and Wine it seems to me better to involve that in silence than to speak any thing of it The reason was because it was a known thing that not only Saint Anthony but all other Monks and Ascetiques beside never used any such Meat or Drink In fine this Holy Hermit remained for the most part of his Life not only in the Desart or Wilderness but in the more Rocky Desolate and Inaccessible Places thereof where company could not but with extream difficulty come to him and scarce admitting in his Old Age the small additament of a few Figs and Olives to his wonted Diet. What shall I say of Saint Paul the first Hermit and of his great Sobriety and Abstinence who lived in the Wilderness for the space of a hundred and thirteen Years in a Rocky Place nigh unto a Fountain of which he drank all that time having no other Garment than of the the Palm-Tree Leaves This Holy Man seemed to be another Elias receiving daily half a Loaf of Bread by a Raven and that for the space of Threescorce years together Saint Hierom speaking of some Monks that were in the Wilderness in the time of Saint Paul the Hermite and of their wonderful Abstinence fearing as he saith that the Reader should think it incredible what he was to report of them makes a protestation in these words Jesum testor Sanctos Angelos c. I call Jesus Christ to witness and his Holy Angels That in the same place of the Wilderness where Saint Paul heretofore lived which is adjacent to the Country of the Saracens I have seen Monks De quibus unus per triginta annos clausus hor deaceo pane lutulenta aqua vixit One of which being a Cloyster'd Man for the space of thirty years together lived with nothing but Barley Bread and Dirty Water Of another he testifies that he lived for a great many years together in a Cistern or Pit in the Wilderness receiving no other Food for his nourishment than Five Figs a day concluding his relation in these words Haec videbuntur incredibilia his qui non crediderint These things saith he will seem incredible to those that have not believed yet that which I have reported is a most certain and real Truth Now although by reading these Stories of the wonderful Abstinence and Sobriety of these Monastiques you be not moved to follow or take upon you such a strict and austere course of Life yet at least their Heroique Example should be a great Motive to you to withdraw you from all excess in Meat and Drink and make you to live temperately though you cannot live so austerely and to be content with what is sufficient though you know not how to suffer want For to encourage you the more you may be pleas'd to take a short view of what is at present to be observed of this kind in all Catholique Countries where if you were to Travel you would not fail to meet with or hear of objects worthy of your admiration in both Sexs Men and Women living in the Wilderness that is in desolate unfrequented Places or otherwise in or near unto Cities and great Towns exercising themselves with most severe Discipline and Penance and using an Abstinence not much inferiour or less strict than those above-mentioned There you will find Monasteries Convents Nunneries Hermitages and other Religious Houses or Places in which no doubt is to be made there live at this day many Persons of most exemplary Austerity and strictness in this kind witness the Houses of the Carthusians the discalceate Carmelites the reformed Benedictins the Minims and the poor Clares of Saint Francis with many other Religious Orders both of Men and Women that never eat Flesh-meat Consider the four great Orders approv'd by the Church among them you will find the Holy Order of the Seraphical Father Saint Francis who was such a Lover of the Vertue of Sobriety that he very exactly observed Five Lents in the Year In the first he fasted forty days next after the â—piphany or Twelve days of Christmass His second Lent he fasted from the Feast of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Third Forty-days-Fast he kept from the Assumption until Michaelmass The Fourth was from the Feast of All Saints to the Nativity And the Fifth he observed Forty days before Easter according to the Institution of the Catholique Church Besides he Fasted all Frydays in the Year all Vigils Ember and Rogation days with diverse other particular days according to his own private Devotion Sect. 4. Sobriety of Great Monarchs and Ancient Philosophers We have declared in some measure the wonderful Sobriety and Abstinence which the Ancient Patriarchs and Prophets of old time the Apostles and their Successors the Ancient Fathers of the Church and other Devout People since Christs time have used who were all Christians in Name or Effect believing in the True God and unto whom the Living and True God had by Revelarion vouchsafed to make known his Holy Will Commandements and Law What shall we say of the Gentiles who knew not God had nothing but the Light and Law of Nature to instruct them Shall we find any such Vertue among them Doubtless