miffion to the conduct of a Superior. A fond imagination of being easier elsewhere, and a defire of change, hath deceiv'd many.

II. True it is, that every man loves to act according to his own judgment; and is best affected towards thofe who are of the fame opinion with him. But if God dwell among us, and rule in our hearts, we must fometimes neceffarily abandon our own fenfe, for the good of peace. Who is fo abfolutely wife, as to be able to know all things completely? Wherefore, be not too confident of thy own fenfe: But be content freely to hear the fenfe of others alfo. If thy own judgment be right and yet thou depart from it for the fake of GOD, and follow that of another, thou fhalt draw from thence fpiritual profit.

HI. For I have often heard fay, that it is fafer to hear, and to take advice, than to give it. It is poffible that a man may have a right fenfe, and a juft and true notion of a thing: Nevertheless to refufe to acquiefce and comply with others, when occasion or reafon requires it, is a fign of pride, and wilfulnefs.

CHAP.

CHAP. X.

Of avoiding Superfluity of Words.

'D'

Ecline crowds and company, and the ordinary converfation of the world, as much as poffibly thou canft: For difcourfe about worldly affairs, tho' innocently meant, is a great hindrance to our proficience. For we are foon defiled and captivated by vanity. I could with I had held my peace many times, and not been in company. But how comes it to pass, that we are fo forward to talk, and to difcourfe one with another; when yet these converfations rarely end without fome wound of confcience? For this reafon we are fo fond of talking, because by mutual conferences, we feek comfort one from another: And defire to ease our heart tir'd and oppreffed with fundry thoughts. And we take great delight in talking, and thinking of thofe things, which we love much, or defire ve hemently, or which we feel to be grievous

to us.

II. But alas! Often in vain, and to no purpose. For this outward confolation is no fmall obftacle to the inward, and the

divine confolation. Wherefore we must watch and pray: left our time pafs away idly and unprofitably. If it be proper and expedient to speak, speak thofe things which belong to edification. An evil habit, and our neglect and unconcernednefs to profit daily, and to grow in grace, is in great meafure the cause of our being fo lavish and unguarded in, our fpeech, and that we keep not the door of our lips. Nevertheless godly and fpiritual conferences are a mighty furtherance of our fpiritual growth: Efpecially when perfons, like in temper and fpiritual mindedness, affociate together in GOD.

CHAP. XI.

How to obtain Peace of Mind; and of Zeal and Fervour as to Spiritual Proficience.

"W

E might enjoy much Peace, if we would forbear troubling ourselves with what other people fay and do, and in which we are no way concern'd. How is it poffible for that man to continue long in Peace, who intermeddles with other mens concerns?

concerns? Who feeks occafions of difquiet abroad?Who but little, or but rarely recollects himself, and defcends into his own breaft? Bleffed are thofe that walk in fimplicity: For they fhall enjoy a profound peace.

II. Whence was it, that fome of the Saints became fo perfect, and contemplative? Even because they made it their whole bufinefs to mortify all earthly defires; and for this reafon they were at liberty to cleave unto GoD with the whole bent of their foul, and to attend themselves and their own hearts without the leaft diftraction. For our parts, For our parts, we are too much taken up with our own paffions, and too tenderly affected with the tranfitory things of this world. We feldom overcome perfectly fo much as one vice, and are not enflam'd with a defire of advancing daily more and more in the fpiritual life: And this is the reason why we remain sọ cold and lukewarm.

III. If we were perfectly dead unto our felves, and nothing hamper'd and intangled us inwardly Then fhould we be in a capacity alfo to relifh the things of GOD, and to experience a little the fweets of Heayenly contemplation. The grand or only impediment is this, that we have not

G

entirely

entirely fubdu'd our paffions, and inordinate defires: And that we endeavour not to walk in the perfect way of the Saints. When little misfortune comes across us, any we are too foon dejected, and have recourfe to human confolations.

IV. Did we endeavour, like men, to ftand our ground in the battel; doubtless we should find the Lord fending in his fuccour from above. For he is always ready to affift those who strive, and place their hope in his grace: Yea, he creates us occafions of ftriving, to the end we may overcome. If we place our Proficience in religion only in outward obfervances, our devotion will quickly be at an end. But let us lay the axe to the root of the tree; that being purg'd from our passions, we may poffels our fouls in peace.

V. If every year, we did but root out one vice, we fhould quickly become perfect men. But now we are many times fenfible of the direct contrary; and find our felves to have been better and holier men at the beginning of our conversion, than after many years Profeffion of a religious life. The fervour of our affection, and our progrefs in holiness, ought in all reafon to advance daily; but now we reck

on