CHA P. XXVI.

A Prayer against evil Thoughts."

Difciple.] Go not far from me, O Lord, my God, make hast to help me, Pfal. 70. For corrupt

Imaginations are perpetually rifing in my Breast, and innumerable Fears and Horrours clofe my Soul in on every fide. The Senfe of my hazardous Condition overwhelms me with Torment and deep Distress, while I fee the greatnefs of my Danger, and the multitude of my Enemies, but know not how to decline the One, or to fight my Way through the Other.

Christ.] Remember, Son, my Promife; I will go before thee, and make the crooked Places freight; I will break in pieces the Gates of Brass, and cut in funder the Bars of Iron: And I will give thee the Treasures of Darknefs, and hidden Riches of fecret Places, Ifa. 45.

Difciple.] Lord, fince thou haft applied thofe myftical Words to my Comfort, let me, I beseech thee, experimentally find the gracious Accomplishment of them in my own Perfon. And scatter all my dark and difmal, my vain and finful Thoughts, by fhedding the Light of thy Grace abroad into my Heart. For in the extremity of Grief and Anguifh, this is my Hope and only Support, to take fanctuary in thy Goodness, to repofe all my Confidence, and caft the Burden of my Cares, upon thee; to pour out my whole Soul before thee, and wait with Patience thy own good Time, for fuccouring me in, and giving me a happy Iffue out of, all my Af fictions.

CHA P. XXVII.

A Prayer for Spiritual Illumination.

Difciple.] SHoot forth, O Bleffed Jefus, the bright Beams of thy Heavenly and Eternal Light, that it may enlighten all the dark Corners of my Heart, and effectually fcatter every Cloud of Ignorance and Errour, which now hang fo thick over me. Call home my wandring Thoughts, and repulfe the Temptations, which furioully affault me. Fight thou my Battles, and fubdue thofe fierce wild Beaffs, those brutish Lufts,

which range in this Defert, and are ever ftriving to devour me; that by thy Power the Wilderness may be turned into a Palace, and instead of the violent Cries and Howlings of raging Paffions, no Sound may be heard there, but Songs of Praife. Thou, Lord, who commandeft the Winds and the Waves and they obey thee, Mark 1. filence the Storms within my Breaft; Say to that troubled Sea, Be ftill, and immediately there fhall be Peace, and a profound Calm. Send out thy Light and thy Truth, and warm this barren Soil, for fuch am I, till Mellowed and Impregnated by the Sun of Righteoufnefs. Pour down thy Grace upon me plentifully, and water me with thy refreshing Moisture, which, like feasonable Showers and gentle Dew, may fatten my Soul, and enable it to bring forth generous Fruit in great Abundance. Raife and refine my Mind, preft down with the Drofs of earthly Defires; and draw my Affections up to Heaven and heavenly Objects; that the fweet relish of that Blifs above, may give me a difguft and loathing to all the naufeous Pleafures here below. Deliver or rather fnatch me away with a holy Violence, from all the perifhing Comforts of this mortal State; For my Thirst of Happiness I find is greater, than Any Creature can either quench or in a good Degree affwage. Unite me to thy felf with inviolable Bands of holy Love, fo fhall my Soul be fatisfied; For thou alone canft anfwer all my Longings; and the whole World without thee is trifle, and emptiness, and nothing.

CHA P. XXVIII.

Against a bufie inquifitive Temper.

Christ. MY Son, have a care of indulging a curious Humour; and do not create to thy felf unneceffary Troubles, by meddling with Matters, or Perfons, which are no part of thy Concern. For what is This or That to Thee? Follow thou me. What have you to do with the Virtues or Vices, the Conduct or the Indifcretions of Others: how they behave themfelves, what Company they keep, or with what Difcourfe they entertain one another? Why all this eager and intemperate Zeal to vindicate or to accufe them? You fhall not answer for Their Miscarriages, nor be one whit the

better

Book III. better for their Excellencies, Your Own Words and Actions are the only thing you will be called to account for; look well to Them, and beware left this bufie and malicious Impertinence do not enflame that Reckoning. Trouble not your felf to turn Informer, and take not upon you to be a Judge. Leave that to me; I know every Man throughly, and nothing which is done under the Sun can efcape my Obfervation. I am perfectly apprised of each Perfon's Condition, fee every Action, nay, every Intention, every Design, and not only what they do, but what they drive at. These things are far removed out of Your Sight, and therefore you cannot judge truly, if you might attempt it innocently. But know, once more, that Judgment is My Prerogative, and therefore it were Impudence and Ufurpation in you to attempt it, if you were qualified to judge others. Study rather to be Quiet, contain your felf within your own Bufinefs; and let the prying, cenforious, the vain and intriguing World follow their own Devices; For all which they fhall affuredly be one Day fummoned to a fevere Account; For all their Arts and fpecious Colours cannot impofe upon Me. Engage not with them in the fame Defigns, nor let the empty Phantome of a great Reputation, the Pride of numerous and honourable Relations or Acquaintance, or the particular Intimacies and Friendships of celebrated Perfons, engage your Time and Thoughts. These only ferve to distract and perplex the Mind, and cheat you at laft with fond Expectations; they lead you into a Mist, and there they leave you, lost and bewildred. But I would fhew thee the true Way, and communicate my Instructions freely, wert thou but at leifure to receive my Secrets, and careful to observe my Motions; by opening the Door when I knock, and watching all Opportunities of entertaining me in thy Heart.

