CHA P. XVII.

A Reclufe Life.

HE Man who defires to maintain Peace and a

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good Understanding with others, must learn, in order to it, in many Cases to deny and fubdue himfelf. If then you would keep your Ground, or advance forward in Piety and Virtue, poffefs your felf entirely with the Notion of your being no better than a Stranger and Pilgriin only here upon Earth. As fuch, be content to forego the Enjoyments and Esteem of the World, and to be accounted a Fool for Chrift's fake. For till this be done, You are not duly prepared to retire, and enter into a Course of Life wholly devoted to God and Religion.

The peculiar Habit, and Tonfure, and other Formalities, by which Monafticks are distinguish'd from com

on Men, add nothing to their Sanctity, nor contribute in the leaft to render them what they pretend to be. This can only be done by a Temper, as different from the reft of the World, as their Way of Living; An entire Change of Manners, and an effectual Mortification of their Paffions and Defires. He that retreats out of any other Defign, but the Service and Honour of God, and the Salvation of his Soul, will be so far from avoiding Misery and Trouble, that he will involve himself in new and greater Troubles, and become more exquifitely wretched than the Affairs of the World could make him. No body can continue easy in his own Mind, who does not endeavour to become leaft of all, and Servant of all.

Remember then that You come to Obey, and not to Govern: The State of Life to which You are called, is a State of Labour and Hardship, and much Suffering; not of Leifure, and Eafe, and Diverfion. You do

not fo properly forfake, as change your Business. For this fort of Life is fuch a Trial of Men, as the Fire is of Gold: And none make good their Poft in it, but fuch as are content to humble themselves, and heartily and chearfully fubmit to any Thing, for God's fake.

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CHA P. XVIII.

Of the Examples of Holy Men in former Ages.

T will much contribute to our Progress and Encouragement in Christian Virtues, to keep in View thofe lively Patterns, which thofe holy Fathers have fet us, whofe Zeal and exalted Plety fhone clear in former Generations. For, by obferving the Brightness of their Luftre, we fhall at the fame time difcern the Faintness and Dimnefs of our own Light, and blufh to find the prefent Age fo much eclipfed by the unequal Comparison. Alas! How poor and mean are our Attainments when put into the Balance with Theirs! Those excellent good Perfons, thofe affectionate Friends and Followers of Chrift, ferved God instantly, in Hunger and Thirft, in Cold and Nakedness, in Labour and Wearinefs, in Watchings and Faftings, in Prayers and holy Meditations, in many Perfecutions and fharp Reproaches.

Bleffed God! How many, how grievous Miferies and Hardships did the Apostles and Martyrs, the Confef fors and Virgins endure heretofore! And not They only, but all thofe brave and generous Souls in the Primitive and purer State of the Church, who made it the Study of their whole Lives to tread in the Steps of their meek and fuffering Saviour! Thefe heavenly -minded Perfons even hated their own Lives unto the Death, that they might preferve them unto Life eter

nal.

nal. How very auftere, how entirely mortified, was the Converfation of the Ancient Hermits in the Defarts? How long,how sharp the Temptations they underwent? How fierce and frequent their Conflicts with the Enemy of Souls? How conftant and fervent their Prayers? How rigorous their Abftinence, how unblemished their Chastity? How eager their Defires, how indefatigable their Endeavours after higher degrees of Perfection? How vigorous and gallant the War they waged against their Vices and rebellious Appetites? How pure and uncorrupt all their Intentions, how free from any Mixture of worldly Profpects, and fincerely fixed upon God and his Glory? The whole Day they employed in hard Labour, the whole Night in Devotion. From which their very Labours did not hinder them; for even these were confecrated too, by the frequent intermingling of Prayers and holy Ejaculations.

