to the Prejudice and Neglect of better and weightier Concerns; Or, left I be enticed to Sin by the Pleasures of Senfe, or discouraged from the steady Purfuit of Virtue and Heaven, by too tender and afflicting Refentments of any Calamities which may happen to me. I speak not now of those vain Superfluities, which the deluded World fo vehemently contend for; but beg to be preferved in these Miferies and Dangers. For Miferies and Dangers I cannot but efteem the common and unavoidable Incumbrances of Life; fince these are heavy and cling close about the Soul, and put it under fuch a ftrait Confinement, that it cannot freely obey the Difpofitions it feels within, of getting above Concern for the World, and fixing its Defires and Endeavours upon Spiritual Objects. Thou, O my God, art Sweetnefs inexpreffible. But, that my Soul may truly relish thee, turn, I befeech thee, all my Worldly Comforts into Bitterness; left they vitiate my Palate, and Give a Difgust to Heavenly Things, by fome deluding Charm of prefent pretended Good. O! let not Flesh and Blood prevail in their Conflicts with the Spirit; let not the World and its fading Glories cheat me into Ruin; let not the fubtile Enemy of Souls fupplant me with his tempting Wiles. Give me Courage to refift, when called to the Combat; Patience to endure, when called to Suffering; Firmnefs of Mind to perfift immoveable in my Duty, when Temptations and evil Suggestions labour to feduce me. Exchange, if it be thy Will, the tranfitory and falfe Comforts of this World, for the Oyl of true Gladness, the Affiftances and fweet Satisfactions of thy bleffed Spirit; and, instead of Carnal Love, and Senfual Inclination, let the Love and Defire of Thee be diffused thro' my whole Heart, and reign Unrivall'd there. Even Food and Raiment, and the Neceffaries by which Life is fuftained, are a Grievance and Obftruction to zealous and refined Souls. But what muft be a Burthen, let me not make an Occafion of Sin; by ufing the Creatures intemperately, by a Luxurious Indulgence, or Inordinate Appetite. Nature, I know, it is my Duty to fupport; and therefore, entirely to refuse and neglect thefe Provifions were Sin and foul Ingratitude. But to enlarge our Defires beyond the proper Ufes of these things, and let them loofe upon Superfluity and Vanity, Delicacy and Delight: This the Law of God hath most wisely forbidden; because it were in effect to connive at all Licentiousness, by cherifhing the Flefh, and animating and fupporting it in Infolence and Rebellion against the Spirit. Between these two Extremes there lies a fafe middle Way, in which I humbly implore the Guidance of thy Hand; left I decline from Virtue on either fide, and, going aftray after my own Inclination or unadvifed Zeal, forfake my Path, and fly out beyond the Measures Thou haft prefcribed for me. С Н А Р. XXXI. Self-Love the greatest Obftruction to Virtue and SON Happiness. Chrift. ON, if thou aim at Purchafing All, know that it is not to be bought at any Price, less than thy All. Earth must be bartered for Heaven; and where I give myself, I expect the whole Man in exchange. Think not therefore of any private Referves of Intereft or Pleasure, in Bar to my entire Poffeffion; for all the World cannot do thee greater Prejudice, than fuch Self-Love. This sticks more clofe, while other And all other things are loofe and at a diftance. things faften upon thee, only according as the Degree of thy own Love and Inclination for them gives Opportunity and Advantage. If your Mind and its Affections be pure, and fincere, and moderate, nothing fhall have the Power to enflave you. And what Pretence can you have for Suffering them to be otherwise? For who would fet his Love upon things, which cannot be obtained without Difficulty, oftentimes not with it; or, if they be, cannot be enjoy'd without Danger? Who would court Bonds and Captivity, and be fond of having that, which will obftruct his weightieft Concern, and rob him of his Liberty? Were thefe Confiderations duly attended to, it muft appear prodigious Folly, for any Man not to refign himself up entirely to Me; to wafte his Strength with unprofitable Vexations, and labour in the Fire for Vanity, and create Troubles, which it is in his Power to avoid. Obey my Will then, and fubmit all to my Difpofal, and then thou art out of the Reach of the World and its Temptations. But, if Interest and private Refpect still govern in thy Heart, all thy Application will be in vain. Thou runneft away from Troubles in one place, to meet them in another; feeking Reft but finding none, becaufe thou always carrieft thy Torment about thee. For, even in thy moft fuccessful Attempts, there will be fomewhat wanting to give thee compleat Satisfaction; and in thy moft private Retirements thou wilt be dogged and haunted by fome Croffes. The World and its Advantages can do thee no Service by being enjoyed, but by being flighted and despised. This is the Cafe, not of Riches only, but of Honour and Reputation too. For they also make themselves Wings, and fly away and thou canft never be fafe or happy, but by mortifying thy Ambition and Vain-glory. How How many People please themselves with fond Imaginations of Eafe and Leisure to be good, in a Coun try, or a College-life? But Cloifters and Deferts fignity nothing, without the Zeal and Difpofition of a Hermit. The Convenience of Place is very little; and all its boafted Expectations vanish, except the Man be changed, as well as his Refidence, and manner of Living. And this Change is not, cannot be effected, unless his Mind be fixed in Me alone, as the proper, the only Center of all its Affections and Defires. The Liberty Men enjoy otherwife, is very fhort and unfaithful; for fresh Occafions of Sin and Trouble will quickly offer themselves; and then not only the old Inconveniences will return again, but new and greater, and fuch as are peculiar to that new State of Life upon which they have entred: And thus their very Refuge becomes a fresh Temptation. CHA P. XXXII. A Prayer for Purity of Heart, and Heavenly Disciple. Establish me, Lord, with tby free Spirit, being ftrengthned in the Inner Pfal.li. 11. 'Man, I may purge my Soul from all vain Anxiety, and banish idle Fears, and get over the Dif couragement and diftracting Troubles of the World. Let not the wild and impatient Defires of any thing here, though never fo alluring and feemingly valuable, perplex my Thoughts, and draw me off from Thee. Give me Grace to confider my felf, and all below, as things full of Vanity, and of very fhort Continuance. For fuch indeed are all Things under the Sun, vexation of Spirit, and altogether lighter than Vani Vanity it felf. And he who conftantly looks upon them as fuch, is the truly, the only Wife Man. Impart to me then, O my God, I beseech thee, that Heavenly Wisdom, which may difpofe me to feek thy Kingdom and thy Righteousness; to fell all for this one Pearl of great Price; and to esteem Matth. xiii. my felf rich in no Treasure but Thee; to love and delight in the alone; to take Satisfaction in all things else, in fuch Degrees, and in Subordination te fuch Purposes only, as thou haft appointed; and to receive every Difpenfation of Providence, with fuch a Spirit and Temper as becomes my Duty, and may render it serviceable to the Ends for which thou fenteft it. Grant me fuch Prudence and Conduct in all my Conversation, that I may decline and defpife the Infinuations of Flatterers, and meekly receive the Contradiction and Reproaches of Gainfayers and Slanderers. For this is Wisdom indeed, when a Man is not carried about with every Blaft of Air; but stops his Ears against the Syren's Charms; and refolutely proceeds in a straight steady Course of Virtue, in defpight of all the Subtilty of thofe who labour to entice, or the Malice of them who would terrify. and drive him from it. CHA P. XXXIII. How a Chriftian ought to behave himself, when Men fpeak Evil of him. Cbrift.]M (peak or think ill of thee, let not this Μ Y Son, if Detractors and Slanderers much disturb thee. The Provocation to Impatience and angry Refentments, which fuch ill Treatment ufually minifters, will be much better employ'd against thy |