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
God God himself Innocent c. What and how grievous things he suffered So many griefs So great Ignominy He hath born our griefs Behold the Man Behold and see were there ever sufferings like his And all this for his Enemies ungrateful sinners and me in particular to Reconcile them to God Reflect Oh the Obedience Humility Patience Perseverance Charity of his sufferings Wednesday What passed in the Garden His Agony His Soul was heavy even to Death He sweat drops of Blood He Prayed against the bitter Cup but with a Resignation to his Fathers Will. Thy will not mine be done And soon after with unparallell'd Fortitude surrendred himself If you seek me let these go their ways desiring to tread the Wine-press of God's Wrath alone Thursday Our Saviour's Vsage before Annas Caiphas Herod and Pilate Before Annas Questioned for his Doctrine In Caiphas's house false Witnesses were brought against him He was kept Prisoner there all Night Mockt by the Souldiers and others Denyed by Peter Before Herod despised Before Pilate first declared Innocent but afterwards Condemned by him for Treason to please the People and secure his own Interest with them St. Peter's Repentance very speedy But the Obstinacy of the Jews continues to this very day Friday Our Saviour's Vsage at the Pillar his Crown of Thorns his Journey to Mount Calvary bearing his Cross his barbarous Crucifixion the Wounds he received the sweet words he uttered Father forgive them c. yet the Rocks were more Compassionate than the Jews and We. Saturday Of our Saviours Burial Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea his Blessed Mother and St. Mary Magdalene and some other Honourable and Holy Persons were concerned in it They wash'd his Wounds with their holy Tears and Embalmed his Body with their Sighs and Prayers and Richest Odours He made his Sepulcher with the Rich and Honourable but yet the malicious Jews sealed the Stone and set a Watch to prevent if possible his rising again to Glory Sunday Of our Saviour's Resurrection Ascension and sending of the Holy Ghost 1. The manner of his Resurrection His Conversing Fourty days upon Earth Comforting his Freinds Strengthening his Disciples and giving them charge over his Flock 2. his Ascention into Heaven siting on the right hand of God that our Hearts and Affections might thither also ascend 3. His sending the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost his Disciples having Fasted Watch'd and Pray'd continually day and night for ten days before Reflect His Resurrection the first Fruits and earnest of ours His Ascension to draw us and our affections after him His sending the Holy Ghost that the same Spirit that raised up him the Head might also quicken us his Members CHAP. IV. Meditations for the fifth Week MOnday Of the Nobility of the Soul 1. Created by God after his own Image 2. God giveth his Angels Charge over it As the Hills stand about Jerusalem so standeth the Lord round about them that fear him 3. Of so great value is the Soul that our Saviour left the Bosom of his Father to redeem it even with the price of his Blood Tuesday Of a pure Conscience a right Faith and doing all things for God's Honour These Three constitute the good Christian for the Life we now live is by Faith And the pure in heart shall see God shall have a clear and more naked perception of him even in this Life No Image or Idea can represent a Spirit such as God is He is Purity it self perceptible only to the pure in Heart after an ineffable manner and void of all sensible Idea's Reflect The purging therefore our Consciences is to be carefully minded Wednesday Of the Presence of God With the thoughts of this so great Presence many holy Persons have preserv'd themselves from sin Enoch walked with God and was translated Abraham walked before God and was perfect King David set God always before him that he should not sin So Elijah and Elisha God liveth in whose sight and presence I stand And nothing more certain than that God filleth and worketh in all his Creatures In him we live and move and have our being and all things subsist and are upheld by his immediate hand But he more nearly dwells and inhabits in every good Man and directs him by the Interiour Language of his Inspirations and gives him leave also to Communicate to him as to a most faithful Freind all his Wants Desires Resolutions Infirmities Temptations c. And the oftner he recollects his Faculties from external objects and retireth into himself to God so much the better and his progress in holiness greater and more easy Reflect How great a folly therefore is it to live insensible of the Assistance of so great a presence so near us even within us Thursday Of the Conjunction of the Soul with God Which consists in a Conformity of our Will to the Divine We must Will the same thing with God and the same means to it My Son give me thy heart says God by Solomon It is good for me to cleave to God says David And St. Paul nothing could separate from Christ Neither Life nor Death c. 2. Such a Person is always Examining his Conscience Keep 's a strict guard that his thoughts wander not abroad or be over long busied in outward Affairs for fear of losing that presence that Consolation he always carries about with him in his Soul Prayers Meditation Contemplation Recollection the Holy Sacraments are in a manner