and to enjoy all the felicities thereof both earthly 〈◊〉 heavenly Let us therefore by all meanes seeke to preserve the welfare of our bodies since the same is so great a furtherance to the felicity of the mind And the rather because otherwise if the body be unhealthy and distempered the same will bee a burthen to the mind whose Instrument it is and so hinder it in the performance of all excellent matters and in the possession and enjoyance of all delights and happinesses both earthly and heavenly and instead thereof cause therein much distemper perturbation discontent evill and misery Because this matter is of great consequence I shall briefely endeavour to shew how the body thus worketh upon the mind That the humours of the body are an occasion of Passions and perturbations of the mind is a received ground among all Physitians and Philosophers It is well knowne in Philosophy that the affections of the mind doe follow the apprehensions of the phansie And Physitians doe well know that the apprehensions of the Phansie are conformable to the dispositions of the body and the humours that are predominate therein They tell us and Experience also teacheth us that the Cholericke humours if excessive being fiery and impetuous make the â—pprehension to bee swift and violent exciting to Anger and Rashnesse The Melancholy being cold and dry bring feare sorrow and darke thoughts Phlegme being cold and moyst maketh the apprehension to become dull slow and without vigour And too much bloud being hot and moyst excites to sensuall Lusts Prodigality Riot and the like A mixture of excessive inflamed and corrupted Choller Melancholy and other humours causeth the Phansie to apprehend things as having enmity excites to hatred Revenge Frowardnesse and to desperate mischiefes and miseries So that it is apparant the body workes upon the Mind and the excessive distempered humours thereof doe also annoy and distemper the Mind But how Not by depriving it of any power or faculty given it of GOD as some say which remaines without diminishing but by corrupting the next instrument whereby the mind worketh and consequently the action it selfe which commeth to passe by reason that the evill humours of the body do send up grosse and maligne fumes into the braine annoying the animall Spirits which are most thinne and subtill vapours proceeding from the bloud and the Instruments whereby the mind worketh and performeth the actions thereof Those Spirits are a medium betwixt the mind and the body as some say Others that they participate of both and being refined enlivened and quickned by the reasonable and divine Soule they become of a middle nature betweene Ayre and Flame being pure and undistempered they cause in the mind Tranquility Joy and good desires The Ayrie part raising quicke pleasing and delicate conceits in the Phansie and the Flame inciting noble and active desires in the soule But these Spirits being distempered dulled and corrupted by the maligne fumes proceeding from ill humours The dispositions and actions of the mind also by reason thereof will become corrupt and evill for these animall Spirits being the medium betwixt the body and the mind participating of both and the next instrument whereby the mind and body worke upon each other being corrupted and distempered the mind therefore grieveth and distempereth it selfe at the distemper of these Spirits and so of the body And therefore cannot please it selfe or effect any excellent matter having such distempered corrupted Instruments to worke withall So that although the Spirit be willing yet the Corruptions and weakenesse of the flesh will pervert the actions thereof and the dull distempered body cannot bee capable to effect or know the good dictates operations and Inducements of the soule But both being annoyed by evill humours and those distempered Spirits become out of Temper and Corrupted It being apparant that the body thus workes upon the mind it is of very great Consequence that we take diligent care of the good temper health and welfare of our bodies The usuall directions prescribed to mainetaine our bodies in good health and due temper are a convenient proportion and moderation in these which Physitians call the sixe non-naturall Things according to Galen's Division Which are 1 Ayre 2 Meate and Drinke 3 Sleepe and watch 4 Labour and rest 5 Emptinesse and Repletion 6 The affections and passions of the mind All which are by divers Authors at large treated of and described But for asmuch as neither the matter of Diet nor the quantity thereof nor the use and observation of those other non-naturall things ought to be the same in all sorts of people but very different according to the diversity of Ages Complexions Constitutions and the like It is therefore good that every man be well skilled in the Temperament of his body and mind that he may be a Rule unto himselfe in that which is best for him Hence that Proverbe hath its probability Every man is eyther a Foole or