and a quiet Soul, inftead of being an A&t of Conformity to the Will of God, it will prove an Act of Impatience: Remember always in your Afflictions, that there is a Providence that governs all Things, and that it is our own Fault if we do not bring Good out of the Evil that happens to us. Let this then be the Language of your Soul: It is true, O God, that this Cup is bitter, and this Affliction touches me to the Quick; but because it is thy Pleasure to afflict me thus, I am entirely fatisfied; and I am willing to fuffer, because it is thy Will.

V. To love what God loves. Those who are moft eminent for Piety and Virtue, are his greatest Favourites: therefore let no outward difadvantageous Circumftances hinder. you from having the fame Inclinations. What God loves and defires is, that we fhould in all things conform ourselves to his holy Will and Pleasure; and in this consists our Perfection: Let not therefore your own Paffions or Intercft be the Center of your Actions; confult God's Pleasure, and let that govern you; attend to what He requires from you, and perform it vigoroufly. It would be Cruelty to a Friend, to do the Thing in the World that moft difpleafes him. Now the Object of God's Hatred and Aversion, is Sin; fly therefore from all Evil, even the Appearance of it; and if you at any Time unhappily fall, let your Grief and Sorrow teftify the true Concern you have for having offended fo good a God.

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VI. To

VI. To love Him above all Things. God is jealous of his own Glory, and requires the whole Man, and would not that any Creature fhould be his Rival: And in Truth, what is more fit and reasonable? The infinite Perfections of his Nature, and his abundant Loving-kindness towards you, ought they not to prevail upon you to give Him your Heart? Take off your Affections from the Things of this World, and place them upon God, who is fo infinitely amiable. Nothing will better discover the inordinate Love of any Creature, than if in any Kind it makes us neglect our Duty to God, by doing what he has forbidden, or by omitting what he has commanded.

VII. To defire that He be loved by others. The Zeal which you ought to have for the Glory of God, will ferve you as an Evidence to diftinguifh whether you really love him: Is your Difcourfe often of Him? Are you zealous that others fhould not offend Him? Do you contribute what you can, by your Words and by your Actions, to the Converfion of Sinners, and to the Perfeverance of the Good? And is it your great Endeavour that God be worshipped, loved, and served, not only by yourself, but by others alfo?

VIII. To converfe frequently with GOD. Nothing is more agreeable than the Company of those we efteem and value, and we need no Argument to prefs us to embrace all

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Opportunities to enjoy it. The only Means we have of converfing with God here below, is by frequenting his Ordinances, by attending to what he teaches us in his Word, by approaching the Throne of Grace by Prayer, and by expreffing the great Senfe we have of his Love towards us in the Communion of the Body and Blood of his Son: If we neglect fuch bleffed Opportunities when they offer themselves, it is a Sign our Hearts are but cold and indifferent towards Him: for if his Love governed us, we fhould count a Day in his Courts better than a Thousand, and the Entertainments of his Table more delicious than when Oil and Wine increased; we fhould value the Liberty of addreffing Him, before any temporal Satisfaction, and the Inftructions of his Word would be like Marrow to the Bones.

IX. To ferve Him with Fervour and Delight. When the Service of a dear Friend is concerned, there is a certain Eagerness and free Air in performing it, which fufficiently fhews the Joy and Satisfaction this Opportunity of ferving him gives us. Would you be convinced of your Love to God, ferve Him with Pleasure, and not with Reluctance; ferve Him with Fervour; and not with Indifference. If you pray in private or public, you are at your Work or Bufiness, or engaged in any other Action, do it chearfully, fervently, and exactly. It is for God that you

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work, it is his Love makes you devout; let it appear therefore, by the Joy and Fervour you fhew in ferving Him, that God is the beloved Object of your Soul, and that you are fo far from being tired in his Service, that you covet nothing more than Opportunities to give him freth Teftimonies of your Affection.

CHAP. V.

FOR MONDAY.

The Love of our Neighbour.

AFTER having given Proofs of our Love to God, we are obliged to exercife it towards our Neighbour. This Sort of Charity is a Virtue very neceffary in our Converse in this World, it unites Men together; and the Want of it occafions many Disorders in civil Society. But alas! how rare is this Virtue in this Age! Men love one another fometimes from Intereft, from Humour, from Inclination; but few from a Principle of Christian Charity: And yet, how many obligations do we lie under to practise it?

1. In respect of GOD. He has frequently commended it to us in his holy Word, and

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by his exprefs Command has made it our Duty. Our bleffed Saviour has earneftly urged it upon his Followers. If you have any Love for God, you muft make it appear by your Love of your Brethren: for He that loveth not his Brother, whom he hath feen, how can he love God, whom he hath not feen? And what a prevailing Obligation fhould it be to us, to confider that God is pleafed to reckon all the Good we do to others, as done to Himfelf: Inafmuch as have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.

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2. In respect of our NEIGHBOUR. He is our Brother, equally God's Creature, made after his Image, and the Object of his Love and Kindness, with ourfelves; and therefore you ought to love him. The fame precious Blood that was fhed for you, redeemed him; the fame Sacraments that feed you, nourish him; and the fame Hope of eternal Life, which purifies you, animates him; and therefore you ought to love him: The Love of a Mother to her Children, ought to be the Pattern of our Charity; this would make you ready at all Times to do them Good, patiently to bear with their Imperfections, and to perfift in despite of all Difcouragements.

3. In respect of OURSELVES. The Recompence of Reward which God has promifed to thofe that love their Neighbour, fhould encourage and excite you to the Performance of this Virtue. When Jefus Chrift