The Christians guide: a treatise shewing the grounds, necessity, and end of devotion With rules and directions for the leading an holy life. As also meditations and prayers suitable to all occasions.

CHAP. I. The first General Advice is, to will, desire, and ask Devotion.

WE have seen from how many Sources Indevotion springs; let us now try to vanquish those Difficulties, by some Advices that may lead us to Devotion. Those Advices I would give here, are either general or particular. But before I pass further, we are to presup∣pose, that he whom we would make devout must have a Mind himself to become so: he that has not this Dis∣position will very unprofitably pass farther. How many indevout persons have we in the World, that do not desire Devotion for themselves, and contemn it in others? Of this sort we find some that are so hardy as to perswade themselves they have a Religion. I am, it may be, says one, as religious as another, though I laugh at Devotion and devout Persons. If they believe what they say, most assuredly they cheat their own Heart; and we must confess, that these People are re∣ally profane. Others there are that esteem Devotion in another, and yet like it not for themselves: it doth not fit right with the Spirit of the World, which they make their Idol. They approve the better side, they admire it, but they fancy, as to their own particular, they may be saved with less Trouble. I know not whether these be better than the former; yet they are a little nearer to the Disposition we seek after: but still, alas! in how bad a Condition is their Consci∣ence?

They are in this worse than the former, that they sin against their own Sentiment; they know their Masters Will, and do it not. They are afraid of doing too much; provided they be sav'd, it's of no great Importance how. What a thought is this! Is not Paradise worth the purchasing at the Expence of some Tears, some Prayers, some hours of Humilia∣tion? And how can we imagine we can obtain Hea∣ven by the less, since we shall find a hard Task to ar∣rive thither by the greater? If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the Ʋngodly and the Sinner appear? Do ye believe, ye backward and lukewarm Souls, that a truly devout Person has too much Righteousness to open to himself the gate of Heaven? Do not you know that all the World praises that Saying of St. Au∣stin, Woe to the most praise-worthy Life, if it be examined without Mercy; and what the Psalmist says, If thou should'st mark Iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? I speak of the Iniquities of the Righteous. If those truly devout Persons have not over-much Righteous∣ness, you will strangely want it then who come so much behind them: but ye say, God will supply what is lacking; for this did Christ Jesus dye, that we might obtain his Grace and Favour in the midst of our Infirmities. But how do ye know that the Blessed Jesus would this, does not he do what liketh him best with his own? You ought therefore to take the surer side. What assurance have ye that God gives his Grace thus to those that slight it? Although you could do it, the mercy of the Lord will have employ enough; and your righteousness, though pusht on to the extre∣mity of your strength, will still have need of Supple∣ments to attain to Glory.

There are other Indevout People, which are still a lit∣tle farther off than the former. They would have a good deal of Devotion, but they are not yet come to desire it; that is to say, the motions of their Will towards it are

very imperfect. I would willingly become so (says one) but I cannot; the World bears me away, my Affairs wholly take me up, the temper and frame of my Body and Soul have not the necessary Turn for the practise of this Virtue; I do what I would not, and what I would that do I not; for the law of my members continues Mistress of the Law of my mind: they are not much afflicted at the not having that which they wish, and it is a certain proof that they wish it very feebly. In this Estate, how far from Perfection must the Con∣science needs be! This is not to love God with all the Soul; this is to seek him with the least part of the heart, and to desire him with a most imperfect Will. To will Devotion at that rate is, to take the way never to obtain it: for the Soul does not surmount the difficul∣ties but by heartning it self against them, and by acting with all its might and vigour. Judge then, if an Heart in this looseness can attain one of the most difficult things in the World. We have seen how many strong Passions ruine and destroy Devotion; the Love of the World, its Pleasures, and its Vexations. If to these passions, so violent and head-strong, you oppose, I know not what imperfect desires it is but the Fight of Dwarfs against Gyants.

So that the first general Counsel I give to attain De∣votion, is, to desire it ardently. Some will say, that they who desire it, have it already: but that is no neces∣sary conclusion. Some motions there are, whereof we are not the Masters, and oftentimes we passionately desire a thing we are not able to effect, although it de∣pend upon our Will. Most terrible is the tyranny of Habits, and the cords of Sin are difficult to break. St. Austin most divinely paints out to us the motion of such a Soul, as would elevate it self to God but cannot;

I panted after the liberty of thinking only on thee, O my God, but I sighed, being still tyed up, not by foreign Chains, but by those of my own will, which

were harder than Iron. The Devil held it in his Power; he had bound it fast. I had a Will to serve thee with the purest Love, and to enjoy thee, O my God, in whom alone is to be found a solid and true Joy; but this new Will, which was but still-born, was not capable of conquering that other which had fortified it self by a long habit in Sin.

