revenge of our selves according to the Example of St. Paul's Penitent amongst the Corinthians we shall by such fifting our Consciences be the better able to sever the Wheat from the Chaff and know also what is fittest to offer to Almighty God what to pray for and what also to meditate upon In which particular Examen of our Consciences wherein we are to endeavour to produce Acts of Contrition Self-confusion Humility Resolutions of amendment Resignation c. we must observe to what Vice we are most inclined and be sure to bend all our Forces against it for that Captain-Imperfection being Conquered the rest will easily submit And in the next Examen we must Impartially enquire whether our relapses in that kind are as frequent as formerly and so continue on the Fight with new Fervour Vigour and Constancy till it shall please God to give us the Victory Now the difference between Meditation and Contemplation is said by holy Men to be as follows 1. We Meditate when by the help of the Vnderstanding we seek and cast about and at length fix our thoughts upon such Truths and Reasons as are in our present Circumstances most apt to move and affectionate the Will to the embracing the Love of God Christian Vertues Works of Piety c. but sometimes the Inclinations of the Will the Holy Spirit operating more principally in that by Love than in the Vnderstanding by Illumination preceed the Acts of the Vnderstanding tho' most commonly it is the other way the Will and Passions not easily moving without the Reasoning of the Vnderstanding to excite them 2. We Contemplate when we steadfastly and unmovably behold God by Faith believing that he is really with us and within us as he truly is and so leaving all other Objects Idea's and Discourses we Internally look on him as present love him in silence and feed on his All-satiating Sweetness And this Contemplation is either by the help of Sensible Idea's or Intelligible or surmounts them both which is the highest sort of Prayer But this is not my business at present I intending only some short Meditations such as the Reader may easily carry about with him even in his Memory CHAP. II. Of the Subject of Meditation with Heads for the first Week THE Matter and Subject of Meditation may be any thing whatsoever Divinely revealed or that any way conduceth to our Salvation But most commonly it is adapted to the Three Degrees of Christians the lower the middle and the highest Some Learned Men recommend the method of the Church in her Liturgies beginning with Advent Nativity of our Saviour and so on to his Preaching Passion Resurrection Ascension sending the Holy Spirit taking in the Epistles and Gospels of all the Dominica's and Holy-Days This Rule is Chiefly observed by the Clergy Others advise the Selecting some certain number of pious Subjects for every day in the Week and keeping to them only and this seems also a very useful way of Meditation Heads of Meditation for the first Week Monday Of the Chief end of Man Consider 1. Why he was Created namely to praise and glorifie God 2 How far this is observed or transgressed by us and how far the ample means offorded thereunto abused Reflexion 1. Give God Thanks 2. Ask Pardon 3. Promise Amendment in every particular as need requires Tuesday Of God's Benefits Consider our Being from God Preservation Redemption Sanctification Spiritual Gifts and Graces the Holy Sacraments Eternal Life c. All that God gives is freely out of his own Goodness not for his own but our profit Reflex 1. Give great Thanks with all possible Humility 2. Offer up your self all your Thoughts Words Actions and Affections to God to be sincerely directed to his Glory only Wednesday Of your Sins Consider 1. Who it is you have offended viz. God most Munificent who hath done so many and so great things for you and promised more and greater 2. God Omniscient who sees all things most clearly 3. God Omnipotent who can destroy you in a moment and none is able to resist him 4. God most Pure who abhors all sin and for that Reason threw the fallen Angels out of Heaven for one single Sin Adam out of Paradise and condemned him to above 900 Years Pennance for one single disobedience Reflect What then will become of Impenitent Sinners And how great Reason to Fear and Tremble at so great Power and Justice of God! Consider 2. Who thou art that offend'st and resistest so great a God A most vile inconsiderable Worm The whole World in God's sight is but as a drop of the morning dew Sapient 11. What is man then so minute a Particle of that Drop Who is indeed nothing of himself and compared to Infinity bears no Proportion Reflect How great the Clemency of God in bearing so long with so great Sinners and your self the Chief and very greatest of all Consider 3. For what Cause you offended God For some very vile thing some vain Honour some beastly pleasure and that knowingly and wilfully not out of Ignorance or Infirmity Reflect Detest thy Foolishness before God Acknowledge thy Fault Beg mercy Thursday Of