then other workes but much more glorious and pretious Yet doth such coldnesse bring no small benefit to such as are fraile for neither doth the greatnesse of the worke inuite them seeing they perceiue it not nor yet the taste of the thing adde any strength vnto them and from the one and the other of these it commeth to passe that in their labours their strength is defectiue Therefore it is 2. fit that we indeauour to apply some remedies to this soare hauing already seene the causes of this coldnesse The first remedy and most common to cure this malady is to prouide that the corrupt appetite as in the 4. Instruction may be healed and by and by those who before felt that coldnesse shall perceiue their former workes which they iudged to be admirable to bee indeed very abiect if they bee compared to the loue of God This doth the Apostle whose palate was most sound teach vs saving If I speake with the tongue of men and Angels 1. Cor 13. it I giue all my goods to the poore if I giue my body to be burned and haue not loue it profits mee nothing and yet must not these bee iudged to bee of small moment But besides after all these speaking of sublime workes hee affirmes them all to be of lesse value then loue The same hath the Sonne of GOD himselfe taught as wee haue already said Therefore it is manifest that loue is the chiefest of all workes and duties seeing without it all other things are nothing And without any further proofe this ought to suffice vs that the eternall wisdome of God which cannot lie hath willed chosen and commanded vs to doe this before all other things that can bee done in heauen or earth Nothwithstanding 2. There is another remedy more singular which will make vs something feele the inexplicable greatnesse of this worke of the loue of God and the meanes hereof is that wee vnite and most strongly glue our wills to that will which is of infinit excellency and that we ioyne them in that manner that it be caried to nothing else but vnto that which that infinit will would haue it for then shal our wills be of much value when our owne will being abandoned they haue the wills of that infinit will which is God himselfe for he euermore willleth loueth and reioiceth for the infinit good which he himselfe hath Besides for many causes God would haue vs to desire that which hee so greatly desireth 1 For his onely goodnesse whereby hee vouchsafeth to sublimate our wills vnto so great nobility that they should be in his sight of great worth 2 Seeing he hath created vs to so great a good it is iust that wee doe him some seruice but what duty can we doe him seeing his Maiesty hath no need of our seruice although it were the greatest that can bee imagined Wee say therefore that least wee should be idle seeing God hath no neede of any thing nor can haue more good then now hee hath it is very iust that we as the obsequious and dutifull seruants of so great a Lord all our liues long be herein imploied to reioyce at the good and glory of God himselfe and indeed euery one may easily see that it is most iust and of great weight that all things as well in heauen as earth omitting all other things should euermore be herein exercised to reioyce at the good and glory wherwith God is infinitly filled 3 That for which God would aboue all other things haue our wills vnited vnto him is for that being yet on the earth we should begin to seeke that infinit will from the fulfilling wherof all the blessednesse which wee haue or hope for in the heauens is deriued vnto him that is lead with this loue For it is true that learned Diuines do say that gloria nihil aliud est quam gratia consummata glorie is nothing die but grace consummate to possesse charitie here in a measure is to bee glorified there in abundance and so it is begun here but perfected hereafter But it is to our purpose to shew how this glory which is heauenly may be perfected by this loue wherein the excellency of this loue will appeare Therefore wee must consider which is also againe and againe to be read and pondered that all our ioy proceeds from the fulfilling of our owne wiss and by how much more our will desireth any thing and by how much more perfectly it fulfils that which it desireth by so much doth it obtaine a greater ioy To these things let vs consider that the blessednesse or perfect ioy in heauen proceeds from the vision beholding of God who in the same moment wherein he is seene infuseth into all that see him a most perfect knowledge that he is most worthy to haue all the good and infinit glory which he hath For assoone as they see him they become all prudent and wise so that euery one may see what is conuenient for him to which knowledge of God is ioyned the loue of God aboue all created things together with an ineffable desire that hee may possesse all the good and glory which he is worthy of which desire and most intense and inlarged will of euery man this cleere vision of God doth succeed whereby they know and see apparantly that the same their desire is farre more perfectly fulfilled then they are able to comprehend For they see and vnderstand God himselfe whom they so much loue beautified with so great good and glory that for the infinities of it they are not able perfectly to vnderstand nor yet are able to come to die defects or increase of the glory And againe that so much is euery ones ioy the greater by how much his desire is greater and more perfectly fulfilled And here is opened the largenesse of the glory of the blessed seeing their desire in such a sublime manner is fulfilled as that nothing can bee more excellent besides that desire is of the infinit good of GOD himselfe whom they doe more loue and desire then they doe the glorie which properly belongs to themselues Blessed is the man who on earth shall with an intimous will loue and contemplate the being glory of God seeing he shall thereby obtaine that hee may see his owne desire in as high a manner to bee fulfilled in heauen Who is he that can imagine how much of his glory the Lord without any diminution of glory in himselfe shall giue vnto him who dwelling on earth wisheth nothing else but the glory and greatnesse which that Maiesty possesseth all these things doc those words of Paul well declare Eye hath not seene 1. Cor. 2. nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man which God hath prepared for them that loue him And this hee saith because no man can conceiue how intimously those that loue GOD here doe wish and will in heauen that good which God possesseth and in what
memory that in the sight of God it should bee a thing of more dignity to eate meate with this scope and motiue then with any other motiue as namely that wee enioy the glory of heauen to fast or powre out our bloud for the truth Not that it is not an excellent thing to desire the possession of heauens glory but for that this motiue is so much more excellent then the other as the whole world ouer-values a nut shell That therefore wee may bee induced through this happy motiue to doe all that wee doe all the motions of body and soule bending vnto this end wee must bee very intent that wee neuer passe from one worke to another nor neuer beginne any worke vntill wee feele our selues to bee moued vnto it for this that wee thinke or know that God would haue vs to doe it For which purpose wee must know that God with an infinite iubile and desire wisheth to bee beloued or possessed of all men and with the same will wisheth that with euery motion of loue which in euery moment of our liues we work we shold loue him and how often soeuer we shall loue or do any other thing wee should doe it being attracted thereunto with this his infinite will so that this is the rule wee must follow in all things that whensoeuer wee will doe any thing wee must neuer beginne it vntill hauing first cast our eyes vpon God wee shall perceiue that wee desire this for the infinite ioy which hee hath of this our good worke Which being sensibly knowne that God is most worthy to bee obeyed and serued in this so sublime a nature then obeying this will we bring into execution whatsoeucr wee determined as altogether forgetfull of our owne good For iust it is that his blessed Will who created all wils should haue that preheminence and dominion ouer all wils that not onely they should obey him in all hee commands but also that whatsoeuer wee doe wee should doe it as forgetting to performe our owne proper wils and obtaine our owne glory but that both in the one and the other Gods holy will may be fulfilled without any other respect But because as many men think themselues rich when indeede they are but poore reckoning their chickens in the shell so many thinking they feele the said motiue and esteeming themselues to haue done great things doe at length finde they are but small for it easily falleth out that one considering the sublimitie that consists in louing of GOD and desirous of those excellent and true good things and also being in the fauour of God and state of saluation hath an enkindled desire to enioy that loue and yet that desire is no perfect worke For albeit that desire be of a thing that is perfect yet is that desire no perfect worke if the perfect motiue of the minde bee wanting namely that such desire proceed from a strong wil we haue to desire such loue because God would haue vs to enioy it to our aduauncement which hee greatly desires The same that wee say of this desire may also be spoken of many who are carried with a great zeale of saluation of Soules or good of the republike and such as are hungry and thirstie for Righteousnesse and weepe for the euilles which they see and know to bee in the world all which things are good but yet may bee most abiect and defectiue if they want the said true motiue and scope therefore wee must be very regardfull that whatsoeuer wee doe we be moued vnto it with this motiue And that wee haue spoken of these words ought to be vnderstoode and practised in all those infinite motions which doe offer themselues to the Soule of what kinde soeuer yea in the resisting of euery temptation for we must so labour that Gods will may reigne in ours as that nothing must arise from our will alone It is true that such as enter into this course shall find much difficulty and spend much time in acquiring this excellent motiue but let none be discouraged for doe not many worldly men labour all their liues for vile things of no worth yet do not obtaine them But we shall surely obtaine this gift if with intimous humility wee labour for it with perseuerance but he ought greatly to reproue himselfe who shall thinke it is of any estimation dignity or price to obserue these things and yet shall not for the greatnesse of the rewarde promised which is to obtayne the said motiue be stirred vp to seeke it And surely it is not amisse to prae-admonish all men that at the beginning great coldnesse wil happen vnto him that directs his workes after so high a pitch doing all things to God alone and hee may wonder that hauing taken the more sublime way yet hee should finde lesse deuotion as hee may wonder that approaching to the fire yet feeles it growe more colde but we must know that whoso doth well consider the cause heereof shall finde that of necessitie such coldenesse will seize vpon him and yet his worke is of no lesse worth for the cause heereof is for that we neyther doe nor loue any thing more for our owne proper good as we were wont and is naturall vnto vs but for the onely loue of God wee remooue from vs the roote from whence commonly and naturally all ioy and pleasure was wont to spring that is our owne good and quiet and wee assume anothers good namely the glorie of God for the rest and end of our labours which being a supernaturall thing and vnaccustomed to vs no wonder if it bring much paine to make such a change From this ariseth that luke-warmenesse vntill wee be accustomed to feele esteeme price loue and much more to valew GODS glorie then our owne as the thing which wee loue much more And hauing gotten this then wee shall approach the fire that will not suffer any cold fit to tarry on vs. Now the end being knowne for which we must doe all things some may admire that seeing the sacred Scripture chiefly the Gospel being so perfect and requiring such exact obedience yet it seemes not euer to propose this end and motiue when it admonisheth commendeth prohibiteth but for the most part either threatens punishments or inuites by promising glory To this I say that our blessed redeemer the Sonne of God the author of all Euangelicall docttine being in himselfe most perfect did often in his owne person take vpon him the things which belonged to our frailty and infirmity that hee might descend to our frailty as fleeing hiding himselfe seruing death c. so his pleasure was to write his doctrine in such words as our fraile and miserable conditions required who for the most part are moued to do all things either for hope of glory or feare of punishments But yet obserue withall that as our Sauiour took vpon him these our infirmities with great perfection and loue so the Saints of God
deceiued and blind in that he loueth it As great madnesse to nourish that seruant that will betray thee and to cherish that theefe that brings thee to the gallowes The loue of our selues will affoord vs no more fauour and therefore it is wisdome to hate our selues seeing it is no better then the worme that destroies the wood it is bred in and the Moth that frets the cloth that feeds it Plato Heathen men found this to be the most grieuous euill that could be in man to loue himselfe because hee could not bee a iust iudge of himselfe 1 Loue built two cities the loue of GOD Aug. the City of God euen to the contempt of a mans selfe but the loue of a mans selfe built the city of the deuill euen to the contempt of God 2 We must hate our selues because that seeing we haue by our sinnes become Traitors against God it is but iust that wee giue him all possible satisfaction wee can But seeing an infinit satisfaction is due according to the measure and mallice of our sinnes and wee poore wretches of our selues can performe so small as the least for this cause we ought to hate our selues and to desire that all men should hate vs as much as without sinne and the offence of God may be because when wee being so vnable to satisfie one for a thousand yet we should presume to sinne against him with a high hand and therefore by this hatred of our selues to render vnto him all the satisfaction that lieth in vs. And if you aske me what treason the sinner hath committed I answere the greatest of all other treasons it is no other but to kill his Lord and take his life from him And that the sinner doth this is plaine Heb. 6. for he crucifieth to himselfe the son of God The vnderstanding whereof if thou desirest the same Saint Paul giues in saying Gal. 4. Christ liueth in me namely by a spitituall kind of life quickning of soules and working in them the works of life as it is written thou hast wrought al our works for vs. Isa 26. In this manner doth God liue in euery righteous and godly man Therefore seeing God doth not liue so in the sinner it is plaine that by sinne hee hath killed him But what a wickednesse this is and what a treason and how many euils it includes in it let him well consider that will iudge rightly of things 3. Let the third reason for which we must hate our selues be this as the most eminent namely that our soules being emptied of the loue of our selues so farre is it acceptable vnto God as that it may he filled with the loue of God whose goodnesse will not suffer vs to bee emptied of the loue of our selues but that he will fill vs with the loue of himselfe and euen in that measure and no further shall we be replenished with the loue of God then we shall be emptied of the loue of our selues For nothing can so rightly bee done as to hate all our sensuall delires that so the moll sublime will of God which is God himselfe may raigne in our will Which is the highest pitch of holinesse that heere we can haue Therefore I beseech you by the mercies of God and that infinit desire wherewith of his goodnes he desireth our aduancement and againe for that naturall desire that all men haue to wish and desire the chiefe good euen God himselfe that you will not be negligent in this but search out the innumerable cranies holds and subtle manners of hauing our selues in this hatred whereby we may obtaine such and so perpetual riches and glory But seeing the coldnesse of our minds doth not suffer vs to handle our selues any thing sharply as we ought at the least let vs desire and with great desire consent that we may be prouoked and may sustaine persecutions disgraces and contempt from others For persecution contempt and the like are no other but as a shop and hammer wherewith to take from vs the rust and drosse of our soules or as the searing iron of the soule whereby to take from it the poison of self-selfe-loue wherewith we are exulcerated and abstracted from all good that this exulceration beeing taken away we may performe that admirable worke of God which is the loue of him Therfore we should much reioyce When we are ill intreated of others when we are affected with calumniations and iniuries and with great loue to God and him that persecutes vs cry out whence haue I this happinesse in this world to haue the exulceration and infection of my soule taken from me and that it should be the occasion to â—nrich mee with my God with most excellent riches and graces We may consider that it is holden for a great happinesse to light vpon a Chirurgian who can cure the wounds and vlcers of the body albeit that hee doe it not without sharpe prickings and lancings which mightily crucifie euen the marrow of the soule But sure it is much more happinesse to fall into his society who beyond all reason seemes to vse vs ill and withall to take from vs euen those things we stand in need of for so he cureth otherwise the most incurable wounds and stinking vlcers of the soule For if we willingly embrace this we shall bee made sound from that deadly poison of selfe-loue Happy is that man who shall feele and desire this and shall with continuall and effectual care procure it but more happy he who seeing himselfe in the middest of the conflicts of persecution and worldly disasters and misfortunes shall yet swallow those bitter draughts that hee may possesse this loue of God and that hatred of himselfe but most happy is he who through long exercise is so directed towards the greatnesse of this most sweet hatred that albeit for his naturall inclination it brings great paine with it yet the ardent desire of increasing in the loue of God doth change it into so great sweetnesse as that was wont to doe which with a most earnest longing he before desired Of the manner in respect of our duety whereby to obtaine this shal be spoken in the sixth exercise of humility which is the primary foundation hereof Yet this place requires that wee should deliuer the most effectuall manner of obtayning this hatred of our selues because the thing is so out of all practise and vse Therefore we must obserue that it is very expedient we be attentiue that at what time the will is inclined to desire or accept persecution it is not fit to bring into sight the persecution it selfe compelling our selues to accept it for it is something difficult voluntarily to accept persecution being present or but lately laide on vs except wee haue a great measure of the annointing of the holy Spirit therefore we must doe thus vsing a holy caution It falleth out often that we are iniuried and that without all reason much griefe accompanying
of him Now we must know that the excellency of praier that it may bee imperious and commaund a blessing doth not onely consist herein that wee demaund some excellent thing but with all and much more that wee haue a sublimated and high motiue and scope And the motiue that should set vs to pray must bee to beleeue that our Lord GOD would that we should haue what wee aske and he would haue vs to aske that wee might thereby bee disposed to his seruice For blessed is the bread which hee eates who eateth to this end that hee might liue and liuing might be imploied in increasing in the loue of the glory of his God For so the asking of bread and whatsoeuer else with a such motiue is much esteemed in the sight of God Besides of such a minde we must bee that if wee thinke it not acceptable vnto GOD that we obtaine that which wee most desire forthwith as much as is in vs wee must neither desire nor aske it The hungry soule for the most part by the famine that oppresseth him is mooued to aske bread but so is not hee who rightly praies vnto GOD hee must aske meat and necessary grace and glory not chiefely for that he hath need of these but for that the Lord God would that wee should haue them expecting onely our prayer that hee might giue them vnto vs so that the will of GOD desirous that wee should haue these things must more mooue vs to aske and desire our owne good then the ioy and glorie which wee hope may accrue vnto vs thereby Therefore the manner of praying ought to bee that our soule hauing attained to a habit of asking that which God desires aboue any other things and exercised by many acts of so asking it not chiefly for our owne good but for that his most Holy will is most worthy to bee desired aboue all desireables whatsoeuer we shall aske let it be immixt and interwouen with such a habit and all the words of our prayers let them bee ioyned to the actes of willing and desiring whatsoeuer we shall aske for this cause that God desireth that wee should haue it whereby wee might thus become his more acceptable seruants and haue the greater loue towards him Happy are they that can thus pray for in few daies they shall grow to bee potent men in the Lord. To performe all the foresaid things are necessary the 2. and 6. instructions I will hereof giue this example For many doe pray with the some motiue yet speed not for the purpose some man asketh vertue â—â—d grant to some good end knowing that GOD hath commanded vs to aske of him necessaries Hee askes instantly acknowledging his owne vnworthinesse perseuers in this mannes of asking and feeles in his prayer some â—â—dste of sweetnesse and diuine loue Now some thinke this prayer to proceede from a perfect motiue and scope but it is not so albeit the prayer bee deuout and good But if you aske what it wants I answere there is this wanting that hee asked not of loue albeit with loue Therefore I say it sufficeth not that the motiue be perfect that hee loue and haue all other things but he must also be moued to aske of loue and not for the loue of the thing desired albeit yet euen the loue of the thing may be kept with much perfection so that in act it be resired to this that therefore it may be loued because God will that wee should loue that thing which now is not so in the former kind and therefore exceeds the bounds of prayer Therefore many considering this haue come to know that the loue of themselues was hid vnder the shadow of the loue of God and that it was true that albeit they loued GOD yet were they not mooued with this loue in act whilest they prayed but with the loue of themselues albeit not with an ill loue whereby they were mooued to aske that which they did because it was good This will be more easily vnderstood by that which often falls out amongst such as loue one another that one askes something of another and that with the loue wherewith hee loueth him yet not of or for the loue which hee hath towards him of whom hee asketh but for the loue of himselfe and his owne benefit Therefore as before is said wee must not aske so of God but we must aske with and for his loue that is we must actually perceiue a desire of obtayning that we aske whereby God by that may receiue from vs an acceptable obedience surely great and necessary is the attention that we may know the difference of these loues For it is a thing necessary to bee knowen and many thinke they haue gone aright in this businesse but looking neerer into the thing they haue found it to bee onely the imagination of the true loue of GOD and themselues to be far from it indeed Hee therefore beleeues and knowes himselfe to bee in the right way who continually builds as vpon his guide in the way vpon an actuall desire of obteyning by prayer these or these graces that God may reioyce to see him so beautified and that hee may grow in his loue And although at the beginning of this exercise many shall not only feele that they do not increase in deuotion but rather to haue made ship-wracke of that which they had before for which they shall be much grieued in their soules yet let them goe on cheerefully in this great worke And let them not admire that they feele this diminution of deuotioÌ„ for in that he finds in himselfe this coldnesse and indeuotion hee shall performe a farre more worthie duety then before whilest he seemed to taste a greater sweetnesse and contentment For this contentment was wont to arise from the loue of himselfe albeit not euill which yet is to be abandoned that one may bee wholly addicted to the loue of God which is best of all For when it arose from the loue of our selues which was very great we found great sweetnesse and pleasure in it but that loue being discarded the loue of God aboue entertained which at the beginning is but small little sweetnesse and deuotion is felt but this loue increasing the pleasure and deuotion will also increase For illustration whereof our owne experience will serue Wee see that two stickes doe burne together the one being drier and easily fiered the other not so yet the firing of the one makes the other being greene and not so apt to burne to flame and as it selfe doth but if you remooue them asunder you shall finde that sticke which was not so drie to loose both his flame and heate too and to keepe it from going quite out hee must be inforced either to vse the bellowes or else re-match it with the former which first set it on fire In like manner our loue of God being not so hot and inflamed of it selfe if yet it be ioyned to the loue
