and strong upon me every Day and Hour. Be Thou my Comfort in this exiled and defolate Condition; Affwage my Pain, and incline thy Favour to thy Ser

vant, whofe parched and languifhing Soul Pfal.cxliii. gafpeth unto thee as a thirsty Land. Thou only art able to do this; For, what the mistaken World calls Comforts, are but fo many fresh Additions to my Burden. I long moft earneftly to enjoy, but cannot yet attain my Wish. Fain would I grafp and cling to heavenly things, but am detained and faftened down to Earth, by Vanities below, and unmortify'd Affections. My Mind labours to get above thefe, but even, when the Spirit is willing, Ifind the Flesh extreamly weak, and my fenfual, prevails over my better, and heavenly Inclinations.

Thus am I, wretched Man, involved in a perpetual War, and live in contradiction to my felf; my own Hindrance and Torment, moving different ways, and pursuing different Ends and Profpects at one and the fame time. How great is my Concern and Conflict, when I fet my Mind to Meditate and Pray, and, in the midst of this Exercise am interrupted by a Clutter of worldly and carnal Imaginations crowding in upon me? Go not far from me, O my God, neither caft away thy Servant in Difpleafure. Scatter thefe dark and gloomy Clouds, which intercept my Vifion of thee, by the Brightness of thy Lightning; Thunder upon them from Heaven, caft out thine Ar

Pfal. cxliv. rows and difcomfit them. Recollect my Broken and Scattered Thoughts, help me to forget the things of this World, to reject, and defpife, and effectually drive away all finful Imaginations. Affist me, thou fubftantial Truth, and Root me faft, that no blaft of Vanity may fhake and unfettle my Heart. Diffuse thy Heavenly Sweetness through my Soul, and chafe away all naufeous, unfavoury, and impure Affections, for these cannot ftand before thee.

Par

Particularly, deareft Lord, I implore thy Compaffion upon my Infirmities; and in thy Mercy impute not to me, my many wandring thoughts in Prayer. For there, I muft confefs, my Diftractions are great and frequent; and I am often least of all in that place, where I ftand or kneel: Thus, while my Body is before thy Footstool, my Mind is carried away I know not whither. And this is a very melancholy Reflection, fuch as gives me occafion to fufpect, and deeply bewail my felf. Since where my Thoughts are, there properly and indeed am I; and where my Thoughts frequent, and delight to dwell, there without doubt is the Object of my Affection and Concern, and that which either natural Difpofitions or long Cuftom renders moft delightful, that to be fure is moft familiar, and comes continually uppermoft. All this I gather from that Obfervation, which thou, Eternal Truth, haft left us, that where our Treasure is, there will our Hearts be alfo.

Matth. vi.

This then is the Rule, by which I try and found the Bent of my Heart; If I love Heaven, the Thoughts of it will be frequent and pleafant to me. But if I love the World, the effect of this will be, that I fhall feel excefs of Joy in profperous Events, and be as immoderate in my Grief for thofe that are otherwise. If I love the Flesh, wanton and Carnal Imaginations will often return upon me, and be entertained with Satisfaction; but if I love the Spirit, then fhall I find in Spiritual Objects a grateful Relish, and dwell upon them with true Delight. For this my own Senfes and Experience affure me, that what I love moft, I am best pleased to be entertained with, greedieft to hear and forwardeft to talk of, moft careful to remember, and to preserve deep and lafting Impreffions of upon my Mind. And therefore, though I cannot attain to it fo fully as I wifh and ftrive, yet I can plainly perceive, and do truly value and admire the Happiness

of

of Them, who can abandon all, and stick to Thee alone; that commit a holy Violence upon their natural Inclinations, Crucify the Flesh, and with a pure bright Zeal, and a clear Confcience, can offer holy, fervent Prayers, a Spiritual and unblemish'd Sacrifice: Where All without are forbidden entrance, and All within is compofed. These Men, fo firmly intent upon Thee and their Devotions, are fit to praise thee with those Angels, whofe refined Excellencies they fo happily afpire after, and to whofe bleffed Society thou wilt one Day exalt and admit them.

CHAP. LIV.

Of the Defire of Eternal Life, and the Happiness of Them who strive Manfully.

Chrift.]

