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
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 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
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
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
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
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
conceiue it much concernes me to commend these my weake endeauours to his tutelage trust protection with whom they may not onely be safe but also of some value regard But seeing no man will either gratefully accept or greatly delight in much lesse 〈◊〉 protect against the mal◠〈…〉 â—â—melies and poisonous breath of carping tongues those things which are either altogether auerse from his nature or remoued from his vnderstanding and knowledge or lesse fit for his dignity and greatnesse therefore am I to seeke some generous and illustrious person well vnderstanding and regarding these things to shroud them vnder his shield from the tempest of disteÌ„pered tongues And where may I goe to find such a one but to your noblenesse most religious Prince who hath known the holy Scriptures of a child 2 Tim. 3.15 which are able to make you wife to saluation through the faith which is in Iesus Christ and who makes conscience to remember your creatour in the daies of your youth Eccle. 12.8 whilst the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres wherein you shall say I haue no pleasure in them For there is no writer that had not need to prouide good structure and great strength against the violent and furious waues of malignant tongues the Alcyon is said to expose her nest beeing made of firmly compacted stuffe Plut. lib. 9.17 to the shore where the strongest waues do beat and whatsoeuer it findes not sufficiently and soundly composed it amends and strengthens Now if the care and naturall loue of future issue make the Alcyon so sollicitous to bring vp her yong that shee prepares a building which the sea it selfe cannot penetrate I stand excusable in labouring by all meanes to protect this house and shelter of the soules refuge vnder the shadow of your Princely sauour against the raging and swelling flouds of impious detractors Therefore to you alone doe I herein rightly addresse my selfe knowing that as when Aeneas was permitted to carry away any one thing that he would he made choice to carry with him his country Gods so you will rather chuse to giue countenance to Gods cause and the godly labours of diuines therein then to all other writings seeme they neuer so profitable pleasant and glorious for that of Democritus as it is well known vnto you so is it well practised that two things doe rule the whole world reward and punishment And what reward or punishment can bee greater or more iust then to accept of the worthy and reiect the worthlesse labours of men seeing you doe so wisely iudge that as three verses of slowe Euripides stile lasts longer then a hundred of the Praecipitant stile of Alcestes so one sentence of those soule-quickning words which proceed out of the mouth of God Val. Max. 3.7 is more worth then all the eloquence and learning of the world besides I know well that a base countryman passeth by the King and salutes him not because hee knowes him not and a simple peasant of the cuntry as he walks in the fields tramples vnder his feete many soueraigne simples which the skilfull Apothecaries carefully gather vp and preserue so many vnskilfull persons or if cunning Clarkes yet carnall professors will not only passe by this worke as they doe all other of this kind without saluting it but euen spitefully tread it vnder foot because they cannot sufficiently value the worth of it Yet shall the godly wise in this field finde many excellent herbes of sweet and soueraign operatioÌ„ to euery purpose for his soules good And for my owne part Cremutius Bulwarke shall bee my comfort in all the storms and gustâ—â— of contagious tongues Verba mea arguâ—ntur adeo factorum innoceus sum Tacit. annal 4. Let them carpe at my words and writings who list whilst my conscience is cleere from any foule liuing or offence giuing Townes that haue wodden bridges doe seare least they should be borne downe by euery floud or encrease of waters but they that haue bridges of stone care not but only for extraordinary swellings of waters so he that hath a soule well setled in Christian moderation contemns the ordinary excesse of iniurious tongues but such as are weake in godlinesse are disquieted with euery blast of broad and foule mouthed companions The bridge of my reputation is not of wood but of hewen stone therefore little reckons of any inundations of vngodly censurers Onely herein is my feare that I haue offended the gratious patience of your Princely eare with the ouer-tediousnesse of an vnpolisht Epistle and herein should I faint for feare to displease were I not with this assurance born vp out of long obseruation of your godly courses that it is voluptas summa quaestus maximus your greatest pleasure best gaine to please God Plato and gaine many vnto Christ making all other learning but chiefly this to be instar fraeni like a bridle to restraine you that you be not distracted with other vnnecessary things Knowing that as it is the glory of the Sunne that so many thousand stars borrow light from it so it is your neuer fading glory that so many millions of souls shall borrow light and example from you to follow you in this heauenly Progresse and withall remembring that as Alcibiades not finding Homer with the schoolmaster gaue him a boxe on the care and went his way so you will thinke him vnmeer for your company that followes you not in this happy Progresse of all true pleasure Neuer therefore let it depart out of your Princely minde that whatsoeuer Gods gifts are in you yea euen all the gratious occasions and seasons of time for his seruice you owe them all to the Church of Christ and that God hath not made you Lord Paramount of the goods of body or minde much lesse of those falsly ascribed to Fortune but his steward to lay them out to his glory the saluation and good of others Which if you shall euer remember and doe God shall bring you thorow the Pro-gresse of this miserable life with much increase of honor and happinesse vnto your own desired glorious home in heauen where you shall be satisfied with pleasures at his right hand for euermore Both which our good God in great mercy confirme and make good vnto you as is the harty desire of all that wish well vnto our Israel and the daily seruice and prayer Of your Highnesse most humble seruant and Chaplaine RICH. MIDDLETON A Table of the chiefe points handled in this Booke The first daies Iourney 1. TO heare the word of God with profit contained in three generall obseruations pag. 2. 1. The hearers duty before sermons pag. 3. 1. The hearers must haue a right scope and ayme in hearing viz. the glory of God his owne saluation and the happinesse of Gods Church pag. 3. 2. Hee must labour to obtaine the meanes appointed to come to that end which is due preparation and sanctification
and regardfull of Sacred Spirituall and Diuine things remembring euer that of our Sauiour Math. 6. Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things shall bee ministred vnto you From which things euery good Hearer may receiue helpes vnto hearing for then none of those things whereof we spake last shall befall him but the quite contrary But aboue all let him consider well the fourth Commandement what that meanes and what is the scope of the Lords Saboth 1 Then let the care of Fields Farmes and all carthly things be on that day set aside 2 Let all men leaue their labors on the euen of the Sabaoth in a fit and seasonable time that they may repose themselues to sleepe at a conuenient houre 3 Let them bee mindefull of fasting to bring to the house of God a body and minde not cloyed with eating and drinking 4 It will be very sitting that all marriages birth-feasts drinkings and other such feast-full meetings be forborne 5 And that nothing may hinder any of the family from taking the chiefe blessing of the Lords day it were not amisse that all or the most of our prouision for the Sabaoth were prepared the day before least the women should beare the checke of our Sauiour vnto Martha Luk. 10.41 42. Martha Martha thou câ—â—est and art troubled about many things but one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not bee taken from her 3 Men may not lie lurking at home on the Sabaoth as many vse to doe least the like befall them that besell Thomas when our Sauiour entred into the house where the Disciples were and breathed on them saying Iohn 20. Receiue the holy Ghost but Thomas not being amongst them sayled of the blessing But let all men desire to frequent the holy Assemblies after the example of Dauid who wished rather to be a doore-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the Palaces of Kings 4 Aboue all things the hearer first must not come alone for not onely the father of the family is to bee saued vnto him alone was not the fourth Commandement giuen the promise is not onely made to the father of the family secondly much lesse must hee come like a scoffing deriding Lucian to mocke and floute at at the Word or Minister thirdly nor with a minde to iudge as a rigide proud curious busy censuâ—er fourthly nor must hee come of custome as many doe who are like vnto the high-waies which are so troden that no seed can fall into it fructifie fiftly nor must hee come with a loathing as if hee cared not or needed not to receiue any further instruction sixtly nor must hee come as to Stage-plaies seuenthly nor yet with his eares stopt like the dease Adder or with a purpose not to assent to the doctrine But first hee must come accompanied with his family his wife children and seruants and those must hee bring well prepared and admonished of their duty knowing that vnto them the fourth Commandement was as well giuen â—s vnto himselfe and that vnto their godly and holy profession of Gods name there is a blessing promised as on the contrary to their impiety there is denounced a grieuous curse they also are such as God hath a care ouer and offers vnto them the holy meanes of their saluation Secondly hee must come with an honest and good heart endued with the reuerence of God and his sacred Word euen as the Israelites who being by Moses commanded to prepare themselues for the sacrifice of the Passe-ouer Ex. 12.27 bowed themselues and worshipped Thirdly with the minde of a learner godly holy and not curiously searching out all things Fourthly with a resolution to heare vnderstand and practise the words of holy instruction remembring that sweet inuitation of the Prophet Come let vs go vp to the Mountaine of the Lord Esay 2.3 to the house of the God of Iacob hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes Fiftly with hunger thirst and reioicing euen as the zealous King whose soule panted for the Lord Psal 42.1 â— as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water whose soule thirsted for God for the liuing God that hee might appeare before the presence of God Sixthly let him come as vnto the Theater of a great King Seuenthly and with his eares open hauing this onely scope before him to heare and giue place to the truth 5 The hatred and contempt of all men must be cast off first of the Minister a thing which many wicked parents plant in the hearts of their children A maine block to all holy preparation This is the most crafty stratageme that Satan caâ—â—se for the hatred and contempt of the Minister brings with it the hatred and contempt of the doctrine and the whole fruite thereof both in this life and that to come The hatred and contempt of the Minister is a meanes to with-draw the hearer from the Church or if he come moues him not to like of his doctrine or at least to enterprete euery thing vnto the worst sense Secondly there must be no hatred or contempt in him of any other of the hearers least that be truely verified of him 1. Ioh. 4.10 How can hee who loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene loue God whom hee hath not seene What shall wee thinke of him that giuing sentence of death vpon a murtherer shall himselfe kill a man in the face of the open Court And what father will suffer the hatreds and brawlings of his children at his owne Table Then let him bring with him to the Church loue and honour first of the Minister of God remembring well the fatherly and sonnely relation that ought to be betwixt the Minister and Hearer the holy and painefull worke of the Minister for his saluation his owne manifold imperfections and the labour to amend them the variety of gifts and graces for the loue and honour of the Minister will bring with it the loue and honour of God and his sacted Word and other singular fruites of piety Secondly the loue and honour of the other hearers Psal 133.3 For how good and ioyfull a thing is it for brethren to dwell together in vnity Behold the vnspeakable graces of loue dilated and enlarged in three whole chapters to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 12.13.14 chap. Then when the hearers stand thus affected amongst themselues with what alacrity and comfort will the word of God bee heard and without any offence With what fruite will prayers be powred out to God Let euery hearer bee mindefull of that sweete admonition to bee reconciled to his brother Mat. 5.23.24.25.26 before the offering of his gift 6 The hearer must not cast off the care of his neighbour as if it were no matter whether hee come prepared with him or no for except his neighbour come also sanctified the whole lumpe is corrupted and so
vnchangeable most profound most euident and is wholy altogether for with one onely simple aspect it teacheth from one Eternity to the other seeing with one onely glimpse whatsoeuer is possible to be seene or knowne so that from that that God is God hee so knoweth whatsoeuer hee knoweth that hee can know nothing de nouo which before hee knew not because nothing can bee new vnto him for all things past present and to come and which by any meanes are possible hee knoweth distinctly and euidently without all mixture of doubt opinion or perplexity Whence I learne that as God forgets not mee but remembers mee and all mine so distinctly as if I were in the world alone so I should neuer forget my God nor the things that belong vnto him 4 If I would meditate of Gods Omnipotency I consider first that hee is infinitely Potent to do what hee will Luke 1. without any limits or bounds nothing is impossible with God Secondly that this Omnipotency is onely proper vnto God so that onely God in his owne nature and essence hath power but no creature hath any but participated from God onely God can doe what hee doth without the helpe of any other yet doth hee so participate this to his creatures that euery creature can doe that which is conuenient to his nature Thirdly that this Omnipotency of God doth exercise it selfe euermore in doing good vnto vs this being the Fountaine from whence all his Diuine Benefites do flow For hee created the heauen and the earth for vs wherein what benefites wee receiue by the Light by the Firmament by the Sunne and Moone by the Birds and Fishes by the Beasts of the earth and all the Treasures thereof the tongue of Men and Angels cannot declare And after the creation in that hee conserues the world and all that is in it for vs and by his Prouidence disposeth of all things for our good calling vs to the grace of his Iustification by the Ministery of his blessed Word and Sacraments and neuer leauing to accompany vs with his benefites and graces vntill hee bring vs to himselfe if wee will vse the holy meanes which to this purpose bee hath in Iesus Christ ordained for vs. Heere must wee giue diligence that the whole structure of our liues and of our considerations may chiefly depend vpon these three fingers of Gods Wisedome Omni-potencie and Goodnesse to which the actions and affections of these three Diuine Vertues of Faith Hope and Charity may answere For Faith answers vnto