therefore the evils men can do to us but those we do against our selves by an angry impatient and revengeful Spirit Let us but pray and labour for Christian Charity and it will make us invincible it will make us conquer and overcome all wrongs and afflictions Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it Cant. 8.7 The waters of Calamities and Persecutions cannot put out that bright and ever-burning flame kindled by God in pious hearts CHAP. XXXIX That the love of the Supreme Good comprehends all goodness 1. GOD is our true and sovereign good him we must love with all our soul and strength and to him we must direct all our ways For the love of God comprehends all vertue and godliness it is temperance whereby we despise the pride and delights of the World that God may have our whole hearts to himself it is constancy whereby we patiently bear any cross for and from God It is justice whereby we serve and obey God alone and with due moderation command his creatures it is prudence and the highest wisdom whereby we diligently avoid the obstacles and use the means to come to God it is all that can make us good and make us happy Now God must be lov'd for himself for nothing can be better than God he is infinitely good and the beginning and end of all goodness Therefore other things must be lov'd only for his sake and in such proportion as they are more or less related to him but he must be lov'd on his own account as much as is possible without bounds or measures for his perfections are vast enough to swallow up all our affections nay they infinitely exceed them so that nothing must share our love with him it is all infinitely more than due to him 2. It much concerns us therefore to be very careful that those lower sensible goods wherewith we converse in this Earth do not steal our hearts from God the giver of them For though we set the greater value upon things Spiritual and Eternal yet because now they are out of our sight and we cannot reach them our affections to them are dull and heavy and must be forc'd and listed up whereas they are brisk and swift to such things as are the object of sense and we naturally fall down to our sensual nature and without great care we cannot avoid to be by it cheated into self-love If we would therefore be replenish'd with the Holy and Beatifying Love of God we must first cast the World out of our hearts for as a full vessel cannot receive better liquor except it be emptied no more can our hearts love the Creator if they are possest by creatures Therefore saith Saint John the beloved Apostle of Jesus Love not the world neither the things that are in the world for if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 Worldly things are made for our use and there is in them some beauty but how much more beautiful is he that made them and made us for the enjoyment of himself He that seeks for happiness out of God shall never find it but if we love him above all things then we are certainly happy for he also loves us and his favour is all CHAP. XL. Wherein consists the Love of God 1. IT consists chiefly in joyfully suffering for God for Love is a passion and he therefore loves most that is most patient as the Blessed Apostles returned from the Council rejoycing that they had been worthy to suffer shame and stripes for the name of Jesus There may be much of nature in that tenderness of devout affection and those tears that proceed from it which are observ'd in some but true vertues and solid joys do proceed from a Love practical and obediential For he that truly loves obeys in all things cheerfully for savour not for fear and if any burthen unpleasant to the flesh be laid upon him Love makes it light and acceptable too Therefore the Scripture saith that Gods Commandments are not grievous to let us know we are not yet perfect in Love when we find them grievous and difficult and that we should pray and labour for an increase of Charity The keeping of Gods Commandments is doubtless very hard to them that are acted by fear but Perfect Love casteth out Fear and as it fulfills the Law so it makes it easie and delightful to us For there is no trouble nor difficulty in that service which Love obligeth to what duties it binds on a good servant are ever thought pleasant and readily discharg'd whereas the same imposed by fear will make subjection grievous and obedience to be cavill'd at and by some means eluded 2. By this they are convinc'd to want the Love of God who complain of the strictness of Gospel-precept and count morality a needless burthen and by pretences and objections seek to loosen the yoke that they may shake it off Such are they that have itching ears and heap to themselves teachers after their own heart such as may more comply with their humor and inlarge their wanton liberty by restraining Gods Laws and the injunctions of his Church For men now adays will not be held in by duty but will range according to their will they have disputed themselves out of meekness and Charity and now that their actions are not govern'd by plain precepts but by opinions and parties they may be warranted to do in a manner whatever they lust But alass before Christs dreadful Tribunal we shall not he judged by vulgar opinions nor by the exceptions of contentious men but by truth and by divine Laws There mens fancies and relaxations and the doctrine of probability as some do teach it will be found to hare been only pernicious cheats whereby men sought to warrant their looseness and disobedience 3. But these things are not weighed nor understood but by them that sincerely love God and are therefore ready always to obey him in all things he requires For 't is by Love that the Soul gives up her self to God and by cleaving to him becomes one will and one spirit with him for God is Love saith the Scripture and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4.16 And from this union flows an holy peace and a delicious joy when by love we are subject to our Beloved and are possest of him in whom and by whom are all things and who is the fountain of all happiness and the satisfaction of all our desires Now by this shall a man know whether he truly loves God and adheres to him if God be the last end of all his purposes and actions if his thoughts and desires always run after him and if above all things he seeks to please and to obtain him CHAP. XLI That there is more of Love in Practical Knowledge than in Speculation 1. TO desire knowledge is natural to man and still the more
