" he doubted of God's power, or the truth of the meffenger; but the only of her own incapacity. This was it which diftinguifhed the mourning of David from the exclamation of Saul; the conteffion of PhaTash from that of Manaffes; the tears of Peter from the repentance of Judas: "For the praife is not in Seneca the deed done, but in the manner of its doing. If a "6 a Man vifits his fick-friend, and watches at his Pillow "for charity fake, and because of his old affection weapprove it; but if he does it in hopes of a Legacy, "he is a Vulture, and only watches for the carcafs. "The fame things are honeft and difhoneft: The manner of doing them and the end of the defign makes feparation. Holy Intention is to the actions of a Man that which the Soul is to the Body, or form to its matter, or the root to the tree, or the Sun to the World, or the Fountain to a River, or the Bafe to a Pillar: for without these the body is a dead trunk, the matter is fluggish, the tree is a block, the world is darkness, the river is quickly dry, the pillar rufhes into flatnefs and ruine; and the action is finfull or unprofitable and vain. The poor Farmer that gave a difh of cold Water to Artaxerxes was rewarded with a golden goblet, and he that gives the fame to a Difciple in the name of a Disciple fhall have a crown; but if he gives water in defpite when the Difciple needs VVine or a Cordial, his reward fhall be to want that Water to cool his tongue. But this duty must be reduced to Rules. Rules for our intentions. 1. In every action reflect upon the end; and in your undertaking it, confider why you do it, and what you propound to your felf for a reward, and to your action as its end. 2. Begin every action in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft: the meaning of which is, 1. That we be carefull that we doe not the action without the permiffion or warrant of God. 2. That 2. That we defignit to the glory of God, if not in the direct action, yet at least in its confequence; if not in the particular, yet at leaft in the whole order of things and accidents. 3. That it may be fo bleffed, that what you intend for innocent and holy purposes may not by any chance or abuse or mif-understanding of men be turned into evil, or made the occafion of fin. 3 Let every action of concernment be begun with prayer, that God would not onely bless the action, but fanctifie your purpose; and make an oblation of the action to God: holy and well intended actions being the best oblations and prelents we can make to God; and when God is intitled to them, he will the rather keep thee first upon the Altar bright and fhining. 4. In the profecution of the action, renew and reinkindle your purpose by fhort Ejaculations to these purpoles: [Not unto us,O Lord,not unto us,but unto thy Name let all praife be given: ] and confider [now I am working the work of God; I am his fervant, I am in a happy employment, I am doing my Master's business, I am not at my own difpofe, I am using his talents, and all the gain must be his:] for then be fure, as the glory is his, fo the reward fhall be thine. If thou bringeft his goods home with increase, he will make thee Ruler over Cities. 5. Have a care that while the Altar thus fends up a holy fume, thou doft not fuffer the Birds to come and carry away the facrifice: that is, let not that which began well, and was intended for God's glory, decline, and end in thy own praife, or temporal fatisfaction, or a fin. A story told to represent the vileness of unchaftity is well begun: but if thy female auditor be pleafed with thy language, and begins rather to like Ahy perfon for thy ftory, than to diflike the crime, be watchfull, left this goodly head of gold defcend Qui furatur in filver and brafs, and end in iron and clay, Nebu ut machetur, chadnezzars's image; for from the end it fhall have magis quam its name and reward. machus eft fur. Arift. Eth. 6. If any accidental event which was not firft intended by thee can come to pafs, let it not be taken into thy Se&.2. thy purposes, not at all be made ufe of: as if by telling a true ftory you can doe an ill turn to your encmy, by no means doe it; but when the temptation is found out, turn all thy enmity upon that. 7. In every more folemn action of Religion, join together many good ends, that the confideration of them may entertain all your affections; and that when any one ceafes, the purity of your intention may be fupported by another fupply. He that fafts onely to tame a rebellious body, when he is provided of a remedy either in Grace or Nature, may be tempted to leave off his fafting. But he that in his faft intends the mortification of every unruly appetite, and accuftoming himself to bear the yoke of the Lord, a contempt of the pleasures of meat and drink, humiliation of all wilder thoughts, obedience and humility, aufterity and charity, and the convenience and affiftance to devotion, and to doe an act of repentance, whatever happens, will have reafon enough to make him to continue his purpose, and to fanctifie it. And certain it is, the more good ends are defigned in an action, the more degrees of excellency the man obtains. 