Dunghil O make me to know my self and discover to me my false deceitful heart and the odiousness and loathsomness of my sins that I may hate them with a perfect hatred When beholding the Sun O Thou Sun of Righteousness rise upon me with healing under thy wings and warm my Soul with thy Radiant Beams that I may love thee better than Father and Mother better than all that 's dear and pleasing to me here below When looking upon a House O my God make me in love with that City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God O when shall this Earthly House of my Tabernacle be dissolved and I received into that Building of God the House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens When seeing other Men laugh at any sin Lord let Rivers of Tears run down mine eyes because Men do not keep thy Law O give me tenderness of Soul that I may be concern'd at other Mens sins as well as mine own When beholding any Children or Infants O Lord out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings do thou prepare praises unto thy self let these Children grow up as the Lilies and spread their Branches as the Cedars of Libanon When going to visit a Friend Lord make him thy Friend and that he may be so incourage and assist him to do whatsoever thou commandest When reproved by another Lord let this reproof be as an excellent Oyl to me give me Grace to take it in good part let my Soul thrive by it let it heal my wounds and make me thankful for this opportunity When receiving any injury or ill language Sweet Jesu give me Grace to follow thy example and to tread in thy steps who being reviled didst not revile again and when thou wert threatned sufferedst it committing thy self to him that judges righteously When seeing it Snow Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow When seeing it Rain O visit me with the former and latter Rain of thy favour and make my heart rich with thy Showers that I may bring forth the fruits of the Spirit When despised for Righteousness sake O let me esteem the reproach of Christ greater Riches than all the Treasures of the World When it Thundreth O Lord the Power of thy Thunder who can understand Let the World take notice of the Voice of God and the Inhabitants of the Earth learn Righteousness I have been the more prolix in particularizing these Ejaculations of the Mind and these Aspirations of the Heart in the various Contingencies Accidents Providences and Actions of our Lives because I would help the Ignorant and take away all colour of excuse and destroy all pretences of impossibility of this Exercise Use will make it easie And Sirs if ever you would learn to converse with God or to have your Conversation in Heaven If ever you would get a Foretaste of the Joys to come If ever you would make Religion your Business If ever you would conquer the Lusts of the Flesh If ever you would extinguish vain and evil Thoughts If ever you would arrive to a sound Mind and that inward Spiritual Worship of God without which Christ says None can please him If ever you would learn to conquer Temptations If ever you would have your Souls become strong lusty and vigorous in the Ways of God This is the way even this praying without ceasing This is the best Antidote against Sin the best Medicine to cure all Spiritual Diseases It doth not hinder you in the Works of your Calling but rather furthers and sanctifies them nor can it be uneasie to the Mind except it be to the unwilling Mind and it keeps out the Devil better than St. Teresa's Holy Water or St. Anthonies Sign of the Cross. I know what will be pleaded here That this is to make Religion burthensome a Yoak indeed and at this rate you shall never enjoy your selves But give me leave to ask you What kind of Religion would you have Would you be Religious and dissolute Would you be good and have Elbow-room in Sin Would you be pious and be kept within no bounds Cannot you enjoy your selves without you may be licentious Would you be happy and suffer no restraint to be laid upon your Sensual Pleasures If this be a yoak there have been those before your time that have cheerfully drawn in it and thought themselves most blessed for having the honor of the Employment It is a yoak which the Son of God hath taken upon himself and all the Apostles whose Memories you celebrate and whose Actions you admire have imitated their Great Master in Would you be his Disciples and live as you please Are you proud of being his Followers and scorn his Laws Do you glory in his Salvation and are you loth to follow his Example Would not you deny your selves in your ease for a Crown of Glory Would you have all that the World affords and all that Heaven affords Would you live easie here and easie hereafter too Would you lie in the lap of Sensual Delights here and from thence drop into the Bosom of Everlasting Mercy Is it rational to believe that the Spiritual delights above are purchased by brutish and beastly ones on Earth He that will have his fill of this World must not expect to have his fill of the next He that will wellcome the pleasures of Sin and Lust here must not think to drink of the Rivers of Gods pleasure hereafter He that means to Rejoyce hereafter must mourn here He that means to Laugh in the next World must weep in this Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted but thou art tormented saith Abraham to Dives Luc. 16. 25. II. Exercise Every Morning when we have paid our homage to God by Prayer and Thanksgiving to resolve and solemnly resolve to tye our selves to certain Rules of living that day An Exercise recommended to us Psal. 17. 