haue set their rest on their Creatour and haue made him the end of their being and the meanes to the end euen a God to rule a Sauiour to redeeme and a happinesse to blesse these arise with the Image of God in their fore-heads God seeth his face in the face of their soules their workes also testifie the same for them These are clothed with pure White the Righteousnesse of Christ and the Righteousnesse of the Spirit with the first the Iustice of GOD is satisfied with the last the Mercie of God is pleased and by the last the first is adiudged to them They haue fed clothed and visited Christ in his hungry naked and imprisoned members these workes are the fruits of Loue and Loue is the fruit of Sanctification and Sanctification is an inseparable companion condition and witnesse of Iustification So by the works of Loue they are proued and approued to bee the sonnes of God who is Loue and if sonnes then also heires if heires they shall for euer dwell in the house of Glorie euen in the presence of God Their right to eternall Glory is by inheritance euen by being heires annexed with Christ but their admittance into their right is by the Euidences and Testimonies of the workes of Holinesse For it is a true Rule That none but the pure in heart can see God and againe None can be pure in heart but he must first be new begotten by God euen a sonne and heire of GOD. And now to these is sounded forth that most blessed voice which openeth the doore of eternall Felicitie a voice that consummateth that Supremest Marriage wherein Man is matched to the highest Essence the chiefest Blisse Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you In this Kingdome the ragged and filthy garment of the body of sinne the diseased infirmities of this sinful bodie the tears of oppression yea all griefe is wiped away And in stead of these Man is infinitely purified sublimated and so fitted for the presence of the highest Being In the Puritie of Holinesse hee is pure without blemish washed from guilt by the bloud of the Lambe and from corruption by the holy Ghost yea there is a new Light as a new Eye plāted in the vnderstanding exceedingly quickened and enlarged to a spacious view of Truth and Glorie Likewise new Vertue anoynteth and bedeweth the Will steeping and seasoning it in a Diuine Nature by which it excellently agreeth in harmonie with the will of God and is holy as hee is holy In the puritie of Substance the Soule shall be highly clarified vntill it be capeable of the vppermost and chiefest Light And the body shall bee lifted vp into a proportion with the Soule for the body shall then bee a spirituall Body euen a Body like a Soule euen so pure shall they both bee that they shall admit into themselues the beames of the Fountaine of Light vntill they bee filled with Light and Glorie God will bee their Sunne and hee will shine into them as into Christall and in his Light they shall haue the fulnesse of Light Then shall the Knowledge of Man ascend into Perfection farre aboue these poore pieced and patched knowledges which we call Arts and Sciences Euen the highest Degree of knowledge which in this mistie time of Ignorance Imperfection iustly holdeth the highest degree of Eminence shall then be the bottome and lownes of this new knowledge and then shall it be knowne that this kind of Learning is of vse much like to that of a Lanthorne It may doe vs seruice in this Night of Mans fall and corruption but in the Orient brightnesse of the Kingdome of Glorie the new light by surmounting it shall make it vselesse yea darken and discountenance it For whereas now wee doe but flutter about the branches and extremities of Wisdome then shall we behold Wisdome in the roote The Glorie and Fabrike of the Creature shall be seene in the Originall euen in the Creatour in whom it was first made within before it was made without In him shall wee reade the Resolution of all profitable vnknowntruths and his Wisdome shall bee a most perfect Oracle instructing all glorified and blessed Soules And with this Wisdome shall we also behold an infinite Treasure of Power and Almightinesse The right Hand and holy Arme of the Omnipotent God shall bee reuealed vnto vs and then shall wee wonder at this Power alone and not at the mightie Wonders which this Power hath done for then shal we plainly see that such Power might well worke such Wonders And while wee view and consider this Power the Power of GOD will point vs to the loue of God For so meane a thing as Man may well bee amazed at so infinite Power and Maiestie but that at once with the power there appeares an infinite Loue which tells the Soule that though Power not matched with Loue be a Terror yet tempred with loue it is the very Safetie Rest and Blisse of Soules beloued For as much power as there is in God so much is God able to blesse those whom hee loues and as much loue as there is in GOD so much willing is hee to blesse those whom by his Power hee is so much able to blesse Thus from Gods Wisdome his Power his Loue and his Light issue continuall obiects and spectacles of Ioy. Yet is not this all of that which cannot all be expressed For this whiles there flowes from the Deitie into the Heart of Man a most pleasant streame of the gladding Spirit wherein is the extremest power vertue of reioycing This is the new Wine of the Kingdome of Heauen which makes the Soule drunken with high comforts raptures and extasies which inward comforts meeting and clasping with outward ioyes fill vp a Man with an excesse of Ioy and Happinesse that he shall be euen swallowed vp and ouer-rauished with Ioy. And yet their Happinesse stinteth not for there is an addition of a most delectable and soule-pleasing Harmonie Harmonie is a chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe Pleasure and the Harmonie of the most excellent Essences is the most excellent Harmonie and the most excellent Essences are Spirits and the Harmonie of Spirits is in the Kingdom of glory This Musike of Spirits exceedingly exceedeth the Musike of mortall voices yea that chiefe Musike of hearts which between men is called Friendship and betweene Man Wife is called Marriage-Loue is but a counterfeit resemblance and carries but some small rellishes of that Diuine