The divine life in three treatises

O therefore my soul, draw near to him that is so willing of thy company! That frowneth thee not away, unless it be when thou hast fallen into the dirt, that thou mayest wash thee from thy filthiness, and be fitter for his converse. Draw near to him that will not wrong thee, by believing misreports ⟨p. 365⟩of enemies, or laying to thy charge the things thou knewest not: but will forgive the wrongs thou hast done to him, and justify thee from the sins that conscience layeth to thy charge. Come to him that by his Word and Spirit, his Ministers and Mercies calleth thee to come; and hath promised that those that come to him he will in no wise shut out. O walk with him that will bear thee up, and lead thee as by the right hand (Psal. 73. 23.) and carry his Infants when they cannot go! O speak to him that teacheth thee to speak, and understandeth and accepts thy stammering; and helpeth thine infirmities when thou knowest not what to pray for as thou oughtest; and giveth thee groans when thou hast not words, and knoweth the meaning of his spirit in thy groans: that cannot be contained in the Heaven of Heavens, and yet hath respect to the contrite soul, that trembleth at his word, and feareth his displeasure: that pitieth the tears, and despiseth not the sighing of a broken heart, nor the desires of the sorrowful. O walk with him that is never weary of the converse of an upright soul! that is never angry with thee but for flying from him, or for drawing back, or being too strange, and refusing the kindness and felicity of his presence. The day is coming when the proudest of the sons of men would be glad of a good look from him that thou hast leave to walk with: Even they that would not look on thee, and they that injured and abused thee, and they that inferiors could have no access to, O how glad would they be then of a smile, or a word of hope and mercy from thy Father! Draw near then to him, on whom the whole Creation doth depend; whose favour at last the proudest and the worst would purchase with the loudest cries, when all their pomp and pleasure is gone, and can purchase nothing. O walk with him that is Love it self, and think him not unwilling or unlovely; and let not the deceiver by hideous misrepresentations drive thee from him: when thou hast felt a while the storms abroad, methinks thou shouldest say, How go•d, how safe, how sweet is it to draw near to God!