The Christians Guide to Devotion, Part 4 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The first General Advice is, to will, deſire, and ask Dev…tion.
WE have ſeen from how many Sources Indevotion ſprings; let us now try to vanquiſh thoſe Difficulties, by ſome Advices that may lead us to Devotion. Thoſe Advices I would give here, are either general or particular. But before I paſs further, we are to preſuppoſe, that he whom we would make devout muſt have a Mind himſelf to become ſo: he that has not this Diſpoſition will very unprofitably paſs farther. How many indevout perſons have we in the World, that do not deſire Devotion for themſelves, and contemn it in others? Of this ſort we find ſome that are ſo hardy as to perſwade themſelves they have a Religion. I am, it may be, ſays one, as religious as another, though I laugh at Devotion and devout Perſons. If they believe what they ſay, moſt aſſuredly they cheat their own Heart; and we muſt confeſs, that theſe People are really profane. Others there are that eſteem Devotion in another, and yet like it not for themſelves: it doth not fit right with the Spirit of the World, which they make their Idol. They approve the better ſide, they admire it, but they fancy, as to their own particular, they may be ſaved with leſs Trouble. I know not whether theſe be better than the former; yet they are a little nearer to the Diſpoſition we ſeek after: but ſtill, alas! in how bad a Condition is their Conſcience? They are in this worſe than the former, that they ſin againſt their own Sentiment; they know their Maſters Will, and do it not. They are afraid of doing too much; provided they be ſav'd, it's of no great Importance how. What a thought is this! Is not Paradiſe worth the purchaſing at the Expence of ſome Tears, ſome Prayers, ſome hours of Humiliation? And how can we imagine we can obtain Heaven by the leſs, ſince we ſhall find a hard Taſk to arrive thither by the greater? If the righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, where ſhall the Ʋngodly and the Sinner appear? Do ye believe, ye backward and lukewarm Souls, that a truly devout Perſon has too much Righteouſneſs to open to himſelf the gate of Heaven? Do not you know that all the World praiſes that Saying of St. Auſtin, Woe to the moſt praiſe-worthy Life, if it be examined without Mercy; and what the Pſalmist ſays, If thou ſhould'st mark Iniquities, O Lord, who ſhall ſtand? I ſpeak of the Iniquities of the Righteous. If thoſe truly devout Perſons have not over-much Righteouſneſs, you will ſtrangely want it then who come ſo much behind them: but ye ſay, God will ſupply what is lacking; for this did Chriſt Jeſus dye, that we might obtain his Grace and Favour in the midſt of our Infirmities. But how do ye know that the Bleſſed Jeſus would this, does not he do what-liketh him beſt with his own? You ought therefore to take the ſurer ſide. What aſſurance have ye that God gives his Grace thus to thoſe that ſlight it? Although you could do it, the mercy of the Lord will have employ enough; and your righteouſneſs, though puſht on to the extremity of your ſtrength, will ſtill have need of Supplements to attain to Glory.
There are other Indevout People, which are ſtill a little farther off than the former. They would have a good deal of Devotion, but they are not yet come to deſire it; that is to ſay, the motions of their Will towards it are very imperfect. I would willingly become ſo (ſays one) but I cannot; the World bears me away, my Affairs wholly take me up, the temper and frame of my Body and Soul have not the neceſſary Turn for the practiſe of this Virtue; I do what I would not, and what I would that do I not; for the law of my members continues Miſtreſs of the Law of my mind: they are not much afflicted at the not having that which they wiſh, and it is a certain proof that they wiſh it very feebly. In this Eſtate, how far from Perfection muſt the Conſcience needs be! This is not to love God with all the Soul; this is to ſeek him with the leaſt part of the heart, and to deſire him with a moſt imperfect Will. To will Devotion at that rate is, to take the way never to obtain it: for the Soul does not ſurmount the difficulties but by heartning it ſelf againſt them, and by acting with all its might and vigour. Judge then, if an Heart in this looſeneſs can attain one of the moſt difficult things in the World. We have ſeen how many ſtrong Paſſions ruine and deſtroy Devotion; the Love of the World, its Pleaſures, and its Vexations. If to theſe paſſions, ſo violent and head-ſtrong, you oppoſe, I know not what imperfect deſires it is but the Fight of Dwarfs againſt Gyants.
So that the firſt general Counſel I give to attain De…otion, is, to deſire it ardently. Some will ſay, that they who deſire it, have it already: but that is no neceſſary concluſion. Some motions there are, whereof we are not the Maſters, and oftentimes we paſſionately deſire a thing we are not able to effect, although it depend upon our Will. Moſt terrible is the tyranny of Habits, and the cord of Sin are difficult to break. St. Auſtin moſt divinely paints out to us the motion of ſuch a Soul, as would elevate it ſelf to God but cannot; I panted after the liberty of thinking only on thee, O my God, but I ſighed, being ſtill tyed up, not by foreign Chains, but by thoſe of my own will, which were harder than Iron. The Devil held it in his Power; he had bound it faſt. I had a Will to ſerve thee with the pureſt Love, and to enjoy thee, O my God, in whom alone is to be found a ſolid and true Joy; but this new Will, which was but ſtill-born, was not capable of conquering that other which had fortified it ſelf by a long habit in Sin. Behold the Picture of a Chriſtian Soul, that wiſhes to be truly devout, would only think on God and love him, but cannot. Nevertheleſs, how happy is ſuch a Soul and near to Devotion! When we ſeek God we are on the Eve of finding him. This is that Hunger and Thirſt after Righteouſneſs to which the Lord promiſes a Refreſhment. Theſe Deſires are the effects of Grace: but if Nature doth nothing in vain, with much ſtronger Reaſon does Grace. Theſe Deſires therefore cannot be fruitleſs, they will obtain their end, they will be filled one day. There's hardly any thing but wherein the vigour of the Soul, and the force of the Deſires, hit their mark: and hereby, rather than by the ſtrength of his Armies, did the Great Alexander vanquiſh the World, gain ſo many Battels, take ſo many Cities, and trample on the Necks of conquered Nations: when things neceſſary to the Accompliſhment of his Deſigns fail'd him, the vigour of his Courage, that is, the force of his Deſires, ſerved inſtead of them. If the Deſires can perform ſo much in things without us, and independent on our Will, what cannot they do in that which depends thereon, and is vertually our Will it ſelf?
