inexhaustible Source. And therefore he alone hath right to command our Love for his own Excellence, because all Excellence is his; He alone is to be loved above all others, because he neither hath, nor can have any Equal. Covet not then the Praise or Love of Men, for Praife and Love are God's Peculiar. Nor lavishly dispense these to others, but in thy felf, and all Perfons of Virtue and Merit, laud, and admire, and love, the Graces of Chrift.

Bring to thy Lord a clean and upright Spirit, free from the fordid Affections of the World; that thou may'st be entirely his, and folace thy felf with the Delights of his Converfation. But leave the World, and come to him, thou canst not, without the Preven tion and Affiftance of his Grace. This only can exalt thy Defires, and draw and charm thy Heart with the Cords of Divine Love. For Man can do Phil. iv. all things through Chrift that strengthens him; but if that Succour be withdrawn, he is blind and naked, deftitute and weak, full of Confufion and Torment; or rather, he is Confufion in the Abstract, Weaknefs and Impotence it felf. And if fometime thou feel an inward Scourge, let not thy Melancholy Thoughts deject or drive thee to Defpair. For Spiritual Comforts and Joys are fown in Tears; and Patience brings forth plentiful and perfect Fruits of Righteoufnefs and Peace. If thefe Sorrows proceed from a Reflection upon thy own Sins and Infirmities, indulge the Holy Grief; and lament, as becomes a Serious Penitent, thy own Unworthinefs, and former Mifery. If Adversities fent from the Hand of God afflict thee, fupport thy felf with the Confolations of a good Confcience; and be affured, that fuffering fo as may advance thy Mafter's Honour, will end in Glory and Advantage to thy felf. But confider, that, in either Cafe, the Trouble cannot be long; for thefe Black Intervals of Sadnefs will as certainly, as naturally, be followed with.

inward Peace and Joy, as Summer fucceeds Winter, and Storms are hufhed into a profound Calm.

W

CHA P. IX.

The Difconfolate State.

Hen all Human Comforts førfake us, if God Vouchfafe to fupply their place with Spiritual and Heavenly, which are infinitely better; we are not much to wonder, if the Soul preferve its Temper, and bear up manfully under fuch Circumftances. But when the World and God both frown, then to bear fuch Defertion with Patience, and be content to be abandoned of all our Hopes for his Glory; then to acknowledge our Unworthinefs, and not charge God foolishly, nor be partial to our fuffering felves; this is Virtue and Refignation indeed, the very Excellence and Perfection of an Humble and Submiffive Mind. Who that confiders, can forbear rejoycing, while the chearful Light of God's Countenance fhines bright about him? What Wretch is fo unreasonable to grudge his Service, when Bounty and Bleffings reward his Pains, and convince him that he does not ferve God for nought? This is the happy Seafon, which every Man defires and triumphs in. Smooth and pleasant is his Paffage, whom the Grace of God conducts and carries through this troublefome World. For how can we think it ftrange, that he fhould not feel the Weight of his Burthen, who is strengthen'd and fupported by Almighty Power, and led through Difficulties and Dangers by the Captain of his Salvation?

It is natural for us to cling faft about any thing that may give us Eafe; and hard for a Man to divest himself of Carnal Affections; fo that, before our Paf

fions be effectually fubdued, and our Delight and Hope fix'd entirely upon God, many and frequent Conflicts must be undergone. And yet at no Expence less than this, is our Peace and Quiet to be purchased. For fo long as a Man refts upon his own Strength, he is eafily diverted to worldly Comforts, and taftes little Satisfaction but what arifes from fuch. But he whofe Soul is enamoured with God and Goodness, expects not his Delight from fenfual Enjoyments, but finds a Pleasure in the feverer Exercises of Virtue and Devotion, and even enjoys the Difficulties he undergoes for Chrift's Sake.