of our selues which is like drie wood it will as tinder set on fire all our workes but being diuorced from this loue of our selues the loue of GOD will stand in need of the bellowes of many strong labours and actions to keepe it in For scarcely shall wee find any flame of this loue but rather seeme in our selues to bee key cold and therefore by many strong acts must wee succour it by the consideration of those things which according to the loue of our selues seemed sweete vnto vs namely by the consideration of the great good of glory and comforts which wee hope for in time to come and againe that so wee shall escape those great euills which wee doe naturally abhorre and hate And by such breathings blasts of the loue of our selues we may beleeue that some little flame of the loue of God may bee inkindled and by little and little gather strength increase according to the proportion of our indeauour being helped thereunto by the loue of God Yet it is very expedient that wee indeauour earnestly to haue strong acts in all the things afforesaid whereby that so vehement a loue of GOD may bee produced in vs as that was wont to bee which we had before as a loue compounded of the loue of our selues which was great vehement and contentfull together with the loue of God which was but small and very weake And this wee must labour to doe till wee finde so great sweetnesse in being deliuered frō our streights and miseries onely to the end that wee may the better serue God as we were wont to feele whilest wee desired the same being induced thereunto onely that wee might be deliuered from the anguish that did so tire vs. He that shall dot thus may worthily conceiue that hee hath the true and sincere loue of God which we ought euer to seeke begge This is I confesse a great alteration and the change of the right hand of the highest happy is he that tastes it in the earth for now he begins to dwell amongst those fresh pastures which hee shall more plentifully enioy in eternall glorie But it is very needfull herein that whilest wee pray wee be very attentiue in this vntill wee bee habituated and accustomed to such kinde of praying whereby we may feele in all our postulations and demaunds whether the loue of God or the loue of the thing which we aske haue mooued vs to aske it of God nor by any meanes to passe from one demaund vntill we haue inclined the will to accept it on that condition because God would haue vs to aske and in the same to serue him And if herein we bee negligent there is no hope of growing in any good habit of praying As for the point we say Our Father which art in Heauen hallowed be thy name in this first petition we aske that the name of GOD in vs might be had in estimation and loue without any mixture of earthly things to be loued with it This is so high and soueraigne a petition that whosoeuer obtaines it is blessed euen on the earth Therefore if any doe vnderstand it and loue himselfe vndoubtedly he will desire and seeke so great a good to himselfe and with great affection he will desire it and it is a good postulation and desire Yet must not we content our selues herewith but going further must incline and induce the will to another more perfect motiue namely that we desire this thing because God is most worthy onely to be esteemed and beloued in our hearts without all commixtion of our loue or of any other earthly thing and because hee hath created vs to this thing Nor let vs by any meanes passe to any other petition or demaund vntill wee haue obetined this motiue And with all let vs remember what the Sonne of God said Luk. 18. Wee must pray alwaies 2 In this third exercise wee must besides prayer labour to build vp these habits of vertues in vs by many acts of vertues which vertues can no other where be had but from the most pretious mines and veines of the passion of Christ It is true that many excellent things touching the soueraignty of vertues are written in many bookes but happy is hee that reads and learnes them in the booke of life which is Iesus Christ the fountaine of all wisdome in Heauen and Earth Learne of me Matth. 11. saith that wisdome as of the most learned Booke And what shall we learne But a few things as well least they should be forgotten as for that they are such that being learned we need no more learning we are full of true wisdome Learne therefore of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart Let no man then thinke he can be inriched with vertues except hee learne them from the Sonne of God made man and chieftly from his most sacred passion for this is the golden mine giuen vnto the world of our most mercifull Father that thence we may fill our hands and hearts of all things needfull It is great presumption to thinke being seuered from this plentifull mine to gather any vertues or graces but he is happy that is admitted to the inwards of this mine by continuall meditation thereof for there shall he finde most sweete veines of all diuine riches to aduance him to the seats of the Angels seeing in him are all the Treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge the fulnesse of the God-head dwelling in him bodily Of this Master therefore we are to learne two lessons of Humility and Patiēce as in his former inuitation we soe learne of me c. 1 Of humility A vertue that climbes so high and diues so low that the learned haue made sundry ladders to come vnto it Not let any thinke to come to this Heauen of Humility without these ladders But these being so plentifully handled by others Heaue them and passe on to the businesse it selfe In my opinion whosoeuer shall ascend by these degrees shall soone come to the knowledge of all things and sal cleerely see that hee is nothing of himselfe saue nothing indeed and that all whatsoeuer is any thing is GOD himselfe and that seeing it is so he doth worthily exact of vs vnlesse we will commit these or some worse crime to bestow all our thoughts and all our powers by all meanes to magnifie him whose that all is that is any thing Besides Humility being such a vertue as wisheth nothing that is not its owne requires that the whole world should handle and esteeme it for that it is i. a◠nothing and that mens hearts should not for the least space of time that is be imploied in esteeming that for something which indeed is nothing or which is a vessell of all iniquities worse then nothing and such is euery sinfull man That therefore this may bee firme and fixed in euery mans heart by many acts of good consideration in that consists the key of humility in desiring that
a high manner this their desire it fulfilled and how much ioy they haue of the one and the other Therefore it is manifest of what great excellency this worke of the loue of GOD is seeing neither tongue nor pen is able to expresse it 3 Now hauing seene the remedite for this coldnesse of the loue of God what this loue of God is what is the beginning progresse and end of it It is fit that wee know how much and how often we must be imploied in this loue And surely so farre as briefly can be gathered wee must know that wee must euer or at the least by infinit turnes euen in the same houre if it bee possible exercise our selues in this loue yet that wee may bee able the more liuely to feele how wee ought continually thus to loue wee must obserue that if the exchange be commendable whereby one takes vpon him the labour of one houre or giues some small mony for the redemption of a thousand men captined by the Moores without all companion he shall and ought to thinke his time better bestowed that himselfe or any other man should sustaine death yea manie deaths that some other man for a most small time may loue God if that loue cannot be had without suffring of the same death or deathes euen for that small space of time and that is so true that it not onely hath place when he who for that smal space of time loueth God by that loue obtayning heauens glory but also if we were certaine that hee might by diuerse other seruices towards God in that small space of time obtaine the said glory which hence is manifest For that short loue hath in it greater good then the euill of of him that is suffred with much griefe who doth also wish death a thousand times Besides it shall yet incomparably be a greater good if we shal consider that for this short time of loue shall be rendered an increase of grace and further also an augmentation of perpetuall loue together with Celestiall glory And how great a good that is hee shall know who vnderstands what is the greatnesse of diuine loue And this being knowne it will yet more cleerely appeace that wee ought euermore or by inumerable vicissitudes to performe this so sublime a duty of loue that doing here that which is our duety wee may increase in strength to doe the same in heauen where those that â—aue obtained glorie doe so much more excellently loue by how much more they haue loued when they were on earth But if we ought by these inumerable turnes wee ought to loue this our most glorious God because the act of this loue is of inestimable goodnesse then let vs turne our selues to consider our owne negligence and malliceâ— and behold how bitterly wee ought to lament euery moment of our liues which hath passed without this loue Againe how much more grieuously wee ought to bewaile al those things which haue disioyned vs from this loue and such are all our sinnes by which we become capitall enemies and most contrarious to this loue and at the best brings a shiuering coldnesse and sluggishnesse ouer our hearts to so great a good and withall let vs consider of what great reprehension he is worthy that doth not intimously from the heart reioyce at euery thing which may promote vs to so great a good such as iniuries contempts persecutions and the like are And on the other side if wee doe not mightily lament as often as wee finde any impediment to so great a good such as humaine fauours and all other complacency and temporall delectations are Surely so reprooueable is it that we do not ioy or grieue at the things wee haue spoken by how much it is more better to suffer death a thousand times then the iniuries and persecutions which mans malice was wont to inferre or the sorrowes which wee can feele whilest wee flee the fauours of men and other things which were wont to be delight-some to vs. Againe that in so excellent a iouruey nothing may hinder vs wee must obserue that if sometimes for the debility of bodie or because wee haue not attained so great vertue in the soule as is necessarie to the suffring of aduersities it is necessary then that wee flee persecutions and the societies of such as affect vs with iniuries or to procure I some delicate and sauory things that wee may doe that with an actuall intention of greater euils and often lamenting for that in fleeing from aduersities we should depart froÌ„ that which is good which may promote vs to so great a good as is the loue of God and that taking vp these pleasant things wee should omit those bitter things vnto which by the malice of our negligence we are obliged And wee must doe this with an humble Prayer vnto GOD supplicating his goodnesse to strengthen verthe both in body and soule whereby hauing receiued power to resist our frailty for which by the defect of our power it was necessary for vs to flee persecutions or to take vp things pleasant vnto vs wee may bee without any impediment disposed to that same heauenly loue of him and his glory And that wee may the more cleerely know how worthy these our negligences are of reprehension whereby wee fall from this pretious loue it will be to good purpose to obserue that which wee haue written before of the hatred of our selues which is the foundation and primary disposition to this loue of God And because wee haue no balances on earth wherewith continually to weigh the same wee must aske of God that he would prouide vs from heauen and God graunt that our liues may neuer bee weary of the consideration hereof From all these is to be obserued what great madnesse it is not to procure that great glory in heauen seeing the sublimity of that glory doth necessarily follow low the seriousnesse of that loue and although the greatnesse of that glory were not much to bee regarded which is ordained for vs yet are wee much obliged to regarde that we may obtaine the greatnesse of the loue that being made glorious we may euer loue him who is most worthy of all to bee most highly loued But that we may see how we may be able often to loue chiefely when the taste in sweetnesse forsakes vs which of it selfe was wont to stir vs vp we must take a helpe from the sixth Instruction seeing God giues grace to the will to incline to this or that as often as the seruant of God shall prepare himself therunto froÌ„ al which the seruant of Christ may obserue what an infinit and irrecouerable losse we receiue when wee omit to loue God in euery moment of time wherein wee may loue him And if it bee to bee lamented whilest by neglecting of great dignities or earthly riches one receiues a great losse How much more lamentable is it seeing the losse is farre greater to omit euen for a
which as the Porter shuts the doore of the sences that they see not heare not doe not what they list it is an argumeÌ„t the Lord of that house that is God himselfe is within but when feare is away a free entrance is giuen to al a mans dissolute desires it is a plaine demonstration that God is not there Nor let Kings and Potentates thinke themselues freed from this course of godlinesse as if piety rooted out naturall affection and tooke away all true liberty as if a father might not loue his child a husband his wife or as if a man might not loue his houses lands health riches and honest recreations Piety takes not away the good vse of these things but husbands them well to their good that haue them and of mistresses which they were but should not bee makes them all hand-maides to the loue and feare of God as they were not before piety came but indeed should be Therefore Kings and Potentates must not consider vnde sint whence they descended but qui sint who they are that but men nor quanti sint how great they are but quales sint how good they are or should be nor how potent but how pious Therefore one asking Socrates if the King of Persia were happy he answered nescio I know not cum nescio quam sit doctus quä sit vir boaus seeing I am ignorant how learned and good a man he is Hence the learned Poet calls a noble and religious gouernment Virg. who adornes mankinde with the defence and practise of true religion orders lawes and discipline formosi cuslos pecoris formosior ipse the shepheard of a beautifull flocke of sheepe himselfe being farre more beautifull and glorious then his whole flocke And indeed that holy thirst and desire of knowing and propagating the heauenly wisedome of God reuealed in his word by reading meditating hearing praying and the like is as necessary to all sorts of men as well Kings as Keysarâ— for the defence of their good safety and saluation as heate and moisture are necessary to the nourishing of plants and as conuenient and sit nutriment is to the nature of euery thing liuing And it is our duty who labour the saluation of all sorts of men and therefore put them in mind of their seuerall offices and duties to explode and cast out the vaine opinion of those men who bind the religious and assiduous reading of the holy Scriptures and other holy acts of religion vpon diuines onely as if either it consorted not with men of their rankes and offices or els that they had no neede of it For doe not the testimonies of sacred Scripture shew that these things both by manifest Lawes of God are coÌ„maÌ„ded to all sorts of men and also are most necessary and profitable for them In the ancient Church when the Priest-hood was setled vpon the Tribe of â—â—ui only were there not many Israelites of other tribes for all that famous for the study and knowledge of holy Letters And in the Primitine Church and downe wards albeit the office of teaching was euer committed to a certaine sort of men were there not to all other sorts of christians many commandements proposed to stir them vp to the study of the sacred Scriptures what is that extent of wisedome which the Apostle would haue all men draw from the word Col. 3.16 what is the sure word of the Prophets to which all Christians doe well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place 2 Pet. 1.19 till the day dawne and the day-star arise in their hearts and what are those commendations of holy Scripture as to be a light shining through all a mans life a doctrine bringing comforts hope patience saluation a faculty to consute all doctrines repugnant to the truth and by the true profession whereof all good things are promised But to Princes and such as are destinated and appointed to the gouernment of other men these duties of piety are chiefly and aboue all others conuenient and profitable as many ponderous reasons may infome vs. For it is no small matter that God communicates his own name with them calling them Gods that they are by diuine institutions and precepts instructed and inabled to this their excellent knowledge and faculty of gouerning others which of all other things in the world is the greatest and most difficult that they are guarded and defended by the authority of diuine lawes against all aduersary power of all rebellious and pestilent men that they are by the authority of peculiar written lawes bound to the assiduous and diligent not onely reading but also meditating of the sacred Scripture And albeit this our euâ—◠〈…〉 with such men as prepaâ—◠〈…〉 a returne into the oâ—gly and â—â—â—â—ke cloudy barbarity of error and ignorance from which by the singular mercy of God we haue been wondeffully deliuered or 〈◊〉 hâ—â—e vtreâ—ly â—ast off all care of godlinesse till they be a dying and who withall doe as well explode detest as neglect and contemne aboâ—e all other things the study of holy Letters and labour of sanctification yet al godly PoteÌ„tates ought to haue their minds stirred vp to the admiration exercise of those studies by the examples and institutes of their worthy and famous predecessors And if they will not bee mooued by the examples of most potent pious and glorious Princes as Ioseph Dauid Salomon Ichosaphat Iosiah Ezekiah Daniel Nehemiah and the like whose religious care is famous in the sacred story yet at the least let them thinke that they ought to haue no lesse care of diuine things then the heathen Caâ—o Iulius Caesar Octauius Augustus Plyâ—ius and before them Alexander Magnus had of humane things Besides if many haue thought Agesilauâ— that most wise and excellent King of Sparta worthy of all commendations in that hee would neither goe to bed nor rise vp before he had lookt into Homer Panorm whom he had called amasium suum his sweet heart if Alphonjus King of Arragon be extolled for reading the Scriptures ouer fourteen times with glosses and expositions and the Emperor Theodosius the second for reading prayers and singing Psalmes euery morning with his wife and family nay if Scipto Assricanus were for this thought praise worthy that hee euer had in his hands the bookes of Xenophous institutions of Cyrus which yet were rather written according to the forme of a iust Empire then the truth of the History we cannot but account those Princes worthy of infinit commendations who are wont euer to carry in their hands the bookes of Moses the Prophets Apostles Christ himselfe and such other issuing from those diuine fountaines which are not only written according to the Image of the best happiest and most acceptable men to God but also according to the very truth of the story For by this their care they shall bring to passe both more thorowly to vnderstand and embrace and more willingly to promote
For one sinner destroieth much good Eccles 9.18 nay the breath of a wicked person is euen bainfull to the company Nor let them euer thinke that such a companion or such a seruant as is not the true seruant of God Suidas can euer bee faithfull to them For as the Historian reports when one changed his religion to please the King hee was iudged to loose his head and one appointed to cry at his execution He that keepes not faith towards God what sound conscience can he haue towards men therefore in euery great house there would bee prouision of besoms and wings to sweep downe the Spiders webs so by leauing them no place nor meanes to hurt the harmlesse slies the Spider it selfe might at last be quite swept our too Nor let them thinke that because they are great they may vse what customs companions and seruants they please For as Alexander to a City of Asia that offered him halfe their riches to desist from war answered I came not into Asia with a purpose to take what you would giue me but that you should retain what I would leaue you so faith God to them I came not into your houses or kingdomes or soules that you should condition with me what I should suffer you to doe and to liue as you list and to take such conditions of you as you would giue me at your pleasure but that what conditions I haue thought fit to require of you you should accept them and thinke them best and most happy For God is our summum bonum wee must not rest below him not yet reach aboue him below him is dangerous neglect aboue him is damnable presumption Therefore must wee not loue God forour owne profit or pleasure which is the soule-killing custome of most in the world for such a one is like a child that faith his prayers that he may haue his break-fast But we must loue him how-soeuer it fare with vs with-out any respect of our owne good because he only is worthy of our loue and nothing is worthy of it but he and in his loue consists all our happinesse I say there is great need therefore of the practise of this art of seruing God as this short pro-gresse sets it out seeing it brings vs not only within the view of the heauenly Canaan but euen into the bosome and communion of his loue And seeing also we liue in the dregs of time wherein it is come to passe that as the waters couered the whole earth so pride and other monstrous impieties hath couered it againe and not suffered eight persons to escape For doe we not see the City of God the holy profession of Iesus Christ to bee destitute of walls gates and guards and the repaire of it either hindered by sects of men madly furious or else oppugned by the craft and cunning violent assaults of men either meerely epicures or sottedly superstitious on the one side Christ Iesus is vtterly cast off by the lust of these most impure hogs that are euer wallowing in the myre on the other side the riches estateâ— of the meaner sort nay often of the greater sort is exhausted and vtterly rained by the greedy auarice of most cruell and barbarous vâ—â—oâ—s and other time-sellers here shall we see bodies by drunkennesse and gluttony consumed there by lust surquedry and pride and other intemperancies both bodies soules and ostates ouer-throwne and all places and persons with extreme filthinesse and fopperies slurred and defiled to say nothing of whole Prouinces and Kingdomes by intollerable bribery extortion symony sacriledge craft and cruelty miserably expiled and robbed and none to be found for all this which dare or can meete with these mischiefes and the most part of men hauing so cast off all hope of amendment of these great euils as that they thinke they may bee numbred amongst those diseases which are so desperate as either by no aâ—t can be cured or else whose cure is as dangerous as the disease For though Nebuchadnezzar bee dead yet his pride is come amongst vs though Sodom be burnt to dust and ashes yet are her sinnes remaining if not raigning with vs though Symon Magus be gone yet hath he left the staine of symony in the highest degree to vs though Iezabel be dead yet doe bribes liue and thriue and beare away the bell in all businesse and men begin to take courage to commit any sinne by example For when the pillars sinke the Temple falls when a great tree is hewen downe which is a shade to the beasts and a rest to the birds many leaues boughs and twigs nay the shrubs and lesser trees are borne downe and crushed with it so many doe fall with them whose lampes should giue light to others and thinke it no sinne to sinne by example and for company This being so it is not only necessary that some stand vp in the gappe to turne away the wrath-full dis-pleasure of God from vs but also is fully confest that froÌ„ this Pro-gresse of the soule most apt and necessary helps instructions may be drawne to the vse of all sorts of men of our times For if we call to mind those heauenly secret and wonderfull mysteries of our saluation also those things by which all mankind is either much furthered or greatly hindered in the way to heauen to conclude if we call to minde those things which aswell the Church of God as kingdomes states stand as much need of vs as the world doth of fire and water wee must needs confesse that in this Pro-gresse are proposed most excellent necessary and profitable things of all men to bee knowne and obserued How great a benefit the diligent reading thereof may bring to all sorts accommodating and directing all things therein to the vse of true religion and increase of holy life the due consideration of the parts and true practise of the passages thereof will sufficiently declare For here are shortly and plainely deliuered the true and onely means faculties and helps to raise man to the highest step of perfectioÌ„ in glory Now for as much as the world is postered with a kind of people resembling seruants and men of low condition who expecting in the lobbies and out-rooms their masters comming and being idle and brainlesse how to bestow their time well do take a coale and with fond and filthy phrases be-sincare the faire plastered wâ—ls I assure my self to meet with some such enuious idlebies or ignoraÌ„ts as most men doe that put themselues vpon the worlds stage by publicke writings who with the blacke coale of a blistered tongue will not sticke to bespawle and depraue both the worke and the worke-man Therefore as those that for some time haue bin exercised in some craggy difficult and dangerous place desire much to come into some safe and wished hauen wherein they may take their rest and with true pleasure and delight call to mind their former labours and losses so I
