And yet, my child, so great is God, that all these bodies added together, are but as a _grain_ of sand in his sight. And yet you are as much the care of this great God, and Father of all _worlds_, and all _spirits_, as if he had no son but you, or there were no creature for him to love and protect but you alone. He numbers the _hairs_ of your head, watches over you sleeping and waking, and has preserved you from a thousand dangers, which neither you nor I know ♦any thing of.
♦ duplicate word ‘any’ removed
11. How poor my power is, and how little I am able to do for you, you have often seen. Your late _sickness_ has shewn you how little I could do for you in that state; and the frequent pains of your head, are plain proofs, that I have no power to remove them.
I can bring you _food_ and _medicines_, but have no power to turn them into your relief and nourishment; it is God alone that can do this for you.
Therefore, my child, fear, and worship, and love God. Your eyes indeed cannot yet see him, but every thing you see, are so many marks of his power and presence, and he is nearer to you than any thing that you can see.
Take him for your _Lord_, and _Father_, and _Friend_; look up unto him as the fountain and cause of all the good that you have received through my hands; and reverence me only as the _bearer_ and _minister_ of God’s good things unto you; and he that blessed my Father before I was born, will bless you when I am dead.
Your youth and little mind is only yet acquainted with my family, and therefore you think there is no happiness out of it.
But, my child, you belong to a greater family than mine; you are a younger member of the family of this Almighty Father of all nations, who has created infinite orders of angels, and numberless generations of men, to be fellow-members of one and the same society in heaven.
12. You do well to reverence my authority, because God has given me power over you, to bring you up in his fear, and to do for you, as the holy fathers recorded in scripture did for their children, who are now in rest and peace with God.
I shall in a short time die, and leave you to God and yourself; and if God forgiveth my sins, I shall go to his Son Jesus Christ, and live amongst patriarchs and prophets, saints and martyrs, where I shall pray for you, and hope for your safe arrival at the same place.
Therefore, my child, meditate on these great things, and let your thoughts often leave these _gardens_, these _fields_ and _farms_, to contemplate God and heaven, to consider angels, and the spirits of good men living in light and glory.
As you have been used to look to me in all your actions, and have been afraid to do any thing, unless you first knew my will; so let it now be your rule to look up to God in all your actions, to do every thing in his fear, and to abstain from every thing that is not according to his will.
Bear him always in your mind; teach your thoughts to reverence him in every place; for there is no place where he is not.
13. God keepeth a _book_ of life, wherein all the actions of all men are written; your name is there, my child; and when you die, this book will be laid open before men and angels; and according as your actions are there found, you will either be received to the happiness of those holy men who have died before you, or be turned away among wicked spirits, that are never to see God any more.
Never forget this book, my son; for it is written, it must be opened, you must see it, and you must be tried by it. Strive therefore to fill it with your good deeds, that the hand-writing of God may not appear against you.
God, my child, is all _love_ and _wisdom_, and _goodness_; and every thing that he has made, and every action that he does, is the effect of them all. Therefore you cannot please God, but so far as you strive to walk in love, wisdom and goodness. As all wisdom, love, and goodness proceeds from God; so nothing but love, wisdom, and goodness can lead to God.
When you love that which God loves, you act with him, you join yourself to him; and when you love what he dislikes, then you oppose him, and separate yourself from him. This is the true and the right way; think what God loves, and do you love it with all your heart.
14. First of all, my child, worship and adore God, think of him magnificently, speak of him reverently, magnify his providence, adore his power, frequent his service, and pray unto him constantly.
Next to this, love your neighbour, which is all mankind, with such tenderness and affection as you love yourself. Think how God loves all mankind, how merciful he is to them, how tender he is of them, how carefully he preserves them, and then strive to love the world as God loves it.
God would have all men to be happy, therefore do you _will_ and desire the same. All men are great instances of divine love, therefore let all men be instances of your love.