my advice or allurements or by neglect of reproof and correction 5. Com. Have I not broken the fifth Commandment in thought word or deed by refusing to give due honour maintenance and other rights to my superiours in Church or State have I murmured against their authority scrupled their just commands or exposed their jurisdiction Have I contemn'd the person age or injunctions of my natural Parents not praying for them not relieving their wants not valuing their blessing not hearkening to their counsels Have I embrac'd any Heresy or Schism in the Church or been of any party or faction in the State Have I been unthankful to my Benefactors or of a morose and rugged demeanor towards those amongst whom I converse 6. Com. Have I not broken the sixth Commandment in thought word or deed by not loving my enemies by not living peaceably by harbouring malice and anger in my heart by using my tongue to speak evil or by hurting the body of my neighbour either openly or secretly either by my own hand or anothers by quarrelling my self or inciting others to do so 7. Com. Have I not broken the seventh Commandment in Thought Word or Deed by unclean desires obscene discourses or filthy Songs by lascivious glances or impure Dreams the result of my waking Thoughts or by any act of corporal uncleanness Have I indulged to Luxury or Excess that I might pamper my body or provoke my Lusts Have I been fond of a loose and immodest Garb or wanton Company 8. Com. Have I not broken the Eighth Commandment in thought word or deed by violence or fraud by covetousness or extortion by not paying my debts or spoiling the goods of my neighbour by not being just in my dealings faithful to my trust or Charitable to the poor and indigent 9. Com. Have I not been guilty of the breach of the Ninth Commandment in thought word and deed by lessening or blasting any Man's reputation either by my self or my encouraging others to slander him by harbouring and countenancing tale-bearers or spreading false news Have I not past rash judgement and contemn'd the weak and ignorant and rejoyc'd at my Neighbours hurt Have I ever refused to testifie the truth or ever given false witness have I neglected my own and busied my self in other mens affairs 10. Com. Have I not broken the Tenth Commandment in thought word or deed by being discontent with the station in which God hath placed me by envying the prosperity of others by entertaining ambitious thoughts and being greedy of honour and preferment Have I sought to be great by unlawful means to the prejudice of my Neighbour pursuing either my profit or my pleasure And have I not been guilty of sinning against my own Soul have I not been possest with pride and vain-glory and a high conceit of my self of the gifts of nature or the acquisitions of study or industry Have I not sought my self and the praise of men more than the praise of God Have I not been rash and inconsiderate or negligent of my best interests have I not resisted the holy Spirit and defiled the Temple of God and spent my time ill Have I not indulged to too much sleep or been irregular in my dyet apparel or recreations or averse to peace and reconciliation To which may be subjoyn'd if the Examinant be in such a state Have I ever broken the bonds of Matrimony in point of honour love maintenance and advice Have I neglected my Children in their Education or making provisions for them have I ever given them a bad example or other encouragement to be vicious or not reproved and punish'd their faults Have I been harsh cruel or unjust to my Servants not instructing them not reclaiming them when irregular Have I been unjust or false to my Friendship Have I omitted my duty in any thing to my superiors equals and inferiors If I find my self guilty after every general head I subjoyn Lord have mercy upon me pardon my violation of these Laws for the time past and for the future incline my heart to keep them to the end An Examination according to the Lord's Prayer HAve I not either wholly omitted my Prayers or not been so often at Prayers as I should have I not performed them coldly being often on my knees but seldom at my devotion have I not perform'd them irreverently without bodily humility or the compunction of my Soul without Faith and without Purity Have I not defiled my Mind which was design'd a Temple for the Spirit and a house of Prayer by making it a den of Thieves and the residence of unclean thoughts and wicked resolutions Have I been thankful for the liberal provisions of my most Merciful Father Have I fixt my affections on Heaven where my Father dwells Have I glorified the Divine Majesty as I ought or have I hindred others from so doing Have I not broken the most holy Laws by which his Kingdom is govern'd Have I with the meekness sincerity chearfulness and constancy of Angels done his will Have I not preferr'd my dayly Bread to the food of my Soul and been more concerned for the things of this life than for the honour of approaching to God's Table and have not the necessities and often my wanton appetites taken up that time which should have been bestow'd on Eternity Have I not begg'd God to forgive me those Sins which I have resolv'd to continue in and have I been so merciful to others as I have desired God to be to me When I have begg'd God either to preserve me from or to deliver me out of temptations have I not been either a tempter to my self seeking occasions of sinning or