3 4. Psal. 76. 11. Psal. 57. 7 8. Psal. 119 101 106. To this purpose Pliny saith of the Christians in Trajan's time That they used to oblige themselves or bind themselves by an Oath in the Morning before they went about their Business not to Sin not to Cheat not to Lie not to Steal not to keep any thing unjustly from their Neighbors And this Exercise was observed many hundred years before that time by David Psal. 5. 2. where our Translation renders it In the Morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up but the Original runs thus In the Morning I do order or dispose my self to thee or towards thee and watch as a Man from a high Tower watches and observes the motion of the Enemy Not but that our Translation reaches David's sense well enough but it doth not so fully express it as it might have done He had in the foregoing words spoken
to all that converse with me and I must learn to be meek even to those which I have power over to those which are under my Charge and whom I could by stripes and threatnings force into respect and obedience and when justice and conscience oblige me to punish even in that punishment my mildness must be seen I must learn to be a Lamb and to imitate the softness of Wool for nothing appeases the angry Elephant as the meekness of the former and nothing resists the fury of Cannon-shot like the softness of the other I must not give over till I have brought my self to a temper whereby my passions may be calm and quiet and serene while those about me and who chide me and are angry with me make a fearful noise and are transported with indignation My Self-resignation may possibly serve me to leave my self to the Will and Direction of God in the enjoyment of moderate Prosperity but here I must not rest but advance this Virtue to a far higher pitch that come what will whether Weakness Feebleness or Lameness or Agues or Fevers or Consumptions or Falling-sickness or the Stone or the Gout or Poverty or Nakedness or contempt or loss of Friends or loss of Father Mother Children Sisters Brothers Relations Benefactors Money Lands Houses c. I may conform entirely to the Will of God My Obedience may lead me to do several things God hath commanded but I must drive it farther and learn to obey God readily humbly chearfully universally indefatigably learn to obey him in things that cross my inclination my temper my sensual appetite that are against my profit my temporal Interest my honour and my natural desires without disputing evading or perverting his Commands and though I apprehend not the reason of his Commands My Modesty may oblige me to bashfulness in asking but I must exercise it into greater perfection till I hate detraction shun contention avoid boasting keep secrets committed to my breast fly idleness watch against imprudence strive against irreverence and leave all affectedness My Temperance may make me cautious and afraid of eating or drinking more than nature requires but this is not the only effect it must work in me but it must teach and oblige me to go on and avoid curiosity in Diet Cloaths and Furniture and bring me to Self-denial in Sleep Recreations Words Gestures to ruling of my Affections and to purifying of my Thoughts and Imaginations My Moderation is not come yet to its full growth while I do no more but fear overvaluing sublunary comforts beyond their intrinsick worth and the end for which God doth allow them but I must make the virtue larger it must grow in me like the Lillies and spread its branches as the Cedars of Lebanon I must learn to keep my delight and mirth in outward enjoyments within bounds I must learn to moderate my grief when they are taken away in a word weep as if I wept not rejoice as though I rejoiced not and buy as though I possessed not and use the World as if I used it not I must learn to be moderate in my contests with my Neighbour moderate in my censures moderate in my passions moderate in my principles moderate in my judgment moderate in disputes about Religion My Love to God is but weak if I only stand up to vindicate his Word and holy Oracles assert their Divinity and their Truth but I must blow the fire into flames learn to embrace mean and painful things for God to bear incommodities in duties with patience to be undiscouraged in succesless Labours root out Vice and plant Virtue in all that depend upon me My love must be so exercised till God becomes the life of my Soul the light of mine eyes and till I can say Lord Here I am send me give me Grace to do what thou dost command and command what thou wilt I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for his love is better than Wine O my love my life my desire my delight my riches my treasure my all my happiness my hope my comfort my beginning my end too late have I known thee too late have I loved thee O that I had loved thee sooner My Charity to my neighbour is but in its infancy while I am only civil and respectful to him without prejudicing my self but it must be exercised and it will grow large and lovely extend to his Soul as well as to his body teach me to be tender of his credit compassionate to his calamities helpful in his distress to rejoice at his prosperity to admonish him to holiness to encourage him to good Works and to forgive him even as I hope to be forgiven in the day of our Lord Jesus My Repentance must not only fill me with melancholy thoughts about another life nor teach me only to suppress the sins I have been