his Wisedome Hope to his Omni-potencie and Charitie to his Goodnesse Albeit all the three vertues and their actions respect the three Attributes of God together 5 If wee would meditate of the infinite Mercy of God then consider first that it goes before all his workes of Iustice for before God punish any sinners hee offers them infinite mercies Secondly that his mercy doth euer accompany the workes of Iustice Psal 76. for in the midst of punishment hee cannot forget to bee mercifull Thirdly Hab. 3. that the latitude of his mercy reacheth to all his creatures Sap. 11. Psal 35. and all their miseries yea euen to the bruit beasts Fourthly that hee is in a speciall manner mercifull vnto sinners and all kinds of sinne Psal 5. expecting â—â—ely their repentance that hee night cast their sinnes into the â—ottome of the Sea Mich. 3. and put them as farre from them as the East is from the West Psal 102 Math. 18 Hee forgiues seuenty times seuen times Ergo should I bee mercifull towards â—ny neighbour in imitation of his â—ercies vnto mee Ergo may I also conceiue great confidence of his mercy to mee a sinner Fifthly that in a more speciall manner hee is mercifull to such is loue and serue him such as are the vessels of mercy Rom. 9. This mercy of his towards his Elect is Eternall Psal 102 hauing neither beginning nor ending but is euen as God himselfe from euerlasting to euerlasting this mercy preuents accompanies and followes them euen to the last gaspe Rom. 8 This mercy is most high Ier. 31. for it aduanceth the elect to most excellent good things Psal 107. so that as the heauen is higher then the earth Psal 35. Psal 102. so is his mercy greater then their misery Sixthly and lastly he hath expressed his Mercie in the most exact manner that can bee possible For seeing as God hee could not bee sorrowfull for our hurt which is an effect of mercy his infinite Mercie prouided that his Sonne should take our nature on him Heb. 2. that hee might in all things bee like his brethren sin excepted and so become mercifull and sorrowfull for vs nay not content to haue inward compassion hee tooke on him all our miseries and paines Heb. 4. and hath not so left vs but by his Word and Sacraments hee helpes our necessities and infirmities considering wee are but men and stand in need of many remedies 6 If wee would meditate of the infinite Goodnesse of God First consider that hee hath in him all the degrees of goodnesse which are in the creatures infinitely more excellent then in them Secondly that all the goodnesse is so in his owne Essence that hee doth not participate it from any other thing nor can bee taken from it Thirdly that this Goodnesse so excels all the goodnesse of the creatures as the thing it selfe doth the name Fourthly that God is most propense and ready to communicate his goodnesse to all but chiefly to man for goodnesse hath a diffusiue power And this hee doth not constrainedly but onely out of his goodnesse nor doth hee communicate his goodnesse for his owne benefite as men doe nor yet doth hee suffer his propensity of goodnesse to bee idle but exerciseth it by all meanes possible powring it out according to the order of his infinite Wisedome Therefore when I pray I will poure out my soule in his sight 1. Reg. 1. Psal 141. I will poure out my prayer before him Nay I will poure out my heart before him O thou infinite Goodnesse which chiefly desirest to bee communicated if thou didst not communicate thy goodnesse it were impossible there should bee any goodnesse besides thee make mee partaker of these excellencies wherwith thou hast communicated thy selfe that I may loue thee serue thee obey thee not for feare but of loue willingly not for my owne benefite but onely for thy seruice not with a sparing minde and heart but with a liberall and generous Spirit Thus may wee meditate of all Gods other Attributes 15 How to meditate on the Lords Prayer or any words of the holy Scripture In meditating on either of them it is very good to pause and stay so long vpon euery word of the Lords Prayer or any sentence of Scripture as long as our soules should finde any rellish or profite by it In euery Petition I may meditate on these points following 1
and may stirre vp in himselfe a feruent desire of doing the same aright Sixthly a little before his meditation let him remember that as our Sauiour willes all before they pray to go into their chamber and shut the dore so hee must enter into himselfe shutting the dore of his heart against all othor thoughts and worldly imployments and considering with himselfe what it is that hee is to doe and to what end Seuenthly it will much helpe the fruite of meditation to come to it with an appetite and inflamed desire of meditating to which purpose hee must vse the meanes to prouoke his appetite For as those that haue no stomacke to their meate do labour to get one by strong exercise of the body and diuerse poynant and sharpe sawces so hee that meditates must labour by reading godly bookes diligent examination of his conscience or some holy act whereby to mortifie his affections to stir vp in himselfe a holy deuotion and zeale of meditating Eighthly the more to enflame him heereto hee may thinke with himselfe when hee comes to meditate that hee is making a iourney to the most rich veine of siluer and gold in the world from whence hee may carry great and in-valuable Treasures Ninthly vpon the point of putting himselfe to meditation let him cast himselfe downe vpon his knees or vse such humble and deuoute reuerence and gesture of body as is most agreeable and with his heart and minde lift vp let him consider with himselfe on the one side the greatnesse of God and his presence on the other his owne basenesse and multitude of his sinnes and yet notwithstanding that his so infinite Maiesty that hee vouchsafeth vs free accesse and audience when wee come saying with the blessed Patriarke Shall I speake vnto my Lord being but dust and ashes Tenthly in conclusion let him commend himselfe and his meditations to God and pray him in Iesus Christ to assist him in all his meditations and not to depart from him to take from him all matter and occasion of distraction and to giue him a comfortable and happy successe in them And let him vse all diligence in the obseruation of all these instructions but yet without scruple or trouble of conscience if at any time hee forget any of them for it oft fals out to such as meditate much that without so much preparation they are admitted to many heauenly secrets Onely our part is to vse diligence that wee omit not the things which are necessary 2 Such things as accompany meditation are to be considered and these are first Praeparatory prayer secondly préparatiues thirdly colloquies with God First I call this a preparatiue prayer because in the entrance of the meditation it is a short request vnto God that hee will direct all the powers and actions of our body and soule to his glory our owne saluation and the good of others praying him to giue vnto vs grace to meditate aright of heauenly things and acknowledging that of our selues wee can doe nothing but all our sufficiencie is from God Secondly preparatiues which are things going before meditation and making way for it that it may the more easily enter Now after the preparatory prayer for the most part there are two preparatiues which that wee may know how they are to bee made wee must obserue that the matter of meditation is of two natures the one corporall such as is the natiuity of Christ the other spirituall such as is sinne When wee are to meditate on corporall and visible things the first preparatiue is to imagine and conceiue the place and persons as if they were present as for the purpose if wee would meditate on Christs Natiuity the first preparatiue is to propose and set before the eyes of our mindes the Stable the Manger the infant IESVS the Virgine Ioseph her husband these are to bee represented vnto vs in our imagination but yet without any violent action of the head or braine The second preparatiue is to begge of God such grace as that wee may obâ—aine the true end which wee â—imed at in meditation namely sorrow for our sinnes the loue of God the knowledge of a mans selfe or some other end agreeable â—o the meditation But if the matter of meditation bee spirituall wee must then vse another kinde of representation namely the soule to bee in the body as in a prison man to bee in this vale of teares exiled amongst bruite beasts or to thinke himselfe intrenched with deuils or Angels or to imagine a voyce discending from heauen or Christ or some of his Apostles pronouncing the words which hee hath taken to meditate on That is the first preparatiue and the second is as before to begge of God to direct him to the right end of meditation The third are Colloquies and speeches with God which indeed are nothing else but prayers vnto God and of necessity euery meditation and contemplation must haue some colloquy or speech with God ioyned vnto it in which thankes are giuen vnto him remission of sinnes increase or confirmation of graces and other necessaries are to bee begged of God Now in this businesse we will open these three things first how these colloquies and prayers are to bee made secondly how often thirdly when First all these things may bee done mentally or otherwise with some vocall prayer agreeable to the meditation and about the end of the meditation with the Lords Prayer distinctly and leasurely pronounced And that the colloquy may bee the better fitted wee must obserue sometimes to speake vnto God as the Scholler to his Maister the seruant to his Lord the subiect to the King somtimes as the Spouse to the Bridge-groome the poore to the rich the guilty to the Iudge the Sicke to the Physitian and so take vpon him the person of the Prodigall childe of the blinde lame or any other troubled with any infirmity and secondly hee may make one or more to the Father Sonne and holy Spirit to giue vnto vs necessary graces And thirdly the proper place of Colloquy is about the end of our meditation albeit through the whole course of our meditations after euery point the soule being inflamed to the desire of any thing it may bee made but then they must be short as well to continue our intention as to repell distractions that meditation be not hindred 3 Now then those things which are considerable vpon the seuerall points of meditation follow to bee handled for many sticke at this knot not knowing what they ought to thinke in meditating that therefore wee may prouide for them and deliuer the matter and methode of continuing meditation and making some progresse therein we must consider these following points which in euery matter whatsoeuer must be vsed Therefore obserue that the matter of all meditation being either corporall or spirituall If it bee corporall these circumstances are to bee considered first the persons present at the Mystery such as are Christ Iesus the Virgine
Mary the Apostles and their qualities vertues excellencies and offices secondly what speeches they had amongst them or if their words bee not extant in Scripture then what words in probability they were like to vse thirdly what they did fourthly for what cause and to what end they did it fifthly what were the effects and profites ensuing thence sixthly their cogitations and affections which they had or might haue But if it be a spirituall matter thē these things come to be considered first what it is which is contained in that point secondly what is the originall and efficient cause thirdly to what end it was done fourthly what benefite or hurt it brought with it fifthly what Christ spake or did concerning it sixthly how I haue carried my selfe hitherto concerning it seuenthly what I must do hence forwards eighthly It is also good to consider the name or diuerse names of that thing ninthly and also some sentence of the holy Scripture belonging to that thing These places would bee committed to memory that there might bee vse made of them Yet wee must obserue that all these places are not to bee vsed nor the same order kept but that wee ought to fixe most on that consideration wherin the soule finds more plentifull nourishment But yet in this most heauenly part of a Christians exercise these things are further to bee considered first that if in meditating the soule finde matter of profite in the first or second point wee must not hast to the rest but insist vpon it as long as is needefull and end with a colloquy and prayer Secondly that wee must not satisfie our selues onely in the consideration and knowledge of things but wee must goe on to enflame the will that in our meditation the fire may bee kindled Psal 38. Now the affections which are to bee stirred vp in the will in meditating are loue feare sorrow ioy hope desire admiration and confusion and shame of ones selfe Ergo our meditation must not bee dry not stay in pure speculation but affectuous and ful of inward taste and rellish so that from euery point considered some fruit may arise and that hee who meditates may from the things hee vnderstands make some reflexion into himselfe and propose to himselfe the execution of such things as in his meditation hee learned Thirdly sentences of Scripture will much helpe our meditation and therefore being about to meditate let vs prepare some fit Scriptures as if wee would meditate on the knowledge of our selues and misery of man to take this of Iob Iob 14. or such like Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of miseries If on Gods loue towards man then that of our Sauiour God so loued the world Iohn 3. that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life fourthly similitudes doe much helpe our meditation for the visible things of this world doe leade vs to the knowledge of the inuisible and spirituall things as when wee would set forth the ioyes of heauen then to vse similitudes taken from feasts marriages honours riches and plea ures of the world and if wee would contemplate the torments of hell to compare them to the most grieuous punishments and euils of this world Fifthly besides the application of our senses to the thing meditated doth much help which onely haue place in meditations which haue their matter corporall Now there are two sorts of this application the first is nothing else but to imagine that wee heare see taste touch smell spiritually the persons meditated on and such things as belong to them which application of our senses may either bee made apart from the meditation at some other houre or presently after The second sort of application is to consider what our Sauiour suffered in all his senses or what ioy the Virgine conceiued touching Christ beholding touching and hearing him or what ioyes the blessed haue in heauen and what torments the damned haue in hell in all their sences Sixthly that distractions which are vnto meditation as dead slies to a sweere ointment Eccles 10. may not depriue vs of the benefite of meditation wee must against them vse these remedies First diligently to prepare our selues to meditation commending our selues and it to God in Iesus Christ earnestly begging helpe in these distractions of our minde secondly wee must not continue our meditations too long but ioyne to euery consideration some short prayer thirdly wee must take care to reiect these distractions as soone as wee perceiue them fourthly begge pardon of God that wee so soone turne our backes to him fifthly if distractions cannot be quitted but that they will returne not to bee much grieued at it seeing they come against our wils and therefore the lesse offensiue sixthly humble our selues and be ashamed of our weakenesse and misery in that wee can doe no good of our selues and therefore to esteeme our selues most vnworthy to speake with God or stand in his presence seuenthly nor are wee for any distraction or other grieuance to giue ouer prayer and meditation which is the thing our aduersary much labours for surely hee that seekes shall in the end sinde and heerein if our strength bee so great repetition of our meditation twice or thrice will bee very helpefull for so it brings more consolation and also makes greater impression and withall will penetrate the eares of God who will not returne it without a blessing Seuenthly wee must obserue to meete with a certaine desolation drynesse and barrennesse of the soule in our meditations whereby it often falles out that the best men become dry and dispoyled of all sensible deuotion and euen in a manner quite relinquishing both prayer and meditation in which case first labour to stand in a firme hope and trust in God not cast downe because there was neuer any tempest so great but there followed as great a calme secondly patiently beare it with good Iob n = 2 Iob 2. for shall wee receiue good things at the hand of God and not euill thirdly humble thy selfe before God seeing without him thou canst doe nothing and perswade thy selfe that this befals thee either for thy sinnes or that God may so glorifie himselfe in thee and humbly begge pardon of the one and that his will may bee done in the other fourthly striue to mortifie thy affections especially such as most rebell against thee fifthly examine thy conscience diligently that the cause of the euill may bee taken away sixthly with most diligent prayer commend thy selfe and all to God not seeking thy owne pleasure but onely and alone the honour and good pleasure of God seuenthly after all this the last thing to bee done is to enter into examination touching this meditation and also touching our whole liues the first is thus to bee done Thou art first then either sitting or softly walking for some small time to consider how