the Wicked and their Wickedness 4 CHAP. III. That Original Sin is the spring whence all Evil proceeds 8 CHAP. IV. Of the Occasion and Drift of this Book 10 CHAP. V. The Cause why so many learn the Rules of Christianity and follow them not 12 CHAP. VI. That the Rules of Evangelical Perfection are intended for all Christians 14 CHAP. VII Of the Vsefulness of this Book with an Exhortation to follow after Perfection 17 CHAP. VIII Of the Folly of them that neglect their last End and how necessary it is to consider it seriously 19 CHAP. IX The Reasons why all men are not happy being they all desire it 22 CHAP. X. That with an upright intention we must use all things and refer all our Actions to God 24 CHAP. XI That men trifling about things Eternal and being so earnest about the World is the cause why so many attain not their main end 26 CHAP. XII How men suffer themselves to be deceiv'd by a fair out-side and false appearance of good 29 CHAP. XIII How men spend themselves and their time and abuse all things to their own Ruin 31 CHAP. XIV That the right way to Heaven is every one to remain in the station Providence hath appointed him and therein bear the Crosses which he meets withal 33 CHAP. XV. How man 's last end or supreme happiness is qualified and how so many mistake and miss it 35 CHAP. XVI Another Reason why so many miss of their End their living too much by Sense 38 CHAP. XVII That we being the Children of God ought to be guided by his Spirit and by the example of Christ 41 CHAP. XVIII The Just liveth by faith not by the laws of flesh and bloud 43 CHAP. XIX That Faith works in a Christian self-denyal and contempt of the World 46 CHAP. XX. Of the desperate folly of men who willingly run to ruin by their inconsideration 48 CHAP. XXI The Character of a true Christian 50 CHAP. XXII Several useful cautions how a Christian should undertake and perfect his works 53 CHAP. XXIII That to discharge the Duties of our station is the best thing we can do 56 CHAP. XXIV How Christians are to live and to be sincere 57 CHAP. XXV That a hearty affection is the life of good actions 60 CHAP. XXVI Whence the goodness of our works proceeds 62 CHAP. XXVII How useful and comfortable is the consideration of God being always present 63 CHAP. XXVIII Why the Imitation of Gods Saints appears difficult 66 CHAP. XXIX How we should in all things aim at Gods Glory 68 CHAP. XXX Self-Love is the Root of all Evil. 70 CHAP. XXXI That Self-Love is that Babylon out of which God hath called us 72 CHAP. XXXII How men naturally seek themselves even in their best works 74 CHAP. XXXIII Things which every Christian is bound to know in order to Obedience 77 CHAP. XXXIV The difference betwixt the outward and the inward man 79 CHAP. XXXV How dangerous it is to be governed by Opinion and false apprehension of things 81 CHAP. XXXVI Three things very profitable and necessary to every Christian 84 CHAP. XXXVII That Repentance is necessary to all Christians 86 CHAP. XXXVIII Of the signs and effects of true Repentance 88 CHAP. XXXIX Remedies against ordinary failings and greater sins 90 CHAP. XL. Clergy-men have some special obligations though all are bound to endeavour after perfection 93 CHAP. XLI That Prayer is necessary to all and what dispositions are requisite to make it acceptable 96 CHAP. XLII Why many are not profited by Prayer and that we should study to Pray well and frequently 100 CHAP. XLIII How to Pray and avoid distractions and fix the intention 103 CHAP. XLIV The great advantages of Prayer 106 THE CONTENTS OF THE SECOND PART PART II. Of the moderation of our affections and the study and endeavour after true Virtue CHAP. I. That Voluptiousness and Vanity are to be avoided and Truth sought for in things Eternal after Christ's Example Pag. 1 CHAP. II. That to attain Perfection nothing must be neglected 4 CHAP. III. That Self-denyal and the Cross is absolutely necessary to all Christians 7 CHAP. IV. That Self-denyal is the Character and the principal duty of a Christian 10 CHAP. V. How we must fight our corrupt nature and depraved affections 13 CHAP. VI. Of the right use and moderation of our outward senses 16 CHAP. VII Of denying our Sensual appetites especially Intemperance 19 CHAP. VIII Of Talkativeness and Silence 22 CHAP. IX Of true and false delights and of self-complacency in virtue 25 CHAP. X. That we are led too much by Opinion 27 CHAP. XI That the Doctrine of Salvation is much slighted even by some who pretend to it 30 CHAP. XII That Self-will is a great Evil and must be renounc'd 32 CHAP. XIII Of the advantages of Solitariness and Retirement 34 CHAP. XIV Of the Danger of Riches and that the desire of them is to be mortified 36 CHAP. XV. Of the use of Riches and how to know we love them not 39 CHAP. XVI Of Poverty in Spirit and the contempt of the World 41 CHAP. XVII Of the Necessity and the Measures of Alms-giving 44 CHAP XVIII Of Patience in Bearing and Forbearing 48 CHAP. XIX Adversities are occasions of Virtue and must be Patiently indur'd 51 CHAP. XX. That we must bear patiently the little Vexations that happen daily 53 CHAP. XXI That we should Rejoyce in Triublations 56 CHAP. XXII That Detractions and Derisions must be indur'd and derided 59 CHAP. XXIII Remedies against Discontent and Anger for what abuses we receive 61 CHAP. XXIV Remedies against Impatience 64 CHAP. XXV Of Humility the proper Vertue of Christians 66 CHAP. XXVI From God we turn'd away by Pride to him we must return by humility 69 CHAP. XXVII The Character of a proud man 72 CHAP. XXVIII Motives and Reasons for Humility 75 CHAP. XXIX That the Humble man judgeth himself and not others with a Character of him 79 CHAP. XXX Of the Conformity of our Will to Gods 83 CHAP. XXXI Of the Resignation of our selves to God in all things 87 CHAP. XXXII That the Hope of our Salvation must rest upon God 91 CHAP. XXXIII That Love is the Spirit of Christian Religion 93 CHAP. XXXIV Of the right Placing and Ordering of Love 96 CHAP. XXXV Of the Necessity and Measures of Loving our Neighbour 98 CHAP. XXXVI True Friendship and the true Offices of it 101 CHAP. XXXVII Of the several Acts of Charity to our Neighbours 105 CHAP. XXXVIII Charity is also due to our Enemies 107 CHAP. XXXIX That the love of the Supreme Good comprehends all goodness 109 CHAP. XL. Wherein consists the Love of God 112 CHAP. XLI That there is more of Love in Practical Knowledge than in Speculation 115 CHAP. XLII That by Love Holiness is to be perfected 117 CHAP. XLIII That the Consideration of the fewness of the Chosen ought to make us very wary and diligent 120 PRECEPTS AND Practical Rules FOR A truly