guilty of but I must learn to strike at the root of sin it must elevate my Soul and make it fruitful in all good works and I must learn to hate sin as much as I loved it before and to answer my degrees of sin with my degrees of contrition and my measure of vanity with my measure of sanctification and righteousness My Redeeming the time must not only make me spend some hours in private devotion but I must learn to improve opportunities whereby my better part may be exalted not to allow my self in idleness to do that which is worth spending my time in not to spend it in sin or satisfactions of the Flesh to part with vain thoughts and projects to rise early if my strength will permit to be industrious in my Calling to season my natural and civil acts and the Works of my Profession with holy contemplations to remember what will stand me in most stead after death and so to number my days that I may apply my heart unto wisdom even unto that wisdom which consists in Knowing and doing the Will of God in procuring Peace and Pardon in mortification of our Lusts and in conformity to Christ's example Then I exercise all these Graces when I work them into greater solidity of seeble make them lusty and vigorous and of fickle and uncertain make them fixed constant and immoveable till I come to abound in the work of the Lord Jesus and into this strength and glory they may be wrought by the assistance of Gods Free and Generous Spirit who is nigh unto them that call upon him unto all such as call upon him in truth I dislike not the practice of some Christians that do exercise some particular Grace more than the rest and render themselves eminent in it and make it their chief business to be ready prompt and accurate in it as Gregory the Great whose excellency lay in entertaining Strangers as the pious Lucius of France who took great delight in visiting Hospitals and serving the sick with his own hands as
Heaven when Men wrong us or do us an Injury What edifying expressions and discourses may we build upon these thoughts and contemplations when we visit one another How many excellent Examples of holy Men and Women may we pitch upon in our Discourses Can there be more edifying Discourse then to relate and represent to one another the Holy Actions of Saints either departed or living yet how humble St. Paul was how couragious St. Peter how fervent David how meek Moses how patient Job How such a one scorn'd to be call'd the Son of Pharaohs Daughter and fix'd his eyes upon the great Recompence of Reward another took pleasure in being reviled another thank'd God in the midst of Torments another Pray'd for those that Stoned him another chose Poverty and Contempt and the loss of all things that he might win Christ. Excellent matter of holy Discourse and such as in all probability St. James did aim and point at James 5. 10. Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an Example of suffering affliction and of patience And if this will not do there are so many Motives and encouraging Arguments to Goodness both we and others do make use of that we may as soon want Light at Noon as matter of Pious and Religious Conference When we converse with our Fellow-Christians What moves us to be meek What prevailes with us to be patient What makes us contented in all conditions What composes our spirits in Fiery Tryals What puts us upon Self-denial What Incentives do we make choice of to the Love of God How came we by that serious Frame of Spirit we are in How came we to conquer such a Lust What did we to vanquish such a Corruption How did we compass that Facility and Willingness to conform to God which seems to be in us How came Christ's Yoak to be easie to us and his Burthen light How came we to be rid of such a Sin How came we to Extricate our selves from such Snares and Deceits of the Devil The various wayes and methods whereby we do arrive to such perfections as these are so many Doors of Utterance and will serve to make us open our mouths boldly and he that doth so doth without all controversie exercise himself unto Godliness And to illustrate this exercise by some examples it will not be impertinent to set down here the Discourse of the Twelve Hermits in Paschasius that meeting once a Week gave one another an Account of their Spiritual Progress and Thriving in Grace and one of their Conferences was this The First said Every day I watch against evil Thoughts and Lusts as I do against Serpents and Scorpions and assoon as I find them rising in my heart I threaten them and am heartily angry with them and chide them for their insolence and sauciness and ask them How they dare be so bold as to prophane a Temple of the Holy Ghost The Second said I look upon my self every day as a Stranger and Pilgrim that must suffer many inconveniences troubles and injuries till I come to my Journeys end and I ever look upon the Morrow as the day wherein I shall be deliver'd from the burthen of the Flesh and from all possibility of sinning and so bear up under all the Crosses that befall me The Third said Every day very early in the Morning I get up and go to my God and throwing my self down upon my Face adore him and intercede with him for the whole World and this done I go and deny my Body that ease and satisfaction which flesh and blood doth crave on purpose to Crucifie the World to my self and my self unto the World The Fourth said Every day I take a Turn and Walk upon the Mount of Olives and there behold my Dear Redeemer Bleeding and do so Reflect on his Passion and the Agonies