ong, finds the Delufion out at laft: And what he mputed to the Spirit of God, proves in the End a uggeftion of the Devil, or the eager Longings of is own vain Mind.

The fureft way then never to offend God in thy Defires, and to be accepted in thy Addreffes to him, will be to temper all thy Inclinations with his Fear, nd not fo much as indulge a fecret Wish, without uch Refervations as may teftify an entire Submiffion to the Divine Difpofal. And when thofe Wishes break out into Words, Men fhall do well to conceive and prefent them in fuch Forms, as may exprefs fome Check upon themselves, and mighty Caution in reftraining their Tongues from asking any thing in a Peremptory Manner; but leaving the Matter entirely to God's better Choice. As thus ; "Lord, thou "knoweft whether the baving, or the being denied the Matter of my Petition, be moft convenient; and therefore all I beg is, that what thou feeft most expedient may be done; I ask, indeed, as is my Duty, but I prefume not to prefcribe to thy Heavenly Wifdom: Give therefore, Lord, fuch Things, and in fuch Measures, "and at fuch times as thou feeft fit. Deal with me as thou knoweft is neceffary: For that I am well "affured is beft for me, which is moft agreeable to thy Will, and moft conducive to thy Glory. Appoint me any Poft, and use me as thy own; turn "and change me and my Fortune at Pleafure: I only beg to be qualified for thy Difpenfations, to ufe them rightly, and greatly to improve under them. "For I am thy Servant, devoted to thee without the leaft Referve: I defire not to live to my feif, but cr to Thee; Oh! that I might be enabled faithfully and worthily to perform that Homage and Duty, to all which my Heart is moft freely and fincerely difpofed.

CHAP.

CHA P. XVII.

A Prayer for Grace to do the Will of God.

Difciple.]"

HE

[Ear me, moft merciful Saviour, "humbly beseech thee, and let thy "Grace be ever prefent with thy weak unworthy "Servant. I am not of my felf able to do, or think any thing that is good! O! let thy Spirit affift my poor Endeavours, vanquish the Temptations that fo " thick befet me, fix my inconftant Mind, and follow me all the Days of my Life, that I may perfevere "in good Works unto the End. Regulate my Affe "ctions and Defires, and confine them to fuch Ob"jects only, as are well-pleafing in thy fight. Let "thy Will be the Guide and Measure of mine, and "let mine fteadily conform to thy Pleasure. Remove far from me all Inclinations and Averfions, but fuch

Сс

σε

as agree with thofe of the Bleffed Jefus. Help me "to die daily to the World, and to the Things of "the World; and mortify my Vanity to that degree, that even Shame and Contempt, for "thy fake, may be not only fupportable, but welcome to me. Let all my Hopes and Wishes center " in Thee alone; and nothing appear defirable, in "comparison of a pure Heart and peaceful Confci

cc

ence: For Thou, O Lord, art my Peace, Thou σε my only Reft; in Thee alone is Pleasure and true "Satisfaction, and all without Thee is Mifery and "Torment. Oh! grant me this Bleffed Retreat, "this happy Security; that I may abandon all the "falfe Appearances of Happiness here below, and "find foft Eafe and fweet Repofe in thy Love and "Favour, Thou True, Thou Chief, Thou Eternal "Good of Pious Souls.

CHAP

Disciple.]

CHAP. XVIII.

God is our only Comfort in Trouble.

Hatever Comforts and Happiness I

Whatever

W propofe, This is not the Time, and

Place of enjoying them, but I expect that Bleffed Fruition in another State. For, what would it avail, could I attain the utmoft Delights the World çan afford, when a very fhort fpace muft of neceffity put a Period to them? Do not then mistake thy Happinefs, my Soul, for these things are not, cannot be thy Reft: The fulness of Joy and undisturbed Pleasure is no where to be found, fave in God only; He is the Comforter of the Afflicted, He the Wealth of the Poor, He the Support and Strength of the Weak, He the Glory and great Reward of the Humble.

