Book III. of J B s u s Christ. 247

upon Human Nature ; but even thefe will turn to good account, if born with Mecknefs, and Modedy, and Silence. For thefc are the very Methods, by which God brings the Fidelity of his Servants to the Touch; 'tis thus that he difcovers^ whether they have gained a Conqued over Nature and themfelves. And no fort of Mortification is of happier Confequence than that, which expofes Men to the Sight and Suffer- ing of things, to which their own Minds are nioft vi- olently averfe ; efpecially, when what they cannot but conceive moll unfit, moft abfurd and odd, condrains them to go againd their own Senfe, and fubmit to a higher Power, withoutany referve to the private Judg* ment of their ownReafon in the Cafe. This is indeed hard, and a Perfedion of Submiflion not ealle to be compafs'd ,• bat, did Men well confider, how vait the Advantages of a Temper fo refigned arc ?,z prefcnt, how glorious the Reward of it hereafter, and how quickly the Troubles it expofes them to will end in that Reward ; the Comforts of fuch Difciplinc wruld be fenfible and great, and they would even tn\oy tlicir Afflidions and Temptations, fuilained with (o liirc, fo bright aProfped of the mighty, the approaching Rc~ compence.
For this (hort empty Pleafure, which nov/ thou chufeft for my fake to decline, fhall be compcnfjced with folid and everlalting Joy in Heaven : And there thy larged Wifhes (hall be gratified. There fhall be plenty of every thing that is good. Fruicion perfed and fecure, free from the leait Allay of Fear, or Pof- libility of future Loffes. Between thyWilhmd mine Ihall then be perfedHarmony ,• no Oppofition there, no Ob- flrudion ; but every thing (hall confpire to fulfil a!! ihy Heart's Defire, and render thy Happincis as cxquilite asaFiniteNatureis capable oT. Thy p'-elen: Ignominy, born with Patience, fhall there be paid Vv'ith biighter Glory ; thy Mourning Weeds exchanged for Robes
R ^ ' of
M8 fPf tl)t gimttatton Book III'
of LFght and Joy ; and he who fits here in the loweft Place, fliall there be feated on an Eternal Throne. Let ic not then be grievous to thee, to humble and lubmi: thyfelfto the capricious Humours of Men with whom thou convcrfelt in this World ; but rather fo compofe thy iMind, and order all thy Adions, as readily and meekly to comply with the Commands of thy Superiors, the Defires of thy Equals, the Re- quells of thy Inferiors, to do for all what lawfully thou mayeit, and to endure patiently whatever they fhall, but ought not, to do to thee. Let Vain Men purfue Vanity, leave them to their own Methods; let them place their Glory and Happinefs in fuchObjedrs as their own Miftaken Judgments (hall determine them to; let them admire, and alx)ve all thrngs covet, a ce- lebrated Name, and popular Applaufe: But do thou place thy Excellence and Honour in the Contempt of thy CqU^ thy Diligence indifcharging my Com>mands, thy Zeal in feeking and advancing my Honour and Kingdom ,* and let this be firfl: and chief in thy Defires, Ro7n. XIV, That 7i>hether thou U'VCy thou maffi live unto the Lord ,* or whether then Me, thopt mayfi die unto the Lord '^ fo that whtther h) Phil. I 20. -^^^ ^'' ^ nificd in thy Body.
CHAP. LV.
An Acl of Refignation to God in Time of Ad-
verjitjf.
Difsiple.'] THLefled be that Wyfdom and Goodnefe, IJ O holy Father, which performs all thy Will ; for what thy Will decrees, cannot beotherwife than good and wife. Give me Grace-, I befesch .^ theej«