he endured for my Sin till the Spectacle melts me into Tears and forces me into very strong Resolutions to imitate him whom my Soul doth love The Fifth said Every day with the Eyes of my Understanding I behold the Angels of God as Jacob once did in a Dream Ascending and Descending for the Salvation of Mens Souls and this Love and Care and Tenderness so works upon me that I do both wish that all man kind may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth and do give more diligence to make my Calling and Election sure The Sixth said Every day I make it my bsiuness to Meditate on that saying of Christ Come to me all that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you take my Yoak upon you and I fancy I hear this Voice be hind me O Christians if you mean to be my Brethren suffer with me that ye may Reign with me Die with me that ye may live with me Conquer with me that ye may sit with me in my Throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne The seventh said Every day I sit in Council with three grave Senators Faith Hope and Charity and the effect of this Consultation is my Faith becomes more firm my Hope more lively my Charity more spreading and more fervent and I dare not willingly offend any man but think my self oblidged to suffer long and to be kind not to behave my self unseemly not to seek my own not to be easily provoked and to think no evil The Eighth said Every day I do expect the Devil and look for his Assaults and Stratagems and when I see him coming in my Mind I run to God and hide my self under the shadow of his Wings and beg hard that his fiery Darts may not hurt me The Ninth said Every day with my thoughts I ascend into Heaven and there listen to the Halelujahs and harmonious Voices of the Blessed Angels and refresh my mind and all that is within me with those melodious Songs and when I do so I die to the World trample upon all these Sublunary objects and despise those things which sensual men admire as dirt and Dung The Tenth said Every day I do set God befor me and look upon him as present and standing on my Right hand and I strive to have this thought continually in mind whence it comes to pass that I speak and do nothing but with great consideration and deliberation The Eleventh said Every day I call the Graces and Gifts of Gods Spirit about me and when I am going out I cry where are you all come about me my faithful Servants and these are the Retinue I go attended withal in this State and Pomp I set forth with this Guard about me I walk and no Devil dares approach to hurt me The Twelfth said Where ve I go I see my Sins go before me and whether I look on my Right or Left hand they still appear to me in very dreadful shapes and that makes me every day take a view of Hell and there I
every Lesson that 's deliver'd in publick and when they hear Sinners reprov'd and condemn'd cry with the Disciples of our Lord Master is it I But our Business for the most part being with men who like wanton Children will scarce eat the Meat that 's cut for them and are so choak'd with the Cares and Riches and Enjoyments of this World that the loudest Thunders of God make no impression on them and fancy because they are not particularly named in the Bible that therefore the Commands there given do not belong to them we are forced to make the way they are to walk in as easie as we can remove the Stones out of it and tell them every step of the way in hopes that all these pains may work upon their good Nature and oblige them to break loose from the Kingdom of Sin and Darkness And therefore 1. If the Actions and Motions of our outward and inward man be made the Rule of this Daily Self-examination the particular questions that must be proposed to our Hearts at night must be such as these To begin with the Senses As for the Ear Have not I this day heard some ill immodest unsavoury Expressions used by others and hath it been a grief to me hath it been a trouble to my Soul to think that my God was abused and dishonoured by it Have not my Ears been open to corrupt and vain communications Have not I been tickled with some obscene or filthy Story I have heard Have I heard my Neighbour reviled or ill spoken of and have I done the duty of a Friend and justified his innocent Behaviour Have I heard this day of any undecent deportment of any of my Family and have I reproved them for it or admonished them to amendment of life Have not I been pleased with the Commendations I have heard men pass upon me and hath not their applause tempted me to vain-glory Have I heard of losses I have had with Patience Have I heard a man speak disgracefully of me without being enraged at the Calumny Have I heard men entice me to sin and have I abhorred the invitation Have I heard men Swear and Curse and have I been concern'd at the greatness of their Sin On the Lords day especially Have I heard the Word this day with seriousness Did I come to Hear with Resolutions to Practice what I heard Was my Heart affected with the happy Message of Grace and Pardon Was not I more taken with the Ministers delivery than the great things he spoke of Was it custom that obliged me to go and hear or was it a fervent desire to be edified and built up in my most holy Faith Do I feel in my self any Purposes at this present to do as I have been advised to day Did I prepare my self for hearing the Word by suitable Thoughts and Contemplations of that awful Majesty before whom I was to appear Did I feel any heat in my Hearing which was ready to consume the Straw and