Book III. of J E S U S C H R I S T. I9S

Vamtyit [elf. And he whoconftantly looks upon them as fuch^ is the truly, the only Wife Man.
Impart to me then, O my God, I befeech thee, that Heavenly VVifdom, which may dilpofe me to feek thy Kingdom and thy Righteoufncfs, to fell all for this one Pearl of great price , and to eiieem my felf rich in noTreafure but Thee; to ^-^**^^'^- x^". love and delight in thee alone,* to take Satisfadion in all things elfe, in fuch Degrees, and in Subordination to fuchPurpofes only, as thou haft appointed j and to receive every Difpenfation of Providence, with fuch a Spirit and Temper as becomes my Duty, and may render it ferviceable to the Ends for which thou fent- eft it. Grant me fuch Prudence and Condud in all my Converfation, that I may decline and defpife the Infinuations of Flatterers , and meekly receive the Contradidionand Reproaches of Gainfayersand Slan- derers. For this is Wifdom indeed, when a Man is not carried about with every Blaft of Air, but flops his Ears againft the Syren's Charms* and refolutely proceeds in a ftraight fteady Courfe of Virtue, in de- fpight of all the Subtilty of thofe who labour to en- tice, or the Malice of them who would terrify and drive him from it.
Chap. XXXIII.
How a Chrtjltan ought to leha-ve himfelf when Men fpeak Evil of him,
C^ri/?.] T^ y|Y Son, if Detractors and Slanderers IVl. Tpeak or think ill of thee, let not this much difturb thee. The Provocations to Impatience and angryRefentments, which fuch ill Treatment ufu- ally minifters^ will be much better employed againft
thv
19^ M t^C imitation Book III:
thy felf. Take then this Hint of improving thy Hu- mility, by refleding how many things which lie con^ ceaied from Human Sight, thy own Mind is confci-" ous of ,• and the more their wicked Malice labours to leiTen thy Reputation, fo much the lefs do thou ap- pear in thy own Eileem. If all be well within, and thy Heart right with Me, the impertinent Cenfures of bufy envious Men will make no very deep Impref- fion. And when thefe reach thy Ears, inftead of Re- criminating and Indignation, it will be wifely done to look up to Me, and not to be difordered at any Judg- ment which Men fh.ali take upon them to pronounce concerning thee. For why fliould thy Satisfaction be placed upon a thing, which makes thee not one whit the better or the worfe ? If they commend and cry thee up, thy real Merit is not the greater ,• and if they revile and run thee down, thy Innocence is not the lefs. Seek then true Honour and Satisfadion from Ale, from Me alone ; whofe Sentence never fwerves from Equity and Truth. And great fliall thy Con- tent and thy Quiet be, if thou neither folicitoufly court the Favour of Men, nor fervilely fear their Cen- fure and Difp'eafure. For, after all the Complaints of oi'tward Accidents, the true Original Ground of all D'fquiet is within^ For inordinate AfFecStions, and vain A^e.; 1, are the polluted Fountain, from whence thofe bitter Streams of Difcontent, and perplexed Thoughts, and' every Confufion and Diforder of a Troubled Mind flow.
C H A P.
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