prays and interceeds for us, with Sighs, and Groans, which cannot be expreffed? Zach. 13. Rom. 8.

That which afflicts moft the true Believers, is, that when they imagine that they have attained to forne kind of Perfection in the Exercifes of Piety, they find many times to their unfpeakable Sorrow, that they are but Beginners, and that they have made no Progress at all. For as the Stone caft up into the Air, falls down of its own accord, by reafon of its natural Weight and as the Water often heated, becomes as often cold and Frozen, because Cold is a Property belonging to it Likewife our Souls, that mount up to God in holy Meditations, and zealous Prayers, fall down again to thefe earthly Vanities, they become cold and heavy; for thefe are their natural Properties. If God refu fed the Sacrifices of fuch Beafts as were lame and fickly; how will he accept of us or our Devotions? If he should treat us with Severity, we who are faint in his Service, and cannot walk in his Ways without halting and ftumbling every Moment? For thefe Confi derations I may apply to the fpiritual Joy, what was faid of the earthly and worldly Mirth, Foy is cut off by Sadness, Ifa. 65. For when we have felt in our Breafts this unfpeakable Joy of the holy Ghoft, and it begins afterwards to abate, it feems to us as if it had taken its Flight to Heaven, as the Smoak of Manoah's Sacrifice; then as great a Sorrow feizeth upon cür Souls; therefore we may complain and cry out as Da vid, Will the Lord caft me off for ever, and will he be Favourable no more? Is his Mercy clear gone for ever? Doth his Promife fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in Anger fhut up his tender Mercies? Pfal. 75. And pray in the Language of Ifaiah, Lord, awaken thy Jealousy, and the Stirring of thy Bowels, that are fut up to me. Finally, if after all the Exercifes of Devotion, if after a ferious and fettled Meditation upon God's holy Word; if after Fafting and Mortification, Prayers and Tears, and a conftant Attendance in the Duties of Religion, we find any good Progrefs A *

ces.

in Piety, we may then alfo perceive Vice to proceed out of our moft glorious Vertues, and perfecteft GraFor as the Moth enters fooneft into the richeft Stuffs and Cloth; thus Pride creeps into the nobleft Souls, and breeds in the most enlightned Understandings. As a primitive Doctor of the Chriftian Church hath very well obferved, all Vices are begot by Corruption, and by other Vices; only Pride and Prefumption proceed from Vertue. O how hard a Task it is for a Man enabled with Gifts and Perfections that raise him above the Vulgar, not to be puffed up with Pride, nor deceived with a fond Conceit of himself! As the beautiful Bird looks upon and admires the dainty and various Colours of its Wings, thus we behold and admire our felves, we are in Love with our own Beauty, and idolize our Vertues. Therefore, as the Nurse leaves fometimes the Child to its Legs, and fuffers it to fall, that it might knows its own Strength, and learn to hold fafter by the Hand; thus God withdraws from us the Affiftance of his Grace to humble us, and to cause us to implore moft earneftly the Help and favourable Succours of his holy Spirit. When St. Peter felt the facred Flames of that holy Zeal that was kindled in his Heart, and that fincere Love that he had for Chrift; he rejoyced and imagined himself to be strong enough to refift all the Powers of Hell, and to fruftrate all the fiery Darts of the Devil. This good Opinion that he had of himself, and of his own Ability, tranfports him to that Confidence, as to contradict our Saviour Chrift, and to proteft, Although all should be offended in thee, yet will not I be offended; and though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. This was he that trembled at the Voice of a Damfel, whofe Fall and Apoftacy, was as remarkable as his Confidence was great; fo that he who thinketh he ftandeth, fhould take heed left he fall, Rom. II.

There is no good natur'd Child, but is yexed to live amongst fuch as curfe and reproach its Parents; and if it fhould happen to be concerned unawares in the Offence,

fence, or to occafion the Death of him from whom it had its Being, it will feel an eternal Difpleasure. Now 'tis certain, that whilft we live in this World, we must fpend our time amongst thofe that blafpheme the holy Name of God; and abufe the Glory of his eternal Godhead. Moreover, Vice and Corruption are fo univerfal, that we our felves offend this Father of Mercies and Compaffions; we add Sin to Sin, and compleat the the Measure of our Iniquities.h

Let us therefore conclude from hence, believing Souls, that Death is not to be feared as an Evil, or a Calamity, but that 'tis rather defirable as an Advantage and a Bleffing. For feeing that 'tis to be long'd for, becaufe it frees us from all the Mifchiefs and Sufferings of the World; we are the rather to feek it with God's good Leave, because it clofeth our Eyes, and conveys out of our Sight, all the Sins and Abominations that abound in the World; and because it ftops our Ears, and hinders us from hearing the Impieties and the filthy Difcourses that infect the Air. Since Death is to be embrac'd with Joy, because it delivers our Bodies from the Diseases that torment them, and our Minds from the Cares and Displeasures that vex and afflict them; it deferves to be welcomed with greater Expreffions of Gladness, because it delivers us from all Remains of Sin, and puts a Period to our natural Corruption. So that 'tis to be efteem'd, and look'd upon as the Death and Deftruction of the Old Man, rather than the Death of a true Believer.