MY

Y Son, when thou feeleft thy Soul inflamed with an eager defire of Eternal Happiness, and thinkeft long to be released from this Prifon of the Body, that thou may'st be blessed with a nearer and more diftinct view, a perfect, full and uninterrupted Fruition of my Brightness and Majefty; fet open all the Avenues of thy Soul, and greedily receive the holy Infpiration. Exprefs thy humbleft Thanks to God, and be duly fenfible of his Goodness, who deals fo bountifully with thee, vifits thee with his Mercy, fupports and ftrengthens thee with his Grace, and raises thofe Affections up to Heaven, which have a fatal innate Tendency to immerse thy Soul in Earth, and Flesh and Senfe. For, do not mistake the Matter, no Reasonings or Endeavours of thy own have power to effect fo good a Work, or to create thofe Spiritual Inclinations; the Finger of God is in them, and they are owing to no

lefs

lefs noble a Cause, than the free and bountiful Donation of Divine Grace and Favour: TheDesign of which is to advance and exalt thy Virtues, to make thee humble and modeft, with Reflections upon the Strength of another made perfect in thy Weakness; to fit thee for future Tryals, and forer Conflicts, to engage thy Affections, and encourage thy Perfeverance, in the faithful Service of fo gracious, fo good a Mafter.

Nor let thy Spirits be dejected, Son, if this be not done with all that Zeal, and entire Refignation of a Heart perfectly undivided, which thou could'st wish. For, as in Common Fire there will always be fome Smoak; fo in thefe holy Flames many Men are fincerely defirous of heavenly things, who yet cannot quite diveft themselves of Carnal Affections, nor be abfolutely free from all Temptations. And therefore fome other Profpects will often interpofe, as well as that of promoting God's Glory only, by thofe good Actions, for which the Affiftances of his Grace are fought, and earnestly implored. Of this thy own Experience convinces thee by fundry Inftances, in which thou feeft no reason to suspect thy own Integrity. Nor will all that be condemned at the last Day,which was attempted with a mixture of fome Defire to promote thy own Advantage. Only take care that this Defire prevail not fo far, as to incline thee to prefer what may contribute to thy Profit or Delight, before those Things which will procure my Favour and Acceptance, and be for mine and for Religion's Honour. For with a wife confiderate Chriftian, my Will takes place above his own Defires, or any the most inviting Object; and if it reign not in his Heart alone, yet it always fits fupreme, and over-rules the reft. I know all thy Defires, and thy Groanings are not hid

from me. Thou would'ft this Inftant be ad- Pfal. xxxviii, mitted into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God; the blissful and eternal Manfions of thy heavenly Father's

R

Father's House are thy Longings and Delight; and as the Heart panteth after the Water-Springs, so Pfal. Ixiii. doth thy Soul pant and thirst after me. But as yet thou art not ripe for thefe Joys; that happy Hour is not come; for this Life is the time of Warfare,and Action, and Trial,and not of Reft,and Joy,and Triumph; and thou must be content to wait with Patience, till the Kingdom of God fhall come in perfection.

The Condition of Mortals upon Earth is that Exercife and Discipline; the Joys they feel are Comforts and Supports, not full and perfect Happiness; they are given not to fatisfie, but only to fuftain them. And therefore receive them as they are, and ufe them to their proper Purposes, that by them thy Conftancy and Patience may be preferv'd from finking under the weight of any Difficulties, which either the doing or fuffering things, to which frail and Corrupt Nature is averfe,may at any time expofe thee. For the Change of a Man's felf is a very laborious Undertaking, and yet this must be done. The Flesh with its Lufts must be crucified, a New Heart and a New Spirit introduced, many things done which offer Violence to a Man's Inclinations,many forgone and let alone, to which he is ftrongly difpos'd. Others thou fhalt often obferve crown'd with Succefs, when thy own no lefs painful Endeavours are defeated and difappointed: Others lookt upon as Oracles, when thy better and wifer Advice is difregarded and defpifed: Others will fuffer long, and at laft obtain their Defire; Thou, perhaps, tho equally patient, equally fervent and zealous in thy Application,difmift with a Repulfe; Others be great inFame and general Efteem,while thy more deferving Virtues are pafs'd over in Silence; Others careffed, preferr'd,trufted in Matters of Confequence, and looked upon us ufeful and neceffary, while thou art reputed a ufelefs and infignificant Perfon. Thefe miRaken or partial Judgments of Men will grate hard

проп