which thou hearest or readest giue thy selfe to vnderstand them and certifie thy selfe of all doubts Twelfthly vse all diligence to commend to the Treasure-house of thy minde as much as possibly thou canst euen as one that is desirous to fill a vessell Thirteenthly seeke not after things beyond and aboue thy reach And following these steps thou shalt carry and bring forth on thy shoulders as long as thou liuest both boughes and fruites most profitable into the Vine-yard of the Lord of Sabaoths these things if thou dost follow thou shalt attaine to the thing thou affectest Now hauing laid these short grounds of procuring the vertues tending to sanctification and holy perfection as an entrance to the sequent Treatise you may remember that in the front of this last part hauing said that the ignorance of a certaine methode and Art whereby to direct vs to the attaining of Christian perfection and the knowledge of a right seruing of God was the onely cause why so many Christians came so farre short of their duty drift heerein as that scarce one was to bee found who had made any competent passage into the habite of any one vertue I must now as my first ground of this Discourse according to my promise set forth this methode and Art of seruing God aright to euery mans view Wherein for our better proceeding I will first giue some more generall instructions to direct vs in all our actions secondly some more particular for the repayring of that slaughter which sins haue made in mans soule thirdly I will speake of the loue of God and of the things which a man ought to loue in which loue consists the fulfilling of the Law and of all our good works 1 If it be true which S. Ambrose writeth that the ignorance of order and manner whereby things are to be done doth much trouble and deface the quality of ones desert and worke and that hee is not to bee thought to haue the full knowledge of any thing who knoweth what is to bee done but yet knoweth not the order whereby hee is to proceed therein Then it is manifest that it profites very little that a man do know all that is written concerning the seruice of God if withall hee bee ignorant how and by what meanes the same is to bee put in practise And albeit all Arts and knowledge of good things doe slow from the supreme Artificer God and many are enlighted with his goodnesse and preuented with the blessings of sweetnesse yet are wee not for that cause to omit our duty nor is the obligation of doing what is in our power dissolued in searching into his Precepts and Will and such things as are necessary for vs to the end that we may doe what is pleasant in his sight to which purpose this present methode is necessary wherby wee may know and bee able to put in practise all those excellent things which the holy Scripture teacheth vs. Nor let any man thinke it superfluous that wee shall haue instructions giuen vs helping to the seruice of God seeing the whole Scripture witnesseth it and the Apostle expressely that wee are Gods fellow-Labourers 1. Cor. 3. But wee cannot say that he doth truely or sufficiently helpe that doth not helpe so much as hee can and ought to helpe Nor is it any thing else for vs to bee helpers vnto God then to moue the soule in all our workes as much as wee can to repaire the grieuous losses which sinne hath brought into the soule and purely to loue God aboue all Besides there is no cause why any should excuse themselues in that the annointing of the Holy Ghost doth teach all things and so there should bee no vse nor need of any Art or methode whereby to learne the seruing of God For that is true but yet so as that wee bee not wanting vnto the Spirit and to our selues in searching and labouring by all holy meanes to come to that knowledge For the holy Ghost teacheth not those that are altogether vn-willing much lesse such as reluct and striue against it Nor let any thinke this sweete yoke of the Lord to bee heauy in spending so much time to attaine so high and heauenly wisedome whereby to vse this methode of seruing God aright For if vsually men spend three foure or more yeares in Grammer Logicke and other inferiour Arts nay sometimes all their liues if they study to bee perfect in it how much better shall hee bestow his whole life to learne perfectly this most heauenly Art to teach vs which our most deere and heauenly Maister Iesus Christ came downe from heauen vnto vs and with so much labour and paine performed it therefore let not any bee discouraged in following this course if hee finde in himselfe many disabilities for herein it chanceth to him as to an infant for hee hauing a soule hath not yet the vse of reason and hauing a body feete and legges yet cannot goe but when hee beginnes to grow and to moue the members of the body hee can goe yet for all that with much difficulty and often falling vntill increasing in yeares and by continuall exercise hee goes so freely that whē he listeth he can runne The same thing falleth out in holy exercises whilst one beginnes purely to serue God for albeit the soule bee found yet it is so bound and burdened so without power wherby to moue it selfe in this iourney to God as the whole Scripture declareth that we cannot walke at all and if wee bee moued something towards it yet it is with such difficulty faintnesse and fallings as that our walke is but a very standing still if not rather a very going backewards but when we shall haue practised this methode and meanes of seruing God for some short time wee shall grow to such strength therein that wee shall doe things which before wee durst not hope for and shall so runne through these high and heauenly iournies as that our motions may rather bee called the motions of Angels flying then of men walking on the earth And it is much to bee forewarned that no man make any pretext or excuse of seruing God in this ensuing manner as contenting himselfe with the ordinary manner of seruing God to bee sufficient to bring him to saluation for it is the will of God euen our sanctification 1. Thess 4. and not our sanctification for some short time or in some one part of body or soule but during the whole life and throughout the whole Spirit soule and body Seeing then that the louers of the world are neuer satisfyed with riches honours and pleasures but still wish and seeke for more yea God commanding the contrary neither let vs bee content with present graces and vertues but labour for an increase of all graces and of that Crowne of glory which wee daily expect seeing God so earnestly desires that wee should obtaine it and if so bee our mindes and appetites bee not therefore set
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
doe heare the Gospell and accordingly doe liue mooued with threatnings and promises therein contained yet without the losse of the excellent motiue of which we haue spoken Wherof if any man doubt and thinke these not to be compatible or can stād together namely the threats of hell and glory of heauen with the motiue of Gods will let him consider that when our Sauiour saith except ye also repent ye shall all likewise perish in this threatning are two things to be noted First the punishment threatned Secondly the will of God wherewith God threatens and this is his will that we should serue him arid not perish The true seruant of God ought to obey this precept not that he may auoide the punishment but because God who threatens would haue vs to repent and not to fall into that punishment So being mindfull that Gods desire is wee should serue him and not fal into so great an euill as once forgetting the punishmēt we repent turne to God With this perfection therefore do we work yet mooued by the cōminations of the Scripture And so the Scripture conteining that most high and perfect seruing of God albeit withall it hath that which seemes to be of frailty and infirmity whereby to stoope to our frailty and to moue vs to doe as our frailty requires And that promises and threatnings in Scripture are thus to be vnderstood may appeare by that first and great couenant of seruing God with all the heart c. which he doth not sufficiently perform Mat. 21. who towards God doth not bestow all his powers to serue him and both to desire celestiall glory and abhorre the paines of hell as well desiring that as detesting this in the same manner as we haue spoken namely that the last and chiefe end of both be the fulfilling of Gods will and his obedience and glory 3 Instruction That it be commeth all men but chiefly those who are sacred persons to serue God according to this more sublime and heauenly manner There is no doubt but that God being in the highest heauens is also iustly esteemed for the most high God but the seruice and obedience due vnto him must be performed in a most sublime and exact manner That which our Sauiour said to one hee meant of al Math. 19. if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandements it was not the young mans raske alone if thou wilt be perfect sell all thou hast and giue vnto the poore but euery mans part is in that seruice This was well patternd out vnto vs by the sonne of Maiesty it selfe the Sonne of God who forsook all things on earth whose sacred life was exercised with many grieuous labours not that that most holy and princely person stood need of them but because it much concerned vs to imitate those sacred steps he wold become a seruant that he might teach vs to serue In all things he serued that we might vnderstand what a laboursome and exact soule in all vertue that must be that rightly desires to serue and loue him No man is exempt from that great commandement of louing God with all the heart with all the soule with all the minde with all the strength with all the heart with all the affections all the soule with all the life all the minde with all the vnderstanding all the strength with all the externall things of the body It is the part of the heart to know of the soule to will of the minde to be able of the strength from the heart soule and will to know will and be able nor only with the good health of the body with strength beauty agility and other gifts but also with our riches dignity and authority to glorifie God and do him due and meet obedience So that whatsoeuer good thing we can doe in heart soule minde and strength God requires of euery one vnder the necessity of a commandement Yea when all is done that was commanded vs we may say we are vnprofitable seruants If he bee worthy of reprehension who going about to doe some necessary and profitable thing shall slightly cast it off and put himselfe into some base and abiect businesse How much more is he to bee blamed who being borne to this end that with all his heart soule minde strength he should serue the Lord who is most worthy thereof and from whom there is most benefit to be expected yet omits this and betakes himselfe to the seruice of the creatures vanities of the world which doe suddenly vanish and bring much harme with them As if all be to be blamed who serue not God in this exact manner how much more are they suable to a seuere penalty who haue dedicated themselues by a speciall function to his seruice as are in some sort his familiars in house and table How exactly ought they to follow the steps of him that hath called them Math. 19. saying follow me Which being spoken to all sorts of men we cannot but gather thus much of euery mans duty out of it that it is not enough that we doe the thing we do with loue but of loue and for loue For these are the footsteps which he commandeth vs to follow So wee must not fulfill something of that is writtē but the whole Nor is it sufficient in his seruice that we do our duty with loue or loue accompanying it but it behoueth vs to doe it of loue and for loue We see the seruant serues his Master with loue who loues his Lord and Master but yet doth it not for loue seeing hee would not serue him except he expected a reward from him But he should indeed serue him with loue and for loue if he serued him only for this that his Lord desired it and held his seruice gratefull and because he loues the goodnesse and society of his Lord without any other respect And such obedience it is that wee learne of our master Christ saying follow mee Which signifies that wee must do whatsoeuer we are commanded to doe with loue and for loue For to follow Christ is to do that which he did for our instruction and in the same manner that hee did it But vndoubtedly he did all things with loue and for loue seeing that is the most sublime manner of working therefore so must we do albeit we cannot do it with such perfection as he did therefore wee must not thinke that God commands vs to follow him in doing onely and not in the manner of doing too seeing it is to no purpose to doe if the manner of doing aright be absent namely to do with loue and for loue For wee cannot suspect that so excellent magnificent and liberall a Lord as this would teach vs a doctrine of smal vse and profit but of singuler moment so that we obserue therin as well the manner as matter 4 Instruction That the cruell slaughter which sin hath made in mans soule is the cause of such
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