that no man without a special Revelation can have a special assurance of his Salvation but we have that which is as good to secure us against despair and to ground an holy and comfortable hope upon That we are redeemed by the Bloud of Christ and devoted to him in Holy Baptism and that God is our confidence and refuge always ready to help them that call upon him and to forgive them that beg for pardon with tears and contrition and a serious purpose of amendment And many more great and precious assurances we have that God hath given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son so that all his Providences are to fit us for it if we do not wilfully frustrate all his saving methods and purposes Only he would have our Election to be hid and secret that security may not breed in us pride and negligence and that he that thinketh he standeth should take heed lest he fall 2. Now therefore because the chosen are few let every true Christian live a Holy Life with the few that he may make his Calling and Election sure and be counted worthy at last to receive the Crown of Life with the few Streight is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it saith our Blessed Saviour Mat. 7.13 Therefore we must walk in that narrow way and that always with care and fear even when we seem to run with most speed because no man in respect of himself is absolutely sure of perseverance Yet our fear must not proceed so far as to make us faint but only to make us wary and make us put our trust and confidence in God and with a chearful submission cast our selves upon him both for time and eternity If any one objects that he knows not how Gods will is affected towards him I answer that Gods promises are sincere and must be received as they are generally set forth in Holy Scripture to all that will obey Gods revealed will and moreover that his own will is much more uncertain so that it is much more safe to trust Gods for God we are certain is infinitely good He is extremely proud and unhappy withal that relies on himself more than upon God but happy is he that confides in that gracious Lord whose mercies and promises are sure for ever and in whom whosoever trusted was never confounded CHAP. XXXIII That Love is the Spirit of Christian Religion 1. THough it be by vertue of our Baptism and profession of the Christian Faith that we are and are called Christians yet the Life or Soul of our Religion is Charity or the Love of God whereby we are enabled to live godly as becomes Christians For as God by his great love wherewith he loved us sent his dear Son into the world to die for us that we might live through him so are we to love God most affectionately with all our heart and strength and our Neighbour as our selves for his sake In this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Love therefore is the first and great Commandment on which depends the Law and the Prophets Love is the foundation and excellency of our Faith to know the love of God which passeth knowledge that when we were enemies we were reconciled to him by the death of his Son Love is that fire which our Blessed Redeemer came to send in the Earth Luke 12.49 which cost him much to kindle and which burns up mens dross and impurities and cannot be put out but where iniquity doth abound And Love is the spirit of Primitive Christians who had one heart and one mind and is even the Soul of the whole Church whereby it is united and lives 2. Christ left and appointed Love as the mark whereby his followers should be known Joh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another And so in the love of God consists our union with him and it is the highest perfection of the Christian life Now perfection is the work of Grace therefore we must not relie upon our own strength but we must beg of God daily and devoutly that by his good Spirit he would kindle in our hearts the fire of an holy Charity that by it we may be guided quickned and at last perfected Neither yet must we lose heart if we sometimes fall as if all our hope were in our own strength but we must acknowledge our own infirmity and rise quickly and pray more fervently and afterwards fight more couragiously Still pursuing after perfection not only in words or ineffective wishes but in hearty desires and serious indeavours manifesting our love by daily mortifying our sins and attaining to new and higher degrees of vertue And then shall a Christian be most perfect and happy when his heart shall be empty of himself and free from the love of the world but purified and burning with the love of God CHAP. XXXIV Of the right Placing and Ordering of Love 1. HE is a just and holy man who rightly values things according to their worth and also loves them proportionably for sin is duly by wise men defin'd to be a disorderly Love and vertue to be a regular and well placed Love And though there be other natural affections yet they all proceed from and depend upon love and if this be well placed and governed as it should the rest cannot be unruly It is vertue to love what deserves to be lov'd and wisdome to make choise of it and constancy to pursue it through all dangers and sufferings and to be drawn from it by no inticements is temperance and to prefer nothing to it is justice and the order of Love must follow the order of things and so God is to be lov'd infinitely more than any creature because he is infinitely better more perfect and lovely We become good and pure by loving him who is the fountain of all goodness and purity for our manners follow our affections we become either vertuous or vicious according to the nature of what we most love 2. The true object of Love is God our Neighbour and our selves God in the first place to whom all love is due and from whom it must pass to other creatures according as they are more or less like him By this we must love our Neighbour because he is or that he may be just and we must love our selves in that we are or else that we may be holy taking from God the measure of our Love to all other things that our Love may be regular and we may be happy Let no man therefore love sin for thereby he hates and destroys his Soul and let no man love himself for his own sake but upon Gods account who is the chiefest Good in whom alone we can be intirely happy For God who alone is the Author of our being
