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Arrianus who makes this Objection to himfelf, and answers it in this manner.

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"But doth not this Discourse favour of Haughtiness? God forbid. Jupiter himself is not fupercilious, but only hath a fettled and ❝ftedfaft Eye, becoming him that faid, S σε ἐμὸν παλινάγρετον, ἐδ ̓ ἀπατηλὸν f. No Word "of mine fhall ever be revoked, or deceive cc thofe that truft to it. Such an one will I fhow

my felf; Faithful, modeft, ingenuous, and untroubled. What? And Immortal too? One "that grows not old, nor is obnoxious to Difeafes? "I Say not fo. But one that divinely dies, and "is divinely difeafed. This I have, and this I CC can do. To the reft I make no Pretences.

PRAYER V.

Proftrate my Self before thee, O Lord of Hea ven and Earth, the Eternal God; who art all that can poffibly be, and whofe Goodness defigns to make us happy both here and for ever. I acknowledge that it is only of thy infinite Goodnefs, that I am not as miferable as any in the World are. That I enjoy fo many Bleffings, which ought to make me rejoice in thee, more than any Trouble can give me Caufe to complain, is to be afcribed merely to thy good Will towards me. I am afbamed to think, that the most excellent Know

Lib. 2. cap. 8.

+ Hom. II. x.

ledge

ledge which thou haft communicated to me of thy felf, and of thy Son Jefus, bath had no greater Effect upon my Heart to difpofe me to love thee, to reft fatisfied in thy Love, to study to be quiet, and to be contented with my Portion; which is fo fair and liberal, in Comparison with many others in this troublesome World.

Thou haft fet before me thy Grace and Love in fo clear and full a manner, that it ought to fir up the greatest Admiration, and make me delight in the Meditation of it. Thy Power, and Greatnefs, and Purity likewife is fo apparent, that it ought to make me fear, left I should offend thy Love by Unthankfulness and Difcontent, or any other way. Thy Wisdom directs me; thy Truth and Faithfulness upholds and affures me; thy tender Mercies encourage me; and even thy Severity moves me to fly from that which would utterly undo me. There is nothing in thee, but I am the better for it. Thou art altogether excellent even in our Eyes; and far more excellent in the Eyes of Angels, and more underftanding Creatures. They rejoice always to behold thy Face, and perpetually praife thee. But thou art infinitely more excellent in thy felf, than we, or they, or any Creature elfe can comprehend.

How would my Heart be pricked with Defires to know thee more? How would my Spirit be inflamed with the most ardent Love to thee? How quiet and joyful fhould I be in thy Love, if I did really feel the Sense of what I have confessed, and uttered nothing with my Mouth, but what was firft in the profoundeff Depth of my Heart? But

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alas!

alas! we have too fuperficial Thoughts of thee: Our Words are apt to be fuller than our Senfe: And therefore I fall down before thee, and befeech thee to help me to confider over again what I have faid of thee; and to make me feel fomething in my Soul of thy Divine Majefty, too big for my Mouth. Make me heartily and deeply fenfible of thy Omnipotent Greatness, of thy no less Omnipotent Goodness, of thy Unfpotted Holiness, of thy Unfearchable Wisdom, of thy Bottomlefs Mercy, and juft Indignation at thofe Sins whereby we provoke thee: That fo I may fear thee, and truft in thee, and earnestly study to resemble thee in what I am able, and to admire and adore thee in thofe Things which are above our Imitation. O that the leaft Sin may be more hateful to me, than the greatest Mifery of this Life; and the leaft Degree of Goodness more lovely in my Eyes, than the highest Worldly Profperity.

Endue me with a fettled, quiet, and compofed Temper of Spirit, like that of the Celestial Natures. Make me conftant and unmoveable in the Choice of my Happiness. Fix a perpetual Cause of Foy in my Heart. And fill me with that Heavenly Senfe of Things, which will be always Springing up in delightful Thoughts, and comfortable Hopes, and chearful Praifes and Thanksgivings to thee, my God. Seal up my Heart with fuch a Sense of thy felf, that nothing may hereafter be admitted there, but what will let me love thee better than it, with the pureft and strongest Affection. And Seeing thou haft defigned us to an excellent Condition, help me ever to mind thofe Heavenly Things;

and

and not fet my Heart on lower Enjoyments, which thou doft not think to be good enough for me. Re-. member me on all Occafions, how frail thefe Comforts are, which I am apt fo eagerly to purfue, and clofely embrace. That I may love them as dying Things, and refign them back to thee with willing Heart, and an undisturbed Spirit: Blef fing thee, who haft let me enjoy them fo long, and prepared better Bleffings for me, by patient and contented Submiffion to thee, when thou depriveft me of these.

Behold, O Lord, I commit my felf unto thee, and all I have, with a perfect Truft and Confidence in thee. I know thou intendeft my Good in all that befals me; and thy Wisdom knows how to effect it, even contrary to my Inclinations and natural Defires. Preferve, I beseech thee, this Refolution in my Heart for ever, to commend my felf unto thee in doing good with a chearful Mind, and enduring evil with a patient Spirit. That So I may honour my Lord and Mafter Chrift Fefus, and be an Ornament to his Religion, and declare the Power and Force of that Faith which I have entertained. O that I may never come behind thofe, who had lefs Knowledge of thee; but rather excel them as much in contented and conftant Submiffion to thy Will, as I do in my underStanding of it. And make me every Day to grow in both; to make a great Increafe in Wisdom and Virtue, until I come to Perfection; and be fit to be removed bence from all the Troubles of this Life, unto Reft and Peace in uninterrupted Joys. with my Blefjed Saviour. Amen.

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And having Food and Raiment, let us be therewith content.

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atcatatest OT to mention again those Three Confiderations, which I reprefented the last time, to make you contented in any Condition, from fuch Obfer vations as we may make concerning the Estate of other Men: Let me proceed to tell you, that

IV. There are many who have freely chofen thofe Things, which we are required only to be content withal: They have defired that Portion, and quitted all things for it, which we are only to fubmit unto when it comes upon us.

Sundry Examples there are both of Heathens and Christians, who when they might have had Riches, (yea, when they were in Poffeffion of them) have embraced Poverty rather, as the

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