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suffering and bounty, that produceth this ill-habit of security and hard-heartedness; but especially a custom of sinning. Oft treading hardens the path. The hand that was at the first soft and tender, after it hath been inured to work, grows brawned and impenetrable. We have heard of virgins, who, at the first, seemed modest, blushing at the motions of an honest love; who, being once corrupt and debauched, have grown flexible to easy entreaties unto unchastity; and, from thence, boldly lascivious, so as to solicit others, so as to prostitute themselves to all comers, yea, as our casuists complain of some Spanish stews, to an unnatural filthiness. That which our canonists say in another kind, is too true here; "Custom can give a jurisdiction; neither is there any stronger law than it." The continued use then of any known sin, be it never so small, gives, as Gerson's phrase is, a strong habituation; and though it is a true rule, that habits do only incline, not compel, yet the inclination that is wrought by them, is so forcible, that it differs little from violence. Surely so powerful is the habit of sin, bred by ordinary practice, as that it takes away the very sense of sinning; so that the offender now knows not, that he doth the very act of some evil; much less, that he sins and offends in doing it; and now the heart is all turned dead flesh, whether to good or ill. There is not, then, a more dangerous condition incident to the soul of man, than this of security it bars us of the capacity of any good, that may be wrought upon us; it exposes us to the success of all temptations; it draws down the heaviest of God's judgments upon our heads; it defies justice; it rejects mercy; it makes the heart God's anvil, which the harder it is struck, the more rebounds the blow; but the Devil's feather-bed, wherein he sinks and lies soft at free ease; neither would that evil Spirit wish for any more pleasing repose; it flatters the soul with an impossible impunity; it shifts off necessary vengeance; lastly, while other dispositions do but yield to a hell, this invites it. By how much more woeful it is, by so much more careful must we be to avoid it,

(2.) If we care for our souls then, we shall zealously apply ourselves to prevent this hellish evil; which shall

be done, if we shall constantly use all means to keep the heart tender.

[1.] Whereof the first is, frequent meditation upon the judgments of God, attending sinners. It is the apostle's own prescript; "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire," Heb. xii. 28, 29. Could we but stoop down a little and look into hell, we should never come thither: the apprehension of those torments would be sure to keep us from sinning and impenitence. It is a true observation of Cyril, that "the want of belief is guilty of all our obduredness;" for, "Should it be told thee," saith that father, "that a secular judge intends to doom thee to be burned alive to-morrow, how busily wouldst thou employ the remaining time to prevent the judgment! how eagerly wouldst thou run about! how submissively and importunately wouldst thou sue and beg for pardon! how readily wouldst thou pour out thy money to those friends, that should purchase it! And why wouldst thou do all this, but because thou doubtest not of the truth of the report?" Were our hearts no less convinced of the designation of an everlasting burning to the rebellious and impenitent, could we less bestir ourselves? To this purpose also it will much conduce that we meditate often of our own frailty and momentariness. No evil can fasten upon the soul of that man, who hath death ever before his eyes. That father said well, "He easily contemns all things, who thinks to die every day.” The servant who said, "My master deferreth his coming," was he, that revelled in the house, and beat his fellows; he durst not have done it, if he had seen his master at the door.

[2.] No whit less prevalent a remedy against security is a firm resolution of the soul to repel the first motions to whatsoever sin; whose nature, as experience tells us, is to gather strength by continuance. Commonly all onsets are weakest in their beginnings; and are then most easily and safely resisted. Custom can never grow, where no action will be admitted to make a precedent. It is well observed by a learned chancellor of Paris, that some filthy and blasphemous cogitations are better overcome

by contemning them than by answering them. If either way they be repulsed, the heart is safe from security.

[3.] But, thirdly, if we have been so far overtaken, as to give way to the penetration of evil, our care must be, to work our hearts to a speedy renovation by repentance. If sin have seized upon the soul, it must not settle there : this is that, which will else work a palpable indisposition. Let a knife be wet with the strongest aquafortis, and presently wiped dry again, the metal is yet smooth, and betrayeth no change; but if that moist fire be suffered to rest upon it awhile, it eats into the blade, and leaves behind some deep notes of corrosion. It is delay in these cases, that breeds the utmost danger. Let a candle that is casually put out, be speedily rekindled at the next flame, neither is the scent offended nor the wick unapt to be straightway re-enlightened: stay but awhile, the whole room complains of the noisome smell; and it will cost perhaps much puffing, and dipping in ashes, ere it can recover the lost light. That which Solomon advises in matter of suretyship, Prov. vi. 4, 5, we must do in the case of our sin-speedily extricate ourselves, and give no sleep to our eyes till we be freed from so dangerous an engagement.