appeare beautifull and gracefull in his sight Which is to bee performed by these exercises following 1 Exercise is concerning sorrow for our sinnes which helpes much to relieue the discomfiture of the soule and of the manifold euill that comes by sinne He that hath offended so great a Lord as is our God by such grieuous treacheries as wee haue done would now againe come into his seruice it is meet that first he labour to get his offence pardoned that to doe this hee vse those meanes whereby he may more easily be restored to grace and that we may not as desperate persons or conceited ideots thinke that no remedy is to bee found for so great a malady as that of our malice the diuine goodnesse euer desirous of our good hath prouided for vs an easie remedy namely that we shold be sorry for our heinous proditions and offences which we haue committed against his goodnesse and no sooner shall we intimously from the heart conceiue this sorrow but by by all our wiekednesse shall be blotted out of his memory So great is the malice and poison of sinne that to the extinguishing and putting out of the same not all the sorrow and tears of all men in the world is sufficient of it selfe how much lesse the sorrow and teares of one man alone but yet so great is the clemeney and mercy of our Lord and of such value is the vnualuable price of the pretious blood of the sonne of God that he is pleased so that we repent our sinnes with a sincere heart and with a liuely faith apply that pretious merits of that spotlesse Lambe of God to our wounded soules to supply in mercy what is defectiue in our weakenesse and to accept that all sufficient sacrifice of his blessed Sonne vpon the Crosse for a complete and full ransome and satisfaction for all And surely it is but iust and right that wee grieue for our sinnes committed for there is no man lyuing who is not naturally greeued and doth not repene that hee hath done any act whereby either harme may ensue vnto him or he may be depriued of any good thing that hee affected Now sinne is the cause that wee loose that infinite good euren GOD himselfe it is the cause that grace is taken from vs wherein consists all our riches it is the cause that wee become Sathans seruants and GODS sworne enemies it is the cause that hee that dieth in it shall for euer bee depriued of the inheritance of heauen and buried in infernall dennes and iustly ought hee to suffer so great euill who commits Treason against the most supreme GOD who was content to die that hee might giue vnto vs life To recount the euills wherewith sinne affects vs were to number the drops of heauen in a storme of raine Therefore our sorrow for sins ought to be longer thē any words can reach seeing our GOD offended is so good and so worthy of our seruice and neuer to bee offended whose anger and offence ought most to vrge vs and whose will and goodnesse aboue all things to mooue vs to blot out our sinnes with the sobs of our hearts and teares of our soules that being put out of his sight that deuine goodnesse may be pleased with our lame obedience But the maner of acquiring this sorrow if the heart bee found to bee harde is that wee represent to the Soule the euill that proceeds from sinne and compell our will to desire that it were not committed and that God had not been offended by it And this act of the will we must labour often to produce sometimes generally for all sinne sometimes discoursing from one sinne to another and with the greatest endeauour we can albeit sometimes we may seeme to haue no sensible griefe for such is not in our power nor is absolutely necessary at all times God in whose hands it is will giue it vs if we often assume that which we can obtaine and in this sorrow he that will rightly begin to serue God must continue a month or more 2 Exercise Must be in the hatred of a mans selfe a thing before all other requisite in expelling the euill customes of the soule For as from the loue of our Sauior spring innumerable euils from which ill customes and habits doe arise to when the loue of our Sauior ceaseth and the hatred of our Sauior entreth to which the Gospell in many places exhorts euery sinne and euill custome is banished But because such kind of hatred seems at the first sight to defer vs from this exercise for the inbred loue which euery one hath towards themselues aboue all things in the world vnto which also euery man is bounde we will first shew the manner how euery one ought to hate himselfe Secondly wherefore euery one ought to hate himselfe and thirdly how this hatred can stand with true charity which begins at the loue of ones selfe I Presupposing the rule and Canon of the sixt instruction the manner wherewith euery one ought to hate himselfe must bee this that he neither will desire nor assume to himselfe any thing that may delight him besides that which without the offence of God he cannot omit but if he must desire it and take it to him then it must be so done that as much as in him is he be sorry for it conconsidering how vnworthy hee is of all delectation and pleasure in respect of his sinnes and thereupon is sorry that he is compelled to admit it yet in as much as it is the pleasure of God he willingly and ioyfully admits it As for the purpose eating drinking the like which bring some delectation with them thou must neuer assume will or desire them for thy owne comforts and delights or to satisfie thy owne appetite nay thou must with a firme will determine with thy selfe that thou wouldest not admit it if the will of God were not such as would haue thee to doe it To hold this firme resolution it is needfull that thou call to minde the sixt instruction And herein shalt thou know that thou hall gained such a will when thou takest onelie so much of these and in that manner as thou thinkest God would haue thee to take and desire God would that thou shouldest take of meate and drinke what is necessarie both in quantitie and qualitie In quantitie so much as is truely and not fainedlie necessarie vnto thee whereby thou maist bee disposed and made strong to the seruice of GOD in qualitie that with all thy power thou reiect all sweete taste therein except when it is necessarie for the remedie of thy infirmities In these and the like it will be euer expedient that wee take something lesse yea whilst yet it may seeme necessarie vnto vs to take so much For often the too much loue of our selues will impose vpon vs but seldome the hatred of our selues Besides it is necessarie together with this hatred of thy selfe that thou doest
now desire all the toyles vexations contempts c iniuries to be done thee which be wished desired c assumed so that it be not against the will of God or be the occasion of the losse of some spirituall or temporall good So this is necessary the caution discretion and counsail of some wise and holy man and a continuall feare that vnder the colour of good we be not deceiued For we must not beleeue euery spirit 1 Ioh. 4. but aboue all the light of the holy Ghost brings much light vnto this businesse which without doubt shall be giuen to them that with humility of heart seeke it It is also besides necessary if we will worthily hate our selues not onely to leaue all delectable things and withall desire all greeuances and vexations but withall we must herein reioyce when any such aduersities and priuations of pleasant things nay of necessary things befal vs from any which is more greeuous vnto vs then whilst we â—ake them vp our selues but chiesly when in our iudgement he who doth such things to vs doth it with an indiscreete and malicious intent And albeit we cannot without manifest signes iudge hereof nor yet then with any firme resolution And albeit we ought much to lament the offence of the persecuter and wrong doer louing him in the bowels of compassion as one from whom we haue receiued a singular benefit yet when we shall manifestly see it we must bee very carefull that so great a gift pretious pearle perish not but considering the reasons wherfore euery one must hate himselfe as we shall shew anon then must our will come on producing most frequent acts of desiring and accepting such persecution and contempt which is done vnto vs which things when we haue done we shall be inriched with the holy hatred which we looke for All these things Christ Iesus our Master hath both by word and example taught vs whose most holy soule albeit neuer wounded with the sting of any sinne and so there being no necessity of handling that pretious body with any asperity of hatred yet would hee for our example despise all delectable things and suffer persecution and to bee so euill intreated as neuer was any other man All which hee did that wee might learne what wee ought to doe to obtaine this hatred of our selues which is so necessary Seeing then his Maiesty would suffer such things by his example to induce vs to the like Christ suffring for vs 1. Pet. 2. and learning vs an example to follow his steps Let vs for the loue of God open our eyes and behold if it bee iust that our GOD and Lord should suffer so much for our sinnes and to our instruction so many iniuries indignities and persections whilest we casting off all shame forsake him and not onely not in act beare any kinde of punishment or iniury for his sake but not so much as to haue will to suffer it nor yet euer meditate or desire it and much lesse that any man should speake to vs of it Surely as it would be ridiculous if any did desire to be called a student in Diuinity or to be accounted a Diuine which is neither exercised in that study nor yet is desirous to know any principle of it so is it ridiculous that any should esteeme himselfe the seruant of God or be in any religious congregation which is the schoole of all vertues who labours not to procure and haue this holy hatred chiefely hauing so excellent a Master to teach it vs. Let them consider this who are so negligent in religion that they thinke all Christian duties to be but matter of conformity and let them know that the name of Christians agrees not to them vnlesse they study the doctrine of so sublime a searcher deliuered vnto vs both by word and example And surely if nothing else would driue vs to this care but only that we might imitate so great a Master as the Sonne of God and be made like him euen that might suffice without any other reason to make vs walke the iourney which so worthy a Master hath troden out for vs seeing wee are sure that he cannot there erre in the way nor hath lost the crowne of glory But that wee may more fully obtaine this thing one thing is to be noted which at the first blush may seeme to be of smal moment but more aduisedly considered will be thought of much worth Namely that the chiefe exercise most expedient for vs to vse for the gayning of this holy hatred is that incessantly we pursue and assault those our innumerable small desires which euery moment occur And the manner of pursuing them is after the fashion of those who indeauor to set vpoÌ„ a potent aduersary by deceits For with great circumspection wee must prouide whether happily wee desire any thing which is not of GOD nor leads vs vnto GOD and assoone as we perceiue that anything falls out that may delight vs besides and without GOD suddenly the will is to bee inclined to contradict it and not to accept it But assoone as wee shall see any thing befall vs contrariÌ„at or displeasant to vs by and by to incline the will to desire that Which if any shall frequently exercise hee shall farre sooner obtaine this holy hatred and withall so great dominion ouer himsclfe as cannot be in words expressed For it is most certaine that this is the key of all those treasures belonging to perfection 2 For what cause wee must hate our selues is now to be discussed Which albeit may sufficiently bee grounded out of these assertions of our Sauiours Hee that hates not his owne soule cannot bee my Disciple Luk. 11. Matth. 11. and hee that will follow mee let him denie himselfe c. Yet to giue the greater satisfaction to this point which is holden of most men for paradoxall and vntrue we must obserue that for many causes it is very profitable for vs and that GOD requites no lesse seruice at our hands then to hate our selues 1 Which might serue for all wee must hate our selues because what euill so euer is in vs and what defect of vertue and good soeuer is in vs proceeds from this that wee doe not hate our selues for all this euill and all defect of good in vs is deriued from this that wee loue and desire some thing against or besides the commandement of God All which we do only for the loue of our selues Therefore if we would haue our soules inriched with the good things of God and infranchised from the euill wee cannot but hate our selues He that loues his soule Ioh. 12. looseth his soule said the eternall truth it is the roote and fountaine of all euill in mans heart Therefore one said well if thou shalt loue euill August then thou hast hated if thou shalt hate euill then thou hast loued learne therefore to loue thy selfe in not being thy selfe for whosoeuer loues himselfe is
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
order our passions so as by them the enemy get no aduantage of vs. And the rather because it is a resolued truth as well by assertion of the sacred Scriptures as holy fathers that impugnation of our sences and passions is of all other the most cruell and brings the greatest dangers with it The cruelty thereof is sufficiently expressed by that exclamation of the Apostle Rom. 7. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death and the grieous daungers thereof by that other of the same Apostle 1. Cor. 9. I beate downe my body and bring it into subiection least by any meanes when I haue preached vnto others I my selfe should be a reprobate And the reason is good for the enemies are borne at home and in our owne bosomes which seeing they cannot be expelled those whom they cannot with cruelty prostrate they will by their improbity and incessant labour tire and weary out And this we find by the vnlooked for and manifold casualties of men very famous for holinesse of life From whence it is euident that this doctrine of the passions is most necessary to those that haue not tamed them besides that it is also wonderfull profitable to the vnderstanding of diuine affections Passion therefore that we may define it for the purpose in hand is nothing else but the motion of that sensitiue appetite at the imagination of good or euill with some kinde of change of the body to speake more cleerely it is an impression whereby the appetite is stirred vp by the image of good or euill conceiued by the inward sences This resides onely in the sensitiue appetite which is composed of two parts the concupiscible which is in the liuer and the Irascible which is in the heart And the acts of the will which are called by the names of passions are not properly simple passions but in act Therefore there are of proper passions in number 11. of which 6. which doe absolutely respect good or euill and are in the concupiscible part but those 5. which doe respect the difficult good or euill arise in the irascible but all the 11. are perfected in the heart which is vrged and mooued with all these motions Those 6. passions of the concupiscible are Loue towards the good first conceiued Desire or Concupiscence towards the good not present Ioy or Delectation towards the good present Hate first conceiued from euill Flight or Abomination from euill not yet present Sadnesse or Griefe from the present euill Those other fiue which haue their seate and being in the Irascible are Hope towards the difficult good Boldnesse against the difficult euill Desperation from the difficult good Feare from the difficult euill and Anger against the difficult euill All these 11. passions are exercised about such things as are perceiued by the outward senses and doe prosecute those three most pleasant good things in the world by name Honest Profitable Delectable good and doe abhorre the contrarie euils but Honest here is not taken for that which is graceful proceeding from true vertues but for estimation and honour of the world And this is the nature of the Concupiscible to weigh and ponder those three good things and and their contraries according to their proper natures and so stands either well or ill affected But because it is often vnable to enioy the good things by reason of the many difficulties wherewith they are besieged it belongs to the worke of nature that the Irascible should be present which might ouercome the difficulties of obstacles and hinderances and place the concupiscible in quiet possession of the good But these good things seeming vnworthy of our minde and by the imitation and inticement of the present delight doe vehemently mooue the whole man the passions being drawne and made wilde and fierce doe make head against the tower of the superiour part and doe either cast it downe being weakened or disturbe it being resistant Therefore euen from these things which wee haue spoken may well be gathered what kinde of intestine and ciuill warre hangs ouer their heads and of how many enemies they shal be beleagred who desire to withdraw themselues from the pleasures of the world to serue God To this purpose we may aptly consider the stryuing of Iacob and Esau in Rebeceaes wombe which so tormented the mother that shee little lesse than repented her of that conception But consulting GOD hee