of the Flesh more perfectly he absconded himself in a desert place where his Lodging was no other than the bare Ground his Table no other than a great Stone and his Exercise nothing but Reading and Studying the Scriptures and mastering his Carnal desires and sensual Appetite And indeed about this time viz. about the year 390. after Christ these Exercises began to be almost universal In Egypt especially men used such severities upon themselves that we that never tryed them would scarce believe that ever there were such men or that they did those mighty things which are recorded in History Soon afteer these times Men that used these Austerities began to sink by little and little into an Opinion of Merit and to look upon these Works as Meritorious of Gods favour and acceptance not only for themselves but for others too which fancy spoiled the whole Design and made that a Sacrifice of Fools which used with Humility and low Conceits of themselves would have passed for excellent Devotion and under this Character of Merit and satisfaction the Church of Rome retains some of these severities at this day which made our Church at the first Reformation abolish the abuse yet not so as to forbid Christians the moderate use of them The Grecian Aethiopian Armenian and Coptick Churches in the East do also preserve them still but much as the Papists they use them as compensations to God for the sins they live in which makes the oblation odious The greatest severities among Christians in this age seem to be those which are used in Egypt by Men of the Order of St. Anthony and the Carthusians among the Papists As to the former their Rule obliges them not only to renounce Matrimony for ever but to possess no Estate to dwell in the Wilderness to be cloath'd with Wool to be girt with a Leathern Girdle to eat no Flesh nor drink Wine except great necessity compel them to spend their time in Prayer and Worshipping of God and having their Minds always running upon God Reading the Scriptures sleeping upon a Mat or on the Earth not to take off their Cloaths to prostrate themselves 150 times a day which they call making so many Repentances Some that are counted holier than the rest prostrate themselves on their Faces and Bellies with their Arms a-cross three hundred times every night before they go to sleep And in imitation of these the Carthusians among the Papists wear Hair-cloth next to their Skin eat no Flesh at all no not in Sickness or extreme Necessity eat no Fish neither but what is freely bestow'd upon them eat Bread with the Bran in it never speak to one another never stir out of their own Colledge except the President and the Caterer and live for the most part upon Bread and Water and Colworts and Pease and Beans c. eat but once a day and all their employment is Reading Writing Praying and Labouring But that which renders both the severity of the former and the austerities of the latter insignificant in the sight of God is that the former are forced to do what they do and the latter hope to merit Heaven for themselves and others by it and both lay a greater stress upon these outward severities than upon the inward frame and disposition of the heart So that these outward severities are like a narrow Bridge over which a man must walk with very great cautiousness and circumspection for there is danger both on the right and left hand and he that doth noth carefully look to his steps may fall and while he flatters himself with hopes of Heaven exclude himself from it To direct my Reader in this point and to acquaint him with the limits of this Exercise how far these severities may be lawful and in what cases expedient and wholesome and practicable I shall lay down these following Rules and Observations I. Whenever they are used all opinion of Merit must be laid aside Merit is nonsense in Divinity and though the word occurs frequently in antient Writers yet it 's plain to any judidicious Reader that they meant by Meriting no more but obtaining or getting what God hath promised Since we must allow and confess that we are Creatures the greatest holiness and strictness imaginable can never come under that notion strictly taken for the distance betwixt the Creator and the Creature is infinite and Man by being a Creature owes himself and all he hath and all he can do to the Creator and the mercy of being Created or receiving a Being from nothing and being continually preserv'd not to mention the vast Work of Redemption and the innumerable other Blessings God hath both promised and conferr'd on Man is so stupendous a Condescension and a Bounty so astonishing that it 's impossible any Creature should deserve any thing at the Creators Hands The Angels themselves that sin not cannot deserve any favour from him for being Creatures all they do is nothing but Duty and is no more but what God may justly expect from them as their Maker and Conservator as much as a Master may challenge his Servants industry Doth he thank that Servant because he did the things that were commanded him I trow not so likewise ye when ye have done all that ye are commanded to do say we are unprofitable Servants we have done that which was our duty to do saith Christ most truly Luc. 17. 9. 