are in it Fifthly a most intemperate place for heate for there is the Lake of fire and brimstone Sixthly Apoc. 19. a most filthy place the bodies yeelding an intollerable stincke Seuenthly the misery infelicity and confusian that is there for there is no respect of goodnesse nobility kinred consanguinity friendship or fidelity all shall bee capitall enemies one to another loading one another with all kinde of torments and vexations none can endure the fight of another the father shall detest the sonne the wife her husband cursing and biting one another and most those that haue beene complices in euill shall now bee more mad one against another and yet that which makes it worse they shall in despight bee enforced to bee together for euer so that if they flie from some whom they hated they shall fall vpon another more hatefull and to make vp the full measure of misery hee shall bee compeld for euer to dwell with his enemies that hate him curse him and yet can neither stop their mouthes nor his owne eares nay hee shall see none that wishes him well or bemones him but all increasing his sorrow Eighthly looke a little into the cruelty of the tortures themselues for first euery damned man and woman shall torment one another doing and saying all that may torment and vexe them Secondly the deuils themselues shall reuenge themselues vpon them with most ghastly aspects and vnspeakeable torments afflicting them Thirdly tho neuer dying worme of conscience that miserable executioner of it selfe shall bite it selfe with horrour remembring the sinnes committed and the good inspirations and meanes it had to auoide that damnable estate Fourthly the inuisible hand of God which with his omnipotent power shall lie heauy on the damned And if it bee a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God in this life how much more in that life from whence there is no redemption How dâ—e not our spirits faile vs to consâ—dâ—r the infinitenesse of â—hâ—se corments so long continuing so vn-changeable so eternall If it bee a paine vn-expressible to lie a few weekes waking vnder some little sickenesse and on a soft bed how vn-speakeable a torment is it to endure these torments so vn-vtterable 2 Let him meditate on the paines and punishments of the senses for by the same things where with a man sinnes by the same shall hee bee punished his eyes shall be tormented with the sight of his enemies and horrible aspects of deuils his eares with blasphemies cursings howlings roarings and fearefull noices his smell shall perceiue nothing but most abhominable stincke his taste rellish nothing but wormewood gall and other most loathsome stuffe his touching nothing but infinite torments from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foote so that what the paine of eyes eares teeth side heart goute chollicke stone can expresse vnto vs is there in a most vnspeakeable manner 3 Meditate on the torments of the soule and the inward faculties of it the imagination shall be tormented with horrible formes and representations the memory with continuall remembrance of things euill past present and to come the vnderstanding so obscured that it can conceiue nothing that is pleasing the will so wifull and indurate in sin that it can will nothing but the hatred of God and good men But this is not al that is to be considered for yet rests the priuation of the infinite Goodnesse it selfe which is God from whose sight for euer they shall be exiled which of all other torments is by the Learned accounted the greatest If wee conceiue griefe which often kils and that for the losse of a Kingdome when it is taken from vâ—dâ— what griefe is that they conceiue for the losse of God And to adde to the fulnesse of this torment they shall bee shut out from beholding the gracious face of Iesus Christ which the Angels desire to behold 4 How to meditate on the glory of Heauen 1 These points are considerable first the place it selfe secondly the persons with whom wee shall accompany thirdly the actes of the blessed soules which are nothing else but continual reioycings and praysings of God 2 The three sorts of good things which the blessed doe enioy first the good things of the soule secondly of the body thirdly the outward good things 3 The three excellent perfection of the soule viz. Vision Possession and Fruition of God the Father Son and holy Ghost 4 The singular perfections of the body as the impassibility the clarity and glory the agility and subtility 5 The ioy which euery one of the blessed shall enioy in all their senses no sense but shall haue his full delight and that in a more perfect manner then can in this world bee enioyed or by mans heart conceiued 6 Lastly these seuen points following may in one or more meditations be handled as euery one shall thinke fit 1 The excellency of that place viz. the greatnesse the blessednesse the riches the glory of that heauenly Mansion 2 The blessednesse of the body which shall be endowed with those foure most admirable qualities for it shall bee altogether most impassible most bright and glorious most nimble and as the Apostle speakes altogether Spirituall so that without any let it can penetrate all other solide bodies 3 The blessednesse of the soule but chiefly the wisedome of it because it shall see God face to face and all things in him also that most high and soueraigne loue of God and our neighbours and the infinite pleasure and exultation arising therefrom 4 The most pleasant society of all the blessed Saints and Angels of God 5 The actions and exercises of the blessed which are no other but perpetuall Contemplation Ioy Loue Feastings Pleasures and continuall praysing of God All shall bee there Magdalens not one Martha all outward action and worldly negotiation shall cease and bee quite banished 6 The aboundance of good things which shall be in so great a measure that nothing shall bee wanting which thou wouldst wish to haue nor yet any thing shall bee present which thou wouldst wish to be away And this thing thou shalt much better know if thou wilt but truely compare the euils and miseries of this world and the good things of that eternall happinesse together 7 The eternity and lastingnesse of this felicity and happinesse which no time shall euer end but shall last in the same fulnesse for euer and euer There are also other formes of meditating vpon this glory of heauen as first to consider with what infinite ioy and pleasure both of body and soule thou shalt bee rauished to behold aboue thee the most blessed Trinity thy Lord and Redeemer Iesus Christ Secondly about thee the most desired society and most magnificent company of our heauenly King Thirdly within thy selfe the vn-speakeable blessednesse of body and soule and fourthly vnder thee the world hell death and deuils Thus thou maist meditate on these things or if thou wilt thou
vpon this course of godlinesse because it is profitable for vs to saluation yet let them for this cause inlarge themselues to the highest extent of seruing God because they know it is the will of God that in all things wee might bee magnified as the sonnes of such an eternall Father who is in heauen and admonisheth vs saying Leu. 19. Beâ— yee holy because I the Lord your God and Father am holy Hauing promised thus much concerning the harmes which ensue the ignorance of a certaine methode in seruing of God I will now descend to the first part which is the generall instructions directing vs in all our actions wherein wee must obserue these seuen seuerall instructions and helpes 1. Instruction That knowing our selues to bee naked miserable and of all good things indigent wee should labour euer by all meanes to procure the grace and helpe of God that there may bee such a change made in our soules whereby wee may seele that our will insists vpon this not to seeke the things that are our owne as our owne but to seeke God and whatsoeuer good thing is in him and our selues as the thing that is of God and whorewith of his infinite goodnesse and mercy hee wisheth himselfe to bee serued so that wee hold euermore his most excellent graces and infinite glory as our owne goods nay farre more excellent then our owne and that wee praise him and reioyce in him more then in any good thing which either wee haue or hope for or can happen vnto vs accounting it a perfect happinesse that the Maiesty of God may possesse infinite good things and now it doth possesse and as not hauing any care or regard of our owne selues yet labouring by all meanes that wee may be receiued into heauen where wee may behold him and more perfectly enioy him not for our owne ioy and comfort alone but for that the Diuine Maiesty being of infinite glory of his infinite goodnesse would haue vs to bee so magnified with the sublime inheritance and riches which himselfe possesseth and with him all those which for their last rest and good doe desire that the Diuine Maiesty may haue so great glory as it hath and this is to bee one Spirit with God and is the summe of all Christian perfection For it is a doctrine cleere by the sacred Scriptures and holy Fathers that wee were all brought forth into this world not to rest and settle vpon the brittle good things of this life and in them to solace our selues seeing they are the least lowest and vilest of the good things of God but that vsing them so farre forth as they serue for our necessity according to Gods ordinance wee spend our whole liues in the sublime and high workes of our great God who to this end created vs that hee might make vs blessed and the enioyers of his owne selfe who is an infinite good in whom wee shall farre more eminently and aboundantly possesse all good things then wee are able to magine Againe wee may obserue that albeit God haue not tyed vs vnder the commination of eternall death that wee should perpetually intend nothing else but his obseruance but onely then when any of his commandements are to bee obserued yet by the law of equity whereby wee ought to obserue our selues as the sonnes of so great a Father not onely men of a Religious Profession but euen all Christians are bound to procure vnto themselues a more sublime and heauenly degree of sanctity and euermore to serue that so mighty a Lord and Father For it was not of some few but of all in generall that the Lord pronounced those words Let vs make man according to our owne Image and Smilitude And then is man wholly found according to the image of God when hee exerciseth himselfe heerein to know and loue the wonderfull things of God taking exceeding great ioy thereat And in the Gospell hee saith Bee yee perfect Math. 5. as your heauenly Father is also perfect Surely it is most meete that hee bee holy who is the sonne of him whom Seraphines incessantly call Holy Holy Holy that neuer forgetting whose sonnes wee are we should not thinke it sufficient to be holy in a low degree but as our frailty will suffer vs to striue for the goale of all perfection abstracting our hearts from the loue of all earthly things and reflecting them vpon our Father who is of infinite goodnesse and with great affection illuminateth and sanctified all that come to his Maiesty as to the Father of infinite dignities and excellencies Knowing then our Obligation whereby wee are all bound to this duety of holinesse and chiefly such as haue taken vpon them the office of Guides and Shepheards Let vs withall remarke that as in this world the greatest neerenesse and friendship which a mortall man can obtaine with a King is that hee bee of one will desire and affection with him so true sanctity heerein consists that a man bee of one spirit and will with God But to come to this sublimity and heighth of honour it behoueth him to trauaile through the passages of all vertues which the holy Scripture euery where describes and the Sonne of God with so much labour hath taught vs. Thus hauing seene as through a casement wherein consists our change from men naked miserable and destitute of graces to diuine and heauenly seruers of God scil by seeking nothing but the good will of our good God in all our actions wee proceed to the instructions following 2 Instruction That wee euer haue an eye to the end and scope by which wee ought to bee admonished to doe those things that serue for the reparation and remedy of our wounded soules yea whatsoeuer wee determine to doe before all other things the eye of our obseruation must bee vpon the end that moues vs to the action This is most necessary to bee knowne and euery moment to bee looked on for there is no worke that hath in it more goodnesse then it receiues from the end for which the work is done which end if it bee euill the worke also must needs be so although of it selfe otherwise it were good Seeing then God is an infinite Good that must needs bee the greater good worke which is more purely performed in his sight For declaration whereof it is to bee noted that it behoueth the seruant of God who would please his Lord to plant in his soule a very puissant will or habite of willing ingendred of strong and frequent actes of willing it which will or habite so ingraffed in him may moue him and make him thinke that whatsoeuer hee doth in body or soule whatsoeuer hee shall thinke or speake nay all the vertues hee shall acquire together with this same remedy of his soule and all his deuotion I say that all these things are done because God would haue it so doth euer require them of vs and is for his infinite goodnesse most worthy of
consults with reason and finding that the thing is conueniēt for it it is then freely mooued to will and desire it Therefore the Philosopher said that nothing was desired that was not foreknowne Whence we collect that the knowledge of the soule which wee haue in our vnderstanding is like a light whereby the will may see what it ought to desire This therefore being presupposed we must chiefely regard that to doe well and perfectly the vnderstanding doe not erre in knowledge which bceing had presently the will is mooued to desire that which is so knowne but if the vnderstanding doe erre which often comes to passe by the malice which blindeth vs or happily it erreth not but the will through the liberty it hath to euill will not follow that it knowes to be good then man falls into all kind of mischiefe therefore omitting many things which may serue for this purpose this is chiefely to be obserued that we be most attentiue euer when we will vse the vnderstanding that when we would desire to do any good worke or to get a disposition thereunto namely to be despised of men to flee all delights of the world which godly men euer abandoned in these and the like which seeme to be grieuous vnto vs to doe or desire by and by wee must vse the helpe of the vnderstanding whereby wee consider and apprehend these things as most pretious and acceptable to God and such as doe accompany the godly men to heauen without which he is euer out of his way to that happinesse Which assoone as it knoweth to be such then the will takes courage to will and imbrace that thing and also to practise it For albeit the will as it is assisted by Gods Spirt worketh sweetly yet often the difficulty and sharpenesse of the thing so deters it that it fayleth to worke omitting the duty it is bound vnto but as we indeuour to make way vnto it by the vnderstanding as I haue said it will assume such courage and strength that the excellency of the worke being knowne albeit most painfull it will desire to do it and almost with as great facility will doe it as that thing which it naturally desireth Hee that workes after this manner shall easily become a man of singuler vertue and shall make a wonderfull repaire in his soule of the slaughter and ruine which sinne hath there made and shall also with great facility doe that which maketh men happy both in earth and heauen namely know in a great measure the wonderfull things of God and knowing to loue them and louing to reioyce in them contemning all earthly ioyes and pleasures for them 6 Instruction That God is pleased to giue to all his Saints and such as from the heart seeke to serue him such a strength of will whereby they may both desire loue refuse detest euery thing in a great measure which either helps forwards or hinders their saluation This is surely to be knowen of all as the chiefe foundation of all this discourse and of all holinesse of life conteyning a memorable Cannon of the freedome strength of will which God by his Holy Spirit hath renewed and repayred in the soules of his faithful seruants and so rowsing vp the soule from a dead sleepe and spiritual lethargie and benummednesse But here let no man deceiue himselfe as though this freedome of will were naturall and in his owne power for without the goodnesse of God 2. Cor. 3. wee cannot thinke a good thought as of our selues How much lesse can wee will or worke it But presupposing this wee say it is in mans power to desire or not to desire any thing which hee iudgeth to be desired or refused and that to this or that end as often as hee listeth as for the purpose There is no man but he may desire to be dis-reputed and dis-esteemest of men albeit thing to some men be difficult to incline vnto he may also to diuerse ends desire it and make choice of these ends as he listeth For a man may desire it thereby to obtaine the modesty of the minde which is a good end he may also affect it to the end that in something he may be like the Sonne of God which is yet a better end and he may wish it that by abiection contept he may be so disposed to God-wards that God may find in him an acceptable obedience by perfect loue charity this is the best end of all the rest Now to giue an example of refusing to will and desire a thing a man may omit and refuse and not desire to be esteemed or to be he loued before other men and that to the same ends which wee haue spoken albeit by corruption of nature he be inclined hereunto greatly to desire to be esteemed and reputed in like manner as it is in euery mans power in some degree whom Gods spirit hath sanctified to desire or not to desire any thing so is it to doe the same as often as he will bend his will and vse the holy meanes thereunto Yea euery houre as by how much oftner hee inclines and inforces his will to desire or not to desire so much sooner shall he extinguish in the soule all vitious habits and ingender those vertuous For better declaration whereof let it be remarkeable that to produce the act of willing the thing which we abhor we must consider that God is hereby serued in that we doe desire this thing and incline ourwils vnto it and as it were vse violence to the will to effect it euen as the sicke desires the bitter potion because it brings health with it which yet he naturally hateth because it is bitter But the act of not desiring that which naturally wee wish and effect is whilst considering that the thing is not acceptable◠to God nor profitable for vs we incline and in some sort inforce the will that it should not effect and desire it And this shall be truly not to desire when wee inforce the will albeit there remain a certaine repugnancy of sensuality as we see it fall out in the sick man who will not eat the meat albeit hee haue an appetite to it because it is hurtfull to him and it is something profitable for him to be vnwilling to eat it albeit the inordinate appetite hee hath to that meat be not taken away So we see that we may produce the acts of vertue as often as wee will being assisted by the mighty working of Gods holy spirit But we must consider that besides the continuall care we ought to haue of exercising the will to desire the good things that are to be desired and to omit and refuse the euill whereby the euill habits being rooted vp we may plant those that are good it concernes vs much most often to vse this present instruction whereby to restraine those first motions which do much confront and impugne euen men much giuen to vertue or
it Behold now we are at the point of death For at that time sensuality hath no life but is wholy subiected the miserable reason â—is not then mistresse as it ought but compassionats sensuality as her sister albeit aduersant the deuill who is neuer a sleepe indeauours by all his michinations to inflame vs that we might the more feele the persecucion yet God who is faithfull 1 Cor. 10. will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength Now it behoueth vs to see what on our behalse we can and ought to doe with Gods assistance in such a danger Namely that the iniury being so present nere vnto vs as much as is in vs for some short time we forget the same and for this time to lift vp the eyes of our consideration to thinke on those innumerable riches contained in the loue of God towards vs and with this consideration we incline the will to loue and desire the infinit good of this loue so as now louing and desiring so great riches we turne our selues and incline our wills to the present persecution before as it were forgotten and reputing it to bee so necessary as wee haue said to obteine the riches of Gods loue we desire the same with all our might inforcing the will with all our power to desire it Thus no doubt the will being mollified and strenghthned with the reward of the loue of God and future glory will bee most ready to be inclined and drawne to accept such persecution which before was so terrible in our eyes and if wee exercise this often wee shal be so accustomed to that which is good that what before seemed aboue nature wee shall now with great delight performe And this would be againe and againe considered because it is of great moment aswell to the whole Chapter as that of Humility Patience Affections of the soule as also that of the loue of our selues and againe to any difficulty or labour inward or outward to conclude to the whole method of seruing God If I should adde more reasons why wee should hate our selues I might tell you 4 That consideration of shortnesse of life were very effectuall hereto For seeing so small time to tarry why should wee fall in loue with our selues 5 The consideration of the euills of this life in the world wee shall haue pressiue and trouble and all things that may iustly make vs hate our selues 6 Consideration of our daunger 7 The consideration of them that haue perished by too much loue of themselues 8 The consideration of our seruitude whilst wee are heere 9 The consideration of the worlds ingratiude And lastly the consideration of the forgetfulnesse of our selues and of God All which might be strong motiues against all selfe loue which is the best of all graces moue vs to this holy hatred as the goale of goodnesse 3 How true charity hatred of our selues do stand together I briefly shew thus They not only stand together but so stand together as we shall neuer be able to climb to the top of charity except we hate our selues For assoone as one doth hate himselfe as wee haue said and not before he then hath all the loue which he ought to haue towards himselfe and which is most profitable for him as also which God would that he should haue that is to say he then hath the loue of God and of vertues and celestiall glory and all things that doe conduce vnto it And this loue suffers not the co-partnership of any vice albeit we are inclined to it and so denying our selues and hating our selues and taking from our selues the euill that we desire we are filled with the true diuine loue which otherwise we could neuer inioy 3 Exercise is to adorne our soules with vertues necessary to the beauty of the soule He is said to haue a beautifull soule that hath his naturall appetites conforme with sanctified reason and the lawes of God And this conformity is nothing else but a certaine troope of vertues whilst euery one being placed in his due ranke in the soule makes it beautifull and directs it as is conuenient for the great dignity thereof mitigating the false and euill concupiscences which cleaue vnto it by sinne and disposing it to serue him and without contradiction obey his will that created it It is not amisse then that wee know what course must be taken to come to these vertues As much therfore as maybe gathered from the sacred word it selfe and writings of the godly belonging hereunto we will reduce all those things wherein it is necessary that he be imploied who would acquire so great beauty of soule vnto three 1 That hee beg helpe of one more potent then himselfe seeing all our powers arc too weake to reach such high things and to this serues prayer 2 That with many acts as with the matter he build these habits of vertues 3 That as with a bridle he may restraine or warily lead and guide the naturall affections which are found in euery man called of diuines and Philosophers ioy sorrow hope and feare 1 Of prayer Our most high and omnipotent God would haue vs stand in need of his supernaturall helpe seeing the good things vnto which he hath created vs are supernaturall And he would also that we should call vpon him for them not but that he more desireth to giue vs them then wee to aske them of him but that we might possesse that with greater glory which we obtaine with greater labour of desire Besides he would haue vs aske that as importunate suiters we should more frequently present our selues before him and so by often presenting our selues in his presence might the better come into the knowledge of him For by how much we haue the thing present before vs by so much the knowledge of it maketh the greater impression and the better we know his greatnesse and super-eminent qualities we shall the more reioice in him and the more we shal reioice in him and know him the more we shall loue him and by how much as we shall know him and loue him more by so much more will the beames of truth shine in our soules and to conclude by how much as this light together with his loue shall shine in vs by so much more whatsoeuer is not good or tending to God shall be nothing reputed in our eyes and by so much more shall we hate that is euill imbrace all vertue and come neere vnto God From whence it is cleere by many reasons that prayer is a sure iourney to obtaine whatsoeuer is necessary for vs and that it leades vs to the height of loue to which we were borne Therefore we must esteeme this prayer or that necessitie of prayer as a pledge which God hath taken of vs whereby to retaine vs with him For hee knowes well how much good comes vnto vs by his presence and how assuredly we would forget him if wee had no need