8. If any temptation to fpoil your purposes happens in a religious duty, do not presently omit the action, but rather ftrive to rectifie your intention and to mortifie the temptation. S. Bernard taught us this Rule: For when the Devil obferving him to preach excellently, and to doe much benefit to his hearers, tempted him to vain-glory hoping that the good man to avoid that would ceafe preaching, he gave this answer onely, Ineither began for thee, neither for thee will I make an end. 9. In all actions which are of long continuance, deliberation and abode, let your holy and pious intention be actual, that is, that it be by a special prayer or action, by a peculiar act of refignation or oblation given to God: but in fmaller actions, and little things and indifferent, fail not to fecure a pious habitual intention; that is, that it be included within your general care that no action have an ill C end See Sect. 2. Rule 18. end; and that it be comprehended in your general prayers, whereby you offer your felf, and all you doe to God's glory. 10. Call not every temporal end a defiling of thy intention, but onely, 1. When it contradicts any of the ends of God, or, 2. When it is principally intended in an action of Religion. For fometimes a temporal end is part of our duty and fuch are all the actions of our calling, whether our employment be religious or civil. We are commanded to provide for our family but if the Minifter of Divine Offices fhall take upon him that holy calling for covetous or ambitious ends, or fhall not defign the glory of God principally and efpecially, he hath polluted his hands and his heart, and the fire of the Altar is quenched, or it fends forth nothing but the fmoak of mufhromes or unpleasant gums. And it is a great unworthiness to prefer the intereft of a creature before the ends of God the Almighty Creator. But because many cafes may happen in which a man's heart may deceive him, and he may not well know what is in his own fpirit; therefore by these following figns we fhall beft make a judgment whether our Intentions be pure, and our Purpofes holy. Signs of Purity of Intention. 1. It is probable our hearts are right with God, and of this Chap. Our Intentions innocent and pious, if we fet upon aEtions of Religion or civil life with an affection proportionate to the quality of the work; that we act our temporal affairs with a defire no greater than our neceffity; and that in actions of Religion we be zealous, active and operative, fo far as prudence will permit; but in all cafes, that we value a religious design before a temporal, when otherwife they are in equal order to their feveral ends: that is, that whatfoever is neceffary in order to our Souls health be higher efteemed than what is for bodily; and the neceffities, the indifpenfible neceffities of the fpirit be ferved before the needs of nature,when they are requir'd in their feveral feveral circumstances; or plainer yet, when we chufe any temporal inconvenience rather than commit a fin, and when we chute to doe a duty rather than to get gain. But he that does his recreation or his merchandice chearfully, promptly, readily and bufily, and the works of Religion flowly, flatly and without appetite, and the fpirit moves like Pharaob's chariots when the wheels were of, it is a fign that his heart is not right with God, but it cleaves too much to the world. 2. It is likely our hearts are pure and our intentions [potlefs when we are not folicitous of the opinion and cenfures of men; but onely that we doe our duty, and be accepted of God. For our eyes will certainly be fixed there from whence we expect our reward: and if we defire that God fhould approve us,it is a fign we doe his work, and expect him our pay-mafter. 3. He that does as well in private between God and his own Soul as in publick, in Pulpits, in Theatres and Market-places, hath given himself a good teftimony that his purposes are full of honesty, nobleness and integrity. For what Elkanah faid to the Mother of Samuel, Am not I better to thee than ten Sons? is most certainly verified concerning God, that he who is to be our Judge is better than ten thousand witnesses. But he that would have his vertue publifhed, ftudies not vertue but glory. "He is not juft that will not be juft Seneca, Ep. without praife: but he is a righteous man that does juftice, when to doe fo is made infamous; and he is 113. 66 a wife man who is delighted with an ill name that is S. Chryf. 1. 2. "well gotten. And indeed that man hath a strange co- de compun "vetoufness or folly, that is not contented with this cordis. reward, that he hath pleafed God. And fee what he 46 gets by it. He that does good works for praife or fe"cular ends, fells an ineftimable jewel for a trifle; S.Greg. Mo"and that which would purchase Heaven for him, he parts with for the breath of the people, which at "the best is but air, and that not often wholfome. 4. It is well alfo when we are not follicitous or troubled concerning the effect and event of all our actions; but that being first by Prayer recommended to C 2 bit, |