IV. O how short, how deceitful, how inordinate and fhameful are all of them! Yet notwithstanding men are fo blinded, and intoxicated, that they are not fenfible of it: But like brute beafts, for a little transitory pleasure of a corruptible life, they incur the death of the foul. "Wherefore, my Son, go not thou after thy lufts, and turn afide from thy own will. Delight thou in the Lord, and he fhall grant thee thy heart's defire.

V. For if thou wouldst be truly delighted and richly comforted by me; lo! In the contempt of all worldly things, and in the renouncing of all inferior delights, fhall thy bleffednefs confift; and fo fhalt thou be rewarded with a plenteous confolation. And by how much the more thou fhalt fequefter thy felf from all creaturely comforts, fo much the fweeter, and more powerful confolations fhalt thou find in me. But at firft, thou shalt not arrive at thefe, without a certain regret, and laborious conflict. Inveterate habit will make refiftance; but it will be effectually conquered by a better habit. The flesh will repine and murmur; but it will be reftrained and filenced by the fervour of the fpirit. The old Serpent will

b Pfal. xxxvii. 4.

inftigate

inftigate and provoke thee to a revolt; but he will be put to flight by prayer: Moreover alfo, ufeful labour will be a great bar to his approaches.

CHAP. XIII.

Of Obedience to Governours, after the Example of Jefus-Chrift.

SON

JESUS-CHRIST.

NON, the man that endeavours to withdraw himself from obedience, withdraws himself, at the fame time, from grace. And he that feeks his own private and particular good, lofes thofe that are common and general. He that does not willingly and voluntarily fubmit to his Governours, plainly demonftrates that he has not his flesh yet in perfect fubjection; but that it often mutinies and murmurs against him. Learn therefore readily to fubmit to thofe that God hath fet over thee, if thou haft a defire perfectly to fubdue thy own flesh, and to bring it into fubjection to the fpirit. For this outward enemy (the flesh) is foon overcome, if the inner man (the

foul)

foul) maintain its juft fovereignty: And there is not a more defperate, nor a more dangerous enemy to the foul, than thou thy felf art, whilft thou confenteft not to the law of the fpirit. Wherefore it is abfolutely neceffary for thee to be established in a true and real contempt of thy felf, if thou wouldst prevail against flesh and blood.

II. Because thou ftill loveft thy felf inor dinately, for this reafon thou art loth to refign up thy felf fully to the will of others. But is it a thing fo extraordinary, if thou, who art duft, and nothing, fubmit to Man for God's fake; when I, the Almighty, and Most Higheft, who created all things out of nothing, humbly fubmitted to Man for thy fake? I became the humbleft, and most abject of all men, to the end thou mightest fubdue thy own pride by the example of my humility. Learn to obey, thou duft. Learn to abase thy felf, thou earth and clay, and to lay thy felf under the feet of all men. Learn to bow and break the perverse inclinations of thy own will, and to yield thy felf up to an entire obedience in all things lawfully required of thee.

III. Rife up in indignation against thy felf, and fuffer not the leaft fwelling of pride to live in thee: But render thy felf fo fub

miffive,

miffive, fo perfectly humble, that all may walk over thee, and trample thee as the very dirt of the streets. What haft thou to complain of, vain man? What haft thou to anfwer, filthy finner, to thofe that reproach and treat thee ill; thou that haft fo often offended God, and many, many a time deferv'd to be caft quick into Hell? But my eye hath fpared thee, becaufe thy foul was precious in my fight; to the end thou mightest be fenfible of the love I bear thee, and always thankful for my benefits: And that thou mightest continually devote thy felf to ani unfeigned humility and fincere fubmiffion, and endure patiently to be contemn'd and despised by all men.

&

I.

CHAP. XIV.

Of the Confideration of the fecret Judgments of GOD, to keep us from being lifted up upon the account of our good Actions.

THE SOUL.

HOU breakeft the thunder of thy
Judgments over me, O Lord, and

TH

fhakeft

fhakeft all my bones with fear and trembling, and my foul is feiz'd with a horrible dread. I ftand confounded and astonished, and reflect, that the Heavens are not pure in thy fight. If thou hast charged thy Ans gels with folly, and not fpared even them, what muft become of me? The ftars fell from the firmament; and how dare I, that am but duft, prefume? Many whofe actions feemed fair and commendable, have fallen to the nethermoft Deep and I have seen thofe, who did eat the bread of Angels, gladly to feed upon husks with fwine.

II. There is therefore no holiness, if thou, Lord, withdraw thy hand. No wisdom availeth, without thy direction and gover nance. No strength is fufficient, if thou ceafe to preferve us; no chastity fecure, except thou protect it; no watchfulness of our own effectual, unless thy holy vigilance be the Sentinel. For when left, we fink, and perifh; but when vifited, we are raised up, and live. For we are weak and unstable, but by thee we are confirm'd and established: We are cold and lukewarm, but by thee we are infpired with zeal and fervour.

III. O how meanly and abjectly ought I to conceive of my felf! How worthless, how perfectly nothing ought I to efteem it,