approaches; In my own better Judgment, which confiders things in the Chriftian and Spiritual Senfe, I am abundantly fatisfied, how much the harfher Difpenfations of thy Providence conduce to my Soul's Advantage. And, tho' no Chaftifement for the prefent feems joyous but grievous, yet my better Senfe, when I think freely, convinces me of thy Wisdom and Mercy, and that it is even good for me to be afflicted.

С НА Р. XXII.

The Infirmities and Miseries of our Prefent State.

Difciple] Pfal. xxxii.

I

Will confefs my Unrighteousness unto the Lord, and bewail my Infirmities before him. For every trivial Accident cafts me down, and I am often overwhelm'd with Sorrow, upon Occasions which my Calmer Thoughts abundantly convince me, deferve rather my Contempt, than my ferious Concern. Sometimes I fee and condemn my own Folly, and mighty Refolutions I make, how bravely I will behave my felf for the time to come; and, yet upon the next Affault of fome flight Misfortune, this Imaginary Heroe is beaten from his Poft, and cannot ftand the fhock of a very common Difficulty. The poorest and most defpicable Things are, I find, capable of becoming great and dangerous Temptations; And I, who at a diftance defy them, yet, when brought to the Tryal, feel, by fad Experience, upon how flippery Ground I ftand.

This is indeed the wretched Condition of thy poor unftable Servant: But, Lord, do Thou, in much Compaffion, look upon my Frailty, for thou knoweft it more perfectly than I my felf can. Stretch Pfal. Ixix. forth thy Hand, and draw me out of these

deep

deep Waters, and out of this Mire of Sin and Weaknefs, that I fink not in my Corruption. I cannot eafily exprefs the Melancholy Reflections, the Shame and Confufion, the Indignation and fad Perplexi-" ty of Heart, which the Confcioufnefs of my own Inability to refift Temptations, and the Inconftancy of my best and most vigorous Purposes create; and, tho' my Will be not always vanquifhed, nor do I (bleffed be God) yield to every wicked Suggeftion, yet the repeated Affaults of the Enemy difturb my Quiet, and I am weary of a Life, which confifts of perpetual Hazard, and painful Conflicts with my self. The Wretchedness of my Condition is but too manifeft; I need no other Argument to prove it, than that eafie Accefs evil Thoughts find to my Breaft, which, in defpight of all my watchful Care, and moft manful Struggles, are much fooner infinuated, and received, than either driven out again, or prevented from entring.

Look down then, thou Almighty Rock of Ifrael, and Lover of Souls, and interpofe thy Power and Protection; Give feasonable Succour, and happy Succefs to my too fruitless Endeavours. Arm and Guard me with Strength from above; and fuffer not the Old Man,the corrupt Inclinations of my Flefh, which refuses to be entirely fubdued and brought to Reason, to ufurp the Dominion over my better part. For this Obftinate Rebel renews its Infurrections daily, and bids me Battel; calls me to Combats and hazardous Engagements, which muft never, never end in perfect Peace and Safety, fo long as this miferable State of Mortality endures. Moft miferable indeed; fince every Action and Accident of my Life involves me in fresh Dangers; fince every step I take is upon Snares and Precipices; fince every Time and Place is thick befet with Troubles and Toils, with Treachery and Temptation, and a numerous Hoft of Enemies ready

to

to devour and swallow me up. For a fatal uninterrupted Succeffion of Tryals are every Moment renewing their Attacks, and when I have happily vanquifhed many, and fondly promise my self a Truce; as many more immediately draw down upon me, and make fiercer and more furious Attempts upon fome other Quarter, which, I hoped had been fufficiently covered from their Approaches.

