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CHAP. XL.

That Man hath no good thing in himself, nor any thing whereof to glory.

I.

L

THE SOUL,

ORD, what is man, that thou art mindful of him or the fon of man, that thou vifiteft him? What hath man deserved, that thou fhouldft fhew him the favour of thy countenance? Lord, what right have I to complain, if thou withdraw thy prefence, and leave me to my self? Or how can I expoftulate with thee, if thou grant not my petitions? Affuredly, I may in very truth think and fay this: Lord, I am nothing, I can do nothing, I have no good thing in my felf; but am deficient in all things, and evermore tend to vanity and nothing. And unless I am fuccour'd by thee, and inwardly inftructed and fortify'd by thy grace, I become immediately all lukewarmness, all indevotion.

II. But thou, O Lord, art always the very fame, and remainest fo for ever; al

a Pfal. viii. 4.

ways

ways good, juft, and holy; and accordingly doing all things well, juftly, and holily, and difpofing them for the best, after the counsel of thy divine will. But I, who am more prone to go backwards, than forwards, never continue in one stay: For I am light and inconstant, turned about with every blast of time, and chance, and paffion. And yet thus weak and unstable as I am, no fooner fhall it please thee to reach out unto me thy fuccouring hand, but my Soul fhall find her felf in a better state: Because thou alone without the aid of man art able to af fift, and to confirm and establish me to fuch a degree, that my countenance fhall be no longer fubject to fo many changes, but my heart be turned upon, and reft in thee alone.

III. Wherefore, if I could once perfectly abandon all human confolation, whether for the fake of obtaining devotion, or upon the account of fome diftrefs, which conftrains me to have recourse to thee, becaufe there is no man upon earth, that can comfort me; then might I reafonably hope for thy grace, and expect with joy the bleffed gift of a new and heavenly confolation.

IV. Thanks unto thee, from whom the whole proceedeth, whenfoever it goeth well U 4 with

with me. For, as to my felf, I am meer vanity and nothing before thee, an inconftant and weak man. Whereof then can I glory? Or what is it that I would be esteemed and admired for? For nothing? But this were unaccountably vain. Affuredly, vainglory is a moft deftructive thing, and a huge vanity; because it intercepts true glory, and robs us of heavenly Grace. For whilft a man pleases himself, he difpleases thee: Whilft he gapes after human praises, he deprives himself of folid virtues.

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V. But this is the true glory, this the true fpiritual rejoicing, to glory in thee, and not in himself: To rejoice in thy Name, and not in his own virtue; nor to take delight in any creature, but for love of thee. Praifed be thy Name, not mine: Magnified be thy work, not my performance: Bleffed be thy holy Name, but to my felf let no part of the praises of men be attributed. Thou art my glory, thou the rejoicing of my heart: In thee I will glory, and rejoice all the day; but of my felf I will not glory, Save only in my infirmities.

VI. Let the Jews feek glory one of another : I will feek that glory which com

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2 Cor. xii. 5.

b John v. 44.

eth

eth from GOD only. Verily all human glory, all temporal honour, all worldly grandeur, if put into the balance against thy eternal glory, is nothing but vanity and folly. Omy Truth, my Mercy, my GoD, Holy and Bleffed Trinity, to thee alone be praife, honour, power and glory afcribed, now, and from henceforth to all Eternity.

CHAP. XLI.

Of the Contempt of all Temporal Honour.

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JESUS-CHRIST.

N, let it be no concern to thee, if thou feest others honoured, and advanced, and thy felf despised, and debased. Lift up thy heart unto me in Heaven, and the contempt of men on earth will affect thee little.

THE SOUL.

Lord, we are miferably blind, and easily led away with vain thoughts. If I look well into my felf, and confider what I am, I fhall clearly discern, that whatsoever treatment I meet with, no wrong is done me;

and

and that I cannot therefore juftly complain of thee, nor of any of thy creatures.

II. Contrariwife, because I have frequently, and grievously finned against thee, all the creatures arm themselves deservedly, and make war against me. To me therefore confufion and contempt are juftly due; but to thee praife, honour, and glory. And unless I prepare my felf for this, to be contentedly defpifed and forfaken of all, and to be perfectly nothing in the esteem of men; I am in no condition to obtain a true and establish'd peace within, nor to be fpiritually illuminated, nor fully and completely united unto thee,

CHAP. XLII.

That our Peace is not to be placed in Man.

I.

S

JESUS-CHRIST.

ON, if thou place thy peace in any perfon, because of the agreeablenefs of his converfation, and the fuitablenefs of' his temper to thine, thou wilt find this an incumbrance, and be fubject to instability, and difquietnefs of fpirit. But if thou have

recourfe

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