Book III. of Jesus Christ. 217

upon the Righteous Judge above. None to Thy Pre- judice, but a fad and fatal one to their own. For they cannot efcape his Judgment, who hath declared, that they who judge j})all he judged ; that thej/jJia/l ha^e Judgment without Mercy who (liew no f p^f'|^^'* Mercy ; and that the fame Meafure they mete to Others, he will meafure to them again. Keep God then always in thy Mind, and let go Quarrel and Contention, nor embroil thy felf in Troubles and Differences, by being over-foilicitous in thy own De- fence. If thou at prcfent feem to be opprefs'xj with Difgrace and 111 Reports which thou halt not defer- ved ^ bear thy Burthen contentedly. Blemifhnot thy Innocence by toodeepRefentment j nor take off from the Brightnefs of thy Crown, by Anger and Impati- ence, and Eagernefs to Right thy felf. Refle(5ton Me, who once endured fuch Contradidion of ^^^ ^^i obftinate and implacable Sinners; and am now fet down at the . Right Hand of the Throne of God. Look up to Heaven, and remember, there is One, who can make thy Innocence as clear pr^i xxxvii. as the Light, and thy Righteoufnefs (hine like the Sun at Noon-day» One, who will confider, not only thy Infamy and Wrong, but thy Manner of Bearing it ; and, the more meek, more injured thou haft been, the kinder and more bountiful Rewardcr {hoi; (halt be fi^re to find ipe.
p % CHAP.
tiP. jgDf tfie limitation Book iii.
C K A P. XLII.
A Chrifnan rmuft devote h'mfelf entirely to God he- fore he can he hapj)y,
Chrifi^T Ofe thy Life and thou /W^ /W />. For fake l^j thy feif and thou fiialt poffefsMe ,• Efteem and have nothings and thou fiialt enjoy ail things. For I will reconipenfe thee with greater Treafures, and infinitely increafe thy Store, when thou haft made over into my Hands all that thou haft and art.
Difciple.'] How often. Lord, muft I repeat this Gift, and what are the Inftances wherein I muft forfake myfelf?
C/jrifi.'] All Times, my Son, are feafonable ,- and every Adlion, every Accident of thy Life, furnifhesa frefh and proper Occafion for doing it. I can admit of no Referves, but exped tKee ftript of all, and no- thing left which I have not a Title to. For hov/ canft thou be mine, and I thine, except thy own Will be renounced in every thing, and no Property or Claim any longer remaining unconveyed over ? The fooner thou executeftthis Deed, the better it will be for thee: and the more full ;3nd exprefs, the more frank and finctre thou art in it, th^ more favourable will be my Acceptance^and the more valuable Confiderationflialt thou receive. Some indeed there are,who pretend to give themfeives ^ but the Conveyance is fo clogged with Provifo's and Limitations, that the Title they make is worth nothing. They truft themfeives to God hy halves, and are for makirr their beft of the World at the fame time. Others again do this without Ex- ^ cepticns, but then in Difficulties -md Temptations they repent of their Bargain, and revoke the Grant. ThefeMenmake no ccnfiderable Improvement in Vir- tue, nor do they tafte the Sweets of Piety ^ which
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