for we take vnto vs that glory that is due to God alone or els we glory in our selues when we shold glory in the Lord. Therefore let euery man suspect that it is vaine not spiritual ioy which he takes of the benefits receiued frō God whilest he reioiceth not in the same maner considering the benefits which others haue receiued for albeit we ought fistt chuse good things for our selues before others also to reioice that whē it was not decreed that we together with thē should obteine it it fell out that wee had it yet whilest both wee and they obteine good things at the good hand of GOD the diuine Maiesty doth equally reioyce at both nor ought our ioye to bee any other but in GOD and for that his holy will is fulfilled Thus reioiced the spirit of the blessed Virgin in God her saluation Our good GOD would haue vs so much to reioyce of euery good thing wee haue as we know the same good to come from God and to serue for the seruice of GOD. And when it exceeds this ordination of God and goes beyond these bounds then presently becomes it vaine ioy and vaine glory Yet farre worse is the vaine glory which ariseth from the good thing wee haue not but worst of all is that to reioyce at the euill he hath committed So crafty is vaine glory that often he who is of small vertue will yet thinke himselfe to reioyce in God for the good things he hath whē as yet for the most part it is mixt with vaine glory Therefore vntill one be well assured of his vertues and graces he should euer flee all kinde of complacency and ioy whilest he recogitates the benefits of God which hee hath receiued of God or heareth of himselfe and should rather accustome himselfe at those times to stand in feare whereby should with a certaine griefe haue vaine glory in suspition which hiddenly is wont to rise out of these things Therefore omitting that worst kinde of vaine glory as too grosse to be entertained of any child of God and is onely in the wicked and such as desire not the true good we will returne to the first vaine glory which ariseth from that good which a man hath doth or heareth of himselfe The thing which may easily disturne vs from so great an euill is the consideration of the mighty vanity falsity which may be found in it for there is no man that is giuen to vertue who doth not hate the thing which is vaine and false so often and long may one consider this thing and that which followeth that by much vse of considering it hee may conceiue so great a hatred against this euill of vaine glory that thencefourth it will euer scarce offer it selfe to a man And this is the consideration it were a vile and odious thing if any noble courtier should esteeme it for a great matter and should boast of it that he had put himselfe in some small perill out of his loue and duety to the King which King before that by reason of him and for the great loue he bare to him had exposed himselfe to many great daungers and wounds But if the same noble man should not onely esteeme that small fauour he had done for his King to whom hee ought so much very highly but also boast of it abroade his leuity folly were worthy euery where to bee laughed at But yet this vanity of his were much more abhominable if the King himselfe should haue borne all this toile without all helpe of this noble man and that the noble man should haue suffred that little daunger with the great fauour and helpe of the King and with great promisses and benefits before the danger suffered and after that little daunger suffred largely performed Into a vanity incomparably worse doth he fall that followes vaine glory For our most high God a King of incomprehensible Maiesty infinit power and glory out of his onely goodnesse without any obligation beholding our infinit necessity for our reliefe exposed himselfe to most bitter and ignominious death in which businesse wee were so farre from bringing him any helpe that wee haue not beene thankful to him for it nay all that were with him forsooke him and wee doe most of all forsake him through our defects and wants albeit his Diuinity is now made knowne vnto vs much more then to any of them that forsooke him Seeing then it is so let vs acknowledge how vaine and wicked it is for any man to glory at the duety he performes to God omitting in the meane time to glory in God alone and how much more vaine it is for this cause to desire to be had in account with others when all that time wherein there hearts are occupied in iudging vs to be of much worth they leaue to be imploied in esteeming and praising God the Author of all good God forbid that the heart which is not exercised in highly esteeming and praising the most high God to whom all praise and glorie is due should be taken vp in esteeming mee to be of any worth to whom no such thing but shame and confusion is due Hee cannot but bee held for consenting to the crime who thinkes others doe occupy their mindes in praising and esteeming him being so vile in the meane time ceasing to magnifie God for all his benefits and yet is neither ashamed nor grieued at such inuersion and abuse of these things And that which much increaseth our vanity is that whatsoeuer we doe or suffer all that we performe is through Gods goodnesse and the bounty of his hand by whose singular helpe wee doe all that wee doe And albeit some may say that it is to euery man a thing glorious and of much worth that he accepts this goodnesse of God and doth not reiect the gifts and benefits of God and so thinke that hence he may glory herein to differ from the damned who therefore seeme to bee punished because they accepted not the grace offred to this may be answered that there was yet neuer any man the world who vainely would boast hereof alone that he had accepted of the benefits done him by the King but rather it should be accounted madnesse not to accept of them and that is the madnesse of the damned that they receiued not benefits of God when they might But it is a foolish thing to reioice that thou wouldest not be madde else a man may goe presumptuously and pompompously and being asked the cause why he doth so he answers that he doth it for this cause that when hee might haue beene a foole and fallen into the pit yet he would not and that makes him aduance himselfe and thinke he is a iolly fellow But such a man in all mens iudgements would bee accounted a foole How much more shold he of whō we speake For euen this that hee accepted the benefits or God or did not reiect them he hath chiefly
from the helpe of God what hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou Therefore he that considering this in himselfe shall boast himselfe is surely most madde and vaine and voide of all good so as much as he list let him boast himselfe and glorie in such his madnesse 2 Patience I said that out of Christs schoole wee must learne two lessons Humility and Patience Of the first wee haue heard now of the second how it is to be had and preserued This vertue of Patience is such a cossen germaine as I may say to Humility that almost they are euer found together and by the same meanes that the one is to be had the other also is to be obtained For as to obteine humility it is necessary that wee set before our eyes the humility of the Sonne of God so must we doe to gaine Patience For who will complaine of iniuries and afflictions hauing deserued them as we all haue when he considers with what meekenesse and patience the Sonne of God suffered so many and great acerbities persecutions afflions torments and most bitter death it selfe who besides that he was true God and Lord of all was also of a more noble and delicate complexion aboue all other men and more sensible of afflictions Who will not patiently suffer in remedy of his owne offences all occurrent afflictions and iniuries if he consider his God to haue suffred farre greater for oothers namely for a remedy to our euills The manner of obteyning this Patience see in the 7. Instruction But seeing wee are entred into the field of Patience we will set fourth the great riches which we must digge for to the appeasing of the minde vpon al occasions of impatience to which purpose we will propose some odious thing that may befall vs. Thou conceiuest vpon a small occasion of some one hath spoken euil of thee which thou neuer committedst Through this suspition three sorts of weapons are drawne against thy minde First the sword of wicked iudgement Secondly of painefull impatience Thirdly of hatred against him thou suspectest hath spoken it Now an industrious and skilfull seruant of the heauenly King must so take these so daungerous weapons on his buckler and defend himselfe from them that being wounded by none of them hee may from euery one of them receiue a singular benefit and beautie to his soule to the great glory of the King in whose seruice hee fights and that may thus be don First from the first weapon and dart he must withdraw his body by stepping aside inclyning his will least hee should receiue the blow consenting to such a iudgement and considering wee are prohibited by the chiefe Iudge to whom onely it belongs who saith iudge not Therefore wee must leaue that with great ioy and not vsurpe his office Secondly hee must receiue the second Dart with all his forces reioycing at the iniury and griefe that proceeds from it and by how much the more as he shall seeme to reioyce at it by so much lesse shall the deuill assault him by im patience least he should giue him the occasion of so great a good And that it may thus fall out in this second point haue recourse to that which is written touching the hatred of our selues Thirdly wee must meete this third weapon namely of hatred against him of whom wee haue suspition or happily certaine knowledge that hee spoke this by inclining the will to produce some singular act of loue towards him seeing God assisting vs we may incline the will to desire what it will and to giue what end to our labours it will And as wee ought to prouide our selues against these foresaid three darts arising from this small occasion so ought wee to carry our selues towards all the fiery darts of men and diuells which in all our liues doe occurre in any kinde of aduersity whereby wee may in all things so looke to our selues that patience may euer remaine in our selues vnhurt and that we may euer remember that saying of Christs Luk. 21. By your patience possesse your soules Be sure that when hee shall haue determined that patience shall haue possession in it if that patience faile the soule is left as it were destroied and forsaken for neither shall it obtaine from God another possessor if it suffer this to be taken from it nor of it selfe can it haue any other that is good Therefore is it in the greatest daunger that can be least it should be taken captiue of euery one seeing that roaring Lion neuer sleepes but euer goes about seeking whom hee may deuoure From whose iawes onely such possessors or those that are possessed of patience are secure Blessed therefore are the meeke and peacemakers as that giuer of happinesse hath pronounced 3 The third thing which wee noted to bee necessity for the beautifying of the soule was that the affections resident in euery man might bee brideled and restrained These wee will reduce chiefly to these foure ioy sorrow hope and feare Yet not omitting to discourse some thing of the rest For these are the naturall affections which are found in euery of vs. For it is naturall for euery man to reioyce at present good things to bee sorrowfull for the euill to hope for good to come and feare the euill Therefore here our labour must bee in speaking of these affections and some others very considerable to shew how they may warily be bridled and guided to the seruice of God For much euill ariseth from them if they be suffred to goe vnreined and at liberty because they neuer cease rouing and running hither and thither in the soule sometimes this affection sometimes that so that hence it is that all the euills which befalls vs doe spting in that Wee suffer them without any check or snub to take their range yea euen in men very deuout they doe much harme albeit they are much confined But this is to be noted that if any one doe all his workes both inword and outward for the loue of God as in the 2. Instruction and be led by a hated of himselfe as in the 2. Exercise is spoken he shall with great moderation restraine and gouerne these affections Therefore here we will briesly proceed obseruing that then are these affections said to bee rightly moderated when we giue our assent to none of their motions in the minde but such as wee know doe please God and from which he may receiue an acceptable seruice otherwise they ought euer to be banished from his minde that would safely trauaile vnto God as a learned man hath sweetly resolued Boâ—tius Tu quoque sivis luminâ— claro cernere verum gaudia pelle pesse timorem spemque fâ—gato nâ—c dolor adsit If thou wilt see cleerely the thing that is true Then banish ioy and feare expell hope and let no griefe seaze on thee And it is to be vnderstood that then are these affections to
that thing beare rule in his heart that was so taken with the loue of it and with a certaine kinde of fruition hee delights in it which is the end of delectation and to conclude doth complete the motion of loue He therefore that is so tempted let him first discerne the fault from the temptation for in such sudden motions of loue and concupiscence often their followes no fault because in men of riper yeares they preuent the consent of reason but if any sinne lie hid by the negligence of reason it is a very small one which I would haue to be obserued in all kindes of temptations that I need not repeate the same thing againe 1 Assoone therefore as any shall perceiue these sudden motions of loue and concupiscence raised in him Hee may many waies represse the appetite that it goe no further for hee may forthwith by reason thus commaund his appetite Let goe this hurtfull concupiscence for it becomes not a man indued with reason and much more excellent in minde then all these bodily things and borne to the studie of wisdome and beauty of vertues to desire this thing whereby the minde is turned away from better goods things But this restrayning of the appetite was in vse amongst heathen Philosephers for it hath nothing in it aboue reason 2 There is therefore yet a more excellent way worthy of a Christian and out of faith which worketh by loue is more effectuall as thus absteine from this noisome concupiscence for it is not lawfull that a man who shall enioy eternall good things and be cloathed with glory as with a garment should by these vile and base things be diuerted from the care of better things 3 But yet there is a way more sublime as thus Let goe thy desire and absteine from this hurtfull concupiscence for it is not conuenient for mee who haue made a couenant with my GOD to keepe his lawes to couet and desire any thing that is anothers And thus may wee doe in all kinde of things bee they honourable profitable or delectable The first of these kinds of repressing the appetite is humaine The second is Christian But the third is diuine But if the appetite doe not giue place yet for all that doe wee not labour in vaine For albeit the appetite doe not obey reason at a becke as the other members doe but after a certaine politike manner and often doe most strongly resist reason Yet wee finde that by thus doing wee are prepared vnto a Christian mortification and by custome of fighting reason at length gets the dominion ouer appetite To end therefore this point with a short but sweet admonition hee that much desres to kill his passions so as that they may not kill his soule must know that if hee shall know to moderate well his loue from whence all passions doe arise hee surely shall carrie awaie the victorie Nor shall he only ouercome but by a wonderfull short cut sooner then others hee shall ouercome and with greater delight contentment And the manner of doing it is this hee must bee very circumspect in the exercise of euery thing that he set not his heart vpō the apparant shew of things but assoone as hee seeth any thing that is pleasant to turne away his heart make hast to breathe after heauenly things For it is altogether impossible that the other passions should wax heauy or hurt vs if the rootes of loue be cut vp Let this bee the example a man sees some profitable good thing and forthwith assoone as he sees it whilest his loue is stirred vp he lifts vp his heart to heauen saying Oh how much more profitable things are prouided for me there He sees something that delights him and whilst his appetite growes in loue of it his heart is instantly lift vp to heauen saying how much sweeter shall my banquet be in heauen where my meate shall be Manna Angels food and my drinke the fountaine of life Hee sees some honourable good thing namely other mens estimation conceiued of his wittie learning dexterity c. And whilst the appetite beginnes to be carried to the loue of honour he runnes and lifts vp his heart saying how much greater estimation and honour shall be conceiued of me in that most ample Court of heauen then if I had the honour of the whole world 2 Of the passions of Hate Flight or abhomination and of sorrow and griefe where also are two things as before 1 The definition of Hate As good so soone as it is seene ingenders the loue of it so euill by and by as it acknowledged begets the hatred of it Now hate is a certaine motion of the concupiscible dissonant from euill or more cleerely it is the motion of auersion wherewith the appetite is affected when any thing dissonant or contrary and repugnant to it is represented for as betwixt the appetite and good there is consent so betwixt the appetite and euill there is dissent Hence comes flight and abhomination of the euill which is the motion of retraction whereby the appetite departs from euill as if we said that that recession or declining whereby the appetite retracts it selfe from euill which displeaseth it were slight or abhomination of the euill which is the intention of flight for after that euill is by the imagination represented the appetite doth not onely disagree and become dissonant which is hatred but also goes backe which is slight Sadnesse or sorrow succeeds when the euill is present sorrow comes from euill ioyned vnto the body with the apprehension of sence but sadnesse is for the euils conceiued by inward apprehension which may also therefore be past and to come which arc inwardly conceiued seeing sorrow onely for the present time continues whilest the body is oppressed Therefore sadnesse or sorrow is a certaine motion whereby the appetite is vexed by the present euill as if I said that it is the motion whereby the appetite is oppressed with the burden of a present euill These passions are of contrarie motion to those we handled in the 9. Chap. for hate is auersion from euill loue the conuersion to good flight is the departing from euill desire is the progresse to good sadnesse is the oppression of euill delectation is the expansion to good But as loue with the two other passions is carried towards the honest profitable and delectable good so hate with the 2. passions arising from it inclines to the 3. fold euill vnhonest vnprofitable vnpleasant Now by good and euill wee vnderstand either the true or the apparant good for whatsoeuer pleaseth the appetite is good and whatsoeuer is repugnant in this kinde is euill But amongst all other things in this place this is most attentiuely to be obserued that sadnesse one of the principall passions which as delight complets the motion of loue so it of hate is a capitall enemy to true vertue for besides the hurt it brings to the body this amongst all passions
most pleasant refreshing 3 The third thing which I proposed to bee considered in this first part of the true ruele and art of seruing God after the instructions and exercises for the reparation of the slaughter which sinne hath made in the soule is the loue of God which being the fire which God would haue euer burning vpon the Altar of our hearts all that we haue yet spoken of the reparation of the soule is onely directed vnto it And if any will know of what dignity this loue of God is hee shall see that whatsoeuer hath beene spoken of the reparation and clensing of the soule is but little to the acting of so worthy and sublime an enterprise For of so great excellency is the loue of God that none of those blessed Spirits nor any other created thing or which can be created is able to doe a more soueraigne worke For which cause the Son of God calls this the great first commandement Nay say that all the labours and powers of Angels and Men together were in any one Angell or Man yet were they not all able to doe a worke more excellent then to loue God Nor can any creature sufficiently so loue this our GOD as his goodnesse and worthinesse requireth Now as this tract of the loue of God followeth that of the reparatiō of the soule because those things are very fit to the obtaining of this loue so this of the loue of God is placed before that of the loue of our neighbours and the loue of our selues because from this loue of God onely proceeds the loue of our neighbours and the loue of our selues 1. Therefore of the loue of God 2. Of our Neighbours And 3. of our selues 1 This loue of God being so glorious and ioy ous a thing when it is expressed in words what ioy I and glory shall it bee to seele it and how much more to doe it This is the holy worke of God I say the holy and whole worke and labour of God for whatsoeuer God worketh withall his infinit powers is onely to loue himselfe so much as his Maiesty deserueth and is worthy that is infinitly For out of his owne infinit goodnesse and excellency he is infinitly to be beloued nor is there any excellency in heauen or earth which is not much more his then it is his that possesseth it and from them all hee hath infinit glory and loues it and reioyceth and glorieth in it and would also that wee should loue it thinke vpon it and reioyce in it seeing nothing is so consonant to equity as that with all our powers we should loue him from the louing of whom we must neuer cease albeit wee had infinit powers so to doe Therefore are we to giue God thankes that in louing himselfe infinitly he supplies by his owne powers what is defectiue in euery one of vs. Let vs euer reioyce in louing him who is so great dignity that neuer ceasing to glory at his excellencies yet that which we doe is nothing if it bee compared to that hee deserueth For of so great glory and Maiesty is God that he stands in no need of our seruice but onely requires it because it is profitable of vs. This onely hee desireth that we loue him and reloyce at his good things for this is his owne holy worke Therefore he would haue all men with all their strength to doe that which hee doth with all his strength And for that which remaines he stands no neede it no nor of this neither but that it is good and iust and vnto vs glorious and therefore hee so much desireth it that hee laide downe his life for it that so by dying he might prouoke vs to loue him Besides that there are other things found in the Scriptures which are by him commanded to bee desired that is for this end because they are helps to this loue and to omit them would bee a great hinderance to it For neither are the vices which are prohibited any other thing then the inordinate loue of vaine things which doe occupie that place which is diputed onely to the loue of GOD. Not doe vertuaes serue to any other purpose but to despose the soule to this loue yet are they so necessary therunto that it were great presumption to thinke to obtaine it without the mighty exercise of such vertues That therefore wee may fitly speake of this pretious loue wee will first declare the various manner of louers but withall iudging that best which is most sublime and high To which purpose wee may vse this example Therefore touching the variety of louers we must obserue that which by the experience of many was a testimony vnto them when they had attained a greater knowledge of truth namely that they had a long time loued God as a most sweete Lord who had communicated himselfe to them as a liberall benefactor in whose seruice they were delighted and often had asked of him many benefits with great delectation in the contemptation of his bounty and of the knowledge of his excellent graces which they asked of him and that often they came vnto him as to the fountaine in which they found so great sweetnesse as that they thought there was nothing a wanting to their loue of God For they thought that the greatnesse of that sweetnesse which they felt in the sensitiue appetite was nothing else but the greatnesse of that loue And would to GOD that all men who doe not loue God did so loue him Yet God forbid that those who loue God should bee content with this loue although it be very good and so good as that it sufficeth thus far that for certaine daies beginners doe exercise themselues therein for they may so easily come to that more excellent manner of louing God which followeth It an argument that this loue I haue spoken of is fraile seeing that hee who so loueth assoone as that sweetnesse is a wanting or gone goes on with an abiect minde in the things of God and is so ouercome of the frailties of his minde as if he neuer had had any such loue For hee doth so much procure vnto himselfe corporall delights as to feede on delicate viands to drinke the most pleasant licours to weare most gorgeous clothes and such other vanities pleasing to his appetite sensuall friendships honours fauours euen as he doth that hath neuer begun to taste the things that are of God Nay oft times at such time as hee is visited with such an apprehension of sweetnesse hee is taken vp with many vaine affections and very sensuall being drawne thereunto by the beauty and pleasures of some persons Againe hee desires to be seene and to be accounted deuoute and grieues if hee bee not reputed for such nor doth hee reioyce when he vnderstands that others are accounted more feruent in deuotion and such other blemishes hee casts vpon himselfe all which are so abiect that they suffer not the society of that excellent
