can bear its being taken away without Murmuring or Defpondency; ftill exciting and encouraging it felf, ftill continuing the fame Diligence in Holy Duties, and never suffering Sloth, or Defpair, or Difcontent, to abate one whit of a Man's beft Endeavours, to do the utmost his Condition is capable of.

This is an Excellence which very few come up to; Idleness and Impatience are the ufual Effects of Spiritual Difappointments. Which yet is most unreafonable, if we think at all, in whofe Disposal These, as well as all other Succeffes are. For Man cannot command Events; God is fole Mafter of his own Favours. He gives to whom he pleases; nor will he be limited, otherwife, than by his own Wifdom, what or how much, or in what Time and Manner he fhall give. And even, when he is moft liberal, Men may convert his beft Gifts into Occafions of their own Deftruction. Thus fome Men of bold ungovern'd Zeal aspire at things beyond their Strength, and exprefs more Vehemence than Conduct in their Actions. They are perfectly carried out of themselves with Eagernefs; forget they are ftill poor Infects upon Earth, and think of nothing less than building their Neft in Heaven. Now thefe are often left to themselves, and taught by fad Experience, that the faint Flutterings of Man are weak and ineffectual, and that none foars to Heaven, except I affift his Flight, and mount him upon my own Wings.

It is therefore highly expedient, that Perfons of more Zeal than Experience, fhould not proceed upon their own falfe Measure of themselves, but refer their Proceedings to the Guidance, and better Judgment of fome Perfons, whom long Time, and much Obfervation hath taught to temper thofe Vain Conceits they are apt to entertain of their own Strength, and to proportion their Undertakings to their Circumftances. But this is a Submiffion which Humility muft qualify

them

them for. For he who is wife in his own Eyes, feldom endures to be directed by another. And this Confideration makes a very moderate Degree of Knowledge, attended with a modest and governable Mind, much more fafe and eligible, than the highest Attainments with Pride and Self-conceit. The mighty. Tranfports and great Satisfaction Men frequently feel from their own Improvement in Goodness, are of dangerous Confequence, if they be fuffered to deftroy the Remembrance of a Man's former Weakness, and his Fears of relapfing into Sin again. And on the other Hand, these Fears may run into Excefs, if Difficulties tempt Men to defpair, and beget Melancholy Diftrufts of God's Ability and Readiness to relieve and refcue them by the Succours of that Grace, which knows how to fratter and defeat the strongest Temptations.

The fame Difpofition of Soul, which leads to Security in Times of Profperity and Peace, inclines to Fearfulness and Dejection of Mind in the Day of Adverfity and Conflict. For would a Man but guard himself against vain Confidences, and proceed always with Caution and Prudence, when his Graces and his Hopes are at the higheft; This would preferve him from thofe Dangers, which unwary Heat and too fanguine Hopes are apt to involve him in. And therefore, when you form to your felf the fairest and most promifing Expectations, it will be feasonable to confider, what may become of you, if God fhould hide his Face, and abate or wholly withdraw those cheering Comforts, which now fo much exalt you. And fo again, when the fe are interrupted, fupport your Spirits in thofe dark Intervals, with the Hope, that Day may break upon you again, and that this Night of Affliction is prolonged, to make you more. advised, and get the greater Honour.

For

For fuch Tryals as these are more for the Advantage of my faithful Servants, than a conftant Succeffion of Profperity and Confolation could poffibly be. They muft needs be fo; fince Virtue does not confift in abundance of Illumination and Knowledge; but in Lowlinefs of Mind, in Meeknefs and Charity, in a Mind entirely refigned to God, and fincerely difpofed to ferve and please him; in a juft Sense of a Man's own Vileness, and not only thinking very meanly of One's felf, but being well content to be fo thought of by Others.

CHA P. IX.

Of Acknowledging our Unworthiness before God.

