Wisdom Vault — onlinknow.co.za

own former Practice; yet no Habit is ſo ſtrong, butby fre- quent and manly Attempts the direct contrary Habit may” be acquired and confirmed. F If you will firmly ſet your ſelf to let others Peoples Affairs alone, They will follow the Example, and not concern” themſelves with yours.

Do not therefore create unneceſſa- ry Trouble to your ſelf by making other Mens Buſineſs: your own, and involve your Thoughts and Caresin Mat-- ters of Perſons above you. Leave the Great Ones of the: World to manage their own Concerns, and keepyorr Eyes and Obſervation at home.

Your own Soul is the thing you ought to look after. This * your niceſt Inſpe- ction, and utmoſt Diligence; and the Cenſuring and Cor- recting your ſelf is a Duty, which ſhould take place above the Adviting or Reproving the deareſt Friend you have; It: may be, this Reſer ve may be interpreted Sullenneſs, and loſe you the Favour and good Eſt em of Men; but let not that Loſs afflict you.

There can be no ſo juſt Ground of Di bebaring your ſelf with all the ſtrict Virtue and Circumſpection, which be- comes a Perſon who hath renounced the World, and de- voted himſelf to the Serviceof God. Tis true, an honoura- ble Opinion of Us is a Comfort: But it is ſometimes better to want Variety of Comforts, than to have them.

This is g often the Caſe with Advantages merely human, the Exter=- nal, and the Worldly ; And, as for thoſe which are Spiritual and derfyed from God, if we be either deprived of theſe, or not ſenſible of their ſweet Refreſhment ; the Fault is our on, who neglect to put our ſelves into a fit Diſpoſition. - for them, by godly Sorrow for our Sins, and abandoning thoſe vain and outward Comforts, which ſhould make room tor the Subſtantial and Heayenly. _ N Get therefore atrue and per fect Knowledge of your ſelf; ſce and confeſs, that you deſerve not any divine Gonſola- tion, nay, that you do really deſerve Deſertion, aad Sor- row, and much Miſery, When a Man's Mind is inflam'd- with a truly religious Zeal, this World appear s not only flat and infipid, but very bitter and loathſom to him.

A good: Man can never fail of diſcovering juſt Matter of Grief, and: | Many Occaſions that provoke his Tears, -For, whether he: E 3 canldapr l | 1 . Fr) Of the Imitation Book I. Conſider his own Circumſtances, or thoſe of other Men» he will find that no Man hereis exempted from Calamities.

And the more cloſely he conſiders his own Condition, the greater ſtill will be his Concern. Butthe Misfortunes from without might be born with better Temper, were there not much more grievous from within, For, of all the Miſe- ries that humble our Souls with Sadneſs, none are ſo juſtly lamented as our Sins, and Infirmities; the wretched Load and Incumbrance theſe are to our Conſcience; and the In- diſpoſition, the Diſability they bring us under, of attending without Diſtraction to Holy Duties and Heavenly Con- templations. .

By theſe we are engaged upon trifling and unprofitable Thoughts, and diverted from weighty and uſeful Subjects. For would we but turn the Current of our Thouzhts ano- ther way, the Effect would be viſible and very happy. If we did but ſeriouſly reflect, how certainly we muſt die, as often as we think how long it is likely we muſt live; we Mould be more zealous and diligent to amend our Lives, and rovide for that important Change.

And would we but ſet fore our Minds alively Repreſentation of thoſe dreadful Torments which await the Damned in Hell; it were not ' Poſlible ſure to ſhrink back as we do, from the Auſterities and Mortifications of a Religious Lite; or to ſuppoſe any Labour and Pain which we can undergo in the mean while, a Hardſhip not moſt willingly to be choſen, for theprevent- ing ſo dreadful a Condemnation.

But now, becauſe theſe things are but ſeldom and very lightly thought upon, and we in tenderneſs to our own Eaſe, much rather ſubmit to the ſoothing Impreſſions of preſent deceitful Pleaſures, than to thoſe harſh and cutting ones of future Miſery and Anguiſn; we ſtill go on in the ſame Coldneſs, and In- difference, and indulge our Sloth at the Expence of our Virtue. ch | I grant indeed, that fome Religious Severities are te- dious and painful to the Body.