and intent; I be but busy to make rods for myfelf; and provide only for my own torment. And when I lie low, and troubled in the world, fhall I then prefently conclude myfelf undone; no, but here rather, let me fee and own the mercy of my Father, to keep me the fafer from wicked exceffes now; and the likelier for glorious joys hereafter. And O how fhould it check my expectations from the creatures, that I may not be drilled on to over-love them, by the mighty matters that I reckon upon from them; when, alas, no dram of confolation or relief can they minifter, at fuch times, wherein I fhall moft need the comfort, as under the confcience of guilt; or to thee, my departing foul; or in the dreadful day of my laft accounts. O what will all the fweet then prove, but even bitterness itself?

Now, though I cannot but take delight in agreeable companions, and comfortable creatures; and am to love his hand in all, who has made fuch variety of delectable things, for the fweetening of his fervants paffage, through this weary vale of mortality; nor will I fcruple to make use of them, and take pleasure in them, within the bounds of his holy fear, and the due care of my precious foul; yet flill will I remember what poor defective things they are; and not hang and dote upon them, to make them the fnares and traps, where I fhould fall and perifh: to turn thofe things, which might have been for my good and folace, to my bane and anguifh; and make me curfe the time that ever I had them, fo to pervert and abuse them. O confider well, my foul, what the pleafures are, for whofe fake I am tempted to part with my God, and quit my intereft in all the happiness that he has for me. Are they not contradictory to that very reafon, which makes me a man? when not only Christianity, but even philofophy, and common ingenuity, may put me to the blufh; for feeking

my

my fatisfaction in fuch low attainments, as the beafts of the people take for their portion. I must be a fool, before I can put fo exceffive a rate upon them when I fhall certainly be cheated by them. For if they fill my belly; yet never can they quiet my heart but thou, my foul, wilt ftill be lean and meagre, amidst all this variety and plenty; and if thou haft not better diet, none of the flat and fweet will promote, but rather hinder thy tranquillity. There fhalt thou find more ftings than honey; and find that which is the epicure's only defign, to be the leaft of his attainment: nay, that he is more disturbed and troubled, even than the regular and temperate liver; who does escape, not only the furfeits and diftempers; but alfo the confufion of face, and gnawing of guilt, that haunt and harrafs the licentious finner. O my foul, the laughing, and fooling, and fhouting, and ranting, are no infallible demonftrations of true pleasure and rejoicing. No; do not tell me, what noife and mirth there is; but what cause men have for it. Seeing they may be pleafant, without reafon, yea, and quite againft it : when if they did but well ponder, how it were with them; they would turn their tone, and howl, and roar, that they have no pardon fecured to them, no hope in them; nothing but judgment and hell before them. Godly men may have tears in their eyes, when the peace of God rules in their hearts. But to the wicked, there is no peace: and therefore all their gaieties and frolics, rife only from the ignorance of their cafe. And O how fhort is the triumph of fuch; who eat and drink, and to-morrow they die. That which fo pleases them now, fhall please them but a little longer. Now they melt in pleasure: but prefently the fpurt is over. The pleasure will be gone, but not the dire effects. For after the fporting and laughing, comes the mourning and weeping, Luke vi, 25,

When

When they that think all the bitterness past, will be brought to a new reckoning; and find the tranfient pleafures of fin, to be the most dear bought; for which they must pay the everlasting torments of hell.

O my foul, here ftand, and paufe upon it: am I addicted to any pleasure, that carries me away from God? be it idling, and fooling, diversions and pastimes, catering for dainties, contriving for fineries, inclining all to wanton converfation, and jocular companions? fuch foolish things, that may feem even as fmall as hairs, may yet make fprings to catch me faft. And here lies my danger, if there be the perfon or thing in the world, that I cannot flight and trample; to win Chrift, and keep myself in the love of God. My affections I must quite beat off from every forbidden object: and alfo abate and cool them fo, to the very things which I may lawfully love; that nothing may ever ufurp the feat of God in my heart.

O let my faith pierce, beyond this misty vale, into the heavenly regions above: where are the pleafures indeed; and fuch will be the fame pleasures for evermore. And if God be here fo kind, even to his enemies; O think, what he has prepared for his lovers. Canft thou imagine, my foul, that he will do more for the dogs under the table, than for the children of the family? it cannot be. No; Dives does not fo much exceed Lazarus now; but Lazarus fhall as much exceed Dives hereafter. And wicked men have not fuch great pleasures in this life; but the godly fhall have a far more abundant portion of delights, in the life to come.

Now, wouldeft thou have a pleafure, my foul, that is fit for a foul? and fuch a pleafure, that inftead of betraying thee into evil, fhall preferve thee from it? O tafte and fee then, how good the Lord is: acquaint thyfelf ftill more and more with the

ways

ways of his religion, which are indeed ways of pleafantnefs. There fetch thy turns; and recreate thyfelf, as much as thou wilt. And no fear of excefs or danger, by this beft of all pleasure. For when I am but well with God; and have reason to believe, that he is pleafed with me; yea, do feel the pleasure of his peace and love; O then, what a powerful tie is upon my heart; to make me proof against all temptations in the world, that would feduce me from my Lord! because I despair ever to mend myself elsewhere: and fcorn to go to the devil's door for pleasure; when in the bleffed God, I find fo much better: yea, lothe those paultry, contemptible pleafures of the flesh, that would take me off the love of my fupreme good, bleffed for ever. Here I may be pleafed indeed; and well afford to be merry; and rejoice with all my heart; and instead of fome poor fhadows of dying fatiffactions, fhall find heavenly delights, and everlasting confolations.

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..

Read of fuch, as are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. And fuch, I muft con"fefs to thee, O Lord, that I myself have been; more taken with worldly diverfions, and finful "pleasures, than with my fupreme good, and the "eternal fountain of all delight. Ofweet JESUS! "deaden my defires after thefe poor forry gratifi"cations, that fpring out of the earth; and give me a guft and relish of those sweeter and better, higher and nobler pleafures, fuitable to my hea venly foul, and to my holy profeffion; even, the pleasures of a ferene and quiet mind, not clouded or clogged with guilt and dread; the pleafures "of an upright confcience, that chears me, for do"ing

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ng my duty; the pleafures of a heart that con"demns me not, for falfhood in thy covenant; the pleafures of a holy faith in my Saviour, a lively hope of heaven, and univerfal charity to all men; "the pleasures of pleafing my God, and living in thy love, and under the light of thy counte"nance, and filled with the ravishing foretaste of "thy glory which are pleasures indeed, and will "be pleasures for evermore. Amen."

THA

MEDITATION LII.

Of the deceitfulness of the heart.

HAT the heart is deceitful above all things, my foul, I hear it from the Word of God, Jer. xvii. 9. And O how long and fad experience of it, have I found in myfelf? let who will predicate their infide; and boaft what right and honeft hearts they have: alas, how ignorant are they of them, that can so applaud them, or excufe for them? my own, I know too well, to truft it; and fo much do I find amifs with it; that I dare not fpeak a good word for it. It is fuch a profound abyfs, I am at a lofs to reach to the bottom of it. And ftill is my heart the more fufpicious; when it is fo backward to be tried; and deceives me, even in the concealment of its deceits. Though all hearts are not deceitful alike; yet all in fome meafure: and neither education, nor grace itself, makes fuch a total change in this life, but that fome remains of guile ftill lurk in the mind and will of every child of Adam. Therefore when the spirit VOL. I.

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is