If then God fhed down Spiritual Comforts from Above, entertain the precious Gifts with Humility and Thanks; and lose not the Effect and Reward of Grace, by fuppofing it your Due, or valuing your felf upon it. Rejoice in the Bleffing; but temper that Joy with Gratitude. Let it not fwell to Infolence and Vanity, to Cenforiousness or Contempt of thy weaker Bre thren; but the more thou haft received, the greater let thy Modefty be; and the more thy Fear, thy Diligence and Watchfulness, that thou abufe not fuch gracious Liberality. For Comfort and Gladness will not last always; a Cloud will come betwixt, and interrupt the chearful Beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Temptations will have their turn too; and therefore, when these fall hard and heavy, let Patience and Humility, not hopeless Defpondency, be the Effect of fuch Oppreffions. The Greatnefs of thy Sufferings muft inflame thy Truft, thy Zeal, thy Devotion; and fervent Prayer is the proper Weapon against the Attacks of our Spiritual Adverfary. For Matters are not defperate. He who took away his Supports, only withdraws them for a Seafon, and to those who seek them with holy Perfeverance, will at a fit (that is, at his own) Time, restore them again with Advantage. This is an ufual thing with God. The Prophets and

Saints of old have all advanced to their Crowns, by the fame rough Way of Grief and Defertion. Nor may we fuppofe, that thefe Difconfolate Intervals are the Effects of God's Anger and final Abdication of us.

Obferve how eminent an Instance of thefe Changes we have in the Man after God's own Heart. When the Grace and Favour of God was lifted up upon him, his Mind was exalted proportionably: In my Profperity, Ifaid, I fhall never be caft down, Pfal. xxx. 6. thou, Lords of thy Goodness, haft made my Hill fo ftrong. When this Favour was withdrawn, he confeffes the Confequence of it, the deep and heavy Impreffion it made upon his Spirits, Thou didst turn thy

this

7.

face from me,and I was troubled. But yet Trouble, fharp and fenfible as it was, did not fink down into Defpair. HisRemedy was Prayer,Then

cried I unto thee, O Lord, and got me to my

8.

Lord, right humbly. And how fuccefsful this Application proved, himself declares; The Lord, beard me, and had Mercy upon me; thou haft turned my Mourn ing into Dancing, thou hast put off my Sackcloth and girded me with Gladness. Now, if thefe Sorrows were the Portion of those bright Patterns of Piety; if God's dearly beloved Children and faithfuleft Servants, have not liv'd conftantly under his propitious Smiles; if Men of fo exalted Virtue were yet differently affected, as they felt different Difpenfations of Providence toward them; what are we poor, we weak, defertlefs Wretches, that we fhould expect to be exempted from Troubles? What is Our Zeal in comparifon of Theirs, that we should hope to have it always warm, always gay? What have we done to confine the kindly Influences of that Spirit, and fecure them conftant to our felves, which even to those that use and John iii. 8. improve it beft, goes and comes, and blows only where and when it lifteth? And therefore Job

H

takes

takes notice of it, as a Fate common to all Mankind, that God does not so magnify, or fet his Job vii. 17,18. Heart upon anyone among them,but that be vifits him every Morning, and tries him every Moment. Where therefore can we fafely place our Confidence, except in the Grace and Mercy of God only? All other Comforters are miferable. The Company and Exhortation of Religious Men, The tender and affectionate Advice of Dear and Faithful Friends, The Entertainment of good Books, The moving Strains of pious Eloquence, The heavenly Raptures of Pfalms and Hymns, All these adminifter but very poor and flender Relief, to affwage the Anguish of our Minds, or but fo much as to divert and deceive our Pain; if God withdraw his Confolations, and leave us to the defolate Condition of merely Human Helps. Then, as our last and best Refuge, we must fly to God; humble our felves under his mighty Hand; fubmit to what he lays upon us; acknowledge his Goodness even in our Sufferings; and be content to fuffer ftill, fo long as he fees fit; for he will not fee fit to continue his Displeasure for ever, but will revive the Contrite, and exalt the Humble in due time.

I never yet, to the best of my Remembrance, met with any remarkably good Man, who had not, at fome time or other, fallen into these Discomforts; and lan guished under the Apprehenfion of God's Difpleafure, or the Abatement of his own Zeal. Nor was it ever defigned, that any Man in this Life fhould ar rive at fo exalted a State of Holiness, and abfolute Safety, as not to be fometimes tempted. Though this happens at very different times: For fome have their Trials in the beginning of their Converfion, which are referved for Others to their latter and more perfect Days. It seems, the fublime and rapturous Contemplations of God, are a Bleffing too precious for thofe, who have not firft endured fome Trouble of Mind, to qualify

them