THE Rule and Exercises O F Holy Living. CHAP. I. Confiderations of the general Inftruments and Means ferving to a Holy Life, by way of Introduction. I Tis neceffary that every Man fhould confider, that fince God hath given him an excellent nature, wifdom and choice, an understanding foul, and an immortal fpirit, having made him Lord over the beafts, and but a little lower than the Angels; he hath alfo appointed for him a work and a fervice great enough to employ those abilities, and hath alfo defign'd him to a state of life after this, to which he can only arrive by that fervice and obedi ence. And therefore as every Man is wholly God's own portion by the title of Creation: So all our la bours and care, all our powers and faculties must be wholly employed in the fervice of God, even all the days of our life, that this life being ended, we may live with him for ever. Neither is it fufficient that we think of the fervice of God as a work of the leaft neceffity, or of fmall em B ploy ployment, but that it be done by us as God intended its that it be done with great earneftness and paffion, with much zeal and defire; that we refufe no labour, that we bestow upon it much time, that we use the best guides, and arrive at the end of glory by all the ways of grace, of prudence and Religion. And indeed if we confider how much of our lives is taken up by the needs of nature, how many years are wholly spent before we come to any ufe of reafon, how many years more before that reafon is useful to us to any great pupofes, how imperfect our discourse is made by our evil education, falfe principles, illcompany, bad examples, and want of experience, how many parts of our wifeft and beft years are fpent in eating and fleeping, in neceffary bufineffes and unneceffary vanities, in worldly civilities and less useful circumstances, in the learning arts and sciences, languages or trades; that little portion of hours that is left for the practices of piety and religious walking with God is fo fhort and trifling, that were not the goodness of God infinitely great, it might feem unreafonable or impoffible for us to expet of him eternal joys in Heaven, even after the well fpending those few minutes which are left for God and God's fervice, after we have ferved our selves and our own occafions. And yet it is confiderable, that the fruit which comes from the many days of recreation and vanity is very little, and although we scatter much, yet we gather up but little profit: but from the few hours we fpend in prayer and the exercifes of a pious life, the return is great and profitable; and what we fow in the minutes and fpare portions of a few years, grows up to crowns and fcepters in a happy and glorious Eternity. 1. Therefore although it cannot be injoin'd, that the greatest part of our time be spent in the direct actions of devotion and religion, yet it will become, not only a duty, but alfo a great providence, to lay afide for the fervices of God and the bufineffes of the Spirit as much as we can: becaufe God rewards our minutes with long and eternal happiness; and the greater |