and Celestiall Harmony For in the Quire of Heauen the Saints and Angels euen the blessed Spirits agree in a perfect Vnison of Truth and Loue. Their vnderstandings think one thing their hearts euen their wils loue themselues and their companions with one loue They delight themselues each in other especially all in God For as there is between themselues a perfect consent so there is also a true agreement between these Spirits and the chiefest Spirit which is the very top of pleasure and delight What perfection can be higher then that of the highest Creatour And how can a Creature bee more perfect then when he is consorted tuned to this highest perfection God speaketh to the hearts of these blessed Soules and the hearts of these blessed Soules thinke and vtter thoughts agreeable to the heart of GOD. God that saw his Workes of Creation that they were good and pleased himselfe in their goodnesse Now beholdeth his worke of Blessing and Glorification and reioyceth in the rest ioy which he hath giuen to his Beloued The glorified Soules behold and admire the Goodnesse and Mercie of God that gaue not only the workes of the six daies but the rest of the Seuenth to rebellious dust and sinful ashes In the infinite Loue of God their loue still steepeth and drowneth it selfe and the more it seeth the Loue of God the more it loues God and the more it loues God the more it is beloued And out of the feeling of this surpassing Loue of God breake out those Songs of Ioy and Voyces of Exultation Glory and Honour and Prayse bee to him that sitteth on the throne to the Lamb for euermore And Halleluiah For the Kingdome of the Lord God Almightie is come And Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue Glorie to God for the Marriage of the Lambe is come his Wife is readie and shee is arayed in pure and shining Silke And yet this felicitie is not all but that it may bee as long as it is large and as infinite in continuance as it is in extent there issues from the Deitie into the glorified Soules the sap and nourishment of an eternall Life The Tree of Life nourisheth eternally the branches of the same Tree Death is swallowed vp into victory and it selfe dyeth by the Word which is Life But the Soules partakers of God from him who is Eternall doe sucke Eternitie and so become that Kingdome whereof there is no end And yet this is not all of that inexpressible Felicitie but the greatest and chiefest is yet left in silence for that must needs be greatest which cannot enter into the heart of Man But let the transcendence of that which is vnknowne be a double spurre vnto vs in this Race of Happinesse one because it is transcendent another because vnknowne Let the Eminence prouoke our Ambitions the Secrecie our Curiosities Let vs desire and striue earnestly to enter into that which now by reason of wonderfull excellence cannot enter into vs. Let vs indeuour carefully to walke in the light of Grace which will bring vs to the full Reuelation of the yet inaccessible light of Glorie where Happinesse shall at once bee fully knowne and fully enioyed In the meane time it may be sufficient for me to discouer That the Soules seated in Beatitude passe their time which shall neuer bee past in the very top of Blisse and Delectation They laugh at sorrowes past and are secure for infinite ioyes to come God is theirs and they are Gods and in this Vnitie is the fulnesse of Felicitie FINIS
yeeres more perchance not twentie not ten And not much otherwise the Lawyer and Marchant fret out one halfe of their time in Education Labours and Aduentures that they may be rich the other halfe yea peraduenture a very short part of their time remayning And wilt not thou spend so much more time gladly willingly in expectation of an infinite Glorie which no time can end nor measure can limit Surely an endlesse incomparable happinesse is well worthy of a short lifes patience and expectation especially when the same life is so often worne out in expectation oftemporall vncertayne things But indeede wee deceiue our selues in this matter for this is not our disease that we cannot stay but that wee doe not verily see and beleeue that which being beleeued would easily giue vs a patient willingnesse to stay if we beleeued that there were such an vnmatchable felicity prepared for vs wee might indeede somewhat eagerly long to beat it but withall the assured hope of it would support vs ioyfully in the deferring of it For most true is that which is spoken of hope Hope maketh not ashamed that is it suffers not to be disheartned to be confounded but it keepes vp the heart from sinking and makes it beare vp in troubles present by the expectation of ioyes to come And this common experience shewes vs in worldly actions and sufferings for hope hath borne out mankinde through paynes almost intolerable vnto comforts stedfastly seene apprehended by it Wherefore doe not make a fault of the futurenesse of thy happinesse but finde and amend the true fault of thy beliefe hope Yet neither are wee altogether thrust vpon hope but euen in this life haue wee some fruition of this happinesse and the priuiledges thereof For as before euen here haue wee a crany opened by which some beames of the diuine Glory shine into our hearts giue vs a glimpse of that whereof hereafter we shall haue a full inioying They that haue had but such flashes of happinesse haue beene rauished vp in heauenly trances far aboue the world and haue as much despised the world as the world hath despised these ioyes They haue cryed out as men that haue taken possession of true rest and felicitie let vs here build vp our Tabernacles Surely as there is nothing more comfortable to the bodily sight then beholding the Sunne shining in his glorie so nothing can bee more comfortable to the sight of the soule then to behold the Sunne of the Sunne euen that high and purest Light which shineth vpon the Sunne and all other things that shine but especially on Spirits himselfe being a Spirit Againe the very substance of the Spirit in vs is a kinde of heauenly oyle which makes glad not so much the face as the very heart of Man It hath in it a taste and rellish of the Deitie and therefore aboue all other this is the true oile of gladnesse The heart