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Thou art always the fame, and no change of Circumstances can change Thee, or abate thy Affection. Happy is the Soul that is built upon the Rock, Chrift; Were this my Cafe, the Fear of the Malicious would not diftract, nor the Calumnies of the Envious difturb me.

But who can foresee all future Inconveniences, or prevent all that he may forefee? And, if the Ills we are aware of, and provide againft, are fo grievous to be born; how much more heavy will be thofe Wounds, whofe Smart and Terror are doubled by Surprize? We often blame our felves for not being wifer, and have reafon to condemn our too eafy Credulity; That especially, which greedily affents to the Flatteries and Commendations of Men, and relies upon their mighty Profeffions of Friendship and Efteem. For, tho' they call and think us Angels, yet we cannot but be confcious to our felves, that we are no better than Men, frail and wretched Men. Whom therefore shall I believe? Whom indeed but Thee, O Lord? For thou art Truth it felf, incapable of deceiving, or of being deceived. But as for Men, they are all Pfal. cxvi. Lyars, weak and inconftant, frail and treacherous; efpecially in what they fay, fo exceeding fabulous and vain, that it is a Point of Prudence to fufpend our Faith, and thou haft wifely taught us to beware of their Falfe Infinuations. Thou haft forewarned us of their Treachery and Malice, told us, that a Man's Enemies fhall be thofe of his own Kindred and Houfhold; and that when Men fay, Lo, Mat. xxiv. Chrift is here, or lo, he is there, we ought not to believe them. The Truth of thefe Predictions I have learnt by fad Experience, and wish I may grow wifer at my own Expence.

Be fure, (fays one) you keep this private which I tell you, and yet that very Man in the next Company divulges what he had imparted juft before, under

the

the Seal of Secrefy. From fuch unfincere Dealers as thefe I beg to be delivered, and from their treacherous Ways; that I may neither come within their power of betraying and abufing my Confidence, nor injure any who repofe the like in Me. Make me then, Lord, a rigid Obferver of Truth, and religiously firm to my Word: For what I cannot but refent, when done to me, it never can become me to put upon any other Perfon. Silence indeed, and forbearing to concern one's felf in the Affairs of our Neighbours, is not only a Virtue, but a Convenience and Benefit. Caution in Crediting, Referve in Speaking, and Revealing one's felf to very few, are the beft Securities both of Peace and a good Understanding with the World, and of the Inward Peace of our own Minds. Endeavouring to approve our felves to the Knower and Searcher of Hearts, and not fuffering every Blaft of Idle Report, or Empty Profeffion to carry us about, but guarding our Converfation carefully, and labouring to conform every Thought, Word and Action to the Divine Will; Thefe are a good Man's Safety, and Satisfaction, and Wisdom. How fure and calm a Retreat does that Man make, who chufes to preferve thy Favour, by making an Escape from Pomp and Noife; preferring thy Approbations before the loudest Fame and Applaufe; and willingly abandoning thofe painted Follies, whofe glittering Outfides impofe upon our Senfes? Who prefers contrite Sorrow, fevere Virtue, and folitary Devotion, before the fhowy Pleafures of the World, or that empty Admiration which Ambition and Vain-glory affect. Praife is indeed the Confequence and Encouragement of Virtue, but it is fometimes fo unfeafonably applied, as to become its Bain and Corruption too. For the whole Life of Man is one continual Temptation, and we have a fubtle Adversary to deal with, who flips no advantage of undoing us. Our Praises he improves to his own Purs

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pofes

pofes, by fwelling us up with them into Pride and Self-conceit. And many Souls have perifhed by that Virtue, published and celebrated, which, if unknown and unobferved, had come to mighty Perfection, and been infinitely happy by the advantage of Secrefy and Silence.

CHA P. LI.

Of Trufting in God when Men Speak Ill of us.

