Of Peace of Mind, and a Defire of Improvement. ME Matth. v. 5. EN might live quiet and eafy enough, if they would be careful not to give themselves trouble, and forbear meddling with what other People do and fay, in which they are no way concerned. But how fhould he be eafy, who makes other Mens Cares his own? Who induftriously feeks Disquiet, and when he might reft in Peace within doors, goes abroad to invite and fetch Disturbance home to his Houfe who takes fuch Pains, and fpends fo much Time to enquire into the Affairs of Neighbours and Strangers, altogether foreign to him; and feldom or never defcends into his own Breaft, that he may examine and under- | ftand himself? Bleffed are the Meek, fays the Scripture, for they shall inherit the Earth peaceably, and increase their Foy in the Lord. And whence is it, think you, that fome Holy Perfons can fo perfectly abftract themselves from theConcerns of this World, and find fuch fatisfaction in their Divine Retirements, and Solitary Contemplations? From hence, no doubt; that they have made it their Bufinefs to mortify all earthly and fenfual Affections, and fo have devoted themselves entirely to God, and are at liberty to attend upon Him without diftraction. But we find the Cafe much otherwife with us, becaufe our Paffions interrupt our Piety, and the Tranfitory Things of this World continue tenderly to affect us. We feldom gain an entire Conqueft over any one ill Habit; nor are we zealous to make every day we live a Step to higher Degrees of Virtue. This is the reason why we are fo cold and infenfible, or at beft, but lukewarm and indifferent, in the Exer cifes of Piety and Private Meditation. Wers ven. Were we but, as we ought to be, dead to the World and our own Lufts, difentangled from thofe Chains and Snares within, that hamper and keep our Souls down to Matter and Sense, then should We also relish Acts of Devotion, and be ravifhed with marvellous Joy, when our Thoughts are fixed on God and HeaThe only, or the greatest Bar to these Spiritual Delights, proceeds from Paffions unsubdued, and from our own Sloth, which cares not to encounter Difficulties, nor aspire to the Perfection of the Saints. Hence is that Tameness and Dejection of Spirit, fo visible, fo fcandalous, when any little Misfortune comes acrofs us: Hence our vain Confidence, and anxious Care, which feeks and depends upon Humane Helps and Remedies; and neglects God, our only fufficient Refuge and Deliverer. Would we but quit our felves like Men, and refolutely ftand our Ground, we fhould not fail of Succours from above. God is always ready to ftrengthen those who strive lawfully, and place their Hope in the Affiftance of his heavenly Grace: He means our very Hardships and Dangers for our Good; and engages us in new Conflicts and Temptations, that he may make our Victories more glorious, and qualify us for a brighter Crown. If we content our felves with the Obfervance of the outward Duties only, and fuppofe this is the utmost Perfection neceffary for us; we bring Religion into a very narrow Compafs, and may quickly get to the End of it. But alas! the Main of our Bufinefs lies within: The Axe muit be laid to the Root of the Tree, and our Senfual Appetites quite cut down, before we can attain to true Pleasure in Holiness, and a peaceful Serenity of Mind... Would we but impofe upon our felves the Task of Mortifying a fresh Lutt, and conquering a vicious" Habit every Year; even thus in a little time we might attain to Perfection. But alas! we often take the di rect contrary courfe; and are generally more wary, more devout, more zealous to do well, and to avoid evil, when we first enter upon a Religious Life, than after we have spent fome time in it. The Fervor of our Affection,which ought in reason to grow every Day stronger and brighter, cools and goes out again; and we reckon it a great matter, if our Zeal can be kept up to the fame warmth, which we felt at its firft kindling. We are too tender of our Eafe, and loth. to put our felves upon the ftretch: whereas, would we but ufe a little Severity, and fubmit to fome Violence at first, that Trouble would quickly wear off; and all our Progrefs in Virtue be, not eafie and tolerable only, but even a delight, and wonderful fatisfaction to us. 