which very naturally refult from them. For, as Colours appear to our Minds as they are painted in the Eye, fo the Judgment. Men make of all outward Objects, depends upon the Condition of the Mind. And we argue and pronounce of them differently, as we happen to be differently affected before-hand.

If there be fuch a thing as true Pleafure in this World, the Pure in Heart enjoy it. And if there be a Hell upon Earth, it dwells in that Man's Breast who hath a guilty and polluted Confcience. As Iron is fcoured from the Ruft by Fire, and becomes bright and new; so that Zeal, by which we renounce the World, and turn entirely to God, takes off our Filth, and changes us into new Men. The lukewarm and indifferent Chriftian grudges every thing he does, boggles at every Difficulty, and feeks his Satisfaction in worldly and outward Comforts. But, if he warmly apply himself to fubdue his Paffions, and refolutely Attempt the following God in his own Way, the Hardfhips which at firft difcouraged him, grow familiar,

and leffen upon his Hands. All that God Matt. xi. 29, appoints him to do or fuffer, becomes fenfibly to him an eafie Yoke, and a light Burthen, and he finds Peace and Reft to his Soul.

30.

CHA P. V.

Know thy Self.

TT is a very ufual thing with us, to have a mighty Confidence in our felves; when alas the want both of Abilities and Performance reproves our Vanity and Folly. For how fmall is the Proportion of our Gifts, in comparifon of our own Imaginations concerning them? And how defective our Wisdom and Care

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to use and improve even that Proportion we have? The Light that is in us fhines but dimly, and by our Neglect we fuffer it to go quite out. We are often

blind, and not fenfible of our Infirmities; we ftumble and fall, and still pretend we fee; commit horrible Sins; aggravate our Guilt by defending what we have done; nay, are fometimes fo wretchedly deluded, as even to fanctifie our Wickedness by a pretence of Zeal. The fmalleft Faults of others feldom efcape our Cenfure, and the much greater of our own as feldom fall under our Obfervation. The Burthens and Hardships we put upon them feem reasonable, eafie and light; but the least and most trivial Uneafinefs they create to Us, we have a quick and painful fenfe of, and cry out, Who can bear it? Whereas, would we but take a right eftimate of our felves, and judge our own Actions impartially, we fhould find little Leifure, and lefs Provocation, to pronounce feverely concerning our Brethren.

Now this is the wife and truly Spiritual Man's Method: He employs his Thoughts at home, Confiders that there lies his proper Business and Care, and is tender of other Peoples Failings, from a due and humble Consciousnefs of his own. And whatever fond Opinions we may cherish of our own Virtue, Religi ous and Perfect we are not, nor ever can be, till we examine our own Confciences diligently, and leave all the rest of the World to ftand and fall by the Judgment of their own Mafter. Cenforioufnefs and Chriftian Piety can never dwell together. For this would work us to a neglect of all things without us, and make us both forbear and defpife all Judging, but those of God and our own Confciences. The Mind, which does not converfe with it felf, is an idle Wanderer, and all the Learning in the World is fruitlefs and mifemployed, while in the midft of this boafted Knowledge, a Man continues in profound Ignorance of that which

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which in point both of Duty and Advantage he is moft concerned to know. True Peace and Satisfation of Mind can only be acquired by doing our own Business; and Friendship and Charity are beft preferved by leaving off all impertinent and bufie Curiofity concerning the Conduct and Reputation of our Neighbours.

The abandoning all worldly Care is a true Argument of greater Proficience in Goodnefs. For, by efteeming highly of any thing here below, our Value for God and Heaven is unavoidably leffened and impaired. Let nothing therefore but God, and the things that be of God, feem great or grateful to thee, worthy defiring, or rejoycing in: And all that imaginary Comfort, which the Creatures pretend to administer, treat with the generous Neglect and Contempt that it deferves. For a Soul entirely devoted to the Love of God, will naturally defpife every thing in comparifon of him. And reafon good there is why it fhould do fo, when we confider, that every thing else is frail and of fhort continuance, empty and unfatisfactory; but God alone Eternal, Omniprefent, Infinite in every Excellence; and therefore he is the beft, he the or ly Comfort and true Joy of the Soul, who alone can fill and exceed its largest Desires.