a Physitian Let therefore every man survey himselfe and if he find the plight and state of his body to be in equability and of a perfect Temper Let him cherish and preserve himselfe in this good estate which is to be done by a due order apt proportion and convenient moderation of these things before mentioned Namely with little alteration according to that in Hippocrates Aphorisme Ayre Meat Drinke Exercise Sleepe Venus and affections of the Mind But if our bodies doe any way decline from a good Temper and Disposition Then had we need to recure the same by all good endeavours and Remedies To rectify therefore and remedy the ill Temperament of our bodies Let us observe these directions First to forbeare and disuse such things as are an occasion of the distemper or any way hurtfull Secondly to enjoyne our selves to a contrary order of Usage and Diet. Thirdly to evacuate and empty the body of ill humours and of such things as are an occasion of the distemper Of all which I intend briefly to discourse in the ensuing Divisions in a mixt way according to the foure severall Complexions together with directions concerning the divers passions and affections of the mind incident to each Complexion or humour abounding tending to the eschewing of the infelicity or misery of the mind and to encrease the felicity thereof But in the observation of the following Physicall directions we are to observe this Caution That seeing the many and severall Rules and observations therein though briefly prescribed we doe not too scrupulously and precisely tye our selves to such a multitude of particulars nor perplexe our selves in the observation therof for why those good effects for which they are severally prescribed may be happily effected if we doe but observe some part of those directions so much onely as wee may with conveniency And J have the rather collected and mentioned so many and divers particulars and many such as are very common and easie to be attained and observed to the intent we may
the Spirits aswell as the Body Dancing Shooting Riding Bowling Tennis Stoole-ball Running and all stirring Exercises It is good for them to endeavour by all meanes to be of a quicke and stirring disposition of Body and Mind and often to sollace the same with active and pleasant Sports Recreations and Contemplations These or some of these Directions if but observed in a convenient manner without perplexity or much nicenesse may doe them much good for by these meanes the superfluous humidity and moysture of the Braine and the Cold Raw Crude Phlegme in the stomack will be dissolved and consumed and consequently the obstructions and distempers caused therby will be removed The passages of the Spirits made free and the Spirits themselves rarified and brought to their right quality Also the memory and understanding cleered In summe The whole Body and Mind made free cleere quickned reduced to and maintained in a good temper and disposition and so apt and well prepared to enjoy all true happinesse Secondly Philosophically For Remedies against those Slow Dull Carelesse Sottish lazy Humours and Dispositions Let us first consider the miseries thereof briefly The same are the fountaines of Poverty of base-mindednesse and contemptible conditions If wee could truely consider how much happinesse we may attaine unto in a life time by being Diligent Carefull Active Considerate and industrious and how much misery we may bring upon our selves by Sloth Sottishnesse and Carelessenesse The same would plainely appeare to be a very great hinderance of happinesse and a very great mischiefe and misery Idlenesse and Sloth doe very much annoy both the Body and Mind for want reason thereof the Body for want of exercise commonly becomes filled with putrified and grosse humours with Crudities Obstructiōs Rheumes and very subject to all the Diseases springing from thence The same dulleth the spirits causing Melancholly Sadnesse Peevishnesse sullen fits and a multitude of evill thoughts feares and perplexities all which are familiar to idle slothfull persons Sloth and Idlenesse is the bane of all goodnesse profit and worthy actions causing griefe irkesomnesse and hindering all true joy and pleasure in all good wayes Let us therefore detest the same let us scorne to live in the world like heavie lumpish carelesse slow lazy sotts and blocks as if wee were borne to no other end but to come into the world stay there a while eate drinke sleepe grow sicke and dye And let us endeavour by all meanes to stirre up our minds to the Contemplation of high and notable things To have variety of noble and excellent thoughts within us To apply our selves to the acquisition of all heroicall vertues especially those of Prudence and Fortitude to scorne and despise low unworthy matters and to dedicate our selves to worthy difficult and notable actions To esteeme our selves free and at will To endeavour on good grounds to bee resolute wilfull magnanimous and to stand upon our owne