Nature is easily provoked to Difcontent, by hard Circumftances: Grace bears Want and Poverty with Meeknefs and much Patience. Nature's Ends and Defigns conftantly centre in her felf: But Grace confiders her Original, and thinks, that all fhould return thither from whence at firft it came; arrogates nothing to it felf; is not affuming, does not contend for Praife or Preference; is not dogmatical and peremptory in her own Opinions, but, in all Searches after Truth, fubmits her own Reafon and Judgment, to the Incomprehenfible Wifdom of God. Nature affects to be knowing, to understand and penetrate the profoundest and darkest Myfteries, makes Oftentation of all her new Discoveries, and pretends to Experiment and Demonstration; labours to diftinguifh her felf, to be thought wiser than the reft of the World, and would be extolled and admired for all that is fpoken or written, or done: Grace thinks it not advisable, to lay out Time or Thought upon new or unprofitable Curiofities; but confiders, that the Ruin of Mankind is owing to that bufy Defire of knowing what God thought fit to conceal from them; that this inquifitivè pretending Temper is a Sprout from that old Root of Bitternefs; that Established Truths may be depended upon, but new and fanciful Notions are almost no fooner entertained, than they are difproved and exploded again; That Men fhould therefore check that vain Pleasure, which tickles their itching Minds upon thefe Occafions; abandon Vain-glory, labour rather to conceal, than to publifh their Advantages; and make Usefulness, and Virtue, and God's Honour, the only End of all their Knowledge and Studies. For to Him alone all Thanks and Praife muft of neceffity be due, who gives Men all they have, of his own mere Motion and free Mercy.

And fuch is Grace: A Light fuperior to Nature, which should direct and prefide over it; the peculiar

Gift of God; the diftinguishing Character of his Chofen; the fure Pledge of everlasting Salvation; for it raises a Man's Affections from Earth to Heaven, and changes him from Flesh to Spirit. And, becaufe thefe two Principles are acted by fuch different Motives, proceed in fuch different Methods, and purfue fuch differing Ends; therefore, in Proportion as Nature is weakned and fubdued; the larger Meafures of Grace are imparted, the more Mens Virtues are improved, and the glorious Image of God renew'd in their Hearts, by holy and heavenly Difpofitions.

CHA P. LX.

The Weakness of Corrupt Nature, and Efficacy of Divine Grace.

Disciple.

1 Pet. i.

Hou haft indeed, my God, created me

in thy own Image, after thy Likeness, Gen. i. 24. and commanded me to be holy, as thou thy felf art holy. O grant me, I befeech thee, that Favour and Affiftance, which, thy own Word hath taught me, is fo important, fo abfolutely neceffary to Salvation; that I may vanquish my own Nature, whofe Inclinations are now fo degenerate, fo corrupt, that they have a strong and conftant Tendency to Sin and Death. For I feel and lament a Law of Sin in my Body, warring continually against the Law of my Mind, drawing me to Compliance with the fleshly and fenfual Appetite, and difabling me from any refolute Refiftance against its fatal Motions; except thy Divine Grace pour in fresh Succours, and help me to ftand in the Day of Battel. Lord, I have need, not only of thy Grace, but of very plentiful and powerful Communications of it, to

Rom. vii.

turn

turn the Biafs of Nature, which from my very Infancy, preponderates to Evil. For this Infection is derived from the first Parent of Mankind, and is the Punishment of his Offence diffused upon his whole Pŏfterity; fo that the Human Nature, which came pure and good out of thy creating Hand, is tainted and perverted, and all the Motions, now remaining, draw the wrong way, and bend to Sin and Earth.