10. And if you reply here that these severities are not things commanded and therefore being free-will Offerings over and above what is commanded it 's just they should deserve more than ordinary favour at God's hands I answer that though I cannot say that they are no where commanded yet let 's suppose they are not still these severities in themselves are not at all acceptable to God but only as they are accompanied with other Duties that are expresly commanded without which God looks upon them no more than on a Butchers killing of an Ox or Sheep and being only Appendixes to such Duties as are expresly commanded and not acceptable but for those Duties as will appear more in the sequel they cannot be supposed to be so considerable as to Merit Nay should a Man use the greatest severities that were ever used by Men and should he exceed all Mankind in such austerities even the Indian Brahmanes and put himself voluntarily to the greatest Pain and Tortures imaginable for a thousand years together The severity which at the best is but finite and attended with regrets and imperfections could never deserve a Glory infinite perfect and eternal for in merit there must be an equality or parity between the Work and the Reward and no man can be said to deserve that for which he takes not proportionable pains And therefore he that thinks to merit Heaven by such severities affronts the Almighty and merits Hell and Everlasting Fire That Jew was certainly distracted Simeon Ben Jochai was his name that boasted he
Accomplishments fall short of its Glory and he that hath it offers a more acceptable Sacrifice to God than he that kills the Cattle upon a Thousand Hills and lays them upon his Altar This is the Livery of the Citizens of Heaven and that which makes Saints and Angels so happy is their perfect Charity Our love to God is nothing but froth and smoak without it and he 'll never believe that we prize his favour while we are loath to venture on a duty he is so much in love with This makes a Man a living Man without this Religious Societies are no better than Hells as St. Jerom phrases it and the Inhabitants of Convents no better than Devils Put on Sackcloth tear your Flesh fast your selves to Death lie on the hard Ground walk in black pray whole days together without Charity you are not yet arriv'd to the Perfection of Apostolical Holiness X Exercise Conscientiously and faithfully to discharge the Duties of our several Relations Callings and Conditions an Exercise injoyn'd Ephes. 6. 1 2 3 4 5 9. Col. 3. 18 19 20 21 22. Col. 4. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 17 18. Tit. 2. 2 3 4 6 9. Hebr. 13. 17. 1 Tim. 3. 2 3 9 12. Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Let a Christian work never so hard if he make not this conscientious discharge part of his work he works as those that built the Tower of Babel to no purpose rolls Sisyphus's Stone and like Subterraneous Spirits that are to be seen in Mines with great labour and industry does nothing What I mean by several Relations Callings and Conditions no Man can be ignorant of that hath heard of such Names as Father and Mother Parents and Children Masters and Servants Husbands and Wives Tutors and Scholars Magistrates and Subjects Ministers and People Rich and Poor Old Men and Young Men Bond and Free Noble and Ignoble Tradesmen and Gentlemen If the Exercise commanded in the Text be universal then certainly all these have their Task all these are bound to exercise themselves in Duties belonging to the relation or condition they are in And 1. How do I exercise myself unto Godliness as a Father or Mother of Children except I shew them a good example except I behave my self decently gravely soberly and modestly before them that they may learn nothing that 's ill by my carriage Except I breed them up in the fear of God talk to them of the odiousness of Sin and beauty of Holiness instruct them in the ways of God and pray with them and for them except I provide for them not only for their Bodies but their Souls too except I admonish them in the Lord check them for their sins reprove them for their faults and correct them early for any undecent action or expression except I oblige them to use reverence and respect to their Father that begot them and their Mother that bore them except I instil conscientious Principles into them Principles of Justice Honesty Goodness Meekness Patience and giving every one their due except I enquire into their Devotion whether and how they read and pray and hear except I watch their actions their eating and drinking sleeping working writing studying playing and see whether they keep within bounds or no except I examine them what progress they make in Piety whether they make conscience of secret duties whether they are respectful and obedient to the Ministers of the Word of God whether they be attentive in hearing Sermons whether they delight in keeping the Lord's Day holy and what apprehensions they have of their spiritual and eternal condition how they spend their time and whether they apply themselves to those Virtues they read and hear of whether they do not indulge themselves in pride or lying or envy or hatred or revengeful desires whether they are tractable and live up to the Rules and Precepts I give them 2. Then I exercise my self unto Godliness as a Child as a Son or Daughter when I follow the good Instructions of my Parents when I obey them in every lawful thing when I have an honest desire to please them and a filial fear of their displeasure when I do not lose my respect to them though I am got out of their jurisdiction nor deride them for their