bottomes To arme our selves against the worst of fortune To endeavour to imitate the best and worthiest men in their most sublime and excellent actions Greatly to desire and endeavour to be quicke and high spirited Me thinks such Considerations and endeavours should presently rouze up our dull carelesse grosse sluggish Minds and make them quicke active lively and sprightfull Thirdly to these I might adde some Divine remedies and directions To instance briefly This Sacred Science of Divinity teacheth us That if we will exalt our selves wee must first be meeke and humble Let us then deny our selves like King DAVID as Wormes and no men as miserable wretches deserving the miseries of Earth and Hell But let this denyall of our selves make us looke to our Saviour and as he councels Rev. 3. Buy of him fine Gold white Rayment Eye salve c. All divine and heavenly Graces So then being reconciled to GOD in CHRIST our Saviour trusting and relying on him and endeavouring to goe on in his divine Pathes though wee be in our selves like the Laodiceans poore blind wretched and miserable yet in him wee way and ought to thinke our selves Rich free happie blessed creatures little lower then the Angels Psal 8. Partakers of the divine Nature 1 Pet. 1.3 That wee are the Sonnes of God himselfe heyres of a most bright glorious eternall heavenly Kingdome That wee are the worlds Masters and that the Devils are our Slaves and vassailes That our Bodies shall shine eternally in heaven and be made Spirituall and glorious bodies like to that of the Sonne of God Phil. 3.20 That our Soules shall bee united to God made one with him as members of himselfe Like him as St. Iohn signifieth 1 Ioh. 3.2 and with him shall raigne eternally in Heaven tryumphing and enjoying infinite pleasures and happinesse for ever How may such thoughts raise our Minds and even strike quickning flashes of Heaven in us before-hand if wee could truly thinke of their excellency and make us of a sprightfull Angel-like Divine and heavenly temper on Earth So let 's advance our Minds to high desires To sprightfull quicknesse to Coelestiall fires Divinest Raptures Let such thoughts possesse Vs with a Paradice of happinesse THE V. DIVISION Concerning Sanguine Complexions and such as are of conceited vaine glorious and of Intemperate voluptuous Minds exciting to Meekenesse humility and to moderate delectation SUch men as are of a Sanguine Complexion which humour is hot and moyst if they accustome and betake themselves to good courses they are commonly cheerfull merry and pleasant therein And so if they use thir naturall good parts well adicting themselves to vertue and goodnesse They usually become most excellent therein and gaine to themselves much worth and happinesse But if they neglecting vertue give themselves to vice they commonly become very phantasticke selfe-conceited bragging and vaine-glorious also very Luxurious Intemperate profuse Prodigals and lewdly voluptuous Wherefore to keepe themselves in good temper both of body and mind to prevent and mittigate such diseases as usually arise from superabundant corrupt or inflamed bloud also to allay excessive and extravagant passions and affections incident thereunto and to bring both their bodies minds to a good temper and disposition and so to maintaine the same therein let them observe such Directions as ensue It is good therefore especially for men of this Complexion if their bloud abound or bee corrupted and if Age weaknesse or other cause hinder not especially in the Spring or Autumne to be let blood and to keepe a good Dyet after the same for hereby the old corrupted moysture of the body being evacuated in stead thereof new and purer is introduced and bred Let them commonly use a temperate coole and loose dyet oftentimes forbearing such as nourishes plentifully or if they doe eate such as Flesh Milke and Egges let them eate good store of Bread therewith Also let them eschew too much Sack Ale and such like too sweet and too strong Wine and liquors which heate and nourish much Let their Exercise be not too
dejected and sorrowfull Therefore to maintaine themselves in good Temper both of body and mind to prevent and mittigate such diseases a vsually arise from this melancholly heavy cold dry thick humour of the splene which if excessive and corrupted takes away the stomacke colour and sleepe thickens the bloud and causes divers Maladies both of body and mind Let them therefore and also to bring and mainetaine their bodies and minds in good temper and disposition fit and apt to enjoy all true happinesse observe such and the like directions as follow Let them in due season purge out of their bodies the excessive Melancholly humours let them avoyd such things as encrease the same such as are an over-ful stomacke by Intemperance causing Crudities Also such meats as breed grosse and thick bloud as doth Beefe Bacon Venison Hare Salt pickled Raw Fishes and all grosse meates to tender stomacks and idle persons Also