anointed herewith as it finds a light to guide it and a vertue mouing it to good and freeing it from the slauerie of sinne so also it feeleth in it selfe a blessed rest an heauenly Sabbath a ioy glorious and vnspeakable an harmonie peace with God which passeth all vnderstanding Hence come those vehement pangs and expressions of loue ioy vttered by the Spouse of Christ and penned by the wisest of men which flesh knoweth not how to vnderstand but by the flesh but the spirituall Man that discerneth all things fully discerneth and rellisheth them as spirituall truths From the sound of this harmony come those dancings and exultations of many of the sonnes of God who for this ioy of heart haue danced before him who hath filled them with ioy But then flesh and bloud seeing onely the dance and not hearing the musike mocketh and despiseth the effect whereof it sees not the cause But the Beholder of hearts knowes these motions of the heart to be chiefly reasonable and therfore principally allowes them And indeede how should they not be approued since this ioy is from the best and this ioy is in the best and therefore must needs be the very best ioy It is a ioy beyond the reach of mortall power yea beyond the reach of infernall power a ioy which no man nay nothing can take from vs. It is a boord in shipwracke a refuge in trouble a retyring place from the powers of darkenesse Besides these blessings wee haue another blessing the Authour of these and all other euen an vnion with God who is blessednes This blessednes is spirituall seene and felt by the spirituall It is seene by the eye of the soule while it beholds a godly Nature euen the seede of God powred into the heart of Man otherwise wholly polluted with the lust of Generation It is felt chiefely in the will and affections while in them a filiall loue ioy and feare is perceiued toward God who before was regarded as a stranger but now as a father who now is the end and rule of our conuersation but before was put farre below the satisfaction of Lust and Concupiscence And from this vnion the feeling of this vnion proceedes both that strength of Christians that the gates of Hell cannot preuaile against them and that strong confidence that if God kill them yet they will trust in him And why they are assured that God is with them and then they are also as much assured that if God bee with them nothing can bee against them except it bee to bee conquered by them For he that is in vs is stronger then hee or all they that be in the world to this vnion with God we may adde another vnion with the sons of God The first was the vnion of a Father and a Childe and this is a vnion of Brethren for it is a spirituall Brotherhood Euery sonne of God hath all Gods sonnes to his bretheren And as many bretheren so many friends so many louers so many helpers So many that reioyce in his comforts so many that bewaile his troubles so many to incourage him standing so many to raise him being falne so many to aduise him in doubts so many to releeue him in necessities In summe the true children of God euer were and stil are of one heart and minde louing and beloued They account themselues as one therefore no part of this vnitie can lacke what the other part thereof inioyeth Hee that is a son hath in him this loue and hee that hath not this loue in him is not a sonne for he must needes loue his spirituall kindred who is spiritually begotten Hee must needes loue them because of Vnitie because of Vniformitie because of Puritie and because the Spirit which begets him is the Spirit of Loue. And as we haue an interest in our brethren so haue wee in their prayers they stil commend vs to God and many times when our owne deadnesse of heart doth slacke the hand of GOD toward vs their feruency
increase our glorie we must striue to increase our holinesse and by holinesse and other helps aduancing and supporting holinesse to in crease comfort and cherish the Spirit by which both holinesse and glory may be increased Now to know what these helps are we must seeke in the Oracles of God whose office and mayne purpose is to shine as a Light to mankind that standeth in the darke place of a clouded and corrupted soule and to guide their feete into the way of Peace and Rest. This sure Word of GOD was giuen by GOD vnto Man to direct Man vnto God And to effect this it hath a power to make the children of men the sonnes of God Yea it hath a power to nourish this spirituall and heauenly sonship so bestoweth a gift of growth as well as a gift of life for it causeth the sonnes and heires of God to grow vnto their perfect stature of Grace Glory The great Spirit of God which powreth that portion of the Spirit into vs wherein lyes our sanctification and sealing powred also in the Prophets Seers and Apostles the Word and Counsell of God So the Spirit within vs and the Word without vs are neere of kin they haue one Father euen the Spirit which is God and being brethren they must needes cherish loue and strengthen each other Yea the Spirit of GOD which best knowes how the Spirit issuing from him may bee cherished hath by that Word of purpose shewed vs sundry meanes by which that which hee hath giuen vs may be increased And God expects that wee which were dead and are now raised to life by him though in our deadnesse wee could not moue towards him yet being quickned wee should by imployments and exercise stirre vp the life bestowed on vs kindling it by those helps which his Word ministreth vnto vs. So behold O Man a double mercy one that the indeuours of the Saints may increase their glorie another that meanes helps and directions are giuen for the aduancement and execution of such indeuours Wee must not be still like Embrious and children in their first conception to haue the nourishment of life sent in o vs without our knowledge and will but being now at least babes in Christ wee must desire and sucke the sincere Milke of the Word that wee may grow thereby or being strong men we must desire and digest the solid meate by which wee may grow from strength to strength wee must by manly exercises seeke to fortifie the power of Christ in vs and we must worke towards the increase of our spirituall estate by heauenly traffike and marchandize that