infirmities but like the Sons of Noah cover their nakedness with the Cloak of Charity when I speak of them and to them with reverence when I take their admonition and correction kindly when I seek to promote their honour credit and reputation when I attend to their good counsels and am guided by their discretion and wisdom and good example when I imitate them in their seriousness and when I hearken to their Instructions and do not forsake their Law when I neither Marry nor settle my self in the World without their advice and am govern'd by their direction more than by mine own determination when I express my grateful resentment of their kindnesses and study how I may requite their paternal care and love when I interpret all they do or say candidly when I respect them though they are poor and bear the same love to them if they be sunk into a low condition that I would have done if they had been advanced to the highest pitch of prosperity when I relieve them in their distress support them in their want and like Aeneas carry them out upon my shoulders to save them from fire and danger when like that happy Daughter in Pliny I feed them with mine own blood and like the Children of Catania of old rather endanger my self than see them perish when in their unlawful commands I shew passive obedience and where I cannot obey them for Conscience sake suffer their anger and the effects of it patiently without traducing of them or exposing them to the scorn and laughter of Men when like the Rechabites I obey them in things lawful yet difficult and suffer not the uneasiness or hardness of the task to discourage me from acting according to their Prescriptions 3. How can that Man be said to exercise himself unto Godliness as a Master of a Family that is himself a slave to sin and to the Devil that either drinks or swears or cheats or lyes and in stead of discouraging his Servants from any of these sins doth rather tempt and entice them to these transgressions That is regardless of his great Master in Heaven to whom ere long he must give an account of his Stewardship That is indifferent what becomes of his Servants Souls and is not much concern'd whether they are ever like to get to Heaven so they do but do their business well on Earth That makes nothing of God's Commands and lives as if the Precepts of the Lord Jesus did not belong to him That gives himself to laziness and idleness and thereby teaches his Servants to do so too That makes no Conscience of redeeming the
time and while he should work and be busie in his Calling sits in an Alehouse or Tavern or runs into ill Company That cares not what Qualifications his Servants have so they will but do his Work and is not at all displeased if they privily slander their Neighbours or turn aside from the holy Commandment deliver'd unto them That either oppresses his Servant with Work and Drudgery or gives him leave to waste much time in doing nothing That allows his Servants no time to perform their duty to their Maker nor incourages them to Prayer by his example and command That gives them liberty to do what they please on the Lord's day and is unconcern'd if they neglect the publick Worship of God or their private Devotion That takes no notice of their thrivings in Grace and cares not what he doth in their presence so his passion and humour be but gratified That gives them bitter language and in stead of reproving of them with meekness and gentleness for their sins and faults reviles them with all possible wrath and bitterness That doth not give them things necessary and convenient for their sustenance and denies them the Wages for which they serve him That doth not faithfully instruct his Covenant-Servant in the Art or Trade he hath promised to instruct him in and hath no tenderness no compassion to such persons in their distress and sickness That thinks much of giving them Bread when they cannot work and of maintaining them when Providence hath disabled them from doing their Masters business 4. If I will exercise my self unto Godliness as a Servant I must be diligent and faithful industrious careful in the Work I am imploy'd in I must advance my Master's Interest and manage his Concerns in his absence with the same honesty that I would do if he were present I must cheerfully run at his Command if not contrary to the Will of God and be ready to do the Errand he sends me upon I must not pick and chuse my Work but do that which he thinks most fit and convenient for me I must not grumble at his order nor be unwilling to go where he sends me I must love him as well as serve him and honour the froward as well as the gentle I must suffer none of his Goods to be embezell'd nor waste the Treasure he hath committed to my charge I must not steal from him what I think he doth not know of nor enrich my self by what he hath farther than he gives me leave and liberty I must not mispend the hours he gives me for my Work nor dissemble with him in things that make for his just interest and advantage I must be tender of his honour and the secrets of the House I am acquainted withal I must not reveal to strangers I must not discover his faults without a lawful call nor tell Stories to the Men that hate him of his actions I must not consort with idle Companions nor let persons come into his House that would either wrong him or do him mischief I must stand up in his Vindication when he is abused and take heed of exaggerating