Death Consider 1. The certainty of it and the uncertainty of the time Recollect all the suddain Deaths you have ever seen heard or read of and conclude it the greatest madness and folly in the World to live on in such a State in which you would not die Reflect You can die but once and if not well your loss is irreparable Consider 2. Of what things Death deprives you Of all External things Riches Pleasures Honours Friends for which and whose sake you have so often offended God And that nothing will accompany you to the other World but your works whether good or bad Reflect Imagine what a wicked man restored to Life from Hell-fire would do and that do you Consider 3. The State of your Body and Soul Your Body for which you have been so Sollicitous will be carryed out to be meat for the Worms your Soul immediately hurri'd to Judgment by the Angels and from thence by an unknown way to an eternal State either of bless or misery according to the Actions done in the Flesh Reflect Use now all possible means by your self and others to make Christ who is to be your Judge become propitious to you And pray to God for Grace that you may now both know and do what upon your Death-bed and at the Judgment Seat you will wish you had done Friday Of the last Judgment Consider 1. The particular Judgment that passeth upon every man at his Death and remains unalterable 2. The dreadfulness of the last general day when the Heavens will be rouled together as a Scrol the Sun it self darkened the Moon not give her light the Stars fall from their Orbs the Earth quake the Mountains and Islands remove out of their places and Mens hearts fail them for fear 3. An Universal appearance of all the Sons of Adam
18 Punishments dreadfel and sudden Pag. 19 Flood Fire and Brimstone Sword Loss of Kingdoms c. and what exceeds them all eternal Death Pag. 19 20 21 CHAP. IV. Of the chastity of Marriage and of the purity of a Single Life Pag. 23 68 Marriage very honourable compared to that of Christ with his Church Pag. 24 Many degrees of Conjugal chastity ibid. Some abstain for a shorter time upon the account of some Solemn Devotion Communicating c. Pag. 24 25 Some longer for good ends also Pag. 25 26 Some their whole life by consent for the better serving of God Pag. 26 27 Of a Single Life's being 1st more pure than chast Marriage it self Pag. 27 28 29 2ly Freer from Worldly distractions c. Pag. 29 30 More sensible of God's presence Pag. 34 The Gift of Continency attainable by all sincere endeavourers Pag. 35 36 Fitter for Contemplation Pag. 33 36. More Heroical Pag. 37 The reward in Heaven greater ibid. Of the purity of the Soul Pag. 38 The sins more immediately opposed Pride c. with the Remedies Humility c. only barely named ibid. A blind Understanding and perverse Will the causes Pag. 39 Rebellion according to St. Judes Description Pag. 39 40 Some Rules for the preventing and curing the sins of the Flesh Pag. 41 c. CHAP. V. The first Rule of our Affectiens c. Pag. 42 Of th Passion of Love ibid. If wrong placed ruins us Pag. 44. If rightly placed makes us happy ibid. Of the Memory and Imagination Pag. 41 The Store-house of the Soul Pag. 46 When advantageous ibid. When Destructive to us ibid. The outward Senses must be watched Pag. 47 Several ways of getting rid of Temptations from them by meditating upon our Saviour's Passion the 4 last things c. Pag. 48 49 c. CHAP. VI. The Second Rule Of Suggestions Pag. 52 Whence they proceed ibid. What to be done if they tempt to habitual sin Pag. 53 Using external Actions Pag. 54 Delaying the Execution bid Concerning strong resolutions Pag. 53 54 Resolutions Conditional upon a Forfeiture Pag. 56 Resolution of returning and repenting upon a relapse Pag. 58 Telling the Temptation to some other Pag. 60 61 CHAP. VII The third Rule The Occasions of Lust c. to be avoided Pag. 62 1st No making provision for the Flesh to c. ib. Temperance in meat and drink Pag. 63 64 65 c. Frequent fastings ibid. Moderate sleep and sometimes watchings Pag. 66 67 2ly Lewd Company to be avoided Pag. 70 No conversing with such Pag. 71 This for our own security and their good Pag. 73 No eating c. with them when obstinate ibid Cases of Necessity excepted c. Pag. 74 The Church in her Councils and Canons very strict in this matter Pag. 75 Lewd Books also dangerous Companions Pag. 75 Good ones the best Companions in the World Pag. 76 3ly Infamous places to be avoided ibid Whether single houses or whole cities Pag. 77 No cohabiting with lewd Persons ibid. A caution concerning Discourses Pag. 79 80 81 Especially in much Company ibid CHAP. VIII The fourth Rule Of Divine Assistances c. Pag. 82 Three things prenoted ibid. The first Grace given at Baptism Pag. 83 More added upon our using the first well Pag. 85 Of the Grace of Charity or the love of God Pag. 86 87 The force of Spiritual Gifts against the Flesh Pag. 89 How to Experience the good of Christianity ibid. Of frequent Examination of Conscience Pag. 90 The Subtility of the Devil Pag. 92 2ly The