loue of God of which anone although it haue not that sweetnesse Therefore wee may conclude that such loue is but fraile seeing it is the loue of him that loues for his owne benefit and comfort Yet let vs expresse the excellences of this sensitiue loue For albeit such loue is fraile yet is it profitable for 2. things First he that hath it may easily cast from him the said blemishes and loue of vaine things Secondly such a one shall be in a verie neere disposition to bring fourth many acts of that more sublime and excellen◠loue when hee shall come to the knowledge of it There is therefore a more high and heauenly loue then that former vnto which many had vndoubtedly attained if they had knowne it and the more of this loue that the soule acquires of the greater perfection shall it be This loue we will describe with words rather declaring what we ought to doe to obtaine it and being had to keepe it then such as for a small time may worke some liking of it Not for that I would expresse this loue in grosse termes but for that he who can attaine that loue which is expressed in plaine words is to bee lifted vp of that sweete louer to the height of that loue which mans power cannot expresse Therefore now wee will deliuer some parcels of this loue 1 What it is wee say it is a certaine worke or acte which the will produceth strongly and sometimes with sweetnesse in louing or desiring that God may be that which he is may possesse so great glory so great dominion and power as in truth he possesseth ouer vs and ouer all things and so much as he hath himselfe And againe that whatsoeuer thing is or can be may loue him serue and glorifie him for his onely infinit goodnesse and worth and so farre as the excellency of his Maiesty requires that withall our powers wee should doe it These are profound words and such as daily hee must meditate which truely loues that he may recogitate what God is and may reioyce in it againe that he may recogitate and bethinke himselfe how great glory he hath hauing an vniuersall dominion ouer al vs all other things and to ioy hereat more then we are wont to doe at the preferment and honour of our best friends Besides wee must desire that whatsoeuer is in the world may obey him loue him desiring it a thousand waies and ten thousand waies procuring it And further in the discourse of the minde meditating a thousand waies of glory greatnesse and seruice which are due vnto God that wee may wish them all for him and that because he is God and for his onely goodnesse For all equity requires that we loue so great a LORD by all the meanes that can bee thought on Seeing then there is no higher end then GOD himselfe who is the beginning and end of all it followes that he ought to bee loued not for that chiefely wee receiue from him or for that wee expect but for himselfe who is infinitly amiable This is that which I say and would haue obserued that wee should so accustome our wills which our selues also may feele that they may bee mooued to loue and that they may be delighted in the glory and riches of our God not for the sweetnesse they perceiue to be in his loue not for the gifts which either they haue receiued or hope to receiue but that these being forgotten they may loue him as the most worthy to haue all the wils of Angels and men herein exercised that they may desire and be delighted that his Maiesty hath all that good which it hath albeit it nothing should thence redound to them although indeed so much more will returne vnto vs by how much wee loue him without any reflexion to our selues 2 This holy loue hath his beginning progresse perfection and albeit at the beginning it giues no great tokens of it selfe which may be felt in the soule yet it is then of greatest worth and shall after a fewe daies shew some signes of it selfe when it shall haue begun to increase The true experiment and certaine signe of this loue is when as the louer loueth God as well when he shewes himselfe fierce against him as when he is more milde as well when he chastiseth in iustice as when he cherisheth in mercy He that is such loues not for that God is sweete and good yet loues that sweetnesse and goodnesse because God giues it and giues him a minde more diligently to serue him Hee is not affraide at his chastisements but takes it with that loue which the pious and princely hand of him that laies in on him requires Hee doth not supplicate and petition drawne on with desire or sweetnesse of the benefit desired but that his soule inriched with vertues may bee increased in strength that he may more diligently and feruently serue the Lord who bestowed those benefits Hee is not in any indignation that sometimes hee sees himselfe voide of consolations yet grieues if any thing be in him that may offend the eyes of so great a Maiesty and so separate him from it Hee desires not therefore to bee pardoned that he may escape the punishment or may recouer the lost grace and vertues or right vnto the Kingdome of glory but that his soule hauing receiued pardon may bee to GOD more acceptable may loue him and purely serue his most high God and Creator He that is such hath no affection that drawes his heart any other way Hee remembers not nor markes whether men thinke of him He grieues not when he perceiues himselfe be held of no worth He flees and is sad at the honours done him fearing least they may be a hinderance to his humility Hee reioyceth at the good and honours of others supposing that euen honours may be to them as being more strong a furtherance mote feruently to serue GOD desiring without all fiction of vanity that other men may take an example of good workes at him Hee that is such hath all things and yet hath no thing hee submits himselfe to all men and all doe serue him He flees all sweetenesse contentmēt yet feeles nothing but that which is pleasing vnto him In that great God which hee loueth hee knoweth whatsoeuer hee ought to doe say or thinke and that hee both saith doth and thinketh for him alone Happy is the man which so loueth it is not he that liueth but Christ liueth in him Gal. 2. giuing vnto him grace to liue a diuine life This man in louing himselfe loueth not himselfe but the most high for whose loue he desireth euery good thing Let vs giue one example whereby as much as may be we may behold when we doe thus loue God Say there were a sonne whose father were a verie honest man but verie poore from whom the sonne expected nothing nor needed it and yet should so serue this father as that he placed all
his ioye and delight in him rather then in himselfe and reioyced more to bee delighted in his father then in himselfe and all things which bring any honour or ioy which hee doth or are offred vnto him hee so much reioyceth that they are offered as hee thinketh his father will reioyce for them and on the other side is more afflicted by any occurring calamity for the griefe that his father will thence conceiue then for his owne punishment So that when this sonne is sicke hee suffers more paine for the affliction and sorrow which hee sees his father suffer seeing his sonne sicke then for his owne griefe and when hee growes sound is more ioyed of the ioy his father doth thence conceiue then of his own health In like maner in things which in the world bring honour as egregrious stratagems and pollicies of warre or exercises of learning he desires to doe them with commendations because his father lookes vpon them and reioyceth at them more then for his owne honour and one the other side if hee doe not these things aright would thence take more griefe then for his owne dispraise All this loue and will hath this sonne towards his father prouiding for him all things which are necessary for him by no other reflexe then for the great loue which from his infancy he beareth towards his father This example must he that will serue God from day to day often reuolue in his minde at the least for two or three monthes For herein is declared so much as may serue for our purpose to set fourth the manner of the true loue of God not hunting after our owne profit which course we ought to obserue Our eternall Father is God and wee his sonnes out of his magnificent gift and grace Hee stands no need of our goods but we cannot want his good in a farre different manner from this father that I haue spoken of with his sonne For there the father was rich and the sonne his Protector and therefore so much the more is the loue of the sonne towards his father to be esteemed Let vs therefore reioyce that the Maiesty of our eternall Father is so great that he stands no neede of vs knowing that our obligation is greater vnto him then of that sonne to his father Let therefore our loue at the least be like that of this sonne and our soules so farre subiected vntill they finde and feele no ioy of all the good they doe and expect but so far as we shall know that by this we doe God seruice And whatsoeuer we shall doe must be done with great ioy because we beleeue and so it is indeed that the diuine Maiesty is wel pleased with it al the grief which we feele by the infirmity of sin must be for that it is against the wil of God And the Prophet doth witnesse that God reioiceth at our seruice God is well pleased with his people Psal 149. the praises of God are in their mouthes And that by our sins he seemes as if he were grieued God himself testifieth it repenteth me that I haue made man Gen. 6. Now it is to be obserued that if the aduersary of mankinde do much impugne the seruants of God in euery vertue wherein he seeth they desire to profit he will much more set vpon them when he seeth thē hunt after this most high kind of loue Amongst al his diuerse impugnations assaults there is one as very secret so no lesse hurtfull wherewith he oppugneth and opposeth many and that is tepidity and coldnesse of minde which many doe feele whilest they thinke on read or heare the chiefe point wherin consists this heauenly loue namely that the being glory and all the good things of God should be desired for God himselfe Concerning which we must consider two things 1. what it is that causeth so excellent a thing to wax cold to come to such an aguish fit seeing it is that diuine heate it selfe 2. What remedy is to bee applied to this disease For the 1. we will expresse it by this comparison If being induced to behold something which is of great value it come to passe by the defect of our knowledge that the same thing doe seeme vnto vs to be of small estimation and worth vndoubtedly wee finde that our appetite growes cold whereby wee desired to see it albeit in truth the thing bee of as much worth as it was first commended for The same thing befalleth many in this same loue of God whilst they both slenderly behold the thing they loue and the aduersary besides sets vpon them which thing chiefely chanceth vnto them who are preuented with that sweetnesse and contentment which this loue vsually bringeth with it who hearing that this loue consists herein that we doe desire and inwardly feele in our selues a complacency and pleasure from all the good and glory which is in God waxe very cold thinking that this worke is not so high and excellent and iudging that there are other things as well corporall as spiriturall which may be had more sublime and worthy imagining many things which they iudge to be of more price and that it becomes the seruants of so great a Lord to doe them as workes of great corporall fortitude as for the point with one shock to cast down some mighty tower with one blow of a sword to cut in sunder ten squadrons of souldiers Againe to shew some great signe of knowledge as to the purpose if one should make all the Heathens vsing all the Science and knowledge they haue to be speechlesse or some other great wonders which are of great admiration in the world as continuall contemplation the working of miracles prophecying and such things which are thought by those that are thus tempted to be of much more excellency then to lift vp the soule to God that it may reioyce that in God is all good and glory which he hath and therefore they waxe cold in directing all that they are to doe in this life to this onely end to attaine to that loue which in their eyes seemes not so excellent a thing albeit they beleeue it to bee such because the sacred Scripture affirmes it and they do almost admire that God will prefer this loue before all other things that can be done But it is to bee considered that as the appetite and desire of hurfull and loathsome things for the most part proceeds vnto the sicke from one and the same roote namely from the infection and corruption of the palate so it commeth to passe in him who doth value these signes of great corporall fortitude to be of much worth and this loue of GOD not to bee of any such esteeme for this proceeds from the infected pallate of the soule as hath beene said in the fourth instruction and from the assaults and temptation of Sathan Yet is not good meate more vile then euill meate nor the loue of God lesse excellent
moment to loue God albeit no sinne concurre with it Wee may consider that the most skilfull workeman makes no gaine but whilest hee labours in his faculty so neither is the seruant of GOD inriched in loue but whilest hee produceth speciall acts of this loue Now hauing this considered this most Heauenly loue it followeth 4. To shew what course is to bee holden for the obtayning of it But before wee open that way let vs know that many haue erred herein thinking that the businesse may compendiously bee done and will presently at the very beginning bee fully exereâ—sed in the loue of God not sufficiently preparing themselves to â—he worke For looking vpon 〈◊〉 or in some sort smelling some thing concerning the greatnes of it it seemed vnto them a garden of such pleasure that not considering nor entring the iourney which the holy Gospell prescibes vnto such loue whereof wee speake they would not enter in at the doore but breake in another way and whilst they prouided not for theÌ„selues they found theÌ„selues wandring quite out of the way Surely God is so potent that he can at one leape place a man in the highest roome of the world yet he that leapes is to feare because sometimes he shall thinke himselfe to be lead of God when indeed he is lead by his own presumption And so may wee thinke of him who leauing the way of the Gospell will by by leape vp to the highest bounds of this loue Nor yet would wee haue such as prepare themselues to this excellent loue in the beginning quite to forsake it but least in the beginning they should cast theÌ„selues wholy vpon it they should forget the preparation and way of the Gospell which the Sonne of God hath deliuered vnto vs. For so much more certaine shall the preparation bee by how much one doth more highly place himselfe in the loue of God by such exercises as the Gospell deliuereth vnto vs and as is said are necessary to that loue Therefore the humble seruant of God who indeauours to receiue into his soule so pretious a liquor that through the sweetenesse of glory he may glorifie his most high God must 4. For many daies exercise himselfe in the things before spoken and aboue all things that he extricate and acquite himselfe from himselfe But when he shall see himselfe rightly or sufficiently at least exercised herein if the Lord be pleased to helpe him with the blessings of sweetnesse they shall bee a great helpe vnto him to loue with facility But if this sweetnesse be a wanting or else whilst this sweetnesse offers it selfe hee must of purpose worke on this manner Let him briefly call to minde how great that good and glory is which God hath considering him as the best and most worthy that all men should ioy at his good and presently let him incline his will to desire the same thing and to reioyce at that so great good of God let him persist in that will as long as he can And if hee be a little distracted or cooled herein let him turne himselfe by and by in the same manner of doing and so as much as is possible let him not omit to produce the acts whereby hee may desire or loue that good which God hath and in minde let him often leape for ioy considering God to bee most infinitly replenished with infinit good From the long continuance of this exercise hee must needs be lifted vp to that most high loue Nor is it any other thing to bring fourth the frequent acts of loue then if one heare and that in an houres space related many stratagems of some singular friends or some great honours done vnto him and reioyce at euery one of them euery one of these ioyes proceeding from affection towards him is called the act of loue Seeing then the glory and honor of God are infinit and of infinit excellency and in like manner whatsoeuer hee doth or createth and euery one of these shew his singular dignity and honour nor doe all the moments of our liues suffice to heare or consider them it is our part at the least to cast them vp vnder the name of infinit good and glory and to produce the acts of our will inclining it to desire it and reioice at it all the daies of our liues seeing wee owe this vnto him more then wee doe to any other friend in that of his great bounty so great a part of his glory doth result and rebound vpon vs. And one may so exercise himselues in these acts albeit that sweetnesse which they call deuotion be a wanting that in euery businesse and in euery place hee may loue God not needing hereunto any secret place or any other sequestration of himself as it daily falleth out that a friend reioyceth whilst he heares that of late some good thing hath befallen his friend so suddenly ioyeth at it without seeking any other time place or sequestration Vnto the producing of these acts it helps much to consider the second and sixth Instructions and also that in the Chapter of the hating of ones selfe Whence we collect how these acts ought to bee produced and that it all must bee done for that GOD is most worthy that wee should doe it for him Nor ought it to seeme a labour or staying of vs for these things to haue recourse to the foresaid instructions for when as for a few daies this thing shal be done one may then easily worke yea without returning to them any more Happily it may seeme to some to bee a more easie way to come to this loue if they doe feruently aske it of GOD by praier as wee haue spoken in the tract of Praier together with the exercises of vertues whereof wee haue spoken and if they bee rightly examined they are almost the same but yet he shall more briefly and more diuinely attaine vnto it who together with prayer shall know now to helpe himselfe with the acts of the sixth Instruction and that in that tract of the affections of the minde For in euery of the acts of them is found a new seruice and increase And seeing sometimes it falleth out that those who indeauour to produce these acts of louing and desiring the good and glory of God doe yet finde the will very dull hereunto Therefore to giue remedy to this disease wee beleeue that this commeth so to passe because there wanteth the holy hatred of our selues which our Redeemer taught vs as in the sixth Instruction or else some of our affections cleaue to some earthly thing as the loue of some delight not necessary or an affection to some person not rightly ordered He therefore that shall finde himselfe so dull ought diligently to search out in himselfe such defect or affection and to take it away with contrary acts Nor is it any other thing to bee willing to incline the will to bring fourth the acts of the loue of God aboue all things not
hauing first obtained that holy and pretious hatred of our selues or die affection to some earthly thing remayning or some other thing that may bring delight not ordered actually or at the least virtually towards GOD â—hen with a beetle or mall to bee willing to cleane those things which doe require a rasour or a most sharpe knife Surely it behoueth the will that would bring fourth the acts of true and sincere loue to be so sharpe that it may penetrate whatsoeuer opposeth it vntill it doe come vnto God And such a will euen in peace and without my labour will produce a thousand acts of loue and many more in one day whereof the least sufficeth to aduance a man to a great degree of heauenly glory And on the other side he that indeauours to lift vp himselfe to produce the acts of loue by a â—ill dulled and blunted with a â—mall inordinate loue it is so difficult for this man to loue as it is to â—deuide the heauens with a mall For the sublimity of perfect loue suffers not together with it a thing so vile and abiect Nor ought any to admire that to the obtayning of this loue such circuÌ„spection is here aduised saying that many haue obtained it without vsing so many cautions and without this methode and course To which I answere that albeit many haue obtained this loue long before the writing hereof yet who will rightly weigh what our Redeemer meant when hee said that all the law hanged vpon loue shall plainly perceiue that no man obtained it the common way without these courses here prescribed which are no other but such as are drawne from the Sacred Scripture according the declaration of the fathers which methode and meanes our LORD GOD of his infinit bounty and goodnesse doth manifest to all his elect both small and great whose goodnesse is also pleased to graunt that now at the last these things gathered together for the common instruction might bee published vnto all that our frailty and misery euery day increasing there might euer abound the facility of knowing that which is so necessary for vs. And if they vrge further affirming that they haue attained vnto this loue without these courses and meanes I dare presume to intreat them to take heed least happily this their loue bee that cold and weake loue whereof I spake in the beginning of this treatise which seeing it suffers many blemishes and blurs to bee in it there is no wonder if without either methode or labour it bee obteined 2 From this view of the loue of God wee come a little to suruey the loue of our neighbours as a glimpse of that bright Son and a little brooke of that Ocean of the loue of God Therefore as concerning the things which are to bee spoken of this loue of our neighbours there is 〈◊〉 rule to be obserued which may be applied to euery worke namely that whosoeuer desires euer to please God must obserue two things 1 What he would haue vs do 2 How he would haue vs doe it For he should doe very little that should doe what God would haue him doe except withall hee should doe it in that manner he would haue him doe it The most excellent worke which God would haue vs doe is to loue him and thinke vpon him yet if wee doe not this in such manner as hee would haue vs as in the former tract is deliuered it would not bee acceptable to him nor worth the doing There is another worke like vnto this which God would haue vs to doe that is to loue our neghbours but yet albeit God would haue vs to doe it except we loue him in that manner as GOD would haue it done wee shall not attaine those sublime and heauenly rewards which GOD hath prepared for those that loue him aright Greg. For albeit the sacred Scriptures doe not contradict this manner of louing as if they iudged it a sinne yet is it not so done as GOD by them would haue it done This is my commandements saith that great Maiesty that yee loue one another as I haue loued you Therefore it is fit that wee discourse a little hereof how he hath loued vs that wee may vnderstand in what manner hee would haue vs loue our neighbours This our great God loued vs reducing vs to the sublime loue of himselfe hee loued vs inducing to suffer the aduersities and afflictions of the world neuer letting loose the raines of our affections to the vaine pleasures of this world beyond that which should be necessary to the sustentation of the body hee loued vs dying for vs that hee might giue vnto vs grace and glory And in this manner of louing was hee most of all giuen to loue the greatest enemy that could bee of all vaine loue wherewith louers doe loue one another and whereof they make outward shew which kind of loue is very slippery deceitfull And therefore God is earnestly to be praied vnto that this loue may not infect the will which was created to be the temple of God Sure it is if this loue had not infected the will the Son of God would neuer haue said hee that hateth not his father and mother brethren and sisters cannot bee my disciple Therefore wee ought to loue one another and in that manner which our Master Iesus Christ hath taught vs casting away all other vanities which are wont to mixe themselues with loue whereof this that followeth is one It commeth to passe that thou seest one in respect of the soule much giueÌ„ to vertue in respect of his corporal presence and conuersation very acceptable and pleasant with this person many are so cordiatly affected that they become captiued with the loue of him and it is grieuous vnto them not to see him not to speake with him not to acknowledge in him a reciprocal loue towards them this is a vaine loue Whence with many it falleth out that they take great paines but profit very little and do vnto God very small seruice But let vs make the vanity of it appeare by a familiar example Thou hast a friend happily who hath a seruant the loue of this seruant of thy friends doth so captiuate thy heart that it pleaseth thee much more to conuerse and talke with him then with thy friend If thou shalt say that the loue wherewith thou louest this seruant is for thy friend who will not laugh at it For although it may be that this loue was begun in that hee was thy friends seruant yet that from whence this loue so increased that thou delightedst more in his conuersation then thy friends doth shew that now thou louest him not for thy friends sake but because his conuersation it pleasant and acceptable vnto thee in like manner wee may say that it is worthy of laughter that thou shouldest say the loue whereof wee spake before was for Gods sake although happily it might haue some part of spirituall loue in