CHAP. VI.

The Joy of a Good Confcience.

HE Glory and Privilege of a good Man confifts

;

a perpetual Feaft and Triumph. It fets him above the Power of Fortune, and makes the fharpeft Afflictions not only an Exercife of his invincible Patience, but a

Mat

Matter of undisturbed Joy to him. Whereas even Profperity it felf cannot procure Eafe and Content to a guilty and felf-condemning Breaft. Would't thou then enjoy a fweet and uninterrupted Tranquility? Keep all at Peace within, and give thy own Thoughts no caufe to reproach thee. All the Satisfaction we take or promife our felves, is vain and dangerous, except that only, which proceeds from a Senfe of having done our Duty. The Men thou feeft fo Gay, fo feemingly full of Delight, are galled and ftung within they have no inward,no true Contentment; and notwithstanding their most induftrious Purfuits of Pleafure, that Sentence of God is irreversible, and the fad Effects of it hang over their Hearts, that

there is no Peace to the Wicked. They may Ifa. Ivii. 21. perhaps make mighty Boafts of their Enjoyments, put on an Air of Happiness, give out, that their Pomp and Greatness secures them from the Affaults of Mifery; but these are all Delufions, and ought not to incline our Affent, or provoke our Envy. We fee not their inward Tortures; nor are Witneffes of those Checks and Terrors, which make Retirement bitter and infupportable, and haunt their Clofets and their Beds: We fee not'yet, but there is a time coming when we shall fee an angry God breaking out upon them in Fury; their mighty Projects quafhed and baffled, and all the Happiness they vainly boafted of, vanish like a Dream.

While therefore thefe Men take a Pride in their Succeffes and outward Enjoyments, do Thou with equal Satisfaction entertain thy Afflictions. This is not indeed to Flesh and Blood an eafie Undertaking; but to a Soul filled with Grace and Love, which knows and propofes to it felf no other Happiness but God, nothing is impracticable, nothing difficult. For what is this, but to rejoice in the Fatherly Care and Affe tion, of Him whole Providence ordereth these Suf

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ferings

ferings for thy Good? The Glory which we give or receive from one another, is very fickle and perifhing; it cannot last long, and while it does, fome Alloy of Sorrows will ever attend and damp it. The Good Man's Glory ftands upon ftronger Foundations; it rifes from within, and must endure fo long as that Innocence which creates it: Nay, it must last as long as God himself; for his Will carefully performed, his Favour and Approbation which follows that Performance, are the folid Bafes on which it ftands: And these can never fail, fo long as Truth and Juftice continue impregnable. To him who afpires after Eternal Glory and Honour, that of this World is of very little Confideration. And these are so very different, fo inconfiftent, that the Love and Sincere Defires of the One are beft proved by a Neglect and Disesteem of the Other. Nay, not only the future, but the present Happiness is beft fecured by feeking the Approbation of God alone: For nothing contributes more to an eafy and quiet Mind, than the difregard of the Praife, and defpifing the Cenfures and Reproaches

of Men.

A pure and quiet Confcience does above all things difpofe a Man to reft contented with his Condition: And particularly, with regard to the Opinion of the World, it is highly reasonable he should do fo. For what is any one really the better or the worse for what other People fay of him? Their Commendations add nothing to his Virtue, nor does their Difpraise and Scandal take one whit from it. The Man is ftill the fame; what his own Actions and the Judgment of God make him; this is the Standard of our Worth and Happiness; neither more nor lefs belongs to us, than will be found to do fo at the laft great Account; and that will depend, not upon what we were faid or fuppofed to be, but upon what in very deed we were in this World. The more Refpect therefore we bear to

the