else have entertain'd the injections of my ghostly adversaries with delight and complacency Have I diligently used the grace which hath been given me to the mortifying of my Lusts and rescuing my Soul from the Divine anger Have I not made a League with Satan faln in love with Death and hasten'd towards destruction Have I not been a rebel in God's Kingdom an opposer of his Power a dishonourer of his Name and Glory and when my lips have said Amen hath not my heart contradicted my supplications And have I said this Prayer as heartily for others as I do for my own Soul To which I subjoyn Lord have mercy upon me Teach me to pray and teach me to practice that my prayers may ever be acceptable in thy sight here and my person for ever hereafter An Examination according to the Sacraments Baptism HAve I been truly thankful to God for my being called to a state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord Have I duly considered what an honour 't is to be a Christian How often have I broken my baptismal Vow and defeated and made void the endeavours of my Godfathers and Godmothers and other my instructors in the Faith of Christ Have I not neglected to acquaint my self with the Principles of Christian Religion or the due preparations
putting Words in a wrong Letter in making some unnecessary Repetitions and mis-accenting the Greek and other obvious Mistakes and to Correct the following ERRATA Part I. P. 9. l. 20. ad the Bible the Liturgy c. p. 16. l. 2. r. Prescriptions p. 21. l. 10. f. such r. many p. 30. l. 9. f. for r. because p. 47. l. 18. f. anger r. malice p. 80. l. 15. f. Rhetorick r. reason p. 82. l. 1. r who l. 23. r. celebrating l. 26. r. adapted p. 115. l. 4. del and. l. 23. r. say it p. 158. l. 19. r. brighter p. 196. l. 3. f. so r. to be p. 199. l. 6. r. Legate p. 75. del but left to discretion Part II. p. 2. l. 10. r. embleme p. 4. l. 11. del for ever p. 35. l. 18. r. but are p. 42. l. 8 r. cram p 69 l. 14. r. conquer hearts p. 103. l. 6. del only p. 107. l. 15. r. is in p. 136 l. 22. r. not my p. 179 l. 18. f. some r. also the. p. 193. del without all doubt p. 198. l. 3. r. the prayers were p. 242. Marg. Lib. 8. c. 14 15. PART I. Containing GENERAL RULES FOR THE Worthy Receiving OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SUPPER 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 77. The more any man Loves God the more is he inwardly made partaker of the Divine Nature PART I. THE INTRODUCTION Of the Circumstances of Religious Worship in private IT is fit that every man who intends to live well should set himself Rules how to spend every portion of his time as usefully and as much to Gods and his own honour as he can And because the Reputation of Religion is secured and its Interests fenc'd by Ceremonies and Circumstances and holy Offices require a fit place and select opportunities wherein they may be performed it will be necessary first to speak of those Circumstantials which are so conducive to the advantageous discharge of this duty And First That it is requisite that the considerate Christian should have a place of Retirement is I suppose disputed by none but the rash the vicious and ungovernable If therefore a mans worldly concerns will afford it him the devoutly inclined should allow himself a Closet which Room tho not by a solemn consecration yet by designation and use should be deputed to the private discharge of the duties of Piety Now a Closet is an Oratory and therefore whensoever I go thither I ought to be free from worldly considerations and wholly intent upon the business of eternity for who ever turned a Chappel into a Counting-house or a Shop And this also brings a new advantage with it For whenever I go there again the view of the place brings to my mind the good thoughts devotions and resolves that when I was last there took up my time and consequently with ease puts me afresh upon the same performances And therefore whenever I go tho but occasionally into my Closet I am bound to say a short Collect before I leave it as he who by chance only goes through a Church looks on himself obliged to make an halt and to say his prayers For let the apartment seem what it will to others it is to me the house of God it is no place for sport or society for loose thoughts or vain words it is a place of retirement and not of company and therefore should be most remote from noise and the disturbances of the house and because it is the place I first go to after I am out of my bed and the last that I take my leave of before I go to sleep this course not only secures Gods blessing on my undertakings since I begin nothing without begging his help nor end any thing without giving him thanks but withal it makes me careful and devout since I must do nothing upon which I dare not desire Gods blessing The situation of the Closet should be properly if conveniently toward the East and that way the Window should look not only because it is the pleasantest situation and introduces the early light one of the best of Gods temporal Largesses but because in that part of Heaven probably my Mediator and Advocate sits at the Right Hand of his Father for in his Humane Nature he must be confin'd to some certain place and toward that part the ancient Christians and to them I must always pay a deep veneration used to direct their prayers This place should be furnisht either for Necessity or Ornament Some things are necessary for the