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Boast not of Riches, because they are in your prefent Poffeffion; nor of Friends, because they have Power and Intereft; but if you will glory, glory in God, who is able to give all Things, and willing to give that which is better than all, even Himself. And why should the Strength and Beauty of your Perfon puff you up with Pride, when it is in the Power of a very little Sickness, to bring upon you extreme Weaknefs, and odious Deformity? If you be inclin'd to value your Wit and Addrefs above due measure, remember from what Hand thefe come, and do not provoke the Giver, by abufing the Gift.

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Fancy not your felf better than your Neighbours, for fear that God, who knows what is in every Man, think the worse of you upon that Account. Nay, value not your felf even for what you have done well, for God judgeth not as Man judgeth; and what we often are highly fatisfied with, he fometimes thinks not fit fo much as to approve. If you be confcious of any thing good in your felf, think that the fame or better Qualities may likewife be found in others: For while you allow Their Excellencies, it will be no difficult matter to preferve a modeft Opinion of your own. There can come no harm of fuppofing every other Man better than your felf; but the fuppofing any Man worse than your felf, may be attended with very ill Confequences. The Meek, fays the Scripture, is refreshed in the multitude of Peace; but the Proud in Spirit is like a troubled Sea, perpetually toft and driven by the fierce Commotions of Anger, and Emulation and Envy, and Difdain, which never fuffer him to be eafy and compofed.

Pfal. xxxvii.
Ifa. lvii.

CHAP.

CHA P. VIII.

Against too general an Acquaintance, and inconvenient Freedoms in Converfation.

Eccluf.viii.19.

Pen not thine Heart to every Man, but make choice of prudent and religious Perfons to dif clofe thy Affairs to. Frequent not the Company of young Men and Strangers; Flatter, not the Rich, neither affect to be feen in the presence of great Men: But affociate thy felf with the Devout, the Virtuous, the Humble; and contrive that thy Difcourfe be profitable. Defire not the intimate Acquaintance of Women; but, inftead of thy Converfation, let them have thy Prayers, and recom mend the Prefervation and the Reward of their Virtue to God. Converfe as much as may be with God, with his holy Angels, with thy own Confcience; and complain not for want of Company, nor think it an Unhappiness to have but few Acquaintance, when thou haft fo good Company as this always at hand.

Our Charity indeed should be univerfal, and extend to all Mankind; but it is by no means convenient, our Friendships and Familiarities fhould do so too. We often find, that a Perfon altogether unknown to us, comès recommended by a good Character, which makes us paffionately fond of his Acquaintance; and yet this very Man, when better known, lofes the great Opinion we conceived of him before, and grows palled and flat upon our Hands. And this we may be fure is no less likely to prove our own Cafe: For the Perfons, with whom we hope to ingratiate our felves by a freer Acquaintance, frequently difcover fome ill quality in us, which makes us lefs acceptable. And therefore, in Prudence and Tenderness to our felves and others both, we should be fparing in our Intima

cies; because it so very often happens, that the more perfectly Men are understood, the lefs they are esteemed.

IT

CHA P. IX.

Obedience and a State of Subjection.

T is a very valuable Advantage to live under the Direction of a Superior; and, whatever the Generality of Men think of the Matter, more difficult and hazardous to Command than to Obey. Many fubmit more out of Neceffity, than out of any Principle of Duty or Choice; and, to fuch as thefe, this is a State of continual Torment. All they do is against the Grain, attended with conftant Murmurings and Complaints; the Life of Slaves and Brutes, and not of Men, who should act with a Spirit of Freedom. And this Native Liberty no Inferior attains to, till he have learnt to obey heartily, for God's, and Confcience fake. Whatever Poft you form an Idea of, none will give you Quiet and Inward Content, equal with that of a State of Subjection: Many have fed themfelves with fond' Imaginations, how happy they should be, if they could change their Condition for a higher; but few, if any, who have actually made the Experiment, have found themselves at all the happier or eafier for it.

'Tis true indeed, every Man's own Judgment is the proper Rule and Measure of his Actions; and hence it comes to pafs, that we are all beft affected to them who are of the fame Opinions with our felves. But 'tis as true, that if God rule in our Hearts, we fhall not think much to recede from our own Senfe in fome Cafes, when Peace and the Publick Good may be pro

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moted

moted by fuch Conceffions. For who is fo abfolutely and compleatly Wife, that nothing escapes his Knowledge? If then our Knowledge be but partial and imperfect, 'tis but reasonable we should not abound too much in our own Senfe, but allow a fair Hearing at leaft to those who differ from us. And in fuch Cafes

a Man gains a great Point, when he knows himself in the right, and yet in Tenderness and Charity, can comply with the Infirmities or Miftakes of others, rather than offend God, by being too tenacious of his own better Judgment.

I have frequently been told, That it is much fafer to take Advice, than to give it. For a Man may have confidered and determined well; and yet there may be fome Cafes, which may make it reasonable to depart from that Determination, and give our felves up to be determined by other Perfons. And when thefe Cafes happen, To refufe fuch Compliances, manifeftly betrays our own Self-Conceit, and is not Conftancy but Obftinacy of Spirit.

CHA P. X.

Few Words are beft.

Ecline Crowds and Company as much as conveniently you may. For frequent Difcourse, even of News or indifferent Things, which happens upon fuch Occafions, is fometimes an Obftruction to Virtue, when leaft intended or fufpected fo to be. The World and its Vanities eafily take hold of us, and our Minds are enfnared and captivated, before we are aware. How often have I found Reafon to wifh, that I had not been in Company, or that I had faid nothing, when I was there? If we examine, how it comes to pass,

that Mutual Converfation gives fo great Delight, notwithstanding we fo feldom enjoy that Pleafure with perfect Innocence; the true Account, I think is this, That we find our felves diverted by Difcourfe, and unbend our Thoughts from feverer Studies: That what we defire and are moft fond of, or what we have the greatest Averfion to, lies uppermoft in our Minds; and therefore we propofe fome Eafe in difcharging our felves upon thefe Subjects.

But how very feldom do we find that Eafe we propofe by doing fo? For this outward Confolation mightily takes off from that inward and Spiritual Satiffaction, in which true Happinefs confifts. Therefore it is our Duty to Watch and Pray, and to fill up the empty Spaces of Life, with thefe holy and retired Exercifes. And if at any time the Refreshments of Company be chofen, and convenient; a ftrict Guard fhould be fet upon our Tongues, that they utter nothing amifs; but improve thefe very Diverfions to the Edification of our felves, and them that hear us. Impertinent and lavifh Talking is in it felf a very vicious Habit, and a wretched Hindrance to our Spiritual Proficiency. And these two Confiderations ought to make us extremely cautious in our Conversation. But it is the Privilege of Virtuous and Religious Difcourfe, that Piety and Goodnefs are wonderfully promoted by fuch Conferences. And then especially, when Perfons of the like Heavenly Spirit and Temper frequent one another's Company, with a Defign of improving by it.

CHAP.

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