much as the command of his own heart? How much less can he mafter the wills, and renew the hearts of others? Nay, even the best of men, that have much grace in themselves, yet cannot they derive any of it to whom they will: no, they can dig, and plant, and water, and drefs; but cannot make either the tree or the fruit. O who but the living God, can ever give life to the dead? It is a mighty work, worthy of himself; and admired in all the eyes that he hath opened, to raise the heavenly structure, that shall stand for ever, even out of rubbish and ruins; yea, out of confufion and oppofition. That which is impoffible with men, yet how eafy can Omnipotence bring it to pafs? Therefore will not I defpair, either for myfelf, or others. For how foon can he do it, where I leaft of all expect it? The heart that I find fuch frequent cause to complain of, yet can he that made heaven and earth, make it even as he would have it. The good work that he has begun in me, how does it flick, and often seem to go backward with me? Yet through all interruptions and disappointments, he can carry it on ftill, till he has crowned it in glory. Take heart then, my foul, and comfort thyfelf in the almighty power of my Lord, whofe hands not only are able to amend what is amifs, but to make all anew; and still go on to wait upon him, believing, that he will never leave thee, till he has perfected all that concerns thee.

G

REAT GOD, who workest all in all, and efpecially the work of grace upon the hearts of "thy people; take my heart in hand, I befeech "thee, to work it unto thy will; yea, give me the "new heart, and new fpirit, to make me another

"manner

"manner of person than I have been, and fuch as thou wouldeft have me to be. O renew me after "thy bleffed image; and make me a better inftru"ment of thy glory; to minifter unto others, of "the grace that I have received at thy hands. For"fake not, Lord, the work of thy own hands; but "work in me all that thou requireft of me; for "thy own mercy's fake, in my bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen."

MEDITATION XVIII.

Of man's pre-eminence above the brutes.

My foul! pause a while, and seriously confider, who it is, that makes me to differ, and how I became better, and a nobler creature, than a ftone or a tree, than a horse or a fly. Who teaches me more than the beafts of the earth, and makes me wiser than the fowls of heaven? Was it not in the hands of the fame God, who created me and them (if he had pleased) to make me as one of them? Yea, he that has now raised me fo far above them, could not he have changed our places, and thrown me as much below them? What had the potter (who of the fame lump, makes one veffel to honour, and another to dishonour) but his own will, to hinder; that he did not turn to difhonour the veffel, which he advanced to honour?

When the poor brutes go hanging down their heads to the ground; I have a body erect, with my head aiming at heaven. And while even the most fagacious animals are not aware, who made them, I have not only the understanding to know God my VOL. II.

I

Maker,

Maker, but a heart large enough to receive him, and a foul fitted for ever to enjoy him. I fhare in the dominion which he has given man (as his lorddeputy here) over all the works of his hands; and I fee the rest of the creatures (as man's fubjects) crouch to him, and stand in awe of him. All the greatest privileges, and the highest joys of my life, are imperceptible by them, and unknown to them; my reafon and fpeech, my acquaintance with letters, infight into arts, knowledge of the world, freedom of choice, and capacity of religion, are quite out of their fight, as well as above their reach. To reflect on myself, and discourse with others; to read and write, to furvey countries, remark paffages, and record hiftories; to entertain my ears with harmonious founds, and my eyes with charming fights; and above all, to feek the Moft High, and correfpond with my God, the chief good, and lay out for an eternal bleffed life, to be for ever enjoyed after death; these are attainments, with which none of the brutes have any thing to do: fuch privileges being quite out of their fphere, and none of them falling to their fhare.

And now, my foul, that I am thus dignified, and enriched with the favour and bounty of Hea ven, fhall I fall into the fond admiration of myself, and the haughty oftentation of my parts? Or fhalk I go and difdain, and infult my poor fellow-creatures, that lie in lower claffes? This be far from me, when I have quite another use to make of my gifts and accomplishments, than fo to forget whence F received them, and to whom I am beholden for them, as only to feed my vanity and pride, and and fcorn, with them. In this microcofra, fo fearfully and wonderfully made, I am to behold and admire, not only the ftrange contrivance, but the diftinguishing kindness, of my omnipotent, all-wife, and moft gracious Creator: to make me fo far afore-hand

afore-hand with any; yea, fo much better than the moft of his creatures in the world. That I am a man; O how thankful fhould I be to God! how obfervant of him, that has done fo well for me! and in what care, to employ the noble faculties to his praise, by which he has enabled me to bring him. glory, as the other creatures are not in a capacity! but their obfequiousness to me, how does it rebuke and fhame my undutifulness, to a Mafter infinitely better? And the very dog, that is fo much at my command, corrects my ill manners to him that owes and keeps me, more than I do that poor creature. How often do I abuse his creatures, to play the tyrant over them, or to enflame my wantonnefs, and embolden my rebellion in the ufe of them? And fo I make myself even one of the herd, which God did make me fo much above. Yea, when I no better remember and understand myfelf, I become not only like to, but worse than the beafts that perish. And if I fo debafe and brutify myself, may not I one day come to wifh, that I had been no more than a brute, and never had known the use of fpeech and rational fenfe, to make me liable to a more terrible judgment for the abufe? O let me then dread fuch profanation of God's bountiful largefs; and be fo careful to carry fuitable to my noble nature, and worthy my rational immortal foul, that when God fhall come to require it of me, I may give it up, not with confufion, but with comfort, into his hands.

દ

THE PRAYER.

THOU, that haft done fo great things for me, make me more fenfible of the high "obligation thy love has laid upon me. Forgive me, I beseech thee, all my foul abuses of fuch “ precious

"precious favours. And give me a heart unfeign

edly thankful for thy bounty; and the grace, to "live to thy glory. O let not my fpeech and ra"tional powers, by which thou haft exalted me "above the brutes, be perverted to ferve any bru"tifh base designs; but with my mind and mouth, " and all my foul, let me ever bless and serve, and "honour and please my glorious Maker, through the grace and help of Chrift Jefus my Saviour. "Amen."

MEDITATION XIX.

Of the Chriftian's advantage above an infidel.

My foul! how graciously has the God of my mercy provided for me, to caft my lot in a Chriftian country! and fo early to prevent me with his loving kindness, that the disease of my nature, which was hereditary, fhould find a remedy fo ready, and the best Physician at hand, even as foon as I was born into the world! if there be but one way of falvation, and no other name under heaven, but that of Jefus Chrift, whereby I may be faved: O then how precious is the mercy, that I had not been brought forth and educated, where Chrift is not named; or where he is only rejected and despised! My very Christian religion, it is a goodly heritage, and wealthy portion. For, without this heavenly day-fpring from on high, even the moft ingenious people are in the faddeft darkness. And without Chrift's lightfome gofpel, even the moft fruitful land is but a barren wilderness. The Jews that in