answered two nations are in thy wombe and two people shall issue out of thy bowells the one people shall ouercome the other and the elder shall serue the younger So surely euen as ic were in one wombe those that will religiously serue God haue two people within them which whilest they minde earthly things doe well accord but man is no sooner come to the threshold of Gods house but presently hee findes them rebelling and strugling the one against the other because he hath begunne to take part with the one and oppose the other but let them bee of good courage because it is the diuine oracle that the one shall serue the other but not as then the elder shall serue the yonger but the inferiour man shall ferue the superiour the flesh the spirit and sensuality reason Now hauing generally thus spoken of the passions as much as may seeme necessary to bee knowne Let vs come to examine them apart But this is here to be premonished that wee must read againe and againe more seriously and seeingly these generall points then the other because euery line almost of these cōteines so many wholesom assertions which except they be fully perceiued we can neuer come to the knowledge of the inward mā 1 Therfore of Loue concupiscence or desre delight or ioy wherein as of the rest obserue 1 The description of the passision 2 The remedy 1 It is the generall consent as well of Philosophers as Diuines that the concupiscible is before the Irascible and therefore the passions thereof in the first place to bee stirred vp and that the same are the beginning and end of passions of the Irascible And the reason is good for no man hopes or despaires which are passions of the Irascible except it bee for that which before he loued and desired which are the passions of the Concupiscible nor by the Irascible dare hee attempt against that is euill or feare euill except by the Concupiscible hee first hated it and hee cannot hate any thing but that which diffents from the good first loued From this it commeth to passe that not onely the Concupiscible is before the Irascible but also that all passions take their beginning and rise from loue the first passion of the Concupiscible vnto which all the rest are fast tied For no man desireth or is delighted saue with that which hee loueth or hateth fleeth or is sorrowfull but for euill which is opposite to the good which hee loueth or hopeth or despaireth but for that good which hee loueth
or feares or dares or is angry but for the euill which hinders the good he loueth Therefore wee may thus describe loue that it is the first motion which good brings vnto the appetite or more plainely the first impression whereby the appetite out of the knowledge of some good is affected whilest the good thing it knoweth doth please it This similitude from nature will illustrate the thing well fos as euery thing which doth ingender confers first forme to the things ingendred and afterwards a motion agreeable to that forme as when the fire inflames the ayer it first imprints in it the fiery forme and then a fiery motion to tend vpwards so euery good doth not only imprint a certain form in the sence which conceiueth the image of good but also in the appetite the image of the sence mediating it selfe that is to say loue which is as the forme of the loued and by loue stirs vp the motion of desire whereby the appetite returnes againe to the good it selfe the circle being ended Hence it is euident what is concupisence which when it accompanieth reason is called desire for it is a certaine extension or progression of loue or rather that motion or steppe whereby the appetite affected with good beginnes to incline to that good it selfe For after that good which is the motion of loue hath pleased the appetite the appetite inlarged it selfe to receiue that good which is the motion of concupiscence or desire by which motion it is said to be drawne of the good it selfe It is violently caried because drawne by pleasure Therefore the desire is wont to wax strong if it bee not graunted to enioy pleasure euen vntill a certaine ardour which is called feruour and is the effect of loue the which thing Lauguor being another effect of loue is wont to accompany which is a most grieuous sadnesse of such fury it is often wont to kill men but if the good desired fall out as we would haue it then followes delectation which if it bee with the worke of reason is called ioy and it is a motion of the soule placed in the good that pleaseth it or more clearely that motion whereby the appetite perceiueth the good which it desireth in whose enioyment or possession the appetite is placed is called delectation or fruition which is all one This passion is one of the chiefest and seemeth to bee the most effectuall of them all for it fulfils the motion of loue and in it loue seemeth to exercise all his powers for seeing there are many effects of loue as besides feruour and languor before named extasie liquefaction vnion mutuall inhaesion penetration zeale in imbracing of the present good almost all of them do waxe strong and multiply Extasie which signifieth the going out of the appetite from it selfe that it may exist in that is good which it affects whilest good is present acquireth strēgth Liquefaction which is a certaine emollition rarefaction or softning of the heart that as it were the poores being opened good may easily and quickly enter albeit that it doe keepe his strength good being absent yet is it filled with the drinking in of that which is good Vnion which is as it were a cotouching of louers Mutuall inhaesion which is the binding together of things that touch one another Penetration which is a certaine sliding into the inwards of the heart doe not fall out but when good is present Zeale which is nothing else but the impatience of a conceit if any would interpell the inioyer would fight and contend most fiercely Therefore it is plaine that the passion of delight is compassed with many circumstances which doe easily demonstrate his power But euen the thing it selfe is so prooued by experience that without any other witnesses if any be asked what is the thing most attractiue whosoeuer hee be hee will answere Trahit sua quemque voluptas euery mans pleasure is his adamant For as yet those other two kindes of good so honest and pofitable good if wee take away pleasure would not draw any mans heart after them which is a thing most worthy to bee knowne and is conuinced by this reason For wee shall see many borne in the country whom if the King would draw into the City and inrich them with honours and commodities they would vpon no other ground refuse then for that they would not forgoe the countrey pleasures to which they arc accustomed and which they despaire to find elsewhere Seeing then that mans heart is sicke with the loue and desire of pleasure as of a grieuous feuer let vs seeke for some remedie for these three passions 2 The remedy of loue concupiscence or desire delight or ioy That a fit remedy may bee prepared to the nature and sicknesse of the diseased we must praemise to the things that are to be spoken of the cure of passions that mans heart most greedy of good things present can neuer be pulled from the loue of them but by exchange of better good things for it cannot bee that honourable profitable and delectable things should not please the appetite seeing it cannot put off his natiue and inbred pronity and readinesse to entertaine them Therefore that manner of curing is of all other most prudent which better good things being proposed whereof the appetite is capable doth attempt to draw the heart of man from affection of present things to the loue of eternall things For if wee will search out the worke of GODS wisdome in the creation of man wee shall finde that our most mercifull LORD God would not take away food and nutriment from these eleauen passions but transferre it vnto better good things that the sence together with the superiour part of man First his reason might instruct both the appetite and also the flesh it selfe according to their capacity to thirst after God and to lift vp themselues towards God For that thing which passions wrought in Adam before his fall euen vnto that do the seruants of God and despisers of the world aspire and oft times as much as the diuine grace vouchsafeth to graunt in this corruption of our natures are they made partakers of their desires amongst whom he was one who said my heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing GOd and in another place my Soule thirsteth after thee yea my flesh how often according to this doctrine therefore of weaning our passions from the forbidden good things wee will giue these examples Let the examples bee thus thou happily seest some thing which doth greatly please the appetite with a sudden motion which is the motion of loue presently thy heart extends it selfe to that thing which is the motion of Concupiscence for it coueteth that thing if this thing bee graunted then succeeds a certaine delight of perceiuing of ioye touching the thing which seemes to agree to the appetite drawne on by the loue Concupiscence aforesaid which is the motion of delight and in this manner doth
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
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
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
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
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
a hearty sorrow for them and humbly begge pardon of him 4 Loue him with thy whole heart namely so as that thou haue a firme desire and purpose that thou wilt doe nothing that is contrary to him that thou wilt doe nothing that is contrary to him that thou wilt loue nothing but what in act or vertue tends to him and that thou wilt preferre him before thy selfe and all other things 5 At the last aske of God seauen gifts which some do conceiue the blessed Virgin did dayly begge of God 1. An effectuall helpe that thou maist in some measure performe the commandement of the loue of God 2. That thou maist constantly loue thy neighbour euery holy thing which he loueth 3. That whatsoeuer euill he hateth thou also maist hate the same 4. That thou maist be adorned with humility chastity contempt of the world and al other necessary graces 5. That he would make thy minde thy body a worthy tēple and habitation for himselfe 6. That at length after this mortality being don away thou maist for euer enioy his most blessed presence maist with the eies of thy flesh clearely see his most holy humanity and with the eies of thy minde behold and possesse his diuinity 7. That in this temple and in all other temples and places throughout the whole world he may receiue all due worthy reuerence acknowledgement honour and praise 2 Meditation 1. Behold Christ thy Sauiour in the midst of thine heart as thy Lord who redeemed thee with the price of his bloud and thy selfe as his seruant who by a new conceiued feruour wouldst returne vnto him desirous in all things to please him 2 Giue him immense thanks 1. That he wold be present at the Sacrament as a Master would gouern the habitatiō of thy hart compose with the gift of mortification the multitude of thy affections 2. That with such meekenes receiued the petitions of his runnagate seruant 3. That being King of kings whom the heauens cānot receiue yet vouchsafeth in admirable manner to dwell in the base cottage of his vnworthy seruant 3 Desire that at the presence of thy Lord the house of thy heart may be quiet and in peace And resolue with thy selfe that thou wilt mortifie thy iudgement will affections and fences and cast away whatsoeuer shall displease him 4 Loue him with all thy soule which thou shalt doe if thou doest submit thy life vnto him if onely thou wouldest haue life and wouldest keepe it that it might obey him if thou dost direct all thy cogitations desires words and workes to his good pleasure 5 Thou shalt aske of him those seauen things in the first Meditation 3 Meditation 1 Behold Christ thy Sauiour in the midst of thy heart as thy Master which teacheth thee the way of saluation and giues grace to performe what he teacheth and thy selfe as his disciple who for thy great negligence hast learned little or nothing of him 2 Giue him infinit thankes 1 Because he would be present at the Sacrament that as a most wise Doctor he might teach thee the way of perfection and instruct thee in things to be done and omitted 2 Because with so great mercie hee hath heard the petitions of his Disciple crauing heauenly knowledge 3 Because the Master of Angels and Men hath deigned to remaine in the lowest ranke of thy polluted heart to teach thee 3 Blush before him because thou art so estranged from his Doctrine and art so filly a scholler in the imitation of him Resolue also with thy selfe that thou wilt forsake all created things both in thy vnderstanding and affection and wilt wholy cut off all inordinate loue of the creatures from thee 4 Loue him with thy whole minde Which thou shalt doe if thou resolue to clense thy spirit from euery thing that may displease him if thou purpose to adorne it with vertues if thou doe continually adhere vnto him in thy memory vnderstanding and will if thou dost labour for ttanquillity of the minde that Christ himselfe may dwell in thy heart 5 Aske of God those seauen things before remembred 4 Meditation 1. Behold Christ thy Sauiour in thy heart as thy most faithfull friend who hath aduanced thee his owne workemanship and his owne vassall to his familiarity and friendship and thy selfe as a friend at the table or rather an hireling who when thou receiuest comfort then louest him but being beaten for thy amendement waxest cold in loue 2 Giue him imnense thankes 1. Because hee would bee present at the Sacrament that hee might visit thee being made his friend by grace and that hee might talke with thee words sweeter then hony 2. Because with so louing eares hee heard the petitions of his friend begging perseuerance in friendship 3. Because as a most rich friend hath determined to dwell by grace in the conclaue of his most poore friends heart 3 Conceiue shame and griefe of thy owne nakednesse who art spoiled of vertues and couered with sordid rags of vices kindle the desires of vertue especially such as thou most needest aske them instantly and exercise some of them with internall acts as time and place will suffer 4 Loue the Lord thy God with all thy strength And that thou shalt doe if thou doest offer vnto God the powers of thy soule and also the sences and instruments of thy bodie in the vnion of his powers and sences and determinest to vse them euer to his seruice 5 Begge of God the seauen graces aforesaid 5 Meditation 1. Behold Christ thy Sauiour in thy heart as thy elder brother and the first borne of many brethren who hath reconciled the enemies of his eternall Father vnto him and made them his brethren and thy selfe as a little brother worthily the least or rather vnworthy of such a name because thou art both in life and manners most vnlike vnto him 2 Giue thankes 1. Because he would please to be present at the Sacrament that he might not call thee an enemie but might acknowledge thee for a brother might deuide with thee his fathers inheritance 2. Because hee would heare with so great loue the petitions of his brother so vnlike him in manners and by the coldnesse of conuersation affecting him with tediousnesse 3. Because the first borne Sonne of our heauenly Father reigning now in heauen did not abhorre the base and obscure dwelling of his brother remayning in exile but was pleased to dwell in it 3 Obserue thy selfe to bee distanced from so louing a brother and complaine of thy misery wish ardently by praier his intimous familiarity and propose to thy selfe that all things necessary to obtaine this guift are to be performed of thee 4 Loue him with all thy power which thou shalt doe if thou doest effectually propose and faithfully performe it that with all thy indeauour thou wilt be aduersant to all euill and performe all that is good 5 Thou must aske those seauen things before named 6 Meditation 1.
