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The Life of a true Chriftian is indeed one continu'd Crofs; but fince this is the Way that leads to Paradife, it is by no means fit, that I fhould depart from it, or repent of my holy Refolutions, and good Beginnings.

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Come then, my Chriftian Brethren, let us advance boldly. Courage, for Chrift is with us; he does not only lead us on, but will enable us to follow him. For his fake we have taken up the Crofs, and for his fake we must perfevere in bearing it. Behold the King and Captain of our Salvation, marches at our head, ready to fight our Battels. Let Us, like gallant Soldiers, follow; let us abandon our Fears, and manfully prepare to die in the Field; and not ftain our Honour and lofe our Crown, by flinching from that Service, and thofe Hardfhips, which he hath made our Duty and our Glory.

Chrift.]

CHA P. LXII.

Against being dejected with Temptations.

Judge not, my Son, of thy Favour and

Acceptance with God, by fuch falfe Measures, as the Warmth of thy Devotion, and the Delight which refults from the Discharge of thy Duty; for I am better pleafed with Humility and Patience, and deep Contrition of Heart, in a difconfolate and afflicted State, than with an eager Zeal, and the moft exalted Acts of an eafie and profperous Piety. And whence is it, doft thou think, that every little Scandal, which detracts from thy Reputation, fo fenfibly affects thee? Were it yet more to thy Difparagement, yet could it not be worth thy Concern. This is not the firft Injury of this kind, nor is it like

to be the laft, if thou live longer among Men'; and what is not new or ftrange ought not to furprize thee, I know thy Courage and pretended Bravery, while Danger keeps its diftance; Thou canft difcourfe like a Philofopher and a Chriftian, and give excellent Advice to thy Friends, when they labour under any Diftrefs; but when Their Cafe happens to be thy own, and fome unexpected Calamity comes home to thee, thy Prudence and Refolution forfake thee quite, and thou ftandeft no less in need of the Counsel and Support, which thou wert wont fo freely to impart to others heretofore.

Let this Experiment remind thee of thy own Frailty, which by fuch Inftances appears not to be Proof against the flighteft Misfortunes. For even thefe Inftances are greatly for thy advantage, and bring thee to a right and perfect understanding of thy own Condition. Grow wifer at leaft at thy own expence; and as thy calmer Reafon fhews they ought to be, fo let thy Behaviour manifeft, that thefe tender Refentments of Temporal Evils are banifhed out of thy Mind. If thou cannot entertain Adverfity with abfolute Indifference, yet let it not drive thee to Defpondency and wicked Diftruft; and, however the firft Onfet may difturb thee, yet rally quickly, and let it not long overpower thee; and tho' perhaps thou art not arrived to

that perfection, of counting it all Foy, when Jam. I. thou falleft into divers Temptations, thou canst not be excufed from undergoing them with Meekness and Refignation, and Patience. If thou art not yet got even thus far, but fome indecent Reflections rife up in thy Mind, yet let not this fecret Indignation break out into irreverent Expreffions; but fet a Watch

upon thy Tongue. and keep the Door of thy Lips, Pfal. cxli. refolve at leaft that thy Mouth fhall not ofand xxxix. fend; and though thy Heart be hot within thee, yet let not any paffionate Complaints burft

out,

out, which may caft Imputations upon the Honour of God, impeach the Juftice and Goodness of Providence, or give Offence to thy weaker Brethren. For by thus manning and guarding well the Outworks, thy inward Commotions will in time be compofed; thy Sorrow by degrees fhall turn into Joy, and the Favour and Mercy of that God, be inclined to relieve and comfort thee, in recompence for thy Reverence and Submiffion to his good Pleasure.