Chrift.]Tand faft, my Son, and be not terrified with the Shock of Calumny and Reproach, but let me be thy Refuge and fure Confidence. Alas! What are Words but empty Sounds, that break and fcatter in the Air, and make no real Impreffion? If not Report alone, but thy own Confcience too reproach thee, bewail thy Guilt, and reform what hath been amifs. But if upon examination thou find no Ground of accufing thy felf, ftrengthen thy Mind in Innocence, look upon this wrongful Judgment, as a Suffering for God's fake, and bear it accordingly with Patience and Contentedness. He expects that thou fhould' ft refift even unto Blood, when called to it; But how will the Man be able to endure Wounds and Blows, who is not yet a Match for Words and Affronts? Enquire a little into the true Grounds of fuch Impatience, and thou fhalt find it a Symptom of a Soul fick and indifpofed. For how can it be otherwife accounted for, than, that thou art yet Carnal,and retaineft a greater Regard for the Opinion of Men,than can be well confiftent with a perfon who hath renounced the World, and profeffes to dedicate himself entirely to God. Whence is Reproof fo grating

Heb. xii.

and

and uneafy? Whence that Solicitous Care to contrive Excufes? Whence that forward Zeal in thy own Vindication, if not from a Dread and Abhorrence of that Contempt, to which thy fuppofed Miscarriages would expose thee? Fondness of Honour and Reputation lies at the bottom, and an inordinate Defire to recommend thy felf to Man's Efteem. Which fhews, thou art not yet fo humble, fo refigned, but that a Principle of Vanity lurks ftill within; nor is the World yet dead to thee, or thou to the World.

Attend diligently to my Inftructions, and the Cenfures of ten thousand Men will not be able to disturb thee. Let them proceed in their Envy and Malice, and blacken thy Name after the most spiteful manner, that Hell it felf can practice or invent, yet what art thou the worfe? Can all this change thy Perfon? Or hath thy Head one Hair the lefs for it? Do but compofe thy Mind, and refolve to despise it, and all blows over. These Scandals vanish and fly away like Motes in the Sun, and are neither more nor less than what Refentment makes them. To be provoked with every flanderous Word argues a Littlenefs of Soul, a Want of due regard for God; but the brave generous Mind, whofe All is in God, and who refers himself entirely to his Judgment, is above the Terrors and Difcouragements of Men, and lays no ftrefs upon their Notions of Things. For their Notions are frequently rafh and falfe, they feldom do, and fome times cannot enter into the real Merits of the Caufe but to me all Hearts are open, and from my piercing Eyes no Secrets are hid. I know diftinctly both in what Manner, and with what Intention every thing is done. The Perfon who receives, and does the Wrong, are both under my Cognizance; and even the Wrong it felf is done by my Permiffion; that by this Means the Thoughts of many Hearts may be revealed. I fhall not fail to make a juft and clear Decifion between

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between the Guilty and the Innocent; and call both to account hereafter; however I may think fit to try them in the mean while, and keep thofe things in the dark at prefent, which then fhall be notorious to all the World. And what Miftakes foever may prevail now, my Judgment will be according to Equity and Truth, and my Sentence, once pronounced, can never be revers'd. Few indeed are capable of discerning the Juftice of my Providence, in fuffering Innocent Men to be traduced, and their honeft Actions mifunderstood. But I do nothing without wife Reafons, and neither am, nor can be mistaken in my Methods, how much foever fhort-fighted and inconfiderate Men are confounded about them.

Appeal then in all thefe Cafes to my Determination, and let thy Matters reft fo fully there, as not only to difregard what others think concerning thee, but even in fome measure to diftruft thy own Judgment concerning thy felf. Confider, that I think many things fit for my Servants, which they can by no means imagine convenient for themselves. This very Reflection preferves a good Man's Temper, in every Accident of Life; becaufe he knows that every Accident falls out thus by my direction. This buoys his Spirits up, against the Infults and Injuries of Calumny and Detraction; and keeps them from fwelling into Pride and immoderate Joy, when his Innocence is cleared, and his Virtue commended. He knows, that God fees not as Man fees, for Man judges according to outward and fallible Appearances, but God fearches the Reins and the Heart, and judges righteous Judgment.

Pfal. vii.

Difciple.] O Lord, thoa righteous Judge, frong and patient, who understandeft the Frailty and the Wickednefs of Men, be thou my ftrong Rock, my Truft and Defence; For even in my own Confcience I dare not be too confident; fince

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