Their great Care, in a word, was, That no Portion of the Time God gave them in the Body, might be fpent unprofitably: And what they laboured to make an Improvement, their Zeal made a Delight. For Time in their Efteem was much too fwift; and their Devotions fo far from creating Wearinefs, that every Hour feem'd short, and fnatch'd away thofe Joys too haftily, which they felt in converfing with him whom their Soul loved, Their Thoughts were fo intent, their Raptures fo entertaining, fo ravishingly fweet, that they became, almost all Spirit, and quite forgot their Bodies, and the Care neceffary for fupporting them in Life. Riches, and Honours, and Greatness, and Friends, and Relations were now no longer their Concern, How fhould they? when even a Part of their own Perfons ceafed to be fo; and providing those things, without which Mortals cannot fubfift, was now grown a Trouble, and, to Perfons so abftracted from Flesh and Senfe, a painful and unfeafonable Interruption of better and much more important Business.

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Thefe

Book I. Thefe Men, 'tis true, had no earthly Poffeffions, but they who were Poor in that refpect, were exceeding Wealthy in another, rich in the Favour of God, and abounding in Excellent Virtues. What they wanted of outward Comforts, was much better fupplied by the plentiful Communications of Divine Graces, the inward Refreshments and unfpeakable Confolations of the Bleffed Spirit. Thefe Strangers to the World were intimately acquainted with its Maker and Lord; and, how meanly foever they might think of themfelves, or how despicable they might appear in the Eyes of others, yet in the fight of God they were particularly dear, highly honourable, and precious. They perfevered in their Humility, and fincere Obedience, in their Courage and Conftancy, their Meeknefs, and Patience, and great Charity. And by this Continuance in well-doing, and contented fuffering, they made daily Advances in fpiritual Perfection, and attained to a wonderful high pitch of Grace and Favour with God. By this exemplary Piety they are become proper Patterns for the Imitation of all devout Men in afterAges: And, though but a few in Number, ought to encourage and prevail upon us more powerfully to rival their uncommon Zeal, than the numerous Examples of negligent and lukewarm Chriftians fhould do, to flacken and fuffer our Piety to grow cold.

To these we may add the ardent Devotion of thofe Holy Men, who retired from the World into Cloifters and Cells, which, at their firft Inftitution, were Places of great Piety and fevere Virtue. Their Prayers were frequent and devout, their Emulation in fpiritual Perfections noble, their Difcipline ftrict and well ordered; their Obedience to Superiors modeft and refpectful. Even thofe Footsteps of their Piety ftill remaining, from which their Succeffors have fince fo fcandaloufly degenerated, are fufficient to inform us, that the first Combatants in this War against the World and the Flesh,

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Flesh, were Men of Gallantry, and juft Renown. But now alas! how wretched a pafs are we come to, when it is counted a mighty Matter, if here and there one keep himself from tranfgreffing the Rules of his Order, and patiently fubmit to thofe Exercifes, which his Profeffion imposes upon him?

Oh what a miferable Age of cold Indifference and wicked Carelefnefs are we fallen into? How are the holy Flames of Primitive Zeal extinguished! And inftead of being a Delight, how great a Weariness, how infupportable a Burthen, are Religious Duties and Exercifes become to us! How wretched is that Stupidity, how profound that Sleep, which now oppreffes the Spirit of Mankind, when fo many bright Examples cannot prevail with us to shake off our Sloth and Slumber, nor awaken our Souls into any tolerable Concern for banish'd Piety and neglected Virtue !

CHA P. XIX.

The Exercife of a truly Religious Perfon.

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HE Life of a Chriftian, who hath dedicated himfelf to the Service of God, fhould abound with eminent Virtues of all kinds, that he may be really the fame Perfon, which he is by outward Appearance and Profeffion. Indeed he ought not only to be the fame, but much more, in his inward Difpofition of Soul; because he profeffes to ferve a God, who fees the inward Parts, a Searcher of the Heart and Reins, a God and Father of Spirits: And therefore, fince we are always in his Sight, we should be exceeding careful to avoid all Impurity, all that may give Offence to him, whose Eyes cannot behold Iniquity. We should in a word, fo far as Mortal and frail Nature can, imitate the BlefD 2 fed