means of obtaining divine assistances Pag. 93 1st Prayer Repentance Pag. 93 94 c. 2ly Frequent Communicating Pag. 98 c. The Summ of the whole Pag. 102 Some short Directions and Heads for Meditation c. CHAP. I. OF Meditation its Requisites and how it differs from Contemplation Pag. 105 CHAP. II. Of the Subject of Meditation with Heads for the first Week Pag. 111 CHAP. III. Heads of Meditation for the Second Third and Fourth Weeks Pag. 121 CHAP. IV. Meditations for the Fifth Week Pag. 130 The Letany of Christian Vertues taken out of the Holy Scriptures c. Pag. 139 A CHECK TO DEBAUCHERY CHAP. I. Of grosse Carnal Sins in General THE spiritual Man and good Christian hath no greater Enemies than those he carrieth about with him his own depraved Appetites and inordinate Desires especially to sensual Pleasure and carnal Delights for which Flesh and Blood so strongly plead These the more common and the less heeded they are so much the more dangerous to and more destructive of the Soul There are no Temptations so vigorously assault us or so easily beguile us as these Which are therefore said by the Prophet to seize and take away the Heart Hos 4.11 and the Desire of them entreaseth the more we descend to a particular thinking or discussing of them even tho it be with a design to leave them They make so strong an Impression have so much of Force and Stratagem together that there is no Conquering of â—â—em by our contending with them but by our running away from them So many wiles and secret devices so many promises and specious pretences so many windings and turnings which the Wise Man calls the way of a Serpent upon a Rock Prov. 30.19 the way of a Man with a Maid that it is next to impossible to find them out And that because 1. Being born in Sin our very Nature is depraved And 2. inbred Lust when not subdued in us so Captivates and Incarnates the Soul as to restrain its liberty of Reasoning or thinking upon any thing else This therefore is the greatest Temptation and the vanquishing of it the great perfection of a Christian 1 Thess 4.3 Hence it is that Almighty God in pity to frail man hath provided him whosoever likes not to follow our Lord's Counsel of a single life a lawful remedy of his Lusts by Marriage Mat. 19 12. 1 Cor. 7.2 upon condition he live within the bounds of it and not endeavour the satiating his desires any other way or with any other Person than his own Wife But alas how contrary to this is the practice of the present Age wherein a Vertuous single Life is almost grown Scandalous and Marriage will hardly be allowed to be Honourable save only upon the account of Legitimating Heirs and keeping up Families Nay is it not rather reckoned as more Gentile even amongst Persons of Quality to their shame and dishonour be it spoken to have variety of Misses as they are pleased to call their lewd Prostitutes tho themselves perhaps very well married And then amongst others of less plentiful Fortunes Marriage tho stiled by the Holy Ghost Honourable is looked upon as a mean and despicable thing and little less than utter undoing Because forsooth they cannot then so near equal their Betters their elder Brothers and the like in Eating and Drinking and Cloaths and other Formalities of worldly Grandeur Whereas now they can
distinguish between the motions of Grace and those of Nature what are Temptations and what not and here the Judgment of some wise conscientious man more skilful than our selves is to be taken in least we should place our greatest Consolation as the Soul always does in something in any thing that is not God We are to think our selves below all and that there are none more frail than our selves to empty our selves of all affections to Earthly things and to have no propriety or desire that shall in the least wise hinder our love to God from being pure To leave our Lusts and that forever which tho' with St. Austin we may find difficult yet with him also we shall thereby find our selves freed from a Chain To be so indifferent lastly to joy or sorrow Temptation or quietness Life or Death and all things in this World as to expect no Consolation here but what flows from the Cross This is dying to our selves and all Creatures that we may be united to God which the Holy Scriptures call partaking of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 turning our heart to God conformity to his Holy Will walking in the Truth serving him with a pure mind i. e. without anxiety or Expectation of reward rejoicing in him acquiescing in him 2 Pet. 3.1 going out of our selves into him by a perfect Abnegation of our selves Mark 8.34 referring all things to his Glory and making him all in all to us 1 Cor. 25.28 Eph. 1.6 which is the perfection of Religion as may be seen more at large in Thomas a Kempis and other Spiritual Books But then in our endeavouring after this perfection we must beware of the highest cunning and must subtile Device of the Devil which the Scripture calls his transforming himself into an Angel of