it but it sufficeth not him that is truely addicted vnto God to giue part vnto God but the whole so that the whole affection must be imploied in God or in that which is wholy directed to him Therefore whatsoeuer is vaine in this loue must bee cast away seeing it is certaine that nothing can bee ordered and directed towards God which is more loued in the creature then in God the Creator Our loue towards al persons ought to bee carried with so great affection as can proceed from that affection which wee haue towards God all other affections being cast off that that affection may haue place which wee owe vnto God And to the casting away of these things it shall not profit a little to remember what wee haue spoken before of vaine ioy together with the sixth Instruction Now therefore seeing in part we haue spokeÌ„ what kind of loue ours ought to be and that wee must cast away the loue that is not such wee will adde an example to open this manner of louing to which purpose wee neede but call to minde the example of that good Sonne of whose loue toward his Father wee spake in the former Chapter by whose imitation wee collected it is fit to loue our Heauenly Father So now let vs see in the imitation of him how wee ought to loue the seruants of our Father namely all that are in the world friends and enemies Therefore wee must adde in that example that the father so beloued of his son who yet expected no benefit froÌ„ his father had a seruant whom he onely loued but yet wanted all kinde of necessaries as well for himselfe as for his seruant sauing what his sonne did giue vnto him Now this seruant is odious and hatefull to this sonne and in nothing profitable to him or to his minde and if the sonne should onely seeke himselfe and his owne benefit and pleasure he would cast off this seruant yet vnwilling to doe any thing that may displease his father but rather seeking by all meanes to doe the things that may please his father induced thereunto by no other respect hee maintaines this serâ—ant in his house as one of his â—onnes or most dearely beloued seruants and so speakes vnto him â—nd intreates him that if at any time he would seeme to leaue the house the sonne would be grieâ—â—ed and would intreat him to tarry fearing least his father should bee grieued for his absence Such loue must that be which wee ought to carry towards our neighbours namely that considering they are so much beloued of God that hee gaue himselfe to death for them when as yet all of them were his enemies we also should loue them al so much helping them in all that is good and necessary for them as well in body as in soule euen so much I say as we are wont to loue them who do much please and delight vs and that also albeit their conuersation were odious and gâ—ieuous vnto vs so to speake vnto them and prouide for them in all necessaries euen as for those who are much beloued of that our Father and Lord who both would it should bee so and hath also so commanded it to be done And all these things wee must doe with as great and feruent a will as wee are able because this is most acceptable vnto God and he would haue vs doe it and this he his infinit will that it should bee so done of vs. Let them who desire to serue God chiefly obserue that whosoeuer doe affect vs with any iniury giues vs great occasion to increase in the seruice of God for after this occasion of so great good which comes vnto vs ioyned with the commandement of God who would haue it so what excuse can we haue if wee doe not with intimous and ardent bowels loue then that load vs with euils chiefly whilst wee consider that God himselfe will happily afterwards take from such our perse cut ours all excellent and high duties as it often befalleth many other sinners Therefore the good seruant of God he must neuer be accounted who reioiceth not at the afflictions and iniuries which are cast vpon him for his Lord. If therfore hee shall esteeme himselfe happy when he is set vpon with iniuries and aduersities the onely will of seruing God makes him no lesse stable in louing him whom his inordinate affection made odious then him whom the abundance of benefits compelled to loue Yet it must be obserued that although loue must bee equally borne vnto all yet first it must bee shewed both in affection and good workes towards them that are giuen to vertue and holinesse of life 3 The last thing which I reserued for this place is the loue of our selues how he must loue himselfe that would truely loue himselfe To loue our selues is a thing so naturall that whosoeuer would hereof write may wel do it without feare of prouoking any to anger seeing our appetite doth increase in our loue towards our selues that albeit we be inriched with great riches yet doe wee iudge them but small because we loue our selues labour aduancement to greater matters For this cause our excellent Master the Sonne of God desiring that wee should loue our neighbours very much as those for whom hee laid down his life that he might shew in few words how much hee would haue vs to loue them he gaue this rule Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Math. 22. But seeing the blindnesse of sinne hath so inuaded vs that it hath taken from vs the iudgement and knowledge how wee ought to loue our selues it is fit by the direction of the Gospell wee prouide for this euill Therefore we will say that he truely loues himselfe who obserues these three rules 1 That with all his strengh hee procure euery thing whence hee vnderstands any good may come vnto him 2 That hee shun euery thing which may bring any harme damage or euill vnto him 3 That albeit many difficulties and rubs to the attayning of that which is good do offer themselues yet hee shall not refuse to oppose himselfe against them Of these three seeing wee haue often spoken in this discourse we will onely touch some few things which are more necessary to bee knowne that wee may learne aright to loue our selues 1 As concerning the first of these wee will obserue that this Cannon is euery moment very necessary hereunto that the thing which is good may bee made very good namely that in euery thing I repeate it againe in euery thing speaking generally which wee shall desire or obtaine two points may be considered 1 Is the good which from this thing commeth vnto vs or may come vnto vs. 2 That it is acceptable vnto God that this good thing should come vnto vs. Therefore hee that loueth himselfe and desireth great good things to himselfe must little esteeme the good that may befall him from any thing hee doth or desireth I say
hee must little esteeme that as it is his owne good if it bee compared to the second namely that it is the seruice of God and the fulsilling of his holy will flowing from thence and to this point the second Instruction serueth well Let vs obserue that euery one whilst hee loueth himselfe doth greatly desire to better either his ornaments or else all his houshold furniture and all things else that he hath if it be not such as he would haue it and so must he do who spiritually loueth himselfe For our Lord God hath giuen vs a pretious ornament or pearle wherewith at all times to inrich our selues This pearle wee haue but couered with brasse or copper whilst wee desire any thing to our owne good or profit nor must wee euer rest vntill by the right hand of the highest there bee such a change made that our appetite which is euer agitated and tossed vp and downe in vs wishing our owne profit may now onely regarde those things wherewith GOD is delighted chiefely that thing being such as that not onely GOD would that wee should haue it but also that we our selues shold be more inriched with it For the more wee doe forget our owne proper benefit that wee may record it call to minde the glory of God the more care hath hee of inriching vs with al good things this forgetfulnesse is worthy of eternall memory this remembrance worthy of eternall glory What a most pretious loue is this which maketh men Gods For of this loue is that to bee vnderstood which a good father spake Si Deum amas Deus es if thou louest GOD August thou art God for I haue said yee are Gods Psal 81. that therefore wee might obtaine this so excellent loue of our selues our GOD would haue vs to hate our selues in that thing wherein wordly men doe loue themselues and this hee willeth whilst in the Gospell hee commaunds Luk. 14. That we should hate our selues as before is spoken Besides all these things I forewarne him that will truely loue himselfe that the sweetnesse hee findes in the seruice of GOD doe not suffice him for the glory expected For albeit this sweetnesse bee good yet GOD giues it not to this end that we should rest in it alone but that by it wee might come to take a taste in the consideration of the good glorie and dominion which God himselfe possesseth and that with a great minde wee should praise him For the beautifull praise of God is nothing else then that should reâ—oyce to declare the wonderfull things of God to the whole world as in the psalmes and euery where in Scripture is to bee seene and in all created things Of which and or euery other thing which we shall relate speak or heare wee must feele a new motion of ioy such as worldly men doe feele whilst they see themselues or those whom they most loue to be commended Seeing then that they doe vainely reioyce at the commendations which are not due vnto them it is very iust that the seruant of God should mightily reioyce at his praise whom heauen and earth suffice not sufficiently to praise Besides hee who truely loues himselfe when he shall haue vnderstood that hee hath receiued any benefit from God ought from his most intimous bowels to giue him thankes not for that he findes himselfe more iuriched but that he findes himselfe the more inabled to serue God Euen as if some of the Kings chiefe seruants should reioyed that they had receiued some great benefit from the King that from those greater riches they might doe him greater and more acceptable seruices without respect of other benefits or gifts Nor is it any other thing to giue God thankes which thing many know not then an inward act of the soule whereby hee who hath receiued the gift or benefit from him acknowledging that God is an infinit Lord from whom comes cuery good thing reioyceth at all the glory of God and that by such gift hee sees himselfe more apt the more to loue and serue him and by how much that which is said is inlarged seeing it is a thing of great moment wee may obserue that besides this recognition and ioy spoken of at the receipt of euery benefit from God wee ought to offer vnto God all that wee are in our owne wills annihilating our selues whereby we may giue our selues wholy in body and soule to his seruice producing then mosâ— great acts wherwith for the great power goodnes of God we may reioice froÌ„ whence that benefit comes for which we now giue him thankes And that wee may more clearely vnderstand that which I now speake of annihilating our selues I would hereby signifie that seeing wee may euer increase in the diminution and despising of our selues we ought as oft as we giue thaÌ„ks vnto God after a singular maner to dis-esteeme of our selues in respect of his benefits whereby we may the better giue our selues to his Maiesty Therefore the seruant of God must be very present to himselfe that as often as he giues thanks to God for any benefit that motion of the mind that will wherby he reioiceth at the benefit receiued do actually proceede as before is said that he may loue God the more serue him reiecting all confideration froÌ„ this that hence it coÌ„meth vnto him whereby hee may of good from him that he knoweth may come vnto him thence so be made more strong in the loue of GOD alone and more acceptable thankes may bee rendred vnto him and he must also haue the eyes of his soule open for sometimes these things will fall out not without some defects and we will thinke that al things are rightly done But the ground-worke of that which hitherto is spoken is taken from that which Diuines Prophets are wont to say that he who would be thankful must returne to the benefactour a worke of as great a value or greater then that which bee hath receiued Seeing thou that all our good things are receiued from God whatsoeuer wee can performe in his seruice is of little worth in respect of the least of his benefits Therefore at the least wee ought to giue him thankes for them in this manner as we haue spoken and that with as much affection and indeauour as we are able By this very motion of our vnderstanding and will and by all the foresaid preparation of our annihilation we must euery day giue thankes for so great a benefit bestowed on vs namely that he that great Maiesty hath receiued to himself so great good as he hath In the same manner must wee giue like dayly thankes vnto him for the benefit of his Incarnation our Redemption and the Redemption of the whole world For the benefits conferred vpon all the company of that blessed Court of heauen and for all the benefits bestowed vpon his Saints in earth but chiefly on those that doe affect vs with iniuries and
reioyeing at all these things to giue GOD singular thankes from whom all good things doe proceed Oh how truely doth he loue himselfe who is euer imployed in this giuing of thankes For assuming as his owne euery good thing which is done to all others after an inestimable manner it causeth his own proper good to increase yea it makes the good of all others to bee his owne proper good and by so much more doth his owne good increase by how much hee doth more reioyce in the onely loue of God and giues him thankes for all without all respect of such increase In these last words consists the summe of that which is required to make thankes acceptable to God and that we assuredâ— so do it is expedient that we be much accustomed to doe all that wee doe because God would haue vs so doe as is expressed in the second Instruction 2 Touching the second thing namely that he who loueth himselfe should shew and auoide all that is euil and damageable vnto him I neede say no more but God forbid that he who rightly loueth himself should think that any thing can do him harme and dammage saue sinne and the occasions thereof all which are to bee auoided of him that loueth himselfe For euery sinne murdereth the soule 3 The last Cannon and rule to bee obserued in louing our selues was that hee oppose himselfe to all kinde of labour and difficulty for the obteyning hereof and that is that he altogether exercise himselfe in all the foresaid things but chiefely in the hatred of himselfe in patience and in gouerning and subduing the foure graund passions of the minde and all other passions as is formerly discoursed Yet besides those things which are there handled it is not vnnecessary in this place to ioyne in manner of an example a thing which is somewhat grieuous which although it often offer it self yet is it very necessary for the obtayning of this true loue It falleth out daily that we doe or say somewhat whence wee may seeme to be confounded and ashamed and that those who heare or see vs doe contemne vs for it whether it fall out by any naturall defect as suppose that wee haue not well composed our Sermons or that we haue not so aptly spoken or so cunningly sung or some such other thing or whether it fall out vpon some of our vnbrideled motions as intemperancy in the gesture of the countenance or in angry words or the like Hee that loueth himselfe must in euery one of such contingents and chances consider two points 1 The confusion and shame it self which in case is this offered to him 2 The euill example of iudging ill of him or of imitating the same which others happily will draw from thence 1 For the first namely confusion in such cases there is wont to be a common refuge whereby they comfort animate themselues considering that others happily did not so much obserue that word or deed of theirs as he that did or said it doth thinke or if they did so obserue it yet that themselues as well as others haue fallen often into such like defects or else that now they haue forgotten it Thus doe they who coldly loue themselues But those who soundly loue themselues doe quite contrary namely imbracing that confusion with great loue considering that others will despise them according to the common custome of the world and will thinke them to bee men of small vertue and worth and profitable for nothing all which doe make vp a vehement act of patience and humility whereof as is before said few men suffice to produce excellent habits albeit we which yet is true will not say that in euery of such acts which are referred vnto God there were great seruice done vnto him And if we be attentiue there is daily an occasion offred vnto vs either of operation or cogitation whereby wee may doe these things all which things they doe loose that without methode and negligently lead their liues albeit they thinke themselues deuout But how much hee who truely loues himselfe ought to esteeme euery of these acts the seruant of God will very well obserue turning himselfe as well to this place as to the things before discoursed in which there is mention made of these acts of the will 2 The other rule which I set downe to bee considered in such cases as breede confusion and shame is the ill example that others may draw from thence And as to the consideration of this the seruant of GOD must presently produce the act of griefe for that happily hee hath beene the occasion of euill or of the lesse or worse seruing of God then was fit And hee that shall so know to loue himselfe shall make benefit both of the one and the other therefore hee that shall haue all these things I say that he loueth himselfe For referring all his loue towards God and drawing it from himselfe and from all other things that it may bee more capable of Gods loue hee shall both liue in this life more comfortably and in heauen shal haue the greater glory albeit he must not doe this for any other respect but for the Lord alone whose wee more are then our owne and to whom we are more debtours then to our selues and also who hath more care for the things that are fit for vs then wee haue for our selues and who hath more laboured and sweat that he might giue vs life then we haue don that we might haue it Thus concluding this first part of the third generall requisition in seruing of God I will shut it vp thu namely that happy is the man who doth all that euer hee doth onely for GOD and happy againe is hee who hath strongly determined in his soule to produce the multiplicity of the acts described in this booke which hee must exactly know that will serue God aright and most frequently bring them into action Therefore let all men read this booke let them who know how to serue God read it that they may more easily remember in what manner the most high will be serued Let them that know not read it that they may attaine that excellent knowledge without which there is no comming neere vnto GOD neither here nor here after Surely I dare affirme that it shall most clearely appeare if men will iudge aright that hee who shall vse this way of seruing God shall in one yeare doe more and more perfect and excellent seruices vnto God of those things which are much to be esteemed for the singular help which he shall by their instruction receiue then hee shall doe in tenne yeares who is not helped by this methode or the like if the Lord God will giue in vnto him This is proued from the great necessity which all men confesse there is of godly bookes teaching this excellent and compendious course seeing that to this purpose the holy Gospell is written and whatsoeuer is good in the world But
with me euen where I am that they bee one as wee are one I in them and thou in me euen that they may be one in vs. These are some of the ends which wee must set before vs when wee come to celebrate this most holy communion There are others who prouiding for the more vnlearned sort and the frailty of memory doe draw frō these seuen petitions of the Lords praier seuen ends and considerations sit to be obserued of such as come to the holy communion which they distingush according to seuen daies of the weeke assigning one to euery day Thus the 1. day thou shalt come with the affection of a faithfull seruant desiring that the name of God may bee hallowed and sanctified of all and may be honoured of all nations 2 Thou shalt put on the affection of a sonne and desire that the Kingdome of God and the inheritance of thy heauenly father may come vnto thee and all that call vpon his name 3 Thou shalt take vnto thee the affection of a spouse intreating that as in heauen so in thee and in all earthly things Gods will may be fulfilled 4 Thou shalt thinke thy selfe most needy and shalt come with a beggers affection that in some sort thou maist bee fitted to eate the heauenly bread and that thou maist daily receiue the breade of Gods word and the bread of celestiall helpes to liue holily 5 Thou shalt put on the affection of a sinner and beholding thy selfe intangled with thy sinnes thou shalt make hast to this heauenly banquet that thou maist obtaine forgiuenesse of thy sinnes 6 Considering thy imbecility and touched with the affection of a man who is inclosed with most puissant aduersaries thou shalt begge to bee deliuered from the enemies of God thine enemies spirituall and temporall 7 Feeling thy selfe to be prone to all euill and propense to all kinde of vices and Sathan euer more ready to assault thee thou shalt come to this sacred conduite of graces that thou maist be requited from all true euils namely Satan sinne and all the miseries of this life Some there are who not vnprofitably doe order their intention frō the consideration of the 7 words of our Sauiour on the crosse 1 He said Father forgiue them Luk. 23. for they know not what they do And they imitating our Sauiour must adorne themselues with charity and pray as well for their enemies 2 He said to the theefe Very I say vnto thee Luk. 23. this day shalt thou be with mee in paradise And they allured by the largesse of so great a promise come to the communion that they may conceiue hope and draw nere to the reward of glory 3 Hee said to his mother Io. 19. behold thy Son and to his disciple behold thy mother and they compelled by their beggary and misery come to his holy Sacrament that they by his prouidence may be prouided of all necessaries 4 He said I thirst therfore they seeke out of this blessed mystery Io. 19. an ardent desire of perfection and thirst of righteousnesse 5 He cried and out of the loue of a most beloued Son Matth. 27. complained that hee was forsaken therefore they approach this Sacrament that in all pressures and temptations they may know that the help of God is at hand 6 He testified his obedience saying Io. 19. it is finished Therefore they celebrat the cōmunion that by a cōstant obediēce of cōmandemēts they may happily finish their course 7 At lēgth he cōmended his most holy spirit into the hāds of his Father Luk. 23. and they desire the vnion of the soule vnto God that he would be pleased to ioyne thē by loue to their Father and most louing Lord and Husband But whether thou wilt imitate any of these or some other of thy owne inuention I leaue it at thy choice onely labour that thou come to this holy sacrament with a most pure actuall intention of pleasing God of coupling thy selfe vnto him by loue 3 Now followeth the stirring vp of the deuotion which is the third thing in this preparation This is stirred vp by an attentiue meditation of this sacred mistery the power whereof is so great to catch and inwrap the soules of men with loue that they must be stony or rather brasen soules which at the presence of so great a fire melt not In this mystery there are infinit things to bee meditated but I will reduce all to three points namely First who it is that commeth vnto vs. Secondly vnto whom he commeth Thirdly for what cause hee commeth I call it comming because be is neuer absent from his owne ordinance but commeth with his effectuall graces to replenish the soules of the worthy receiuers Euery one of these points may bee dilated by the number of seauen that by the weeke they may serue by distinct reason to dispose the soule Who commeth in this Sacrament Christ with all his graces to bee ioyned vnto mee To whom commeth he to me a despicable man who am not worthy to bee present at his holy Sacrament or present my selfe before him For what cause comes hee Not to seeke any good to himselfe but that he might giue vnto me his whole Church yea the whole world innumerable good things 1 Who is it that commeth Christ a King receiued with this acclamation Blessed is the King of Israell that commeth in the name of Lord. Io. 12. To whom it is a small thing to be king of men seeing he is a King of the whole world A King gentle and meeke who comes to reigne not that hee might fleece and poll his subiects but that hee might teach righteousnesse and with most abundant saluation saue his people Hence it is written Behold thy King will come vnto the righteous and a Sauiour Zach. 9. 2 To whom comes he To his vassall a debtor of 10000 talents who hath not one farthing to begin to pay so huge a debt 3 For what cause comes he Not to sell his miserable seruant and to take all that he hath and make his sonnes slaues but to giue vnto him the immense price of his body and bloud which is infinitly greater then the debt he was to pay 2 Who is it that comes Christ the Lord who saith of himselfe Yee call me Master and Lord Io. 23. and yee say well for so I am But such a Lord as laieth on his seruants the sweete yoake and easie burden of his Law and for the obedience of one moment thereof in and through Christ will giue an eternall weight of glory 2 To whom comes hee To his slaue who more then millions of times hath broken all the bands of his most holy Law and shaken off the yoake of all due seruice and more then so hath sworne homage and subiection to the aduersary of his Lord sin and Sathan 3 Why comes he That hee might draw vnto him with the cords of Adam Hosea 11.