Sampfon rejoyced in his Death, because he knew that in dying, his mortal Enemies fhould die alfo, and be deftroyed with him. We have more cause to rejoice at our Death, and to give God Thanks at that Time; Since in our dying, or rather in paffing from Death to Life, we may fee the Deftruction of all the dangerous Enemies of our Salvation, who are more dreadful to us than the Philistines were to Sampson. All the most cruel and barbarous Men of the World, are not fo much to be feared, as the Lufts of our filthy Flesh, A a 2

that

that put out the Eyes of our Understandings, that caufe us to be the Devil's Sport, and to worship many falfe Gods.

We commonly run out with Hafte from a Place infected with the Plagué, and fhould not we make as much fpeed, by our Vows and Prayers, to get out of the World, fince Vice is fo infectious and univerfal all over it, that fo many thousand Souls are therewith miferably fpoiled? Since the World is as a Babylon, where all Manner of Debauchery, Vice, and Vertue are mixed together, where Injuftice and Impiety reign: Have we not greater Caufe to be tranfported with Joy, when God delivers us from our woful Captivity, than the Children of Ifrael had, when it pleased him to call them out of Babylon? Should they not fing to him when the Lord turned them back, and reftored them to Sion, who came from their Captivity? We were as those that dream, then our Mouths were full of Laughter, and our Tongue with Songs of Triumph?

In fhort, as the Lord Jefus, when he had restored Lazarus to Life, and taken him out of his Grave, had compaffion of him, and could not fee him any longer wrapped up in his Winding-sheet, and tied with a Napkin; therefore he commanded, Loofe him, and let him go: Thus this merciful Lord, who hath made us to be Partakers of the first Resurrection, and called our Souls out of the noisome Grave of our Lufts, is moved with Compaffion for us, when he fees these wretched Souls drag about them the Relicks of Sin, and fome Remains of that Corruption in which they were wrapped. Therefore he will cause them to hear this fweet and comfortable Voice, Loofe them, and let them go. Let them go to the eternal Manfions, to the City of the Living God, to the heavenly Jerufalem, to the glorious Companies of Angels, and to the Church and Congregation of the Firft-born, whofe Names are written in Heaven.

A PRAYER

A PRAYER and MEDITATION for a true Chriftian, who comforts himself with this Confideration, That Death fhall deliver him from Sin that reigns fo much in the World, and from all remains of his wretch-` cd Corruption.

Most gracious High Prieft, Holy, Innocent, Separated from Sinners, exalted above all Heavens, who art now Shining in Light and Glory, look upon me from thy Sanctua ry, and have Compaffion of my wretched State. Thou underftandeft well the Caufe of my Grief, O Lord, who fearcheft the Heart, and readeft my most fecret Thoughts, that I grieve to fee fo much Injustice and Impiery reigning this Day in the World; to fee Vice and Wickedness defacing thy holy Church. But that which chiefly increaseth my Pain, and aggravates my Difpleasure, is to find my felf guilty and spotted with the general Corruption, and my Flesh warring and struggling against the Spirit. The Lufts of the Flefl not only disturb me, but they get many times the Victory, and infult over mine Infirmities. Sin appears to me, not only in all its hellish Deformity, fo that I am thereby ashamed of my felf; but I also acknowledge, to the Praise of thy Grace, that all that is best in me, cannot endure an exact Inquifition of thy Justice. Alas, my God! how imperfect is my Piety? How languishing is my Devotion? I worship thee too much for Custom, and in a very flight Manner. I often praife thee with my Tongue, and honour thee with "Lips, whilst my Heart is far from thee. The Love that I bear to thee is not pure and fervent; and my Charity, inftead of being burning, is quite cold, or luke-warm. I have not a fufficient Trust upon thy Promifes, and upon thy fatherly Care; my Hope is not fettled, it doth not fill my Sout with heavenly foys and Comforts. Thine Eyes, O Lord, that fee all the fecret Closets of my Heart, and pierce into

my

the