and well-being hath set these bounds to our affections that we should love him with all our heart and with all our Soul that we should consecrate to the service of that Love our understanding our life and all our powers and that if we love any thing else it be in reference and in subordination to him that deserves all our Love and should be the master and disposer of it The love of God must therefore lead the way to what else we should love it must always prevail and be the rule of all our affections and then we cannot love nor do amiss CHAP. XXXV Of the Necessity and Measures of Loving our Neighbour 1. WE cannot love God as we should without we love our Neighbour neither can we love our Neighbour except we love God If any man saith I love God and hateth his Brother he is a liar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen and this commandment have we from him that he who loveth God loveth his Brother also 1 Joh. 4.20 The Commandment makes no exception though the man be poor though he be a stranger nay though he be vicious and thine enemy yet he is thy Neighbour and thy Brother and he must be lov'd The expressions of thy love may vary according to his needs and thine opportunities Yet they must be hearty real and effective for The End of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 And we must not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3.18 2. As Christ loved us and gave himself for us not that we deserv'd any love but because he lov'd God and us in God to whom he purchast us so must we love all men not for ours or their sakes but for God's sake having no further regard to what is good in them than only as it relates to God True Christians are so strictly united together by love that what one hath not in himself he with joy finds it in others and what one hath more than the rest he willingly imparts it to all As by our love to God we are united and in some manner become one spirit with him so by the mutual love of men of Christians especially they become one among themselves so that what one hath to himself is for the good of all and what one hath not in himself he hath and enjoys in others Thus love is the fulfilling of the Law and the fulfilling of all Righteousness According as is the mans Charity in the beginning progress or perfection so is his goodness and his righteousness and then most perfect in this life when even life it self is parted with for love 3. The modus or measure of love to our Neighbour is twofold positive and negative First To do to him as we would he should do to us Secondly And not to deal with him any otherwise than as we would he should deal with us Every one therefore in the sight of God to whom all things are known must consider seriously what he would others should do or not do to him and if he desires others should he patient towards him and bear with his faults and infirmities and speak well of him c. Then let him be careful to do so to others 'T is a sure indication of a perverse heart for a man in a private capacity to do that to another which he should be sorry to suffer himself A good Christian doth not inquire into the manners and faults of others but leaves them to his view and correction to whom all judgment is given He examines judgeth and punisheth himself and makes self-reformation his serious and constant business Whatever he sees or hears his mind is undisturb'd and abides in peace for if it be good he praiseth God if evil he turns it to good by turning his mind from it towards God in Prayers and Resignation 4. If his Office and Charity obligeth him to reprove and to correct others he doth it with a zeal sweet and benign and compassionate to his Brothers infirmity for roughness and ungovern'd passion cannot consist with Charity If the ill actions of others are capable of an excuse he excuseth them however he censures not knowing that nothing human is so perfect and holy but may be ill interpreted and at the best may be some way defectuous enough to be liable to reprehension if carping men let loose their censorious humors Whilst men are men they will have some imperfections and to be zealous against them is under pretence of preciseness to give way to peevish impatience or proud censoriousness He that is too busie to tax and judge others will never grow better himself CHAP. XXXVI True Friendship and the true Offices of it 1. FRiendship is the communion of good things and therefore it follows the nature of those things which friends have common Now there being nothing truly good but things supernatural and eternal true friendship must consist in the communication of these mutually Hence it is that carnal friendship is soon dissolved because things of sense cannot last nor always confine the spirit whereas spiritual friendship is never broken for though it may seem to be interrupted by little angers and contentions yet true piety and the love of God sweetens the harshness of them and keeps the knot indissoluble As for that friendship which too much sets our hearts upon any person and may be called Doting it should be stifled and avoided as being mischievous and it is to be known by these tokens when the party belov'd is always in our thoughts and we can never be well without him when we fear his displeasure above all things when in him we rest as in our center and we sacrifice to him all our actions and most important concerns And let none flatter themselves that this is pure innocent friendship without any self-interest for it is altogether sensual it depraves the heart and affections it is an enemy to all wisdom and true Religion and it begins and ends in the flesh and 't is to be observ'd that this kind of friendship is never betwixt persons truly good and vertuous 2. Men of real worth are always well composed grave and of a sweet deportment they are courteous to all but they are familiar to few and they flatter none in their conversation modesty discretion an exact justice and an unaffected severity is to be observed They seek not to make a shew outwardly their life is inward and secret they live to God and to their own conscience They fairly converse with men outwardly when it is fitting but their heart cleaves to God and they will not disturb themselves with the silly impertinencies or petty concerns of the world Their designs and affections differ much from the vulgar multitude and therefore their words and actions are guided with