we shall if we make search into the matter in point of Moral Vertue as this we are speaking of is we meet with many worthy Examples in the Gentiles History of Great Monarchs Kings Princes Ancient Philosophers who have excelled as in other so in this particular Vertue of Abstinence and Sobriety Most certain it is that the Kings of Egypt were by their Law forbidden Wine which they never drank but upon some eertain days and that by measure which they were not to exceed The Turks generally observe the same Prohibition being contain'd in their Alcaron though for the present I suppose their great ones may dispense with themselves herein Alexander the Great how intemperate and excessive soever his Ambition was and the desire to inlarge his Dominions yet in respect of Moderation in Meat and Drink his Practice is commendable He bore a great respect to the Ancient Philosophers and from their Instruction and Example had conceived such a Love to the Vertues of Temperance and Sobriety that it is reported of him that being in his Great Asian Expedition and Ada the Queen Caria to gain his Favour had sent him a great quantity of extraordinary Provision and many of her chief Cooks and Pastery-men to make it ready for him in the most curious and exquisite manner he return'd her answer That he had no need of Cocks for the small Dinner he used since one would serve his turn very well Cyrus that Great Monarch of the Persians from his Child-hood gave a notable Testimony how Sober and Temperate a Man he would be one day For being while he was yet very young demanded by Aslyages his Grand-Father Why he would drink no Wine He presently answered for fear
5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from thy whole heart with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind This is the greatest and the First Commandment and the second to it is Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum Matth. 22. 39. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self From which precepts we may absolutely say That Love is the onely end of our salvation and that God doth therefore save us that we may be perfected in love Nevertheless give me leave to tell you that this love must be to the utmost regulated that is performed with all due exactness both towards God our Neighbour and our selves for fear least otherwise in stead of making us agreeable to God and being advantageous to us it prove much prejudicial to our souls and render us difforme to him Since then we are bound so strictly to use and exercise Love in a right manner it behoveth us to hear what â—s said of the same that we may proceed in it accordingly The Master of the Sentences lib. 3. Distinct 28. doth not only confirm that we ought to love God above all things without exception but saith also that we are to love our selves that is to say the health of our souls and our neighbours as for my part I take his meaning to be and must confess that I never yet observed that God doth any where positively or in express terms command that Man should love himself as being naturally inclin'd and fully enough affected to do that as well in what is good or pleasing to his nature as also iâ— what is evil and prejudicial to his soul Therefore to know how far we may lawfully love our selves and our neighbours without being intangled with that Vice which is properly called Self-love will be the whole subject and matter for us to enquire of in this present Treatise SECT 2. Three several sorts of Love To the end that every man may know and likewise have strength and courage to perform all things well in order to please Almighty God in returning love for his love as also the better to with-draw himself from all sorts of Self-love that are evil I would have him consider and observe the Saying of a most learned Divine to wit the R. F. Bernardin de Siena who in one of his Sermons De Amore proprio privato telleth us That there are three several sorts of Loves the first whereof is lawful the second to be rejected but the third totally to be abhorred as being cause of the general destruction and ruin of Mankind Wherefore that every one may discern the one from the other and discover which are the most pernicious and to be avoided I will in few words declare and speak of them one by one In the first place there is a Love which is natural and reasonable This is lawful to be observed by every one This love appeareth when a person seeketh and desireth only that which is lawful good profitable and meet for him without prejudice to any other For seeing according to reason no man should have in hatred his own nature substance or being it is therefore lawful for him to procure all such things as are good and convenient for him and to dispose of them to his best advantage for the good of his soul We are also to love our Neighbour because the Law of Nature obligeth and commandeth us to do unto others that which we would desire should be done to our selves in like case Yet nevertheless