Eafe, are all wrong in their diftemper'd Imaginations.

Now whatever Perfons have been ferioufly and frequently affured by their Directors, that they are concern'd in this Weaknefs, (for 'tis of thefe alone I speak) these, I fay, ought to be no more alarm'd with what they read or hear concerning the dangerous State of luke-warm Chriftians, than if they fhould hear a warm Invective against the most scandalous Vices practifed in the World, of which they certainly know themselves not guilty: For let them but confider every Part of the luke warm Christian's Character, and they will find it to be as far from reprefenting their Cafe, as the Picture of a Camel is from reprefenting a Gnat.

A fupine Neglect in the Concerns of Salvation is the Characteristick Sin of the Lukewarm whereas an exceffive Solicitude is, on the contrary, the Fault of the Scrupulous. The Luke-warm lay themselves open to many great Sins, by contemning those that are venial; but the Scrupulous are, on the contrary, under a continual panick Terror, and as the Pfalmift, defcribes them, trembling there with Fear, where there is no Ground of Fear. The Luke-warm confult their Eafe in all Duties relating both to Prayer, Fafting, and the Sacraments;

whereas

whereas the Scrupulous make them a meer Rack of Confcience, and an infupportable Burden to their Souls. The Luke-warm are as flothful Servants doing every Thing by Halves; and the Scrupulous are like drudging Slaves, perpetually Sweating and Groaning under the fweet Yoke of Jefus Chrift. Finally, the Luke-warm are but too apt to prefume upon God's Goodness, whereas the Scrupulous feem to regard Almighty God as an unmerciful Task-mafter, or one that lies upon the Catch to find Fault, and refolved to pardon them nothing.

I know but one Point, in which these oppofite Distempers feem to have a Refemblance; I mean, the Difficulty of their Cure; though the Cause of this Difficulty in the one, is wholly different from that in the other. The ufual Root of it in fcrupulous Perfons is a strong Prepoffeffion, that their Director does not understand them right, and thinks them better than they really are and that by confequence they cannot depend upon his Advice; which certainly is the subtleft Stratagem the Devil can employ to perpetuate the Distur bances and Anxieties of thefe pious Souls, and render useless the ordinary Means ap pointed by Almighty God for their Cure; because it deprives them of the Comfort C 5

and

and Affiftance of the Perfon, by whose Advice alone they can be cured. Now all I can fay to this whimsical Pretext (but I say it with all the Affurance imaginable) is, that when a Penitent has for feveral Times laid open the State of his Confcience with all the Candor and Sincerity he is capable of, 'tis morally impoffible his Confeffor fhould mistake his Cafe, or form a wrong Judgment of him. They who are free from Scruples, and, by confequence, the beft Judges in the Cafe in Queftion, are fully convinced of this Truth; and if Perfons darkened with Fears and Apprehenfions, will not fubmit to the Judgment of thofe, who fee Things in a clear Light, 'tis a Sign they refolve not to be cured. But if they are ftill willing to receive Advice, the best Thing they can do to be delivered from this racking Evil, is to pay an humble Obedience to their Director in every Thing relating to their Diftemper: And in order to difpofe themselves by Degrees to this entire Submiffion, they must be heartily convinced of the following Truths.

1. That Scrupulofity is no commendable Quality, nor a Help to Devotion, but a great Hinderance to it.

2. That there are dangerous Exceffes as well as Defects in Devotion; and that over

doing

doing is a Fault as well as falling short in any Duty whatsoever.

3. That they ought not to regard Almighty God as a cenforious Spy upon Men's Actions, but as an indulgent Father, full of Tenderness and Compaffion, particularly to thofe, who feek fincerely to please him.

4. That the Yoke of Chrift is not a tyrannical Law impofed to opprefs Confciences, but to conduct Men with Comfort and Safety in their Way to Heaven.

5. That a Confcience darkened with Fears and Scruples, is a treacherous Guide, and never to be trusted to.

6. That to follow the Judgment of Directors, which is acting according to God's Appointment, is both fafer, and more eafily anfwered to God, than to be governed by their own Wills and Fancies.

And lastly, that the plausible Pretext of not being understood, or thought better than they are by their Directors, is a Snare of the Devil, intending thereby to perpe tuate their Disturbances, and render them incurable.

Now to return to the Luke-warm, who ftand more in Need of Caufticks than Lenitives; the best Advice I can give them is to meditate frequently upon Death, Judg ment, the Eternity of Hell-fire, the small

Number

Number of the Elect, and other fevere Truths of the Gofpel, which may frighten them into a Senfe of their Condition, convince them of their Danger, and make them refolve upon a ferious Amendment of their Lives.

The XLVth ENTERTAINMENT.
Of Spiritual Martyrdom.

He that loveth his Life, fhall lofe it.
John xii. 25.

TH

THESE Words of Chrift are applicable to all the glorious Martyrs, whofe Feafts are yearly folemnized by the Church: For they truly loved their Lives, in fhedding their Blood for the Honour and Intereft of their heavenly Master; and in fo doing, gave the ftrongest Proof of the ardent Defire they had to be united for ever to him; fince they were willing to purchase that Happiness with the bitterest Torments, and the Lofs of their Lives.

But how can ordinary Chriftians imitate the heroick Virtue of thefe Champions of Chrift? First, every one is bound to be

heartily