Book L OfjESUSCHRIST. 55

great good Men had fmall regard to the Pleafures of Senfe, and glittering Gayeties of this World, but kept their Eyes and Hearts intent upon eternal Joys: Thofe were their Hope, their Delight, the Earned and only Longing of their Souls ^ And therefore the Only one, left if their AfFedions were at all divided, the Love cf the Things that are feen fhould faften down their Hearts to mean and earthly ObjeAsj and hinder them from foaring up on high to the infinitely more preci- ous Things that are not feen.
This is indeed a Work of Pains and Time ; but let not that Confideration drive you to defpair of attain- ing an heavenly Temper of Mind. The Undertaking is great, 'tis true; and the Time allowed for it but fliort ; but ftill this fliort Space is enough, if you v/ill take care to make the beft of it. Up then, and be "doing ,• do not purpofe well to day, and put off the Execution to a farther day, but rather argue ycur felf into A6lion by fuch Refiedions as thefe. This very Inftant is the proper Time^This the Seafon of Amend- ment, and fighting the good Fight. It is by Kard- fhip and Suffering, that Men recomm.end themfeives to the Acceptance and Favour of God. He hath or- dained, that Fire and Water, Diftrefs and Tribulation 'fhould be the Way that leads to Refreffiment and true Blifs! Without fome-Violenre upon thy felf, Sin can- not be fubdued, nor evil Cuftoms broken. Without fome Uneafinefs and Pain we cannot live ,• Aod, while we carry this Body of Fledi about us, thefe will riiake "an infe parable Part of the Burthen. \Vs wiOi in- deed for Eafe and Untroubled Satisfaction ; but, as the Condition of Mankind ftands ac prefent, we vvifli "in vain • For, in lofing the Innocence of out Nature, we loft our Happinefs too ,• and as both lef: U5^ fo both muft be reftored, together. Patience is now 'become a iieceftary. Virtue , and we niuft be con- "t^£ to wait: the Seafon of God's iM[ercy i when he fhall
E i fuily
s6 €>f tije 5!tttitation Book i
fully repi^ir our Breaches^ heal our Infirmities, put a Period to our Unrighteoufnefs, abfolve the Guilt, lor out the Remembrance of them, and caufs Mor- tality to be fwallowed up of Life.
In the meantime, it cannot methinks but be a migh- ty Mortification, to confidcr how exceeding prone this frail Nature of ours is to Sin. To day you confefs your Sins to God, and to morrow you ad thofe very Sins over again, which you lamented but the day be- fore. This hour you refolve to be watchful, and take good heed to all your Ways j and the very next hour you run on as giddily and rafhly as ever, forget your Refolutions, and ftand more Self-condemned than if you had never refolved at all. So great Reafon is there for Thinking very meanly of our felves , and difclaiming all vain Confidences in any Thing we are, or do. But thefe fo fudden and frequent Relapfesare not our Misfortunes, but our Faults ,- They are in- deed the Confequents of our Frailty^ but that Frailty would not afFed us to that degree, did not we con- tribute to it by our own Negligence and Inconftancy. And a fmall negled will foon undo, what coft much Time and Labour to efFedl ^ nay, what could not have been etfeded even fo neither, had not Almighty God feconded our Endeavours with his Divine Affi- ftance. *
But if we cool fo very quickly, and cannot Watch one Hour, what will become of us at laft, and how fhall we perfevere in faithfulnefs unto the End ? Wretched are we indeed, if we faint and grow Weary , if we give out and feek Refrefhment, as if we were already Safe and in abfolute Peace ; when we have fcarce be- gun the Battel, and gained but little Ground in Holi- nefs and Reformation of Manners. Alas ! we are as yet but raw Beginners,* fo far from Compleat Mailers in oar Bufinefs, that we have ilill need to learn and pradife the very firft Rules of Living over again 3 be- fore