less trouble thee to be accounted vile by others. A man of a high heart in a low place, cannot but be discontented; while a man of lowly mind can swallow and digest contempt, without any difficulty; for wherein can he be the worse for being contemned, who from a consciousness of his own deserts, has been accustomed most of all to contemn himself. I should be very improvident, if as a christian I did not look for daily contempt; seeing we are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. When it comes therefore, I will either embrace or contemn it; embrace it, when it is within my measure; when above, contemn it. I will so embrace it that I may humble myself under it, and so contemn it that I may not give heart to him that offers, nor disgrace him for whose cause I am despised.

Presumption and Despair.

CHRIST raised three dead men to life; one newly departed, another on the bier, and a third putrifying in the grave; to shew us that no degree of death is so desperate as to be past help. My sins are many and great; yet if they were more, they are far below the mercy of him that hath remitted them, and the value of his ransom that hath paid for them. A man hurts himself most by presumption; but we cannot do God a greater wrong than to despair of forgiveness. It is a double injury to God; first, that we offend his justice by sinning; then, that we wrong his mercy with despairing.

Life and Death.

For a man to be weary of the world through the miseries he meets with, and on that account to dare death, is neither difficult nor commendable; but rather argues a base weakness of mind. It is a cowardly part, to contemn the utmost of all terrible things, in the fear of a lingering misery. But for a man, either living happily here on earth, or resolving to live miserably, yet to desire his removal to heaven, doth well become a true christian courage, and argues a notable mixture of patience and

faith; of patience, that he can endure to live sorrowfully; of faith, that he is assured of his better being elsewhere, and therefore prefers the absent joys he looks for, to those he feels at present. No sorrow shall make me wish myself dead, that I may not be at all: no enjoyment shall hinder me from wishing myself with Christ, that I may be happier.

Earthly and Heavenly Treasures.

Ir was not for nothing, that the wise Creator of all things hath placed gold, and silver, and all precious minerals under our feet, to be trod upon; and hath hid them low in the bowels of the earth, that they cannot be obtained without great labour. The noblest parts of creation he hath placed above our heads, and so open to our view, that we cannot but every moment behold them. What did he else intend by this, but to draw away our minds from these worthless though hidden treasures, to which he foresaw we should be too much addicted; and to call them to the contemplation of those better things, which, besides their beauty, are more obvious to us; that in them we might see and admire the glory of their Maker, and so seek our own. How do those men wrong themselves and misconstrue God, who, as if he had hidden these things because he would have them sought, and laid the other open for neglect, bend themselves wholly to the seeking of these earthly treasures, and no more mind heaven than as if there were none. If we could imagine a beast to have reason, how could he be more absurd in his choice? How easy is it to observe, that the higher we go, the more purity and perfection we find. Yet carnal men take np their rest, and place their felicity in the lowest and worst of all God's workmanship; not regarding that which, with its own glory, can make them happy. Heaven is the proper place of my soul. I will send it up thither continually in my thoughts, while it soiourns with me, before it go to dwell there for ever.

Self-Knowledge.

A MAN need not care for more knowledge than to know himself, he needs no more pleasure than to content himself, no more victory than to overcome himself, no more riches than to enjoy himself. What fools are they that seek to know all other things, and are strangers to themselves; that seek altogether to satisfy others' humours with their own displeasure; that seek to vanquish kingdoms and countries, when they are not masters of themselves; that have no hold of their own hearts, yet seek to be possessed of all outward good. Go home to thyself, first, vain heart and when thou hast made sure work there, in knowing, contenting, overcoming, and enjoying thyself, spend all the superfluity of thy time and labour upon others.

Contentment.

If a man would be rich, honourable or aged, he should not strive so much to add to his wealth, reputation or years, as to detract from his desires. For certainly in these things, he hath the most that desireth least. A poor man that hath little and desires no more, is in truth richer than the greatest monarch, who thinks he hath not what he should or what he might, or who grieves there is no more to have. It is not necessity but ambition, that sets men's hearts on the rack. If I have meat, drink, and apparel, I will learn therewith to be content. If I had the world full of wealth beside, I could enjoy no more than I use: the rest could please me no otherwise, but by looking on. And why can I not thus solace myself, while it is anothers.

Way to Heaven.

THE way to heaven is like that which Jonathan and his armour-bearer passed, betwixt two rocks; one Bozez, the other Seneh, that is foul and thorny. We must make shift to climb on our hands and knees; but when we are

come up, there is victory and triumph. God's children have three suits of apparel; two of them are worn daily on earth, the third laid up for them in the wardrobe of heaven. They are ever either in black, mourning; in red, persecuted; or in white, glorious. Any way shall be pleasant to me that leads to such an end. It matters not what rags or what colours I wear with men, so that I may walk with my Saviour in white, and reign with him in glory.

Experimental Piety.

NOTHING is more easy than to say divinity by rote, and to discourse of spiritual matters from the tongue or pen of others but to hear God speak it to the soul, and to feel the power of religion in ourselves, and to express it out of the truth of experience within, is both rare and hard. All that we feel not in religion, is only hypocrisy ; and therefore the more we profess, the more we sin. It will never be well with me, till in these greatest things I be careless of others' censures, fearful only of God's and my own; till sound experience have really catechized my heart, and made me know God and my Saviour otherwise than by words. I will never be quiet till I can see, and feel, and taste the grace of God. My hearing I will account as only to effect this, and my speech only to express it.

Sin our only Enemy.

THERE is no enemy can hurt us but by our own hands. Satan could not hurt us, if our own corruption betrayed us not: affliction cannot hurt us, without our own impatience: temptations cannot hurt us, without our own consent: death could not hurt us, without the sting of our own sins: sin could not hurt us, without our own impenitence. How might I defy all things, if I were not my own enemy! I love myself too much, and yet not enough. Oh God, teach me to wish myself as well as thou wishest me, and I am safe.

The Heart and Tongue.

Joy and sorrow are hard to conceal, either from the countenance or the tongue. There is so much corres pondence betwixt the heart and tongue, that they will move at once every man speaks of his own pleasure and care; the hunter of his sport, the ploughman of his team, the soldier of his march and colours. If the heart were as full of God, the tongue could not refrain to talk of him the rareness of christian communication argues the common poverty of grace. If Christ be not in our hearts, we are godless: if he be there without our joy, we are senseless: if we rejoice in him, and speak not of him, we are shamefully unthankful. Every man taketh, yea raiseth occasion, to bring into conversation what he likes best. As I will think of thee always, oh Lord; so shall it be my joy to speak of thee often; and if I find not opportunity, I will make it.

The Crucifixion.

WHEN I see my Saviour hanging upon the cross; his head drooping down, his temples bleeding with thorns, his hands and feet with the nails, and his side with the spear; his enemies round about him, mocking at his shame, and insulting over his impotence; how should I otherwise think of him, than as himself complaineth, forsaken of his Father? But when again I turn mine eyes, and see the sun darkened, the earth quaking, the rocks rent, the graves opened, the thief confessing, to give witness to his Deity; and when I see so strong a guard of providence over him, that all his malicious enemies are not able so much as to break one bone of that body, which seemed to be carelessly neglected; I cannot but wonder at his glory and safety. God is ever near, though often unseen; and if he wink at our distress, he sleepeth not. The senses of others must not be judges of his presence and care, but our faith. What care I, if the world give me up for miserable, while I am under his secret protection? Oh Lord, since thou art strong in our weak