to Students and such as usually live a sedentary life Let them also eschew Idlenesse too much solitarinesse feares unsatiable desires sadnesse and sorrow as much as they may But let them usually eat such Diet as is easie of digestion warme sod young moyst and of good nourishment Let their Drinke be well sod hop't and brew'd indifferent in strength and age Let them sleepe somewhat more then ordinary Let them as much as they may keep their bodies laxative and often avoyd excrements It is good to keepe themselves cleanly and decent their hands and faces washed head combed To weare cleane Linnen comely Apparell and to bee neately drest for slovenlinesse dejects a man but decency and cleanlinesse doth revive and quicken his Spirits Borrage Buglosse Baulme Burnet Succory Endive in Brothes or otherwise are very good to revive and comfort the Spirits As also Roses Violets and their leaves Syrrup of Lemmans and Oranges Iuice of Apples Sanders Camphire Saffron Wood of Aloes Cittron Barke Baulm mint Orange flowers Rosemary Mint Betony Blessed thistle And Cordialls of all sorts are good for them Sometimes two or three cups of pure Wine is good against this heauy and sad kind of Melancholly but excesse overwhelmeth the Spirits and causeth a multitude of vapors â—o ascend into the braine as it cannot well concoct but onely doth refrigerate the same which then remaine raw and crude postering the braine so as from thence by reason thereof distills much cold raw unconcocted humours into the stomacke distempering the body â—nd mind and encreasig Meâ—ancholly discontent and sadnesse As for example A man that is Potshot at night looke â—pon him next morning after â—â—e vapours of the wine or â—â—rong liquor are pestred and â—ooled in his braine and distilâ—d you shall see him like the â—icture of ill Fortune sad sullen â—â—mpish quarrelsome and Melacholly And perchance ready â—o goe to the Taverne againe to drive it away But indeed this is the way to encrease the same and in tract of time by much excesse to make a man become excessive and even habitually Melancholly and discontented But so much as the braine can well digest the vapours thereof without any remaining raw and crude which may bee about three or foure usuall Cups of wine or strong liquor is an excellent cordiall against this ferall melancholly and sadnesse and doth much quicken and revive their dejected sad heauy cold and melancholly Spirits Let them also use moderate exercises and stirring be always busie about some good and if it may bee pleasing imployments either of body or mind Let them also use good and temperate Recreations Pastimes Musicke Melody Mirth Banqueting good company and all lawfull and good pleasures in good sort and at convenient times to sollace cheere and revive their sad and Melancholly Spirits Now concerning the dispositions and passions of the mind most incident to this Melancholly humour And first of Covetousnesse which is commonly noted to be most resident in such as are of Melancholly cold and dry Complexions as appeares in old men who are naturally of a cold dry Melancholly Temper Let us therefore consider briefly Covetousnesse is esteemed the most unworthy low and sordid vice of all other insomuch as many covetous men to gaine a small value of Riches voluntarily plunge themselves into any base offices and actions It is the roote of evill St. Paul saith From thence often proceedeth deceipt Contentions Lying Swearing Perjury Oppression Injustice Symony Usury Thefts and sometimes hatefell Murders and Villanies This low and greedy vice banisheth out of the mind the most excellent high and generous desires and vertues and dejecteth the same to a low and dunghill disposition to become even a slave to Riches It is an vnsatiable desire and causeth a multitude of vnnecessary discontents Cares Paines Plots Ravenous desires much envy grudging Pinching Pining many feares of losses and Crosses and extreame griefes to part with their Riches and desires So as these evill effects of Coveteousnesse doe almost continually perplexe such asare possessed therewith and hinder them in all true pleasure and happinesse Let us also consider that hee indeed is most truely rich and truly happy who is most vertuous most moderate in desires and most contented Hee possesses and enjoyes even all the world within himselfe there are no men live so happily on Earth as Contented vertuous men Feare also being a Principall Passion most incident to this melancholly humour for this passion commonly most resides in such as are of Melancholly cold and dry constitutions as in old men c. Let us consider briefely the evils and miseries thereof But first let me tell I doe not meane herein that modest and good feare of doing evill which keepeth vs from Rashnesse Impudency and all manner of vices nor that filiall and loving feare which we owe to God our Parents and superiours which doth or should proceed principally from love and excites to all manner of goodnesse But herein