the talents of grace being increased may increase the talents of glorie But now perchance it wil bee demanded what these helps are by which the Man of GOD may enlarge his stature and grow vp to his head Christ Iesus For satisfaction to which demand I would point him to the Word of God which is the Treasure of the perfect knowledge of this Arte of felicitie but yet to giue some stay to hungrie soules that presently desire the prosperitie of the Spirit will not bee delayed I may name some of the chiefest though likewise I may leaue others vnnamed to stirre them vp somewhat to seeke for their owne prouision And here as the first means of increasing the Spirit I will name the increasing of those meanes by which the Spirit was first receiued we must striue to increase that faith and affiance by which wee cleauing vnto Christ Christ claue vnto vs. For the more wee cleaue vnto Christ the more Christ cleaueth vnto vs the more we comprehend him the more he doth comprehend vs by a larger and fuller possession of vs. Faith increased increaseth our capacitie of Christ Iesus and as wee are inlarged in our owne bowels by faith so doth Christ inlarge himselfe within vs by his Spirit To this end let vs remember what hath beene formerly set forth as the meanes of breeding faith and in those meanes let vs bee the more conuersant as wee would bee the more plentifull in faith and more ingraffed in the obiect of faith Christ Iesus Briefly let vs feruently and continually pray with the Disciples vnto the Author and Finisher of our faith Lord increase our faith Let vs be frequently conuersant with Christ Iesus and often behold him liuely described in the Word in the Sacraments by hearing by seeing by receiuing by meditation The more Christ is looked on the more trust and the more loue and so the more Vnion Wee cannot looke on the fairest of Men but we shall bee rauished with his loue for hee kindleth our affections as coles of fire and as a vehement flame And surely if wee looke into his Word and into the seales of his Word wee cannot choose if wee bee spirituall but wee must plainly looke on Christ himselfe For the Word of Christ is the Image of Christ hee hath stamped on it his owne likenesse and therein wee may see him borne liuing teaching dying rising againe Therein may wee behold his graces and gifts his excellencie and dignitie his loue vnto Men and his labours for Men. The Sacraments also Christ hath imprinted with his owne resemblance and they are the characters and representations of Christ. So in them may wee see Christ redeeming by passion and washing by regeneration feeding and quickning by viuification yea performing his part of the whole Couenant of Life And CHRIST being thus discerned what dull heart will not rise vp toward him in a stronger affiance in a more firie loue Wherefore walking along with the staffe of Prayer in our hands let vs still bee tasting of these restoratiues of Faith that so faith being cherished may cherish the Spirit and the Spirit being cherished may cherish our life eternall CHAP. IIII. Other helps of retayning and increasing happinesse The first is quicke obedience AN especiall furtherance and nourisher of the Spirit is a readie and prompt obedience to the motions of the same Spirit The businesse of our life is indeede no other but an attendance on the Spirit in whom lyes our dutie and happinesse and al other businesses that are not subordinate to this businesse are inordinate Wherfore to the holy lusts of this liuing and mouing Spirit must our continuall care bee attentiue that when it moueth vs we may be moued by it and that the commands thereof bee answered by a speedie obedience For the Spirit is the issue of the God of power and is it selfe a power proceeding from that great power now power reioyceth in action yea these second powers grow more powerfull by action In naturall things wee see that motion makes a thing more apt to moue and by how much more the strength of Man is exercised the more able and mightie it groweth No otherwise doth the Spirit in vs. It grows mightie by a free and prosperous exercise of his might It growes more vigorous and actiue by doing and by mouing it is more
Truth which vsually by Multitude is most forsaken There is a sure saying that a competent portion fit to defend vs from hunger and nakednesse that is a measure able to serue and satisfie our naturall vses hath attayned the fulnesse of the substantiall goodnes thereof Wee are trauayling thrugh this world to death if we haue enough to beare our necessarie charges by the way how is not superfluity rather a burthen then a comfort to a trauayler whatsoeuer is beyond our vse wee can but behold with our eies or put a vaine confidence in it which often hath deceiued those that trusted in it for euen that which they haue put their trust in hath been the same thing that hath betrayed them Therefore it is fit that care and feare as commonly they do should accompanie Abundance as well as Pride and Confidence And if so then what a motley and minggled happines ariseth from a doubtfull and carefull superfluitie And surely very commonly and very iustly the owners of this excesse are called miserable For besides that it often deliuers them vp into the hands of miserie it makes them most wretched in themselues because most wretched to themselues There is a beastly kinred betweene the heart of man money and this kinred begets such a loue that the heart will goe neere to starue it selfe before it will part from its most beloued obiect Yea money begets the loue of money and stirs vp the affection in such a vehemencie towards it that pos session doth inflame the desire and not satisfie it Now what can giue rest to such a miserable Soule when obtayning which in other things giues some though short satisfaction yet to this man it giues new appetite farther motion a longer busines yet this aboundance thus brought forth by the Mid-wiferie of torment and perplexitie many times flyes away like an Eagle by the following generations Folly or Luxurie and this certainly is a great vanity and wretchednesse of riches that they are so often left to a foolish sonne who is lesse kin to a true wise man then an honest stranger that somtimes they