Satan, thou art an offence. Love of the World is an Enemy to the love of God, but fo is God's love an Enemy to it. Ob then, my Soul, receive into thy heart the love of God, that it may keep out thence the love of the World: Commit thefe Enemies, and fet them once together, and take be fure that Party thou wouldeft fave, against the other thou wouldeft quite detroy. Love him that loveth thee, altho fometimes he ftrikes as though he lov'd. thee not. Hate him that hates thee, though be feem to love thee above all things elfe. Give to this ardent Lover, fuch a love as that he bears to thee, and merits from thee.

PRAYER.

But, oh my God, I neither can love thee, nor hate the World without thee. Pluck up this bitter root that's fpringing up, and would divert my growing upwards towards thee: Open mine eyes; draw the world's curtain up, remove the mask, and paint wherewith the world is dreft and covered, that I may fee its native uglinefs, and learn to have it in abhorrence.

abhorrence. On the other fide, cause me to see thy face, and all thy beauty, that my Soul may be therewith ravished, and I no longer may purfue the world's vanities. Enrich me with thy goods, *that my Soul may be fixed in the enjoy ment of thy love. Then fhall I run thy ways with all my might; then fhall my foul be fill'd with that celeftial fire, that never can be ftop'd from raising up it felf to thee, with all the ardor that one ought in reafon to pursue the fovereign good withal. Then fhall my foul in its Devotions be no longer troubled with the vain Idols of the world, nor with its Fantomes; but fill'd with thee, my God, and with thy love, fhall have no room for any other paffion.

CHA P. III.

Of too great Senfibility of earthly Pleafures, the third Source of Indevotion.

TH

HE love of the World is as a great Tree spreading into several Branches, which are as fo many fources

of Indevotion. The firft breach of this love, is a too great fenfibility of earthly Pleafures. Thefe Pleafures are of two forts: The first are highly criminal, and are those we call the Debauches of the Gallants of the World; and of these it is certain, that not only an exceffive fenfibility, but even the least taste, is a mortal Enemy to Devotion. Spiritual Pleafures are of fo different a relish from thofe of the Flesh, that one cannot at the fame time love the one and the other. A Palate used to Gall and Wormwood, and that tafts no other thing, can never bear the fweets of Sugar and Honey. A Man that's plung'd into the pleafures of Sin, can have no guft or relifh for the Joys of Heaven. There is another kind of Pleasures, whose Innocence the World maintains, because the Fault is not fo visible: But as innocent as they either are, or may be, they quickly become criminal by their Excess. The continuation of Diverfions (the most innocent) becomes an Abuse, and may become great hindrances to Piety, as little fenfible as we are of the mischief. The holy

holy Spirit is call'd the Comforter, and the Relish that the faithful find in exercises of Devotion, are call'd Divine Confolations. But to what and whom are Comforters and Comforts given, but to the afflicted? In truth, thofe Souls that are fo full of the Joys of this World, are not very fit to receive the fpiritual Confolations, and falutary Impreffions of the Divine Comforter. 'Tis therefore Jefus Chrift fays, Blessed are they that mourn, for they fhall be comforted. And St. Auftin faid to God, Thou art the only true, the only fovereign Pleafure, that art capable of filling a Soul; remove far from me thefe falfe Pleafures, and at the fame time enter thou thy felf into their place; thou who art fweeter, and more dear than all the Pleasures in the World, but not to Flesh and Blood. The Manna fell not on the Ifraelites, but when the Provisions fail'd, they brought with them from Egypt. Surely this Manna of Divine Grace, thefe Ravishments and Joys of Devotion, are not communicated to thofe who are ftor'd with

Magazines

Magazines of Goods from Egypt, and the Pleasures of the World.

A Perfon that returns from a Ball or Comedy, muft needs be very ill difpos'd for Devotion; 'twill be to little purpose to fay in favour of the Theatre, that it is now become chaft, and that we meet with nothing there, but Leffons of Vertue. They may fay, if they will, that Paffions are only display'd there, as animated in defence of Honour, and produce no other Sentiments but thofe of Generofity. For my own part, I fay, the Vertues of the Theatre are Crimes according to the Spirit of the Gospel; and though we may hear fomething that's good from thence, yet it is wellnigh fpoil'd by the polluted Lips and Imaginations through which it paffes. O impious wickedness, faid Clement of Alexandria, thou haft brought Heaven upon the Stage, and God himself is become a Comedy. O impious wickednefs, may I fay too, in imitation of him, thou haft brought Vertue on the Stage, and made it look like a Comedian. Jefus Chrift would not have his Preachers appear in Trunkhofe