we are to be vigilant and consider well how we do love our Neighbour to the end we may love him well and so as may be both for hiâ— and for our spiritual profit and that our love to God suffer no prejudice by it Now to declare the love we owe unto God there are many things requisite and to be observed since we are to love him above all things with all our understanding that is without any error contrary to what he hath revealed for our Belief with all our will that is without any opposition or contradiction to what he requireth of us with all our mind and memory that is without any oblivion or forgetfulness of him or of our duty towards him lastly with all our endeavour and power that is without all sloth or negligence in performing his holy Service Commandements Divine Counsels and Inspirations The second sort of Love before-mentioned which is to berejected may be said to be Venial Sin to wit when as we have said before the passion of Love over-reacheth the Rule of Reason as also when the order to be observed in the exercise and performance of Love is not punctually exactly kept and fulfilled As for example according to reason and the great obligation we have to Almighty God we are to love him above all things and we are onely to love our selves and our neighbours purely for the love of him and not for any other respect Yet sometimes yea very often experience shews that Self-love and proper will such is our frailty and weakness do exceed their limits and become more or less extravagant being carried with a desire not so sutable to reason and our obligation as it ought to be And although considering Divine Clemency it may well enough be thought that such extravagant or inordinate desires affections actions do not alwayes come to such a height as to be mortal sin and consequently may remain though not perfectly with Charity yet for this reason that is because they do render our Charity or Love to God less perfect then it should be all the Ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church do unanimously counsel and advise that all such Loves be rejected and totally avoided by all in general but more especially by those who tend to perfection and in order thereto have by Vow entred the state of a Religious Life And the reason hereof is because if men will voluntarily give way and suffer themselves to take pleasure in such inordinate desires affections loves of what kind soever they be they expose themselves and their souls to danger of falling most deeply and desperately into such spiritual Disease seeing the soul thereby grows every day more and more weak and faint in the love of God and inordinate Self-love grows so strong that in the end it becomes mortal and hardly capable of Cure As concerning the third and last sort of Love which we are to declare and speak of more at large in this present Treatise it is that which Divines call Mortal Self-love and Mortal Sin a thing even noisome and of the highest offence to God and more than all other evils whatsoever beside such as it self is hurtful and prejudicial to man For this Self-love is so immoderate and inordinate that it causeth men so to forget themselves that they undervalue even Almighty God and by consequence their own salvation Of this Self-love Saint Augustine telleth us that Satan hath built his great City of Babylon lib. 1.
brought to shore so expoâ—â—d to poverty and miseries that conâ—â—dering the matter well we may â—nclude and say that through Self-â—â—ve many chast Wedlocks are disturbâ—d many Poysons mingled producâ—â—g wicked effects that many Halâ—ers are put about the Necks of Self-â—â—vers many Swords drawn and â—any sad Tragedies begun in the night â—hat are ended at high-noon-day upon a Scaffold Oh how happy are thoâ— Souls which through the grace oâ— God are exempt and free from thâ— Vice of Self-lave which produceth sucâ— mischiefs and disasters in the world Let us therefore follow and use aâ— our endeavour to put in practice thâ— Wise Counsel of Solomon in thâ— Book of Ecclesiasticus Chap. 21. â— 2. As from the Face of a Serpent â—â— from sin fly from Self-love becausâ— as a Serpent comes slily upon us anâ— stingeth the Body so all sin anâ— consequently Self-love steals upon anâ— hurts the Soul SECT 4. The beginning and continuance of this pernicious Disease Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans giveth a true account of thiâ— old inveterate malady of our Souls saying Rom. 5. v. 12. Sicut per â—num hominem peccatum in hunc mundum intravit et per peccatum mors â—ta in omnes homines mors pertranâ—it in quo omnes peccaverunt As â—â— the Doctor of the Gentiles would â—ave said That sin which proceeds â—â—om Self-love as we have before â—emonstrated entred into this world â—rom the beginning and from the â—reation of the same by that sin of â—elf-love death passed unto all men â—n which they have all sinned for eâ—en in the Law of Nature sin was in â—he World from old and death did â—eign until Moses