we, that we should either vow or perform? but, as he said, "Give what thou biddest, and bid what thou wilt." Hence the courage of Moses durst venture his hand to take up the crawling and hissing serpent. Hence Peter durst walk upon the pavement of the waves. Hence that heroical spirit of Luther, a man made of metal fit for so great a work, durst resolve and profess to enter into that forewarned city, though there had been as many devils in their streets as tiles on their houses.'

Both these vows, as we once solemnly made by others, so, for our peace, we must renew in ourselves. Thus the experienced mind, both knowing that it hath met with a good friend, and withal what the price of a friend is, cannot but be careful to retain him, and wary of displeasing; and therefore, to cut off all dangers of variance, voluntarily takes a double oath of allegiance of itself to God, which neither benefit shall induce us to break, if we might gain a world, nor fear urge us thereto, though we must lose ourselves.

The wavering heart, that finds continual combats in itself betwixt pleasure and conscience, so equally matched that neither gets the day, is not yet capable of peace; and, whether ever overcometh, is troubled both with resistance and victory. Barren Rebekah found more ease, than when her twins struggled in her womb. If Jacob had been there alone, she had not complained of that painful contention. One while, pleasure holds the fort, and conscience assaults it; which when it hath entered at last by some strong hand, after many batteries

1 The intrepid speech of Luther before his appearance at the Diet of Worms, is well known. See Mosheim, Eccl. Hist. vol. iv. p. 58. London, 1782.-ED.

of judgments denounced, ere long pleasure ei corrupts the watch, or by some cunning stratag finds way to recover her first hold. So one part

ever attempting and ever resisting. Betwixt b the heart cannot have peace, because it resolves not for while the soul is held in suspense, it cannot enjoy the pleasure it useth, because it is half taken up with fear. Only a strong and resolute repulse of pleasure is truly pleasant; for therein the conscience, filling us with heavenly delight. maketh sweet triumphs in itself, as being now the lord of his own dominions, and knowing what to trust to. No man knows the pleasure of this thought, "I have done well," but he that hath felt it; and he that hath felt it contemns all pleasure to it. It is a false slander raised on Christianity, that it maketh men dumpish and melancholic; for therefore are we heavy, because we are not enough Christians. We have religion enough to mislike plea. sures, not enough to overcome them. once conquerors over ourselves, and ourselves wholly to God, there can be nothing but heavenly mirth in the soul. Lo, hear, ye philosophers, the true music of heaven, which the good heart continually heareth, and answers it in the just measures of joy. Others may talk of mirth, as a thing they have heard of, or vainly fancied : only the Christian feels it; and in comparison thereof, scorneth the idle, ribaldish, and scurrilous mirth of the profane.

But if we be have devoted

Rule for our Actions: to do nothing doubtingly. AND this resolution which we call for, must not only exclude manifestly evil actions, but also doubting and suspension of mind in actions suspected and questionable, wherein the judgment must ever give confident determination one way. For this tranquillity consisteth in a steadiness of the mind; and how can that vessel, which is beaten upon by contrary waves and winds, and tottereth to either part, be said to keep a steady course? Resolution is the only mother of security.

For instance, I see that usury, which was wont to be condemned for no better than a legal theft, hath now obtained with many the reputation of an honest trade; and is both used by many, and by some defended. It is pity that a bad practice should find any learned or religious patron. The sum of my patrimony lieth dead by me, sealed up in the bag of my father: my thriftier friends advise me to this easy and sure improvement. Their counsel and my gain prevail: my yearly sums come in with no cost but of time, wax, parchment: my

"Usury, in the author's days, denoted any advantage whatever made by lending money. This was condemned by the canons of the church, probably in imitation of the Jewish law, by which all profit made by lending, except to strangers, was forbidden; (Deut. xxiii. 20.) Since a certain gain has been allowed by law, the word has grown into a bad sense, to denote unlawful gain, or that which exceeds the legal allowance. The prohibition to the Jews was peculiarly adapted, and we may therefore suppose intended, to preserve them a distinct people; but among us, where the borrower makes gain by the money he borrows, it seems most truly equitable that the lender should have a reasonable share in that gain."-PRATT.

estate likes it well; better than my conscience, which tells me still he doubts my trade is too easy to be honest. Yet I continue my illiberal course, not without some scruple and contradiction; so as my fear of offence hinders the joy of my profit, and the pleasure of my gain heartens me against the fear of injustice. I would be rich with ease; and yet I would not be uncharitable, I would not be unjust. All the while I live in unquiet doubts and distraction others are not so much entangled in my bonds as I in my own. At last, that I may be both just and quiet, I conclude to refer this case wholly to the sentence of my inward judge, the conscience: the advocates, Gain and Justice, plead on either part at this bar, with doubtful success. Gain informs the judge of a new and nice distinction; of toothless and biting interest; and brings precedents of particular cases of usury, so far from any breach of charity or justice, that both parts therein confess themselves advantaged. Justice pleads even the most toothless usury to have sharp gums; and finds, in the most harmless and profitable practice of it, an insensible wrong to the common body, besides the infinite wrecks of private estates. The weak judge suspends, in such probable allegations, and demurreth; as being overcome of both, and of neither part; and leaves me no whit more quiet, no whit less uncertain. I suspend my practice accordingly; being sure it is good not to do what I am not sure is good to be done; and now Gain solicits me as much as Justice did before. Betwixt both, I live troublesomely, nor ever shall do other, till, in a resolute detestation, I have whipped this evil merchant out of the temple of my heart. This rigour is my peace before, I could not be well,

either full of fasting: uncertainty is much pain, even in a more tolerable action.

Neither is it, I think, easy to determine, whether it be worse to do a lawful act with doubting, or an evil with resolution: since that which in itself is good is made evil to me by my doubt, and what is in nature evil is in this one point not evil to me, that I do it upon a verdict of a conscience: so now my judgment offends in not following the truth; I offend not in that I follow my judgment. Wherein, if the most wise God had left us to rove only according to the aim of our own conjectures, it should have been less faulty to be sceptics in our actions, and either not to judge at all, or to judge amiss; but now that he hath given us a perfect rule of eternal equity and truth, whereby to direct the sentences of our judgment, that uncertainty which alloweth no peace to us will afford us no excuse before the tribunal of heaven : wherefore, then only is the heart quiet, when our actions are grounded upon judgment, and our judgment upon truth.

SECTION XXV.

Rules for Estate: 1. Reliance upon the providence of God.

FOR his estate, the quiet mind must first roll itself upon the providence of the highest; for whoever so casts himself upon these outward things, that in their prosperous estate he rejoiceth, and contrarily, is cast down in their miscarriage, I know not whether he shall find more uncertainty of rest, or more certainty of unquietness; since he must