Stubble of my carnal Affections Did I find any sweetness in the Word of God I heard to day Was my heart ravisht when I heard the joyful news of Christs Redemption to day Was my Soul affected with the love of God when I heard it described to day at the Receiving of the Holy Sacrament Have I done my duty at home Have I made my Servants and Children hear what the Lord their God requires at their hands As for the Eye Have I this day lifted up mine Eyes to Heaven and taken notice of Gods Providences Have not I fed mine Eyes with some unlawful Spectacle Have not I seen men sin and laught at it Have not I beheld immodest Actions and been delighted with them Hath not the sight of such a Vanity transported me into admiration of it Have I read a Portion of the Holy Scriptures to day and remembred to apply the things I read of to mine own Conscience Have I been enflamed with the goodness of the men I have read of Have the Duties and Precepts I have read caused in me a willingness to perform them Have I beheld the Finger of God in the Blessings I have received to day Have I taken notice of Gods goodness to me and mine and stood amazed at it Have I look'd upon the Works of God to day upon Trees and Herbs and Flowers and admired the Wisdom Glory and Bounty of God As for the Tongue and Lips Have I wilfully spoke evil of no man to day Have not I rendred Railing for Railing and Threatning for Threatning Have I been careful to drop something of God in the company I have been in Did not I Eat and Drink to day more to please my Appetite then to repair the decay'd strength of my nature that I might be more serviceable to God and my Neighbour Did I take occasion to speak of something that 's good at my Table And when I craved a Blessing was not my mind more intent upon the Meat before me than on the Great God above me Have not I been intemperate to day Did not I Eat and Drink more than Nature required Have I Pray'd with my Family to day and did that Prayer proceed from an humble sense of our Spiritual Wants and Necessities Have not I said something whereby my Neighbour might suffer in his Credit and Reputation Have I dropt never a Lye in my Shop or Trade or in company either in Jest or for some Advantage or to please Men Have not I rashly made or falsly broke a Promise Have I in my Addresses and Answers shew'd all Meekness unto all Men Have not I talk'd Surly or Proudly to a Man because he was Poor Have not I disdain'd to speak to him because he went in Rags Have I avoided foolish Talk and when I have been tempted to break a Jest which was either Smutty or might be some way prejudicial to my Neighbour have I suppressed it and been more ambitious of being Grave and Modest than of the Reputation of being Witty As for the Hands and Feet whereby the Scripture usually expresses Mans actions Have I been diligent in the Duties of my Calling to day Have I defrauded no Man deceived no Man Have I dealt uprightly and honestly with all Men Have I shunn'd that company which I was afraid would draw me into Sin Have not I complyed with some sinful Action of the Company I have been in Have I some way or other shewn my abhorreney and detestation of their Sins Have I really endeavour'd more to please God than Men What good have I done to day Have not I taken more pains and care to dress my Body than I have done to beautifie my Soul Have not I been more curious about my Cloaths than about my Graces Have not I been more careful to make my Face pleasing to Spectators than I have been to approve my self to God Have not I lost somewhat of the Life of Religion by going into such Society Have not I spent
a great Promoter of Holiness Indeed in the great moral Duties of the Gospel which are expresly and peremptorily commanded I must neither hearken to Father nor Mother neither Wife nor Sister nor Children but as S t Jerome speaks trample upon them all rather than neglect a known duty and undergo all the inconveniencies and reproaches in the World rather than commit a sin wilfully but this will not hold in circumstantial things such as this praising of God at midnight is for these must ever give way to the more substantial Duties of brotherly Kindness and Charity 6. He that ventures upon these Vigils or Exercises either all night or for sometime at midnight must be a person that loves God fervently and in vain do I or any man alive attempt to bring any person to this piece of Self-denial without that person knows what a strong love to God means No man can watch that doth not love As weary as Jacob was with his Journy yet love would not suffer him to sleep at night but he must awake to contemplation and while he was engaged in 't the Angel of the Covenant wrestled with him and blessed him Love shakes off drowsiness and rest it self makes it restless Love breaks forth the more vigorously at night the less there is to hinder it in its operations Love makes such Exercises easie and a Christian that hath love to spur him on runs chearfully in this narrow way Love carries him beyond inconveniences and makes him desirous to lose his life for him that gave it Love embraces all opportunities to exercise its gratitude to the Lord Jesus and there is no time comes amiss to this inestimable Grace He that either hath felt or read what love will do to Friends on Earth will be able to guess at the truth of what I do propose and sure he never knew yet what being sick of love is I mean of love to Christ that never found himself in a disposition or temper to say By night on my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad-ways I will seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not The Watchmen that go about the City found me to whom I said saw ye him whom my Soul loveth It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my Soul loveth I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my Mothers house and into the Chamber of her that conceiv'd me Cantic 3. 