III. But it is incident to Man to be deluded with fuch kind of imaginations: And it is a mark of a mind as yet weak and feeble, to be fo eafily feduced by the fuggeftions of the Enemy. For he matters not, fo he delude and deceive thee, whether it be with things real or imaginary: Whether he overthrow a man with the love of present, or dread of future things. Wherefore let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid Believe in me, and repofe confidence in my mercy. I am often then nearest thee, when thou fuppofest me at the greatest distance from thee. When thou giveft all almost for gone, then many times art thou upon the point of receiving a more than ordinary meafure of peace. All is not loft, when a thing happens contrary to thy expectation. Thou oughteft not to judge of thy estate by the prefent pofture, and difquietude of thy mind: Nor to abandon thy felf in fuch fort to any heaviness, be the caufe what it will; nor fo to interpret it, as tho' all hope of recovery, or rifing again, were taken away.

f

yen.

IV. Imagine not that thou art forfaken altogether, when I fend thee fome affliction for a time, or even withdraw the confolations thou art fo fond of: For this is the way which leadeth to the Kingdom of HeaAnd this without doubt, is more expedient for thee, and for the reft of my fervants, that ye be exercised with adverfities, than if ye had all things to your wish. I understand the thoughts of the heart: I know therefore that it is very expedient for thy Salvation, that thou be fometimes left in a state of drynefs and barrennefs, without guft or relish; left thou be lifted with thy good fuccefs, and vainly pleafe thy felf with the fond imagination of being what What I gave, that I can take away, and restore it again, when it feems good to me.

thou art not.

up

V. After I have given it thee, it continues mine: When I have withdrawn it, I have taken away nothing that was thine: Becaufe every good gift, and every perfect gift cometh from me. If I fend thee heavinefs, or any adverfiry, be not impatient under it, nor let thy heart fink within thee; I can raise thee up in an instant, and change

8 James i. 17.

all

all thy fadness into joy. Nevertheless I am juft, and greatly to be praifed, when I deal thus with thee.

VI. If thou wert wife, and didst confider things according to truth, thou wouldst fee no reason to give thy felf up to fo much dejection and difconfolatenels, in adversities and fufferings; but rather to rejoice, and give thanks; yea, to count it all joy, when Ichaftife thee with forrows and afflictions, and fpare thee not. As my Father hath loved me, even fo love I you, faid I to my Difciples: Whom certainly I fent not out to temporal joys, but to fharp conflicts: Not to honours, but to contumelies and contempts: Not to idleness and floth, but to labour and travel: Not to reft and repofe, but to bring forth much fruit with patience. Remember these words, my Son.

h John xv. 9.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXXI.

Of the Difregard of all Creatures, in order to find the Creator.

I.

'L

THE SOUL.

ORD, Iftand greatly in need of a yet larger portion of Grace, if I muft arrive at fuch a ftate of Perfection, as that no perfon, nor any of the creatures may be able to be a hindrance or obstruction to me. For fo long as any created thing checks and retards me, I am not able freely to mount unto thee. He defired to mount freely, who faid: Oh that I had wings like a dove, for then would I flee away and be at rest! What more quiet, and more at cafe, than the fingle eye? And what more free than the man that defireth nothing upon earth? A man ought therefore to foar above, and leave behind him all created beings, and utterly to forfake himfelf, and in a tranfport of foul to ftand, and contemplate thee the Creator of all things, as infinitely tranfcending, and bearing no

a Pfal. lv. 6.

manner

manner of resemblance to the creatures. And unless a man be difengaged from all the creatures, he will not be able freely to intend divine things. For the true reafon why fo few Contemplatifts are to be found, is, because fo few know how to fequefter themselves wholly from the creatures, and from these perishing Goods.

II. In order to arrive at this ftate, a great degree of Grace is requifite to raise up the foul, and tranfport it above it self. And unless a man, by an elevation of fpirit, be difengaged from all created things, and wholly united unto Go D, all his knowledge, and all the good qualities which he may otherwife have, are of no great weight or value. He will long remain in an infantftate, and lye groveling here below, who esteems any thing great, fave only the One Infinite Eternal Good. And whatsoever is not GOD, is nothing, and ought to be efteemed as nothing. There is a great difference between the wifdom of an illuminated, and devout man, and the pompous knowledge of a learned and ftudious Divine. Much nobler is that learning which flows from above by divine influence, than that which is painfully acquired by human capacity.

III. Many