Light And that is either 1st By his stirring up in us a secret self-conceit of our good Actions as if they could not possibly be mended Or 2ly His throwing in some little specious Reasonings and Fallacies to make us abate or alter them as he always pretends for the better and for God's greater Glory For example in the exercise of our Charity towards our Neighbour to corrupt that Divine Love he usually suggests something from Reason to induce us to change Divine into Rational then something from Nature to change Natural into Carnal then something from our Flesh alone to change Rational into Natural till by degrees he renders that love in us which was at first Divine and Pure altogether impure and unchast and most opposite and most displeasing to Almighty God But yet for the most part he takes care not to deface all Vertue in his Servants that neither themselves nor others may easily discern the wickedness he intermixes and so be frightned into Repentance Such are the Wiles of the Roaring Lyon who continually goes about seeking how to devour and make a prey of us 1 Pet v. 9. Whom we are commanded to resist stedfast in the Faith with all sobriety and watchfulness But do thou O Lord have mercy on us and strengthen us to overcome him Secondly The means now of obtaining farther Assistances of the Holy Spirit besides what we receive in Baptism are chiefly 1st Prayer our own and other mens Phil. 1.19 2ly Frequently Communicating If we would for Example obtain in opposition to our Lusts those false Loves that most excellent Gift of loving God above all things which is the only true love and doing every thing to please him we must First Pray for it And this we cannot do with that earnestness and integrity we ought before we sincerely repent of our False Loves our Darling Lusts For God hears not unrepenting Sinners and admits of no Rivals in our Affections he will have our whole heart or none Then after our deep sorrowing for those Heinous Sins and what sins are not heinous Even so sorrowing as not to be content without the Absolution of the Church See Bishop Andrews's Sermon on John 20.23 Whose sins ye remit Joh. 20.23 c. to be ready to submit to her severest Discipline for the good of our Souls See the Preface to the Commination in the Common-Prayer Book in great Humility and Lowliness of Mind and Self-abjection and with a stedfast Lively Faith also that God both Can and Will answer our Request if it be for our Good we may again and again discover to him our particular Follies which he already knows but yet expects to be as it were anew Informed of them by us bemoaning our vileness and opening to him our present wants with all the Motives which we can think will cause true Contrition in us and incline Him also to Grant our instant Petition We desire for the purpose what he commands us the loving Him above all things Let us lay before Him besides our own weaknesses and Infirmities his Perfections Beauty Wisdom Love and Mercy towards us which one would think were enough to excite our love to him without his commanding us to love him who are most unworthy of his love So many Blessings so many Deliverances both Temporal and Spiritual will they not move us Hath he not Redeemed us from all our Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil taught us what to do and what to refrain given us tender Consciences the greatest Blessing upon Earth to admonish us Enabled us by his Holy Spirit to perform what he requires And yet when we continue vitious is he not still patient and long-suffering for our Repentance Preventing our Conversion with his Grace renewing his Image in us and making us again capable of Immortality and Glory For all which Benefits and Ten Thousand more can we do less than pray we may hate our Selves our Lusts and all things else and become Dead to sensuality and the World for love of him who first loved us even to Death Some there are and always have been who by Assiduous Praying having attained to the love of God think Prayer the greatest pleasure of their whole Life and themselves never well but when they are thus conversing with Almighty God whom they reverentially apprehend to be always with them either before or within them And are continually offering to him his own most precious Gifts which he therefore vouchsafes them that they may have something valuable and worthy to offer And so by their Devotions they also prepare their Souls for the receiving those particular Graces for which they pray and of which they stand in need The Power and Prevalency of Prayer whether Vocal or Mental with Almighty God and the great benefits to ourselves and others from the several parts thereof Self-Examination Confession Thanksgiving Petition Praise Resolution Intercession Oblation and every kind of Devotion wherein we either speak to God or God to us together with proper Forms and Directions for every occasion the Reader may amply learn from the publick Liturgies Manuals Catechisms Lives and Devotions of holy Men c