and bands of Charity this his slaue and might reduce him from vnder the yoake of inordinate passions vnto his seruice more happy then to be Lord of all Dominions 3 Who is it that comes Christ our Master Math. 32. who said to â—is Disciples Be not you called Rabbi for there is one that is your Master But not such a Master as binds heauy burdens and insupportable vpon the shoulders of men but will not moue then with their finger but he who first did the things which hee taught and in the Doctrine of perfection instructed all both Men and Angels and euer helpes his to doe their duties 2 To whom comes hee To his ignorant Scholer and Disciple who neuer or seldome comes to heare the doctrine of vertues and besides by the leuity of his minde doth soone depart from the things heard 3 For what cause comes he Can. 8. That I by imitation may follow the bridegrome and apprehend him by faith and may lead me through hope into the house of my minde there shal he teach me his waies the waies of righteousnesse and I in like manner will giue to him spiced wine of loue and wine wrung out of the holy affections of the pomgranates 4 Who is it that comes Christ our friend whose loue to man was so great that not onely of his enemies he made seruants whom hee redeemed with the price of his bloud but aduanced them to the dignity of his greatest frieÌ„ds A faithfull friend Syr. 6. the weight of gold and siluer is not to be compared to the goodnesse of his faith who being forsaken of vs doth yet neuer forsake vs and prouoked by our iniquities yet doth not contemne vs. 2 To whom comes hee To him that hath as often despised his friendship as are starres in the skie and hath preferred sinne before his grace and changed his familiarity for the most vaine conuersation of men 3 To what purpose comes he That he might bee a faithfull friend Syr. 6. a strong protection that whilst I finde him I may finde a treasure that hee might increase in me his loue and more intimously vnite mee to him by loue 5 Who is it that comes Christ our brother who being true God and Lord of men is not ashamed to call them brethren saying Hebr. 2. Psal 21. I will declare thy name vnto my brethren The first begotten brother who hauing right to the whole inheritance yet most willingly admitted others adopted by his Father into the possession of it 2 To whom comes he To mee his brother but the killer of him my brother who as an other Caine haue with my sinnes slaine iust Abel in the field of this world and him as one drunke with loue and not with wine with most bitter death haue I slaine and punished 3 To what ende came hee That hee might preserue me his brother of whom hee was slaine in spirituall life which he had before giuen mee and that he might not turne mee off as a banished and vagabond person vpon the face of the earth 6 Who is it that comes Christ our Father who is called the Father of the world to come and as Father to them that dwell in Ierusalem Is 9. Is 22. and house of Iudah because hee begate all the sonnes of his Church with the word of truth and doth by grace giue them a diuine essence A Father who loued vs most tenderly and calls vs his little children of whom he doth againe and againe trauaile till himselfe be formed in vs. 2 To whom comes he to mee a prodigall sonne who haue wasted all his substance and con sumed my yeares if not with riotous liuing yet with vain and vnprofitable liuing 3 To what purpose comes he That he might put on mee the best garment Luk. 15. and cloathe mee with the roabe of grace that he might giue me the ring of celestiall guifts a signe of dignity in my hand that hee might protect my feete i. my affections with the shoes of his helpe that hee might feed mee with his fatted calfe his pretious body and bloud that he might defend mee from my elder brother and from pride and euer make me a possessor of his eternall inheritance in the house of his glory 7 Lastly who is it that comes Christ our bridgroome who saith to the soule hee loueth I will marrie thee vnto mee for euer I will marry thee vnto mee in righteousnesse Hosea 2. and in iudgement and in mercie and in compassion and I will marry thee vnto mee in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know I am the Lord. Hee marries the soule for euer vnto him because he would neuer depart from the wedlocke of it he marries it in righteousnesse whilst hee iustifies it by grace in iudgement whilst he deliuers it from the aduersaries in mercy and compassion whilst hee inricheth it with celestiall guifts and in faithfulnesse because not by its workes but by faith in Christ and by grace is it admitted vnto so great dignity 2 To whom comes hee to my soule vnto which that of the Prophet doth well agree In euery high hill Ier. 2. and vnder euery greene tree thou hast plaied the Harlot The hill is the occasion of waxing proude and the greene tree is the incitement to adhere to things created in these haue I euer fallen and haue prostrated my selfe to pride and impure loue 3 To what purpose comes hee That the sorrowfull soule might returne vnto him and bee admitted againe most louingly into the bed and bosome of his most sweet familiarity For thus he wooes it thou hast committed fornication with many louers yet returne vnto me saith the Lord and I will receiue thee By these or such like meditations which are euery where to bee seene thou maist easily shake off all sloathfulnesse and stirre vp thy selfe to deuotion Nor doe I thinke any long time required hereunto because the minde being warned by the morning praier and by the care of the diuine presence of which after doth easily collect it self and dispose a man to celebrate the holy Communion with all due and possible deuotion 4 The last point of preparation is the vse of praier which must be generall for all men 1. Tim. 2. but more particularly for our selues for the obtayning of all things necessary and profitable but albeit this praier is to be left to euery mans deuotion affection dependeth not vpon any composition of words but vnction of the holy Spirit yet I thinke it not vnfit to set downe a forme of praier which may fitly be vsed in the morning before the receiuing of the communion that euery one may therby learne the manner of praying and lifting vp the minde to God Thus therefore not with lips but heart not with words but affections being placed in the sight of God let him set forth his desires and pray both for himselfe and others O blessed Trinity O my Lord God O most omnipotent
ingrate as to passe by such and so greate a benefite without thanks who is so colde as that hauing tasted meat so reeking hoate with loue doth not also himselfe waxe hoate surely that were a signe either of spirituall death or of stupidity disposing vnto death After the holy communion if thou doest not feele some spirituall refection it is a signe of spirituall infirmity or death Doest thou put fire in thy bosome and feelest no heate or hony into thy mouth and feelest no sweetnesse how then canst thou eate and drinke at this heauenly Table and not be drunke with the plesures of Gods house therefore let vs learne of others who haue receiued small fauours with thankfull hearts to take this great benefite with no lesse thankfulnesse When Boos perswaded Ruth to gleane the cares after his seruants he said vnto her hearest thou my daughter goe to none other field to gather neither goe from hence but abide with my maydens let thine eyes be vpon the field that they doe reape and goe thou after the maydens haue not I charged the seruants that they touch thee not besides when thou art a thirst goe vnto the vessels and drinke of that which the seruants haue drawne This benefit with what thankfulnesse doth she repay it she fell on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground and said how haue I found fauour in thy sight that thou shouldest know me seeing I am a stranger but thou art called not by a rich man but by God not to gather cares but to eate the bread of life not to drinke water of no value but to drinke the pretious bloud of the Lord art thou inuited with what great humility what great zeale what great affections of loue oughtest thou to giue thankes for this benefit Ester inuiting her Lord Ahashuerosh to a banquet hee so esteemed it that he said vnto her What is thy petition Ester that it may bee giuen thee Est 7. And what wouldest thou haue to bee done Albeit thou askest the one halfe of my Kingdome it shall bee giuen thee Out of doubt here is greater cause without all comparison of thankefulnesse for there the handmaide inuites the King but here the King inuites his vnprositable seruant there are earthly cates here are heauenly viands from the banquet proceeded the death of an enemy and temporall safety but from this ariseth the destruction of sinnes and spirituall saluation Who thē is it that admitted to so magnificēt a feast doth not offer vnto God so inuiting him not onely a part of his heart but the whole heart and whatsoeuer he is or hath Who is it that doth him not all duties of loue and praise 2. Sam. 9. What did Dauid with Mephibosheth that he might shew towards Ionathan his father did not hee promise him all fauour Did he not restore vnto him the things that were Saules and commanded him to eate meate at the Kings table And what answered Mephibosheth Who am I thy seruant that thou shouldest looke vpon such a dead dogge as I am Behold what God hath done for thee euen wonderfull things he hath giuen thee many benefits hee hath left thee a dispensatory and most rich reconditory of all graces the blessed Sacrament hee hath giuen that his flesh to eate and his bloud to drinke And what wilt thou do vnto him Wilt thou bee vnmindefull of so many and great benefits contained in one Sacrament Wilt thou forget the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing Wilt thou goe from this table by and by to thy worldly imploiments the Lord complains of those ten leapers whereof but one returned to giue thankes Luk. 17. where are the nine and that worthily for nothing is more damnable then vnthankfulnesse And what complaint will hee take vp of thee if thou receiuing not a corporall but a spirituall health shall either returne no thanks or very cold ones and so great a guest being left alone and vnsaluted shalt betake thy selfe presently to the cares of the world It is the duty of all holy men as soone as they haue tasted this heauenly feast to recognize the great benefit of it and to giue God immense thanks for it Holy Dauid may seem to haue prophesied the same all such as are fat haue eaten and worshipped all they that goe down into the dust shal kneele before him And who are these fat ones of the earth are they not the righteous and holy men which in this world possesse the true riches and are fatted with celestiall cogitations and enioy the most pure pleasures of the spirit Who are those that go down into the dust Is it not the humble in heart who in contempt of themselues fall downe vpon the earth and make themselues inferiour vnto all These doe first eate that is take the misteries of the body and bloud of Christ presently praise the Lord and adore him with thankefull hearts I doe no wrong vnto this place of the Psalms in expounding it thus for two worthy learned men long since haue so vsed it Bas Theod. Thou therefore that couetest to imitate these fat ones of the earth and wilt be partaker of their good things doe not thou separate the things which the Spirit of GOD hath ioyned together eate and adore receiue the benefit and at the least returne though not sufficient yet such slender thankes as thou art able Say with the same Prophet Psal 56. vnto thee will I pay my vowes vnto thee will I giue thanks Where wee read thy vowes are vpon mee O God I render praises vnto thee Thy vowes my God and thy desires or those which thou desirest from this thy creature are not farre off I can easily haue them they are ready without mee I haue them within my selfe which are praises and thankefulnesse which for so great a benefit I will answere thee Being with such cogitations as this stirred vp thou must for some halfe houre or as thou shalt thinke fit get thee into some priuate place and bestow thy self in giuing of thanks And if thou hast not better of thine owne or be one of them who being acted and lead by the Spiof God need no preuention of meditations thou maist vse these seauen meditations which may be assigned to euery day of the weeke 1 Meditation 1. Behold Christ Iesus thy Sauiour in thy heart by faith as a most potent King and thy selfe as one guilty of many sinnes standing before him and desiring mercy 2 Giue him infinit thankes 1. That he hath beene pleased to leaue thee so great a pledge of his loue as to be present at this holy Sacrament not as a Iudge punishing thy sinnes but as a most louing Father and King pardoning thy offences 2. That with so great fauour hee hath heard thy praiers put vp with such a polluted heart and lips 3. That hee would condiscend to dwell in that fowle and vnprepared house of thy heart 3 Detest all thy sinnes before him conceiue
nor doe engender ill affections They are ordered when they come reasonably that is in their owne time For not in their owne time euen to thinke good things is not without sinne as in praier to thinke of reading and in reading to thinke of prayer 3. In workes we must consider 1. That they be done out of a good intention a good intention is that which is simple right Simple without malice right without ignorance For that which is without malice hath zeale but that which is with ignorance hath not zeale according to knowledge Therfore the intention must bee right by discretion and simple by deuotion 2. That out of a right intention begun they bee with a perseuerant feruour brought out to the end that neither perseuerance may be sloathfull nor loue may wax cold 3. That they be commanded in the word of God Else God may say who required these things at your hands 4. That they proceed from faith else they will prooue to bee no better then birds without fethers that cannot flie and images without life that cannot stirre 5. That they bee done to the glory of God and the good of our selues and others which is the true and onely end of all our workes Now for our words we must consider in them that they be 1. True 2. Hurtfull to none 3. Necessary for some cause 4. That in fit time and place 5. In due maner spoken if in any of these wee offend concerning our thoughts that they bee lesse cleane or lesse ordered concerning the affections that they bee lesse right or lesse sincere concerning our workes that they bee lesse qualified then we haue spoken concerning our words that they be lesse true or lesse necessary wee must note it in our memorie that wee may the better conceiue a griefe for it and procure a purpose of amendement In thy examen of thy workes and words let this be thy forme for the auoyding of that detestable negligence which in this behalfe is vsed at some conuenient time bee thou a Iudge of thy selfe and take a strict account of thy Stewardship saying Oh euill seruant and slow tell mee how thou hast spent this daie Thou hast beene slow to do thy duetie vnto God Thou hast beene indeuout in doing it Thou hast spoken many words with little fruit thou camest late and labourest loiteringly Thou hast spoken vnprofitably demanded curiously iudged suspiciously reported dissolutely detracted wilfully thou hast beene mooued thou hast wandred both with thy heart and eyes Thou hast beene attentiue after worldly things negligent towards the things of God Thou hast beene to greedy of meate and drinke desired more and murmured at little Thou wast not patient at a little nor continent at more nor pleased in any thing Thou hast sought thy selfe in small things and hast left Charity and Fidelity vndone Behold where thou hast fallen and leaue to be proud giue God the glory for all thou hast receiued Euer deplore the state of the inner man with many passions intangled Search the secrets of thy heart if anger if enuy if concupiscence if malice if impatience or griefe hath mooued or ouercome thee Nor must thou search for euils committed onely but also for the good negâ—ected If thou receiued the benefits of God thankfully if thou hast praied as well for the enemies as friends if thou hast beene â—â—ithfull and obedient to those â—et ouer thee if thou hast beene compassionate to such as are weake in any teÌ„ptation if thou hast helped such as asked and comforted such as haue sorrowed if thou hast simply and purely sought the glory of God if thou hast strongly shunned the praise of men if thou hast frankly denied thy owne proper will if thou hast preferred thy selfe before no man if thou hast patiently taken correction if thou hast beene grieuous to no man if being hurt thou diddest loâ—â—ingly forgiue if thou hast asked pardon of him iniuried if thou hast done thy duety to God deuoutly if thou hast not beene peruerse if thou hast made hast to humble thy selfe if being contemned thou hast not contradicted if thou hast not thought to render euill for euill but hast laboured to ouercome euill with good if thou hast seriously repented thee thus we see many whole counsailes painted out before the eies of the mind to make vs ashamed who hauing so many occasions of growing daily more holy doe yet so defile our selues that wee haue iust cause rather of sorrow then solace from the tenor of our liues From these thou maist gather a dailie fardle of thy sinnes and a heape of sorrowes for them For placing these thy sinnes neere the benefits of God before remembred thou shalt see how little thou answerest vnto God for so many benefits how little thou dost recompence his gifts how vile and ingrate thou art who returnest him for benefits offences for gifts sinnes for loue obliuion and negligence Therefore thou maist well lament and powre out teares seeing thou hast so much matter of lamentation For thou canst neuer come to this examination but thou shelt finde sinnes ingratitudes and obliuions of thy Lord and creator these offences albeit they seeme small to the eyes of thy bodie yet with all the seruor thou canst for the loue of God detest and hate them because a faithfull soule beholding Gods goodnesse vnto it and its ingratitude towards God will count nothing small if he haue any celestiall knowledge that may offend so great and good a Maiesty 4 From this collation comparison of Gods benefits and thy ingratitudes and sinnes thou wilt deriue such sorrow and detestation of thy sinnes that thou shalt leaue no place to the smalnesse of faith Nay euen from this same that thou seest the soule soiled with so many sinnes and blemishes and thy most mercifull Lord to beare with thee so many yeers and to haue pardoned thee not 70 times seauen times but euen millions of times thou maist be lift vp to hope that God will neuer cast thee out so sorrowing and greeuing for thy sinnes but so often as thou shalt thus come vnto him and beg pardon he will redeeme thee as a most louing father 5 At the last set some paine vpon thy owne head for these thy many escapes and sinnes let it be an amercement proportionable to the quality of thy sinnes and ability of thy body that so thy repentance and sorrow for thy sins past may bee a barre against the propensitie of sinning after check and reproue thy selfe againe and againe and deale as a senere and iust iudge with thy soule and body imprisoning all thy sences and fettering thy affections that henceforth they may not stealt away thy pretious soule from thee But to end this point of discussion Whereas I haue often in this treatise made mention of this examination thou maist referre them all vnto two times namely before the Communion and before thou goest to bed For after thou hast taken a view of thy thoughts
affections words and actions turne the eyes of thy minde vnto that vice which thou impugnest or that vertue which particularly thou exercisest and looke diligently in which thou hast failed or profited and so shalt thou easilie twice euery day fall vpon this profitable exercise of discussing thy selfe From which thou shalt gather these two principall benefits first thou shalt purge thy selfe from thy sinnes by true repentance and prouoke thy selfe to a purpose of amendment secondly thou shalt know thy selfe within and without euen to a haire which is the mother of all other graces For if thou shalt search not onely into the boughs but also into the rootes not into the imperfections but the originalls of them thou shalt see thy selfe plainly to bee full of filthinesse and empty of all goodnesse neither shalt thou any thing esteeme thy selfe but rather euen from the bottome of the heart despise the best things thou canst see in thy selfe 3. Things to be done is how to compose thy selfe to sleepe After thou art laide downe in thy bed recite some Psalme or Prayer or meditate some holy thing And consider with thy selfe of what moment the grace and loue of God is vntill that sleepe came vpon thee So shalt thou be made apt and strong to repell all temptations and euen in thy sleepes shalt be able to resist Satan tempting thee and from the custome of well doing thou shalt feele thy selfe stirred vp to prayer and all holy desires Herein take the deuout mans counsell when thou goest to bed euermore carry something with thee in thy memory or thought in which thou maist quietly sleepe which will also sometimes helpe thee to sleepe and which following thee waking may restore thee into the state of yesterdayes intention So shall the night as the day bee alike light vnto thee thou shalt quietly sleepe and when thou risest thou shalt bee the more nimble and ready to returne vnto that which thou diddest not wholy forsake and leaue If any temptation or passion take thee returne to prayer and take vnto thee all the complete armor of the Apostle and adde vnto it the consideration of eternall fire the torments of the Saints the constancy of Martyrs the trophees and glories of such as witnessed a good confession Consider diligently the stones where with Stephen was stoned the broyle yron of Laurence the clubs the hooues the thornes the flames the wheeles the sharpe flints the scalding waters and leads the teares contrition and repentance the teeth of beasts the horrid prisons the streight giues of the Saints and so God assisting thee thou resisting it thou shalt ouercome fire with fire thou shalt confound the diuell and shalt sleepe and rest in the peace of Christ 3. The things which are to bee done euery weeks 1 Albeit I know the custome of our Church hath otherwise ordered the matter yet if fitlie it might bee done euery weeke I should thinke it very full of comforts and profit if thou diddest receiue the holy Communion For the frequent vse of receiuing this Sacrament is of so great moment if it be taken not out of custome but of loue and deuotion that it would minister great helpe to the aduancement of true pietie For what shall the Sunne of righteousnesse doe receiued in the hart but enlighten the receiuer what shall the fountaine of loue doe receiued in the minde but comfort the receiuer what shall the true life doe admitted into the bosom of the heart but increase the life of the soule and bring it vnto all perfection a man by much traffique and merchandize often gaineth much but if hee chance to light of some pearle of great value out of doubt he shall be much richer For this may suddenly make him a rich man So a man may grow rich by the practise of many vertues but if he often fall vpon such inestimable Pearles as that of the Lords supper where is the true myne of all rich and heauenly Diamonds how quicklie may he become a Christian of infinit worth For all other vertues giue vs but to sippe vpon the litle riuers whereas this giues vs to drinke our fill out of the fountaine it selfe Yet great care is to bee taken that wee come well prepared hereunto least we should eat and drinke our owne damnation He that comes coldly and of custome gets no benefit by it but rather much hurt because he discerneth not the Lords body But if hee come with such deuotion and disposition of heart as becommeth a man to doe to so heauenly a feast he shall finde in himselfe the wonderfull effects and power of it and a maruellous change in his whole life Herein are two extreames to bee auoided First of them that would not come so often to the Communion but yet doe come to auoide the penalty of the Law or suspition that they are not so found as they should be Secondly of them that would receiue far oftner if they might then other men doe The first of these are sicke either of sloath or ignorance because either they neglect duly to prepare themselues to the Lords Supper or out of some seruile feare and tendernesse of conscience they thinke themselues not worthy of it If sloath and coldnesse of deuotion be cause hereof then is he to be cured of this coldnesse with such things as may inflame him as before in this Treatise and with considerations of the greatnesse of this mystery and the fruits of it What good Sonne will neglect to come to his most louing Father what brother will refuse to come to his elder brother on whom he wholy depends what wise doth not willingly entertaine her louing husband and why should any flie from the entertainement of the author of his iustification sanctification and remission of his sins and the giuer of all graces In this banquet is the sweetnesse of the soule and the fruit of all vertues Here shall hee eat the bread that comforts mans heart heere shall he taste the hony that is sweete vnto his throat here shall hee drinke his wine and milke For he that eates shall eat to satiety and he that drinkes shall haue riuers of the water of life slowe out of his belly What and how great profit is in this feast where sinnes are cleansed vices extinguished passions doe acquire a measure vertues an increase and heauenly gifts their perfections how great is the sweetnesse of this table where is water cooling wine inebriating milke refreshing him hony sweetning and the bread of life eternizing Desire euermore to be partaker of the grace of it and if thou doest feele no hunger of it know thou art sicke and labour to be cured Those other that desire to communicate oftner then others let them take heede it proceede not from emulation because others doe often receiue it and they would gladly be accounted deuout let them cheeke themselues of too much pride and hypocrisie and if it proceed of some sensible deuotion which they thinke
