confider'd it has a great propriety to the Fe male Sex. For Devotion is a tender Plant, that will scarce root in ftiff or rocky ground, but requires a fupple gentle foil; and therefore the feminine foftness and plyableness, is very apt and proper for it. And accordingly there have been very eminent growths of it in that Sex. I need not heap up examples of former Ages, but rather perfwade this to leave fome at leaft to the following, and the more confiderable the perfons are, the more confpicuous will be the example, which seems the more to adapt it to thofe I now speak to. Devotion in a Cloister is as reclufe as the Votary, a light rather under a bufhel than on a candlestick; and in an obfcure Cottage 'tis either not observ'd, or elfe thought to be but the effect of deftitution and fecular wants, a referve rather than a choice: but when those who are in the eye of the world, the most eminent actors on the Theater of human life, fhall choose the part of a Saint, when those who want none of the divertifements or blan dishments of Earth, fhall have their conver fation in Heaven, this recommends it to the fpectatours, as the true and greatest object of human choice; fince 'tis chofen by thofe who know the utmost pretence of all it's com petitours.

29. NOR is devotion only more excellent in them in regard of it's effects; but 'tis also

more

more neceffary in refpect of their obligation. Devotion is an abftraction from the World, and therefore cannot in any eminent degrees be practis'd by those whofe neceffities or bufinefs do much entangle them in it. So that from fuch, a far lefs proportion will be accepted, than from thofe, whofe plenty and ease give them no other want but that of employment. And certainly if there be any, of whom that can truely be faid, Women of Quality are the perfons; for they in this refpect exceed even Men of the like rank; for the Men are often engag'd in publick employments, and muft lend most of their time to the use of others; or however, all have the care of their own private affairs, the managery of their fortunes to employ them. But of Women, the utmoft that is ordinarily requir'd, is but a little easy inspection within their own walls, the over-fight of a few children and fervants, and even from this, how many are by their condition of life exempted? And how many more do by their nicenefs and delicacy exempt themselves? And furely fo perfect a vacancy is neither happy nor fafe. And therefore God, who projects we fhould be both, never defign'd it for any of mankind: but where he gives fo much liberty from fecular, he expects a greater diligence in fpiritual employments.

30. AND indeed, 'tis an amazing thing to fee, that any into whom he has breath'd the

breath

breath of Life, on whom he hath stamp'd the Image of his own Eternity, can think thofe Immortal Souls, were given them only to ferve the mean and abject uses of their corruptible Bodies, (for which the Soul of the dulleft Animal would have done as well) that eating and drinking, fleep and recreations, which are only useful to the fupporting us in this World, are the only things for which we were fent hither. And yet if we may measure their opinions by their practice, this feems to be the perfwafion of many of our female Gentry, who look upon it as a degrading, a kind of attainture of their blood, to do any thing but please their fenfes. An errour fure of the most pernicious confequence imaginable. We know a Lady of pleasure is in one fense a very scandalous Epithet, and truely 'tis no very laudable one in the other; nay, which is worse, they are often co-incident, and fall in with each other. She whofe fole univerfal aim is pleasure, will not think her felf much out of her road, in the purfuit of any particular. And fhe that thinks fhe lives for no other purpofe, will fo often be at a loss for innocent pleasure, that she is almoft under a neceffity to call in the nocent, to ferve the very end (as fhe fuppofes) of her being. But indeed were they fure to confine themfelves to fuch as are harmless in their kind, yet the excess of them renders them finfull, and the doting pursuit denominates them lovers

of

of pleafures more than lovers of God, a character fo black, that the Apostle compleats his Catalogue of the worst vices of the worst of times with it, Tim. 3. 4.

31. IT is therefore the great goodness of God to defign a rescue for those whole condition exposes them to that danger, and by exacting a liberal expence of time in their Devotion, divert them from lavifhing both it and their Souls together. Neither do's he by this, defeat their aim of a pleasant Life, but rather affift it: for whereas fenfual delights are vagrant, and must be chas'd through a hundred turnings and wild mazes; the Spiritual are fix'd, and one may always know where to find them. How often are the voluptuous in pain to know which pleasure to choose? like a furfeited stomach, the greater variety is fet before it, the more it naufeates all. What difficulties hath a Lady many times to refolve, whether an after-noon fhall be spent at Court, or at the Theater? whether. in Dancing, or at Cards, in giving or receiving Vifits, as not knowing which will beft please her? But the that knows the delights of Devotion, knows withal, that there is no other fit to come in competition with it; and fo is not diftracted in her choice, nor needs go farther than her Closet for the moft agreeable entert tainment.. I know this will found a little incredible to those that know no other ufe of Closets, than as a Confervatory of Gauds and

Baubles that aspire to no pleasure there above that of Children, the playing with Pictures and Puppets that adorn it. Nor indeed do I pretend, that fuch fhall find thofe fatisfactions I fpeak of. Thofe, whofe errand is to Beelzebub the God of Flies, muft not expect to be treated by the God of Ifrael. An ingenuous Man will fcorn to obtrude himself on those who defire not his company, and fure God will not make himfelf more cheap. Those that will meet him in their Closets, muft come with that defign, refort thither as to an Oratory; nay, more than fo, they muft come frequently. Spiritual joys know not the way to a place where they are not often invited: and as Men feek not for each other in places where they feldom or never come, but where they daily frequent; fo God contrives, not to meet us in that place where we appear rarely and accidentally, but where we ufually refort.

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32. I fhall not need to branch out Devotion into the several parts, that being done already in a multitude of other Treatifes, of which if they please to confult any one, they cannot want a Directory for their Worship, whether private or publick. Only let me obferve the order and connexion of thofe two, that they are neither to be fever'd, nor yet to be rang'd prepofteroufly. The private muft not juftle out the publick, for God expects his folemn

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