Redemption the infinite Love and Charity of the Blessed Jesus and the glorious rewards and promises offered to all that will be true Christians While men shall be so stupid as to neglect these 't will be no hard matter to impose upon them and it must not seem strange that the means are despised where the end it self is disregarded Vntil Christians make it their first and chiefest business to secure a blessed Eternity by living holy lives it cannot be expected they should make wise and serious enquiries into those truths which are more disputable and less necessary For the mixing secular interests with things of Religion first made and still maintains the errors and breaches of the Christian world and the way to bring to an end many controversies is not so much to decide as to bury them at least to make them give place to those things which are much more plain and much more requisite and beneficial And here again I might have a just occasion to commend this Church we live in for the best guide of Souls for either she meddles not with many disputes or else she always stands on the much surer side of the question holding that which even her Adversaries cannot but acknowledge for truth and never amusing her Children with unnecessary speculations or unprofitable contests But as it is her great design to make us obedient to the Gospel of Christ and bring us to a sincere practice of all holy vertues so I shall conclude this Preface with an Exhortation to the same purpose That thou wouldest seriously and often consider that thy life is short and uncertain and that the world passeth away and all things here below and that thou resolve thereupon not to lose not to venture thy portion of good things above for any earthly enjoyment That thou wouldest bear Eternity in mind and weigh the importance of these two words which conclude our Creed Life Everlasting and that afterwards thou resolve carefully to follow the way that leads to it the Doctrine and Example of our Blessed Saviour who hath purchast and promist it to all that love and follow him Live therefore as one that follows the King of Eternity to a blessed Eternity and despise the world Vse diligently such means as will make thee know thy duty and incourage and assist thee in the discharge of it and amongst them good Books which read with attention and a design to make their goodness our own are very useful instruments of Vertue and Religion This I hope will somewhat conduce to their advancement Nay I am sure thou shalt be much better'd by it if thou wilt transcribe it with thy Life as I have with my Pen and make it thy hearty Endeavour as I do my Prayer L. B. THE Authors Dedication TO ALL TRUE CHRISTIANS WIth due Reverence I offer this small volume to you blessed Souls vessels of honour and mercy elect and holy Children of God predestinated to glory before the foundation of the World who being redeemed from death by the bloud of Christ and from sin by the gift of grace are not asham'd to own the despised Cross of your Redeemer For to you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to you that are not born of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God You are call'd by the Father to a portion of the inheritance of the Saints in light that ye might be holy and unreprovable in his sight in love and in Christ you are chosen according to the purpose and good pleasure of God not for your own works and merits For you the Blessed Jesus prayed when being ready to leave the world and go to the Father he said I have manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine He prayed not for the world because all that is in it the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are not of the Father And therefore they that are of the world hear not or at least will not regard and understand the words of eternal life for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God And though Christ be the true light which lightens every man that comes into the world yet the world sees him not nor knows him neither can it receive the spirit of truth On this will be grounded the iust judgment of the wicked This will be their condemnation that light came into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil and every one that doth evil hateth the light Now if Christ was a light in his life and doctrine he was so much more in his sufferings he did shine on the Cross most gloriously to all the world The tree of death to which he was tyed became his pulpit whence he preached his divinest Sermons teaching us that great lesson dying which he set while he was alive He that doth not take up my Cross and follow me cannot be my disciple Therefore to take up our Cross and follow Jesus is our greatest safety as well as duty our surest title to glory the Cross is the highest pitch of Christian learning to know Jesus Christ and him Crucified I heartily wish that they that shall read the ensuing Precepts and Practical Rules may have sanctified affections and a clear understanding that by the divine grace they may be brought to know and to follow the truth And my prayer for them is that God would strengthen them by his good Spirit in the inner man that love may abound in them more and more and that they may be sincere and unblameable replenisht with the fruits of righteousness pleasing to God in all things without contention and without offence I also beg for my self of the divine goodness that the glorious light of Christ may enlighten and guide my mind and that his strength may be perfected in my weakness lest after having preached to others I my self should become a cast-away by acting contrary to my own instructions And therefore I also beseech you good friends of God Blessed Christians who are the sheep of his Pasture remember me in your Prayers that what I teach I may fulfil that the precepts contained in this Book may be my practice by his divine grace and assistance without whom we can do nothing who with the Father and the Holy-Ghost liveth and reigneth one ever glorious and adored God Amen Imprimatur Geo. Hooper R. P. D. GIL Ep. Cant. Ã Sacris Dom. May 29. 1677. THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST PART PART I. Of the Christian Life and of its end and offices Pag. 1 CHAP. I. OF the distribution of all Christians into three ranks good middle-sort and bad ibid. CHAP. II. A further Description of