Prayse thy Lord God euer because not onâ—ly worthy to bee praysed but aboue all praise Praise him with thy tongue praise him with thy worke and life the prayer of lips and life is best of all That as the heauens by their beauty and brightnesse declare the glory of God and the firmament with as many tongues as stars shew forth his handy worke so thou by sanctity of life shalt praise the Lord and shalt inuite as many as see hee to praise and magnifie his name So let the light of thy life shine before men that seeing thy good workes they may glorisie thy father which is in heauen Praise him with thy tongue so that it continually may begin in thy heart and resound in thy mouth Euermore reuolue the mysteries of Christ the attributes of thy God in thy minde and all his admirable perfections extoll with thytongue All his creatures praise him thou being one hee hath done most for be not thou sloathfull to set foorth his praise 6. Thankfulnesse to God Euer giue him thanks for it is iust that re ceiuing euery moment benefits thou shouldest answer him euery moment if it were possible infinit thankes There is no moment wherein thou receiuest not from God being life sense vnderstanding and all other good things naturall and supernaturall in thee or about thee if therefore when thou receiuest a benefit from man by and by thou thankest him shalt thou not be most ingrate to God in receiuing so many blessings and giuing so few thankes Giue him thanks therfore for thy prosperity because giuen for thy comfort and for thy aduersities and crosses because giuen for thy correction and increase of thy crowne Thanke him for spirituall gifts because they inrich the soule for temporall because they serue the body the habitation of the soule Thank him for things giuen to thy selfe because they belong to thy selfe and for things giuen to thy neighbours because they belong to thy brethren to whom thou art ioyned in loue Let thy heart euermore breake foorth a good word of thanksgiuing and thy mouth in euery successe set foorth his praise that whilst thou giuest thaÌ„ks for continued benenfits thou maist be disposed to receiue greater mercies 7. Resignation of our selues to the wil of God Leaue all thine and all thy felfe in the hands of God Commit thy selfe vnto him resigne thy selfe fully into his hands that he may doe with thee what seemeth best in his eyes Say often thy will bee done but with all imbrace his will in thy will For wee often say with the mouth and resist it with our desire and purpose wee offer it him in word but wee reteine it indeede Wee giue it him in speech but in action we foolishly resist GOD when hee would take his owne Doe not thou so but know that thou art not thy owne but GODS thine are not thine but GODS Therefore thou medlest with another mans gods against his will and so in the day of iudgement shal be condemned of theft Bee thou before the Lord as a table cleane wherein nothing is written that hee may write in thee what hee pleaseth Be as the clay in the hand of the potter that hee may breake thee or make thee being made may set thee in a higher or lower place Looke vpon all thou hast thy Life Health honours comforts And all thou possessest not as on thy owne but as on things lent thee and be ready to render them to him that liberally lent them Hee loues thee infinitly more then thou dost thy selfe therefore thou oughtest to put thy selfe into his hands to doe with thee both now and in all eternity what he pleaseth 2 Our duety towards our brethren Where consider 1. In thy brother thou must regarde to thinke and behold not so much man as God for God is in euery thing by his essence presence and power but chiefely and in an excellent manner in man Therefore it is fit that in euery thing but especially in man we behold God Therefore when thou seest or speakest with thy brother thou shouldest not so much behold his aspect with the eyes â—â—â—che flesh as God dwelling in hiâ—â—â— with the eyes of thy â—unde To obtaine this is a great guift of God For so shalt thou not be affected either to his youth or beauty or abhor the aged lame and sicke and shalt obtaine a wonderfull purity of minde and a singular familiarity with God 2 The loue of our brethren Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe is the precept and is like that great commandement of the loue of God for it commaunds loue and commands it for Gods sake and in his amplitude includes all the commandements for he that loues his neighbour hath fulfilled the Law Therefore loue thy neighbour with true and pure loue Rom. 13.8 not for gaine nor for any created thing but onely for thy God This thou shalt doe if thou shalt not conteinue thy brethren in thy heart if thou shalt not iudge them rashly if thou shalt not brawle with them if neither in word or deed thou shalt harme them if according to thy ability thou helpe them To conclud if thou perform that is written not to do vnto another what thou wouldest not haue done to thy felfe Nor is this loue difficult if thou dost contemplate God in thy brother if thou remembrest that hee is holden in high esteeme with God if thou shalt think that he is the sonne of God ordained vnto glory and vnto thee profitable 3. Affability to all men and good example AccoÌ„modate thy selfe to all men speake gently to all let no in-urbanity or in-ciuility or rusticity appeare in thee to offend any A sweet talke multiplieth friends pacifieth them that bee at variance a sweete tongue increaseth much good talke Syr. 6. Therefore so conuerse amongst all men that all may loue thee and euery one desire thy company To all men giue good example and spread abroad the sauour of sanctity and being made the good sauour of Christ in euery place thou maist not only praise him with thy owne mouth but with all mens mouthes For thou dost praise him euen with the mouth and heart of others whom by the purity of thy life thou inuitest to praise him This thou shalt doe if in the good workes thou shewest and circumspection thou keepest thou seeke not thy owne but the praise and glory of GOD. Therefore do nothing whereby others may take any scandall or offence or occasion of liuing at more liberty 4. Honor of our brethren Go one before another in giuing honor It is pride to expect from others the signes of honor and not rather to preuene them in giuing honor Shew thy humility in honoring others not in hunting after honor Let none passe by thee without honor let none come to thee without honor Yea euen thou shalt honor God dwelling in men when thou giuest due honor to euery man according to his place 5. One to beare
of the wise shall neuer erre If therefore thou shalt obserue these duties vnto God thy neighbour and thy selfe thou shalt wonderfully profit in sanctification of life 7 Prayer O Lord God whose all that is that is best of all who cōmandest thy seruants to shine with vertues the true ensignes of thy house and sendest into their hearts the desire of such excellent beauty kindle I beseech thee in our hearts the flaming desires of all vertues teach vs with prayers and groanes to seeke and obtaine them at thy hands that our vnworthinesse for the worthinesse of thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ may obtaine of thee who art a most bountifull giuer these true and euer enduring treasures Teach vs the nature of vertues that wee take not vices for vertues stirre vp in vs the loue of them that we may loue them and thee the author of them strengthen our armes by the helpe of thy grace that wee by holy liues setting vpon the City of glory may through the merits of Christ be possessors of it let our life be the life of the righteous that wee may die in Christ and liue in thee for euer Amen The conclusion of the Booke IF shall be obiected that this manner of seruing of God is most troublesome and withall most impossible in repect of our many frailties miseries and also our necessary and alloweable imployments in our vocations I answere that hauing fully acquainted our selues with the seuerall rules and instructions conteined in this booke the greatest part of bodily labour in the seruice of God will easily be cut off and we shall lay for a foundation that of the Apostles that bodily exercise profiting but little 1. Tim. 4. our chiefe care must be to reuerence and loue God in our mindes holy cogitations and good desires albeit yet those duties of our bodies may not as time and place will giue leaue be vtterly neglected For it is godlinesse onely that is profitable vnto all things But besides seeing we are to giue an account vnto God for the expence of our times as the most pretious guift of God it is very necessary that euery man haue a knowledge of some profitable forme of seruing GOD that hee may thereby labour so to spend the foure and twenty houres of the day and so consequently all the daies of his life that he may assure his owne conscience this his life hath beene life indeed and not death and so may obtaine the glory of eternall life and auoide eternall death in which all they doe euer die that liue in these insinit streights of the world and doe not make vse of their most deare and pretious time to that end for which it was leut them namely to know loue feare and reuerence God to delight onely in him and the things directed vnto him Therefore experience teacheth vs that there are three considerations which do not only inuit but ought also to enforce euery man but especially great persōs who thinke thēselues most exēpted frō this kind of seruing God duly in such a streight exact manner as this is to serue God The 1. is the nobility of him which serueth The 2. is his greatnesse and goodnes whō we serue The 3. is hope of reward These 3. if we do rightly cōsider thē with many other motiues very effectuall hereunto wil casily so cōmand our affectiōs that we shal neuer omit to serue the high God in this sort 1 The nobility of him that serueth ought to mooue him to serue well For a generous minde in some sort compels a generous man to perform the taske he hath vndertakē after the most sublime excellent maner that possibly he can that especially when he hath to doe with great noble and generous persons Therefore euery man as much as is belonging to this businesse must consider what himselfe is of how great nobility and worth And thus doing wee shall finde our selues to bee of much more excellency then the heauens nay the whole frame of the world seeing wee are created after the image and similitude of God and are his Sonnes if wee serue him a right and shal be heires of his eternall Kingdome This nobility of ours ought much to incite vs rightly and duly to serue God For albeit we may omit that it is iust that the generous should vse his generosity through his fidelity to serue duly nothing else doth so much effect that generous noble persons may come nere to that most high and true nobility which they wish as to serue the most high God For thus Psal 82.1 of men they become Gods and so become farre more noble then if they were borne of the kings line For that is true liberty and nobility and that onely in which the seruice of Christ is found to bee If the Sonne doe make vs free then are wee free indeede Io. 8.36 if hee inoble vs then are wee truely inobled And surely this is not without great reason Matth. 24.47 for onely those shall be kings of heauen and rulers ouer all their Masters goods As the holy Gospell telleth vs Yea in earth shall be more eminent and high then the kings of the earth For in commanding themselues they doe also command whatsoeuer things else But al those that serue not Christ are not onely the sonnes of Satan but euen at length are made his most vile slaues in eternall darkenesse Therefore if there be any whom the former cause namely that he may obtaine most excellent liberty dominion and nobility doth not inuite to serue God surely that man ought to be terrified with the great euill which in the second place is noted namely that so hee becomes the sonne and slaue of the deuill and for this cause should striue with al his powers to serue God 2 Wee must also ponder the greatnesse and dominion and the bounty goodnesse of him for whose seruice we were created And we shall finde that the dominion which God hath ouer euery one of vs also ouer all the Kings and great Potentates and States both in heauen and earth is without al comparison greater then the dominion that all the Kings great ones of the world hath aboue one base basket of earth nor are they indeed the true Lords of so much but God is so the Lord of all them that with one only blast he can turne them vnto nothing and plunge them all into the deepe dungeon of hell except they shall serue him but if they will serue him he shall so exalt them in another life that they shall truely acknowledge that whatsoeuer they possessed here was nothing else but a base basket of earth compared vnto those worthy things which there they shall enioy There is no cause that wee should in many words extoll the greatnesse of this Lord for albeit wee should neuer cease yet should it be nothing that we had said in respect of that which the
thing is And I am resolued to dispatch these things in few words that they may make the better impression in our memories Therefore it is most iust that wee should serue so Great a LORD in respect of whom all creatures in heauen and earth are of so small esteeme as a droppe of water to the Ocean Nor shall his goodnesse methinkes lesse inuite vs which we ought in euery moment of our liues a thousand times to recount Surely amongst the abiect men of the world it would bee accounted for a great fauor if some King or great Lord should for their loue inuite them vnto him by rewards when for some foule Treason committed against their said King or Lord hee might iustly take a seuere reuenge of them Yet should his bounty and goodnesse appeare to be greater if for such Traytors such a Lord should expose himselfe to many afflictions and death it selfe But yet aboue all these beyond all comparison doth the goodnesse of GOD shine towards vs. For being of so great Maiesty and standing neede of nothing yet he choose to leade a life of so great labours and sorrowes vntill by most cruell torments hee laide it downe that hee might giue life vnto them that were worthy of death and that hee might inrich them with more sublime life and eternall riches which were such ingrate Traytors vnto him This Great GOD of his infinit goodnesse besides the benefits wee haue spoken of hath also commanded his Angels continually to serue and guarde vs Hee hath commaunded that heauen and earth should not for a moment of time cease from our seruice And besides all these that hee might shew his exceeding goodnesse the more aboundantly hee hath promised to bee with vs to the ende of the world Hee procures by innumerable meanes that wee should increase in all true good nor doth hee at any time consent that those which serue him shall bee afflicted but vnder condition that by the same there may much good come vnto them for hee more desireth our good then wee out selues But indeed I aske what will hee not doe for our good who was contented for vs with so great afflictions to deliuer himselfe vnto death Surely whatsoeuer can herein be spoken is nothing to him that shall attentiuely consider these things 3 I also said that to the end we might be the more animated to serue this so Great and good a LORD wee ought to consider the greatnesse of rewards wee expect if we doe serue him and seeing they are so great that the whole world sufficeth not to expresse or conceiue them 1. Cor. 2.9 let it suffice for this present consideration that it were a farre more sorrowfull message if it were shewed but to the least of them that liue in Heauen that GOD had determined to take him thence and to make him King of the whole Worlde then if it were shewed to some King of the Earth that GOD would the next day depriue him of his Kingdome and suffer him for to be thrust thorow with his own Subiects speares This is so true and neede so little proofe that no man doubteh of it but hee that Iudgeth ill of all Truth And surely if hee who serueth GOD should not expect these great and excellent rewards in Heauen but onely peace full of the ioy of the heart which they doe possesse in this life that giue themselues to holinesse and the contempt and reiection of the vanities of this world and that they might bee freed from the miserable and neuer contented or quieted life which they liue that liue in sinne euen that onely ought to suffice hereunto that our whole life should bee dedicated to the seruice of this Great GOD how much more whilest wee expect so great and excellent rewards euen such as no man can expresse Therefore he that considereth these things and is not stirred vp and animated to serue God let him certainely know that hee is benummed with the sleepe of death yet let him not omit to labour that hee may be stirred vp for God is readie to giue remedie to our diseases if with humilitie we doe as much as in vs lieth But if anie bee not stirred vp with these things it is good for him to search in himselfe and to get some remedie if happily hee be obnoxious to some secret sin of which he hath had no remorse of conscience which if he finde let him minister a remedy by true amendment and repentance and hee shall by and by feele health and strength to doe all that is good and this sweete sinne may be called inordinate loue which begetteth some inflation and swelling in the soule And hence it is that God often forsakes vs and giues no remedie to our dulnes till we finde out and amend that secret fault for wee must not onelie serue GOD in some things which he commaunds but in all nor must we desire to vnderstand in his seruice that onlie which is pleasant or not very grieuous but euen that which for our pride and malice shall be very laborious therefore let all men bee mooued by these three considerations to acknowledge that they ought to serue this God euen in the highest and strictest course that is heere proposed FINIS LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes and are to be sold by Thomas Adams at the signe of the Bell in Pauls Church-yard 1617.
is the greatest for it hath the motion of contraction contrary to the vitall motion comming from the heart dilated it most grieuously hurts the minde as by this reason appears For the minde is kept downe by the weight of the euill present the actions are made more seeble a certaine cold vapour and sluggishnesse runnes thorow the whole man and almost dissolues the ioints whereby it is hardly mooued or else altogether slacks to the workes of vertue which being difficult stand need of extēsion to vndertake difficult things which by this reason is euident It is a thing well tried that any sorrow of the body long raging in short time the whole man must needes be dissolued nor can the imagination diuerte from thence to any other worke for sorrow is the bond of the minde Now if sadnesse be properly taken as differing from sorrow it much needes worse torment the minde then sorrow for the anxieties of the minde are much more grieuous then those of the body which is thus from the contrary prooued it is the generall opinion both of Diuines and Philosophers that the delectations of the Spirit are greater then those of the body for seeing delectation is a motion proceeding from the coniunction of good by how much as the good is greater the coniunction straighter the appetite more inacted to perceiue pleasure so much the greater shall the delectation be but the goods of the minde are greater then of the body as being Spirituall more narrowly ioyned as being without any body betwixt more liuely perceiued as hauing the vnderstanding to penetrate the essence of good Therefore by the same reasons the euills of the minde inwardly apprehended arc greater because they belong to the minde their coniunction is greater for euill inwardly conceiued is most nerely conioyned and repugnes the appetite but outwardly apprehended doth neerely repugne the body but if it should onely hurt the body the appetite not resisting it should bee more light yea and sometimes it should delight for many with delight of the appetite euen for foule causes doe suffer hunger blowes and stripes To conclude euill is more intensly perceiued but the inward sence is more able Hence may we collect how diligently wee ought to cut off the beginnings of sadnesse and of what weight it is prudently to cure these diseases For the learned know that these passions but especially the third do often put the vnexperienced worshippers of Christ out of the way of saluation that not without cause the Apostle was instant reioyce in the Lord euermore againe I say reioyce for it behooued him to speake it againe because it was of infinit weight 2 The remedies of these passions 1. A man sees something that is incommodious and hurtfull as he supposeth to him say that it bee some parts of the exercise of God-linesse which seeme difficult and and harsh to him by and by ariseth an auersion of the minde which is hate and with a most swift motion as much as belongs to it the appetite flees from it which is slight and being commanded or constreined to performe it he is cast downe with the burden of heauinesse and griefe Then therefore hee that hath care of himselfe assoone as the motion of hate ariseth may thus commaund himselfe absteine from thy auersion for it is not worthy of hate if I will heare reason speake for many more incommodious things must wee suffer for the loue of vertues and expediting of the minde from the fetters of the body for the liberty of man is by these motions hurt whilest hee hates the things which are not truely euill and will make him languish from the study of reason This manner of commanding the passion as I said of loue is common to heathen men 2. There is another very Christian manner which is to propose to the appetite true euills which by the instruction of faith it may abhorre and this comes from the superiour part of man thus abstaine from hate for here is nothing worthy of hate seeing sinne is a wanting which only is worthy of detestation for that as concerning the incommodity if it be without fault certainely it pleaseth God well 3. But there is a thing more diuine than this and that is taken from the imitation of Christ thus absteine from hate for how much more incommodious was the crosse of Christ on which for thy sake he suffred willingly is this the imitation of Christ Iesus crucified who when the foxes had holes the fowles of heauen nests yet had not where to hide his head and yet was most worthy of eternall rest By such exhortations is the superiour part wont so to preuaile that by his command and effectuall motions the appetite is weakened nay sometimes by a sudden conuersion it begins to loue what before it hated But oft-times these kinds of repressing the passions doe not profit because the appetite cannot receiue these reasons of the honest good or else it will not bee instructed by reason in respect of the violence and heate of the passion and then it will be to purpose to represent to it other more grieuous euills which by the experiment of lesser euills it hath cause to feare to shunne which euills if not willingly yet patiently he will not hate the present euill which he beganne to detest and this may thus be done desist from hatred nay loue and imbrace this incommodity for art not thou mercifully dealt withall who hast deserued the torments of hell ought not the fiery flames of hell to be changed for this incommodity These and such like present remedies are to be sought out before sadnesse and griefe haue taken too deepe rootes for if the griefe doe grow not from a light cause but proceed from some grieuous causes of the soule such as are woont to befall to men of a scrupulous conscience or vehemently vexed for the sins of their life past there are some more effectuall remedies to bee sought out For the written counsailes and as it were dead letters haue not so much power to heale these diseases which creepe into mans inwards and doe extenuate the powers both of body and soule putting on diuers formes as the Oracles of a liuing voice of some sweete singer in Israell who according to the nature of the euill can minister a word to the wearied in due season Such as the Psalmist deliuers Eduxit me de lacumiseriae de luto faecis statuit supra petram pedes meos Hee brought mee out of the pit of miserie and from the claie of dregges and set my feete vpon a rocke How many causes of ioy are heere Hee fetcht mee out of all my miseries and that I should not fall into them againe set mee vpon the rocke Christ Iesus from whom I shall neuer fall To conclude we may obserue that these three passions may not only be encountred with the said reasons whereby the superiour part maybe able to keepe them downe but also