Book III. OfjESUSCHRIST. xi^s

and uneafy ? Whence that Solicitous Care to contrive Excufes? Whence that forv/ard Zeal in thy own Vin- dication^ if not from a Dread and Abhorrence of that Contempt^ to which thy fuppofed Mifcarriages would expofe thee ? Fondnefs of Honour and Reputation lies at the bottom^ and an inordinate Defire to recom- mend thy felf to Man's Efteem, Which fhewSj thou art not yet fo humble, fo refigned^ but that a Princi- ple of Vanity lurks ilill within ; nor is the World yet dead to Thee, or Thou to the World.
Attend diligently to my Inftrudions, and the Cen- fures of ten thoufand Men will not be able to difturb thee. Let them proceed in their Envy and Malice, and blacken thy Name after the moil fpiceful manner, that Hell it (tU can practice or invent, yet what arc thou the worfe r Can all this change thy Perfon r Or hath thy Head one Hair the lefs for it r Do but com- pofe thy Mind, andrefolve todefpife it, and all blows over. Thefe Scandals vanifh and fly away like Motes in the Sun, and are neither more nor lefs than v/hat Refentment makes them. To be provoked with every (landerous Word argues a Littlenefs of Soul, a Want of due regard for God j but the brave generous Mindj whofe All is in God, and who refers himfelf entirely to His Judgment, is above the Terrors and Difcouragements of Men, and lays no ilrefs upotl Their Notions of Things. For their Notions are fre- quently rafli and falfe j they feldom do, and fomd- times cannot, enter into the real Merits of the Caufe; but to Me all Hearts are open^ and from my piercing Eyes no Secrets are hid. I know dirtindly, both in what Manner, and with what Intention every thing is done* The Perfon who receives, and does the Wrong, are both under my Cogniz'.ance ^ and even the Wrong it felf is done by my Permillion j that by this Means the Thoughts of many Hearts may be reveal- ed* I (h^ not fail to make a jult and clear Decifion
Q 4 betwegrt
z}6 g)f tt)e gittlttatton Book III.
between the Guilty and the Innocent ,• and call both ■to account hereafter • however I may think fit to try them in the mean whrle^ and keep thofe things in the dark at prefent, which then fhall be notorious to all the World. And^ what Miftakcs foevermay prevail now, my Judgment will be according to Equity and Truth ; and my Sentence, once pronounced, can ne- ver be revers'd. Few indeed are capable of difcern- ing the Juftice of my Providence, in fufferrng Inno- cent Men to be traduced, and their honeft Adions nrifunderftood. But I do nothing without wife Rea- fons, and neither am, nor can bemiftaken in my Me- thods, how much foever fhort-fighted ?,nd inconfjde- rate Men are confounded about them.
Appeal then in all thefe Cafes to my Determinati- on, and let thy Matters reft fo fully there, as not on- ly to difregard what others. think concerningthee, but even in fome meafure to diftruft thy own Judgment concerning thy fclf. Confider, that I think many things fit for my Servants, which they can by no means imagine convenient for themfelves. This very Reflection prcferves a good Man s Temper, in every Accident of Life • becaufehe knows that every Acci- dent fdlls out thus by my Diredion. This buoys his Spirits up, againft the Infults and Injuries of Calum- ny and Detradion ; and keeps them from fwelling into Pride and immoderate Joy, when his Innocence is cleared, and his Virtue commended. He knows, that God fees not as Man fees ; for Man judges ac- cording to outward and fallible Appearances, but God fearches the Reins and the Heart, and judges righteous Judgment.
rfabn vii. Dlfciple.'] O Lord, thou r'lghteonsjHclge^
firo72g and fatie?7t, who underftandell the Frailty and the Wickednefs of Men, be thou my Itrong Rock, my Truft and Defence. For even in my own Confcience I dare not be too confident; fince
many
Booklll. OfjESUSCHRlST. 2.37
many things, which to me are either unknown or for- gotten^ thou haft a perfedKnowledgc^ and exadl Re- membrance of. I ought therefore in all Reproofs and Reproaches to fubmit with Patience, even though my Heart condemn me 7tot ,• becaufe thou_, who , -y^r,^ -u permitteft thefe things^ art greattr tha7i my Heart, and knoweft all t h in gs. Thus , Reafon and Religi- on both convince me, I ought to behave my felf ; but if at any time Paflion and Frailty have exceeded in too nice and tender a Senfe of thefe Things f pardon, 1 befeech thee, what is paft, and enable me to be more refigned for the time to come. Thy Mercv a!onewii{ avail me more than all my laboured Excnfes ; and Par- don is what I rather chufe, than the moft confident Teftimony of my own Confcience. For, though / \ljculd know nothing by my felf, yet cm I net j ^^^ jy herehy juflified • for he that judgeth me is the Lord, The Lord, who will one Day hirjg to l/ght the hidden things of dijhone/^^, even thofe, which have ef- caped the Committer's own obfervation. And there- fore, if thou, Lord,fl)ouldf he extreme to mark what is done amifs, no Flejh li-vhig- could be ■^'\' ^^'^"^-3- jufiifyed in thy fight, /ly^/.cxJiu.^.
Chap. LIT.
Nothirjg too much to fuffcr for Eternal Life.