our Blessed Saviour commanding to all without distinction Luke 11.41 Give Alms of such things as you have And the great Preacher of Repentance injoyn'd the multitudes that asked him what they should do Luke 3.11 He that hath two Coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise I hear the Psalmist declaring that Blessed is he that considereth the Poor for the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble Psal 41.1 And the Prophet instructing all Penitents on this wise Deal thy Bread to the Hungry and bring the Poor that are cast out to thy House when thou seest the naked cover him and hide not thy self from thine own flesh Isa 58.7 I hear Religious Tobit giving this Lesson to his Son Give Alms of thy substance and when thou givest Alms let not thy hand be Envious neither turn thy face from any Poor and the Face of God shall not be turned away from thee If thou hast abundance give Alms accordingly If thou have but little be not afraid to give according to that little for thou layest up a good Treasure for thy self against the day of Necessity because that Alms do deliver from Death and suffer not to come into darkness Tob. 4.7 c. 3. What can be said more than all this to prove Alms-giving to be much a Duty and most advantagious But yet let us hear also what the Beloved Apostle saith in this matter 1 John 3.17 Whoso hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother hath need and shutteth up his Bowels of Compassion from him how dwelleth the Love of God in Him If not the love of God then self-love that is lust and sin dwell and reign in him and his Portion in the next world shall be with the rich man in the Gospel Luke 16. who was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day and yet would not give Lazarus so much as the crums that fell from his Table The Conscience of the Covetous cryeth or ere long will cry against him why dost thou put by that poor hungry man thou art his murtherer in that thou art able and dost not feed him that Bread which thou canst spare is his those garments which fill up thy Trunks belong to the Naked and the money hoarded in thy Coffers is the just right of the Necessitous Christ in the great Judgment will condemn to Hell such merciless wretches as thou art Go ye saith he into Everlasting Fire for I was hungry and you fed me not I was thirsty and you gave me no drink naked and ye clothed me not Mat. 25.42 He doth not mention such pressing extream necessities as must be now supplied and could be relieved by none else such occur but seldome not once perhaps in a mans life Therefore we must not stay for such Extremities to be Charitable but we must spare as much as we can and what we can we must give in Good Works for Charity is the band of perfectness and shall cover a multitude of sins Neither yet must we as some do delay our Charity till we can keep no longer what we have That which Death makes us give if we could have given it before will be nothing so acceptable as what we our selves freely distribute when we have power to keep it CHAP. XVIII Of Patience in Bearing and Forbearing 1. OF all the Virtues wherein Christians must exercise themselves that they may come to Life Eternal none is more excellent and none more useful than Patience By it we imitate the forbearance and long-suffering of God who provoked by so much wickedness and disobedience yet doth good to all men and makes his Sun to rise upon the Just and the Unjust Patience governs the mind and preserves it in Peace and an even Temper it breaks Anger and bridles the Tongue and mortifies Pride and a high Spirit it ends Quarrels and entertains Friendship and it conquers the World it tames the Flesh overcomes Temptations bears nobly and meekly reproaches and persecutions and it perfects and crowns the life of a Christian If all men were Patient the evils of mankind would be nothing so great nor so numerous as they are and we should be happy with abundance of love and quietness By Patience a wise and good man may be distinguish'd from a vicious fool It is so diffusive a vertue that it is necessary to all other vertues and contrary to all vices and God instructs and proves the best of his Children by exercising their Patience Nothing can hinder but that injurious Words and Actions shall affect and stir up our minds and nothing but Patience can make us masters of our selves can pacifie our tumultuous Spirits and restrain us from mischief and revenge 2. Philosophers themselves have extold very high the Praises of this excellent vertue and they made it the chiefest mark and ostentation of their own wisdome But as they know not the true God from whom proceeds and to whom tends all true vertue so their Patience was false as well as their wisdom But we that live in the School of Christ are taught by him that through many Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God and this is the only true wisdom to know Jesus Christ and him crucified and to love and chearfully bear his Cross For a Christian must be made conformable to his Crucified Saviour our life must be the Image of his Death So that he is no Christian that hates and refuseth the Cross and will not suffer Let none of us sinful men that own God for Father expect to be without Chastisement in this World for his own natural Beloved Son was not though he was without sin even the Christ was to suffer that he might enter into his Glory Every one in this life is visited with pains and sorrows either for his conversion or for his greater perfection but the most afflicted endures nothing that can be compar'd to the shame and the Cross of Christ CHAP. XIX Adversities are occasions of Vertue and must be Patiently indur'd 1. THis our present Life is the way through which we must go to Heaven and in it we find all the properties that belong to a way sometimes it is even sometimes rough sometimes it is pleasant sometimes full of briers rocks and precipices in some places it is crowded with company in some it is desart and solitary and here and there you meet with wild beasts and robbers rain and fair weather daily succeed each to other obstacles and difficulties frequently occur and even in Grace and Religion the Philosophers saying doth take place Omnia fieri secundum litem that there is contention and opposition in all things We see it in Vertue which is acquired by fighting by resisting Temptations and mans strength and fortitude would be unknown and of no use should he not meet with afflictions and uneasie tryals I know this is not the sense of the world the fools party