are left to a sonne that is no sonne and sometimes left and there is not a second to enioy them Howsoeuer left they must bee euen all things wherin thou hast shewed thy selfe wise and industrious and that to some who laboured not in them to some whom thou knowest not after two or three generations therefore knowest not whether they shal be wise or foolish whether they shall perform thy purposes and desires with thy substance yea whether they shall turne it into the price of a Whore or a Dogge which both are an abomination in the sight of Wisedome But if riches might escape all this succeeding miserie yet is not the present possessor of them happy The common miserie of man laies claime to all and will not bee bought out by Riches Therefore the Rich man shall meete with crosses losses in friends or estate he shall be sicke in minde and sicke in body yea fulnesse it selfe shall make him sicke in both And if hee might escape all this yet riches which are the Seruants of his body cannot make his soul happy which is better then the bodie for farre be it from the soule to finde her happinesse in her seruants seruant especially such a fugitiue vagabond vncertaine seruant These massie and grosse riches are too course an obiect for a pure and spirituall Essence they carry no likenesse or proportion vnto it and therefore can giue the soule no addition of her naturall pleasure or profit much lesse of her perfect happinesse wherein shee must haue a part so farre greater then the body as shee is more excellent then it CHAP. V. Of Knowledge BVT some morall Wizzard will tell mee that Knowledge hath some high priuiledge aboue Miserie and such a one as can giue Happinesse to this in spight of it vnhappy life Indeede knowledge is a dim light which is better then very darknesse It hath an excellency as dawning aboue night but though it be better it is not that chiefe good which can make vs happy It may indeede bee vsed as an instrument for the discouery of happinesse though seldome it bee put to that vse But in it selfe neither in any thing created shall it euer be able to discouer it Yea rather it shall finde in it selfe and in all things of this world many imperfections and faylings of those iust conditions absolutely necessarie to bee found in Mans soueraign good Our knowledge is but of a short reach the things beyond it are infinitely more then the things on this side of it Therfore when knowledge is come to a supposed perfection a speciall qualitie of it is to know it selfe to be imperfect euen those things which are within the compasse of it it searcheth by piece-meale part after part as one that reades a great Volume in the darke with a Glow-worm which shews him but letter after letter so a great deale of trouble goes to a very little profit Hence are our Sciences but many littles pieced together while the great body of truth wisedome stands beyond our sight and by the incomprehensiblenesse thereof accuseth our knowledge euen to it selfe of weakenesse as the glorie of the Sunne doth our eies by dazeling them And this magnified little knowledge which we haue what extraordinarie vātage doth it bring vnto Man Surely it often bestowes vexation on the owners of it and by increasing increaseth sorrow for to the greatest knowledge the vanitie and miserie of man doth present it selfe in a most full apparance yea great knowledges vsually take vp afore-hand euils to come and make them present Hence it is that many learned Philosophers haue vexed their liues with the consideration of their deaths which many ignorant and sturdy Clowns without premeditation haue vnder-taken with more ease as missing the troubles of anticipation haue dispatched with lesse businesse and wrastling as being hood-winked with a blinde contentment to doe as their fathers haue done before them For this cause also some of our greatest knowers haue winked against knowledge and haue desired that ignorance should coozen them of their griefs to which knowledge would continually and lowdly awake them Surely when the knowledge of man hath discouered throughout this frame of the world an excellent wisdome and order when it sees that there is an excellent beautie in the face of Goodnesse yea some excellence in knowledge it selfe how must not this needes torment the heart of the knower while the same knowledge seeth also the actions of mankinde to runne so madly and confusedly whiles it sees Iustice or at least Power treading vpon the face of goodnesse and exalting wickednesse while it sees an vndistinguishing chance to come vnto all and finally while knowledge seeth knowledge despised and yet not able to helpe it selfe not any of those euils which it sees Certainly these things are a vexation of minde to the men
of knowledge and make them lothe the works that are wrought vnder the Sunne euen to hate life it selfe And as this miserie comes of knowledge being gotten so euen the getting of knowledge is it selfe a miserie for vsually it is acquired by two meanes The one is a vehement and continuall labour of the minde which takes vp one halfe of the life to instruct the other halfe yea many times knowledge is a funeral garment al the life in working worne but the last iourney to the graue A second meanes is an extraordinarie instrument of the soule which is called the drie beame by which the soule seeth most cleerly swiftly and will dicourse out of a present apprehension as soundly as some will doe by much studie and premeditation but we must know that in this case the window of the soule is vsually enlarged by the flaw of the body and the body and minde doe often suffer some indisposition when these beames of the soule are ouer-actiue Hence may we truly ghesse that such greatnesse of wit hath commonly to accompanie it some touch of madnesse or sicknesse And now that wee may giue a conclusion to the poore knowledge of man as before it was conuinced to be a spy for griefe while it beholds the confusion miserie and vanitie of this world so may wee truely say that it can neuer be an Intelligencer of happinesse while it suruaies the beautie and glorie of this world and sends vs newes of them alone For among the varieties of this worlds best most excellent parts knowledge can neuer finde