his errours if once they come to be publick I must not tell him a lye if I have committed a fault and am ask'd about it nor stand to justifie or excuse my errour when it will not bear an Apology I must not answer again when I am chid by him much less repay him with ill language if his passion prompts him to speak more than otherwise he would have done I must bear with his infirmities and though he hath his failings yet do him service with fear and trembling I must not despise him because I am better born nor speak therefore dishonourably of him because I understand more than he I must plead Conscience when he would have me do a thing that 's displeasing to God and humbly beg of him not to put me upon that which in the end will be a torment to my Spirit I must endeavour to gain his love and do sometimes more than he commands me to testifie my zeal to do my duty I must listen to the good Lessons he gives me from the Word of God and exhort my fellow-servants to do the like I must be kind to his Children and take care that by my familiar converses with them I do not draw them into any thing that may be prejudicial either to their Souls or Bodies 5. That Man doth not exercise himself unto Godliness as a Husband that loves not his Wife without dissimulation or doth not as much as in him lies promote her spiritual and everlasting welfare that doth not care for dwelling with her nor thinks it his duty to entreat the Light of God's Countenance for her or join in prayer with her That is intemperate in his Wedlock or thinks that the strict alliance between him and her warrants every immodest extravagant and inordinate pleasure and desire or that no Decorum is to be observ'd in that estate That hath no care of her Health Wealth and Credit or loves her more for her Money and Beauty than her Virtue That gives her reproachful language and reproves her not with tenderness and compassion if her errours deserve reprehension That doth not instruct her so far as he is able or doth not help her to bear the burthen of the Family That is a stranger to all pity and cares not what becomes of her so himself can but enjoy health and prosperity whose carriage to her is churlish and his expressions to her dipt in Gall and Vinegar That exposes her natural defects before company and aggravates her neglects which should be qualified with softer constructions That in stead of comforting her slights her and is so far from healing her wounds that he doth what he can to make them wider That doth not allow her convenient Food and Raiment and let 's her want those necessary supplies which the Law of Nations binds him to That doth not protect her when she is in danger nor redeem her from the malice and cruelty of those that use all means to disparage her That doth not trust her with the affairs of the Family if she be able to manage them or conceals from her the things which appertain to their common safety That goes beyond the bounds of the authority God hath given him over her and in stead of being her Head makes himself a Tyrant and her a Slave That doth not yield unto her reasonable requests nor by his good example encourages her to Piety Gravity Charity and Discretion That despises her good counsel and will be sooner perswaded by a stranger or idle Companion than by her that lies in his bosom That laughs at her Devotion and takes pains to make her weary of her seriousness That takes it ill she should obey God more than him and thinks nothing so tedious as her
and his Righteousness and nothing ingrosses my desires so much as to be always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as I know my Labour is not in vain in the Lord. 15. Then I exercise my self unto Godliness as a Great Man or a Man of a Gentile and Noble Extract when I mind things Great and Generous and slight those Lusts which other men admire and make pleasing God the chief care of my Life while others make it their principal care and business to please and gratifie themselves When I undervalue that world others doat on and love that God with Zeal and Fervency whom others love only in Words and vain pretences When I pray with Groans which cannot be uttered while others draw nigh to God only with their lips and their Hearts are far from him and dare loose something for Christ while others follow him no farther than is consistent with their Temporal Glory when I mind that which many Kings and Prophets and Righteous Men have desired to see even the Spiritual Riches of Grace and the everlasting Mercies of David When I mind that for which Abraham forsook his own Countrey and Moses left the dazling Glories of Pharoh's Court and for which Saints and Martyrs have spilt their Blood even that everlasting Kingdom of Bliss which Sense cannot Fathom and no Eye can perceive but that of an illuminated Understanding and which the King Immortal who cannot lye hath promised to the Man that shall be faithful unto death When I am ambitious of the company of that vast multitude we read of Rev. 7. 9. which no man can number out of all Nations Kindred Tongues and People that stand before the Throne and before the Lamb with Palmes in their hands and clothed in White Raiment and cry day and night Salvation unto our God and to the Lamb for ever and ever When I can offer free-will-offerings to God and am so far from being frighted at the Gift God requires at my hands that I am ready to do more than I have an express Command for like the Pious Souls at the erecting of the Tabernacle who being bid to bring in their proportion freely offered more than their share and were so free to give that Moses was forced to put a stop to their Generosity and Liberality Exod. 36. 