Book in. OfJtSUSCHRIST. 175-

provoke our Hatred and Contempt^ and reprefent Life a Burden and Mifery ; and thefe have their In- tervals, and work upon us freely and by Fits. The Former too ftrike in with Inclination, and are affifted by Nature , the Latter have no Influence upon us, but what their own Weight gives ,• all their Impreffi- ons are forcible and violent, heavy and painful, and fuch as we fubmit to, only becaufe we cannot help it. Thus Ssnfe and llnful Pleafure get within us, and, which is very lamentable, debauch ourReafon. The prefent Ticklings of the Body cheat the Mind, and vitiate our Palates to that degree^ that, being pre- poffelTed with a falfe Tafte of worldly Sweets, we have no Relifh left for that delicious Entertainment, with which God and Religion Feed and FeafI: the Pure and Heavenly-minded Soul. For, O ! thofe happy Men, who have learnt to defpile and abandon earth- ly Things, and Confecrated themfelves entirely to God, by Mortification, Self-denial, and a fteady Courfe of fevere Virtue ,- thefe exalted Spirits know and feel the truth of God and his Promifes ,♦ They find unfpeakable^ Charms and fenfible Delights in the voluntary refufal of thofe Toys and Baits which cannot be had with Satisfad:ion, nor coveted with fafety. They fee, and defpife, and pity the Folly of abufed Mankind ; difcover the lurking Frauds of the iTempter, and, that the imagined Happinefs and hoafted Pleafures of fenfual and earthly Men, are only Snares and Dangers, Vanity and Cheat.
chap;
176 €»f tfjz imitation Bookiii.
Chap. XXIII/ Of Placing all our Hope ond Bappinefs in GOD.
Difclpk.'] TJ Epofe thy felf, my Soul, in God, upon j]\ all Occafions, and above all other De- pendances ; for he is the only fure Refuge, the Eter- nal Reft of the Saints. Grant me thy Grace,Ofweeteft, kindeft Saviour, to value, and love, and truft in Thee, above all Things. Make me to prize thee far before Health and Beauty, to defire thee more than Honour and Advancement, more than Riches and Power, more than Wit and Learning ,• To rejoice in thee more than in Pleafure and Profperity, more than in Reputation and Praife, more than in the largeft Pro- mifes, the higheft Deferts, the moft exalted Gifts, the moft tranfporting Joys, which thou canft impart, or my Heart, when moft enlarged , is able to receive. Let me admire thee above Angels and Arch- Angels^ and all the Hoft of Heaven^ above all Things vifible a-nd invifible, more than all that is, or can be, which is not thy own felf
For Thou, my God, art the beft and moft excel- lent Being; In thee alone is Plenty and Fulnefs, fvveet Refrefhment, peaceful Comfort, and ravifhing Delights j the Perfedion of Beauty and Charming Graces i true Honour, and adorable Greatnefs : In Thee, as in its proper Center, all Good meets, and dwells, and hath an(f doth, and will continue to abide, from, and to all Eternity. Give then thy felf, my deareft Jefus ; for all thou giveft^ and all thou pro- mifeft to give beiides, is poor and little, when com- pared with the SigtK and Fruicion of Thee. And I have found, by long Experience, that ail thy other Favours, nay, all Nature is too ftiort and narrow to iatisfy my Soul j whofe unbounded Defires exalt and
ftretch