here pour'd upon us for a wise and good man will not only regard what he suffers but what he deserves to suffer for his offences against God Also let no man judge and condemn another remembring the saying of St. Paul Ro. 2.1 Thou art inexcusable O man for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things For 't is very unfitting he that owes ten thousand talents should be a severe exacter of his Brother's mite and he is a fool that thinks to cure others by his distemper that is by his pride and his impatience Who art thou saith the Apostle Rom. 14.4 that judgest another mans servant To his own master he standeth or falleth And how canst thou say to thy Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye when thou thy self beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye Luke 6.42 God alone that can amend and forgive or else punish the sins of men hath right to judge of them our part is to prevent them if we can or else bring men to repentance however to hide and bear with them indeavouring first to amend our own faults before we take upon us to correct others As God is merciful and patient to us all so must we be to our Brothers CHAP. XXIV Remedies against Impatience 1. MAny and various are the affairs a man must go through in his life and very different are the humors and companies he must converse withal so that it is next to impossible all men should be of his opinion and all things should fall out according to his mind therefore he must resolve before hand and be very careful that he lose not his Peace and his Patience whatever happen To that end let him consider in all his concerns and undertakings what things may come cross to his desires and above his power to help and having took a view of them let him prepare himself to bear them if they come For this will avoid the surprize and lessen the grief and compose the mind This must be therefore our first and chiefest task to understand the nature of things and to use them accordingly as that they may be taken from us and they are and must be subject to thousands of changes and chances which we cannot hinder and they are to serve not to command us and withal they are out of our power so that we must not be troubled if we cannot dispose of them as we would 2. These considerations well weighed will make a wise mans mind stedfast and even able to entertain all events with a generous indifferency Is he depriv'd of his good name of his estate or liberty is he threatned with persecutions or with death itself he is not mov'd nor dejected he had consider'd long before that such things might happen whether he would or no and now he can bear and overcome them 'T is not outward things that wound us but the wrong notion that we have of them our own mistaken conceits do us the most hurt No man grows pale with fear or perplext with anguish but he that passionately would avoid or obtain that which is not in his power mind your duty and let not your passions go out of your own sphere and you shall avoid all those troubles which come from abroad where mans Jurisdiction cannot reach The Christian Martyrs were constant in the midst of their wearied tormentors their patience could not be conquer'd even women and children were undaunted in the midst of the flames they could not be overcome though they might be kill'd because they valued not those things which Tyrants might give or else take away Things without were nothing to them but things within things that were their own as their vertue their divine faith and love these they kept and preserv'd and in so doing were happy For these are the true goods which depend only from our selves and which the world can neither give nor take away from us CHAP. XXV Of Humility the proper Vertue of Christians 1. LEarn of me saith our Divine master the eternal wisdom the inexhaustible fountain of Grace and Vertue Learn of me what sure some great matter for he that bids us learn hath himself created Heaven and Earth and commanded the light to shine out of darkness Will he therefore teach us to make a new world and so bring things out of nothing also No that belongs only to God He bids us learn not what he made but what he himself was made for us Who being in the form of God yet made himself of no reputation taking on him the form of a Servant and being made in the likeness of men Phil. 2. Learn of me therefore saith he not to raise the dead or cast out Devils not to cleanse lepers or give light to the blind not to walk on the Sea or to work such wonders as he enabled some to do but Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 He would not teach what himself would not do but he himself becomes our lesson and this he makes the sum of his wisdome and his saving doctrine that we learn to be meek and humble after his example So great so difficult a thing was lowliness that we could not learn it but from the humiliation of the most highest 2. Indeed human pride can be cur'd by none but him who being God yet humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross And humility is the chiefest vertue of Christians proper to them alone unknown to the Philosophers and wise men of the world recommended by Christ by his Example and by his Precepts above all other duties That we following him in his abasement might at last come to his glory Now that we may think meanly of our selves we must seriously consider who it is that calls us the wretched State whence he calls us the Bliss he calls us to our perverse dulness to follow and the assistances he gives to forward us For we shall never come to the prize of our high calling except humility goes along and follows our best works which are the steps we make towards it Because our vertues shall avail nothing if we be proud of them and if we seek for praise and glory here we shall not have any hereafter 3. If at any time our thoughts be lift up and we fancy our selves to be something the Earth which is always present will tell us whereof we are made and whence we had our origin For dust we are and to dust we must needs return and upon this humble and low foundation we must build the highest vertues For if a man had the gift of miracles and could remove mountains if he could speak all languages and foretel things to come if he had converted all the infidels and given all his substance to the Poor yet he would be in great and perpetual danger of falling and losing his reward