the entertainment of his whole Life Reflect All these things are irksome and nauseous to the Carnal Worldly Man Friday Of Humility 1. The Humble man retains a true sence of God's Favours What great things he hath both done and suffered for him and that out of a free and most amazingly generous Goodness without any the least merit on his side And on the contrary what returns he hath made how many and how great wickednesses committed against that good God So that he knows not which way to turn himself Thinks no place vile enough for him who for his sins deserves the greatest Afflictions the greatest Torments He hath no way but to humble himself before God with Confusion of Face and Offer and Resign himself wholly to his boundless Mercy to deal with him as his Compassion pleases 2. The true Humble Man is Servant of all Especially his lawful Governours and Teachers to whose wiser Judgment he readily submits his own less wise As knowing they have more ability to judge than himself and more assistance also promised not to mistake To these therefore he submits as to Christ himself being commanded so to do Ezek. 33.7 8. Heb. 13.17 3ly Being contemned he rejoiceth being honoured he referrs the honour to God and so all other Benefits he receives But the shame of his sins he takes to himself and confesses with the poor Publican that he is not worthy to lift up his eyes to Heaven 4ly What humilty can equal that of our Lord in all
Christians much more than to the highest rank of them 1 Cor. 7.32 35. before the pleasures of Marriage to avoid the great Carefulness and Distractions that necessarily attend that State Even to those also that after enjoyment have left their Wives i. e. by mutual consent upon the same Spiritual account And when our Saviour saith There be some who have made themselves Eunuchs by embracing a Single Life for the Kingdom of Heavens sake i. e. For the better serving God in any way He who is able to receive it let him receive it what is it but a Recommendation to his followers particularly to his Disciples and Guides of his Church of that happier Condition And as to that popular pretence of multiplying the World and continuing a Succession of Generations that is not the care of Man but of God and Individual Persons as many as are so resolved in their minds may safely chuse the better State in order to their own greater happiness without fearing the ruine of the World to ensue And indeed our Saviour the fountain of all Purity by that Expression of making themselves Eunuchs seems to grant as St. Crysostome observes the power of living a Vertuous Single Life a life of Eunuchism to all sincere endeavourers And St. Paul also when he reckons up to his Corinthians his own good Actions and Labours 2 Cor. 6.6 inserts amongst them Pureness or Chastity which he would not have done if he had thought it the mere Gift of God without any concurrence or acquisition of his own Watchings and Fastings and Prayers If then those Married Persons are commended and promised a Reward who keep themselves within the bounds of Marriage chast from Adultery Uncleanness and all unlawful Carnal Pleasures and those also a higher Reward who Renounce the pleasures of Marriage and leave their Wives consenting thereunto for the Kingdom of Heavens sake that they may love God the more entirely with all their Heart all their Soul and all their Strength which is the great Commandment of all what shall be done with those Virgins that have with much pains and difficulty abstained not only from unlawful carnal Pleasures Fornication c. but also from the lawful those of Marriage It is certainly more Heroical as a Holy Man observes with Virgins wholly to repell the importunities of the Flesh than with the Married only lawfully to satisfie them A greater vertue to subdue than only to moderate the most Violent of our Passions Their reward therefore in Heaven must be proportionably greater answerable to the several greater Degrees of Purity to which they have here attained Of them it is said in the Revelations at least of those of the highest degree of Virginal Purity These are they who were not defiled with Women Rev. 14.4 for they are Virgins And they are there also called The first Fruits unto God and unto the Lamb And their Transcendent reward is They follow the Lamb whethersoever he goeth And of whom else is it said but of the most pure Virgin-Mother of our Lord That all Generations shall call her Blessed Luke 1.48 If it should here be objected That in this Discourse there is little or nothing said concerning the sins of the Flesh being also contrary to the Purity of the Soul as well as of the Body it is answered That such sins are more directly opposite to the purity of the Body as being committed in it and cannot be committed without it and are thence called the sins of the Flesh Care therefore being taken of the Purity of the Body the Purity of the Soul is included as to these sins Not but there are other sins called Spiritual more proper to the Soul and more directly opposite to its purity and more dangerous also because not so easily discernable by us as are the sins of the Flesh such as Pride Hypocrisy Ambition Envy Wrath Contentions of Argument Disobedience to Superiours Rebellion Witchcraft Curiosity of Science Schism Heresy and the like which together with their chief Remedies Humility Lowliness of Mind Submission of