discharge of the duties of reading praying and meditating which every good mans prudence will dictate to him And here for my self I profess That I think my self always bound to pray on my knees or in the more humble posture of prostration and to read standing if my health will give leave because then I hear the Commands of my dearest Master and Saviour but I would meditate sitting if walking be not more acceptable to me because the man who would meditate to advantage should be no way discomposed by any thing of uneasiness that may disturb the mind or body The ornamental furniture should be plain but so ordered that it may appear like an Oratory and be a representation in little of the house of God For that some Ornament is necessary I am convinc'd because our blessed Saviour in the time of his lowest humiliation would not celebrate the Passeover but * Mar. 14.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a room that was furnisht and adorn'd and fit for such a Sacred Office To the Window there should be fixt a little Table and that should be my Altar whereon I may offer my God a broken and a contrite heart pierc'd through with the Darts of Divine Love and the Ardors of Zeal for the honour of my Saviour A little remote from it should be a Desk whereon the Book of God should be always plac'd and always open which very sight is an intimation of my duty Nearer the door and that in the Church was the place of Penitents should be a space where I may prostrate my self in the time of my sorrow and my humiliations and there also should be a little Treasury like the Treasury of the Temple or the Poor Mans Box in our Churches where on every day in which I fast and on other occasions as God shall enable me especially when I have received some signal deliverance from danger or other testimony of Gods love and favour I may lay up something for the poor by which means I shall have a stock of Charity always by me whenever I see a fit Object for it And no necessity shall make me alienate what hath been so devoted for it is Corban consecrated to God and his service tho perhaps I meet not the same day with some indigent person to bestow it on For how poor and naked are my Humiliations or Thanksgivings without Alms On the days of my humiliation I would have no other
and search'd and examin'd the Entrails according to the Rules of Art for every man was not thought fit for this Employment It was the Priest's Province For in truth when I approach this Table I offer my self to God a reasonable lively and holy Sacrifice And therefore ought to inspect my thoughts and actions For if I do not God sees me since * Heb. 4.13 Vid. Theophil in Loc. p. 909. all things are naked and open and expos'd as a Sacrifice when 't is cut down by the back to the eyes of him with whom we have to do Or rather I ought to examine my self as Goldsmiths and Bankers do their Metals by the Touchstone or the fire in allusion to which Custom * Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. Orig. to 19. in Johan Epiphan Haer. 44. Pallad Vit. Chrysost p. 37. Hieron Cassian Cyril Alexandr c. the Fathers frequently quote an excellent Saying of our blessed Saviour's which is not in our Bibles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 advising his Disciples to be expert Bankers to discern between good Metal and that which only makes a show The word also implies an Examen or Trial like that which * Harpocration Lexic v. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suid. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotel in Politic. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Officers both Military and Civil past through at Sparta by the order of Lycurgus and in other Governments in Greece who in the publick place of Judicature were either approved or exploded After which pattern the Primitive Sages made all their Ordinations in publick In the face of the Church were the Catechumens examined Their penances were publick and so were their Confessions that whatever was done there might have the Approbation of the whole Community A like scrutiny to which I should make into my own Conscience whether I am worthy of this eminent dignity of eating at my Master's Table This scrutiny I am to make as a Priest as an Officer in the Church of God and I am also to make it as a private Christian whether I am fit for this Communion of Saints because * Harpocrat Lex v. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 private persons also who had no share in the Government were subject to this Examen their Lives also being inspected whether they in their lower Stations demean'd themselves as they ought But the word hath still a further significancy For at Athens when a young man took upon him the management of his own Estate and was set free from the government of his Guardians he was called * Id. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Valesii not p. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for then he wrote Man and took the charge of himself And am I not obliged also in this sense of the word Did not my Sponsors promise for me in my Baptism And am I not arrived now to that Age that frees me from their Tuition And can I give a better instance that I have attained to years of discretion than my wise and serious choice of God for my Lord and of the ways of holiness for my delight For true examination and discretion consists * Theophyl in Rom. 2.18 p. