that they were as soon confuted as pretended, by all men that are not fools, or professed enemies of religion, but that they are clouds, which sometimes look like lions and bears, castles and walls of fire, armies and horses; and indeed are any thing that a man will fancy; and the smallest article of objection managed and conducted by the devil's arts, and meeting with a wretchless, careless, undevout spirit, is a lion in the way, and a deep river; it is impassable, and it is impregnable. Γίγνονται πάνθ' ὅ, τι βούλονται νεφέλαι λύκοι ἐὰν Σίμωνα κατίδωσι, ἔλαφοι τῷ Κλεωνύμῳ ;* as the sophister said in the Greek comedy, "Clouds become any thing as they are represented; wolves to Simon, harts to Cleonymus ;" for the devil fits us with clouds, according as we can be abused; and if we love affairs of the world, he can contrive its circumstances so, that they shall cross our prayers; and so it is in every instance: and the best way to cure this evil is prayer: pray often, and pray zealously, and the Sun of Righteousness will scatter these clouds, and warm our hearts with his holy fires: but it is in this as in all acquired habits; the habit makes the action easy and pleasant; but this habit cannot be gotten without frequent actions: habits are the daughters of action; but then they nurse their mother, and produce daughters after her image, but far more beautiful and prosperous. For in frequent prayer there is so much rest and pleasure, that as soon as ever it is perceived, the contrary temptation appears unreasonable; none are so unwilling to pray, as they that pray seldom; for they that do pray often, and with zeal, and passion, and desire, feel no trouble so great, as when they are forced to omit their holy offices and hours of prayers. It concerns the devil's interest to keep us from all the experience of the rewards of a frequent and holy prayer; and so long as you will not try and "taste how good and gracious the Lord is" to the praying man, so long you cannot see the evil of your coldness and lukewarm state; but if you would but try, though it be but for curiosity's sake, and inform yourselves in the vanity of things, and the truth of pretences, and the certainty of theological propositions, you should find yourselves taken in a golden snare, which will tie you to nothing but felicity, and safety, and holiness, and pleasure. But then the caution, • Arist. Νεφέλαι, 348. which I intended to insert, is this; that frequency in praying, and that part of zeal which relates to it, is to be upon no account but of a holy spirit, a wise heart, and reasonable persuasion; for if it begin upon passion or fear, in imitation of others, or desires of reputation, honour and fantastic principles, it will be unblessed and weary, unprosperous and without return of satisfaction: therefore if it happen to begin upon a weak principle, be very curious to change the motive, and with all speed let it be turned into religion and the love of holy things: then, let it be as frequent as it can prudently, it cannot be amiss. : When you are entered into a state of zealous prayer, and a regular devotion, whatever interruption you can meet with, observe their causes, and be sure to make them irregular, seldom, and contingent, that your omissions may be seldom and casual, as a bare accident; for which no provisions can be made for if ever it come, that you take any thing habitually and constantly from your prayers, or that you distract from them very frequently, it cannot be but you will become troublesome to yourself; your prayers will be uneasy, they will seem hinderances to your more necessary affairs of passion and interest, and the things of the world: and it will not stand still, till it comes to apostacy, and a direct dispute and contempt of holy things. For it was an old rule, and of a sad experience, "Tepiditas, si callum obduxerit, fiet apostasia:" If your lukewarmness be habitual and a state of life, if it once be hardened by the usages of many days, it changes the whole state of the man, it makes him an apòstate to devotion.' Therefore be infinitely careful in this particular, always remembering the saying of St. Chrysostom; " Docendi, prædicandi officia et alia cessant suo tempore, precandi autem nunquam;" There are seasons for teaching, and preaching, and other outward offices: but prayer is the duty of all times, 'and of all persons, and in all contingencies: from other things, in many cases, we may be excused, but from prayer never.' In this, therefore, xaño Enλouoda, "it is good to be zealous." 2. Concerning the second instance I named, viz. To give alms above our estate, it is an excellent act of zeal, and needs no other caution to make it secure from illusion and danger, but that our egressions of charity do not prejudice justice. See that your alms do not other men wrong; and let them do what they can to thyself, they will never prejudice thee by their abundance; but then be also careful, that the pretences of justice do not cozen thyself of thy charity, and the poor of thine alms, and thy soul of the reward. He that is in debt, is not excused from giving alms, till his debts are paid; but only from giving away such portions which should and would pay them, and such which he intended should do it; there are lacernæ divitiarum,' and crumbs from the table, and the gleanings of the harvest, and the scatterings of the vintage, which in all estates are the portions of the poor, which being collected by the hand of Providence, and united wisely, may become considerable to the poor, and are the necessary duties of charity; but beyond this also, every considerable relief to the poor is not a considerable diminution to the estate; and yet if it be, it is not always considerable in the accounts of justice; for nothing ought to be pretended against the zeal of alms, but the certain omissions, or the very probable retarding the doing that, to which we are otherwise obliged. He that is going to pay a debt, and in the way meets an indigent person that needs it all, may not give it to him, unless he knows by other means to pay the debt; but if he can do both, he hath his liberty to lay out his money for a crown. But then in the case of provision for children, our restraint is not so easy, or discernible; 1. Because we are not bound to provide for them in a certain portion, but may do it by the analogies and measures of prudence, in which there is a great latitude. 