Cent. L. A .43 Fools meafuregood adionsby the<Went :<tier th~y-are done,wifemen before-hand, by judgment upon the rules ofreafon ana faith.Let me doewell1let God take charge ofthe fuccetfe.Ifit be wdlaccepted,it~s well;ifnot,mythank is with God. 44 . He was never good manthat amends not.For,tfhewerc good,~e mufbneeds delire to be better. Grace is fo rweet,that who-ever tails of.it,muft needs long after m'<>re, and if he defireit,he will endevour it; and ifhe doe butendevour, God will crown it with fuccef!'e.Gods family admitteth ofno Dwarfs(which are unthtiving, and ftand at a flay)butmenofmeaf"res.Whatever become ofmy body,or my eftatc, I wille· verlabourto find fomewhat add.ed to the ftattrre ofmy foule. B 4~ Pride is the malt dangerous of all fins·.For,both it is moll infinuative( having crept into Heaven and Paradife)and moll dun;gerous where it is.For,where all t>therTenta. tions are about evil!,this alone is converfant only about good things; and one dram of it poifons many meafures ofgrace, I•w[lhot be afraid more of doing good things amitfe then ofbeingproud when I have w~ ll perfvrmed them. 46 Not only commitlion makes afin. Aman is guilty ofall thofc fins he hateth not. Ifl cannot avoidall,yet I wi!! hate all. 47 . ' Prejudice is fa great an enemy eotruth, that it makes the mind uncapable of it. In C matters offaith,I will ~rft lay a fure grpund,and then beleeve,though I cannot argue; holding the conc!ufion in fpight oftho pr~miffe: but in the other lefJc matters;I will not fa toreftall my mind withrefolutioo,aHb.at I wilJ.not be wi!!ing to bo better in. formed. Neither will! (Jy in my fdfe, I· will hold it,therefore it !hall be truth: but this is truth,thertfote I will hold it.l Will,not,ftrive for .vi<ftory.but,for truth. t L~~· 48 1 "' .. Drunkenn~tfe and CoV,qtoufpc(l'giJ~iflycli refemqle one another. For the mpr~,a mandrinks, the more he fhirll«!t: 4nd,tht more h~h~th, fti!l th« more he C<>Vet;th. A.nd for theireffeds, liefidcs other,b.oth t>fthem have the power oftraD!forming .. man into abealt;and of41l other boa(J:s,inlo a ft~ine. The former is eviaen\ tQfcnf<,, rheother,though more obfcure, is no mort: qUeltion~ble. The!'()yetous maQ. i}l ~\VO D rhings plainly refembletha [wine; That he everro<)ts,il;ltbe eatttJ, D<>tfo J,Ouoh .as looking towards heaven:Thlt heneverdothgood ri!! his death, In defiring,my rule fhallbe neceflity ofnature,or eftatc. In having, I wil! account tha! my good, \Y,hich .doth me good. ·I 49 I acknowledge no mafter ofRequefts in Heaven,h~t ono1 Chrift my Mediater. I know I cannot be fa happy as not to need him; nor fo miferabie, that,he lhould contemnme.I will alwayes ask,and that ofnone but where Iam fure to fpeed;btit where thereis fo much ftore, tllnt when Lhave had the moll; I fha!l leave no lellc b;hjnde. Though n~rober!dfe drops ~in tho.Sea1yct ifal!Clbe t~ke11 <;>ut of ir 1ir bath fo myfh the ldfe,though infcnfible:but.Goc!,boca_ufc he is infi~ile,can ad!Qit oj nodiminuiiorl. E Therfore ate men niggardly,becatifethe.mor(thty givo1rhclelfe they have:but thou, Lord,maieltgive what thou Wilt,withou~ abatemeot ofthy. ftore.Good praicru;1ever came weeping home:! am fure I !hall rcceivttithe~ what I ask,Qr,what I fho~l,l~sk. ~<> ' ' I fte that a fit booty many timts mhk~~:i rheefl and,many wou¥! be proud1iftbey had but the commoncau(esofth•ir ncighbau(s. 1, account this n0 ne ofthe leaft fa. vouts ofGod,That theworld gd<s no bctterforwitd with m~:Fo~,I feaF ,ifmy eftatt ~vere better to the world,it might lle worfe to Gbd.rAtit is an happy necetliry that mforceth to good;fo is that next happy thathindtrs from evi!l. ,. It is the bafeft love of allothers,thatis for a benefltlfor bertin we love noranother fa muchas our felvcs. Though there were no helJvcn, 0 Lord ., I woukl lovethee: Now -
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