Behold the Picture of a Christian Soul, that wishes to be truly devout, would only think on God and love him, but cannot. Nevertheless, how happy is such a Soul and near to Devotion! When we seek God we are on the Eve of finding him. This is that Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness to which the Lord pro∣mises a Refreshment. These Desires are the effects of Grace: but if Nature doth nothing in vain, with much stronger Reason does Grace. These Desires therefore cannot be fruitless, they will obtain their end, they will be filled one day. There's hardly any thing but wherein the vigour of the Soul, and the force of the Desires, hit their mark: and hereby, ra∣ther than by the strength of his Armies, did the Great Alexander vanquish the World, gain so many Battels, take so many Cities, and trample on the Necks of conquered Nations: when things necessary to the Accomplishment of his Designs fail'd him, the vigour of his Courage, that is, the force of his Desires, served instead of them. If the Desires can perform so much in things without us, and independent on our Will, what cannot they do in that which depends thereon, and is vertually our Will it self?

To make these pious desires succeed, we are to call God to our aid: these are younglings, that he has cau∣sed to be born, and 'tis his Interest to nourish them; these be the Aurora of that Sun, who doth not fail to come and fully enlighten us, provided he be invok'd with fervour. Here is therefore another Adviso, which is but a Corollary and a Deduction from the former:

We must ask of God the grace of Devotion, and in his presence groan after what we have not. If there be any favour of our Vows and Tears, if there is any Gift that comes immediately from Heaven, 'tis this Virtue; for nothing is more pure and more elevated among the Christian Virtues. If any of you lack Wisdom, says St. James, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberal∣ly, and upbraideth not. I know not, whether there be my part of Christian Wisdom more desirable than this. Of God we ask our daily Bread, our Food and Ray∣ment, health of Body, and cure of our Diseases: but the Soul is sick, poor, and dying, when depriv'd of De∣votion, which is its Fire, Soul, Life. In a word, there is no∣thing to which we may more assuredly apply the pro∣mise of St. James, that God refuseth no body, but gives to all liberally; since it is the Prayer of the World, which is most agreeable to him, because it tends whol∣ly to his Glory and our own Salvation. We ask of God, that he would please to enter into us, and that we may enter into him, to be perfectly united to him by a mutual tye: And how cannot this be well-pleasing to God, seeing our Lord Christ himself, the model of our thoughts and actions, hath asked the same thing for us; That I may be in them and they in me, that they may be made perfect in one. Here therefore we ought to begin our Instructions, and the Faithful are to begin their Work: for if nothing can be done without God of what doth not regard him, how can we do that without him, which depends immediately upon him, and is termi∣••ated in him.

Meditation.

I consult my own Heart to know whether I can truly say, My Soul fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks, so my Soul thirsteth f•••• the living God. My Soul is as a barren and dry Land, where no Water is: when shall I come and appear before

God? But alas, I find not in me these thoughts and mo∣tions. I find there a great barrenness, and (as it were) a general privation of Heavenly Graces: I meet only with some languishing desires, that perish in the mo∣ment of their birth. My Faith is wavering, my Cha∣rity cold, my Hope weak, my Zeal almost extinct, and my Devotion luke-warm. Awaken thy self immediate∣ly, O my Soul; if thou wouldst be united to thy God, if thou would'st love him and be beloved by him; If thou wouldst have him kindle the pure Flames of De∣votion in thy Soul, thou must will it, desire it, ask it. This Good, this great Good, deserves that thou shouldst make the first steps, and get before it. Do not say unto me, that thou art shackled up in unhappy Chains, and the Flesh calls and perswades thee to the contrary, that thou wouldst but thou canst not be Pious; that thou wouldst this moment but thou canst not will it any time long. Alas! if thou willest it, O my Soul, it may be done: these Chains of thy will are voluntary Chains: these bonds are evil Habits and ingagements in Corrup∣tion, which are so far from lessening thy Sin, that they render thee the more culpable. In this sort of things, we do all that we will, and when we do not that which we will, 'tis because we will it with a most imperfect will.

Prayer.

O Most merciful Saviour, I am very sensible, I am not truly Devout, because I have not the will to be so: but alas! though the Cords that tye up my will to work evil, be volun∣tary, yet they are not the less strong nor the less easie to be dissolved. My corruption is in my Will, and therefore I cannot conquer it by my will alone. Thy Grace is sufficient for me; but without it I can do nothing. Come then, come my Deliverer, and break these Chains under which I groan; I will not let thee go till thou hast blessed me: Create in me a pure Heart, and renew a right Spirit within me: Let thy free Spirit sustain me. It would be in vain to seek counsel

and aid to promote and succour my Devotion: Without thee, Designs fail of their success, and councils are unprofitable. We can scarce guard Cities or build Houses, unless thou watchest, unless thou put to thine hand, all our cares and labour becomes vain. Hear my Prayers, O God, and let not my Meditations be fruitless. Quicken the Divine word of thy holy Spirit, that it may enkindle my heart as a Fire, and that I may be forthwith delivered from those coldnesses which rack and torture me, so as I may be filled with De∣votion as much as I can wish to be so.