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Di ſciple.] Yes, Lord, I read the Story of thy invincible WE Meekneſs, with Wonder and Aſtoniſhment; and cannot but inter from thence, that, ſince thou wert pleaſed to give ſuch amazing Proofs of an entire Obedience to thy Heavenly Fa- WT ther's Will, I, who am a wretched Sinner, and not only ſub- ect to theſe Miſeries by the Condition of my Nature, but one, who have deſerved them as Chaſtiſements for my Tranſꝑreſſions, am much more obliged, with a moſt per- = fe&t Submiſſion, to receive whatever thy Providence thinks fit to inflict; and muſt by no means grumble at the Weight, or the Continuance of any Burthen thou ſhalt lay upon me in the preſent World.

If any thing here ſeem heavy, yet it is rendred much eaſier and more ſuppor table, by the Aſſiſtance of thy Grace, by tie Contemplation of thy Example, and by the many Patterns of Conſtancy and Virtue, which thy now glorious Saints, but once afflicted Servants, who travelled the ſame rugged Journey of Life, have in all Ages ſet for my Imitation and Encouragement.

I plainly ſee, under this & Goſpel-ſtate, a mighty Support, which even thy own pecu- lar People wanted under the old Law. For then the way to Heaven was dark, and the Proſpect at their Journey's End. @ leſs glorious and inviting. Few then applied themſelves. with Zcal to ſeek. a Future and Spiritual Kingdom; nor. could they do ſo with equal Encouragement, till thy Meri- | {W torious Death had open'd an Entrance into the High and.

Holy Place. But, how contentedly, how thankfully ought I co tread in thy bleſſed Steps, ſuſtained by the Aſſurance of Eternal Rewards, and directed in the right Way by the Light. of thy Doctrine? For thou art the I ay, the Truth and the: Lie, John xiv.

Thy Afflictions have taught Me and all Be- - WE levers, that Tribulation is the Paſſage to thy Heavenly King - dom; and that the proper Method of attaining thy Crown, is being made a Partaker of thy Croſs. Had'ſt thou not gone | before us, who would have the Heart to follow?

Who y could perſevere in a Courſe of Suffering? Nay, tho” thou hat thus ſhewed us the Way, yet how loth, how backward: are we to follow ſtill? And, if neither thy Miracles, nor thy | J Precepts, thy. wondrous Humiliation, nor thy glorious Ex- - altation, can warm us into greater Zeal and Reſolution, than - by lamentable Experience we daily ſee and fee! they do: N43. | How: ] | | | — 733 Ok the Amitation Bock III.

How wretchedly ſlothful, alas! how cold, and motionleſs ſhould we have ſtood; had not thy Grace and marvellous Condeſcenſion vouchſafed to grant us the Advantage of ſo LIND and the powerful Motive of ſo bright an Ex- amp atk es Ti | CMA.

Of bearing Injuries; and how we may judge of true Patience, Chrif.] 8 thy Complaints, my Son, and, when Af- 1 flictions threaten or attack thee, call to re- membrance what I endured for thy Sake: Nay, not what 1 _ endured for thine only, but what ſo many brave and gene- rous Saints have fince couragiouſly endur d for mine.

Alas! thy Tryals yet are ſmall, nor haſt thou refiſted unto Blood, as Tand They have done. Their Difficulties were greater, their Temprations ſharper, their Sorrows more piercing, their Exerciſes more ſevere, and yet in all theſe they were more than Conquerors.

It will therefore be of great Service to the confirming thy Hope and Patience, it thou diligently compare thy very Aer with their much heavier Burthen; and reproach thy ſelf for ſinking under a Weight, which would ſcarce have felt.