Difciple.] B

Ebold, now Itake upon me to
Speak unto my Lord, who

Gen. xviii.

am but Duft and Afbes, vile and finful Duft and Ashes! For, fhould I entertain any better Opinion of my felf, I make my God my Enemy, and ftand convicted by the undeniable Teftimony, and juft Reproaches of my own guilty Confcience. But if I humble my Soul, caft off all vain Imaginations of Merit, and think my felf that wretched thing I really am; thy Grace exalts me, thy Light cheers and supports me, and all that groundless Arrogance, to which my corrupt Heart is naturally difpofed, vanishes into nothing. O! give me then a right Understanding of my felf; help me truly to difcern, what I am now, what I was originally, and whence I came. That I am nothing, and proceeded out of nothing, and, if deftitute of thy Grace, have nothing left, but what I had much better be without, even Sin and Infirmity. And yet as vile, as finful, as dejected, as I am of my felf, as foon as thy

bright Beams of Favour are caft upon me, my Weaknefs is made strong, and my Heavinefs turn'd into Joy. I cannot observe the fudden wondrous Change without Aftonishment, and am not able to account for the happy Exaltation of my Nature; which, tho' by its own Weight inclined to fink perpetually, and, by a fatal Tendency to Sin and Hell, prefs'd down witha Load of Flesh and Frailty, is yet, by the mighty Operations of Grace, enabled to afpire to Spiritual and refined Objects, and take noble Flights to Thee and Heaven.

This, I am duly fenfible, is the ftrange Effect of thy free Grace alone, preventing my Defires, infpiring noble Thoughts, affifting my Weakneffes, fupplying my Wants, rescuing me from Dangers innumerable; which, without these powerful Succours, muft unavoidably deftroy and fwallow me up. For an inordinate Love of my felf was formerly my Ruin, but a fincere Love of Thee, and an entire Dependance upon thy Goodness, recovers and reftores me; And the more I love and truft in Thee, the lefs Reafon I find to value and have any Confidence in any thing of my own. For Thou, O deareft Redeemer, art bountiful and kind, far beyond my Deferts: My Deferts! Alas, They are none at all, or worfe than none: But Thou exceedest even my largest Defires, and givest more, infinitely more, than I either dare prefume to ask, or am able to express.

Eternal Thanks and Praise be therefore rendred to my God, for that unfpeakable Goodness, which does not difdain to bestow the precious Gifts of his Grace and Spirit, upon a Wretch unworthy the leaft of all his Mercies. Yea, Bleffed and adored be His Liberality and Long-fuffering, which, in defpight of all our Provocations, continues to engage thofe by Kindnefs, who, by their former Ingratitude and Abufe of it, had juftly forfeited all future Favours; And, by

many

many Excellent Arts, and Holy Importunities, invites and draws Men to himself and their own Happiness, who have an Averfion to both. Even fo, fweet Jefus, extend thy Compaffion, and continue thy Care of Us, who are too prone to neglect Thee, and ruin our selves. Oh! bring us to thy felf, by thankful, humble, pious Difpofitions; for we our felves are Nothing, and Thou art Holiness and Health, our only Strength and Salvation.

CHA P. X.

Of doing all to the Glory of G O D.

T

Chrift.]HE fure and only Way to Happiness, is, to make Me, My Son, the chief and ultimate End of all thy Actions and Defires. By this thy Sincerity will beft be proved; by This thy Mind is refined and purified from all those fordid Interefts and partial Refpects, which are apt to debauch Human Nature, too much of it self addicted to private Gain and Selfishness, and thofe falfe Profpects of Happiness which the Love of this World vainly proposes. For, as foon as any Man defcends to thefe, and feeks bimfelf in all he does, he finds his own Inability to compafs his Intentions, and grows barren and unprofitable. Keep Me then conftantly in View, and aim at nothing but the Advancement of my Honour: Which is indeed but reasonable and juft, fince I am the First and Perfect Good; the Source from whence all Things flow, and therefore all of Right return to, and should center at last in Me again. I afk but of my Own, the Tribute and Acknowledgment of the Succeffes given by my Providence, of the Actions performed by Virtue of my Concurrence, of the very Facul