*This doctrine also makes me quite weary and ashamed of all my own natural tempers. Every whisper of impatience, uneasiness, resentment, pride, and wrath, shall be rejected with a _get thee behind me, Satan_, for it is his, and has its whole nature from him. To rejoice in a resentment gratified, appears now to me, to be quite frightful. For what is it, in reality, but rejoicing that the precious Lamb of God is denied entrance into my soul? This is the strict truth of the matter. And to give up all resentment of every kind, and on every occasion, however artfully, beautifully, coloured, and to sink down into the humility of meekness under all contrariety, contradiction and injustice, always turning the other cheek to the smiter, however haughty, is the surest of all means, to have nothing but Christ living, and working in you. *What a blindness was it in me, to think that I had no covetousness, because the love of _pelf_, was not felt by me! For to covet, is to desire; and what can it signify whether I desire this or that? If I desire any thing, but that which God would have me to be, and do, I stick in the mire of covetousness, and must have all that evil, and disquiet working in me, which robs _misers_ of their peace both with God and man. *Oh sweet resignation of myself to God, happy death of every selfish desire, be thou my guide, and governor wherever I go! nothing but thee can take me from myself, nothing but thee can lead me to God; hell has no power, where thou art; nor can heaven hide itself from thee. O may I never indulge a thought, bring forth a word, or do any thing for myself or others, but under the influence of thy blessed inspiration. The sight, tho’ distant, of this heavenly _Canaan_, this _sabbath_ of the soul, resting in meekness, humility, patience and resignation, under the Spirit of God, is like the joyful voice of the bridegroom to my soul, and leaves no wish in me, but to be at the marriage-feast of the Lamb. _Theophilus._ Thither, _Theogenes_, you must certainly come, if you keep to the path of meekness, humility, patience, and full resignation to God. But if you go aside from it, let the occasion seem ever so glorious, or the effects ever so wonderful, it is only preparing for yourself, a _harder death_. For die you must, to every thing that you have worked or done under any other spirit, but that of meekness, humility and true resignation to God. For these virtues are the only _wedding garment_; they are the _lamps_, and _vessels_ well furnished with oil. There is nothing that will do in the stead of them; they must have their full and perfect work in you, or the soul can never be delivered from its fallen, wrathful state. There is no possibility of salvation, but in this. And when the Lamb of God has brought forth his own meekness, humility and full resignation to God in our souls, then are our lamps trimmed, and our virgin-hearts made ready for the marriage-feast.