Book III. OfjBSUSCHRIST. 1 99

make not hafte, thou dolt thy felf frequently obftrud and difappoint thy own Expectations^, by deferring thy Prayers^ and by flovvnefsto ask Relief. For Men generally try all other Comforts and Remedies firft, and referve Me for their lad Refuge, in Times offuch Extremity, when nothing will do them Service 5- and then my Honour is concerned, not only to defeat thofe Human Contrivances , in which they vainly trufted, but to defer my own Succours ; and, by ma- king them fmart for their impious Negkd^ compel them to acknowledge, that lam the Delivererof them that truft in Me ^ and that, without me no Succours are ftrong,no Counfels wife, no Remedies fuccefsful. And, if their Sufferings find fome prefent Abatement^ this only skins the Wound,but is noperfe the Pain it affwages will return again with doubled Anguifh and Rage. For I alone^ who gave the Stroke^ can heal it ; and, as there is no Evil which the Lord hath not done, fo neither is there any Deliverance which the Lord hath not wrought.
But now thy Applications are come up into my Ears, and thou halt caft thy felf upon my Mercys I will revive thy drooping Spiiits, and thou flialt, after this dark difmal Storm, rejoice again in the Light of my Countenance. Fori am ready not only toreftore thy former Happinefs, but alfo to recompence thy paft Pains and Patience, by plentiful Additions of more and greater Bleffings. And let not any Adverfi- ty, tho' never fo grievous, prevail upon thy Frailty to diftruft my doing fo.For, Can there any thing be hard for Me ? Or am I like deceitful Men, who footh their Dependants up withPromifes,which they never defigri to perform ? Have I at any time broken my Word ? Where then is thy Faith, where thy Courage ? Bear bravely up and difcharge thy Duty. For, if thou fail not to qualifie thy felf for receiving them, Grace and Gonfolation (hall certainly approach in due time, if
^oo 0( t\)t gimitatton Book hi:
mk il. ^^^ ^^^^ tarry, yet wait for him, for he
wiUfurely come and heal thee- The Load, which now oppreffes thee^ is only laid there, to try thy Strength and Virtue ; nor would it weigh thee down fo low^ if thy own Folly did not make it hea- vier, by heaping on Anxious Cares for the future up- on thy prefentSufFerings.But this is to confpire againfl
Mat. vi. 34. ^^y ^^^^j ^^^ ^^^^ ^hy ^^^ Tormenter. Sufjicie7}t to each day is the Ezfil thereof^ without charging it with additional Troubles which no way belong to it.Thefe are indeed impertinent and fenfelefs at all times ; for, how abfurd is it to exalt or dejcd one's felf, by Hopes and Fears, and fond Re- prefentations of didant Good and Evil, which have not any Being in Nature, and probably may never be at all ? Difmifs thefe empty, but painful Follies ,♦ the mere Creatures of thy own fick Fancy. For fuch De- lufions are a greatReproachupqnReafon,anda greater yet upon Chriftianity ^ when thy mean timorous Soul is mocked by fuch airy Phantoms, and fo very eafily led Captive by the Enemy's Suggeftions. And fuch are thefe defponding or fanguine Thoughts of what will be hereafter. Whether it be or not, He matters not ,• for his Bullnefs is to deceive and undo Men. And true or falfe Hopes and Terrors contribute equal- ly to this Defign. The Love of prefent Good, and Dread of approaching Evils , are Inftruments of Ruin employed by him,with wonderful Addrefs,* and, (0 Ruin be but the Confequence, the Methods and Management of it are altogether indifferent to him.
Do not therefore fufFerFear to deje6l thee, but ftill maintain thy Chriftian Courage, andrepofethy Con- fidence in my Mercy. I am often ready at hand, when thou fuppofeft me at a dirtance ^ and, at thofe times, when ail is given for gone, things are fo far from de- fperate, that profperous Events and moft furprizing
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