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Love, I know, and Charity, covers a multitude of Sins, and where we love the Man, we are all of us but too apt to overlook, or excufe, his Faults. For the prevention of this, therefore, I firmly refolve, in all my Expreflious of Love to my Fellow-Creatures, fo to love the Perfon, as yet to hate his Sins; and fo to hate his Sins, as yet to love his Perfon. The laft of which, I hope, I fhall not find hard to Practife, my Nature, by the Blefling of GOD, being not easily inclin❜d to hate any Man's Perfon whatsoever; and the former will not be much more difficult, when I confider, that by how much more I love my Friend, by fo much more fhou'd I hate whatsoever will be offenfive or deftructive to him.

Having thus fix'd my Refolutions, with regard to those two Commanding Paffions of my Soul, Love and Hatred,

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RESOLUTION III.

I am refolv'd, by the affiftance of Divine Grace, to make GOD the principal object of my Joy, and Sin the principal object of my Grief and Sorrow; fo as to grieve for Sin more than Suffering, and for Suffering only for Sins fake.

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He Affections of Joy and Grief are the immediate Iffues of Love and Hatred, and therefore not to be feperated in their Object. Ang there

fore refolved to Love, I cannot but refolve likewise to rejoice in GOD above all things; for the fame measure of Love I have towards any thing, the fame meafure of Complacency and Delight I must neceffarily have in the Enjoyment of it. As therefore I love GOD above all things, and other things only in fubferviency to Him, fo muft I rejoice in GOD above all things, and in other things only as coming from Him. I know I not only may, but muft Rejoice in the Mercies and Bleflings that GOD confers upon me; but 'tis ftill my Duty to rejoice more in

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what GOD is in Himself, than in what He is pleas'd to communicate to me: So that I am not only bound to rejoice in GOD, when I have nothing elfe, but When I have all things elfe to rejoice in. Lex therefore my Riches, Honours, or my Friends fail me; let my Pleasures, my Health, and Hope, and all fail am ftill refolved, by his Grace, to rejoice in the Lord, and to Joy in the GOD of Amy Salvation. On the other hand, Let Honour or Riches be multiply'd upon me': Let Joy and Pleasure, and all that a carnal Heart (like mine) can wish for or defire be thrown upon me, yet am I ftill refolved, that as it is my Business to serve GOD, fo fhall it be my Delight and Comfort to rejoice in Him.

And as GOD fhall thus be my chiefest Joy, fo fhall Sin be my greatest Grief; for I account no condition miferable, but that which results from, or leads me unto Sin: So that when any thing befals me which may bear the face of Suffering, and fill my Heart with Sorrow, I fhall ftill endeavour to keep off the art, till I know from whence it comes, If Sin has kindled the Fire of GOD's Wrath against me, and brought thefe Judgments upon me, Oh! what a heavy load fhall I then feel upon my Soul? And how thall

I groan and complain under the burthen of it? But if there be nothing of the Poifon of Sin drop'd into this Cup of Sorrows, tho' it may perhaps prove bitter to my Senfes, yet it will, in the end, prove healthful to my Soul; as being not kindled at the Furnace of GOD's Wrath, but at the Flames of his Love and Affection for me. So that I am so far from having cause to be forry for the Sufferings he brings upon me, that I have much greater caufe to rejoice in them, as being an Argument of the Love and Affection he bears to me; For whom the Lord loveth be chaftenetb, and Scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth, Heb. 12. 6.

And having thus refolv'd to rejoice in nothing but GOD, and grieve for nothing but Sin, I must not be caft down and dejeeted at every Providence which the Men here below count a Lofs or Affliction; for certainly all the Mifery I find in any thing extrinsical is created by myfelf; nothing but what is in me being properly an Affliction to me; fo that 'tis my Fancy that is the ground of Mifery in all things without myself. If I did not fancy fome Evil or Mifery in the lofs of fuch an Enjoyment, it would be no Mifery at all to me; because I am ftill the fame as I was, and have as much as I had before. For

'tis GOD that is the Portion of my Soul, and therefore should I lofe every thing I have in the World befides, yet having GOD, I cannot be faid to lofe any thing becaufe I have Him that hath, and is, all things in Himfelf. Whenfoever therefore any thing befals me that ufes to be matter of Sorrow and Dejection to me, I must not prefently be affected with, nor dejected at it, but ftill behave myself like an Heir of Heaven, and live above the Smiles and Frowns of this World, account nothing matter of Joy, but fo far as I enjoy of GOD's Love; nor any thing matter of Sorrow, but fo much as I fee of his Anger in it.

RESOLUTION IV.

I am refolved, by the Grace of God, to defire Spiritual Mercies more than Temporal; and Temporal Mercies only in reference to Spiritual.

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Aving rectify'd the Ballance of my Judgment according to Scripture, when I wou'd begin to weigh Temporal Things with Spiritual, I find there is no proportion, and fo no Comparifon to be

made

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