Book 11. of JE S U S C H R I S T. 95"

we come to confider and compute Matters juitly, whatever Love or Regard we have allowed to any- thing but Him^ will be found in a manner perfectly loft and thrown away. Do not therefore indulge a Paffion,which can turn to no account. Lean not upon a Broken Reed^which will not only let thee fall, but pierce thy Arm too. And fuch a Reed is Mortal Man, For allFkjlj is Grjjs, and all the Glory thereof flotmjJjeth, as a Flower of the Field -^ 7 he Gr^fs ' ^'^' ^- =4- "witherethy and the Flower fa deth-^ And they who areen- amour'd with its Beauty^ find how poor and tranfito- ry^ how empty and deceitful a Good they fet their Hearts upon. Where-ever elfe we exped Comfort, our Hopes are foon blafted^ or wretchedly difappoint- ed : But when our Thoughts and VVifhes center in Je- fus, we are fare to find what we look for, fure to ob- tain all that we did^ more than we could exped. Think not to find Satisfaction in thy felf ^ for the bet- ter you underftand your felf, the lefs caufe you will find to love your felf ; and the more you indulge this Love, the greater and more certain will be your Ru- in. Seek then thy Lord and only Saviour,- for he who hath Chrift, poffeftes all Things : And he who neg- leds him, does himfelf more Mifchief than all the Ene- mies, nay, all this World, and all the Powers of Hell could ever bring upon him.
CHAP.
96 €»f t^e imitation Book ii-
Chap. VIII.
Of Intimate Converfation^ and Friendjhip voith JESUS.
WHile Jefusisprefent by his Grace and Comfort, nothing is hard to do^ nothing grievous to fuf- fer ; but Ilappinefs and perfed Peace dwell and reign in my Breait: But the Moment he withdraws his chear- ing Prefence^ all my Supports are loft and^one. all my Faculties diftbled, and every Difficulty infupera- ble, every Crofs infupportable. The Confolations ©f this World make no Impreflion, nor give any fo- lid Joy, while he continues filent ,• but let him fpeak one fingle Word of Comfort to the Soul^and fhe is gay in the mid ft of Diftreffes. Thus Mary rofe John XI. immediately, and dried up her Tears, up-
on the News of his Approach, and the firft Call of her dear Mafter. And happy fure was flie, happy is every Mortal in this Vale of Tears, whom Jefus calls. For whom he calls and commands to come to him, he calls from Grief and Mourning to true Joy. How flat and infipid, how harfli and unpleafant is all we are, and all we have, without this Heavenly Comforter ? How empty and deluding all thofe Wifhes and "DeHres which are placed upon any other Objed } They bid us infi- nitely to our lofs. A lofs greater and more irretrie- vable than if we loft the whole World : For could we gain the whole World with the lofs of him, it were a foolifh and moft miferable Exchange. And what in- deed is all the World without him ^ To be deprived of this one Friend, is bitterer than Death : To enjoy and poffefs him, the only Happinefs of Life. His Friend- Ihip is Security fufficient againft a whole World of Enemies : A Treafure above all the Riches of the Univerjfe. He who finds this, hath more than both
the
Bookll. of J E S 11 S C H R 1 S T. ^J
the Indks ; and he who lofes it, lofes more than can be exprefs'd. But why do I fay more ? He lofes all j for this is Poverty indeed, this the only Poverty^ to lofe the only true Riches.
So all-fufficient, fo delightful, fo heavenly fweet is the Friendfhip and Company of Jefus. But every Man is not qualify 'd for fo precious a Blefling ^ for it requires great Care^ and Skill, and Wifdom to be fie for this Enjoyment. Humility and Charity muft make and keep him ours. Piety and Peace are the Difpofi- tions he delights in. Sin and Paffion^ and Worldly AfFedions will drive him away. And if he take his Flight, where, wretched Man, where wilt thou find a Friend ? Without a Friend thou canft not live in com- fort j and if he be not thy only Frieriu, thou art left defolate and forlorn. Confider then how m.iferable thou makeft thy felf by placing thy Confidence, or thy Joy in any other. For better were it far, that ibe whole World fhould bend their utm_ofl: Spight againft thee, than this one Friend be provoked to Difpleafure. If therefore Relations and Acquaintance be dear, yet let none be fo, comparably to thy God and Saviour, Remember, they are dear for his fake^ but he for his own. For this is the peculiar Prerogative of Chrift, that Enemies as well as Friends Ihould challenge a fhare in thy Affections upon his Account ,* thouartio forgive and love, to pity and pray for all Mankind, becaufe he loves them ^11 ,• and it ought to be the earneft De- fire of our Hearts, that all may knov/, and be fenfible of his Love, and make fome fuitable Returns for fuch wonderful Goodnefs. But neither we nor any .other Perfon have a Right to be loved for our ov/n felves ; for the Foundation of Love is Excellence and Good- nefs ,• and this is all from God. In him alone it dwells originally, inherently, independently \ and what pro- portion foever any Creature hath, is entirely derived from him, the Emanation of that univerfal and
in-
98 Of t^e imitation Bookii.
inexhauflible Source. And therefore he alone hath right to command our Love for his own Excellence, becaufe all Excellence is his • He alone is to be loved above ail others^ becaufe he neither hath, nor can have any Equal. Covet not then thePraife or Love of Men, for Praife and Love are God s Peculiar. Nor laviflily difpenfe thefe to others, but in thy felf, and all Per- fons of Virtue and Merit, laud and admire, and love the Graces of Chdft.
Bring to thy Lord a clean and upright Spirit, free ffoni the fordid AfFedions of the World ; that thou may 'ft be entirely his, and folace thy felf with the Delights of his Converfation. But leave the World, and come to him thou canftnot,without the Preventi- on and Affiitance of his Grace. This only can exalt thy Defires, and draw and charm thy Heart with the , . Cords of Divine Love. For Man can do
all tJjlngsthrougfoChriJr that firengthens him^ but if that Succour be withdrawn, he is blind and na- ked, deftitute and weak , full of ConfuHon and Tor- n\ent- or rather, he is Confufion in the Abftrad,Weak- nefs and Impotence it felf. And if fometimes thou feel an iinvard Scourge, let not thy Melancholy Thoughts deje^i: or drive thee to Defpair. For Spiritual Com- forts and Joys are fown in Tears • and Patience brings forth plentiful and perfed Fruits of Righteoufnefs and Peace. If rhefe Sorrows proceed from a Refledion upon thy own Sins and InhrTiities, indulge the Holy Grief ^ and lament, as becomes a Serious Penitent, thy o wn Unworthinefs, and former Mifery. If Adverficies fent from the Hand of God afiiid thee , fupport thy felf with the Confolations of a Good Confcience^ and be afiured, that fuffering fo as may advance thy Ma- iler's Honour, will end in Glory and Advantage to thy iol^. But confider, that in either cafe, the Trou- ble cannot be long j for thefe Black Intervals of Sad- nefs will as certainlv, as naturally be folio vv^ed with