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.

Remedies against tediousnesse of spirit.

The Remedies against this temptation are these.

1. Order your private devotions so, that they become not arguments and causes of tedious∣nesse by their indiscreet length; but reduce

your words into a narrower compasse, still keep∣ing all the matter, and what is cut off in the length of your prayers, supply in the earnest∣nes••e of your spirit; for so nothing is lost while the words are changed into matter, and length of time into fervency of devotion. The forms are made not the lesse perfect, and the spirit is more, and the scruple is removed.

2. It is not imprudent if we provide variety of forms of Prayer to the same purposes; that the change by consulting with the appetites of fancy, may better entertain the Spirit: and possibly we may be pleased to re••ite a hymn, when a collect seems flat to us and unpleasant, and we are willing to sing rather then to say, or to sing this rather then that: we are certain that variety is delightful, and whether that be natural to us, or an imperfection, yet if it be complyed with, it may remove some part of the temptation.

3. Break your office and devotion into frag∣ments, and make frequent returnings by ejacu∣lations and abrupt entercourses with God; for so, no length can oppresse your tenderness and sicklinesse of spirit; and by often praying in such manner and in all circumstances, we shall habituate our souls to prayer, by making it the businesse of many lesser por∣tions of our time: and by thrusting in be∣tween all our other imployments, it will make every thing relish of religion, and by degrees turn all into its nature.

4. Learn to abstract your thoughts and desires from pleasures and things of the world. For nothing is a direct cure to this evill, but cutting off all other loves and

adherences. Order your affairs so, that religion may be propounded to you as a reward, and prayer as your defence, and holy actions as your security, and charity and good works as your treasure: Consider that all things else are satisfactions but to the brutish part of a man, and that these are the refreshments and relishes of that noble part of us by which we are better then beasts: and whatsoever other instrument, exercise or consideration is of use to take our loves from the world, the same is apt to place them upon God.

5. Do not seek for deliciousnesse and sensible consolations in the actions of religion, but one∣ly regard the duty and the conscience of it. For although in the beginning of religion most frequently, and at some other times irregularly, God complyes with our infirmity, and encou∣rages our duty with little overflowings of spi∣ritual joy, and sensible pleasure, and delicacies in prayer, so as we seem to feel some little beam of Heaven and great refreshments from the spirit of consolation; yet this is not alwayes safe for us to have, neither safe for us to expect and look for: and when we do, it is apt to make us cool in our enquiries and waitings upon Christ when we want them: It is a running af∣ter him, not for the miracles, but for the loaves; not for the wonderful things of God, and the desires of pleasing him, but for the pleasures of pleasing our selves. And as we must not judge our devotion to be barren or unfruitful when we want the overflowings of joy running over: so neither must we cease for want of them; If our spirits can serve God choosingly and gree∣dily out of pure conscience of our duty, it is better in it self, and more safe to us.

6. Let him use to soften his spirit with fre∣quent meditation upon sad and dolorous ob∣jects, as of death, the terrours of the day of judgement; fearful judgements upon sinners, strange horrid accidents, fear of Gods wrath, the pains of Hell, the unspeakable amazements of the damned, the intolerable load of a sad Eternity. For whatsoever creates fear, or makes the spirit to dwell in a religious sadnesse, is apt to entender the spirit, and make it devout and plyant to any part of duty. For a great fear, when it is ill managed, is the parent of super∣stition; but a discreet and well guided fear produces religion.

7. Pray often and you shall pray oftner, and when you are accustomed to a frequent devo∣tion, it will so insensibly unite to your nature and affections, that it will become trouble to omit your usual or appointed prayers: and what you obtain at first by doing violence to your inclinations, at last will not be left with∣out as great unwillingnesse as that by which at first it entred. This rule relyes not onely upon reason derived from the nature of habits, which turn into a second nature, and make their acti∣ons easy, frequent & an delightful: but it relyes upon a reason depending upon the nature and constitution of grace, whose productions are of the same nature with the parent, and in∣creases it self, naturally growing from granes to huge trees, from minutes to vast proporti∣ons, and from moments to Eternity. But be sure not to omit your usual prayers without great reason, though without sin it may be done; because after you have omitted some∣thing, in a little while you will be passed the scruple of that, and begin to be tempted to

leave out more: keep your self up to your usual forms; you may enlarge when you will; but do not contract or lessen them without a very probable reason.

8. Let a man frequently and seriously by imagination place himself upon his death-bed, and consider what great joyes he shall have for the remembrance of every day well spent; and what then he would give that he had so spent all his dayes: He may guesse at it by propor∣tions: for it is certain he shall have a joyful and prosperous night, who hath spent his day holily; and he resignes his soul with peace into the hands of God, who hath lived in the peace of God, and the works of religion in his life time. This consideration is of a real event, it is of a thing that will certainly come to passe. It is appointed for all men once to die, and after death comes judgement; the apprehension of which is dreadful, and the presence of it is intolerable, unlesse by religion and sanctity we are dispos'd for so venerable an appearance.

9. To this may be useful that we consider the easinesse of Christs yoke, the excellences and sweetnesses that are in religion, the peace of conscience,* 1.1 the joy of the Holy Ghost, the rejoycing in God, the simplicity and pleasure of vertue, the intricacy, trouble and businesse of sin; the blessings and health and reward of that, the cur∣ses, the sicknesses and sad consequences of this; and that, if we are weary of the labours of religion, we must eternally sit still and do nothing: for whatsoever we do, contrary to it, is infinitely more full of labour, care, difficulty, and vexation.

10. Consider this also, that tediousnesse of spirit, is the beginning of the most dange∣rous condition & estate in the whole World. For it is a great disposition to the sinne a∣gainst the holy Ghost; it is apt to bring a Man to backsliding, and the state of unrege∣neration, to make him return to his vomit and his sink, and either to make the Man impatient, or his condition scrupulous, un∣satisfied, irksome and desperate: and it is better that he had never known the way of god∣linesse, then after the knowledge of it, that he should fall away. There is not in the World a greater signe that the spirit of Reprobation is beginning upon a Man, then when hee is habitually and constantly, or very fre∣quently, weary, and slights, or loaths holy Offices.

11. The last remedy that preserves the hope of such a Man, and can reduce him to the state of zeal and the love of God, is a pun∣gent, sad, and a heavy affliction; not despe∣rate, but recreated with some intervals of kindenesse, and little comforts, or entertained with hopes of deliverance: which condition, if a Man shall fall into, by the grace of God he is likely to recover: but if this help him not, it is infinite oddes but he will quench the Spirit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See the Great Ex∣emplar, Part. 3. Disc. 14. of the easiness of Christi∣an Religion.