The divine life in three treatises

5. In case a man by age or sickness find himself so near to death, as that he hath now a more special call to look after his present actual preparation, than to endeavour any more the good of others; and find withal, that solitude will help him in his preparations, his society being such as would but hinder him. In these five cases I suppose it lawful to retire from humane converse into solitude.

5. In case a man by age or sickness find himself so near to death, as that he hath now a more special call to look after his present actual preparation, than to endeavour any more the good of others; and find withall, that solitude will help him in his preparations, his society being such as would but hinder him. In these five cases I suppose it lawful to retire from humane converse into solitude.

But when there is no such necessity or call, it usually proceedeth from one of these vicious distempers: 1. From Cowardice and fear of suffering, when the soldiers of Christ do hide their heads, instead of confessing him before men.

But when there is no such necessity or call, it usually proceedeth from one of these vicious distempers: 1. From Cowardize and fear of suffering, when the souldiers of Christ do hide their heads, instead of confessing him before men.

2. From a laziness of mind and weariness of duty: when slothful unprofitable servants hide their talents, pretending their fear of the austerity of their Lord. Its easier to run away from our work, then do it: and to go out of the reach of ignorance, malice, contradiction and ungodliness, than to encounter them, and conquer them by Truth and Holy lives. So many persons as we converse with, so many are there to whom we owe some duty: And this is not so easy as it is to over-run our work, and to hide our selves in some Wilderness or Cell, whilst others are fighting the battles of the Lord. 3. Or it may proceed from mere impatience: When men cannot bear the frown, and scorns, and violence of the ungodly, they fly from sufferings, which by patience they should overcome. 4. Or it may come from humour and mutability of mind, and discontent with ones condition: Many retire from humane converse to please a discontented passionate mind; or expecting to find that in privacy, which in public they could