Behold thy Sauiour Christ in the midst of thy heart as a most pious Father who begate thee on the crosse not with pleasures but sorrowes and thy selfe as the prodigall sonne returning from a farre countrey after thou hast wasted all thy Lords goods with vicious liuing and knowest thy selfe to stand in neede of his goods and mercy 2 Giue him infinit thankes 1. Because hee vouchsafed his presence at the Sacrament that hee might claspe thee in the armes of his loue being his forlorne and cast away sonne returning vnto him from a most barren land namely from thy selfe 2. That with so much pity he would receiue the petitions of his most vnthrifty and disobedient child begging pardon of him 3. Because a father most worthy of infinit loue would not onely receiue into his house a most vngracious child but also would dwell euen in the dung-hill of his filthy-breast 3 Being placed before him instantly desire beg of him true sanctification that being clensed from sinnes and adorned with all vertues thou maist cleaue vnto him cōtinually both in vnderstāding and affection by perfect faith and charity maist liue of him through him and for him 4 Loue him with all thy might so that for him thou despise thy life if need be the health of thy body riches pleasures and honours and accustome thy selfe to llue without the creatures 5 Begge the seauen abouesaid 7 Meditation 1. Behold thy Sauiour in the midst of thy heart as thy most sweet bridegroome who loued thy soule not because worthy but because hee would and so pleased his owne goodnesse and thy owne sould as his spouse ioyned vnto him by the bond of marriage and allured enticed to him by infinit benefits bestowed 2 Giue him infinit thanks 1. Because he was pleased to be present at the Sacrament that he might ioyne thee spiritually but inseparably vnto him and might cherish the with the sweete imbracements of most chast loue 2. Because hee heard the intreaties of a most faithlesse spouse begging his fauourable aspect and imbracing 3. Because hee hath decreed for euer to dwell with thee in thy bosome as in a bed of all other most desired of him 3 Raise vp thy affection towards eternall glory and compell thy selfe feruently to desire it and to bee transported from this miserable world and say to him as to thy husband tell mee Can. 1. thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest where thou liest at noone 4 Here gather together all the affections of loue and loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy minde with all thy powers with all thy strength and with al thy might 5 Aske of God those seauen former petitions This forme of thankesgiuing if thou likest not vse thy owne iudgement in some other But bee sure thou omit not this duetie For the sinne of unthankefulnesse is of all other sinnes the most daungerous albeit thou shouldest receiue but verie small benefits but receiuing so manie and so vnspeakable benefits especially this whereof no man can account the worthinesse it were most intollerable not to giue thankes And for this cause is it that thou receiuest not the mercies thou often desirest because thou hast beene so vnthankefull for this so great a benefit so often receiued For as that deuout father writeth Wee see many at this daie aske with great importunity the things they know that they want Ber. but we know very few that haue giuen worthy thanks for benefits receiued It is not reprehensible that wee instantly doe aske but surely it denies the effect of the petition when we are found vnthankefull And happily this may seeme to be clemency to deny to the vnthankfull that which they aske least it might fall out vnto vs that we should be iudged so much more grieuously by how much wee haue been found more vnthankfull for benefits heaped vpon vs. Therefore in this case it is a point of mercy to withdraw mercy euen as it is a point of anger and wrath to shew mercy namely that mercy of which the father of mercies speakes in the Prophets Isa 26. Let mercy be shewed to the wicked and hee will not learne righteousnesse therfore let vs bee euer thankfull for this so great a benefit and neuer suffer it to passe away with out some notable thankfulnesse of heart for it 7 Of the studie of Christians and how they should profit in learning THere is no man but knowes Idlenesse to be the maine enemy of all vertues therefore must the Christians labour be to keepe him off and shut him out of doores It is not by Idlenesse or sleepe that the reward is obtained as one saith As there is no worke proceeds from him that sleepes Ambr. so there is no fruite but losse comes of Idlenesse Idle Esau lost the blessing of birthright because hee had rather haue meate gotten to his hand then seeke it But painfull Iacob found fauour with both his parents Therefore in all thy studies and readings which thou dost vndertake for increase of thy knowledge labour to bring with thee a right intention and a true scope vnto which all thy knowledge is to bee directed Thou must not learne or read that thou maist become renowmed amongst men not that thou maist bee instiled a learned man not that thou maist bee holden for a great man not that thou maist steppe vp into the chiefest Pulpits and Chaires of Doctors not that thou maist gaine preferments in the Church or policy because to learne to this end is great vanity Thou must not learne that thou maist satisfie the appetite of knowing if thou maist know new and subtill things that thou maist onely fill thy vnderstanding with the knowledge of excellent things for this is vaine curiositie But learne thou that thou maist please God that thou maist accommodate thy selfe to his good pleasure and the prescript of his obedience that in knowing God better thou maist more ardently loue him and more feruently serue him and more diligently performe the duties of the calling wherein God hath placed thee A blemish in any garment is vncomely but in a most pretious garment of silke or costly stuffe much more vncomely so a preposterous intention in euery labor of man is discommendable but in the gayning of knowledge is much more intollerable The great daunger of such as direct their studies to such vaine ends the wise man well describes Iob. 20. His meate in his bowels was turned the gall of Aspes is in the midst of him hee hath deuoured substance and shall vomit it for God shall draw it out of his belly For knowledge is as bread whereby wee refresh the minde which shall be turned into gall when wee direct it to vanity and ambition And the learned doth but vomit it vp when from his drie and barren heart he powres it out without all profit either to himselfe or his hearers And it shal be drawne out
of omission and commission 4. Sorrow and detestation for our sinnes and a purpose of amendment 5. A due censuring and castigation of our selues for them 1. Our examination must begin with thanksgiuing for all his innumerable benefits This gratefull commemoration of benefits and humble confession of sinnes accusing our selues vehemently before God doth strongly impell and enforce our repentance for them Bas and obteine remission from God Hee that affirmes all our praiers should begin with thanksgiuing giues vs this counsell whensoeuer thou determinest to pray leaue thy wife thy children yea euen leaue thy selfe and depart farre from the earth and ouercome euen the heauens and leaue also all created natures as well which may as those which cannot bee seene and begin from the glorification of him who made all things Say vnto him I thanke thee O Lord for thy incredible clemency and thy wonderfull facility in bearing the sinnes of men who doest dayly susteine me with singular patience euery moment sinning against thee and giues vs all space and time and meanes to repent Euen for this cause O Lord thou holdest thy peace and bearest with vs that we might giue thee thankes who gouernest and moderatest the saluation of mankind sometimes by threatning sometimes by gently exhorting and who first by thy Prophets after by the coÌ„ming of thy Christ hast visited vs. For thou hast made vs and not we our selues thou art our God alone But if all prayer must begin with thanksgiuing much more this in which we would begge such light as might bring vs to the knowledge of â—our selues and obteine the remission of all our sinnes A generall thanksgiuing vnder one name comprising all the benefits of GOD is not very profitable a speciall repeating all his benefits is impossible for who can recount all his benefits Therefore a middle course is to bee holden and both certaine generall benefits and some particular of that day are to bee called to minde and thankes to bee giuen vnto God for them the remembrance whereof will something dispose vs to sorrow and repentance Thus then thou shalt say 1. O Lord my God I giue thee infinit thankes because thou hast from all eternity seene and loued mee and as by thy infinit mercy I hope hast effectually elected me to glory and by conuenient meanes hast predestinated mee thereunto 2. Because thou hast created me of nothing and made mee in thine owne image and hast inriched and indowed mee with infinit guifts both in soule and body 3. Because thou preseruest both my selfe and all other things with so long a continuance for my sake without whose actuall assistance wee had presently beene brought to nothing nor could wee haue lasted for one moment of time 4. Because thou gouernest and rulest mee and all things for my sake and disposest all things which belong vnto me with a most effectuall and sweete prouidence 5. Because thou hast redeemed me with thy most pretious bloud and by thy merits and passion hast deliuered mee from the slauery of Sathan 6. Because thou hast giuen thy selfe vnto me for a teacher a phisition a father and an example of holy life 7. Because amongst those little numbers of thy poore flocke thou hast called mee to the profession of the Gospell and to the knowledge and obedience of thy Maiesty 8. Because by thy holy Word thy Sacraments thy Inspirations examples of holy men godly bookes and many other holy meanes thou hast helped me to liue well yet dost helpe me 9. Because thou hast aduanced mee from the miserable estate of an enemy and as I hope in thy mercy to the dignity of a friend and with thy sauing grace hast iustified me and remitted all my sinnes 10. Because thou hast deliuered me froÌ„ innumerable daungers of loosing thy grace and fauour and dost not cease to deliuer me 11. Because thou hast inriched me with many both inward and outward graces gifts as well of nature as of grace 12. Because thou hast as I assuredly hope effectually prepared for mee from before the foundations of the world according to the good pleasure of thy will a sure degree of glory happinesse 13. Because thou hast this day admitted mee to pray and speake vnto thee fed me with the pretious delicates of thy flesh and bloud and hast continued mee in thy obedience 14. Because thou dost follow mee with other infinit benefits and ceasest not still to follow me through my whole life and for euer 15. Because thou hast ministred vnto me health and all such things as may serue to further mee in the obedience of thy Law 2 Thus hauing giuen thanks thou must then aske of GOD grace to know discusse and looke into thy selfe for the heart of man is wicked aboue measure and insearchable and who doth know it And seeing in the same place the demaund is thus answered I the Lord search the heart and prooue the reines Ier. 17. wee must aske of him who can doe it that hee would place our hearts neere vnto vs display the frauds and dissimulations of it and open the veine of the knowledge of our selues This praier must bee short that there may bee time also for the other points of the examen Therefore thus thou maist say in thy affection and minde Thou Oh most bountifull I beseech thee vnto all these thy benefits adde this one more to send mee light from thy glorious Throne and giue mee of thy abundant grace that I may know my manifold sinnes and so repent truly for the sins I haue committed against thee 3 Wee then come to the inquisition of our sins which for better vnderstanding we may distribute into thoughts affections words and workes namely what we are to discusse in these 3. Hugo lib. Med. The affections cogitations workes One saith that in our affections we must consider that they be right i. that they bee directed vnto that which they ought to be And secondly that they be sincere i. directed as they ought to be For to loue that thing which a man ought not to loue is euill and so to loue as a man ought not is also euill Therfore it is a good affection when it is vnto that which it ought to be vnto and also as it ought to be Amnon loued his sister and it was in affection vnto that which it should be 2. Sam. 13. but because he loued her wickedly therefore it was not as it ought to be Therefore the affection may bee to that which it ought to be and yet not as it ought to be But it can neuer be as it ought to be except it be vnto that which it ought to be in that to which it ought to be it is a right affection and how and as it ought to be it is a sincere affection 2. In the cogitations wee must consider that they be 1. Cleane and 2. ordered they are cleane when they are neither ingendred of ill affections
