Book III. of Jesus Christ. 147

place, it docs not only engage my Favour, bucfecures the Man from Envy, and Difcontent, Partiality, and every other Paflion, that ufes to torment little and worldly-minded People. For this refpedful Deference and fervent Love of God enlarges the Soul, and fills it with great and truly noble Thoughts. And therefore 1 this is a certain Mark of true and heavenly Wifdom ! to make Me its only Joy, and Hope ,• For , how can ; He be wife, who does not fee, that God is the Per- fedion and Original of all Good, and that the necef- I fary Confequence of his being fo, is, that He is to ' be Praifed, Honoured, Admired, in, and for, and above all : Since all the Good which Men pretend to efteem, is by Communication from him ,• an Emana- tion from his Fulnefs, an Effect of that Sole, that U- niverfal Caufe ?
Chap. XL
CoJ's Service is perfeH Freedom,
Dlfcipk,'] T Will again take the Confidence to fpeak X unto the Lord ; Nor eight I indeed to I hold my Peace, but addrefs my f^lf to Thee,myLord land God,my heavenly King , that fitteft on thy Throne far above the Skies, and thus will I proclaim thy Mer- cies and my own Happinefs. How pure, O Lord, how fweet, how exquiiite are the Pleafures chou re- ferveft for them that fear Thee, that delight them- felves in thy Love, that are entirely devoted to thy i Service ? No Tongue can worthily exprefs the won- drous Joys, the Tranfports, and ravifliing Extafies, which fill thefe pious Souls, inflamed with the Love, and employed in the Contemplation of Thee. For This is a Subje(^ boundlefs as thy Goodnefs ; That
Good-
148 jSD£ t^e gjmttation Book in,
Goodnefs^ which exerted it felt in commanding me out of Nothing, and, when that Beinp; which thou gaveit was rend red liable to Eternal Mifery, a fefli, and yet more valuable Inftance of thy Mercy, was that of bellowing upon me a new and better Life, when I was worfe than nothing. For thou hadil Compaffion on my Weaknefs and my Wandrings, Thou foughtell and with tender Care broughteft back thy loft Sheep, taughteif me the Right Way, helpedft me to walk in ic, and didft inftrud and guide me in thy Love.
O thou overflowing; Spring of endlefs Love, how fhail I worthily magnify thee, how can I forget thee ^ Thee, who in my loweft Ebb of Mifery, didft con- defcend fo gracioufly, fo efFedually torememberMe? Whofe Kindnefs refcued me from Death, and far ex- ceeded ail my Hopes ; reftored me to that Favour, which my Sins had forfeited, and fliewed it felf aFriend to that Wretch, who was become Thine, and hi^own^ Enemy. What fii all I render to the Lord for Pfal. cxvi. ^Ji tl^e Bc7tefits he halh done unto me ? If I re- folvc to ferve thee, yet how poor a Tribute is that^to Him whom allCreated Nature is bound to ferve .'^ This is fo far from a fufficient Return, that I ought rather to admire thy Mercy, and efteem it an honour to my felf, when thou vouchfafeft to accept the Ser- vice of fo poor, fo worthlefs a Creature , and doft not difdain to reckon me amongft thofe, whom thou fufFereft to do thee Homage.
For even in this I pay thee tut thy own, fince I and all I have are thine. But why do I fpeak of fer- vingthee, when by a.moft aftonifliingCondefcenfion, even Thou,the mighty God, artpleafed to ferve Me .^ For this is the Effect of that excellently good Provi- dence, which hath contrived and ordered Heaven and Earth, and all the Creatures in fuch a manner, that they (liould be ufeful and beneficial toMankind • which hath appointed Elefted Spirits above for Guards and