I meane onely against that vnnecessary Melancholly sad cowardly slavish foolish and vitious feare This evill melancholy passion of feare is a perturbation and sorrow of the mind arising from the apprehension or doubt of evils to come perchance of that which never shall bee It often draweth from Imaginary evils Reall and bitter sorrowes and is overgreedy by thought and opinion to overtake nay out run theÌ„ So that indeed it is a strange prodigious Indiscretion an Inconsiderate passion filling the mind with griefe many times onely by appearances It makes a man to become a base Coward and to be trampled vpon by every insulting Companion yea to shrinke at every idle Reproach of base dissolute fellowes Insomuch that a fearefull man rather then he will endure the common silly jeeres Impious Reproaches of some deboist and idle Companions which a good vertuous couragious minded man can exceedingly contemne he will basely and weakely be lead by them to any vice Impiety and dissolute Courses The thoughts of dangers difficulties losses Crosses sickenesse and death doe almost continually distemper and perplexe fearefull
thinne waterish humours and of superfluous corrupted Choller and Melancholly The best time of purging is in the Spring or Autumne and it were good for such as live very intemperately to purge once at the least or twice every yeare And for the manner of an exact purge Physitians say it is not amisse that the body be first opened with a Clister And if much bloud and sanguine humours abound and be corrupted to begin with Phlebotomy if age weakenesse or other occasion hinder not opening the Cephalica veine in the Arme and then the humours to bee made plyable to nature This being done now to expell concoct and purge the humours soundly which molest the body with such apt medicines as are appropriated to evacuate and purge such severall humours as doe abound therein If the stomacke and body bee very much stuft foule and corrupted it will not be amisse to use a vomit and after the same presently to take such things as will strengthen the weakned parts comfort the braine Heart Liver Splene and disperse the Reliques such as are Triacle Methridate and divers others If Intemperance and disorder have beene long used or if the disease be old it is not amisse to purge three or foure times gently because ill humours which have remained long in the body cannot so well be expelled by a suddaine purgation at once as by degrees It is good also for such as abound with Phlegme to purge the same by degrees at three or foure severall times rather then suddainly at once because clammy Phlegme will not easily and presently follow a suddaine Purgation But choller being more thinne and moveable is more easily purged But forasmuch as there are many and divers matters to bee observed herein as the humour which aboundeth The nature of the Disease The strength age and Complexion of the person The operation and force of the Purgation and the particulars thereof aptly to be sorted and appropriated to the nature of the disease and humours abounding Also how much how often to purge how farre to proceed and by what wayes and passages all which requiring a large discourse I referre the same and such as have occasion to use them to the advice of some honest skilfull practicall Physitian whose directions and assistance is most convenient and ought to bee had concerning these matters So may these Cures and Remedies be happily effected they being carefull that universals be in right manner sorted with particulars and the body and mind reduced to its naturall good Temper and disposition Concerning other Evacuations and particular Cures and Remedies of the many and divers severall Diseases incident to man Since they are too large to be treated of in this briefe and Compendious Discourse And are amply dilated and treated of by divers in great volumes and lesse necessary to be vulgarly knowne then the former prescriptions I omit The rather because I conceive That if the body be well purged of such ill humours as abound therein and afterwards a good and apt diet be observed it is sufficient for the cure of almost all Diseases especially such as are bred by Repletion which are the most common maladies of our age unlesse they be inveterate and uncureable However such directions and remedies may doe us much good and make the Temper of our bodies and minds much better then otherwise All these Rules and prescriptions are very good to be known and observed aswell by the healthy as the diseased and in their due use and observation may cause much benefit and happinesse Neither doe we want Remedies though the body be incureable we may remedy the miseries thereof by the mind which is its Governour and ought as much as it may to comfort the same for as the body workes upon the mind as hath bin shew'd So much more doth the mind worke upon the body For the reasonable soule being Immortall and Divine doth guide and governe the Animall Spirits which