'Tis hard, I own, to part with our old Friends, and to unlearn Habits to which we have been long accustomed and harder yet it is, to enter into a formal War with our own Inclinations; and obftinately deny what we eagerly defire. But if we do not conquer fmaller Difficulties, what will become of us, when affaulted by greater? If we do not refift our natural Propenfions at firft, before Inclination is ftrengthened by Cuftom, the Enemy will gather Strength; every Day's Practice is a fresh Reinforcement; and the longer the Delay, the greater will be the Difficulty. O think of this in time, and confider the happy Effects of an early and ferious Piety: What Peace, what Triumphs to our felves; what Joy to others, to God and Chrift, to Angels and Good Men you will certainly procure, by behaving your felves gallantly in this Spiritual Warfare. This fure will balance all the Hardships of Virtue; reproach your Cowardice and Sloth, provoke and inflame your Diligence and Courage; and make you zealous, refoJute, impatient to grow in Grace, and advance every Day in Spiritual Perfection. CHAP. is good for me that I have been in Trouble, fays Da vid. Nor is it David's Cafe alone, for many Men have reason to blefs that Pro- Pfalm cxix. vidence which fends Croffes and Calamities upon them. These bring a Man's Thoughts home, put him upon Reflection, and help him to understand himself and his Condition. They fhew him, that he is in a State of Exile and Pilgrimage,and forbid him to set up his Hope and Reft, in a ftrange Country, where he is no better than a Sojourner. Nor is it thus with thofe Sufferings alone,which the immediate Hand of Heaven inflicts; but even thofe whereof Men are the Inftruments: The Injuries and contumelious Ufage, the Calumnies and Cenfures of them who speak and think ill of us, bring their Profit with them too; even when moft wrongful, moft un deferved. For thefe oftentimes are an occafion of re&tifying our Measures, as bringing us to a jufter and more modeft Opinion of our felves: They cure our Ambition and Vain-glory, and convince us how vain a thing it is, to thirst after Reputation and the Praise of Men, when even Innocence and Goodness cannot protect us from Slander and Reproaches. They teach us to fet a due value upon the Teftimony of our own Confciences, and the righteous Approbation of God, the Searcher of Hearts; when that which he will not fail to commend and reward, cannot escape the Contempt and Condemnation of the World, nor prevail for fo much as fair Quarter, from our mistaken and injurious Brethren. It is therefore both our Duty and our Wifdom, fo entirely to place our Happiness and Expectations in God God alone, that we fhall not need to be extremely folicitous for many outward Comforts, or feel our felves deftitute, or much dejected, when any of these happen to fail or forfake us. For when a well-difpofed Man is oppreffed with Sufferings and Temptations, or perplexed with Evil Thoughts, he then feels experimentally how neceffary the Divine Affiftance is, and how little he is able to do or endure without it: Then he is touched with inward Remorfe, then does he groan in fecret, and in the anguifh of his Heart, pour out his Requefts for Relief and Deliverance: Then even Life it felf becomes a Burthen,and Death defirable; as that which will tranflate him from this Valley of Tears and Corruption, to a Life of Immortality with his God and Redeemer. In a word, Such Circumstances as these are more effectual than ten thousand Arguments, to convince him by his own fenfible Experience, that perfect Security, and entire Satisfaction are not fo much as confiftent with the Condition of Man in this prefent World, and therefore we must be content to wait another and Future State, which alone deferves our Affections, because It alone can make us truly and compleatly happy. СНАР. XIII. Of Refifting Temptations. not long as we continue in this World,we must flatter our felves with an Imagination fo vain, as that of being exempted from Tribulations and Tryals: Thefe are fo infeparable from MortaE. lity, that Job calls the Life of Mana Warfare, or Place of Exercife. It highly concerns every one of us upon this account, to take great Job vii. 1: Sec. 1xx. vulg. Care |