all which religious exercises if we add those rational and natural considerations, we may be well eased.

The truth is, there are no such cordials as those of the Christian religion. Nothing can support and comfort us so speedily and substantially as the belief that God was manifested in our flesh, and therefore hath a singular love to us and care of us that the Lord Jesus is exalted at the right hand of God, and that we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones: that he hath a great compassion to us, and both power and will to relieve or sustain us: that we suffer nothing but what he himself did, and are in the way to that glory where he dwells and that he will certainly reward our patience, submission and resignation to him with endless joys. These things we must always have in our eye and in our heart. On these foundations we must lay the weight of our souls; which will quiet our desires, and banish our fears, and cut off vain hopes, and restore our very reason to a greater clearness and strength so that we shall be the better able to use all other helps for the curing all the diseases we labour under.

What remains then, but our hearty endeavour thus to settle and compose ourselves? I told you at the entrance, that these rules are not like to physic, that will cure us without our thoughts and considerations: so now I must further remember you, that we must not think to take this course as some men likewise do physic, just when the distemper is upon us, but when we are well and in quiet. When the trouble is once begun, and the disease hath seized upon our spirits, it is not so easily cured, and we cannot so well consider nor apply these lessons to our minds; therefore we must use them as we do food, which we take every day to keep us in health, and not as physic, which we take but at certain times, when we find the humour stirring, i. e. we must work our souls to such kind of reasonings and discourses as these are, we must bring our minds to such a way of thinking as I have described, and make these rules so familiar to our minds, that they may be a part of our understanding, and a piece of our reason, not some foreign things to which we run for relief upon occasion of need. We must strip our souls of their former conceits, and clothe them with these notions. We must root out these weeds of bitterness, high esteem of ourselves and of worldly things,

earthly love, unreasonable desire, fond hopes and expectations, rashness and inconsideration; and plant in their stead such good principles as now have been commended to you, and take care that they grow up there. The government of the soul must be altered from the rule of popular opinions, and the tyranny of fancies and imaginations, to the sole command of Christian reason. In this great alteration let us engage all our forces. Think how shameful it is to get all knowledge, and not to know ourselves, nor how to enjoy ourselves; and how miserable he is that encompasses all the world, and searches into all things, only neglects his own peace, or seeks it among the occasions of his trouble. Discharge thyself therefore with all speed of thy passions, of rashness and hasty thoughts. Learn thy duty, do it, know God, and thyself, and the world; and when thou art once humble, prudent, thankful, and heavenlyminded, thou wilt not be displeased at what God or men do: nothing will trouble thee; or if any thing do, it will be this, that thou dost these things no better, and art no more perfect in thy art. But this is the happiness of such a man's condition, that those who mourn shall be comforted; and it is a pleasure to be so troubled, an ease to the mind to be so aggrieved. No joys here like those of an ingenuous sorrow; no cup of blessing so sweet as that which is mingled with tears of true contrition for our ingratitude. With a good saying therefore of a wise doctor among the Jews I will conclude, who, seeing a man very sad and sorrowful, thus addressed his speech to him: "If thy grief be for the things of this world, I pray God diminish it: but if it be for the things of the world to come, I pray God increase it b."

b [Apophthegm. Patr. Jud. lib. iii. 239. ad calc. Vitæ Mosis, per Gaulmyn.]