As I live, faith the Lord, I will help thee speedily, and comfort them who earnestly feek me; who put their trust in my Salvation. Call up thy Chriftian Fortitude, and fink not under thy Burden, but prepare for greater Trials. If thy former Troubles have overwhelmed thy Spirits, and prevailed over thy Temper and thy Virtue, let not the Remembrance of thy former Trials difcourage thee. The Lord knoweth whereof thou art

made, he remembreth that thou art but Duft: Pfalm ciii. A Man, and not God; Flefh, and not Angel, or unbodied Spirit; How canft thou then expect to continue in an undisturb'd ftate of Goodnefs? How fhould thy Virtue be above the shocks and fhakings of Temptation, when even the Angels kept not their first Eftate; and Man in Paradife, fo foon fell from Innocence? I am thy fole Protection, who raise the Souls dejected with Sorrow, preferve thofe who acknowledge and bewail their own Weakness, and glorify with my felf the humble Chriftians, who are afhamed of their Follies and Miscarriages.

Difciple.] Bleffed be thy Mercy, for the gracious Words which drop from thy Mouth, foft as the gentle Dew, and sweeter than Honey and the Hony-comb. What would become of me in the extremity of my Diftrefs and Anguifh of my Soul, did not thy Promifes and feasonable Inftructions refresh and comfort me? But be it as thou wilt; for I cannot think it any great matter, how long or boisterous my Voyage is, fo thou

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at last conduct me fafe, to that peaceful Haven, where good Men are at reft: Let my Afflictions be never fo great, fo thou grant a happy Iffue, and turn my Sufferings to good effect. Be my Condition in this Life Adverfe or Profperous, no Profperity will profit, no Adverfity harm me, but in proportion to the State in which I die. And if I go well out of the World, my continuance in it cannot be fo troublefome, that I fhould have caufe to repent or complain. Order my Affairs then as thou pleaseft; but always, O my God, remember me for good; lead me in the right and ready way to thy Kingdom, difpofe my every. Action towards the attainment of Salvation, and let me fo pass through things Temporal, that I finally lofe not the things Eternal. Amen.

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Against Prying into Things too high for us, and pretending to Fathom the Depths of God and Provi dence.

Christ. Do not, my Son, take upon thee to dif

pute, or determine any thing concerning abftrufe and difficult Points; nor too curiously enquire into thofe myfterious Difpenfations, which God hath purposely concealed from thee. Concern not thy felf about the amazing Distributions of Grace or Providence; why one Man is forfaken and in diffavour with God; another fo furprizingly indulged by him; This Perfon exercised with Afflictions and Sorrows, or That fo gently dealt with, fo unaccountably exalted. Thefe are things out of thy Sphere: and all the Parts and Penetration, the acuteit Wit, and acquired Improvements of Man, are much too

short

fhort and feeble to enter into the Reafons of the Divine Counsels. If therefore fuch Curiofities return upon thee, look upon them as the Suggestions of the Devil, by which he labours to difquiet and unsettle thee. If Men impertinently bufie, require a Solution of fuch Difficulties, content thy felf with that general Answer of the Prophet; Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are thy Judgments; The JudgPfal. xix. 8 ments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether; His Righteousness ftandeth like the ftrong Mountains, fixt and immovable, eminent and confpicuous; and bis Judgments are like the great Deep. A vaft.

Jer. xii. 1..

and dark Abyss, fuch as we cannot fee to Pfal xxxvi. 7. the bottom of, or fathom with the fhort Line of a Finite Understanding.

My Methods and Dealings are to be admired and had in reverence, not fawcily criticized upon by my own Creatures: For no Creature can have a Capacity proportioned to them; and what Men cannot comprehend, they should not prefume to take into Examination.

As little ought they to enquire and difpute concerning the Merits or the Preference of Good Men; which of the Saints excels in Virtue, or is greateft in the Kingdom of Heaven? For thefe are Queftions in which Men are no way concerned, fuch as ingender Strife and Debate, and turn to no good Account; they cherish Arrogance and Pride, Envy and Faction, while Men break into Parties, and each contends for the Preeminence of him whofe Order and Patronage he is devoted to, or whom his own Vain Imagination inclines him moft to honour. The Effect of this is very visible,and the Mischiefs that fpring from fuch an impertinent Zeal, exceeding numerous and lamentable ; The Controverfie neither poffible to be decided, nor worth deciding, if it were. And if thofe Saints have any knowledge what paffes here below, this indifcreet

and

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