flourishing fields, and rich grounds, all ftocked and furnished with the beft to be had, of every kind: furely, then, do we think with ourselves, peace muft needs dwell here, and this can be no other but the feat of happiness. But is not this the judgment of mere fenfe; while reafon ftands afide? for, as he who hath more than he needs or ufes, is not really, (but only in fancy,) the better for it; fo all this fpecious appearance, depends it not upon our mistake and folly, when from fo vain a fhew and fhadow, we take our measures, to conclude of welfare and felicity? for, alas, what fovereign virtue have any of these ingredients in them, either to prolong, or to felicify the life of man? And how can they ever give the life and blifs, which themfelves have not? The fire that heats us, must be hot itfelf: the fun that enlightens us, is the fountain of light. So if these things of the world can indeed add length and happiness to our lives; they must then have that life and blessedness in themfelves; and a power alfo to communicate the fame to others. But where, alas, is any fuch power, but only in his hands, who is the God bleffed for ever? That they cannot hold the foul in life, is notorious, from all the examples of fo many rich and great men, often hurried out of the world by death, even in the midft of their days, and their wealth. Was not the foul of that mighty poffeffor, Luke xii. 19, 20. required of him, the very night, after he had been applauding himself, in the much goods laid up for many years? O what coft would be fpared, to fave his endangered life; who has money and trea fure in all abundance? as well as ever he might love it, yet he would not die, to save it. No, but when he is just to be torn away from the world, like a limb from the body; then all that he has, would he think very cheap, to give for his life. Yet then, all will not do no, the coin will not pafs, to redeem him from the grave: the refuge, of which he had the highest

highest thoughts, fails him: and all his pounds, in that extremity, are but cyphers to him; and then fignify nothing, but only to vex and torment him; because they lye by, and cannot at all avail him, after all the mighty expectation from them.

And as for that happiness, on the account of which alone, life is worth the having; our Lord has affured us, that it confifts not in the abundance of those things which a man poffeffeth, Luke xii. 15. For nothing may he want, that the world can give him, and yet be still but a very miferable man: not only miferable, for his foul's eftate, towards God, (as fo many worldlings, that have all their good things here, and nothing but the heavy reckoning, to expect hereafter,) but also, for the felicity, (fuch as it is,) attainable in the prefent life; which is commonly the furtheft from thofe, who feem to have every thing requifite to make it up. And when they are envied by those below them; as fuch, who have engroffed in their hands, all that is ever to be defired; yet it cannot keep off diseases, and difafters from them; nor quiet the lufts and paffions, the difcontents and tumults, that work and rage within them. And it is not, indeed, what a man has without, but what he has within; that muft give him the true comfort of his life. For as long as his mind is fick, and guilty, and uneafy; he is upon a rack, though thought to be in a paradife. And fo very nice a thing, is this worldly felicity; that even the fmalleft matter in the world, fometimes can mar it all. As in the cafe of Haman, who, though advanced above all the princes; and graced with as many favours, as the greatest potentate on earth could heap upon him; yet for want of the cap and cringe of a poor Jew, he declared, that all nothing availed him. Efth. v. 13. And, in the cafe of Ahab; that had all the kingdom of Ifrael, to content him: yet takes his bed, ready to die with vexation; becaufe Naboth VOL. II. would

D

would not pleasure him with his little vineyard, 1 Kings xxi. 4. Thus many that have the biggest effects in this tumultuous world, have moft of the disturbance; and the leaft fhare of its comfortable enjoyment. He that is greedy of gain, does but trouble his own houfe, Prov. xv. 27. To fill his house with the world's good, he empties himself of heartseafe. There's the hurry and drudgery of getting; where, often, there is very fmall pleasure of enjoying, but all the bustle of the world, and no rest to the foul.

And is it any better, my foul, with the voluptuous epicure; who in his extravagant methods, of pleafing his flesh, does but help to ruin that very pleasure, which is his only end? to break his rett and eafe, and render his life a clog, and himself a fcorn and get nothing that stays by him; but frustration and fhame, and remorfe, and fmart; and too-late wishes, that he had been wifer, and taken the course to be happier.

Such is the world's happinefs, and a portion in this life. O my foul! inftead of gaping and ranging after it; be fhy and afraid of it: and feek out further, after things abundantly better, beyond and above it: fuch things, as fhall make thee at the bottom eafy, and for ever happy.

66

THE PRAYER.

MY fupreme good, my only fatisfying and everlasting portion! how often have I abuf"ed and befooled my foul, in feeking tor happiness, "where was nothing but difappointment to be "found? I am ashamed of the vain attempts and fil

66

ly adventures that I have made. I come, Lord, to "thee; and beg to be pardoned and received by "thee. O difcover to me, in thy bleffed felf, all "that is good for me; that I may go no further, to

look

"look for my happiness out of thee. But there "may I fet up my reft, in thee; and never let the "world, (in any of its tempting reprefentati"ons,) interpofe, to part me from thee; who art 66 my life and my blits, and my all; not only for "some little while, but for the felicity, that shall en"dure to all eternity. Amen."

MEDITATION VII.

Of trusting in the arm of Flefb.

MY foul! muft I not put my trust in princes,

or in any fon of man? No, I muft not, I cannot but I fhall dishonour him that forbids it, and fhall confult fhame and mifchief to myself, in doing it. For thus do I give away the praife of God, to my idols; and fet them up for his rivals, leaving him but the title and the name; while they have my hope, and my heart. As if he were inferior to the crea ture; and nothing in him to be fo much reckoned upon; as what I have, that looks on my fide in the world. And thus do I lean upon the fupports, that have no help in them; none of the help that I need from them; even while I have them: and yet fuch as they are, I fhall, ere long, (for certain,) be utterly deprived of them.

Be the men upon whom I have my eyes, never fo wife and great, and good; yea, never fo much my friends: yet which of the deep heads, with whom I am fo bold to truft myself, (as being confident, that ftill they know what they have to do,) can penetrate to the bottom of thofe future contingencies; which God has laid up in the fecrets of his own council? and what frequent turns of an over ruling providence,

dence, on a fudden, do intervene, to alter the face of things; and break all the measures, even of such as have the longest reach?

Yea, the very biggest of men, who are in power and authority, and rife fo high above the reft, as the mountains, and fhields, and gods of the earth; and bear the mighty ftroke and sway here in the world; even to turn the balances of kingdoms; and have fo many at command under them, and even all standing in awe of them: yet what can they do for us at the moft, but screen us from some enemies, or advance us to fome dignities? and not always fo much as that neither. For there are enemies, and those the worst of all, (fin and fickness, death and the judgments of God;) from which they can neither preferve us, nor themselves. And even from the other common enemies; princes have as much need of our defence, as we have of theirs; and muft hang upon their fubjects, to be their helpers. Nor can they oblige all their friends, would they never fo fain but fome of them muft take up with kind words; inftead of wealth and honour. even fuch as they do prefer to places; yet they cannot give them grace, and peace, and good qualities: they cannot make them good men, or happy men: unless they could new make them, as well as advance them: unless they could give them new hearts, and new fpirits; as well as new titles and poffeffions: which is a creation, that no king, but only the King of heaven, muft ever pretend to. The very defenders of our faith and religion, cannot give us the faith and religion available to falvation.

And

But the temptation, my foul, rifes yet higher, to truft in men, when they are very good, as well as wise and great men, For if any in the world are fit to be relied on, fure they are the favourites of heaven; and fuch as are great with God, and have the biggeft intereft above; to befriend us at the throne of

grace