the reality of it; sometimes to abridge thyself of things thou desirest and lovest, to inure thy appetite to a refusal of what it calls for; to practise somewhat of poverty, to learn to need few things.

It is strange, men should be so foolish as to tie themselves to these things, which have neither satisfying content in them, nor certain abode. And why shouldst thou set thine eyes on things which are not? says Solomon,-a fancy? How soon may you be parted! He who is the true God, God alone, how can he pull the false gods from you, or you from them! What is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Like that case in the parable: Soul, take thine ease. A strange inference from full barns! That were sufficient provision for a horse, a fit happiness for it; but for a soul, though it were to stay, how gross and base a portion! But it can not stay neither: This night thy soul shall be required of thee.

AUGUST 31.

My soul followeth hard after thee.-Psalm lxiii. 8.

MACARIUS.

As many lights and burning lamps are kindled by the fire, but all the lamps and lights are lighted up from one nature. Thus Christians also are lighted up from one nature, and shine, from the Divine fire, the Son of God; and have these lamps flaming in their hearts, and shine before him while on earth, even as he himself.

Christians therefore are lights that have the oil in themselves, that is, "the fruits of righteousness." But if they are not lighted up from the light of the Godhead in themselves, they are nothing. The Lord was a burning light through the Spirit of the Godhead abiding substantially in him, and inflaming his heart according to his human part.

For as a rotten bag that is filled with pearls, so are Christians also, who being outwardly despicable, have in the “inward man the pearl of great price." But others are like "whited sepulchres, without indeed they are beautiful; but within are full of dead men's bones." They are dead before God, and clothed with all manner of shame and filth, and the darkness of the enemy.

The Christian ought at all times to be mindful of God. For

it is written, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; that he may not only love the Lord, when he goes into his oratory, but that even when walking, and in company, and when eating, he may retain the memory of God, and a natural affection for him. Indeed to what thing soever the heart of any one is linked, that is his god. If the heart at all times desireth God, he is the Lord of the heart. But if any one that has outwardly renounced all, and is stripped of his possessions, yet is wedded to himself, or to worldly desires; wheresoever his heart is chained, that is his god. And he is found to have come out of the world indeed through the broad gate, but through a wicket to have gone in again.

But if a man at all times cleave fast unto the Lord, and places his confidence and hope in him; then none can hurt him: for though the devils are strong as the strong mountains, they are burnt up by prayer, as wax by fire. Yet in the mean time great is the struggle and fight that lies upon the soul against them. There are the rivers of dragons, and the mouths of lions. But the fire of love burneth all up.

As a man that is a complete worker of evil, is insatiable after mischief; so Christians that have been baptized into the Holy Spirit, are insatiable after God. Yet while they have a mixture of sin, they are liable to fear, and travel through frightful places.

For as merchants, though they have now a fair wind, and a smooth sea, are in fear, lest on a sudden there should be a contrary wind, and the sea grow tempestuous: so Christians, though they have in themselves the favorable wind of the Spirit blowing, yet are in concern, lest the wind of the adverse power should rise upon them, and stir up a tempest in their souls.

There is need therefore of great industry, that we may come to the haven of rest, to the perfect world, to eternal life and pleasure, to the "city of the saints, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the church of the first-born."

Nor ought we to be secure. For as a garden that is set with fruit-trees, and sweet-smelling plants, and all well laid out and contrived with beauty, and has withal a little wall for an hedge, to keep it; if it should so fall out that a rapid river runs by it, and by little and little dissolves the foundation, having once gained entrance, it roots up all that was planted. Even thus is the heart of man; it has good thoughts and desires, but there are

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rivers of corruption ever approaching. And if the mind but a little give way to unclean thoughts; lo, the spirits of error have entered in, and overturned all the beauties that were there, and laid the soul waste.

As the eye is little beyond all the members, and yet contains the heaven, the stars, the sun, the moon, cities, and other creatures; for all these are seen under one, and formed and imaged in the pupil of the eye. Thus also the heart is a little vessel. And yet there are dragons, and there are lions, the poisonous beasts, and all the treasures of wickedness, and there are rugged ways, and precipices. In like manner there is God, there are the angels; there is the life and the kingdom; there is the light, there are the treasures of grace: there are all things.

And yet many find them not. For as when the alarm of war is sounding, the wise men, and the great ones were not there; but the poor, and the unlearned are sent forth; and they work a victory over their enemies, and receive from the king the rewards of their victory, and crowns, and dignities. Thus also is it in heavenly things. It is the poor and the unlearned from the beginning, that love the truth, do what it requires, fight the good fight, and receive from God the grace of the Spirit. But the wise and great flee the war; neither do they make any progress, and consequently are left behind them who have fought and over

come.

