Book III. CfjESUSCHRlST. 15-7

thy Pride might have no Pretence to lupporc ir_, after Co eminent a Pattern of Humility ? Learn then^ thou Wretch, to humble thy felf^ and, like th:n Earth, of which thou art, be even content to be trampled upon, and trodden under Foot: Lay thy felf, like the Streets, to the Feet of InfuUing Men who walk over thee, and never reft, till thou halt broken thy own Perverfcnefs, and art in a conftant readinefs to comply with every jufi: Command of all who have Authority over thee.
Till this be done, purfue thy Pailionswith remorfe- lefs Indignation, and fparethem not, till the very lail Remains of Pride be abfolutely fupprelTed and killed in thy Heart. And, if thou fcmetimes find ill Ufage and Tyrannical Barbarity, yet ftill confider, thou art but a Man, and ought'it not to complain ; nay, ra- ther confider, that thou art a Sinner ,• in Juftice con- ligned over to Hell and Eternal Fire ; and let the An- ger of an Offended God, which ftridly is thy Porti- on and Defert , check thy Refentments of the Info- lence and Injuries, the Reproachful Treatment, and unjuftifiable Hardfliips,which Men may fometimes of- fer to thee. This Wrath of God thou halt provoked, but I in Mercy fpared thee, I had Compaflion on thy Sou], and ranfomed it from Death by my own Blood. And canft thou think, that no Return is due for fuch Mercy ^ Yes, know, that I require thou fhouldft be fenfible of the aftonifliingGreatnefs of my Luve, and fhew that Senfe by Gratitude and Humility^ by a mo- defl: and refpedful Obfervance of my Reprefentatives here below; and by not difdaining to fuffer any Shame and Contempt^, ail y Injuitice and Barbarity^when Pro- vidence and Duty call thee to it, which I, thy xVlafter, thy God, did not grudge to undergo for thy fake, whilft converfmg in Human Flefh upon Earth.
CHAP,
158 £Df tije imitation Book iii.
Chap. XV.
GoJ's Judgments are to he confidered^ for our Humiliation.
r)ij^/ye.]t'T7Hen tbou^ Lord^ uttereft thy Voice in VV Judgments^ my Joints are loofed^ my Limbs quake for fear, my very Soul is confounded, and trembles at thy Thunder. In the midft of thefe '3oh XXV. Horrors I begin to refled:, that the Hea'uem themftl'ves are not pure in thy fight ^ and that even the Jngels thou hafi charged with FoUy. If then thofe exalted Intelledual Spirits were notable toftand before thee, and kept not their firft Eftate, WhatmufI: become of fuch a Wretch as I am t If even the Stars fell from the Firmament, how can Duft and Afhes hope to efcape ? They who did eat Angels Food, degene- rated from their Primitive Excellence, and fed on Husks with Swine, how then fhould a Creature pre- ferve its Innocence, whofe very Original is Impure ?
This_, Lord, convinces me, that there is no Holi« nefs but what is derived from thee alone ; no Wifdom vvi'chout thy Governance ^ no Strength a fufficient Defence, if thou withdraw thy Gracious Protection ; no Continuance nor Abftemioufnefs efFedual, except thou guard it \ no Watchfulnefs againft the Enemy, unlefs thy wakeful Eyes keep ail our Approaches, and repulfe the Afiaults of the Tempter. If thou ceafe to fupport us with thy mighty Hand, the Waves fwallow us up y we link an^ perifti without thee, and with thee walk upon the Sea in fafety : VVeak and unliable are our Refolutions^butthy Grace gives Strength and Per- feverance. Cold and Timerous are our Hearts, but thou warmeft them with Zeal, and infpireft them with pouiage. Lift tip then^ Lcrd^ our Hands that ha?tg
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