To make theſe pious deſires ſucceed, we are to call God to our aid: theſe are younglings, that he has cauſed to be born, and 'tis his Intereſt to nouriſh them; theſe be the Aurora of that Sun, who doth not fail to come and fully enlighten us, provided he be invok'd with fervour. Here is therefore another Adviſo, which is but a Corollary and a Deduction from the former: We muſt aſk of God the grace of Devotion, and in his preſence groan after what we have not. If there be any favour of our Vows and Tears, if there is any Gift that comes immediately from Heaven, 'tis this Virtue; for nothing is more pure and more elevated among …he Chriſtian Virtues. If any of you lack Wiſdom, ſays St. James, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberal…, and upbraideth not. I know not, whether there be …y part of Chriſtian Wiſdom more deſirable than this. Of God we aſk our daily Bread, our Food and Ray…ent, health of Body, and cure of our Diſeaſes: but …e Soul is ſick, poor, and dying, when depriv'd of De…tion, which is its Fire, Soul, Life. In a word, there is no…ing to which we may more aſſuredly apply the pro…iſe of St. James, that God refuſeth no body, but gives …o all liberally; ſince it is the Prayer of the World, …hich is moſt agreeable to him, becauſe it tends whol… to his Glory and our own Salvation. We aſk of God, …hat he would pleaſe to enter into us, and that we …ay enter into him, to be perfectly united to him by a …tual tye: And how cannot this be well-pleaſing to God, ſeeing our Lord Chriſt himſelf, the model of our …oughts and actions, hath asked the ſame thing for us; That I may be in them and they in me, that they may be …ade perfect in one. Here therefore we ought to begin …r Inſtructions, and the Faithful are to begin their Work: for if nothing can be done without God of what …th not regard him, how can we do that without him, which depends immediately upon him, and is terminated in him.
Meditation.
… conſult my own Heart to know whether I can truly … ſay, My Soul fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. As the …art-panteth after the Water Brooks, ſo my Soul thirſteth … the living God. My Soul is as a barren and dry Land, …ere no Water is: when ſhall I come and appear before God? But alas, I find not in me theſe thoughts and motions. I find there a great barrenneſs, and (as it were) a general privation of Heavenly Graces: I meet only with ſome languiſhing deſires, that periſh in the moment of their birth. My Faith is wavering, my Charity cold, my Hope weak, my Zeal almoſt extinct, and my Devotion luke-warm. A waken thy ſelf immediately, O my Soul; if thou wouldſt be united to thy God, if thou would'ſt love him and be beloved by him; … thou wouldſt have him kindle the pure Flames of Devotion in thy Soul, thou muſt will it, deſire it, ask it. This Good, this great Good, deſerves that thou ſhouldſt make the firſt ſteps, and get before it. Do not ſay unto me, that thou art ſhackled up in unhappy Chains, and the Fleſh calls and perſwades thee to the contrary, that thou wouldſt but thou canſt not be Pious; that thou wouldſt this moment but thou canſt not will it any time long. Alas! if thou willeſt it, O my Soul, it may be done: theſe Chains of thy will are voluntary Chains: theſe bonds are evil Habits and ingagements in Corruption, which are ſo far from leſſening thy Sin, that they render thee the more culpable. In this ſort of thing… we do all that we will, and when we do not that which we will, 'tis becauſe we will it with a moſt imperfect will.
Prayer.
O Moſt merciful Saviour, I am very ſenſible, I am not tru… Devout, becauſe I have not the will to be ſo: but ala… though the Cords that tye up my will to work evil, be voluntary, yet they are not the leſs ſtrong nor the leſs eaſie to be diſſolved. My corruption is in my Will, and therefore … cannot conquer it by my will alone. Thy Grace is ſufficien… for me; but without it I can do nothing. Come then, co… my Deliverer, and break theſe Chains under which I groan▪ I will not let thee go till thou haſt bleſſed me: Create in me a pure Heart, and renew a right Spirit within me: Let thy free Spirit ſuſtain me. It would be in vain to ſeek counſe… …nd aid to promote and ſuccour my Devotion: Without thee, …eſigns fail of their ſucceſs, and councils are unprofitable. We can ſcarce guard Cities or build Houſes, unleſs thou …tcheſt, unleſs thou put to thine hand, all our cares and …our becomes vain. Hear my Prayers, O God, and let not … Meditations be fruitleſs. Quicken the Divine word of thy …ly Spirit, that it may enkindle my heart as a Fire, and …at I may be forthwith delivered from thoſe coldneſſes …ich rack and torture me, ſo as I may be filled with D… …tion as much as I can wiſh to be ſo.