any obiect worthy of the soule of man nothing that may giue it the true happinesse of a soule nor any thing that may lift vp man aboue miserie there to giue him a rest of safetie and perpetuitie yea much rather it sees the soule made a drudge to the bodie and trudging in the errands of corruption wickednesse vanitie and if sometimes shee delight her selfe in her owne light that light is but as the shooting of a star for man eft-soones fals downe into his old station of grosnesse miserie And though sometimes it giues a man some ease in lesser euils and troubles yet is knowledge it selfe vsually astonished with sudden encounters euen in little matters and commonly ouerborne with mightie tempests of greatly-sensible euils Therefore wee may conclude that knowledge rather shewes man that hee is ill then makes him to be well it seemes that some great knowledge hath subiected man to an vnresistable reuolution of miserie from which all lesser knowledges can neuer free him without the helpe of the greater CHAP. VI. The vniuersall vanitie of the World BVt if in all this I had said nothing but that stil in spite of all that hath beene said these and the like master-pieces of the world would of force bestow some happinesse on Man yet herein I cannot choose but to say something that is when deadly sicknesse either casuall or naturall commeth vpon vs When the grinders are weake the keepers tremble and the lookers out by the windowes yea by the windowes of the soule grow darke What can honor riches pleasures or knowledge then confer vnto Man thus buryed in himselfe and vncapable of any outward comfort vpon this consideration that old Man did wisely who refused the pleasures of the Court being inuited to them because his eare did no longer taste the sweetnesse of Musike nor his palate did any longer rellish the sauourinesse of meate The gates of Man are shut vp by which the trade betweene the Soule and the World doth passe to and fro and therefore Man cannot traffick any longer with his old customers of this outward and visible world But now the dregs of life are come to the spending wherin thou shalt confesse that there is nothing but labour and sorrow And if yet I had in this said Nothing because some Philosophers inuented a way to preuent this miserie by ridding themselues of themselues yet this must needes bee something that Death the thaw of all cold and frozen comforts dissolueth both thee and all thy imaginarie felicities into nothing euen into that which such felicities do nothing concerne Surely whatsoeuer titles thou hast inioyed whatsoeuer pleasures thou hast tasted whatsoeuer riches thou hast possessed whatsoeuer plots or inuentions thou hast cōtriued or conceiued Death cuts them wholly from thee or thee from them there is no more relation betweene you neither doe they any longer concerne thee Therefore in regard of all outward things hath there beene a iust out-crie What remayneth to Man of all his works vnder the Sunne The dust of Man hath no feeling nor knowledge of the things of this life neither those things which haue been nor those which are Death hath digested all mans works and concernments into vanitie vvhether hee hath beene poore or rich wise or foolish sad or merrie Yea death is most terrible to them commonly who haue most sought a happinesse in the things of this life and seemes to bee reuenged on them for this their folly error Therefore are the miserable and wretched most familiar with Death and take most pleasure in it for which reason they may seeme to bee happyer then the others For if present ease and pleasure sweeten all former griefe and bitternesse but present griefe and bitternesse doth giue a distaste to al former pleasures then these to whom ease and pleasure are present in the last place haue a recompence and counterpoise to their sorrowes and they to whom griefe and vexation are last of all present feele an extinguishment of their former pleasures and hence it seemes the miserable goe hence in some degree of happinesse the voluptuous in a great degree of wretchednesse Howsoeuer bee what thou wilt O worldling doe what thou wilt thou shalt goe into emptinesse and vanitie thou and thy thoughts shall perish and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaynes of thee in the world shal be of an equall condition to that mould wherein it is inclosed and the world shall conserue thy dust no more then it doth thy fellow-dust which lyeth next vnto thee CHAP. VII What remaynes of necessitie to be the happinesse of Man NOw the world being thus shut vp and bounded with vanitie there remaynes onely that highest Essence the Cause and Fountayne of all things in whom Man may seeke his happinesse Man is inforced to clime vp aboue this world of vanitie to reach his true felicitie His soule must set vp the ladder of contemplation thereon shee must ascend vp to her Maker to seeke in him a remedie of her miserie an obiect of blessednesse of perpetuitie And surely whither can shee more fitly repaire then to the Source of her being there to receiue a reparation of herill being and an eternitie of well being For hee that made Man is in all probabilitie most able to amend Man when he is mard yea there is none but he can do it Againe God being the Father of Spirits what can
righteousnesse and happinesse and the euill of wickednesse and miserie yea in those very instincts which are left as the principall guides of naturall men and by which their state is continued and preserued and if such had not beene left mankind being yeelded vp to the guiding of his naturall corruption must needes haue decayed and destroied it selfe euen these instincts are exceedingly tainted by this knowledge of good and euill Naturall instinct tells Man that by Woman succession is preserued and naturall helpe maintayned and that shee that is thine is thy selfe Lust comes in with his doctrines often and sayes Loue one that thou hast not for the good of varietie and it is euill and fulsome to loue but one though shee be thine owne flesh Naturall instinct tells vs it is good to loue our children and best the best Lust comes in many times and tells vs It is good to loue them better then our selues to wrong our selues others to increase them