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in knowing what to do and what to leave undone which I can never do as I ought unless I examine my past sins my present vertues and my resolutions for the future For if when I address to a Prince for his Pardon I deprecate my former Offences profess my Loyalty and promise that nothing shall ever alter my affections and my duty much more am I obliged to do so when I appear before my God The Collect. O God of all Power and Goodness give me a right Judgment of my self in all things that I may prove my own work and have rejoicing in my self alone and not in another through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. V. Of the Examen of my sins past WHen the Apostle bids me examine the state of my soul with respect to the transgressions which I have committed he means two things 1. That as to my gross and more notorious Offences I should call them to remembrance For there is no man who needs to dispute with himself whether Adultery and Murther Theft and Covetousness Anger and Self-love Disobedience and Rebellion Sacriledg and Blasphemy are sins Every man is naturally convinc'd that such actions are breaches of the Laws of God And therefore in such cases there is no need of Trial as to the fact whether it be a fault or not In this case the penitent is only to reflect on his enormities and to remember them with all their aggravating circumstances in order to Reformation and Amendment 2. As to my lesser transgressions my Negligences the forgetfulness of my Vows and the defects of holy Performances I am to experiment whether I might not have been more diligent and more devout and whether my sins of infirmity be not rather owing to my sloth than the frailty of my Nature or the weakness of my Graces I am also to examine whether many of my Reputed Vertues be not Vices whether I have not consulted my own interest or secular applause more than the honour of God how dull and cold I have been in my devotion how remiss in the Offices of Charity and how slightly I have set about the duties of Repentance Is not my Religion rather the Creature of my Fancy than my Reason And am I not a Christian only because I was born within the Pale of the Church Have I only avoided the greater transgression and hugg'd some secret darling lust as Sampson did the Philistine Damsel in my bosom Am I not proud of my Performances and swol'n with un unbecoming Tympany of Vain-glory Have I not to prevent a smaller sin committed a greater As some men avoid an unconcernedness for Religion by falling into fits of a furious Zeal imitating that Physician who to cure a Patient of the Hiccup affrighted him into Fits of Convulsion These and many other such Enquiries are to be made if I intend to be a true Penitent The Collect. GRant Lord that I may call all my ways to remembrance and seriously reflect on my past life that I may weep bitterly over my Enormities and censure severely whatever is but suspicious and for the future may sin no more lest I lose the benefits of thy Sacrament and forfeit the hopes of Heaven Amen CHAP. VI. Of the Examination of my Vertues MY Vertues also and Resolves are to be brought to the Touchstone and I must experiment whether my Repentance be real and sincere whether my Sorrow hath been deep and true my Confession hearty my Resolutions strong and my Amendment practical and whether I intend to continue in these holy purposes How often have I already relaps'd And are not my present Engagements and Vows rather the product of custom and of shame than hatred of my Vices And am I this day
That my past sins may be intirely forgiven and the rest of my life spent in the works of repentance I beseech thee c. That the end of my life may be Christian without pain and without shame if thou seest fit and that I may be able to render a good account when I shall stand before thy dreadful Tribunal I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. From mine enemies defend me O Christ Graciously look upon my afflictions Pitifully behold the sorrows of my heart Favourably with mercy hear my Prayers Mercifully forgive the sins of thy Servant O Son of David have mercy upon me Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear me O Christ Graciously hear me O Christ graciously hear me O Lord Christ O Lord let thy mercy be shewed upon me As I do put my trust in thee Pardon O Lord the guilt of my sins remove the punishment and wash out the pollutions keep me from the shame and the suffering due to them and rescue me from the dominion of Satan the tyranny of my own Lusts and from everlasting destruction Amen Bp. Andrews BLessed Jesu Interpose between God and my Soul thy Priesthood and Sacrifice between my self and Satan thy Kingdom and Conquest between my Soul and my Sins thy Innocency between my Soul and my Concupiscence thy Charity between my Soul and the punishments due to a Sinner thy Passion and the satisfaction of thy Blood between my Soul and my Conscience and God's Tribunal thy Advocateship between my Soul and its want of Righteousness thy absolute and complete Obedience between my Soul and its want of desert thy alsufficient Merits between my Soul and its want of fervour in Devotion thy Intercession between my Soul and its want of sâ—rrow and repentance thy Agony and bloody Sweat for what thou did'st and what thou suffered'st O my dearest Saviour O my best of Masters was done and suffered in my stead