Judgment Contentedness c. would be sufficient matter for so many different Discourses And I might here insert how far an obstinate Blindness Ignorance or Errour in the Understanding and a Peevish Perversness in the Will may be said to be the chief if not the only Causes of these subtiler and more Spiritual wickednesses of the Soul But at present it shall suffice to have given some short account of the abominable sins of the Flesh and the sad Consequences thereof Superadding only which I could not omit what is so particularly markt out to us by St. Jude concerning Rebellion Jud. v. 8. The Heads and Contrivers of which he calls Filthy Dreamers that defile the Flesh despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities This Character is so plain that I need not point out the Persons concerned in it For who are these Filthy Dreamers but those who pretend Revelations and Illuminations from God to serve their own Lusts who forsaking the Guides and Governours God hath set over them and setting up for their own Passions either of Revenge or Covetousness or Ambition and the like and finding no encouragement either in God's Word or from good Men for what they do perhaps do perswade themselves at least pretend to others that they have new Advices new Instructions new Lights from Heaven And vainly puffed up in their Fleshly mind do think to shelter themselves and their wickedness under a pretext under the Fige leaves of Godliness and Spirituality till like Corah and his Company Dreaming themselves holy Num. 16.31 and offering to God false Fire they are suddenly swallowed up even before they can awake out of their filthy Dream I proceed next to the Cure and Prevention of the Sins of the Flesh by observing to the serious Reader some few useful Rules out of those many Prescribed by Pious and Learned Men for the direction of themselves and others CHAP. V. The first Rule Of our Affections Memory and Imagination FIrst we must endeavour to know our own Passions and Inclinations which if not rightly Governed do in a manner biass the Soul to what they please and are for that reason narrowly to be watcht especially the Passion of Love as being the very Source of all the rest For if our Love and Affection be once fixed and chained to any one object it grows then unruly All other Passions and Reason it self must give way to it Its Bands are strong Cant. 8.6 strong as death saith the Spouse in the Canticles Death that swallows all All our Faculties and Powers become Vassals to this Passion even our fears often proceed from our too great love it hurries them on and when not rightly placed it never stops but in our ruine Forcing us many times against our minds video meliora proboque deteriora c. to transgress our duty to God and our selves to lay aside our Liberty and Manhood
are those high things so far surpassing our Understanding that according to St. Paul Eye hath not seen 1 Cor. 2.9 2 Cor. 12.4 nor Ear heard nor hath it ever entred into the heart of Man to conceive them And if none or all of these Meditations and innumerable others relating to our Saviour and another World with which the Holy Scriptures and other good Books amply supply us cannot prevail to secure us it is certainly much better rudely to quit the Company and leap out of the flames than to stay out of Complaisance to be burnt in them CHAP. VI. The Second Rule Of Suggestions THE Second Instruction is To take great care of Suggestions and to observe from what Principle or Cause they proceed Whether 1st From our selves or our own Lusts Or 2ly From the Devil Or 3ly From the H. Spirit of God and accordingly we are either to entertain or reject them Now it is not easie even for the greatest Asceticks to discern upon all occasions from which of these Principles a Suggestion arises but if it be such as tempteth us to any Notorious sin any Filthy uncleanness we may presently know from whence it comes And then it is much better and easier to suppress it in its very beginning to stifle it in the Embryo before it be conceived in us by our consenting to it or at least before it break forth into any outward action which when finished brings forth Death Jam. 1.15 Filthy unclean Suggestions we cannot always prevent but we may refuse consenting to them or taking any delight in them and so suppress and keep them under by God's Assistance till at length we Totally extinguish them O that God's Holy Spirit would take such full possession of my heart as not to suffer any unclean Suggestion to enter there But if the sin to which we are tempted be habitual to us or the sin which doth most easily of all others beset us Heb. 12.1 we are then to bend all our forces against it make the strongest resolutions we can for some short time at least suppose for a day and so renew our resolutions every Morning the known practice of a Renowned Bishop of the Church of England in Point of Matrimony taking particular Notice how often it assaults us and in the midst of the Temptation using some external action if nothing but violence will do such as throwing our selves down upon our knees or face beating our Breast supplicating our Lord with sighs and tears when God pleases to give them for his assistance who hath promised that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 but will with the Temptation make a way for our Escape or enable us to bear the pressure of it At least