Book III. of Jesus Christ. zxj

Chap. XLV.
In Man dwelleth no good Thing.
Difciple.] X Ordy what is Man^ that thou j,r^j^ ^-j^
J J art mindful of him^ or the
Son of Man^ that thou 'vifiteft him ? How can he de- ferve to be afliited by thy Grace, or fuccoufed by thy Favour ? What right have I, fo vile a Wretch^ much more^ to complain unto my God^ if he with- draw his Prefence, and leave me to my (elf .^ Or if I beg and pray for Comforts, what have I to alledgein my own behalf? how can I take it ill if he reject my Petitions ? This I am fenfible is all I ought to think, or can pretend to fay, That I have Nothing, and am Nothing, and in my own Nature tend to and purfue after Vanity and Nothing. A miferable Creature, faint and feeble, incapable fo much as of one good Defire, till animated and Itrengthned by Thee. Fickle and mutable, fubjedl to Infirmities innumerable, and perpetual Decays ,• but Thou, my God, ^^^ j^->^ 2.vt the fame^ Tejierday^ and to Day^ and for euer ^ Ever happy, and juft, and wife, and good, and ordering all things for the beft, after the Counfel of thy Divine Will. Well were it, if I were but equal- ly difpofed to Good and Evil ^ but the Corruption of my Nature, alas ! preponderates ftrongly to Vanity and Vice. I eafily fall from my own ftedfaftnefs, and am carried about with every fhifting Wind of Time, and Chance, and Paffion.
And yet, thus weak and veering as I am, thy help- ing Hand can Comfort and Confirm me. Thy power- ful Grace, without any Human Aids, can work Won- ders in me ; can llrengthen my Refolutions,lcatter my Fears, and fill my Soul with Reit and fweet Con- tent. If, when I thirft after higher Degrees of Vir- tue
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cue and Devotion, or if I fly to thee for Succour in Diftrefs, when all other Succours fail me, fand all but thine will and muft prove ineffectual ) If then I could but abandon all other Hopes, and repofe my whole Cofidence in thee alone ; Then might I enter- tain fome expe(5lations of thy Favour ; then wait with Joy, for the cheerful Returns of Grace and Comfort from above. For all my Succeffes are thy free Gift, and I my felf a defpicable Wretch, not able to effed any good, not in a condition to merit the leaft of all tliy Mercies,
What therefore can I have to boafl of, who, till I defpife and go out of my felf, am not fo much as qua- lify'd to receive Afliilance from Thee ? Cr how can I defire the Applaufe and Admiration of Men ? What! Shall I pretend to glory of Weaknefs and Inconftan- cy, and Nothing ? This were a Vanity beyond Ex- ample, an Extravagance beyond Imagination. How foolifii and abfurd, nay, how hurtful and deftrudive a Vice is Ambition, which, by undue purfuit of Ho- nour, robs us of true Honour ; and, affe with Men, incurs Punifhment and Difpleafure from God ? For he who labours to pleafe himfelf, is fura at the fame time to offend Thee ; and lofes true fub- ft:^ntial Virtue, by coveting empty Praife. For true Honour and Virtue confifts in glorying, not in our felves, but in Thee , O Lord ; in magnifying, not our own Attainments or Performances, but thy free Grace ; and in loving and delighting in nothing, but fo far only, as may advance thy Honour. Pfalfx cxv. ^^^ ^"^^ ^^y therefore, not unto Me, hut
unto thy Name be the Praife. May Men com- jmend and extol, not my works, but thy Power, which infpired, produced, and perfeded them : And may this Commendation devolve fo entirely upon thy GrzCp, that not the leaft part of it may fall upon my Con- currence with it. Far be ic from ipe tq arrogate any
thing