3 5 6. And to add no more then I exercise my self unto Godliness as a common ordinary man as a man in a lower Sphere and private station When I am just in all my dealings and in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God have my Conversation in the World When I live in a sense of God's Mercy and am ready to do good Offices to all my Neighbours When I study Truth in my Trade and Calling and as much as in me lies provide things honest in the sight of all Men. When I am not slothful in business but fervent in Spirit serving the Lord rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer c. You see Christians what it is to be universally conscientious In vain doth the Pharisee boast I thank thee O God that I am not as other Men Extortioners Unjust Adulterers nor even as this Publican As much as he valued himself up-his perfection it was nothing but Rags and menstruous Cloaths for in this Catalogue no Duties of his several Relations are mention'd and he knew not what it was to live like a Divine or like a Loyal Subject Let Alexander boast of his Conquering Persia India and other Countries and mourn that there are no more Worlds to conquer He that faithfully discharges the duties of his several Relations is a greater Man Such a Man is sensible that God will not be put off with shews and shadows nor with a righteousness that is as a Morning Cloud and as the early Dew which passeth away Such a Man receives the Kingdom of Heaven as a little Child and doth not stand out for want of pains Such a Man is resolved to know God and what the exceeding greatness of his power is to them who believe O Sirs retire and think of the reasonableness of this Exercise O that we could make you see the necessity of it O that it lay in my power to perswade you to it O that I had Rhetorick enough to charm you O that I had the Tongues of Angels to catch your Inclinations by a holy guile But it is not Eloquence will do it God's Spirit must breathe upon you and O that this blessed Spirit would blow upon you and compel you to come in and make you so sensible of the love of God that you might not be able to withstand its force but become greedy and ambitious of this Imployment You would then see how much these Men are mistaken how much they are out what a wrong way they take that place all Religion in a few heartless Prayers and careless Wishes and will not be perswaded to believe that God ever commanded this faithful discharge of the Duties of their several Relations and Callings and that they may not be obliged to it are resolved to continue in that unbelief to their dying day You would be ready to call after them Awake ye that sleep and Christ shall give you light You would wonder that they take no greater care to dress up their Souls for the Marriage of the Lamb O how you would pity them bemoan them and wish for a Fountain of Tears to bewail their stubbornness O how you would be frighted to see what burthens they lay upon their backs Burthens insupportable burthens which will crush them burthens which will make them cry out one day O that there had been such a heart in me O that I had kept close to the Law and to the Testimony O that I had look'd more to my ways O that I had remembred what a charge God gave me O that I had given ease to my Soul when Christ offered to refresh me O that I had submitted to his Yoak in all things when he promised me rest for my Soul We have innumerable examples of Men who even in this life have felt the burthen of God's anger for their unfaithful discharge of these Duties How many Fathers have groan'd under a sence of neglect of their duty to their Children How many Children have smarted for the neglect of theirs to their Parents How hath God punish'd Princes how hath he visited Subjects for their carelesness of these mutual Offices How many Servants have complain'd that they have been undone because their Masters admonish'd them not How many Masters have been ruin'd because their Servants remembred not what faithfulness and what duties God required at their hands And if God's anger against these neglects be so heavy in this life what will it be in the day of Wrath and in the day of Indignation The Judgments God
a great Promoter of Holiness Indeed in the great moral Duties of the Gospel which are expresly and peremptorily commanded I must neither hearken to Father nor Mother neither Wife nor Sister nor Children but as S t Jerome speaks trample upon them all rather than neglect a known duty and undergo all the inconveniencies and reproaches in the World rather than commit a sin wilfully but this will not hold in circumstantial things such as this praising of God at midnight is for these must ever give way to the more substantial Duties of brotherly Kindness and Charity 6. He that ventures upon these Vigils or Exercises either all night or for sometime at midnight must be a person that loves God fervently and in vain do I or any man alive attempt to bring any person to this piece of Self-denial without that person knows what a strong love to God means No man can watch that doth not love As weary as Jacob was with his Journy yet love would not suffer him to sleep at night but he