and sometimes to loue that childe best that deserues worst Yea sometimes on the contrarie it tells vs that it is foolish and euill to debarre our selues from any excesse or vanitie for their sakes and then the carelesnesse is as bad as the care was before Naturall instinct tells vs there must be an order among men for their preseruation that some must bee the heads and keepers of this order Hence ariseth the necessitie of Kings and States Fleshly wisedome comes in and tels many Kings they must rule men for their owne pleasures and to satisfie their owne sensuall desires And the same wisedome tells many Subiects Why should ye be subiect to one of your kinde and if so why not others to you as well as you to others Thus is the new knowledge of good and euill like a Byas to the soule and makes it runne awry both in regard of probitie and felicitie And surely the Philosophers troubled themselues much with the discouerie of such a disease but neither knew whence it came nor how to rid it away Indeed they plodded for remedies and to that purpose wrote of the ends of good and euill and framed their Distinctions of seeming good and euill and true good and euil One of these prophets cries out There is no euill but what thou thinkest to be euill and another sayes Euery mans lust is his guide and another Euery mans lust is his god But while they groped in the darke the day-starre is risen vpon vs and hath discouered to vs by the light thereof the true roote of Mans corruption and how they first went out of the right path of the true knowledge of good and euill into the infinite by-paths of a knowledge deceiued and deceiuing Thus these two trees of Life and Death being subiect to the choice of man this choice and power of Free-will which in it selfe is an excellent priuiledge yet to a solitarie and vnsupported creature it easily becomes a dore vnto miserie For while man is left to Free-will he is left to himselfe and himselfe is but a Creature and a Creature may bee circumuented by another Creature that exceedeth it both in cunning and power This knew well those falne and corrupted Creatures the euill and depraued angels who beeing subtill and powerfull in knowledge and withall malicious against happinesse because themselues were miserable employed their cunning power to the seducing of inferiour man inferiour because a Spirit clothed vayled with Dust. The way which they chose was by conference wherein they made vse of a visible Creature and the ground of their conference was to bring Man into iealousie of God Their drift was to perswade Man that the Tree which was forbidden to Man was denied out of an enuie of mans preferment for there was in that Tree say they such a supereminent knowledge that it could equall Man with God and make Man to become a god vnto himselfe And lest feare should be an hinderance to credulitie the death which was threatned to follow was vtterly denied Miserable man besieged with so strong a temptation for what resistance hath Man against such a temptation but a firme beliefe in the words of his Creator the same temptation bringeth the Creator into suspicion that his Word may be thought rather to forbid preferment then sinne and miserie Accordingly GOD is vnbeleeued the Tempter is trusted the hand is reached out and the fruit of miserie is deuoured The eating is most wicked and the digestion most wretched Lust as the iuyce of this fruit entreth into the soule and body of Man it obtaineth a conquest ouer the parts and powers of the Eaters and taynteth them with a fleshly wisedome a sensuall knowledge Man is become as a god by being become a rule of good and euill to himselfe His happinesse and misery must be taught him by his owne heart and his lust shall bee the Oracle Guide of his life And now the eyes of Man are opened but by a knowledge of apparances not of truths and accordingly Nakednesse which was the state of perfection is censured as shamefull whereas Nakednesse while Man was pure glorious was also glorious for it did plainly and manifestly set forth Mans puritie glorie But the new shame for which Nakednesse is now blamed is the shame of the new Lust which was not caused by Nakednesse but only discouered Nakednes excellently became glorie for glorie is the more glorious by being manifest euident but shame becomes shamefull by it and publisheth it selfe thereby to its owne disgrace But this is the fault of shamefull Lust to come into Nakednesse which is the habit of glorie and not as Man foolishly in his new wisedome complayned the fault of Nakednesse to discouer the shame of Lust which by wrongfull intrusion entred into it and shewed it selfe shameful by that which was appointed to shew forth Mans perfection in glorie And as in this so in Mans whole course doth this erroneous knowledge preuaile and no maruaile for the body was first guided by the soule and the soule by the Image of God yea by God himselfe But now this lustfull knowledge guideth the bodie and the bodie for the most part tuneth and guideth the soule Thus the Image of God in Man is reuersed and defaced Hee answereth not hee looketh not any longer to God hee neither loueth him neither is loued of him Man is become a stranger to God God to Man and hence it comes that there is at this day such a multitude of foolish children that know not their owne Father and Creator Man being thus cut off from God his end and become his owne God and end he is abased deformed and wholly ouerthrowne by his new preferment Hee left his true end and happinesse when hee would not bound himselfe within the happinesse of a Creature but striuing after the happinesse of a Creator he lost both what he would haue and what before hee might haue And now God and the Law of God
