I Cor. xi.

"

The greatest Diligence and moft prudent Conduct can never please them all. And therefore even St. Paul himself, than whom none ever laboured more to recommend his Actions to the good Acceptance of the World; He who became all things to all Men, yet found it neceffary to appeal to a higher Court, and declared it a fmall thing with 1 Cor. iv. him to be judged of Man's Judgment. He did his utmost to promote the Intereft and Salvation of Others; but even the utmost he could do, was not fufficient to skreen him from the wrongful Cenfures, and perverse Misconstructions of Men. And therefore he removed his Caufe, and referred the whole Matter to that God who knew his Integrity; and defended himself against the Calumnies and Reproaches of licentious Tongues, with great Humility and Invincible Patience. Sometimes he heard and paffed their Slanders by in filence: At other times he vindicated his own Innocence, and reproved the unreafonable Malice of his Accufers: Not fo much in tenderness to his own Honour, as to prevent any Offence which might be taken from his forbearing to do fo; and left the Weak and Ignorant fhould conclude, that too obftinate a Silence was an Argument of his Guilt.

But what is there fo terrible in the Condemnation of Man? For what indeed is Man? He lives and flourishes to Day; but to Morrow he is gone, and his Place fhall know him no more. Fear God then, and his Judgment; for this is Omnifcient and Everlafting; and the more thou feareft Him, the lefs thou wilt be afraid of any but Him. Confider well what hurt can come to thee by injurious and reproachful Treatment. Alas! they who accufe and blacken thee wrongfully, are much the greatest Sufferers by their own Malice and Injuftice. Their Slander and Detraction can have no Influence, can make no Impreffion

upon

Matth. vii.

I Pet. iv.

upon the Righteous Judge above. None to Thy Prejudice, but a fad and fatal one to their own. For they cannot escape his Judgment, who hath declared, that they who judge fhall be judged; that they shall have Judgment without Mercy, who fhew no Mercy; and that the fame Measure they mete to Others, he will measure to them again. Keep God then always in thy Mind, and let go Quarrel and Contention, nor embroil thy felf in Troubles and Differences, by being over-folicitous in thy own Defence. If thou at prefent feem to be opprefs'd with Difgrace and ill Reports, which thou haft not deferved; bear thy Burthen contentedly. Blemish not thy Innocence by too deep Refentment; nor take off from the Brightness of thy Crown, by Anger and Impatience, and Eagerness to right thy felf. Reffect on me, who once endured

fuch Contradiction of obftinate and im- Heb. xii.

placable Sinners; and am now fet down at the Right. Hand of the Throne of God. Look up to Heaven, and remember, there is One, who can make thy Innocence as clear as the Light, and thy Pfal. xxxvii. Righteoufnefs fhine like the Sun at Noon-day. One, who will confider, not only thy Infamy and Wrong, but thy Manner of Bearing it; and, the more meek, more injured thou haft been, the kinder and more bountiful Rewarder thou shalt be fure to find me.

CHA P. XLII.

A Chriftian muft devote himself entirely to God, before he can be happy.

Christ. ] Ofe tby Life, and thou shalt find it. Forfake thy felf, and thou fhalt poffefs Me.

Efteem and have nothing, and thou fhalt enjoy all' Things. For I will recompenfe thee with greaterTreafures, and infinitely increafe thy Store, when thou haft made over into my Hands all that thou haft and art.

Difciple. How often, Lord, muft I repeat this Gift; and what are the Instances wherein I must forfake my felf?

Chrift. All Times, my Son, are feafonable; and every Action, every Accident of thy Life, furnishes a fresh and proper Occafion for doing it. I can admit of no Referves, but expect thee ftript of all, and nothing left which I have not a Title to. For how canft thou be mine, and I thine, except thy own Will be renounced in every Thing, and no Property or Claim any longer remaining unconveyed over? The fooner thou executeft this Deed, the better it will be for thee; and the more full and exprefs, the more frank and fincere thou art in it, the more favourable will be my Acceptance, and the more valuable Confideration fhalt thou receive. Some indeed there are, who pretend to give themselves; but the Conveyance is fo clogged with Provifo's and Limitations, that the Title they make is worth nothing. They truft themselves to God by halves, and are for making their best of the World at the fame time. Others again do this without Exceptions; but then in Difficulties and Temptations they repent of their Bargain, and revoke the Grant. Thefe Men make no confiderable Improvement in Virtue, nor do they taste the Sweets of Piety; which

con

1

confift in a Mind at large from the World, and the Friendship and familiar Converfation of God. But fuch Spiritual Advantages cannot, in the Nature of the Thing, be imparted to any, whofe Affections are not entirely agreeable, and infeparably united, to mine. And this requires the total Refignation of a Man's felf; and the daily Offering of his whole Spirit, and Soul and Body, a boly, lively and reafonable Sacrifice unto me. I have often faid it, and now repeat it once more, That He who would receive All, muft in exchange give All. Do not then expect, or call in, any Thing again; but give freely and chearfully, and depend folely upon Me without Doubts or Demurs. Me thou fhalt have in return, and with me perfect Freedom and faving Knowledge. Prevail with thy felf to give up all, without Intent or Power of Revocation; and pray earneftly, that thou may'ft gladly follow Chrift in all his Sufferings and loweft State; that thou may'ft renounce all Property, and throw thy felf naked into his Embraces; that thou may'ft die to the World at prefent, and by fo doing, live to me for ever. When this is done, all vain Imaginations will be banish'd; Luft will difturb thee no more, nor Paffions ruffle, nor anxious Cares perplex thee; Exceffive Fears will run and hide their Head; Inordinate Defires will ficken and die; Sorrow and Difquiet find no Place; and if Temptation try, yet can they not moleft thee.

CHA P. XLIII,

How to govern one's felf in the Affairs of the World.

Chrift.] B Bufinefs and Care never get within thee;

E fure, my Son, to take good heed, that

but whatever Conftraint they may lay upon thy Actions, and outward Attendance; yet keep thy Mind always at its own Difpofal. Do Bufinefs, but be not a Slave to it; and remember, thy Prerogative is, to govern, and not to ferve, the Things of the World. Thou art a Hebrew of the Spiritual Seed of Abraham; affert thy Native Liberty. But why do I call thee a Free-born Son of Abraham? Thou art a great deal more, tranflated out of Bondage into the

Coloff. i.

glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, Par taker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. Such Birth, fuch a Condition fhould raife and enoble thy Soul, trample upon the prefent, and grafp at nothing lefs than Eternity. Caft only now and then a difdainful Glance upon this World, as a Thing by the by; but keep thy Eye immoveably and directly fix'd upon Heaven, as thy fure Profpect, thy main Concern. It will ill become thy Quality to dwell upon Trifles, or fubject thy felf to Things Temporal. These thou must make bend to thy Pleafure, fubmit and ferve thy Occafions. For fo their great Creator intended they fhould, who is the Author and Lover of Or der, and would have every Work of his contain'd within its proper Poft and Station.

If thou at any time art entangled in Difficulties, rely not upon Human Prudence, nor truft the falfe Reprefentations, with which thy Senfes and worldly Affections, or the mistaken Judgment of others fo difpofed, would impofe upon thee. But remember

Mofes,