World, and follow its Delights. And the Reason why, both in the World and Church there are fo very few truly devout, is because there are so very many lovers and pursuers of Pleasure.

MEDITATION.

Wretch that I am! I do not the good I would, but the evil that I would not, that I do. I understand very well the force of the reafons of Religion, that call me to renounce the pleasures of the World, and the weakness of the Pleas of all their Advocates: But all these reafons find the door fhut, becaufe my heart is fet against them; and thofe bad reafonings that maintain the use of pleasure enter eafily, because they are allied to the corruptions of my heart. My flesh is troubled to find the reafons of Piety fo ftrong, and would be glad that thofe of pleasure were better. And my Soul is grieved, when it fees the force of Truth, and finds in it felf an unwillingness to yield. I feriously bewail my ftate, that though I fee the weakness of

the

the Reasons that fway me on the fide of pleafure, yet I fuffer my felf to be carried away by them, as tho they were strong Reafon. For Piety and Reafon get •nothing by joyning Forces, Paffion is ever victorious. O my Soul, thou art an Idolater of pleafure; 'tis to no purpose for thee to fhift places, thou carrieft thy Divinities along with thee. If thou renounceft any pleafure, thou doft not quit thy Idolatry, but only changeft the object of thy worship. For the love of pleasure finds out ways to be fure to lofe nothing, but for one object loft provides thee with another. Judge then of what nature thy Devotions must needs be, when thou dividet them betwixt thy Idols and thy God. O take that part, my Soul, that good part, that fhall not be taken from thee; thou canft not ferve two Mafters, God and the World. It may be thou rejoyceft, that thou hast renounced the pleasure of thy youth, in that thou loveft no longer Balls and Comedies and Plays: but thou per ceiveft not, that corruption ties thee to Jome other objects, and that thou art a flave to thy paffions, and the cheat and property

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of thy own heart. In thy youth thou tookeft pleafure to fcatter abroad thy Money, but now thou takeft delight in keeping it together. What difference is there betwixt thefe two pleasures? Are they not both plea-fures of the Senfes? Have they not both one Source, to wit, fenfual things? Do they not produce the fame effect, and feparate thee from God? A young Man that gives himself to the excess of useful Pleafures, bould he value bimfelf because be plays not at Cherry-ftones and Push-pin, as be did when he was a Boy? Every Age of Life bath its peculiar paffions and pleafures, but all in general are Enemies to Devotion. Be not therefore troubled to know what it is that makes thee fleep at Sermons, 'tis the Devil of Pleafure and Delight that makes thee; when thou ceafeft to be attentive at thy Prayers, 'tis he that leads thee by the Ears, and carries thee aftray: And that thou feeleft no delight in the prefence of God, who would unite himfelf immediately unto thee, comes from hence, that thou art plung'd and overwhelm'd in Matter; and being entirely in the intereft of corporal and carnal things, thou

thinkeft

thinkeft there is nothing real, but what thou feeleft; and knoweft of no true joys, but what proceed from things fenfible. Re-enter then, my Soul, re-enter then thy Self; permit thefe bodily Objects, no longer to dazzle the Eyes of thy Understanding; Jeek for the prefence of thy God: Hearken to the eternal Wisdom that speaks to thee in the fecret of thy heart: Refift the attempts which the flesh makes to deftroy thee. Believe not the report of thy Senfes, take not thofe for true delights, they offer to thee. Look upon nothing which thou feeft, as worthy of thy application and esteem. Suffer thy felf to be full of the Lord, and entirely occupied in him. And if thou applieft thy felf to him, he will apply himself to thee; and from this mutual Application, will proceed pleasures so great that thy imagination is not capable of conceiving.

PRAYER.

My Lord and my God, what fhall I render to thee for fo many Favours, and what fhall I do to expiate fo many ingratitudes? Thou haft plac'd me in a N2 Paradife

Paradife where all good things abound: Thou haft ordain'd me mafter of all the works of thy hand, and haft given me the use of all I fee; Thou haft made fenfible creatures that they may have some agreement with my fenfes, and may be as fteps to raise me to things intelligible, but by reafon of my corruption they are become fnares: I make no ufe of the vifible creatures to afcend to things not feen; but I make ufe of them to defcend below my felf; I immerse my felf in matter, and bury my mind in bodily things. Thus I make my Mind a flave to its body. The heaven and earth, the fea and air, are fill'd with objects, that might ferve to make me know thee, that I might admire and praise thee, but I ufe them only to offend thee: All things are full of objects to flatter and please the fenfes: but, O my God, thou haft not made them with defign, that I should there feek for fenfual pleasures, and intoxicate my self with joys and corporeal delights. Thou haft made, by thy profound Wisdom, and by thy infinite power, the fishes of

the