Nor let it disturb thy Peace, or difcourage thy Hope, that thou canst not yet afpire to thy promised Felicity; For God is Faithful and cannot Lie: Only wait his own time patiently, and thou fhalt not fail of his Mercy, and an abundant Recompence of thy Faith and patient Truft in due feafon. But if this delay draw off thy Affections to prefent Comforts, and abate thy Zeal for future and diftant Rewards, thou fhalt defire Earthly Bleffings and not be filled; and at the fame time lofe thofe heavenly and eternal Joys, which alone can fatisfie, and make thee happy. Use then thefe Temporal things, but love none but the things that are Eternal. The prefent were not defigned for Enjoyment, but for Neceffity and Convenience. Thy Nature is not cut out for them,nor is it in their Power to make thee perfect, though all this mortal State is capable of, were united together for that purpofe : For God alone is a Good, large enough to fill the defires of an immortal Soul; He only is proportioned to

thy

Weight, or the Continuance of any Burthen thou fhalt lay upon me in the prefent World. If any thing here feem heavy, yet it is rendred much easier and more fupportable,by the Affiftance of thy Grace,by the Contemplation of thy Example, and by the many Patterns of Conftancy and Virtue, which thy now glorious Saints, but once afflicted Servants, who travelled the fame rugged Journey of Life, have in all Ages fet for my Imitation and Encouragement. I plainly fee under this Gofpel-ftate, a mighty Support, which even thy own peculiar People wanted under the Old Law. For then the Way to Heaven was dark, and the Profpect at their Journey's end lefs glorious and inviting. Few then applied themselves with Zeal to seek a Future and Spiritual Kingdom; nor could they do fo with equal Encouragement, till thy Meritorious Death had open'dan Entrance into the High and Holy Place. But, how contentedly, how thankfully, ought I to tread in thy blessed Steps, fuftained by the Affurance of Eternal Rewards, and directed in the Right Way by the Light of thy Doctrine? For thou art John xiv. the Way, the Truth, and the Life; Thy Afflictions have taught Me and all Believers, that Tribulation is the Paffage to thy Heavenly Kingdom; and that the proper Methods of attaining thy Crown, is being made a Partaker of thy Crofs. Hadft thou not gone before us, who would have the Heart to follow? who could perfevere in a Courfe of Sufferings? Nay, though thou haft thus fhewed us the Way, yet how loth, how backward are we to follow ftill? And, if neither thy Miracles, nor thy Precepts, thy wondrous Humiliation, nor thy glorious Exaltation, can warm us into greater Zeal and Refolution, than by lamentable Experience we daily fee and feel they do; How wretchedly flothful, alas! how cold, and motionlefs fhould we have ftood, had not thy Grace and marvelous Condefcention vouchfafed to grant us the Advan

tage

tage of fo clear a Light, and the powerful Motive of fo bright an Example?

CHA P. XXI.

Of bearing Injuries; and how we may judge of true

Patience.

Chrift.Aflictions threaten or attack thee, call

Eafe Complaints, my Son, and, when

to remembrance what I endured for thy Sake: Nay, not what I endured for thine only, but what fo many brave and generous Saints have fince couragiously endured for mine. Alas! thy Trials yet are fimall, nor haft thou refifted unto Blood, as I and They have done. Their Difficulties were greater,their Temptations fharper, their Sorrows more piercing, their Exercifes more fevere, and yet in all these they were more than Conquerors. It will therefore be of great Service to the confirming thy Hope and Patience, if thou diligently compare thy very light,with their much heavier, Burthen; and reproach thy felf for finking under a Weight, which they would fcarce have felt. But, if thy own Load feem fo unfupportable, and thou canst hardly be brought to think the Cafe of others fo much more deplorable; confider, whether this falfe Eitimate do not proceed from Partial Affection, Tenderness to thy felf, and a fretful Impatience, rather than from the true Nature and Reafon of the Thing. For These corrupt Mens Judgments, and make them fee their own and other Peoples Circumftances with very different Eyes. But be thy Ideas true or mistaken, yet ftill the greater and the lefs Calamities call equally for Submiffion and Conftancy. And it is not the Degree or Measure, but the Author and the Confequence