1. 2 3. 7. That this Exercise of rising at midnight to Prayer may be more satisfactory and effectual I would advise to going to bed betimes that nature being refresh'd with some sleep before that time may be the fitter for this service and it 's very probable that those who in the Primitive Church used this Watchfulness observed this Rule In this Age Tradesmen and those that have any toiling Employment in the World have brought themselves to an ill custom of sitting up at their Trade till midnight almost and having tired themselves with running after their Worldly profit all day it cannot be otherwise but they must find themselves very unfit for this nocturnal Exercise If ever a man becomes Master of this Virtue he must learn to accommodate his business to his Religion not his Religion to his business and as Spiritual fervour must be the first mover and principal wheel that must set this a going so where Religion is thought worth nothing all that we have said must be as the news of the destruction of Sodom was in the Ears of Lots Kinsmen a pretty Tale and that 's all If Euclides of Megara thought not much of it to consult Socrates in the night why should we think it troublesome to participate of Gods instructions in the night-season We I say who are to tread in the steps of the great Bishop and Shepherd of our Souls and it was his custom we know to rise in the morning a great while before day to go into a solitary place to pray Marc. 1. 35. 8. The Task will be more easily and more chearfully performed if we can get one or two or more of our acquaintance to join with us in these nocturnal Exercises Company is a great encouragement to such acts of Piety and man being naturally a sociable Creature Society not only comforts him but is a spur to devotion especially to such devotion as is attended with severity One keeps the other from fainting under his Burden and if one grows cold the others zeal is enough to inspire him with new vigor and alacrity Those seven men Ruffinus speaks of who divided the night and allotted four hours for sleeping four for praising of God and prayer and four for working and likewise the day and appointed six for working three for reading and praying three for eating and walking without all peradventure found great encouragement in one anothers Society and this their order would scarce have lasted so many years as it did if it had fallen to any single persons lot to keept it up The same Author hath a passage of another company seven in number who on Saturdays about three of the Clock in the afternoon used to meet and having eaten together for in that age they eat but once a day and commonly towards the evening they fell into spiritual discourses banishing all secular business and laying aside all thoughts of Worldly things and talk'd only of Heaven and future Glory of the rest of Saints and of the misery of the Damned and when they had spent some time in such discourses they sat up all night praising and magnifying and singing the goodness of God and this they continued pausing now and then and spending some time in silence and meditation till three of the Clock in the afternoon next day and so they departed again every one to their several Habitations So great a support doth the Soul receive from good Society that is of the same mind of the same fervour and of the same zeal and earnestness to glorifie God and a man will do that encouraged by Society which before he could not have been drawn to perhaps by the strongest enforcives or arguments From these Rules I come in the next place to recommend to my Readers this nocturnal Exercise and to give them some encouragement to this piece of Self-denial The Arabians tell this passage or fable of the Ostrich that when she intends to hatch her Eggs she fits not on them as other Birds but the Male and Female by turns hatch them with their Eies only and if one be hungry and minded to seek for Food it gives notice to the other by a certain cry to come and relieve it and being come it continues looking upon the Eggs so long till the other be returned and they add that if either of
you go about it go about it willingly and chearfully not like men that seem angry with God for laying such a yoak upon the neck of his Disciples I do not deny but that the Divel and our own Lusts will make Objections against it plead that it is not necessary or that hereby our worldly Profit will be much obstructed and that we do not read of many Saints that have used it and that it is a thing not common and that we must mind the Works of our Calling and that sleep will oppress us if we go about this Work at night c. The Devil did never yet let any man go quietly to Heaven and therefore such impediments he 'll certainly throw in any mans way that hath serious resolutions not to neglect it but these objections must be couragiously answered vigorously resisted and manfully opposed for the strong man will not leave the house except you throw him out by force He that is afraid of discomposing his soft Lusts and Passions to be sure can do no good here and whatever unwillingness may creep or steal upon us in this Exercise our business must be to strive and pray and labour hard against it and to resolve to cross it whatever it cost us Suggestions that would make us unwilling to venture must not be dandled courted or flatter'd No but must be beaten off with a strong hand and we must not give over till the Exercise becomes delightful to us for as it is in the Works of Charity so in this God ever loves a chearful Giver To go about this Work as the Oxe goes to the Shambles to be forced and dragg'd to it as an untowardly School-boy to his Book to scratch our Heads when we are to apply our selves to it and to be drawn to it by fears of Hell and terrors within is with the Jews Mal. 2. 