The amiableness of any virtue, or the horrid nature of any vice, whilst only considered as in themselves, are but as pictures set before our eyes, and have no other effect upon us. And this is the unprofitableness of all _moral instructions_, whether Heathen or Christian. If you can help a man to seek, and find, and know himself, and his real relation to God; to know that he has neither inward nor outward evil, but because he has lost his _true state_, and place in God; and that therefore nothing can be his peace and happiness, but his first divine life restored again in him, then you have done all that you can for him, whatever his malady is. * * * * * LETTER VIII. To the same. _My dear Friend_, THE variety of trials you have lately met with, are but a specimen of what you are to expect, in some form or other, so long as you breathe the air of this fallen world.――The longer we are without them, the more our need of them is increased. And they never give great smart, but where something is to be torn off that sticks too close to us.――One reflection upon these sacred words, “My kingdom is not of this world: ――The Son of man hath not where to lay his head,” are sufficient to take not only the sting out of every cross that can here befall us, but even to make us afraid and ashamed of being pleased with any thing, that has the name of worldly honour and prosperity. You have no reason to wonder at any thing you see or hear, of the partiality, selfishness, envy, and enmity, that so soon breaks out between brothers and sisters of the same blood.――For if _blood-relations_, considered as such, could have any true goodness, or unselfish regard to one another, we should not be under the necessity of being born again. Will it do you any good to tell you, that thus says my heart, without speaking a word, _Let nothing live in me, but the redeeming power of thy Holy Jesus, nothing pray in me but thy Holy Spirit_.――This is my ship, in which I would be always at sea.――All that I seek, or mean, either for myself or others, by every height and depth of divine knowledge, is only for this end, that we may be more willing and glad to become such little children, as our Lord has told us, are the only heirs of the kingdom of God. The piercing critic may, and naturally will grow in pride, as fast as his skill in words discovers itself. And every kind of knowledge that shews the scholar, the orator, the disputer, the commentator, the historian, his _own powers_ and _abilities_, are the _same_ temptation to him, that _Eve_ had from the serpent; and he will get no more good by the love and relish of such knowledge, than she got by her love of the tree, that was so desirable to make one wise.