difpofe of fuch Matters. The Confcioufnefs of my. own Sins convincess me, I have deferved, that all the Creatures fhould confpire and make War against me. To Me belongs Shame and Confufion, but to Thee only Honour and Praise is due. And thou haft taught me, that to bear Contempt, and Hatred, and barbarous Treatment, with Humility and Patience, is the only Method of attaining inward Peace, and true Satisfaction; The Virtue which must recommend me to thy Favour; the best Predifpofition for Light and Grace; and the fureft, clofeft Band of Union with thyfelf.

CHA P. XLVII.

Happiness is not to be bad, by the Favour or Friendship of Men.

H

Chrift. fection or Acquaintance of the belt, the greatest Man alive, will always find his Mind unfettled and perplexed. For even the Beft and Greateft are but Mortals; and the effectual Remedy against immoderate Concern for their being taken away from thee, will be to court the Favour of an Eternal and Immortal Friend. Now, the lefs Confidence any Man repofes in any Earthly Comfort, fo much the more he ingratiates himself with God. The better he acquaints himself with his own Vilenefs, and the lefs he is in his own Eyes, the higher he rifes in God's Efteem. But they, who vainly fancy any thing that is good or meritorious in themfelves, put an effectual Bar to Divine Grace. For this is given to the Humble, and the Spirit of God chufes the contrite Heart for the place of his peculiar Refidence. Would't thou aban

E that purposes to be Happy, by the Af

don

don Self-conceit, and wean thy Heart from all Fondnefs for the Creatures, it is not to be imagined what Comforts, what overflowing Joys, I would infuse into thy Soul. But, while thefe employ thy Thoughts and Defires, thou art diverted from all higher Objects, and by being too intent upon his Works, lofeft and forgetteft the Almighty Maker. Learn then to fubdue thy own Will, that thou may'ft clearly underftand, and readily comply with mine. For any other Object, tho' never fo trifling and inconfiderable in its own Nature, yet, if unduly priz'd, and immoderately loved, corrupts the Mind, and checks its afpiring after the Chief, the only Good.

С НА Р. XLVIII.

Against Vain, and Pompous Learning.

Chrift.]

Di

O not, my Son, fuppofe, that the Excellence of a Man confifts in Subtilty of Wit, or Quaintness of Expreffion. For the Kingdom of God does not lie in Elegance of Speech, or Finenefs of Parts, but in Innocence of Life and Good Works. Let my Words be thy Principal Study; for these awaken Attention, inlighten the Understanding, kindle a holy Zeal, provoke true Contrition, and heal the Wounds they make, with the Spiritual Balm of Grace and folid Comfort. Let not the growing Wifer and more Learned be the End thou propofeft to thy felf in Reading; but read, that thou may'ft be qualify'd to practise, and let thy Knowledge be feen by fubduing thy Vices and Paffions. For this is Improvement indeed, and will turn to better Account, than the niceft and moft diftinguifhing Skill, in all the Controverfies and difficult Points, that ever employed

the

the Tongues and Pens of wrangling Logicians, Philofophers, and Divines. And when thou haft run thro' the whole Compafs of Learning, yet all will turn at last upon one Single Point; and the whole Profit of thy Pains lies in a narrow room.

If thou wilt be knowing indeed, learn of Me; for I am the only Mafter that teach Men Knowledge. I give more perfect, more Sublime Understanding to Babes, to the Humble and Sincere, than all the Celebrated Sons of Art have ever been able to do. And those whom I inftruct, grow truly wife, are presently enlightned and refined, and, by an aftonishing Proficience in Virtue, outftrip all the admired Schemes of Morality. Moft wretched are those Vain Men, who with infinite Toil and Time, lay themfelves out upon the unprofitable Curiofities of Human Wisdom, and take no Pains to inform themselves in their Duty to Me. The Hour alas! draws on apace, when their Mafter Chrift fhall come with terrible Pomp, and call each Man to ftrict Account, and found every Conscience to the Bottom. Then ball FeruZeph. i. falem be fearched with Candles; then shall the hidden Things of Darkness be brought to Light; and no Man's Eloquence or Subtilty of Arguing fhall do him any Service, before that All-feeing Judge. I raise the Meek, and Man of Mean Sense, in an Instant; and teach him at once the Grounds of Eternal Truths, better than a Courfe of many Years spent in Laborious Study, and the moft exquifite Methods of Schools and Univerfities. I bring Men to Right Apprehenfions of Things, without any Noife of Words, without the Formality of Syftems, or Vain Oftentations of Caviling Sophiftry, or Regular Difputing. Of me alone Men learn to defpife the World, to think Things prefent below their Pains and Care, to love and feek thofe that are Heavenly and Eternal, to decline Honours, to bear Injuries and Affronts, to

truft

trust and hope in Me alone, to wish for nothing but my Favour, and to esteem allthings but Drofs and Dung, fo they may win Chrift.

Pfal. iii.

Some Difciples of mine have made fuch wonderful Improvements under me, as even to speak Things above Human Comprehenfion; and grown wifer in Solitude and Cloifters, than any Converfation of Learned Men, or Volumes and Libraries never fo carefully perused, could have made them. But this is not every Man's Cafe; for I do not communicate to all alike. Some I inftruct in common Matters, Others in abstruse and peculiar Notions. And, as the Measure and Quality of the Matter, fo the Manner of Imparting it, is very different. To Some I have fhew'd my felf in Figures and Parables, Dreams and Mystick Representations; to Others I have reveal'd the most important Secrets in the most clear intelligible Method. Books fpeak alike to all, but all are not qualified to be taught by them alike. But I, inftead of dead Letters prefented to the outward Senfes, perform my Business within, I fill the Mind withTruth, fuit my felf to each Man's Genius and Capacity, search every Corner of the Heart, understand their moft retired Thoughts infpire good Defires, promote and finish thofe Defires by bringing them to Action, and deal to every one the various Gifts of my Spirit, in fuch Kinds and Proportions, as I fee most useful and seasonable.

CHAP.

CHA P. XLIX.

Of Meddling with the World as little as may be.

Chrift.]

IN

N many Things, my Son, content thy felf with being Ignorant, and chufe to live as a Man Dead, while among the Living; One, whofe Thoughts and Affections are crucified to all the World; and all the World to them. Many Things are to be overlook'd, as if you faw them not: Thy Mind drawn off from the diftracting Variety of Objects, and faftn'd close down to the Things that make for thy Peace and Salvation. In controverted Points, 'tis generally much better to content one's felf with avoiding Erroneous Opinions, and their Vicious Confequences, and leave others to abound in their own Sence, (where their Difference from thee does not apparently hazard their Souls) than to engage in hot Difputes, and fpend thy precious Hours in wrangling and fierce Contention. And even in Disputes, not to be hot and pertinacious; For, if God and Truth be on thy fide, and thou canft with Comfort appeal to thy Judge above, thy Concern will not be great for Victory and Approbation below.

Difciple.] Alas! Lord, what a wretched Cafe is this World in? How diftant from this meek and abstracted Temper of Mind? Trifling Lofs is feriously lamented. A little fordid Gain engages Mens Time, and Labour, and Thoughts. The Day is too fhort for their Vigorous Pursuits, and Anxious Cares break their Sleep; while all their Spiritual Concerns lie neglected and forgotten. Their Diligence and Study is determin'd to Matters of fmall or no Importance; and the One Thing Neceffary is laid afide, as if it were not worth a fingle Thought. So vain is Man, fo totally immers'd in fenfible Objects and worldly Cares; and

fo