The rule and exercises of holy living. In which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every vertue, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations. Together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion fitted to all occasions, and furnish'd for all necessities.

Signes of tediousnesse of spirit in our prayers and all actions of religion.

The second temptation in our prayer is a te∣diousnesse of spirit, or a wearinesse of the im∣ployment: like that of the Jews, who com∣plained that they were weary of the new moons, and their souls loathed the frequent return of their Sabbaths: so do very many Christians, who first pray without fervour and earnestnesse of spirit: and secondly meditate but seldom, and that without fruit, or sence or affection: or thirdly who seldom examine their consciences, and when they do it, they do it but sleepily, slightly, without compunction, or hearty purpose, or fruits of amendment. 4. They enlarge themselves in the thoughts and fruition of temporal things, running for comfort to them onely in any sadnesse and mis∣fortune. 5. They love not to frequent the Sa∣craments, nor any the instruments of religion, as sermons, confessions, prayers in publick,

fastings, but love ease, and a loose undisciplin'd life. 6. They obey not their superiours, but follow their own judgement, when their judge∣ment follows their affections, and their affecti∣ons follow sense and worldly pleasures. 7. They neglect, or dissemble, or defer, or do not attend to the motions and inclinations to vertue which the spirit of God puts into their soul. 8. They repent them of their vows and holy pur∣poses, not because they discover any indi∣scretion in them, or intolerable inconvenience, but because they have within them labour, and (as the case now stands to them) displeasure. 9. They content themselves with the first de∣grees, and necessary parts of vertue, and when they are arrived thither, they sit down, as if they were come to the mountain of the Lord, and care not to proceed on toward perfection. 10. They enquire into all cases in which it may be lawful to omit a duty, and though they will not do lesse then they are bound to, yet they will do no more then needs must; for they do out of fear, and self love, not out of the love of God, or the spirit of holinesse and zeal. The event of which will be this. He that will do no more then needs must, will soon be brought to omit something of his duty, and will be apt to believe lesse to be necessary then is.