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MORALITIES.

T is a very dangerous error to think that our Saviour in this Gospel had a purpose to introduce anarchy, and to make all men equal. He fheweth in many places that he would have kings, princes, magiftrates, fathers and doctors. But he would not have men come to honours by a vain ambition, nor others to honour them, but only as they have dependency upon the power of God almighty. Let every foul, faith the apostle, be fubject to higher powers, for there is no power but cometh from God: he gives us fuperiors, not for us to judge but obey. If a man cannot approve their manners, he muft at least reverence the character of their authority. They should be good chriftians for themselves, but they are fuperiors for us. He that refifteth their power refifts God, who ordain'd them and all the great evils happening by herefies and rebellions, proceed from no other fountain but from contempt of powers established by the decree of heaven. Men may pretend zeal; but if there is no better facrifice than that of obedience; if great perfons abuse their offices, God will find it out; and as their dignities are great, fo their punishment shall be anEfwerable. F 2 2. One

2. One of the greatest disorders of this life is, that we go, for the most part, outwardly to please the world, and are little careful of a good inward application of our felves to please God. Inftead of taking the way of God's image, from whence we all come, we are content to have virtues only by imagination, and vices in their true ef fence. Nembroth profeffed himself a lervant of the true God, and yet adored the fire in fecret. Jefus hath many worshippers in words, but few in truth. Some ftand upon formalities, others upon disguised habits; others amuse themselves about ceremonies, others go as upon certain fprings to make themfelves accounted wife. Moft men would seem what they are not, and much troubled to be feen what they are. All their time doth pass in fashions and countenances; but death and God's judgments take off all thofe masks.

3. To say that we have seen a man exteriorly devout and fpiritual, except he be fo inwardly, is to fay we have feen a house without a foundation, a tree without a root, a vefiel move upon the fea without a bottom, and an excellent clock without a spring. For the fame which the foundation is to a house, the roof to a tree, the bottom to a fhip and

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the fpring to a clock, the fame is a man's interior life to all virtue. What is a man the better who refembles window-cufhions, which are covered with velvet and stuft with hay or to be like the picture of Diana, in Homer's Iliads, which wept to fome and laught to others? A little fpark of a good confcience is better than all the lights of the world. Why do we crucify ourfelves with fo many diffimulations, fo many ceremonies, fo many enforcements upon our natures, to serve and please men, only to get smoke? he that fows wind, faith the prophet, fhall reap a ftorm. Let us live to ourselves in the purity of a good confcience and a perfect humility, if we defire to live for ever with God. Thofe fhadows of falfe devotions proceed from the leaves of that fig-tree wherewith Adam and Eve covered their nakedness: Do not we know that hypocrify is the fame thing to virtue which painting is to faces; and that it is the very moth which devours fanctity, and will at the day of judgment, make all thofe feem naked, which to the world feem well apparelled?

ASPIRATIONS.

God of all truth, wherefore are there fo many fictions, and counterfeit behaviF 3 ours?

ours? Muft we always live to please the eyes of others, and run after the fhadow of vanity, which leaves nothing but illufion within our eyes and corruption in our manners? I will live unto thee, O fountain of lives, within whom all creatures have life. I will retire myself into my own heart, and negotiate with it by the fecret feeling of a good confcience, that I may treat with thee. What need I the eyes of men, if I have the eyes of God? They alone are fufficient to do me good; fince by the afpect they give happiness to all the faints. I will feek for thee, O my beloved Lord, from the break of day till the dead time of night. All places are folitary where thou art not, and where thou art there only is the fulness of all pleasures.

The Gofpel for Wednesday the fecond week in Lent, St. Matthew xx,

The request of the wife of Zebedee for her fons James and John.

AND Jefus going up to Jerufalem, took the twelve difciples fecretly, and faid to them, behold we go up to Jerufalem, and the fan of man fhall be delivered to the chief priest and to the fcribes, and they fhall condemn him

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to death, and fhall deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked, and fcourged, and crucified, and the third day he shall rise again.

Then came to him the mother of the fons of Zebedee, with her fons, adoring and defiring fomething of him; who faid to her, what wilt thou? The faid to him, fay that these my fons may fit one at thy right hand, and one at thy left hand in thy kingdom. And Jefus anfwering, faid, you know not what you defire. Can ye drink of the cup that I shall drink of? They fay to him, we can: he faith to them, my cup indeed you shall drink of; but to fit on my right hand and left, is not mine to give you, but to whom it is prepared of my father.

MORALITIES.

7HAT a fhort life have we, and

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yet fuch a large and vast ambtion? We fear every thing like mortal men, and yet defire all, as if we fhould be immortal upon earth. It is a strange thing to observe how the defire of honour flides even amongst the moft refin'd devotions. Some one is counted an angel of heaven amongst men, who hath not forfaken his pretence upon earth. Ambition fleeps in the bofoms of perfons confecrated for the altars. It overthrows fome whom luxury could not stir;

and