Page images
PDF
EPUB

the Body circulate about, fo Paffions cir6 culate with them. It is with us as with ८ Perfons in a Rheumatism, when the Pain is in their fhoulders, they prepare their

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Applications, but before they can well apเ ply them, the Pain is mov'd down to their ८ Knees, and thence again to their hands. When we get free from Luft, the HuC mour fettles in our Heart and turns to Love; If we get refpit from this, it flyes into our Head and perplexes us with vanity, conceit of our felves and Love of 'Efteem of others. Perhaps thence it turns 'to Pride and Souring; with the mixture of other Humours, becomes Anger, Pevishness, Envy, Revenge, or Malice, till at last it comes back where it began. Thus while we feek to apply Remedies to Passion, the Humour Circulates, and the Paffion Tra'vels along with it, and ftarts up in a new Place, and in a new Guise.

.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

O Lord, who hast Instructed us to strike at the Root of all, by a true Mortification of our felves, help me to watch the motions of this Subtle Enemy, and to declare War against it wherever it appears. Help 'me to give it no reft, as it gives me little. Strengthen my Will, that it may be proof to its folicitations in every fhape, faithful to thy Love in all Encounters, and Victo'rious through thy Grace under all Oppo• fitions.

[ocr errors]

If I converfe with Politicians and Men of Bufinefs, it makes me worldly. If with

[ocr errors]

'Men of Learning and Wit, it makes me vain; if with Fair Perfons, I am in danger of being Senfual; if with Great ones of being Prond. O my God, how many Snares are fcatter'd in all my ways? What need have I to take care of my self within, fince it is impoffible to prevent occafions of evil without? All these are the occafions of our warfare, but Thou haft made thy Grace fufficient for them all.

There are many other Meditations among his Writings, of the Nature and Power of our Paffions, and the Methods of Governing them; which fhew, that he kept fo fevere an Eye over them, that he not only Conquer'd his greater Corruptions, but purfued his leffer Failings with a most active Zeal; and being never fatisfy'd with his prefent Attainments in Religion, went on continually, from one degree of Piety to ano, ther, till all ended at laft in Glory.

The confequence of his Victory over his Paffions and defires, his Humility and Meeknefs, and Deadness to the World, was thorough Contentment of Mind, with his ForFree from the tune and Eftate. He had too just SentiSin of Cove ments of this World, not to be above the tuofness. fordid Sin of Covetuoufnefs, which he knew only in Notion; as I might prove from many of his Meditations against it, of which I fhall infert only two which are as fol

lows.

Take heed and beware of Covetuousness : Man liveth not by Bread alone, but by every

• Word

[ocr errors]

Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God. Bread, the Staff of Life, will not Sustain a Man without God's Bleffing; much less will Riches, which make themselves Wings and Fly away. Take heed, my Soul, of faying, 'this Gain,or that Sum will furnish thee with a competency, or Subfiftence. This is too like the foolish Houfholder's Calculation, "Soul Thou haft Goods laid up for many Years. Confider that Riches avail nothing in themfelves, to procure the end Men hope for by them, being fo easily Loft or Blafted, ' and that without a Stock of these, God 'can make fufficient Provifion for thee from 'Day to Day: This Thought will keep thee from being too Intent on worldly Advantages, and make thee more Indifferent to Gain, and by confequence, more 'difpos'd to Charity.

[ocr errors]

..

.

Take heed of thinking to lay in for a Siege against Providence, and to Fence thy felf against him by abundance of outward Provision: Rather throw down thy Walls, and caft thy felf naked on his Mercy; ' and he will be thy more fure Defence; he will 'be to thee instead of Walls and Bulwarks. Obferve thy good Humours, take thy felf in the Fits of Charity. Art thou difpos'd at any time to give largly? Do it out of hand, left the Grace of God with'draws, and thou growest Cool in thy good Purposes. No Man ever repented of his < Charity, tho' it might feem to have been in Excefs. Be it never fo Large, aflure thy

C

[ocr errors]

• felf

felf thou wilt Rejoice in having done it . even at a time, when thou haft not Heart, or Grace enough to do it, were it then to do.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

And why fhoud'st thou defire Poffeffi❝ons in this World? Sometimes thou art able to flight them, and fometimes thou forgetteft thy felf and thinkeft them fine things. Why fhoud'st thou have Footing here? Look up to Heaven, fee if that abode (to which thou haft a Title as to an Inheritance, when for God's fake thou doft defpife this Earth,) be not more Glorious than the most Magnificent Earthly Structure. God hath not thought fit thou shou'dft be 'Born to thefe; why than fhould't thou fix thy Heart upon them? God has made thee loofe to the World. Keep thy felf fo, and think his Providence a better Provision,than any Fund of Riches, thou canst heap up or • fave.

And then for Pofterity, remember that ' notwithstanding Abraham's Numerous < Progeny, They are not all Ifrael, which are < (Born) of Ifrael; neither because they are the Seed of Abraham, are they all Children; But they are the true Children of Abraham, who follow his Faith; and fuch, even ont of Stones were rais'd up to him. So that 'tis no matter for a worldly Succeffion; we live by Faith, not by Senfe: We fpeak the Language, and have regard to the State "of the other World.Lift upthen my Soul thine 'Eyes to the everlasting Hills; contemplate the ftate of the other World; and forget thefe

Tran

Tranfitory things below. Our Converfation, our Citizenship is in Heaven; let us 'mind the Cuftoms of our Country, and not 'be conform'd to the vain Fashions of this 'World.

And do Thou, O God, who inspirest 'the Hearts of thy Servants, with Grace to 'feek Thee, and drawest them after Thee; ftay up my Soul upon Thy Self; keep it ' above the World; let it Converse with that heavenly Country which Thou haft 'reveal'd to it, and grow more and more acquainted with its Bleffed Customs; that it may become a natural Denizon of it, by Breathing the Air, Speaking the Language, and having all its Faculties Influenc'd by the Spirit and Genius of that happy Seat. Let me with great Unwillingnefs, defcend to the Concerns of this World, left I grow Familiariz'd to it, and forget my own Country; which yet is not mine, but as Thou, my God, art pleas'd to make it fo. Thou who haft Adopted me into it, art only able to keep 'me a Living Member of it; let not my Unworthinefs make Thee repent of the Favour Thou haft granted me; perfect 'thy own Mercy, and let me not Live but 'to glorifie thy Clemency. And that for 'the fake of the Bleffed King of thofe Heavenly Manfions; who being the Life, and Light of the whole Region, fills all the 'Blessed Inhabitants of it, with Joy and Peace, and Love, and Wonder, and ne

« PreviousContinue »