must awake to contemplation and while he was engaged in 't the Angel of the Covenant wrestled with him and blessed him Love shakes off drowsiness and rest it self makes it restless Love breaks forth the more vigorously at night the less there is to hinder it in its operations Love makes such Exercises easie and a Christian that hath love to spur him on runs chearfully in this narrow way Love carries him beyond inconveniences and makes him desirous to lose his life for him that gave it Love embraces all opportunities to exercise its gratitude to the Lord Jesus and there is no time comes amiss to this inestimable Grace He that either hath felt or read what love will do to Friends on Earth will be able to guess at the truth of what I do propose and sure he never knew yet what being sick of love is I mean of love to Christ that never found himself in a disposition or temper to say By night on my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad-ways I will seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not The Watchmen that go about the City found me to whom I said saw ye him whom my Soul loveth It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my Soul loveth I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my Mothers house and into the Chamber of her that conceiv'd me Cantic 3. 1. 2 3. 7. That this Exercise of rising at midnight to Prayer may be more satisfactory and effectual I would advise to going to bed betimes that nature being refresh'd with some sleep before that time may be the fitter for this service and it 's very probable that those who in the Primitive Church used this Watchfulness observed this Rule In this Age Tradesmen and those that have any toiling Employment in the World have brought themselves to an ill custom of sitting up at their Trade till midnight almost and having tired themselves with running after their Worldly profit all day it cannot be otherwise but they must find themselves very unfit for this nocturnal Exercise If ever a man becomes Master of this Virtue he must learn to accommodate his business to his Religion not his Religion to his business and as Spiritual fervour must be the first mover and principal wheel that must set this a going so where Religion is thought worth nothing all that we have said must be as the news of the destruction of Sodom was in the Ears of Lots Kinsmen a pretty Tale and that 's all If Euclides of Megara thought not much of it to consult Socrates in the night why should we think it troublesome to participate of Gods instructions in the night-season We I say who are to tread in the steps of the great Bishop and Shepherd of our Souls and it was his custom we know to rise in the morning a great while before day to go into a solitary place to pray Marc. 1. 35. 8. The Task will be more easily and more chearfully performed if we can get one or two or more of our acquaintance to join with us in these nocturnal Exercises Company is a great encouragement to such acts of Piety and man being naturally a sociable Creature Society not only comforts him but is a spur to devotion especially to such devotion as is attended with severity One keeps the other from fainting under his Burden and if one grows cold the others zeal is enough to inspire him with new vigor and alacrity Those seven men Ruffinus speaks of who divided the night and allotted four hours for sleeping four for praising of God and prayer and four for working and likewise the day and appointed six for working three for reading and praying three for eating and walking without all peradventure found great encouragement in one anothers Society and this their order would scarce have lasted so many years as it did if it had fallen to any single persons lot to keept it up The same Author hath a passage of another company seven in number who on Saturdays about three of the Clock in the afternoon used to meet and having eaten together for in that age they eat but once a day and commonly towards the evening they fell into spiritual discourses banishing all secular business and laying aside all thoughts of Worldly things and talk'd only of Heaven and future Glory of the rest of Saints and of the misery of the Damned and when they had spent some time in such discourses they sat up all night praising and magnifying and singing the goodness of God and this they continued pausing now and then and spending some time in silence and meditation till three of the Clock in the afternoon next day and so they departed again every one to their several Habitations So great a support doth the Soul receive from good Society that is of the same mind of the same fervour and of the same zeal and earnestness to glorifie God and a man will do that encouraged by Society which before he could not have been drawn to perhaps by the strongest enforcives or arguments From these Rules I come in the next place to recommend to my Readers this nocturnal Exercise and to give them some encouragement to this piece of Self-denial The Arabians tell this passage or fable of the Ostrich that when she intends to hatch her Eggs she fits not on them as other Birds but the Male and Female by turns hatch them with their Eies only and if one be hungry and minded to seek for Food it gives notice to the other by a certain cry to come and relieve it and being come it continues looking upon the Eggs so long till the other be returned and they add that if either of