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Matth. vii.

1 Pet. iv.

Keep God

upon the Righteous Judge above. None to thy Prejudice, but a fad and fatal one to their own; for they cannot escape his Judgment, who hath declared, that they who judge fhall be judged; that they shall bave Fudgment without Mercy who shew no Mercy; and that the fame Measure they mete to Others, he will measure to them again. then always in thy Mind, and let go Quarrel and Contention, nor embroil thy felf in Troubles and Differences, by being over-folicitous in thy own Defence. If thou at prefent feem to be opprefs'd with Difgrace and Ill Reports which thou haft not deferved; bear thy Burthen contentedly: Blemish not thy Innocence by too deep Refentment; nor take off from the Brightness of thy Crown, by Anger and Impatience, and Eagerness to Right thy felf. Reflect on Me, who once endured fuch Contra

diction of obftinate and implacable Sin- Heb. xii. ners; and am now fet down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God. Look up to Heaven, and remember, there is One, who can make thy Innocence as clear as the Light, and thy Righteouf

ness shine like the Sun at Noon-day; One Pfal. xxxvii. who will confider, not only thy Infamy and Wrong, but thy Manner of Bearing it; and the more meek, more injured thou haft been, the kinder and more bountiful Rewarder thou fhalt be sure to find me.

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CHA P. XLII.

A Christian must devote himself entirely to God before be can be happy.

Chrift.] Lo Ofe thy Life and thou shalt find it, forfake

thy felf and thou fhalt poffefs Me; efteem and have nothing, and thou fhalt enjoy all things. For I will recompenfe thee with greater Treafures, and infinitely increafe thy Store, when thou haft made over into my Hands all that thou hast and art.

Difciple.] How often, Lord, muft I repeat this Gift, and what are the Inftances wherein I must forfake my felf?

Chrift.] All Times, my Son, are feafonable; and every Action, every Accident of thy Life, furnishes a fresh and proper Occafion for doing it. I can admit of no Referves, but expect thee ftript of all, and nothing left which I have not a Title to. For how canft thou be mine, and I thine, except thy own Will be renounced in every thing, and no Property or Claim any longer remaining unconveyed over? The fooner thou executeft this Deed, the better it will be for thee: and the more full and exprefs, the more frank and fincere thou art in it, the more favourable will be my Acceptance, and the more valuable Confideration fhalt thou receive. Some indeed there are who pretend to give themselves; but the Conveyance is fo clogged with Provifo's and Limitations, that the Title they make is worth nothing. They truft themfelves to God by halves, and are for making their beft of the World at the fame time. Others again do this without Exceptions, but then in Difficulties and Temptations they repent of their Bargain, and revoke the Grant. Thefe Men make no confiderable Improvement in Virtue, nor do they tafte the Sweets of Piety; which con

fift in a Mind at large from the World, and the Friendfhip and familiar Converfation of God. But fuch Spiritual Advantages cannot in the nature of the thing be imparted to any, whofe Affections are not entirely agreeable and infeparably united to mine; and this requires the total Refignation of a Man's felf; . and the daily Offering of his whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body, a boly, lively and reasonable Sacrifice unto me. I have often faid it, and now repeat it once more; That He who would receive All, muft in exchange give All. Do not then expect, or call in, any thing again, but give freely and cheerfully, and depend folely upon Me, without Doubts or Demurrs. Me thou fhalt have in return, and with me perfect Freedom and faving Knowledge. Prevail with thy felf to give up all without Intent or Power of Revocation; and pray earnestly, that thou may'ft gladly follow Chrift, in all his Sufferings and lowest State; that thou may'it renounce all Property, and throw thy felf naked into his Embraces that thou may'ft die to the World at prefent, and by fo doing, live to Me for ever. When this is done, all vain Imaginations will be banish'd; Luft will difturb thee no more, nor Paffions ruffle,nor anxious Cares perplex thee; Exceffive Fears will run and hide their head; Inordinate Defires will ficken and die; Sorrow and Difquiet find no place; and if Temptations try, yet can they not moleft thee.

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CHAP. XLIII.

How to govern ones felf in the Affairs of the

Chrift.]

World.

never

B E fure my Son, to take good heed, that Bufinefs and Care never get within thee; but whatever Conftraint they may lay upon thy Actions, and outward Attendance, yet keep thy Mind always at its own difpofal. Do bufinefs, but be not a Slave to it; and remember thy Prerogative is to govern, and not to ferve the Things of the World. Thou art a Hebrew of the Spiritual Seed of Abraham, affert thy Native Liberty: But why do I call thee a Free-born Son of Abraham? Thou art a great deal

more, tranflated out of Bondage into the gloColoff. I. rious Liberty of the Sons of God, Partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light: Such Birth, fuch Hopes, fuch a Condition fhould raise and enoble thy Soul, trample upon the prefent, and grafp at nothing lefs than Eternity; Caft only now and then a disdainful Glance upon this World, as a thing by the by; but keep thy Eye immoveably and directly fixt upon Heaven, as thy fure Profpect, thy main Concern; it will ill become thy Quality to dwell upon Trifles, or fubject thy felf to things temporal: These thou must make bend to thy Pleasure, fubmit and ferve thy Occafions. For fo their great Creator intended they should, who is the Author and Lover of Order, and would have every Work of his contain'd within its properPoft andStation.

If thou at any time art entangled in Difficulties, rely not upon Human Prudence, nor truft the falfe Reprefentations, with which thy Senfes, and worldly Affections, or the mistaken Judgment of others fo difpofed, would impofe upon thee. But remember

Mofes,

Mofes, and go with him into the Taber- Exod. xxxiii. nacle to ask Counsel of thy God: There

thou fhalt often meet a proper Anfwer, have many Thoughts feasonably fuggefted to thy Mind, and return wifer, both for this and the next World, than thou wert before. For Mofes always took this Course in doubtful Cafes and important Exigencies; he made Prayer his Weapon and Refuge, by it he vanquished many Dangers, the Malice of Enemies and wicked Men, efcaped and detected their Devilifh defigns,and retorted the Mischiefs they intended, back upon their own Heads. Now what that Tabernacle was to him, thy Closet and thy Confcience are to thee. Neglect not then by any means to confult this Oracle, and implore the Directions and Affiflance of Divine Grace. For the ill Confequences of acting upon thy own head without thefe Precautions, are intimated to thee by that Inftance of Joshua and the Ifraelites: Job. ix. Who are exprefly faid to have been decei

ved by the Gibeonites, to their great Prejudice; because they gave too eafy Credit to their flattering fair Pretences, and engaged in a League without firft enquiing of the Lord.

Chrift.]

CHA P. XLIV.

Against too great Eagerness in Business.

MY

Y Son, commit thy Affairs to my Care, and I will in due time blefs them with a proper, and profitable Iffue. But wait with Patience till that appointed time of mine, and do not anticipate the Methods of my Providence, for I know how to convert every delay to thy advantage.

Dif

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