give it a grateful Relifh. To him that feeds delightfully on thee, every bitter Morfel is fweet; but they who want or flight that heavenly Entertainment, find the moft delicious Dainties harsh and bitter.

They who are wife for the World and the Flefh, are moft defective in the true and heavenly Wisdom. The Carnal Wisdom ends in Guilt and Death, and the worldly Wisdom purfues Vanity and empty Pomp. But they who are wife indeed conform themselves to thy Example, by a Contempt of all earthly Greatness,

and

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