CHAP. XXIX.

Of Lafting Peace, and True Goodness.

Chris. This was my Promife to my Difciples heretofore, Peace I leave with you, my Peace I give unto you, not as the World giveth, give I unto you, John 14. 27. But, though Peace be in every Man's

Wishes,

Wishes, yet the Qualifications and Predifpofitions, neceffary for procuring and preferving it, are the Care of very few. My Peace takes up its dwelling with the Meek and Humble. And the Peace of my Servants confifts in steady Patience; in attending diligently to my Words, and following my Directions. Therefore, upon every Occasion, be fure to make a Confcience of what you Do or Say; Let the pleafing Me, be your chief, your only Concern, and the Fruition of Me your ultimate, your only End and Defire. Pafs no rafh Cenfure upon other Peoples Words or Actions, and do not affect to be a Man of Bufinefs or Secrets; for this will be the best Expedient to make your Troubles few and light. I say, Few and Light; for to efcape Trouble altogether, and have no Affliction at all in Mind, Body, or Eftate, is not confiftent with the Nature of your prefent Condition, but one of the Privileges reserved for Heaven and Immortality.

Do not therefore imagine, that you are then in per fect Peace, when you are fenfible of no Calamity or Difturbance; Or, that a prefent Freedom from Affaults, is an Argument that you have no Enemy, and all is fafe and well with you; Nor, when things fucceed according to your Heart's defire, that this is a Proof of your extraordinary Virtue and Perfection; Nor, if your Zeal and Piety be fervent, and your Contemplations full of Delight, conclude your felf a particular Favourite of God. For These are forreign and deceitful_Inferences, fuch as neither prove the Sincerity, nor the Degree and Perfection of any Man's Virtue. This is difcovered by quite different Marks. The devoting and refigning your felf entirely to the Will of God; not feeking your own but his Glory in every thing you do; confidering all Events wifely, and receiving Profperity and Adverfity with evennefs of Temper; and fuch a brave unfhaken Perfeverance in Goodness, as, even when the Affiftances and Encouragements of Grace are withdrawn for a feafon, can refolutely go on, and harden it felf to undergo yet sharper Tryals with Conftancy; Such Lowlinefs of Mind as never puffs a Man up with an Opinion of his own Merit, but in the forest Diftreffes can find Matter of Praife and Thanks, for that Mercy which even then inflicts much less than he deferves to fuffer;

And

Book III. And a firm Hope, that God will not forfake his Servants; This is the Way of Peace, the Way that leads to fure Confolation, and Favour with God. And, if to not thinking highly of your own Performances, you can add that other Excellence of defpifing your Self, and abhorring your own Vilenefs, then be affured your Peace is built upon fo folid, fo impregnable a Foundation, that mortal Man here on Earth is not capable of attaining to it in greater Perfection.

CHAP. XXX.

True Freedom of Mind.

Difciple.] THis is indeed the utmoft Perfection Mortality can afpire after, to abandon all Worldly Thoughts, and without interruption keep the Mind upon the Bufinefs of the Soul, and heavenly Contemplations: To pafs through a Life thick fet with Cares and Troubles, yet free and unconcerned: Provided still this Unconcernednefs proceed not from Stupidity, heaviness of Apprehenfion, or flothful Neglect, but from a generous liberty of Soul, by which the Man gets loofe. from all immoderate Defires, and too tender Love of earthly Enjoyments. This Faculty I earnestly cover, and beg thee, O my God, to protect me against the Cares of the World, left the Neceffities of my Body employ me too anxiously, and, under that Pretence, my Affections be infnared, and fo I entangled in Multiplicity of Business, to the Prejudice and Neglect of better and weightier Concerns; Or left I be enticed to Sin by the Pleafures of Senfe, or difcouraged from the fteady Purfuit of Virtue and Heaven, by too tender and afflicting Refentments of any Calamities, which may happen to me.

I fpeak not now of thofe vain Superfluities, which the deluded World fo vehemently contend for; but beg to be preferved in those Miseries and Dangers. For Miseries and Dangers I cannot but efteem the common and unavoidable Incumbrances of Life; fince thefe lye heavy, and cling clofe 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 Delires and Endeavours upon Spiritual Objects. Thou, O my God, art Sweetnefs inexpreffible.