Book I. of Je susChrist. 3

is the whole of Man. He vvho Would ap- prove himfelf wife in good earneft, muft cA''/' *"• H- firlt by a juft Contempt of this World, raife himfelf up to the Defires and Endeavours after the Kingdom of Heaven.
4. Vanity moft certainly it is, with great Solicitude to feekand place our Hope and Confidence in Riches, which are fure to perifh. Vanity to cherifh our Am- bition, and ftrive^ by all poffible means, to attain a high and honourable Station. Vanity, to indulge the Dellres of the Flcfli, and court thofe Pleafures, which draw after them grievous and lafting Pains. Vanity moft exquifitej to be infinitely concerned for living long, and perfectly indifferent, or but coldy affeded, concerning living well. Vanity moft fatal and ftupid, to determine our Thoughts and Cares to this Lifepre- fent, and never look forward to that which is to come: To dote upon things that fly fwiftly from us, and cling faft about imaginary and tranfitory Delights ; while we fuffer our felves by thefe to be detained and diverted from the Purfuit of fubftantial and eternal Joys.
5". Oh! turn this Vehemence of Defire upon the right Object, and remember, to how little purpofe it is placed on that which cannot give Content i fince moft true is that Obfervation, which ought to make us wifer, The Eye is not fatiified with Seeing, nor the Ear filled with Hearing. Ufe then thy ^''^'S^'''' ^• utmoft Diligence to wean thy Soul from the Love of the Things that are feen, and fet thy yiffeBicns on Things that are not feen. For, be allured, that they, who fol- low their own fenfual Appetites , do lofe , not only their labour and expedation, but their Innocence and Purity, the Peace of their own Confcience^ and the Favour of Almighty God,
GHAP,
fl)f t^e gimitation Booki-
Chap. IL
Modefly,
TH E Defire of Knowledge isnatural to every Man * but what Advantage is it to be knowing, if that Knowledge be not feafoned with Virtue and Religi* on? The vileft Peafanc, and he^ whom we in fcorn think leaft removed from a Brute, if he ferve God ac- cording to the beft of his mean Capacity, is yet a bet- ter and more valuable Man, than the proudeft Philo- ■fopher, who bufieshimfeif in confidering the Motions of the Heavens, but beftows no Reflexion at all upon thofe of his own Mind. The certain Confequence of knowing a Man's felf truly is a mean Opinion of him- felf, and not being exalted with the Commendations of other People. And fuppofing my Knowledge fo vaft and extenfive, that nothing this World contains were hid from it, yet what would all this avail me in the fight of God, who, when he com.es to Judgment, will try me upon thelilue, not of what I have known, but what I have done ?
2. ReftrainthatextreamDefireofincreafing Learn- ing, which at the fame time does but increafe Sorrow, by involving the Mind in much Perplexity and falfe Delufion. For fuch are fond of being thought Men of Wifdpm, and refpe.^ed as fuch: And yet this boafted Learning of theirs confids in many things, which a Man's Mind is very little, if at all, the better for the knowledge of And fure, whatever they may think of the matter, he who bellows his Time and Pains upon thin.2;s, that are of nofervice for promoting the Hap- pinefsof his Soul, ought by no means to be efleemeda wife Man. Words and Notions give no inward Satif- fadion \ but a Virtuous Life never fails to coi;nfort and refrefli the Mind, and to minifter the beft Antidote
sgainft