C/jri/?.] IT ET not, my Son, thy Labou'-s crSuffer- Lv ings for Me and thy Duty, or any other fort of Hardfhip or Tribulation in this World, fo far damp thy Courage, but that my Pron)ife flill fhould be a fure Anchor-hold of irlope ; and this Re- f]ed:ion ever miniiter Comfort, that 1 am able to rjg- compence thee not only beyond what is reafonable to
expect,
m tiiz imitation Book iii.
expect, but even impoffible for thee to wifh or ima- gine. Thy Toils will not continue very long, nor .will thy Pain and Trouble always torment thee. Wait but a little longer, an(^ look forward, and fee how glorious a Profped opens it felf. How fwiftly the End of all thy Sufferings approaches ; and how fuddenly Sorrow and Tumult vanifh away. Even Time it felf is not of eve rlafting continuance ,* but that, which is bounded within fo very narrow a Space .as this fhort Span of Life, cannot in any fair Com- putation be counted long, or great. • Proceed then in thy Duty with Vigour and undaunted Refolution,* ply thy Work hard in my Vineyard, and fill the Sta- tion I have appointed thee to ; thy Wages are certain Gi7i. xvii. ^^^ valuable, for 1 my felf will he thy ex^ ceeding great Reward. Perfifl; in Writing, in Reading, infingingmy Prai- fes, in Lamenting thy own Sins, in filent Meditation^ in Devout Prayer, in Fortitude, and Patf^nce j forthe things prepared for them that love God are richly worth thefe and greater Conflicts j all thou muft do, all thou canfl: fuffer, are in no degree worthy to be compared with them. The Day is coming, and fix'd m my unalterable Decree, adornd with the Triumphs of Joy and Peace ; That mighty Revolution, when theie alternate Succellions of Day and Night iliali ceafe; and everlafting uninterrupted Light ihall fhine for ever.' There fhall be Luftre infinite, Satisfadions unbroken, unconceivable, Rell eternal, and above the Power of any future danger. There fnall be then Rem. vii. ^o place left for that melancholy Wifh j O that thou 'Would fi ddi-vcr me from the Bod) of this Death ; no occafion for that complaint, fVo w me^ Pfal. cxx. ^^'^^^ ^ ^^ conjlrained to dwell with Mtfechyaf7d to have wy Habitation in thpsharrenWilderneisi
8 Cor. XV. ^^^ ^^^"^ ^^^ ^^/ -E^^w ihall be fubdued, and Death It [elf dejiroyed. Salvation then
and
BookllL of J E S U S C H R I s T. 239
and Life fhall Reign for ever ^ Sorrow and Anguifli, Sighs and Tears (hall flee away ,• a Crown of Rejoy- cfng.putupon every Head, and thou fiialc be happy inthe fvi'eec Society of Sjiints and A7igels ,• the j^^^ ^•• Spirits of Jtifi Men made perfect, and the Af- fembly of the Firf-horn, .
Oh ! could'ft chau now but fee the Heavens open, and with the ken of Mortnl Eye behold the bright and everlafting Crowns of my Cholen j Were thy Heart large enough to admit a jufl Idea of theirTro- phies and Glories^ whom once tlie World defpiled, and thought not worthy to live upon thetarth j thou then would^ll gladly embrace their Sufferings and Re- proaches, abandon all thy vain Defires of Worldly Greatnefs j and difdain the pcrifhing Pleafures of the prefent Life. Humility and Patience vvpuld then ap- pear in ail their native Beauties j and even Afflidion and Ignominy difplay fuch Charms, as muft attract thy Love^ and^make thee elteem the Reproaches of .Chrii^ greater Treafures and Gain, than all the Ma- jefty and Honour, and moft celebrated Reputatioi:^ that a mortal State is capable of
Attend then ferioufly to thefe important Truths : For they, if confidered and believed in goodearneif, will Itop thy A^outh, and efFedually filence all thy Complaints. For lure the Sufferings of a Moment cannot be thought too dear a price for eternal Happi- nefs in exchange. Surely the Kingdom of God is no trifling Concern. And when the lollng or attaining this lies before thee, nothing can be too much to prevent that Lofs ,• nothing a hard Bargain for that intinite Advantage. Grovel then upon the Earth no longer,; but ftand Ered, and lift thy Eyes and Heart to Hea- ven. See there the blelled EfFeds, the mighty Succcfs, of all thofe fharp Conflids, which my Saints, while in the Body underwent j the End of all their Tryals and Adverfities, their painful Severities and pious La- bours
X40 fiPf tf)e gimttattOIT Book IIL
hours. Thefe mortify 'd afflided Men, once reputed J Cor iv ^^^ "^'^^^ ^/ ^^^^ ^^"orU^ and the Ojf-fcourlng of all Things^ the common Mark of Infolenee and Malice, are now in perfed Joy ,* their Sorrows fvvallow'd up in Tranfporting Blifs and Comfort 5 their Dangers changed into fecure Peace ; their La^ hours into^Eafeand Sweet Repofe; their Perfecutions and wrongful Accufations before the Bar of Men, in^ to Thrones of Glory, where they fit and judge the World, and live, and rejoice, and reign with^^ne for ever. ^
Chap. XLIIL
The Joys of Eternity^ and Miferies of this prefenf
Ltfe.
Difcipk,'] /^ Bleffed Manfions of the Heavenly Ci- \J ty I Q bright and glorious Day of E- ternal Light and Blifs ! A Day that never declines ; a Sun that never fets, nor is obfcured by any fucceed- ing Night ; but a State always chearful, always fixed^ and fecured from Change and Sorrow, from Danger and Decay. How do I pant and thirft after that happy Hour, when this Bleffed Morning fhall dawn and flied its Ikams, and with a wondrous Luftre put an end to all the Darknefs and Miferies of Mortali- ty ? It does indeed already fhine in the Hearts and Hopes oFthofe Good Men,whoie Converfationiseven now in Heaven : But even theirs is but a diftant Pro-* fped, and fuch as, while they fojourn here, prefents things only in a Glafs. The Citizens and Inhabitants of thofe Bleffed Regions fee it with their naked Eye^ they feel and enjoy its fweetnefs, and are all en- lightned with its Rays ; whiU the diftreffed Sons of
Ev0