are the organs thereof as the fabricke of the parts of the body is the organ of these animall Spirits And these spirits like a quick light flame doe continually worke on the body as the soule doth on them they make the body lively and lighter partly by refining the moisture thereof and converting the same into themselves and also by infusing themselves into all the parts thereof enliving lightning quickning and spiritualizing the same The Divine and reasonable soule therefore ought as much as it may to spiritualize quicken and comfort the living Spirits in such sort that the body being guided by these spirits these wholly dependant on the reasonable soule and the soule being guided by divine grace which is as it were the life thereof and by faith having its Conversation in heaven with God viewing and enjoying thereby in some measure already his heavenly glory and felicities expecting the same hereafter to be revealed infinitely and to enjoy the same in perfection eternally even forgetteth the griefe of the body or rather doth convert even the senses and spirits thereof into the purer parts of the soule which in faithfull contemplation being possest with heavenly Joy in God the whole man is as it were spiritualiz'd and transported with divine pleasures However if by reason of our frailties and weakenesse we cannot attaine to such Divine extasies and transportations yet we may know that our Corruption shall put on Incorruption and our Mortality shall inherit Immortality 1 Cor. 15. That our fraile bodies shall be changed and made spirituall bodies like the glorious body of the Sonne of God Phil. 3 21 With whom we shall enjoy infinite happinesse for ever How may such faithfull Contemplations comfort vs in greatest maladies and distempers yea even in death it selfe since the same is a passage to heaven when ceasing to be as men wee shall begin to live the life of Angels with God himselfe in heavenly glory and happinesse But to Returne Now to remedy such passions of the mind as are most incident to these mixt distempers of the body which being compos'd as in a medley of all the superfluous humours adust corrupted and distempered doe cause the mind in a mixt distemper also to apprehend all things in a bad manner as having Enmity and so doth edge and eneager malice and provoke Revenge and Cruelty For remedies hereof Let vs consider that these evill dispositions of Envie hatred malice Revenge and Cruelty being seldome one without the other are Compounded of many other vices and are the occasions of many evils and even of destroying all humanity and goodnesse Envie and malice are strange passions Gnawing the heart and turning the good of another to the envious mans hurt Good and prosperous men as also their good deeds goods and prosperity are eye sores to envious malitious Spirits causing in them despight griefe and even gnashing of teeth While the envious mischievous man looketh obliquely upon the goods of another he looseth that which is good in himselfe or at least takes
of the quintessence of all the choycest delights that ever the world produced or Imagined to charme and please the mind of man As of all the sweetest Quires and Consorts of Musicke both of voices and Instruments that ever nature invented or imagined to ravish our spirits Of all the most glittering amiable and glorious sights shewes Triumphs and beauties of the world Of all the most pleasant sweetes perfumes and flowers that ever the earth yeelded forth to delight us Of all the choycest liquors Wines Banquets dainties and delicates that ever man Enjoy'd even of all what pleasures the world hath hitherto produced to charme and delight our Spirits yea or Imagined either as of the Graces The Muses The Nymphs The Fayries The Syrens of Adonis Orchards The Hesperian Gardens The delights of Arcadia of Arabia foelix of the Elizian Shades of Mahomets Imaginary Heaven or whatsoever is delightfull In summe It can by contemplation enjoy a Paradise of delights within it selfe J might instance also concerning particular pleasures as of eating It is well knowne by Physitians that Intemperance therein destroyes health makes the body to become full fraught with crudities and noysome humours And so in time thereby the stomacke and appetite becomes corrupted and spoiled Insomuch as at last even dainties become displeasant to Intemperate men but Temperance keepes the body healthfull and agill and makes the stomacke well prepared to rellish and digest both meate and drinke Insomuch as ordinary fare to the temperate man becomes more pleasant then choycest dainties to an Intemperate Corrupted stomacke So might I instance concerning other pleasures in particular But in generall Vitious men their minds and perchance bodies being distempered by sloth passions and perturbations even pleasures are often to them as sweet meate to a sicke man or musicke to a discontented man distastfull displeasant and irkesome But vertuous men their Minds being as hath been shew'd