"

The little Power left in us to do good, is like a very fmall Spark, covered with a huge Heap of Embers: Light of Reafon clouded with a thick noifome Mift of Darkness and Error. And, though by this all the Diftinctions of Good and Evil, of Truth and Falfehood are not utterly loft, yet the Power of performing what our better Senfe approves, is gone; the Light of Truth is dim and feeble, and the Integrity of our Minds and Affections is blemished, and diverted from attending to it impartially. Hence it comes to pass, that, though fometimes I am delighted with thy Law in the inner Man; and fully convinced, that the Commandment is boly, and juft, and good, condemning Wickedness, and warning me of the Rocks and Precipices, which, in fteering my Courfe through the Waves of this troublesome World, I must be watchful to avoid; yet ftill with the Flesh I ferve the Law of Sin, and find a greater Difpofition to follow Luft and Senfe, than to be governed by Reason and Religion. Hence I fo often feel the Will to do well; but how to perform what I thus will, I find not. Hence I often make and repeat good Refolutions with great Sincerity; but, for want of thy Affiftance to counterpoife my Infirmities, quickly fall from my Sted faftnefs, and am beaten off with the very Approach of Difficulty and Oppofition. Hence I difcern the Way I should walk in; but when I am inform'd of my Duty, and endeavour to raise my felf above the World and its Temptations; a fatal innate Weight draws

$ 2

Rom. vii.

draws me down again, and checks my Soul in its intended Flights to Heaven and Thee.

How abfolutely needful then, my God, is thy Grace to help me in beginning, in carrying on, in accomplishing every good Work; fince without it I can do nothing, and yet with it can do even all Things? Yet not I, Lord, but Thou, who art in me, and strengtheneft me. O Gift truly Divine! without which no Defert of Man, no Endowments or Qualifications of Nature, are of any Worth or Significance at all! Sciences and Arts, Riches and Power, Beauty and Strength, Wit and Eloquence, What are they, Lord, or what to be accounted of, if not feconded, affifted, exalted, perfected by Grace? Thefe are Accomplishments diftributed promifcuously to Good and Bad; but Grace is a Gift peculiar to thy Children and Chofen, and fuch as renders the happy Men that have it worthy of Eternal Life and Happinefs. A Gift fo fingularly excellent, that neither the Gift of Prophecy, nor the Power of working Miracles, nor the Understanding of fublimeft and most abftrufe Mysteries, nor Faith, nor Hope, nor any other Virtue or Privilege, can recommend us to God without it.

Obleffed Efficacy of Grace, which makes the Poor in Spirit, Rich in Virtue and good Works; and that Man fo enriched, humble and poor in Spirit! Come, heavenly Gift, defcend from above, fhed thy felf into my Soul, and fill every dark Corner there with Light and Comfort; rouze and shake off my Sloth, moiften the dry Soil, and command Fruitfulnefs out of that barren Ground. Vouchfafe me, Lord, this Bleffing; for this alone is fufficient for me, though thou fhould't think fit to deny or withdraw all, that Nature can either beftow, or is moft fond of acquiring, Give me but this Defence, and no Temptation fhall confound me, no Calamity difmay or make me afraid. For this alone is Strength and Courage, Wifdom and

Pro

Protection; ftronger than all my Enemies, and wifer than all Human Counfels and Contrivances; the Teacher of Truth, the Mistress of holy Difcipline, the Light of the Soul, the Solace of Troubles, the Refolver of Doubts; the Balm of my Wounds, the Difpeller of Melancholy, the Banisher of Fear, the Cherifher of Devotion, the Parent of Contrition, the Spring of holy Tears, and of all thofe Streams that wash and purge Polluted Confciences. What am I without this, but dry Stubble, a rotten Trunk, dead to good Works, useless and unprofitable, and fit for nothing but to be trodden under Foot, and caft into the Fire? Let therefore, O my God, I most humbly and heartily intreat, O let this Grace and Favour of thine always prevent and follow, and make me con

་

Colle&t for

tinually to be given to all good Works; that xvii. Sunday in all my Actions begun, continued and ended after Trinity. in Thee, I may glorify thy Holy Name; and Collect after finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life. Communion, Amen, Amen, it

CHAP. LXI,

Self-denial enforced from Chrift's Example.

Chrift.]THE more, my Son, thou forfakest thy

JT felf, the nearer Approaches thou ma

keft toward Me. As the Defires and intemperate Love of Things without, must be difcarded, in order to the Peace of one's own Breaft; fo even the Love of one's own Self must be laid afide, in order to a perfect Union with God. Learn therefore abfolutely to deny thy own Will for mine, without Contradiction or Complaint. Follow Me; I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Without the Way can be no Walking; with

S 3

out