2. Because our zeal of charity is a good portion for them, and lays up a blessing for inheritance. 3. Because the fairest portions of charity are usually short of such sums, which can be considerable in the duty of provision for our children. 4. If we for them could be content to take any measure less than all, any thing under every thing that we can, we should find the portions of the poor made ready to our hands sufficiently to minister to zeal, and yet not to intrench upon this case of conscience; but the truth is, we are so careless, so unskilled, so unstudied, in religion,—that we are only glad to make an excuse, and to defeat our souls of the reward of the noblest grace: we are contented, if we can but make a pretence; for we are highly pleased if our conscience be quiet, and care not so much that our duty be performed, much less that our eternal interest be advanced in bigger portions. We care not, we strive not, we think not, of getting the greater rewards of heaven; and he whose desires are so indifferent for the greater, will not take pains to secure the smallest portion; and it is observable, that názoros v Baoig, "the least in the kingdom of heaven," is as much εις οὐδεὶς, as good as none;" if a man will be content with his hopes of the lowest place there, and will not labour for something beyond it, he does not value it at all; and it is ten to one, but he will lose that for which he takes so little pains, and is content with so easy a security. He,-that does his alms, and resolves that in no case he will suffer inconvenience for his brother, whose case it may be is intolerable, -should do well to remember, that God, in some cases, requires a greater charity; and it may be, we shall be called to die for the good of our brother and that although it always supposes a zeal and a holy fervour, yet sometimes it is also a duty, and we lose our lives if we go to save them; and so we do with our estates, when we are such good husbands in our religion, that we will serve all our own conveniences before the great needs of a hungry and afflicted brother, God oftentimes takes from us that which with so much curiosity we would preserve, and then we lose our money, and our reward too. 3. Hither is to be reduced the accepting and choosing the counsels evangelical: the virgin or widow estate in order to religion: selling all, and giving it to the poor: making ourselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven: offering ourselves to death voluntarily, in exchange or redemption of the life of a most useful person, as "Aquila and Priscilla, who ventured their lives for St. Paul:" the zeal of souls: St. Paul's preaching to the Corinthian church without wages: remitting of rights and forgiving of debts, when the obliged person could pay, but not without much trouble: protection of calamitous persons with hazard of our own interest and a certain trouble; concerning which and all other acts of zeal, we are to observe the following measures, by which our zeal will become safe and holy, and by them also we shall per • Matt. v. 16. ceive the excesses of zeal, and its inordinations: which is the next thing I am to consider. 1. The first measure, by which our zeal may comply with our duty, and its actions become laudable, is charity to our neighbour. For since God receives all that glorification of himself, whereby we can serve and minister to his glory, reflected upon the foundation of his own goodness, and bounty, and mercy, and all the hallelujahs that are or ever shall be sung in heaven, are praises and thanksgivings; and that God himself does not receive glory from the acts of his justice, butthen when his creatures will not rejoice in his goodness and mercy: it follows that we imitate this original excellency, and pursue God's own method; that is, glorify him in via misericordiæ,' in the way of mercy' and bounty, charity and forgiveness, love and fair compliances: there is no greater charity in the world than to save a soul, nothing that pleases God better, nothing that can be in our hands greater or more noble, nothing that can be a more lasting and delightful honour, than that a perishing soul,snatched from the flames of an intolerable hell, and borne to heaven upon the wings of piety and mercy by the ministry of angels, and the graces of the Holy Spirit,-shall to eternal ages bless God and bless thee; Him, for the author and finisher of salvation, and thee for the minister and charitable instrument that bright star must needs look pleasantly upon thy face for ever, which was by thy hand placed there, and, had it not been for thy ministry, might have been a sooty coal, in the regions of sorrow. Now, in order to this, God hath given us all some powers and ministries, by which we may by our charity promote this religion, and the great interest of souls: counsels and prayers, preaching and writing, passionate desires and fair examples going before others in the way of godliness, and bearing the torch before them, that they may see the way and walk in it. This is a charity, that is prepared more or less for every one; and, by the way, we should do well to consider, what we have done towards it. For as it will be a strange arrest at the day of judgment to Dives, that he fed high and suffered Lazarus to starve, and every garment,—that lies by thee and perishes, while thy naked brother does so too for want of it,-shall be a bill of indictment against thy unmerciful soul; so it will |