By temptations and afflictions a man is brought (as it were) to the teft; by these his proficiency is measured, and eafily difcernable. The greater these are, the more acceptable the fufferer is to God, and the brighter luftre they add to his virtue. For, to be religious and zealous in the service of God, when no trials affail us, is no mighty matter. But if we can fuffer with patience and refignation, and continue fteddy in the love and fervice of God, when he afflicts and fends bitterness into our fouls; this argues a noble difpofition, and promises an extraordinary perfection. Some perfons have come off with fafety and honour in very fharp and trying inftances, and yet are worsted in common and trivial ones. And this cafe is capable of a very good improvement for thus no doubt God gives men warning, that they should not prefume upon their own ftrength, but humbly take fanctuary in him, in matters of difficulty; moved by the experience of that weakness, and frailty, which hath yielded to flighter and lefs violent temptations.

TUR

CHAP. XIV.

Against rafh judging.

URN your eyes inward upon yourself; for you can scarce exceed in judging your own actions, nor be too cautious and fparing in cenfuring thofe of others. Cenfuring indeed this deferves to be called in the worst sense of the word, rather than judging; if we confider, not only how unlikely to promote any good end, but how liable to infinite mistakes, and very often how exceeding finful all fuch judgments are. But the examining and judg

ing our own felves is a work very becoming us; fuch as we are qualified to undertake, and always turns to good account. We generally determine and give fentence, juft as we ftand affected to perfons and things; our own paffions and private prepoffeffions blind our minds, and either hinder us from difcerning the truth, or from letting it have its due weight with us. Whereas, if we proceed from no other principle but the love of God; those matters, which difagree with our own sense of things, wou'd be allow'd fairer Confideration, and be less uneafy to us.

But oftentimes fomething foreign to the cafe in hand, either lurking privately in our own breast, or happening from without, engages and draws our minds after it, Many people act upon private refpects and perfonal interefts, even when leaft fenfible that they do fo. These men continue well fatisfied, fo long as things agree with their own inclination; but are out of all patience, upon the least difference and contradiction. And hence it comes to pass, that good correfpondence is fo often broke, and quarrels commenced between friends and neighbours, even men of piety and the most facred profeffions, upon no other ground, than that they do not think and act alike.

The reason of this feems to be that mighty afcendant, which use and inveterate habits naturally gain upon us. We can very hardly be perfuaded to change a practice or opinion, which we have been educated in, and long accustomed to; or to fuppofe, that other men fee farther into things than ourfelves. The man therefore, who leans more to his own understanding and study, than to that principle of virtue, which

fhould

fhould dispose him to an entire fubmiffion to Chrift and his doctrine, is by no means in a condition of having his mind enlightned by God. For God expects that we should be fubject to him without any reserves, and thinks it fit, that a religious love and obedience should take place of our own reasonings, which by ferious reflection wou'd be often found weak and inclufive.

T

CHA P. XV.

Of works of charity.

HIS is a conftant and univerfal rule, that no confideration of any advantage, no regard of any person whatsoever, muft ever prevail with us to do an ill thing. But the benefit of a perfon, who ftands in need of our relief, is oftentimes a fufficient warrant for leaving a good thing undone; or for changing our measures, and chufing to do one good thing rather than another. For indeed, properly fpeaking, this is not so much an omitting to do well, as a prudent contrivance to do better. But, let the thing we do be what it will, it is only the defign with which we do it, that must recommend it: and, as without charity, both all we are, and all we do, fignify nothing; fo, where this is at the bottom, every thing we do, how mean foever in itself, is of very great value. For God obferves by what fprings we are moved; and measures our defert, by the difpofition of the heart, and not by the seeming worth of the gift, or the appearances of the action.

The man then, that loves a great deal, does a great deal; the man that does any thing well, in that one thing does a great deal; and he does well, who pre

fers

fers the good of others before his own private pleafure or profit. That which frequently paffes for charity, is really no better than a selfish and carnal principle. For how very feldom do men act upon other motives, than the gratifying their own inclinations, the doing their own will, the profpect of their own advantage, the expectation of return or reward; fo confulting the convenience, not fo much of others, as themselves?

Now true and perfect Charity feeks not its own advantage; and if God, in his bounty, be pleased to recompenfe it, yet this recompence is not the thing principally in view, but its great aim and end is the happiness of mankind. For the fame reafon charity envieth not, I Cor. xiii. because envy is a paffion proceeding from felfifhnefs and pride. And therefore the man, who acts upon a upon a principle fo generous, as neither to seek his own private interest, nor to take fatisfaction in himself, but places all his content and blifs in God alone, is got above envy, and incapable of fo mean a paffion. Charity looks upon God as the fole beginning and end of all good; the fource from whence it flows, and the immenfe ocean, in which it is fwallowed up; the perfon from whom all the faints derive their righteoufnefs, and in the fruition of whom the reward of their righteoufnefs confifts. And therefore the man poffefs'd of this principle, fets no undue value upon himfelf or others; he takes no part of the merit, or honour to himfelf; he is not profufe in the commendation of others; but afcribes the whole glory of every virtuous action to the author of all the powers and faculties of his foul. Little need be faid, to fhew, that one thus difpofed, thus perfuaded of God, as the only, the

univerfal

univerfal good, must have let his heart upon things above. For fure the leaft fpark of his holy fire will serve to kindle in our breafts the love of heaven and fpiritual joys; and fuffice to convince us that all here below is full of vanity, and by no means an objec worthy our affections.

WH

CHA P. XVI.

Of bearing with other mens faults.

HEN you obferve in yourself, or others, any thing amifs, which you would fain, but cannot cure, your duty in fuch cafes is to endure it, till God fees fit to order matters otherwife. And a duty this is highly reasonable, if you confider, that poffibly it is much wifer and better, that these faults should not be amended, than that they should. Perhaps God permits them for the trial and increase of your patience and humility, without which all our virtues are of no great regard in his fight. But at the fame time that you ought to bear, you are no lefs obliged to pray against them; to beg that the ill example of them may be no hindrance to you in your chriftian courfe; and to implore the affiftance of his Grace, for the bearing them in fuch a manner, that the provocations arifing thence may never shake your temper, or betray you to any finful, or fo much as indecent, excefs of paffion.

If a man refuse to comply with good advice, or to reform upon admonitions and reproofs; you are not, after these offers of doing him service have been made and repeated, obliged to contend with him any longer. 'Tis better to commit the whole affair to God, and endeavour to effect that by your prayers, F which