the highest and most ravishing confolation And tho' he fhould never please to give them confolation, yet would they ever praise him, ever give him thanks.

III. O the mighty power of the pure love of Jefus, unadulterated, unmix'd with any private intereft, or felf-love! Do they not all deferve the name of mercenaries and hirelings, who are ever feeking confolations and comforts? Do they not give an evident proof that they are lovers of themfelves rather than of Jefus, who are always cafting about for their own convenices, advantages and gains? Where is the man that would be willing to ferve GOD for nought?

IV. Seldom is there found any one to that degree refined and spiritualized, as to ftrip himself bare of all worldly comforts, and to be contentedly reduced to the last degree of nakedness. For a true poor in Spirit, that is, one perfectly and entirely emptied of all love and affection to the creatures, who can find? Verily he is a pearl of ineftimable price, and worthy to be fought to the utmost ends of the earth, If a man fhall give away all the fubftance of his houfe, yet is it nothing. And tho' Prov. xxi. 10. c Cantic. viii. 7.

• Job. 1.9.

he

he mortify himself by a fevere penitence, yet this is but a low and inconfiderable thing. And tho' he had attained to all knowledge, yet still he is far fhort. And tho' he were a man of bright and eminent virtues, and of an ardent and exalted devotion, a great deal notwithstanding is still behind; namely one thing, which is abfolutely neceffary for him. What is that? After he has renounc'd all things, to renounce himself, and to go wholly and en tirely out of himself, and not to retain or referve the least relick of felf-love. And when he has done all things that he knows to be his duty to do, to think he has done nothing.

V. Let him fet little value upon thofe attainments, which the world poffibly may highly esteem: But let him in truth and fincerity pronounce himself an unprofitable fervant, as Truth it felf faith: When ye have done all things which are commanded you, fay, we are unprofitable fervants. Then fhall he be truly poor and naked in Spirit, and be able to fay with the Prophet: I am poor and defolate. Yet there's none more rich, none more powerful, none more

d Luke xvii. 10,

e Pfal. xxv. 15.

free,

free, than fuch a man who is able to renounce himself and all things, and to humble himself to the loweft degree of abasement.

CHAP. XII.

Of the High Way of the Holy Crofs.

HIS feemeth a hard faying to ma

Tny: Deny thy felf, take up thy

Crofs, and follow Jefus. But it will be much harder, to hear that last sentence pronounced: Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting Fire. For they who now chearfully hear, and follow the word of the Crofs; fhall not then be afraid of hearing the word of eternal damnation. This banner of the Crofs fhall be display'd in Heaven, when our Lord cometh to judge the world. Then all the fervants of the Crofs, who had conformed their lives to their crucified Saviour, fhall draw to Chrift the Judge with great confidence.

up

II. Why art thou afraid then to take the Crofs, which leads directly to a King

a

John vi. 16

Mat. xvi. 24. b Mat. xxv. 41.

dom?

dom? In the Crofs is found health, in the Crofs life, in the Crofs a protection from our enemies, in the Cofs an infusion of the fweets of Heaven, in the Crofs ftrength of foul, in the Cross the joy of the fpirit, in the Crofs the fum of virtue, in the Cross the perfection of holiness. There is no fal vation of the foul, nor hope of eternal life but in the Crofs. Take up thy Cross there fore, and follow Jefus, and thou shalt go way into life everlafting. He led the before thee, bearing his own Crofs; and died for thee upon the Crofs; to the end thou mighteft both carry thy own Crofs, and defire to die upon the Crofs. For if thou be dead with him, thou shalt also live with him: And if thou partake of his sufferings, thou shalt alfo fhare of his glory.

III. Behold all confifteth in the Crofs, and all dependeth upon dying to our felves; and there is no other way to life, and to true internal peace, except that one of the holy Crofs, and of daily mortification. Go where thou wilt, fearch where thou wilt, and thou wilt not find a fublimer way above, nor a fecurer way below, than that of the holy Crofs. Difpofe and order all things ac

cording to thy own pleasure and fancy; and thou wilt ftill be fure to find fomething that thou must neceffarily fuffer, either willingly or unwillingly: And fo thou fhalt always find a Crofs. For either thou fhalt feel pain in thy body, or fuffer tribulation of fpirit in thy foul.

IV. Sometimes thou fhalt be in difcomfort by reason of spiritual desertions, fometimes a neighbour fhall exercife thy patience; and, which is worse, many times thou wilt be a burden to thy felf, without being able to find any remedy, or even mitigation of thy unaccountable heavinefs; but fo long as GOD fees fit, bear it thou must. For it is the good pleasure of GOD, that thou learn to bear tribulation without confolation, to the end thou mayft both fubmit thy felf wholly to his will, and become alfo more humble by tribulation. No man hath fo cordial, fo piercing a fence and feeling of the Paffion of Chrift, as he that hath happened to fuffer the like himself. The Crofs therefore is always ready at hand, and every where awaits thee. Thou canst not efcape it, whitherfoever thou runneft: Because go where thou wilt, thou carrieft thy felf along with thee, and wilt ever meet with thy felf. Which way foever thou

turn