then the carcasse Why then should we not often or at least once in a yeare bestow a new suite vpon the soule or else patch vp the old one But take heed of patching for God loues a new creature Hee will haue all new or none at all Ambr. In a word he is rightly renewed that is changed from the darkenesse of his sinnes into the light and grace of vertues that being before more stinking then a dunghill is now become more white then snow 2 Because continuall labour euen in profitable things and worthy of all our loue is a werisoâ—nnesse to the spirit makes it lesse able to performe the duties required Therefore ease thy selfe for some time and dis-burthen thy minde of those serious things that thou maist rest and resume strength The minde must haue some remission that it may rise vp the more sharpe As wee must not incessantly commaund fruitfull fields for their fertility will soone be exhausted if they rest not so the daily labour of the minde breaks the strength of it A little remission and relaxation will recouer strength But dulnesse of minde ariseth from assiduity of labours Of purpose men vse to vnbend their bowes that in their time they may with profit be bent againe which if they haue no relaxation will by being continually bent loose the strength of hitting the marke So in the exercise of the minde vertue is sometime reserued when by discretion it is pretermitted that afterwards it may the more strongly hit vices by how much in the meane time it wisely ceased from smiting A key if it bee turned one way shuts the locke but turn'd another way opens it so the minde intending outward things disposeth and keepeth them but turned vnto God and inward things opens the doore of Gods mercy to fetch out the treasures of heauenly guifts except thou shalt moue thy selfe towards this side and except thou shalt receiue from GOD that which thou gauest thou shalt not haue any thing at all to giue Wisely therefore did that good father speake Ber. to waite vpon God is not to be idle nay of all bâ—siâ—esse is the greatâ—â— besiâ—eâ—se beâ—aâ—â—e from this idlenesse doe forces proceed to worke and he that knowes wisely for a time to rest shall after know strongly and profitably to labour God himselfe inuiting vs to rest by his example and resting the seauenth day 6 The things which are euer more to be done THere is no question but that euermore vices are to bee shunned vertues imbraced euer we must insist in doing good fighting against Satan all his deceits But more particularly for our purpose we will reduce them into these three ranks 1. Our duty toward God 2. To wards our selues 3. Towards our neighbors 1 To wards Gods these points following must euer be obserued 1. The presence of God thinke euer thou dost heare him saying Do not I fill heaâ—e a and earth And behold him as a witnesse of thy though desires and a beholder of â—er 23. thy words workes He compasseth the on euery hand if thou wert in the bottome of the sea he conteines with his Deity all aboue thee below thee on the right hand and left before and behind and that Great Lord and wise Iudge lies had euen within thy selfe This cogitation that God is present that hee sees all thy inwards and outwards let it neuer depart from thee and so dispose thy life compose thy conuersation that as much as mans frailty will suffer thou needest not blush that God should behold thee In the beginning of euery worke offer it to him in the continuance behold him in the end resolue to please him for his sake to end it If thou shalt attaine this guift whether thou be idle or in businesse whether alone or with others thou knowest to contemplate God standing by thee thou shalt sooner then thou thinkest attaine to a great increase of graces 2. The loue of God Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy heart all thy soule all thy minde Loue him with the heart directing all thy thoughts and desires to him Loue him with thy worke keeping his commandements loue him onely turning thy will from all created things loue him diligently performing all things that belongs to his obedience with diligence loue him purely in nothing seeking thy selfe loue him freely constantly casting away all things that oppose his loue Loue him gratis looking from his loue nothing but his good pleasure Loue him strongly suffering â—all things for him patiently Loue him perseuerantly neuer pulling thy self from his desire and obedience These thou shalt doe if thou dost contemplate him as the chiefe good as goodnesse it solfe as the fountaine of all good things If also thou shalt daily with earuest praiers beg this loue if thou labour by all good meanes to keepe thy selfe cleane from all leprous pollution and filthinesse 3 The feare of God Feare the Lord thy God because he is thy Lord and requireth it if I bee your Lord where is my feare Feare him because after he hath slaine the body he can also kill the soule and send it into hâ—l fire Feare him because his iudgements are incomprehensible and his wayes past finding out and thou knowest not what shall become of thee Feare him not as a seruant for feare of punishment but as a most louing and faithfull childe least thou shouldest incur his displeasure Feare him least thou shouldest bee separate from him in whom is all good and from whom if thou be separate thou drawest to thy selfe all euill and misery Feare great sinnes because they separate from God feare small ones for they set open the gates vnto greate lastly feare the Lord for his feare is the beginning of all good for nothing shall bee wanting to them that feare the Lord and those that secke him by chaste and holy fear shal not be destitute of any good From this fear proceeds intimous reucrence whereby thou learnest to adore him in spirit 4. Zeale of Gods glory Be inkindled wilh the zeale of the glory of thy God which may eat vp thy heart and consume thy soule with forrow Consider that the Lord is thy husband whom heretiques contemne the Iewes doe mocke Idolaters and infidels know not all manner of sinners doe with infinit iniuries affect him most part euen of the best men and his deare children doe but coldly and negligently serue him and wilt not thou that seest this labour to put away these iniuries gaine thy husbands honor and for so great iniurses wilt not thou intimoufly grieue therfore let this be thy care euer to seeke the glory of God and saluation of soules and both by prayer holy example and all other good meanes to helpe to promote the glory of God Forget thy owne profit and quiet contemne thy owne honor and spare not to meete with any difficulty that thou maist promote the glory of the Lord. 5. The prayse of God
anothers burthen Our defects are great burdens by which we sometimes become intollerable to others Therfore the defects churlish manners of our brethren must be born withall that so we may fulfill the Law of charity Measure others by thy selfe I know thou seeft in thy owne conuersation many defects which thou wouldest haue other men to beare So must thou doe with others except thou wilt with diuerse weights and diuerse measures measures other mens and thy owne which is abhominable Therefore beare that thou maist bee born with all dissemble others light defects that thy great ones may be dissembled be thou silent that thy miscries may be silenced 6 Helpe one another Bee profitable to all and by thy industry helpe them for the loue of God Helpe by thy Prayers imploring Gods mercy for them Helpe with holy desires coueting the fruite of their labours with the Lord be they corporall or spirituall helpe with thy speech when thy wisdome findeth opportunity exhorting to all things fitting and honest helpe by thy example of life and helpe by all the meanes which GOD hath giuen thee For to this end hast thou receiued them to bee Gods Steward 7 Liue circumspectly Loue all but be familiar only with the godly For he that toucheth pitch shal be defiled with it Syr. 13. and he that is familiar with the proud will be like vnto him Nor be too familiar with any for out of doubt it spends and consumes the time distracts the heart and makes two men offend at once 3 Our duty towards our selues where consider 1. The care of modesty In all thy actions be mindefull of modesty and so behaue thy selfe that thou no lesse respect thy selfe then others beholding thee Modesty is not onely a vertue but the ornament of all vertues It it that which with men gaines estimation because by the aspect of the face and those things which they see outwardly they are wont to measure our inward parts And as it is a Iudge of inward serenity and fairenesse so is it wont to keepe the same amongst all occasions of trouble Therefore thou shalt shew thy selfe modest as well in the cleerenesse of thy countenance as gracefulnesse of thy gate and in the moderation of all outward actions so that these outward things may shew the inward tranquillity to edifie all and may shew some image as it were of Christ whose modesty was so admirable that Paul besought the Corinthians by the meekenesse gentlenesse of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 2 The contempt of ones selfe Learne to discusse thy selfe to Iudge blame and contemne thy self It is a knowledge more profitable to know to dispise ones selfe then to know the amplitude of heauen and earth This Science of the knowledge of our selues doth euer cast in wholesome and profitable counsailes tending to the humble despising of our selues Therefore turne thy eies from those things which thou thinkest are good and excellent in thy selfe for they are not thine but Gods who gaue them gratis without thy desert and behold in thy selfe the things that are abiect and despicable for these are thy owne proceeding from thy corrupt nature and for these argue and despise thy selfe Let thy words sauour of the contempt of thy selfe and desire to heare the same from others concerning thee and let not the baulme of flattery breake thy heade Flee applauses flee the world and hearken to such willingly who sincerely speake truth and doe reprehend in thee what is worthy of reproofe If thou shalt thus contemne thy selfe and loue thy contemners God shall loue thee as the apple of his eye and shall adorne thee with great blessings of the spirit for this holy hatred wherewith one hates himselfe God doth abundantly recompence with his loue 3 A generall abnegation of our selues This is Christs rule If any will bee my Disciple Math. 16.24 let him deny himselfe take vp the Crosse and follow mee This word himselfe doth not designe one part of the man but the whole man to bee denied Therefore if any will insist in Christs steps he must take vp this generall denying of himselfe mortifie thy sences inward and outward commaund thy appetites restraine thy iudgement and will Chiefely bridle the two tongues of body and soule the tongue of the body that it speake not hurtfull and vnprofitable things The tongue of the soule that is thy thought that it doe not harbour and vtter vaine impure vnfruitful things if thou shalt tame these two beasts the tongue of thy selfe and thy cogitation thou shalt wonderfully dispose thy selfe to the familiarity of God For God vouchsafeth to speake to them whom he sees absteine from vaine words and as much as they can doe recall their thoughts to one that is to God himselfe 4 To beate downe the body This rebell flesh is euer in armes against the spirit Therefore that it may not ouercome let the spirit take armes against the flesh by watching fasting prayer and such holy helpes labour to bring it in subiection Beasts are not perswaded with reasons or arguments to obey men The flesh is a beast which thou shalt neuer tame by consideration alone without some castigation or subtraction of food as men vse to doe that tame beasts 5 Tranquillity of heart Thinke thou hast done nothing vntill thou hast obtained this Let not thy owne defects disquiet thee but presently assoone as thou fallest into any sinne out of the loue of God detest it returne to peace and commit thy selfe and all thine to Christ Let not aduersities trouble thee think they will not tarry nor that they came without the good wil and prouidence of God The tranquillity of the heart depends vpon the purity of it For small sinnes teare the heart but for inordinate affectiōs excruciate tormēt it Prophane businesse doe gripe the heart and such as belong not to our calling infect it If therefore thou wilt haue a quiet heart shunne euen the least sinnes those thou shunnest not presently repent thee of them moderate thy affections flee prophane businesse and withdraw thy selfe from all that belongs not to thy calling 6 Is discretion In these things hitherto treated of and in all others there is great neede of discretion whereby thou shouldest consider the times places the persons thy selfe and such with whom thou dealest thy state and manner of conuersation and according as reason circumstances and the qualities of things persons shall dictate direct thee so thou shouldest carry thy self in things that do occur offer thēselues Many things there are which do displease God trouble thy neighbour hurt thy self because not seasoned with the salt of discretion the same things if they were discreetely don would be of great acceptance both with God and man but the discretion which thou hast not let it be supplied with prayer recourse vnto God with the counsailes of prudent and wise men For hee that in doubtfull thing resorts to GOD and the counsailes