And the Lord hath promised, "Where I am, there also shall these my servants be." And they shall reign together with the Father, and with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit, even to ages of ages! Amen.

He which testifieth these things, saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus.-Rev. xxii. 20.

O ALL you that are true believers, lift up your heads with hope and joy, for your final deliverance draweth nigh. Death is coming, and quickly after, Christ is coming: one will begin, and the other perfect, your full deliverance, and put an end to these complaints.

And remember, that though death hath somewhat in it,

which to nature is terrible, yet what is there in the second coming of Christ, that should seem unwelcome to you? You shall not meet an enemy, but a friend; your surest and your greatest friend; one that hath done more for you than all the world hath done; and one that is ready now to do much more, and show his love and friendship to the height. One that will be then your surest friend, when all the world shall cast you off. You go not to be condemned, but to be openly justified, yea, honored before all the world, and sentenced to endless glory. You go not to be numbered with the enemies of holiness, or with the slothful and unprofitable servants; but to be perfectly incorporated into the heavenly society, and to see the glorified faces of Enoch, Moses, and Elias; of Peter, and John, and Paul, and Timothy, and all the saints, that ever you knew, or whose writings you have ever read, or whose names you ever heard of, and millions more. You go to be better acquainted with those angels that rejoiced at your repentance, and that ministered for your good, and that bore you in their hands, and were your continual guard both night and day. You go to join in concert with all these, in those seraphic praises which are sounded forth continually through all the intellectual world, in the greatest fervors of perfect love, and the constant raptures of perfect joy, in the fullest intuition of the glory of the Eternal God and the glorified humanity of your Redeemer, and the glory of the celestial world and society, and under the streams of infinite life, and light, and love, poured forth upon you to feed all this, to all eternity. And all this in so near and sweet a union with the glorified ones, who are the body and spouse of Christ, that it shall be all as one praise, one love, one joy in all.

O for a more lively and quick-sighted faith, to foresee this. day in some measure as affectingly as we shall then see it! Alas! my Lord, is this dark prospect all that I must here hope for? Is this dull, and dreaming, and amazing apprehension, all that I shall reach to here? Is this senseless, this despondent mind, these drowsy desires, the best that I must here employ in the contemplation of so high a glory? Must I come in such a sleepy state to God, and go as in a dream to the beatifical vision? I am ashamed and confounded to find my soul, alas, so dark, so dead, so low, so unsuitable to such a day and state, even whilst I am daily looking towards it, and whilst I am daily talk

ing of it, and persuading others to higher apprehensions than I can reach myself; and even whilst I am writing of it, and attempting to draw a map of heaven, for the consolation of my self and fellow-believers. Thou hast convinced my reason of the truth of the predictions, and of the certain futurity of that glorious day and yet, how little do my affections stir! and how unanswerable are my joys, and my desires, to those convictions! When the light of my understanding should cure the deadness of my heart, alas, this deadness rather extinguisheth that light, and cherisheth temptations to unbelief; and my faith, and reason, and knowledge, are as it were asleep, and useless, for want of that life which should awaken them unto exercise and use. Awakened reason serveth faith, and is always on thy side: but sleepy reason in the gleams of prosperity, is ready to give place to flesh and fancy, and hath a thousand distracted, incoherent dreams. O now reveal thy power, thy truth, thy love, and goodness effectually to my soul, and then I shall wait with love and longing for the revelation of thy glory. Thy inward, heavenly, powerful light, is kin to the glorious brightness of thy coming; and will show me that which books and talk only, without thy Spirit, can not show. Thy kingdom in me, and my daily faithful subjection to thy government here, must prepare me for the glorious, endless kingdom. If now thou wouldst pour out thy love upon my soul, it would flame up towards thee, and think with daily pleasure on that day: and my perfect love would cast out that fear, which maketh the thoughts of thy coming to be a torment. O meet me now when my soul doth seek thee, and secretly cry after thee; that I may know thou wilt meet me with love and pity at the last. O turn not now thine ears from my requests; for if thou receive me not now as thy humble suppliant, how shall I hope that thou wilt receive me then, when the door is shut, and the seeking and finding time is past? If thou cast me out of thy presence now, and turn away thy face from my soul and my supplication, as a loathed thing, how can I expect thy smiles, or the vital embracements of thy glorifying love? or to be owned by thee before all the world, with that cordial and consolatory justification, which may keep my conscience from becoming my hell? If thou permit my flesh and sense to conquer my faith, and to turn away my love and desire from thee; how shall I then expect that joy, that