13. To cover the Altar of the Lord with tears and weeping and crying out insomuch that he regards not our offering any more or receives it with a good will at our hands 3. Let it be done with an intent to be better Whatever we do in Religion this must be our end He that examines himself at night in course or makes a formality of it and hath no real intent to leave and watch against the sins and neglects which upon examination he finds in himself or to become more serious beats the Air and what is worse mocks the Almighty and takes his Covenant in his Mouth while he hates to be reformed as it is said Ps. 56. 16 17. One would think no man should undertake this Task but with an intent to become more cautious of sinning and more watchful against temptations yet such is the deceitfulness of our Hearts that we are apt to fancy God likes the Duty and regards not the Effect as the Harlot Prov. 7. 14. This day have I paid my Vows therefore came I forth to meet thee She made her Vows and Prayers not the means but the end Means they are indeed whereby God would makes us holier but he that rests in the means and goes no further is like unto a man that works in a Garden or Vineyard and rids no ground Labour is the means whereby the Garden is to be manured and cultivated that it may bring forth Flowers Herbs and Plants and all manner of pleasant Fruits He that doth not make this fruitfulness the end of his Labour takes pains but does do nothing 4. Let it be done with some aggravation of the defects and errors of your lives which you detect by examination The bare discovery of our neglects or defects will signifie little except they be represented to our minds in such black Characters as shall work us into detestation Being drawn at large and the offences heightned from circumstances and the defects considered together with the light and knowledge we have with the encouragements motives arguments God is pleased to give us with the various opportunities we enjoy with the parts gifts abilities the Almighty hath bestowed upon us they will look more big and dreadful and consequently the sight will make deeper impressions upon us and engage us to greater care and circumspection On the other side where the influences assistances helps and strength and power against any sin or temptation or any other mercy we have received in the day time be heightned and made more lively by considering our vileness unworthiness wretchedness and how undeserved these Blessings are how they savour of bowels of compassion of Gods Paternal care and discover Gods unspeakable love to his poor Creatures and his immense liberality to Wretches that have deserved his anger and fury and indignation the Heart will be more taken with them and engaged to a more servent love to God and to greater alacrity to run in the way of his Commandments 5. Those that have Families let them by all means exhort their Children and Servants to this Exercise Those I mean which are capable of it And they are capable of it sooner than we aware especially if we do entice them to it by Rewards and Promises till custom hath made it pleasant and then they will desire our approbation more than our recompence This is certainly part of that walking within our houses with a perfect heart which David makes the necessary qualification of a good Housekeeper Ps. 101. 2. Goodness is ever communicative and no man loves God truly that doth not desire others should love him as well as himself It is the nature of true Devotion to be active and zealous to make Proselytes and indeed where the heart is enamour'd with Gods Beauty and Excellency it is impatient till it brings others into a relish and liking of it If this Communing with our own hearts be profitable to our own Souls why should it not be so to the Souls of persons committed to our trust If we think it necessary to our Salvation shall we think those under our Charge may find out another way to Heaven If we look upon it as a sure Preservative to guard us against Sin shall we leave those whose Souls as well as Bodies we are to provide for to secure themselves against Sin as well as they can These are absurdities which a Christian must not be guilty of except such Christians as the Angel of the Church of Sardis was who had a name that he lived but was dead Rev. 3. 1. 6. Take such a method in this daily Self-examination as is most easie and natural Either proceed directly to contemplation of your outward and inward man or lay the Decalogue before you or make Christ's Sermon upon the Mount the Rule of this Exploration I will touch upon each of these Methods and leave it to your discretion to take which you please Indeed we should not need to descend to such particulars had we to deal with men that were in love with Religion and would apply general things to themselves think themselves concern'd in