it is wisdom to delay the Execution of the foul Act to which we are tempted for by deferring it our reason may gather new forces our Passions abate or some External Accidents may intervene Some pious reflection of our own may occurr or some good Friend may come in to whom we may impart our deplorable Condition and ask his good Advice who at such a time is much better able than we our selves to give it and in this sence chiefly it is that the bearing one anothers burdens is the fulfilling of the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 After the vanquishing of such a Temptation and the leaving as far as we can our own Nature to go over to Grace there usually comes an Angel to comfort us or what is better some holy Inspiratons of the Divine Spirit to encline us who of our selves cannot so much as think a good thought to thank God for our deliverance 1 Cor. 3.5 and to pray for more Grace and Strength against another time Such holy Inspirations we must take care not to repell for that would be more or less to Resist Grieve and Quench the Holy Spirit of God in us But on the contrary we must Cherish all good Thoughts and by them endeavour to introduce by little and little Vertues instead of our ill Habits When once we intend to begin a new Course of Life we must not in the least consult with Flesh and Blood but rather fall immediately upon it If at any time why not now if not now perhaps never Was the saying of St. Austin And in the acquiring of any Vertue suppose Continency Chastity or the like we may with the same Father boldly throw our selves upon God who will not withdraw himself to let us fall Projice te in Deum c. But yet our own sincere Endeavours after a pure mind and right intention must not be wanting to which God always gives a Blessing tho' we are not always sensible of it Now some perhaps may think Solemn Resolutions to one Just beginning to break a long custom and habit of any filthy sin to be both Rash and Dangerous because when once broken as many times first Resolutions are the ill habit being as yet much stronger than the good one to be introduced the over-grown Sinner is apt to be either too much discouraged and so fall into despair or to be more hardned in his most shameful Vice and so Incorrigibly go on still in his old wonted Road of Debauchery It may therefore be much safer for a beginner to make a limited Conditional Promise and such as is Releasable upon a Forefeiture Suppose for Example we resolve to abstain from such a filthy sin from such lewd Company for so long a time or if we do not we will indispensibly pay so much Money to be given to the poor say so many Prayers fast so many Meals shut up our selves so many Days from all Company and the like and this besides and over and above the necessary requisites of our Repentance which present forefeiture or punishment in our Purse or otherwise many times hath a greater Influence upon us towards the breaking off a Debauched Custom than either the fears or hopes of what may and certainly will happen to us according to our deserts in another World Moreover the resolving upon such a Penalty for the Forefeiture as does really afflict the Body such as Fasting long Retirement Watching c. or diminishing our beloved treasure and substance by giving large Alms to Prisons Hospitals poor House-keepers c. will certainly fix in our memory an hatred of the sin and so mind us of every Suggestion of it and deterr us from embracing it because if a temporal punishment be immediately to follow it much lessens the desire of the imaginary pleasure and oftentimes occasions the reflecting also on the future real punishment eternal Death which is the final Doom and the Inseparable wages of all unrepented Rom. 6.23 unforsaken sin But then to every good purpose we must not forget to joyn this Resolution also that if we should at any time by infirmity or surprize relapse into the detestable sin against which we have resolved
Fastings we may add Watching and Moderating our Sleep which as Experience shews us very much tames the Flesh as it does even the wildness of the most savage Beasts and in a manner produceth the same effects upon it as Fasting renders us less disposed to sensual Mirth and more inclined to Silence and Recollection When in Bed if we cannot sleep Praying and Medirating is necessary and sometimes rising from our Beds when we cannot otherwise drive away impure Thoughts and passing the whole Night under God's wing in Devotions without any sleep at all according to the Examample of our Lord Luk. 6.12 2 Sam. 12.16 his Apostles King David and other Saints For lazy Sleep and indeed all manner of Sloathfulness is so near a kin to Lust that nothing can break it off but violence and strong resolutions against it Forcing our selves out of our Chair or Couch to some Vertuous Action or Pious Company or the ordinary business of our Employments or what is much better to our Prayers And it is worth all our pains and trouble if it were only for preserving our Chastity To which Vertue alone the Two great Monarchs of the World Cyrus and Alexander seem to have owed the success of their Arms and the Apostate Julian when he had left all other Vertues most truly owned that this Queen of Vertues made Lives more Beautiful than Painters Could Faces Fair and the Reason given by Salvian of the Goths gaining the Empire of Rome is That they were a Nation