and for my benefit Amen Id. LET the Soul of Christ sanctify me the Body of Christ strengthen me the Blood of Christ redeem me the Water that came out of his side cleanse me the Stripes of Christ heal me the Sweat of Christ refresh me the Wounds of Christ save me the Poverty of Christ enrich me and the Sufferings of Christ preserve me from eternal damnation Amen Bp. Taylor GIve me the beauties of Wisdom the brightness of Chastity the health of Temperance the peace of Meek persons and the reputation and joy of the Charitable Amen A Collect for the Assistance of the Holy Spirit O God who knowest that we are set in the midst of so many and great dangers that the Temptations of Satan are very prevalent the vanities of the World very deceitful and our own corruptions very strong help and assist me and all thy servants with the succours of thy holy spirit Give me the spirit of Truth of Wisdome and Understanding to keep me from all error and infidelity the spirit of Counsel to guide me in all difficulties the spirit of Might and Power to preserve me from all Apostacy the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord to keep me from all sin and wickedness Let the Holy-Ghost be my comforter in my distresses the assistant of my devotion the quieter of my conscience and let it bear witness with my spirit that I am one of the Sons of God that neither the wiles nor frowns of the Devil the fears of suffering or the hopes of wealth and honour may sway me to neglect my duty but that I may continue thine for ever and that thou mayst be my protector and guide my friend and advocate now and in the agonies of death and at the day of judgement Amen OUR Father which art in Heaven c. MAY the Power of God the Father protect me the Wisdom of God the Son inlighten me the operations and assistances of the holy Spirit quicken me and may the holy Trinity keep me under the shadow of their wings till I come to the palace of Glory Amen Amen The Epistle Heb. 12.1 WHerefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds The Gospel Luke 22.41 AND being withdrawn from them about a stones cast he kneeled down and prayed saying Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be dene And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground The MEDITATION THO every thing that is good and virtuous hath its attractives yet when virtue is attended with power it is in its exaltation and makes as many Votaries as it hath spectators and every one looks on it with admiration and surprize and addresses to it with resolutions either to become good or to beg its protection from evil because Piety so assisted proves a great exemplar and a puissant shelter And such was the holy Jesus who was wonderful in all his atchievements for nothing less than unspotted Innocence and Omnipotence conjoin'd could furnish the World with a Saviour The whole Life of Jesus was a miracle of Love and Compassion and the attempts of the Patriarchs appear mean and inconsiderable when compared with the transcendent performances of the Son of God for if to consult the wants of mankind and to relieve them if curing their Bodies and instructing their Souls if feeding them with temporal food and giving them the Bread of Heaven be demonstrations of a large and a divine Soul then that title is peculiarly to be ascribed to the Redeemer of the world whose actions were one continued series of benefits and mercies I will therefore love the examples of good men but I will admire and adore Jesus I will make reflections on their excellent lives but I must fix my thoughts on the conversation of my Saviour who when he requires my adverting to his Pattern and his Laws enjoins me to look off from all other objects and to settle my eyes on him who loved me and bought me with his own most precious blood for they are but a cloud of witnesses but Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness and as when the Sun arises the little handful of Clouds and dusky vapours dwindle and vanish so when the glorious God appears in competition he eclipses all humane perfections For that which sustained the great Apostle when he was ready to be poured out as a drink-offering for the truth of the Gospel 2 Tim. 4.6 and what excited
house of mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools for as the crackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of the fool The Gospel Mat. 9.14 THen came to him the Disciples of John saying why do we and the Pharisees fast often but thy Disciples fast not And Jesus said unto them can the children of the Bride-chamber mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them but the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them and then shall they fast No man puts a piece of new cloath into an old garment for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment and the rent is made worse Neither do men put new wine into old bottles else the bottles break and the wine runs out and the bottles perish but they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved The MEDITATION SAD and disconsolate must needs have been the state of the Infant Church when its Tutor and Guardian was taken from it nor could the Disciples but sit in darkness and in the shadow of death who were deprived of the light and warmth of the Sun of Righteousness they had lost one Comforter and had only the remote expectations of another their Master had establish'd a Kingdom which