And can a Life, fubject to fuch Surprizes and Hazards, embittered with fo many Troubles and fevere Tryals, incumbred with fo much Frailty and Corruption, be valued and mightily coveted? Nay, can That deferve the very Name of Life, which naturally breeds Plagues and Diseases, and exposes us to fuch variety of Deaths? Yet ftupid Man hugs, and embraces, and efteems it his only Happiness; expects Eafe in the midst of Diftraction, purfues Joys in a Valley of Tears, and vainly fets up for the boafted Perfection of Pleasure, in a condition of inevitable Mifery, and lingring, certain Pain. Sometimes indeed the tender Senfe of fome Affliction cuts us to the quick; and in our Melancholy Moods, we give the World hard Words; call it Deceitful, Treacherous, and Vain; but even They who Rail at it moft Liberally, and profefs to Hate and Defpife it, cannot be prevailed with to be content to leave it. The Flesh and its Affections have ftill a powerful Influence, and fpur Men on to the Pursuit and Love of thofe very Enjoyments, which Reason and their own Experience have taught them, cannot be worth their Pains, nor in any degree answer their deluded Expectations. For we muft obferve, that our Love and Hatred of this World ргоceed from very different Caufes and Principles. The Lufts of the Flesh, the Lufts of the Eye, and 1 John iii. the Pride of Life, engage our Affections; and these are ever prefent, and ever vehement with us. The Calamities, and Griefs, and Pains we feel,

pro

provoke our Hatred and Contempt, and represent Life a Burden and Mifery; and thefe have their Intervals, and work upon us freely and by Fits. The Former too ftrike in with Inclination, and are affifted by Nature; the Latter have no Influence upon us, but what their own Weight gives; all their Impreffions are forcible and violent, heavy and painful, and fuch as we submit to, only because we cannot help it.

Thus Senfe and finful Pleafure get within us, and, which is very lamentable, debauch our Reason. The present Ticklings of the Body cheat the Mind, and vitiate our Palates to that degree, that, being prepoffeffed with a falfe Taft of worldly Sweets, we have no Relish left for that delicious Entertainment, with which God and Religion Feed and Feast the Pure and Heavenly-minded Soul. For, O! thofe happy Men, who have learnt to defpife and abandon earthly Things, and Confecrated themselves entirely to God, by Mortification, Self-denial, and a fteady Course of fevere Virtue; these exalted Spirits know and feel the truth of God and his Promifes; They find unfpeakable Charms and fenfible Delights in the voluntary refufal of thofe Toys and Baits which cannot be had with Satisfaction, nor coveted with fafety. They fee and defpife, and pity the Folly of abufed Mankind, difcover the lurking Frauds of the Tempter; and, that the imagined Happiness and boafted Pleasures of fenfual and earthly Men, are only Snares and Dangers, Vanity and Cheat.

CHAP.

CHA P. XXIII.

Of Placing all our Hope and Happiness in GOD,

Difciple.

R

Epofe thy felf, my Soul, in God, upon all Occafions; and above all other Dependances; for he is the only fure Refuge, the eternal Reft of the Saints. Grant me thy Grace,Ofweetest, kindeft Saviour, to value, and love, and truft in Thee above all things. Make me to prize thee far before Health and Beauty, to defne thee more than Honour and Advancement, more than Riches and Power, more than Wit and Learning; To rejoyce in thee more than in Pleasure and Profperity, more than in Reputation and Praife, more than in the largest Promifes, the higheft Deferts, the most exalted Gifts, the moft tranfporting Joys, which thou canft impart, or my Heart, when moft enlarged, is able to receive, Let me admire thee above Angels and Arch-angels, and all the Hoft of Heaven; above all Things vifible and invifible, more than all that is, or can be, which is not thy own self.

For Thou, my God, art the best and most excellent Being; In thee alone is Plenty and Fulness, fweet Refreshment, peaceful Comfort, and ravishing Delights; the Perfection of Beauty and charming Graces; true Honour and adorable Greatnefs: In Thee, as in its proper Center, all Good meets, and dwells, and hath, and doth, and will continue to abide, from, and to all Eternity. Give then thy felf, my dearest Jefus, for all thou givest, and all thou promisest to give befides, is poor and little, when com-pared with the Sight and Fruition of Thee. And I have found, by long Experience, that all thy other Favours, nay, all Nature is too fhort and narrow to fatisfy my Soul; whofe unbounded Defires exalt and

ftretch