Exod. xxxiii.

Mofes, and go with him into the Tabernacle to ask Counfel of thy God. There thou fhalt often meet a proper Answer, 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 Courfe 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 Devilish Designs, 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 Affiftances 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:

Who are exprefsly faid to have been de- Joh. ix. ceived 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 enquiring of the Lord.

CHA P. XLIV.

Against too great Eagerness in Business.

Christ. MY Son, commit thy Affairs to my Care,

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.

my Con

Difciple.] Lord, I most willingly commit cerns to thy Management, for all that little I am capable of is very infignificant. And therefore I cannot but wish, that this Senfe, to how little purpofe all my own Pains and Contrivances are, might free me from anxious Thoughts concerning future Contingen, ces, and difpofe me calmly to acquiefce in thy wife and good Pleasure.

Chrift.] Alas! my Son, eager and greedy Men covet they know not what. An Object at a distance engages their Defires, while they fee only the fair and glittering fide; but, upon clofer and more distinct View, Enjoyment undeceives them, and they grow fick, even of their own Defires. For their Defires are various and mutable, and ever veering about to fome fresh Object. It is therefore of fome confer quence, for a Man to forego his own Inclinations, even in Matters of no great Importance. But he, who hath attained to the Faculty of doing this in any Cafe whatsoever, is truly free, and great, above the Reach and Envy of Fortune, and at the highest Pitch of Human Perfection. Yet even this Man will find his Virtues called to the Teft: For the old Enemy of Souls is ever framing fome Stratagem to undo good Men, and lies in Ambush Night and Day, to catch an Opportunity of enfnaring unwary Souls. Let then his Diligence provoke yours, and be not lefs affiduous to fave than he is to deftroy you. For this is the Purport of thy Lord's Command; Watch and Pray, that ye enter not into

Matt. xxvi.

Temptation.

CHAP.

CHA P. XLV.

In Man dwelleth no good Thing.

Difciple.] ORD, what is Man, that thou

·L

art mindful of him, or the Pfal. viii. Son of Man, that thou vifiteft him? How can he deferve to be affifted by thy Grace, or fuccoured by thy Favour? What Right have I, fo vile a Wretch, especially, to complain unto my God, if he withdraw his Prefence, and leave me to my felf? Or, if I beg and pray for Comforts, what have I to alledge in my own behalf? How can I take it ill, if he reject my Petitions? This I am fenfible is all I ought to think, or can pretend to fay, That I have Nothing, and am Nothing, and in my own Nature tend to and purfue after Vanity and Nothing. A miferable Creature, faint and feeble, incapable of fo much as one good Defire, till animated and strengthened by thee. Fickle and mutable, fubject to Infirmities innumerable, and perpetual Decays; but Thou, my God, art the fame, Tefterday, and to Day, and for ever; Ever happy, and juft, and wife, and good, and ordering all things for the best, after the Counfel of thy Divine Will. Well were it, if I were but equally difpofed to Good and Evil; but the Corruption of my Nature, alas! preponderates ftrongly to Vanity and Vice. I eafily fall from my own Stedfastnefs, and am carried about with every fhifting Wind of Time, and Chance, and Paffion.

Heb. xiii.

And yet thus weak and veering as I am, thy helping Hand can Comfort and Confirm me. Thy powerful Grace, without any Human Aids, can work Wonders in me; can ftrengthen my Refolutions, fcatter my Fears, and fill my Soul with Reft and fweet Content. If, when I thirst after higher Degrees of Vir

tuc

tue and Devotion, or if I fly to thee for Succour in Distress, when all other Succours fail me, (and all but thine will and must prove ineffectual) If then I could but abandon all other Hopes, and repofe my whole Confidence in thee alone; Then might I entertain fome Expectations of thy Favour; then wait with Joy, for the chearful Returns of Grace and Comfort from above. For all my Succeffes are thy free Gift, and I my felf a defpicable Wretch, not able to affect any good, not in a Condition to merit the leaft of all thy Mercies.

What therefore can I have to boast of, who, till I defpife and go out of my self, am not so much as qualify'd to receive Affiftance from Thee? Or how can I defire the Applause and Admiration of Men? What! Shall I pretend to glory of Weakness, and Inconftancy, and Nothing? This were a Vanity beyond Example, an Extravagance beyond Imagination. How foolish and abfurd, nay, how hurtful and deftructive a Vice is Ambition, which, by undue Purfuit of Honour, robs us of true Honour; and, affecting Favour with Men, incurs Punishment and Displeasure from God? For he who labours to please himself, is fure at the fame time to offend Thee; and lofes true fubftantial Virtue, by coveting empty Praise. For true Honour and Virtue confifts in glorying, not in our felves, but in Thee, O Lord; in magnifying, not our own Attainments or Performances, but thy free Grace; and in loving and delighting in nothing, but fo far only as may advance thy Honour.

Not unto Me, therefore, not unto Me, but Pfal. cxv. unto thy Name be the Praife. May Men commend and extol not my Works, but thy Power, which infpired, produced and perfected them: And may this Commendation devolve fo entirely upon thy Grace, that not the least part of it may fall upon my Concurrence with it. Far be it from me to arrogate any

thing to my felf; for while I rejoice in Thee, I find nothing in my felf to glory in, but my Infirmities. And in them I will gladly glory; because the greater my Weakness is, the more vifible and eminent is thy Strength, which is fo confpicuously perfect in it. Let Unbelieving Jews feek Honour one of ano

ther; but I, who profefs my felf one of the John v. Faithful, will seek the Honour which cometh from God only. For, what is all the Fame, and Refpect, and Greatness of this World, if put into the Balance of thy Eternal Glory, but exquifite Folly, deceitful Bubble, and altogether lighter than Vanity it felf? All Honour therefore, and Praife, all Might and Majefty be ascribed to thee, O bleffed Trinity, my God, my Light, my Truth, my Succour and Defence, my Refuge and Comfort, for ever and ever. Amen.

CHA P. XLVI.

Of defpifing Worldly Honour.

IF

Chrift.]F thou feeft others grow great in Reputation and Preferment, while thou art overlooked and defpifed, let this, my Son, be no Concern to thee. Look up to Me, and fet thy Affections and Hopes in Heaven, and then the Neglect and Contempt of Men will give thee little Trouble.

Difciple.] Were it not, Lord, for the Blindness and Corruption of Nature, which makes me fond of Vanities and Joys, I should have juster Notions of thefe Matters. For he, who rightly understands himself, cannot but difcern, that it is not in the Power of any Thing without, to do him real Prejudice; and confequently, that he can have no reafonable Ground to complain of thy Providence, however it thinks fit to dispose