Pfalms and pray, and receive Sacraments as the true Christian does, and adminifter them too, and preach; but to give up the Will to God at his Difpofal, and obey his Will, is what no Hypocrite can do, and continue fuch: For it is the Effence of Hypocrify to pretend only to let God have our Will, and yet resolve to have our own. And it is the Evidence of Sincerity, to be thankful if God will let us have our own Will; but contented with his, and fubmiffive to it. All other Parts of Religion, I say, lie in common. If you hear Sermons ever fo attentively, the Hypocrite will fit as demurely: They fit before me as my People fit. Herod beard John gladly, and did many things. If you pray fervently and frequently, the Hypocrite may be as frequent, long, and copious. The Pharifees, for a Pretence, made long Prayers. You cannot come to the Sacrament oftener, nor behave with more Devotion than they do. Judas fat down with the Twelve. If you entertain good Difcourfe with great Readiness in the Scripture Language, the Hypocrite can do the fame. Men may preach to others, and be caft away themselves; may be Companions to good Men, as Demas was to Paul, and yet be Lovers of this prefent World, fo as to forfake the Difciples for it. Men may be any thing, and do any thing fhort of this refigned Will to God, and yet be no Christians. But the Surrender of our Will to God, is a Sacrifice of that Sort, which demonftrates him that makes it to be a Chriftian indeed.

The

The Children of Wrath are defcribed from their not having refigned their Will to God; Fulfilling the Defires of the Flesh, and of the Mind, Eph. 2. 3. that is, their own Wills, and not God's; their own Wills, in Oppofition to God's. And, They bave altogether broken the Yoke, and burst the Bonds, Jer. 5. 5. Let us caft away his Cords from us, and break his Bonds in funder, Pfal. 2. The Children of God, on the contrary, are defcribed from the entire Surrender of their Will to God. As obedient Children, not fashioning yourselves according to your former Lufts, not acting merely according to your own Will; But, as he who hath called you is boly, fo be ye boly in all manner of Converfation. David was a Man after God's own Heart, and served bis Generation according to the Will of God; while others are defcribed as walking after their own Imagination and Luft, Jer. 23. 17.

The Devil will let you have as much Religion as you pleafe, without this; because he knows all Religion, that leaves the Will of Man unrefigned to God, will never refcue the Soul out of his Hands.

Immoderate Paffion, for lofing or gaining any thing in this World, is a Reproach to Religion, to good Principles, and the best Profpects in the World. As if thefe were not sufficient to bear us up, and to bear us out; or to make an ample Amends for the Loss of any Comfort. As if God with all his Perfections, and Heaven with all its Glories were nothing:

No:

No; nothing to that Child, that Husband, that Wife, that Eftate. I have feen a Grief fo stubborn and savage as to prove infenfible to all the Principles and Profpects that could be mentioned.

In fuch Cafes we fall fhort of many excellent Heathens. We are outdone by thofe with whom we are afhamed to be compared, confidering all things. Some of them had noble Sentiments under the Lofs of Eftates, Relations or Friends. Zeno loft all in a Shipwreck: He protefted it was the best Voyage he ever made in his Life, because it proved the Occafion of betaking himself to the Study of Virtue and Philofophy. Seneca fays, he enjoyed his Relations as one that was to lofe them; and lost. them as one who had them ftill in Poffeffion. A Spartan Woman had five Sons in the Army, on the Day of Battle. When a Soldier came running from Camp to the City to bring Tidings, fhe, waiting at the Gate to hear his Report, afked, What News? Says the Messenger, Thy five Sons are flain. You Fool, fays fhe, I did not afk after them. How goes it in the Field of Battle? Why, fays the Meffenger, we have gained the Victory; Sparta is fafe. Then let us be thankful, fays fhe, to the Gods for our Deliverance and continued Freedom!

Seneca fpeaks to God in fuch Language as this; I only want to know your Will: As "foon as I know what that is, I am always of "the fame Mind. I do not fay you have taken

"from

"from me; that looks as if I were unwilling; "but that you have accepted from me, which "I am ready to offer *."

L

SECT. XI.

Directions.

AY the Foundation of your Confolation right, namely in true Converfion, a State of Grace, the Pardon of Sin, and the Favour of God. Lay the Foundation of it within you, and not on Things without; above, and not on Things below; on Chrift, and not on ourfelves; in the Principles and Profpects of Religion, and not on the Things of this World; in the Rectification of your Opinions, in the Government of your Appetites and Paffions, and in poffeffing your Souls in Patience: Without this, you have fomething else to cry for than a loft Friend, You have a loft Soul to bewail,

of

*SENECA abounds with noble Sentiments of this kind. He is the great Soul, fays that Philifopher, who gives himself at once to God: 'Tis little and mean to difpute it. Maguus eft animus qui fe Deo tradidit: Pufillus et degener qui obluctatur. Epift. 107.

Accipere potuiftis; fed ne nunc quidem auferetis, quia nihil eripitur nifi retinenti. Nihil cogor, nihil patior invitus: nec fervio Deo, fed affentio. De Provid. Permittes ipfis expendere Numinibus quid Conveniat nobis, rebufque fit utile noftris. Nam pro jucundis aptiffima quæque dabunt Dii; Carior eft illis homo quàm fibi. - Juv. Sat. 10.

of infinitely more Concern to you than any Thing, or any Perfon in the World.

If my Comforts.depend only on Things without me, they lie at the Mercy of fo many Accidents, that it must needs be very precarious. But if I can fay, "I am at Peace with God; I "have a Confcience void of Offence toward God "and Man; I have a good Hoj e through Grace,

66

་

as to another World, and my Heart does not "condemn me;" the Accidents of Life cannot utterly ruin the Peace of fuch a Soul. This is that Peace of which Chrift fays, My Peace I leave with you; my Peace I give unto you: Not as the World gives, give I unto you. Let not your Heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.

The Man who lays the Foundation of his Peace and Quiet in Eftate, Relations, Health, Pleafures of Life, or Life itfelf; when any of thefe is in danger, his Peace is fhaken or deftroyed; whereas, the Man is immoveable who can think and fay thus:

"I am fick, but not afraid to die: It is he "who is fick and fears to die, whofe Peace is "deftroyed by Sickness. I am in Pain, it is true;

but I have Patience to poffefs my Soul: It is "he who is in Pain, and has no Patience, whofe "Comfort is deftroyed. I am flighted, and dif"regarded; perhaps for want of Merit: If I am "confcious of my deferving better, let that be "my Confolation, without eftimating my Com"fort and Peace by the Opinion of others. I am leffened in Eftate, and reduced to narrow Cir"cumftances;