free from such distempers passions and perturbations and possest with lightsomnesse Tranquility Ioy and happinesse becomes most apt and well prepared to enjoy the sweetest and choycest felicities on Earth And indeed there is no earthly pleasure either laudable or truely pleasant which is not contained within the precincts of Vertue because otherwise the same will cause much more displeasure then content For all vice ingenders offence and discontent and in the end will certainely turne to Sadnesse Sorrow and Misery But all pleasures being enjoy'd within the limits of vertue which ought to be the rule and guide thereof are good and laudable And so wee may and should freely and cheerefully enjoy even a Paradice of delights and felicities within us As I have shew'd and written more of this Subject in a former Booke Entituled THE Terrestriall Paradice OR Happinesse on Earth So that of earths felicities our minds within us may A sweet and pleasant Paradise of happinesse enjoy THE X. DIVISION That by vertue the mind becomes apt and well disposed to know attaine and enjoy as farre as the same is capable the felicities of Heaven on Earth REason which is the light of true wisedom is according to some Philosophers compounded of all the vertues of the intellectuall soule And by some said to be the onely Governesse and Directresse of all divine vertues The same is also an Attendant and a furtherance to all divine Graces Although Faith be the principall and fountaine of heavenly Graces and infinitely above our Reason yet this divine Grace of Faith disdaines not to make a good use of Reason for the furtherance and advancement of all heavenly Graces yet onely so as her handmaid to rule controll and governe her as a Mistresse how and when shee pleases Divine Reason therfore which is the Compound the light and directrix of all Vertue may be said to bee also a daughter of Heaven the handmaiden of divine Faith and serveth greatly to advance the honour and excellency thereof for the same often sheweth directeth and teacheth us to receive entertain and embrace this her heavenly Mistresse and to enjoy in her the delights of heaven in some measure on Earth Let us then briefly see how this Divine Reason which is the summe and substance of Vertue directeth well prepareth and disposeth our minds to see attaine and enjoy this heavenly happinesse on Earth Reason is of such force as that it can passe from things known to things vnknowne It can abstract from visible things things invisible from Corporeall Jncorporeall Generals from particulars High and mysticall from plaine and triviall things By Reason therefore it is that wee can in some measure spell Heaven from the Earth and so already in some degree enjoy heaven yea and God himselfe of whom it is said Hee is a Sunne whose glory still doth shine Hee is a Mine of all excelling Treasures Hee 's such whose essence no one can define Hee is a Paradise of heavenly pleasures Let us therefore even by the light of Reason looke upwards and take a view of heaven and of God himself we need mount up but eleven steps according to Astrologers from the Earth thither The first stayre is the Sphere of the Moone The second of Mercury The third of Venus names which they assigne unto the heavens The fourth that of the Sunne The next of Mars Iupiter Saturne Then of the fixed Starres The ninth Primum Mobile The tenth the Christalline heaven and the highest and infinitly most excellent is the Imperiall which is Gods habitation This is the place of our Eternity of our heavenly Kingdome So that we can by our bodily eyes from the earth looke up to the Moone The Sunne The Starry heaven and therein sweetly please our selves in view and Contemplation of their glorious aspect their amiable silver bright caelestiall Rayes from thence higher even by the light of Reason wee can see beyond the Spheres to the Imperiall heaven contemplating with Admiration and Reverence the Soveraigne Lord and Creator of all these God himselfe and so by and through these lower Glories The firmament Sunne Moone Starres and all the Caelestiall Spheres we may in some measure spell learne and espy infinitely more excellent heavenly glory delights and felicities The Heavens declare the glory of God c. Psal 19. The Earth also in some sort shewes us his excellency When therefore in reason wee consider the motions the ends and the causes efficient of all the Creatures of the Earth Their multitudes also for all mutitudes proceed from one unity and the utmost unity is GOD Likewise the marvailous Providence Art and wisdome which may be observed in all things as in the making of every least Creature insomuch as all the world but GOD cannot make the meanest therein much lesse the most excellent such as are the admirable divine Immortall soules of men As also his continuall preservation of all things without whom the Sea would overflow the Land one Creature devour another The earth without him could not bring forth fruit Nor man generate man