how is the poor foul ftarved? and never a one of their dogs, but fhall be better fed, and more regarded. They think themselves too well imparadifed already, to look after any other heaven : and have fo much of Dives's business upon their hands, they can scarce do a ftroke at working out their falvation. Yet if they give not diligence for it, they are like to go without it: Nay, if they do not ftrive harder than others, because their hindrances are more and greater; how can they enter? therefore when the world cries, O happy men, that can carry all before them! God's holy Word fays, woe be to them and to get into the kingdom of God, makes it the greatest difficulty for them. Q my foul! are fuch men thy envy? and is fuch a condition thy ambition? I blefs his name who has given me mine eyes to fee through both: So as to difcern the perils of this, and the wretchedness of thofe. I pity them, to think of the parts they are acting and I tremble to foresee the judgment, to which they are haftening. The incumbrances of their way, and the tragicalnefs of their exit, are enough to cure all my admiration of the moft flourishing condition. But where I have not so much as they, yet muft I beware that it be not enough, to detain me from my God and my duty; and to rob him of my heart and fidelity. For be they ne ver fuch poor fcraps and fragments of the world, that fall to my share: Yet if I make them my treafure, and lay up my heart with them: I am in as much danger then to lose my foul by them, even as if I had gained the whole world: when my portion in it is fet up, to rival with the Lord; and has me really, more than he fhall have me. These very bleffings fo preferred and idolized, turn to curfes: and better I never had known them; than to commit fuch whoredom with them. T

VOL. I.

O my

O my foul, be jealous of the world's kindness, even when it fmiles fweeteft upon thee: and take heed, left it draw thee in, with fuch poor trifles, to plunder thee of far better goods. Sufpect and dread the tempter's hooks, under all the fpecious baits: yea, fear them moft, when thou beginneft to like them beft. Beg of God to difturb thee out of that eafe, which would make thee fecure in thy fins: and to embitter thofe comforts, that allure thee, to fall in love with this world. O defire not health or wealth, or any of the world's good, that would feparate and eftrange thee from thy God. But rather wish to be ftript of all; than it fhould lie in the way to ftop or cool thy purfuit of the good, that is heavenly and everlafting. Watch narrowly, that it do not fo incroach and steal upon thee, and make a party in thee; to pin down thy affections to the earth, and incline thee therein to fet up thy reft, and count it beft to be here. That it may not thus endanger thee, keep it off from gaining any fuch power over thee, and ftill reckon that the best condition, be it whatfoever, which makes thee, my foul, moft to profper. That thou mayeft not be lean and beggarly; when there's fatnefs and fulness round about thee. But mayeft fecure thy part in Chrift; be thy part what it will in the world: and let it be never fo little, which thou canft boast of here, that thou mayeft be fafe and happy for ever.

I

Confefs my folly, O Lord, to be so eager after that ftate, which threatens me with the "greatest danger. O correct this carnal humour: and make defirous (above all things,) that my "foul may profper. Preserve me, O my God, from fettling upon my lees; and from forgetting thee,

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and

" and myself, when thou fendeft profperous days. "O let me not place my felicity in any thing that "is earthly; nor envy the worlding's profperity. "But difturb me, Lord, out of that fleshly ease, "which would make me fecure in my fins. And give me a lowly mind, even in my highest estate. "Yea, make me jealous of the world's kindness; "when it fmiles moft upon me. That the bleffings " and comforts of this life, may not prove fnares "and curfes, deftructive to my foul; but incen"tives to the love of thee, my God, and engage❝ments upon my heart, to serve thee chearfully; " and to bless thee continually; even all the days "of my life. Amen."

H

MEDITATION XXXI.

Of the unfatisfactoriness of the creatures.

Owever highly pleafed any children of the world may fhew themselves in their earthly poffeffions; and not only contented, but tranfported, with their carnal fruitions: for certain, my foul, it is not because there is ought in the things themfelves, to give them fuch fatisfaction; but because, for the prefent, they are under a delufion. Miftaking the creatures to be, what really they are not: and will after come to find the dream, and see the cheat that they did but embrace a cloud and fiction; and shall find nothing in their hands remaining, to bring in a true fatisfaction: but rather, what fhall contribute to their fore vexation. though the children of God can take up contentedly in any condition, for a viaticum, and their

And

paffage:

paffage yet cannot they fet up their reft in the moft full and flourishing condition, for their hearts eafe and portion. Alas! how can any that underftand themselves, expect that from the world, which they are fure the world has not for them? how can the things which are fhallow, finite, and perishing, ever anfwer the cravings of my foul, that is heavenly, infinite, and everlafting! never can it quench its thirft out of broken cifterns; but muft get to the fountain of living waters. Bring a wedge of gold, and a lump of clay, to my departing foul: and the one fhall fignify juft as much as the other. Yea, before that time, (which fhall open thy eyes wideft) my foul, canft thou even at prefent fee any thing in the very beft of creatures, to terminate thy wishes? canft thou not look quite through the thin empty glaffes; and fcorn to take up with fuch beggarly trifles? though thou canft ufe the traveller's fupplies for thy journey, yet fure thou canst not ftay upon them, fo as to take thee off the purfuit of that bleffed end, which thou haft in thy eye and aim before thee. Canft thou take the poor fuccours of my frail ftate here, (even the infirm man's portions, the toffed mariner's fhort accommodations) for thy home, and thy health; for the matter of thy content, and the fweet center of thy reft? can I think to come after King Solomon, and out-do the man, that raised the worldly happiness to fuch a height, as I am never like to come near and which (it may be) never any one elfe did, or ever can reach? yet has not he told us, that the utmoft he could ever make of it all, amounted to no more, than vanity and vexation of fpirit?" The eye (faith he) (that can drink in all beauty and glory,) yet, " is not fatisfied with feeing. The ear," (that can devour up all hiftory and harmony, yet)" is "not fatisfied with hearing," Eccl. i. 8. And therefore wilt thou, my foul, fpend thy "money for that

which is not bread; and thy labour for that "which fatisfies not?" Ifa. lv. 2. Canft thou live upon air, or blasts of wind? can that which is empty, and void, and wafte, (Nah. ii. 10.) ever fulfil thy defire, and give thee enough? if thou doft promife thyfelf mighty matters from this and the other in the world, it fhall even be, but as "when a hun"gry man dreams, and behold he eateth: but he

waketh, and his foul is empty: or, as when a "thirsty man dreameth, and behold he drinks: "but he awakes and is faint, and his foul has ap"petite," Ifa. xxix. 8. O what real goodness canft thou reasonably expect, from fuch things as the wisdom of God has pronounced, to be vanity itself! here then, fee the vacuum in nature, difperfed all over this world: nothing but emptiness of what thou wouldst have, to give thee ease and reft. O what reft for thee, in a restlefs world? what permanent ftation, where all is in fluid motion? whatever fhews thee the face of fatisfaction, upon trial, it proves to be only impofture and fruftration. For, alas, all the world can no more fatiate the craving, than it can make amends for the lofs, of my foul. I may indeed as foon fatisfy hunger and thirft, with mold and gall; as my foul with the unsuitable objects of this world's wealth and honour. Yea, could it find any pleafing entertainment here at prefent; yet how can this foul, that is a forecasting, as well as everlasting creature, be content with any thing that it has, which it is in danger ftill to lofe? nay, will not the thought of parting more torment, than all the now-poffeffing can delight? though the world kept up in never fo good humour towards me: and all the creatures confpired together, to make me as happy as they were able, even for the whole term of life: yet how would this dafh all the fatisfaction, that this prefent life is gone in a trice? and then,