Holy living in which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every virute, 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 occasians [sic], and furnished for all necessities / by Jer. Taylor.

Remedies against tediousness of spirit.

The Remedies against this temptation are these.

1. Order your privat devotions so, that they become not arguments & causes of tedi∣ousness by their indiscreet length; but reduce your words into a narrower compass, still keeping all the matter, and what is cut off in the length of your praiers, supply in the ear∣nestness of your spirit; for so nothing is lost while the words are changed into matter, and length of time into servencie of devotion. The forms are made not the less perfect, and the spirit is more, and the scruple is remov'd.

2. It is not imprudent if we provide va∣riety of forms of Praier to the same purpo∣ses,

that the change by consulting with the appetites of fancy, may better entertain the Spirit: and possibly we may be pleased to recite 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 de∣lightful, and whether that be natural to us, or an imperfection, yet if it be complied with, it may remove some part of the tem∣ptation.

3. Break your office and devotion into fragments, and make frequent returnings by ejaculations and abrupt entercourses with God; for so, no length can oppress your ten¦derness and sickliness of spirit; and by often praying in such manner and in all circum∣stances, we shall habituate our souls to prai∣er, by making it the business of many lesser portions of our time: and by thrusting in between all our other imploiments, it will make every thing relish of religion, and by degrees tu••n 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 evil, but cutting off all others loves and adherences. Order your affairs so, that re∣ligion may be propounded to you as a re∣ward, and praier 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 bru∣tish part of a man, and that these are the re∣freshments and relishes of that noble part of us by which we are better then beasts: and

whatsoever other instrumēt, exercise or con∣sideration is of use to take our loves from the world, the same is apt to place them up∣on God.

5. Doe not seek for deliciousness and sen∣sible consolations in the actions of religion, but only regard the duty and the conscience of it. For although in the beginning of reli∣gion most frequently, and at ••••me other tim's irregularly, God complies with our infirmity, and encourages our duty with little over∣flowings of spiritual joy, and sensible plea∣sure, 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 alwaies safe for us to have, neither safe for us to expect and look for: and when we doe, it is apt to make us cool in our enquiries and waitings upon Christ when we want them: It is a running after him, nor for the miracles, but for the loaves; not for the wonderfull things of God, and the desires of pleasing him, but for the pleasures of plea∣sing 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 greedily 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 frequent meditation upon s••d and dolorous objects, as of death, the terrours of the day of judgment; fearful judgments upon sin∣ners, 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 crea••es fear, or makes the spirit to dwell in a religious sadness, 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 superstition; but a discreet & well guided fear produces religion.

7. Pray often and you shall pray oftner, and when you are accustomed to a frequent devotion, 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 do∣ing violence to your inclinations, at last will not be le••t without as great unwillingness as that by which at first it entred. This rule re∣lies not only upon reason derived from the nature of habits, which turn into a second nature, and make their actions easie, frequent and delightful: but it relies upon a reason depending upon the nature & constitution of grace, whose productions are of the same nature with the p••••ent, and increases it self, naturally growing from g••anes to huge trees, from minutes to vast proportions, and from moments to Eternity. But be sure not to o∣mit your usual prayers without great reason, though without sin it may be done; because after you have omitted something, in a little while you will be past the scruple of that, and begin to be tempted to leave out more: keep your self up to your usu••l forms; you may enlarge when you will; but doe not contract or lessen them without a very pro∣bable 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 g••esse at it by proportions: for it is certain he shall have a joyfull and prosperous night, who hath spent his day ••olily: and he resignes his soul with peace into the hands of God, who hath lived in the peace of God, and the works of re∣ligion in his life time. This consideration is of a real event, it is of a thing that will cer∣tainly come to pass. It is appointed for all men once to die, and after death comes ••udgment; 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,* 1.1 the excellences and sweetnesses that are in religion, the peace of conscience, the joy of the Holy Ghost, the rejoycing in God, the simplicity & plea∣sure of virtue, the intricacy, trouble and bu∣sinesse of sin; the blessings and health and reward of that, the cu••s••s, 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 in∣finitely more full of labour, care, difficulty, and vexation.

10. Consider this also, that tediousnesse of spirit, is the beginning of the most dan∣gerous condition and estate in the whole

World. For it is a great disposition to the sin against the holy Ghost: it is apt to bring a man to backsliding, and the state of unre∣generation, to make him return to his vomit and his sink, and either to make the man im∣patient, or his condition scrupulous, unsatis∣fied, ••••k••ome and ••••sper••t••: ••nd it is better that he had never known the way of godliness, then after the knowledge of it that he should fall away. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no•• in the world a great∣er signe that the spirit of Reprobation is be∣ginning upon a man, then when he is habi∣tually and constantly, or very frequently, weary, and slights, or loaths holy Offices.

11. The last remedy that preservs 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 kindnesse, or 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 odds but he will quench the Spirit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See the G••eat Ex∣emplar, Part. 3. Disc. 14. of the ea••iness of Christian Religion.