onely acceptable Without fire it is no Sacrifice for euery sacrifice must bee salted with fire with strange fire as of superstition or the flesh it is worse then no Sacrifice and therfore it must euen be the heauenly fire of Grace which makes the Sacrifices acceptable and this is most fitly kindled by Meditation And thus if wee kindle the fire of Grace by the Bellowes of Meditation this fire that now guideth moueth and comforteth our soules in the Pilgrimage of this life shall in the next life breake out into a flame of Glory wherein we shall bee inthroned like the Sun shining before the lesser Starres in brightnesse as we haue here excelled them in Holinesse CHAP. VIII Of Association AS euery strong thing is made stronger by the combination of a like thing vnto it and as the heat is the more increased by the meeting of diuers things that haue heate So is also the Spirit increased in vs by the fellowship of them that haue the Spirit When spirituall Men ioyn their spiritual strength together they will like DAVIDS valiant men breake more strongly thorow the Hosts of the Philistians temptations obiections and afflictions and fetch away more safely and soundly the Waters of Grace from the Fountaine of Life This Association of Saints is that Bed of SALOMON wherein two lying together haue heate but he lyeth in the Bed of woe that lyes alone When two strings of diuers Instruments are set to one Tune if one of them bee mooued the other leapeth and danceth And how can it bee but that when two men tuned by one Spirit do meet the Spirit of the one must needs reioyce and be liuely when it heareth the voice of the Spirit in the other IOHN BAPTIST being sanctified with Grace in his Mothers wombe euen in that wombe springeth for ioy at the voyce of that Virgin who was intitled Full of Grace Yea ELIZABETH her selfe falleth into an heauenly Trance and rising aboue her selfe she is filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesieth the blessednesse of the Virgins Son Surely there is not a more pleasant and comfortable thing then Harmonie for it is indeed the ground of all pleasure Now the chiefest Harmony is of the chiefest things and these are Spirits The highest of this kind is in the highest Spirit euen of himselfe with himselfe The second betweene the highest and the lower And the third betweene the lower themselues From this last Harmonie doth arise both ioy and incouragement our Spirit first is cheered then incouraged and so aduan ced in the way of Holines The Saints of God either by their gracious words or holy Examples stirre vp the gifts of God in vs they eyther adde something to our Zeale or something to our knowledge yea if they be inferior to vs in both yet by instructing and prouoking them we many times instruct and prouoke our selues Surely there issueth oft-times from the meanest something which may better the best either immediately or by the consequence of some Meditations awaked by conference Euen in the communication of the Spirit the Spirit increaseth and our Talent by lending multiplyeth in the most profitable and commendable Vsurie For the Spirit is so excellently good that it desires to haue his goodnesse communicated yea it will reward thee that giuest it abroad by increasing thy abilitie of giuing So art thou made a great gainer for it is doubly multiplyed to thee as it is the Bread of Life for thy eating and as it is the Seed of Life for thy sowing the more thou sowest the more mayest thou eate and the more mayest thou sow Wherefore let vs not as some doe forsake the fellowship communion of Saints Let vs not make the Spirit in vs both dumbe deafe by separation and diuision for such it is when it cannot heare nor speake the language of heauen Let vs not depriue our selues of the great benefits of spirituall traffike commerce thereby knitting vp and stopping the prosperitie growth and enlargement of the Spirit Let vs not bind our selues to our own infirmities falls and wants for lacke of opening and cōmunicating our estates for many haue falne and neuer risen againe because they haue gone alone neglecting the companie of such who could haue giuen them the hand to raise them from their falls Wee are all Brethren and Countrimen and withal Pilgrims in a strange Countrie How glad should Brethren and Countrimen be to meet in a strange Land especially in the Land of enemies such as this World is For this World shunneth vs it hateth vs our persons and our courses are odious because contrarie to them How should their strangenesse malice increase our mutuall loue and conuersation How much more need haue we to counsell conferre each with other since wee liue as it were in a siege of temptations and persecutions And if the wisedome of Religion cannot perswade vs let the patterns of Nature which are the books of the Ignorant teach vs let the herds of Beasts and the swarmes of Bees the flights of Doues instruct thee to beleeue that things of one kind preserue and cherish one another by mutuall societie But if for all this wee will needes bee strangers one to another differing and dissenting among our selues Let vs be sure that we then rip that loue from our selues which is the badge of the Family of God wee lose the comfort of loue which is one of the greatest in our way to happinesse we separate those whom God hath knit together we lose good instructions and good examples and finally wee weaken our selues by diuision and make the scattered Armie of God a prey vnto their pursuing enemies Let vs much rather with the Prince Prophet reioyce in them which excel in vertue Let our delight bee in the Saints on earth and let the sons of God loue their Brethren begotten by the same Father Let vs confirme and prouoke one another to good works Let vs associate our selues to them who by word or deed can supply our spiritual defects from whose speech wee may learne what wee know not and by whose exhortation wee may bee mooued to performe that which wee know and doe not and by whose examples wee may haue vertues patterned vnto vs shewed to bee possible yea easie to the resolute man of God But neuerthelesse in this Christian good fellowship doe not pull out thy owne eyes that thou mayest loue all alike that carry the title of Christians Thinke not all them to be Israel that put on the name of Israel Where thou seest no contrarie cause there let charitie carry away thy affection but in a degree according to the degree of vertue Yea though thou seest fals and slips if acknowledged and recouered restore such a one with the Spirit of meeknesse lest thou haue need also to be restored by him But if thou seest one couering a continuall Couetousnesse Pride Malice Oppression and such other sinnes with a long thicke cloke of