The divine life in three treatises

or at least in the multitude of my thoughts within me, let thy celestial comforts delight my soul. Let me dwell as in thy family; and when I awake, let me be still with thee! Let me go no whither but where I am still following thee: Let me do nothing but thy work, nor serve any other but when I may truly call it a serving thee: Let me hear nothing but thy voice, and let me know thy voice by whatever instrument thou shalt speak: Let me never see any thing but thy self and the glass that representeth thee, and the books in which I may read thy name: And let me never play with the outside, and gaze on words and letters as insignificant, and not observe thy name which is the sense. Whether it be in company or in solitude, let me be continually with thee, and do thou vouchsafe to hold me by my right hand: And guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me unto thy glory, Psal. 73. 23, 24, 25, 26, 28. Psal. 63. 3.

4. If God be with me I am not alone; for I shall be with him whose Love is of greater use and benefit to me, than the Love of all my friends in the world. Their Love may perhaps be some little comfort, as it floweth from His: But it is His Love by which and upon which I Live. It is His Love that gives me Life and Time, and health and food, and preservation; that ⟨p. 355⟩gives me books and giveth me understanding: that giveth me provision, and saveth me from turning it to pernicious fleshliness and excess; that giveth me even my friends themselves, and saveth me from that abuse which might make them to me worse than enemies. The Sun, the Earth, the Air is not so useful or needful to me as his Love. The Love of all my friends cannot make me well when I am sick: it cannot forgive the smallest of my sins; nor yet assure me of Gods forgiveness: it cannot heal the maladies of my soul, nor give a solid lasting peace to the conscience which is troubled: if all my friends stand about me when I am dying, they cannot take away the fears of death, nor secure my passage to everlasting life: Death will be Death still, and danger will be danger, when all my friends have done their best. But my Almighty friend is Allsufficient: He can prevent my sickness, or rebuke and cure it, or make it so good to me, that I shall thank him for it: He can blot out my transgressions, and forgive all my sin; and justify me when the world and my conscience do condemn me: He can teach me to believe, to repent, to pray, to hope, to suffer, and to overcome: He can quiet my soul in the midst of trouble, and give me a well grounded everlasting peace, and a joy which no man can take from me. He can deliver me from all the corruptions and distempers of my froward heart; and ease me and secure me in the troublesome war which is daily managed in my breast. He can make it as easy a thing to dye, as to lye down and take my rest when I am weary, or to undress me at night and go to bed. He can teach Death to lay by its terrible aspect, and to speak with a mild and comfortable voice, and to bring me the joyfullest rydings that ever came unto my ears; and to preach to me the last and sweetest Sermon, even the same that our Saviour preached on the Cross [