far more chast and sent on purpose by God to chastise the Effeminacy of the Romans And yet that Vertue in them so Eminent how far short came it of true Christian Chastity which ought to be embraced for the sole sake of Christ and accompanied also with all other Christian Vertues which they wanted The Truth is to sleep and loyter away our time which is one of the most precious Talents with which Almighty God hath entrusted us is altogether mispending of it and so is also the passing of it in Drunkenness high Gaming c. from whence naturally proceeds Swearing Cursing Damning our selves and others all which are far worse than Idleness it self A diligent Employment therefore such as together with our Prayers and the Exigences of Nature not exclusive of some short innocent Diversions measures out all our time is absolutely requisite even to the greatest Personages And the more of it that is spent in the Immediate Service of God the better as coming nearer the eternal Employment of the Blessed in Heaven But of all the Labours the resisting Temptations and our Passions and all encouragements to Sloth and Idleness so frequently recommended to us in Holy Scripture under the Name of Vigilancy and Watching is the greatest and most worthy a Man and time is never bâ—â—ter spent than in so doing Blessed is that Servant whom our Lord when he cometh shall find so Employed Mat. 24.46 Secondly Lewd and Debauched Company and Filthy Conversation is also to be avoided as a principal occasion of Lust It was an observation of the Moralist Seneca long ago concerning the Temper of the World in general That he could never go abroad in it one day and return home again at night with the same manners he carryed out with him but was still rifled of some Vertue or other and rendred either more ambitious or more luxurious and the like Which holds much truer of Lewd and Debauched Company now-a-days who are the very Scum and Reproach of Mankind setting up as the Infidels did the Statues of Venus and Adonis in the place of the Holy Cross Debauchery in the place of Piety and having accustomed themselves to Fleshly Lusts perfectly hate all Spiritual Actions and Persons whatsoever and knowing the Judgment of God against the Committers of such things yet not only do the same but take pleasure in them that do them whose very words also and sometimes breath is contagious many times to keep up maintain their lewd Courses they are forc'd to become common Mercenaries in all sorts of Wickedness to buy themselves bread as is notoriously evident to the whole World and you cannot converse with such without being in danger either 1st of partaking of their sins which they think only necessary accomplishments to fit one for their Company even by not reproving them or 2dly of being infected by their ill Example they always crying up Liberty and Luxuty against Mortification and Chastity Eccl. 13.2 1 Cor. 15.33 Whereas there is no touching of Pitch without being defiled therewith no having Communication with ill manners without being insensibly corrupted by them Our Conversation therefore is more safe with Vertuous Persons And those rather few than many such as may either better us or we them But as for open lewd prophane Livers who publish their sin as Sodom glory in their shame boast of their Debaucheries as so many great Atchievements as if the Christian Hero was to be known by often violating not by defending the Bulwarks of Chastity and being perhaps Gentlemen think they are above all Ordinances whatsoever and so having removed all Land-marks between good and evil and owning no Obligation to a Supream Power besides what is Suggested from Nature profess themselves downright Libertines and count it their greatest Excellency to have neither Vertue nor Religion which they call Chains and Fetters whose death however is commonly in Despaire We are strictly forbidden having any Society with such I have written to you says St. Paul to his Corinthians not to keep Company if any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator c. or a Drunkard c. with such a one no not to Eat And this 1st in order to the bettering of him by making him ashamed Or at least 2ly for the preserving our selves from being insensibly corrupted by him Or 3ly from giving Scandal to others by our frequenting such ill Company Thus St. Austin's Religious Mother carried herself towards her own Son who till he had Renounced his Manichaean Heresy and Vicious Life together and become a good Christian would not so much as eat with him tho nevertheless when alone she was almost always in prayers and tears to God for him till she had obtained his Conversion It is a saying of Matchiavil That the ready way to ruine a State or Kingdom is to fill it with ill manners Good reason then for good Men to take care how they Converse with ill and to suspect all they do not know least at length not only themselves but the Publick also be endamaged by it But then Cases of necessity are to be exempted when either we or they cannot subsist or perform our ordinary Duties without our coming together or there is high Probability of our Reforming them by our Conversing friendly and vertuously with them Otherwise we are forbidden all manner of Conversation with such notorious Sinners so long as they continue the Custom and Practice of their lewd
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