they knew not what to make of they could not apprehend how a Prince could make himself Glorious and yet trample upon the Pomps and Vanities the Crowns and Purple which this world adorns its Monarchs with nor how he who had not so much as a House which he could call his own could be Lord of the whole Earth nor did they understand how this could be the Messiah who should redeem all Israel who could not rescue himself from the Torture and Ignominy of the Cross these were amazing Considerations and such as filled their hearts full of sorrow these thoughts confin'd the Apostles during the time that their Master lay in the Grave to retirement and privacy they sighed and bewailed the loss of their hopes which they imagined were buried in the same Sepulcher with their Lord past any possibility of a Resurrection As long as they expected to share in the Grandeur of the Messiah and under him to govern Principalities how willingly did they follow him but when they saw all those satisfactions which they promis'd themselves vanish like the Idea's of a dream sorrow could not but fill their hearts And is not this O my soul the general practise of Mankind how fond are we of the Glories of Christ's Kingdom but how weary of his Cross how ready to follow him to Mount Tabor but how unwilling to accompany him to Mount Calvary We run eagerly to the Plain to eat Bread multiplied by Miracle but we dread the way that leads to the Mountain where by day he preach'd his Excellent Sermons and spent the whole Night in Prayers But is there not also O my Soul much to be said in the behalf of these Apostles which we can never plead to excuse our own negligence Their Master was now in the Grave the work of their Redemption not yet perfected and the Holy Spirit was not yet given which alone could fill them with Knowledg and Fortitude in such a distrest condition who can blame their fears and their cowardise but as soon as ever they had seen the Lord return from the dead and the Blessed Spirit had descended on them at Pentecost their hearts were filled with joy and resolution they then courted the dangers which before they studiously shun'd and with assurance accosted the Sanhedrim from whom before they hid themselves then they lookt upon the Chains which they wore for the sake of the Blessed Jesus as Ornaments of their Hands and Legs a Prison was a Palace to them the Blood that followed their scourgings the Purple which they wore and the place of Execution a Room of State the Cross was a Throne and the Flames a Royal Chariot to convey them to Heaven Arm'd with those assistances not only Peter and Paul smiled on Martyrdom and were in love with dying but even Women and Children Persons of strong sears and weak powers of violent Passions and shallow Reasons went in such multitudes to the Tribunals to acknowledg themselves Christians that they tired their Judges with pronouncing Sentences of Death and their Executioners with inflicting them and what is it O my Soul that hinders thee from exerting the same Gallantry and Resolution who besides all the assistances which they enjoyed hast also the advantage of their Examples Often have I wondred how those Excellent Persons became such admirable Proficients in the school of the Son of God How their Piety their Charity their Justice and Sobriety their Love of God and love to Mankind could be so conspicuous in the eyes of their Heathen Adversaries while they contended earnestly for the Faith when nothing but Bonds Imprisonment and Death nothing but Shame and Sufferings were their Portion Whereas now when the Christian Religion is countenanc'd and cherish'd by Authority and the good things of this life are its reward as well as the joys of a better we are more profane and irreligious more unjust and uncharitable more lustful and intemperate than the vilest Heathens And perhaps this is not the worst reason that can be given of it that in those days the greater part of Christians were converted after they came to years of discretion when the Church required from them all sorts of testimonies of their vertue and their constancy before they were admitted into it bringing them up when Catechumens under a severe Discipline acquainting them with the strictness of the Laws of Religion inuring them to Fastings and Abstinencies to frequent Prayers and frequent Watchings and other such hardships to a publick and solemn renouncing of their own lusts and a generous contempt of the world for by this means Religion was indeared to them who before their admission to the priviledges of it had conquer'd all their Passions and were crucified to the World and had upon the maturest deliberation chosen Jesus and the Cross before the Honours Wealth and Voluptuousness of this life Whereas now our admission is in our Infancy when our sponsors promise of course for us what we never care to make good and we are admitted to the priviledges before we understand the duties of Christianity so that we take up our Religion as we do our Cloaths or our Customs because they were the practices of our Fore-fathers and are the garb of the present time And perhaps it is also considerable that prosperity often cheats us when we are proof against all the temptations of adversity worldly ease softens us while a state of affliction and trouble becomes a great benefit And so in truth is it a Christian not deserving his name till he be a Convert from sensuality to a crucified