Page images
PDF
EPUB

dispose of fuch Matters. The Consciousness of my own Sins convinces me, I have deferved, that all the Creatures fhould confpire and make War against me. To Me belongs Shame and Confufion, but to Thee only Honour and Praife is due. And thou haft taught me, that to bear Contempt, and Hatred, and barbarous Treatment, with Humility and Patience, is the only Method of attaining inward Peace, and true Satisfaction; The Virtue which must recommend me to thy Favour; the best Predifpofition for Light and Grace; and the fureft, clofeft Band of Union with thy felf.

CHA P. XLVII.

Happiness is not to be bad, by the Favour or Friendship of Men.

Christ.]

H

E that propofes to be Happy, by the Affection or Acquaintance of the beft, the greatest Man alive, will always find his Mind unfettled and perplexed. For even the Beft and Greateft are but Mortals; and the effectual Remedy against immoderate Concern for their being taken away from thee, will be to court the Favour of an Eternal and Immortal Friend. Now, the lefs Confidence any Man reposes in any Earthly Comfort, fo much the more he ingratiates himself with God. The better he acquaints himself with his own Vilenefs, and the lefs he is in his own Eyes, the higher he rifes in God's Efteem. But they, who vainly fancy any thing that is good or meritorious in themfelves, put an effectual Bar to Divine Grace. For this is given to the Humble, and the Spirit of God chufes the contrite Heart for the place of his peculiar Refidence. Would't thou aban

don

don Self-conceit, and wean thy Heart from all Fondnefs for the Creatures, it is not to be imagined what Comforts, what overflowing Joys, I would infuse into thy Soul. But, while thefe employ thy Thoughts and Defires, thou art diverted from all higher Objects, and by being too intent upon his Works, lofeft and forgetteft the Almighty Maker. Learn then to fubdue thy own Will, that thou may'ft clearly underftand, and readily comply with mine. For any other Object, tho' never fo trifling and inconsiderable in its own Nature, yet, if unduly priz'd, and immoderately loved, corrupts the Mind, and checks its afpiring after the Chief, the only Good.

CHA P. XLVIII.

Against Vain, and Pompous Learning.

Chrift.]

Do

not, my Son, fuppofe, that the Excellence of a Man confifts in Subtilty of Wit, or Quaintnefs of Expreffion. For the Kingdom of God does not lie in Elegance of Speech, or Finenefs of Parts, but in Innocence of Life and Good Works. Let my Words be thy Principal Study; for these awaken Attention, enlighten the Understanding, kindle a holy Zeal, provoke true Contrition, and heal the Wounds they make, with the Spiritual Balm of Grace and folid Comfort. Let not the growing Wifer and more Learned be the End thou propofeft to thy felf in Reading; but read, that thou may'ft be qualify'd to practife, and let thy Knowledge be seen by fubduing thy Vices and Paffions. For this is Improvement indeed, and will turn to better Account, than the niceft and moft diftinguishing Skill, in all the Controverfies and difficult Points, that ever employed

the Tongues and Pens of wrangling Logicians, Philofophers, and Divines. And when thou haft run thro' the whole Compass of Learning, yet all will turn at last upon one fingle Point; and the whole Profit of thy Pains lies in a narrow room.

If thou wilt be knowing indeed, learn of Me; for I am the only Mafter that teach Men Knowledge. I give more perfect, more fublime Understanding to Babes, to the Humble and Sincere, than all the Cele brated Sons of Art have ever been able to do. And those whom I inftruct, grow truly wife, are prefently enlightned and refined, and, by an astonishing Proficience in Virtue, outftrip all the admired Schemes of Morality. Moft wretched are thofe Vain Men, who with infinite Toil and Time, lay themfelves out upon the unprofitable Curiofities of Human Wisdom, and take no Pains to inform themselves in their Duty to Me. The Hour alas! draws on apace, when their Master Chrift fhall come with terrible Pomp, and call each Man to strict Account, and found every Conscience to the Bottom. Then fball FeruZeph. i.

falem be fearched with Candles; then fhall the hidden Things of Darkness be brought to Light; and no Man's Eloquence or Subtilty of Arguing fhall do him any Service, before that All-feeing Judge. I raife the Meek, and Man of Mean Senfe, in an Instant; and teach him at once the Grounds of Eternal Truths, better than a Course of many Years spent in Laborious Study, and the most exquifite Methods of Schools and Universities. I bring Men to Right Apprehenfions of Things, without any Noife of Words, without the Formality of Systems, or Vain Oftentations of Caviling Sophiftry, or Regular Difputing. Of Me alone Men learn to defpife the World, to think Things prefent below their Pains and Care, to love and feek those that are Heavenly and Eternal, to decline Honours, to bear Injuries and Affronts, to

truft

trust and hope in Me alone, to wish for no

thing but my Favour, and to efteem all things Pfal. iii. but Drofs and Dung, fo they may win Chrift.

Some Difciples of mine have made fuch wonderful Improvements under me, as even to fpeak Things above Human Comprehenfion; and grown wifer in Solitude and Cloifters, than any Converfation of Learned Men, or Volumes and Libraries never fo carefully perufed, could have made them. But this is not every Man's Cafe; for I do not communicate to all alike. Some I inftruct in common Matters, Others in abftruse and peculiar Notions. And, as the Measure and Quality of the Matter, fo the Manner of Imparting it, is very different. To Some I have fhew'd my felf in Figures and Parables, Dreams and Myftick Representations; to Others I have reveal'd the most important Secrets in the most clear intelligible Method. Books fpeak alike to all, but all are not qualified to be taught by them alike. But I, inftead of dead Letters prefented to the outward Senfes, perform my Business within, I fill the Mind with Truth, fuit my felf to each Man's Genius and Capacity, fearch every Corner of the Heart, understand their most retired Thoughts, infpire good Defires, promote and finish thofe Defires by bringing them to Action, and deal to every one the various Gifts of my Spirit, in fuch Kinds and Proportions, as I fee most useful and feasonable.

CHAP.

CHA P. XLIX.

Of Meddling with the World as little as may

Chrift.] IN

be.

N many Things, my Son, content thy felf with being ignorant, and chufe to live as a Man Dead, while among the Living; One, whose Thoughts and Affections are crucified to all the World; and all the World to Them. Many Things are to be overlook'd, as if you faw them not: Thy Mind drawn off from the diftracting Variety of Objects, and faften'd clofe down to the Things that make for thy Peace and Salvation. In controverted Points, 'tis generally much better to content one's felf with avoid ing Erroneous Opinions, and their Vicious Confequences, and leave others to abound in their own Senfe, (where their Difference from thee does not apparently hazard their Souls) than to engage in hot Difputes, and spend thy precious Hours in wrangling and fierce Contention. And even in Difputes, not to be hot and pertinacious; For, if God and Truth be on thy fide, and thou canft with Comfort appeal to thy Judge above, thy Concern will not be great for Victory and Approbation below.

Difciple.] Alas! Lord, what a wretched Cafe is this World in? How diftant from this meek and abstracted Temper of Mind? Trifling Lofs is ferioufly lamented. A little fordid Gain engages Mens Time, and Labour, and Thoughts. The Day is too fhort for their Vigorous Purfuits, and Anxious Cares break their Sleep; while all their Spiritual Concerns lie neglected and forgotten. Their Diligence and Study is determin'd to Matters of fmall or no Importance; and the One Thing Neceffary is laid afide, as if it were not worth a fingle Thought. So vain is Man, fo totally immers'd in fenfible Objects and worldly Cares; and

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »