God to confirm or establish him spiritu principali, with the spirit of a prince, the spirit of lust being uningenuous and slavish ;) the holy Jesus, who was to establish a new law in the authority of his person, was highly curious so to demean himself, that he might be a person incapable of any such suspicions, and of a temper apt not only to answer the calumny, but also to prevent the jealousy. But yet, now he had a great design in hand, he meant to reveal to the Samaritans the coming of the Messias; and to this his discourse with the woman was instrumental. And in imitation of our great Master, spiritual persons, and the guides of others have been very prudent and reserved in their societies and intercourse with women. Heretics have served their ends upon the impotency of the sex, and having led captive silly women,' led them about as triumphs of lust; and knew no scandal greater than the scandal of heresy, and therefore sought not to decline any, but were infamous in their unwary and lustful mixtures. Simon Magus had his Helena partner of his lust and heresy; the author of the sect of the Nicolaitans (if St. Jerome was not misinformed) had troops of women; Marcion sent a woman as his emissary to Rome; Apelles had his Philomene; Montanus, Prisca and Maximilla; Donatus was served by Lucilla; Elpidius by Agape, Priscillian by Galla; and Arius spreads his nets by opportunity of his conversation with the prince's sister, and first he corrupted her, then he seduced the world.

6. But holy persons, preachers of true religion and holy doctrines, although they were careful by public homilies to instruct the female disciples, that they who are heirs together with us of the same

hope, may be servants in the same discipline and institution; yet they remitted them to their husbands and guardians, to be taught at home.' And when any personal transactions concerning the needs of their spirit were of necessity to intervene between the priest and a woman, the action was done most commonly under public test, or if in private, yet with much caution and observation of circumstance, which might as well prevent suspicion, as preserve their innocence. Conversation and frequent and familiar address does too much rifle the ligaments and reverence of spiritual authority, and amongst the best persons is matter of danger. When the cedars of Libanus have been observed to fall, when David and Solomon have been dishonoured, he is a bold man that will venture further than he is sent in an errand by necessity, or invited by charity, or warranted by prudence. I deny not but some persons have made holy friendships with women: St. Athanasius with a devout and religious virgin, St. Chrysostom with Olympia, St. Jerome with Paula Romana, St. John with the elect lady, St. Peter and St. Paul with Petronilla and Thecla. And therefore it were a jealousy beyond the suspicion of monks and eunuchs, to think it impossible to have a chaste conversation with a distinct sex. 1, A pure and right intention; 2, an intercourse not extended beyond necessity or holy ends; 3, a short stay; 4, great modesty; 5, and the business of religion, will by God's grace hallow the visit, and preserve the friendship in its being spiritual, that it may not degenerate into carnal affection. And yet these are only advices useful when there is

11 Cor. xiv. 35.

danger in either of the persons, or some scandal incident to the profession, that to some persons and in the conjunction of many circumstances are oftentimes not considerable.

7. When Jesus had resolved to reveal himself to the woman, he first gives her occasion to reveal herself to him, fairly insinuating an opportunity to confess her sins, that having purged herself from her impurity, she might be apt to entertain the article of the revelation of the Messias. And indeed a crime in our manners is the greatest indisposition of our understanding to entertain the truth and doctrine of the gospel; especially when the revelation contests against the sin, and professes open hostility to the lust for faith being the gift of God and an illumination, the Spirit of God will not give this light to them that prefer their darkness before it; either the will must open the windows, or the light of faith will not shine into the chamber of the soul. How can ye believe, (said our blessed Saviour) that receive honour one of another ? Ambition and faith, believing God and seeking of ourselves, are incompetent and totally incompossible. And therefore Serapion, bishop of Thmuis, spake like an angel, (saith Socrates,) saying, "That the mind which feedeth upon spiritual knowledge must thoroughly be cleansed. The irascible faculty must first be cured with brotherly love and charity, and the concupiscible must be suppressed with continency and mortification." Then may the understanding apprehend the mysteriousness of Christianity: for since Christianity is a holy doctrine, if there be any remanent affec

1 John, v. 44.

2 Lib. iv. Hist. c. xxiii.

tions to a sin, there is in the soul a party disaffected to the entertainment of the institution, and we usually believe what we have a mind to. Our understandings, if a crime be lodged in the will, being like icterical eyes, transmitting the species to the soul with prejudice, disaffection, and colours of their own framing. If a preacher should discourse that there ought to be a parity amongst Christians, and that their goods ought to be in common, all men will apprehend that not princes and rich persons, but the poor and the servants, would soonest become the disciples, and believe the doctrines, because they are the only persons likely to get by them and it concerns the other not to believe him, the doctrine being destructive of their interests. Just such a persuasion is every persevering love to a vicious habit; it having possessed the understanding with fair opinions of it, and surprised the will with passion and desires, whatsoever doctrine is its enemy will with infinite difficulty be entertained. And we know a great experience of it in the article of the Messias dying on the cross, which though infinitely true, yet, because to the Jews it was a scandal, and to the Greeks foolishness,' it could not be believed, they remaining in that indisposition; that is, unless the will were first set right, and they willing to believe any truth, though for it they must disclaim their interest. Their understanding was blind, because the heart was hardened, and could not receive the impression of the greatest moral demonstration in the world.

8. The holy Jesus asked water of the woman, unsatisfying water; but promised that himself, to them that ask him, would give waters of life, and satisfaction infinite: so distinguishing the pleasures

and appetites of this world from the desires and complacencies spiritual. Here we labour, but receive no benefit; we sow many times, and reap not; or reap, and do not gather in; or gather in, and do not possess; or possess, but do not enjoy ; or if we enjoy we are still unsatisfied, it is with anguish of spirit and circumstances of vexation. A great heap of riches makes neither our clothes warm, nor our meat more nutritive, nor our beverage more pleasant; and it feeds the eye, but never fills it, but, like drink to an hydropic person, increases the thirst, and promotes the torment. But the grace of God, though but like a grain of mustard-seed, fills the furrows of the heart; and as the capacity increases, itself grows up in equal degrees, and never suffers any emptiness or dissatisfaction, but carries content and fulness all the way: and the degrees of augmentation are not steps and near approaches to satisfaction, but increasings of the capacity: the soul is satisfied all the way, and receives more, not because it wanted any, but that it can now hold more, is more receptive of felicities. And in every minute of sanctification there is so excellent a condition of joy and high satisfaction, that the very calamities, the afflictions and persecutions of the world are turned into felicities by the activity of the prevailing ingredient; like a drop of water falling into a tun of wine, it is ascribed into a new family, losing its own nature by a conversion into the more noble for now that all passionate desires are dead, and there is nothing remanent that is vexatious, the peace, the serenity, the quiet sleeps, the evenness of spirit, and contempt of things below, remove the soul from all neighbourhood of displeasure, and place it at the foot of the