pag. 4. 3. He must acquaint himselfe with fifteene moouing causes of sanctification pag. 5. 4. With ten generall obseruations belonging to the sanctification of hearers pag. 9 5. Hee must obserue that in priuate sanctification before Sermons there are seauen things in a paralell of contraries to be obserued pag. 19 6. That publicke sanctification before sermons consists in fowre points in three seuerall scopes and ends of preaching and hearing pag. 35 2. In the hearers duty at Sermons cōsisting in foure points 1. In attentiue hearing 2. Sound knowledge 3. Right affection 4. A serious purpose of practise pag. 14 1. The first duty of hearing is first described pag. 47 2. The seauenteene impediments of it are remooued which cause men altogether to neglect sermons pag. 47 And also fourteen impediments which cause Sermons not to bee zealously heard pag. 59 3. The aduancements and helpes to attentiue hearing are declared p. 51 Where first are twelue arguments to mooue attentiue hearing ibid. 2. Is shewed that in attentiue hearing Sermons sixe things are required pag. 53 3. The impediments are three wayes remooued 1. By instructing men in ten points 2. By inuiting them which consists in two points 3. By the power of the Magistrate pag. 55 2. The second duty is first described secondly the twenty impediments of it are remooued 3. The seauenteene aduancementes and helpes of it are declared pag. 65 3. The third duty is first described secondly all those seauenteene impediments and fourteene before handled are remooued and two more declared 3. The former aduancements to the two former duties are required and three more added pag. 74 4. The fourth duty is first described secondly it is shewed by whom application is to be made namely first by God secondly the Preacher thirdly the hearer himselfe fourthly the thirteene impedimentes that hinder application are remooued And fiftly the sixe helpes to application are declared pag. 82 3. In the hearers duty after Sermons which is of three kinds pag. 108 1 Publicke in the Church consisting in three points ibid. 2 Priuate at home in three obseruations pag. 111 3. Priuate and publicke together in fiue respects where is discoursed of a double censure and visitation both of the Preacher and hearer first by the Magistrate of both kinds secondly by God himselfe when the Magistrate failes in his duty pag. 112 The second daies iourney Is to meditate on sacred things comfortably pag. 133 1 The matter of meditation consisting of twelue things 2 The method and manner of it where pag. 138 1 How to meditate on death three seuerall wayes pag. 146 2 How to meditate on the last iudgement pag. 148 3. How to meditate on the torments of hell pag. 149 4. How to meditate on the glory of heauen pag. 158 5. How to meditate on the things that belong to the knowledge of a mans selfe pag. 162 6. How to meditate on the matter of our sinnes pag. 166 7. How to meditate on the life of Christ pag. 170 8. How to meditate on the passion of Christ pag. 172 9. How to meditate on the Lords Supper pag. 176 10. How to meditate on the benefites of God pag. 179 11. How to meditate on the Saints daies pag. 182 12. How to meditate on christian vertues pag. 183 13. How to meditate on the creatures of God pag. 186 14. How to meditate on the attributes and perfections of God pag. 187 15. How to meditate on the Lords prayer or any worde of the holy scripture pag. 201 16. How to prepare our selues to meditation how to accompany it how performe it consisting of sundry becessary obseruations pag. 214 The third dayes Iourney Is Prayer 1 What prayer is and what kindes of prayer there are pag. 241 2 Of cleauen things required in praier pag. 242 3 Of nine requisite duties before prayer pag. 258 4 Of foure things to bee done during the time of prayer pag. 260 5 Of sixe things to be considered after prayer ibid. 6 Of mentall prayer which is of two sorts wherin first we giue thanks to God secondly we craue necessaries thirdly we offer vp our selues soules and bodies holy listing and acceptable sacrifices pag. 262 7 Of whom we must aske pag. 270 8 How we must bee furnished to aske that we may obtaine pag. 271 9. Of vocall prayer pag. 273 10. Of mixt prayer and of the excellency of prayer being one of the chief acts of religion pag. 274 The fourth dayes Iourney Is holinesse of life 1. How to acquire vertues and the meanes of holinesse of life by obseruing sixe short rules pag. 294 2. How to attaine to sanctity of life by S. Bernards two rules the one consisting of fifteene obseruations the other of twelue pag. 298 3. How to attaine to sanctity of life by Aquinas his rule consisting of thirteen obseruations pag. 305 4. Of the necessity of such an art and method of seruing of God in this life that wee may at last come to raigne with him in glory pag. 309 5. That this art consists in fowr things 1. In obseruing seauen instructions pag. 315 2. In three exercises pag. 376 3. In louing of God and the things a man ought to loue 4. In a daily short method of practising such duties as will sanctify our liues 1. The first instruction is to labour that the grace of God may make such a change in vs that wee may not seeke our selues or any thing els but God and his will pag. 315 The second instruction is that wee euer haue an eye to the end by which wee are to bee directed in the things seruing to the reparation of our soules pag. 321 The third instruction is that it becommeth all men but chiefly sacred persons to serue God after the most sublime exact and perfect manner pag. 339 The fourth instruction is that the slaughter ruine which sinne hath made in the soule is the cause that we cannot thus serue God pag. 345 The fift instruction is that we haue in our soules and bodies sufficient means thus to serue God if by Gods grace they be quickned and stirred vp in vs. pag. 348 The sixt instructiō is that God is pleased to giue vnto all that from the heart doe seeke him such power and strength of will as to desire and also to detest euery thing in a measure which may please or displease him pag. 355 The seauenth instruction is that there is a way of planting good habits in the soule and rooting out the euill customes and that by the foresaid instruments of the soule Gods grace working by them pag. 367 2. The first exercise is the sorrow and repentance for our sinnes which helps much to relieue the soule pag. 376 The second exercise is the hatred of a mans selfe where first the manner how euery one is to hate himselfe is described secondly why euery one ought to hate himselfe thirdly how this hatred may stand with true charity which begins with the loue of ones
selfe pag. 380 The third exercise is to adorne our selues with vertues for the beautifying of our soules pag. 402 Which is done by these three things first by begging helpe from God secondly by multiplying the acts of vertue thirdly by restraining the naturall affections and passions of the mind pag. 441 1. Of the passion of ioy and how to bridle it pag. 445 2. Of the passion of griefe and how to restraine it pag. 447 3. Of the passion of hope and how to limit it pag. 455 4. Of the passion of feare and how to stint it pag. 456 5. Of the passion of hate and how to curbe it pag. 461 6. Of the passion of andacity and boldnesse and how to handle it pag. 491 7. Of the passion of anger and how to handle it pag. 499 8. Of the passion of desperation and how to restraine it ibid. 9. Of the passion of loue and how to dâ—ale with it pag. 461 10. Of the passion of abhomination and how to vse it pag. 461 11. Of the passion of desire and concupiscence and how to bind it pag. 472 1. Of the loue of God and how it is pag. 531 2. Of the loue of our neighbours and what rules are to be obserued pag. 578 3. Of the loue of our selues and what considerations are to be vsed pag. 588 4. The short daily method and rule of practising such holy duties as will sanctâ—fie our liues by the grace of Gods Spirit Which consists in sixe actions and duties and at sixe seuerall times to be performed 1. Of the duties which are to bee done in the former part of the day The first duety in the morning is to rise timely and how to carry our selues at that time The second duety is preparation to prayer and how that is to be done The third duty is to bestow some time in mentall prayer The fourth duty is to read some portion of Scripture and how to doe it with profit The fift duety is to prepare our selues to the receiuing of the Loâ—dâ— sâ—â—peâ— which consists in thâ—se fowre coâ—siderations 1. In sanâ—tâ—ty of life 2. Rectâ—tude of intention 3. Sterring up the deuotion 4. Prayer for all thâ—ngs necâ—ssary both for our selues and others 1. Of the sanctity of life and how it is to be wrought 2. Of the rect tude of intention coâ—sisting of ten seuerall obseruations Where also are two rules giuen for the ordering of our intention consistâ—ng of seauen seuerall directions a peâ—ce 3. Of the stâ—rring up of the deuotion consisting of a seâ—uâ—n folde consideration of Christs good â—â—sse vâ—to vs in the institution of this Sacrament restâ—â—ting vpon thâ—se three circumst rices in euery of the seauen considerations first who secondly to whom thirdly for what cause he comes 4. The â—â—se â—f pâ—â—â—â—â— bâ—fâ—râ— the Lords supper with a forme of an excellent and absolute prayer to that purpose pag. 644. The sixt duty is thanks vnto God after the Communion and how wee are to be storred vp vnto it Where are deliuered seauen short meditations for the seauen dayes of the weeke euery medâ—tation consisting of fiue seuerall points Namely first in considering of Christ in seuerall respects towards vs. Secondly in giuing God thanks for 3. things Thirdly in detesting our sinnes Fourthly in louing God with all our hearts Fiftly in begging of God seauen necessary graces pag. 667. The seauenth duety is the study of christians and how they may profit in learning pag. 689. The eight dâ—ty is examination of the conscieâ—ce before dinner pag. 699 The ninth duty is our behauiour at dinner and how it is to be ordered pag. 702. 2. The dueties of the after noone helping to sanctification of life The first dâ—â—y is to bestow some time in reading of holy Scripture or some other godly booke pag. 706 The second duety is the examination of the conscience before wee addresse our selues to sleepe Where first is shewed the necessity of this duety by three strong demonstrations Secondly the benefit of it by sowre euident arguments Thirdly how this duty is to bee performed what is the matter about which it is exercised with fiue necessary obseruations concurring to this examination First a commemoration of benefites and humble thankefulnesse for them in fifteene circumstances Secondly a desire of grace enabling vs to search our hearts Thirdly an inquisition of the conscience to come to the knowledge of the sins of commission and omission Fourthly a detestation of our sinnes â—istly a due censuring of our selues for them pag. 714 The third duty is how to compose thy selfe to sleepe pag. 772 3. The duties to be done euery weeke pag. 774 The first duty is a preparation to the receiuing of the Sacrament and the manner of it if the conueniencie of the time place persons customes and the like will suffer or doe require it pag. 784 The second dutie is to heare the word preached 4. The duties to be done euery Month. pag. 791 The thing chiefly to be done is this that at the least one day or some conuenient time be set apart to examine the conscience and to rectifie it 5. The duties to be done euery yeere pag. 794 That which is here neuer to bee omitted is that euery yeere some speciall time be set apart for the renuing of the mind seeing our vices do increase as our yeeres and we wax old in sinne And how that is to be 6. The duties to be done at all times of euery Christian p. 805 1. Our duties vnto God in seuaen acts The first act of the presence of God Secondly the loue of God Thirdly the feare of God Fourthly the zeale of Gods glory Fiftly the praise of God Sixtly thankefulnesse to God Seauenthly a resignation of our selues to the will of God 2. Our duties to our brethren in seauen actions the first is to behold God in our brother The second is to loue him as our selues the third is affability and good example the fourth is honor the fift is to beare their infirmities the sixt is to helpe them the seauenth is to liue circumspectly pag. 807 3. Our duties to our selues in seauen actions First is modesty Secondly contempt of our selues Thirdly a generall abnegation and deniall of our selues Fourthly subduing the flesh Fiftly tranquility of minde Sixtly discretion Seuenthly praier Lastly three potent demonstrations and reasons to perswade all men but especially great ones thus exactly to serue God if they meane to rest with him for euer THE HEAVENLY PROGRESSE OR The Soules Iourney to Heauen AS there is no Arte or Profession that can bee profitably learned except some fit Methode and Order be obserued therein Euen Nature it selfe in all her courses keeping due order and both Art and Nature teaching vs that the great God is the God of Order so much lesse can that most soueraigne and heauenly knowledge of the right seruing of God which is the Art of Arts and perfection of Nature bee taught and learned of any Christian without some