[4.] Moreover it must be our main care not to give any check to the conscience, upon whatsoever occasions. That power hath, as a keen, so a tender edge, and easy to be rebated. When that dictates to a man some duty, or the refraining of some doubtful action, he who disobeys it, makes way for an induration: for when that faculty hath once received a discouragement, it will not be apt to control us in evil; but grows into a careless neglect of what we do or omit, and so declines to an utter senselessness. As therefore we must be careful to have our consciences duly regulated by the infallible word of God, so must we be no less careful still to follow the guidance of our conscience in all our ways. And that all these things may be performed with effect, we must be sure that we do constantly observe all our set exercises of piety-hearing, reading, receiving the blessed sacrament, prayer, and especially strict self-examination, whereby we may come to espy our first failings, and correct our very

propensions to evil. One* said well, that "nature doth not more abhor vacuity, than grace doth idleness." Now all these, if they seem harsh and tedious to corrupt nature, yet, to the renewed heart, familiarly conversant in them, nothing is more pleasing and cordial. The philosopher could say and find, that" virtuous actions are delightful to well-disposed minds;" insomuch as it is defined for the surest argument of a good habit fully acquired, that we find contentment and delectation in good performances.

[5.] Lastly, because ill-used prosperity is apt to obdure the heart, we must be sure to settle in ourselves a right estimation of all these worldly things: which indeed are, as they are taken.

I may well say of riches, as the Jewish rabbins had wont to say of their Cabbala, with a good heart they are good; otherwise they are no better than the mammon of iniquity; and indeed worse than want: but, at their best, they are such as are utterly unable to yield true contentment to the soul. They are good for use, ill for fruition. They are for the hand to employ, not for the heart to set up his rest in.

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Hereupon it is, that the holiest men have still both inclined and persuaded to their contempt. That great mastert of meditation applauded it in his friend, the cardinal of Cambray, as the happiest condition, that all these earthly and temporal things which his eye beheld, were tedious unto him. And St. Bernard magnifies, in this name, his dear acquaintance, Gilbert bishop of London, that even in that state he would live poor; and the same father would have his monk to take most joy and think himself then welcomest, when the coarsest fare was set before him. Answerable whereunto, but beyond it, was the diet of Valentine, a rigorous votary, who, for ten years together, would eat nothing but bread dipt in water wherein wormwood was steeped; and of that other his fellow, who steeped his bread in lye, that he might eat ashes, with the prophet.

* Δι καθ ̓ ἀρετὴν ὥράξεις τοῖς φιλοκάλοις εἴσιν ἡδεῖαι,

Arist. Eth.

+ Gers. Epist. ad Card. Cam.

Not to run into extremes, it is sure and necessary counsel which the psalmist gives us, to resolve, if riches increase, not to set our hearts upon them; to account them no other, than as good helps and needful impediments; and all worldly contentments such, as are not worthy to take us up.

It was a question, moved to the founder of some strict devotionists, whether they might laugh with all their hearts; and it is answered negatively, "Non licet." And the devout governor of the votaries of Clareval could give charge to his religious," Non debet totus manducare;" and it is reported by the writer of his life, if he heard any of his Dorter snoring in his sleep, he would chide that man, as sleeping carnally and securely. Surely the world is and should be the same to them and us, who have no less engaged ourselves to a professed hostility unto all the vanities thereof; and have no more hearty share in the pomps and pleasures of it, than the most reclused anchorites.

At the best, this earth can be no other than our valley of tears, and region of our pilgrimage. Our Giraldus Cambrensis tells us, that his St. Brendan, upon long and wearisome travel, at last went so far, as to come to the sight of the earthly paradise. They may that list, believe it; but sure I am, never any mortal eye, since the angel brandished his sword there, could find ought worthy the name of a paradise in this inferior world. Here is purgatory enough, and perhaps some hell, above ground: but if, as Ortelius of late held, all the whole earth was, at the first, paradise, any man shall now think that any part of it is so still, I shall pity him, and think him worthy the pleasures of these earthly torments.

For us, if we would have our souls safe, we must learn, with the blessed apostle, so to use the world, as if we used it not; and strive to attain to the equable temper of that holy man St. Martin, whose face was neither darkened with sorrow, nor smoothed with laughter; as well knowing, that what affection soever the world wins of us, is lost unto God. Thus, if we shall keep ourselves carefully from the trade of sin and from the fascination of the

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