by pride except he were always mindful of his peril and his infirmity and except diffident of himself he still made it his business to work out his Salvation with fear and trembling The true wisdome and safety of Christians is to learn to be humble CHAP. XXVI From God we turn'd away by Pride to him we must return by humility 1. PRide the first and the worst of sins took beginning when the Rebellious Angels proud of their excellency list up themselves against God saying in their cursed ambitious thoughts as the Prophet Isaiah is thought to mean Isa 14.13 I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the Most High With the same wickedness mankind came to be infected when by the Serpents fraud Adam was perswaded to aspire to the being like his Maker happy in himself without dependance for The beginning of Pride is when one departeth from God and his heart is turned away from his maker Ecclus. 10.12 And so Pride is the beginning of Sin and that with its appendant miseries is the inheritance we all derive from our first Parents to seek and regard our selves in every thing to forsake God and aim at our own glory and excellency 2. That we may therefore return to God from whom we are fallen by Pride we must go back in the way of humility the basis or foundation whereof is the sense of our frailty and misery the sincere acknowledgment that we owe nothing to our selves and that we are nothing and can do nothing For God created mans body out of the Earth and breathed into him a Soul made out of nothing and man was adorned with many graces and was holy and happy but by sin he defaced Gods workmanship forfeited all his gifts and so foully defiled himself that nothing in nature can make him clean again Nay though by the mercies of our Redemption man hath been restored to the possibility of bliss and holiness yet by his choise and his free-will he would remain in his former state of sinfulness and misery should not the Divine Grace actually bring him out of that unhappy condition sanctifying his heart and bringing him into the liberty of the Sons of God 3. For who but Christ by his Free-Grace can chuse and bring a man out of that mass or heap of perdition wherein we are all involv'd by nature If any one puffed up with Pride answer that his Faith his Prayers is Righteousness have made the difference betwixt him and them that remain in their corruption the Apostle replies upon him but What hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receiv'd it 1 Cor. 4.7 Again saith he in another place 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God And Without me ye can do nothing saith our Blessed Saviour that no flesh should glory before him but as it written He that glories should glory in the Lord. Sinners can have no just cause to glory in themselves neither can the Just glory but in him to whom they sing with the Psalmist Thou O Lord art my glory and the lifter up of my head Psal 3.3 4. But may not a man glory that he hath not rejected Gods gracious offers This if he did would be the same folly as if a man should boast that whereas he could have made himself miserable and drown'd himself if he would yet he had not done it But yet even our receiving Gods free benefits proceeds from a new mercy which were it denyed us and should Grace withdraw from us her light and assistance we should neither value the gifts of God nor know how to use them aright We must therefore mortifie the desire of our own glory as we desire God would make and account us righteous let the sincere love of God make us despise the praise of men let truth take place we have no cause to glory in any thing for nothing good is our own This is the ground and the perfection of all true vertue to know and be truly perswaded that we are and have and can do nothing of our selves for it is God that works in us to will and to do Therefore let us fear and beware for God who gives grace to the humble doth take it away from the Proud CHAP. XXVII The Character of a proud man 1. PRide is a swelling or lifting up of the mind whereby the man would reach and stretch himself beyond his narrow bounds and attribute that to himself which is not his own This is joyn'd with an high conceit of himself and of his great worth which he indeavours to propagate to others boasting upon all occasions his birth dignities and riches and those accomplishments of body and mind which he thinks make him great and mighty and much superior to others This opinion gets strength and the mans Spirit grows more high and arrogant if he hath withal great Riches and a great Retinue stately Houses and Garments Gold Jewels and all such Ornaments as are the effects and the signs of mens vanities Then he must have great Titlet loud Applauses and much Reverence from others to testifie that they acknowledge him for their Superior And these he counts the sovereign happiness of this life and as for life Eternal he minds it not and he cares not for it 2. Hence proceeds a great aversion and hatred against all things that betray his weakness and defects and this being in any thing inferior to others Hence Anger and sullen discontent when any thing happens or is discover'd which reflects some disgrace and lessens his excellency Hence a perpetual fear lest what he undertakes should not succeed to his credit For indeed all men generally seek to be seen and to be commended even ordinary people in the meanest imployments seek to excell others of the same calling and to make an ostentation of their skill Nay the Philosophers themselves affected praise whilst they spake against it and they aim'd at glory writing brave things for the contempt of it The infection of Pride runs secretly and is hardly to be discern'd and when the best of men think to have plucked up by the root that cursed plant out of their hearts yet there remain small slips and strings which will bud forth though they cannot be found out We must therefore love and follow the truth and utterly despise vain shews and false praises and with a strict observation and the fear of the just and all-seeing God we must kill and stifle all proud and vain-glorious thoughts As smoke rising out of a furnace becomes a great cloud and darkens the Sun but being but smoke is soon blown away so he mounts up aloft that is high-minded and proud and diffuseth himself to obscure others and thereby grows thin and