Holy rules and helps to devotion both in prayer and practice In two parts. The fourth edition. Written by the right reverend father in God, Bryan Duppa, late Lord Bishop of Winton, in the time of his sequestration.

BUt the Conflict is not yet done; when these for∣mer Enemies are overcome, there may be a swarm left of busie, vain, impertinent thoughts, of which we may complain as David did, that they have compassed us a∣bout like Bees: For the Ima∣gination being naturally un∣quiet and tumultuous, inter∣poseth it self many times without asking leave of us, casting thoughts in our way, and forcing the Understand∣ing to reflect upon them. And these she either fetch∣eth from Objects without, from something that we have either seen, or heard, or done; or if it fail of new

plies from thence, it present∣ly busies it self within, in forming of various Images, Figures and Forms, which like so many Atoms, cast∣ing themselves into several Schemes, trouble and vex the Soul in the midst of her Devotions; not unlike the Birds, which would have hin∣dered Abraham in his Sacri∣fice: * 1.1 And happy it were if we could as easily chase away these thoughts from us, as Abraham drove away those Birds: But their pertinacy is such, that when you drive them out of one Form, they assume another; and are so importunately troublesome, as makes many think it a thing impossible to be freed

from them. Cassianus con∣fesseth of himself, that he was brought very near to a dispairing of it, till open∣ing himself to a devout man of more experience (himself being then but young) he was brought off by this Similitude: Should you ask (saith he) one that could neither swim himself, nor e∣ver saw others swim, Whe∣ther he thought it possible that the heavy body of a Man could spread it self upon the water without sinking; Would not he answer per∣emptorily, That it was not possible? But let the same man see once with what ease the Swimmer keeps his head above the water, Would he

not as suddenly change his mind upon the sight of this Experiment, and apply him∣self to practise it? You say it is impossible, but you do not try whether it be so or no. For either holy Men have deceived us, or some of them, by the Grace of God assisting them, have at∣tained such a degree of Power over themselves, as the Centurion in the Gos∣pel * 1.2 had over his Souldiers, they could have given the Law, not only to their out∣ward senses, as Iob did to his eyes, that they should not so much as look on Vanity, but to their more inward Fa∣culties, they could command their Appetite to love or

hate, their rational Faculty to meditate, their imagina∣tive to think on this, or not to think on that: For the same St. Paul, who humbled himself so low as to say, that of himself he could do no∣thing, could say too, with∣out arrogancy, That he could do all things; but then it was in Christ that strength∣ned him: All things in Christ, nothing of himself. The Centurion whom we spake of, that had his Soul∣diers so absolutely at his Command, confesseth inge∣nuously, that he himself ex∣ercised his Authority under another. For in all powers subordinate, the way to be obeyed, is to obey: Nor can

these Imaginations be possi∣bly subdued to Reason, till Reason be subdued to Faith. Submit thy self therefore to God, O my Soul, and there will follow a glorious Victo∣ry. But you must strive for it; for this unruly swarm of thoughts hurt none but those that yield to them. When they buz about thee like Flies in a hot day, drown their noise with the louder cry of thy Prayers. And as Spiders cannot easily weave their Nets in a High Wind, so nei∣ther shall whole Armies of vain Imaginations be able to ensuare thee, as long as thy earnest Prayers, like a vehe∣ment wind shall blow against them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. XV. 11.
• * 1.2

  Matth. viii. 9.