even on them that â—ad not actually sinn ed which is â—s much as to say that from Adam â—n the time of the Law of Nature â—here was sin in the world and â—hough in a manner they knew it not â—et this Spiritual Disease we speak of â—eigned even then as likewise in the â—ime of Moses when the Commandâ—ents or Law of God taught the conâ—rary to wit that God was displeasâ—d therewith and therefore men â—ught to avoid the same But by reason that all mankind were maculate with original sin they had no strengâ—â— of themselves-nor grace to be frâ—â— from Self-love So that thereupon sin did reign â—ver men and also death and damnaâ—tion by reason of Self-love Infant that did never actually offend beinâ— conceived and born in original sin were nevertheless lyable to death anâ— subject to all Spiritual Diseases anâ— to all the Maladies and Corruptions oâ— the Soul having their Nature defileâ— and destitute of Original Justice being averted from God by means of Adams transgression Christ only excepted who was conceived by thâ— Holy Ghost without the Seed of Man and his blessed Mother the Virgiâ— Mary who was preserved from contracting the guilt of original sin by special grace and the extraordinary perfection of God as many godly men judge but as for all the rest â—â— mankind they were born in a weak and sickly condition of Soul by reason of that sin ever since men were â—â—eated having been holden and torâ—ented by all sorts of Spiritual Diâ—â—empers even the most dangerous â—ost pestilent most violent and â—â—ntinual insomuch that by the â—â—me they were all subject to Satan â—â—d lyable to eternal sorrows they â—ere all made the Children of wrath â—e slaves of sin and every way most â—â—serable Yea these infectious â—â—seases came to such a height upon â—â—e whole race of mankind that â—â—e few only excepted they were â— swept away and perished in the â—â—neral Floud as is to be seen in â—enesis Chap. 7. v. 1 2. c. These most violent fits of sin and â—â—traordinary punishments for the â—â—me were not so soon passed over â—t many great pains and labours folâ—â—wed upon men and that for the â—ace of four hundred years together â—â—der the slavery of King Pharaoh â— the Land of Egypt after which â—â—ing delivered and freed from that cruel bondage they were soon afteâ— visited and afflicted with other grievous calamities and miseries for the space of more than Threescore Yeaâ— together to wit in the Babyloniâ— Captivity where the Royal Propheâ—â— David by the Spirit of Prophecy describes them lamenting and be moaning themselves Psalm 136. â— 1. Super flumina Babylonis illiâ— sedimus flevimus c. Vpoâ— the Rivers of Babylon there it wâ— that we sale and bewailed the aâ—flicted estate of Sion They could noâ— refrain to mourn remembring thâ— great calamities which for their siâ— God had brought even upon his owâ— Sanctuary How many other Feaverâ— sometimes continual sometimes intermitting how many heats of burning torments and pain how manâ— cold fits of desolation and want have men at several times been subject unto and made to undergo upoâ— this account Have we not heard â—â— those surprizes of sudden destructioâ— which came upon the people of Sodom â—nd Gomorrah and all the adjacent â—ountries when they were wholly â—onsumed by Fire as it is described â—en 19 v. 24. Do we not read also â—ow in the time of Elias the Prophet â—â—d at his Prayers Fire came down â—om Heaven and consumed those unâ—â—dly wretches that were sent to apâ—â—ehend him 4 Reg. 1. v. 10. How â—any cold and comfortless long fits of â—mine Pestilence and Mortality â—ere others exercised and plagued â—ith for their sinnes the Heavens â—ing so shut that it rained not for â—any years together and the earth â— parched with drought that it yieldâ—â— no water and people forced thereâ—â— in a languishing and perishing â—â—ndition to wander up and down â—â—king water to drink and finding â—e as we read Hierem. 14. 1 2 3. â— and in many other places of holy â—ipture In the sacred Gospel of Saint John â—hap 5. v. 5. we read of a man that had been diseased in body thâ— space of Thirty Eight Years in Hierusalem and had for a long time waâ—â—ed the stirring of the water there bâ— which an Angel from Heaven curâ— those which first came into the watâ—â— after the stirring of whatsoever â—â—sease they had This poor man hâ—â— lain there expecting his cure eigâ—â— and thirty years together being â—â— reason of his great weakness continâ—ally prevented by some other boâ—â— that stepped into the water befoâ—â— him and therefore deserved at lengâ—â— to be pittied by our Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— and cured by his Almighty Word aâ— Command But alass How muâ—â— more was the whole universal woâ—â— all mankind to be mourned for aâ— compassionated which had lain lâ—guishing not only the space of Thiâ— Eight Years but ever since the Crâ—â—tion of Adam that is by the accoâ—â—â— of some more than Five Thousâ—â—â— Six Hundred and Twenty Years â—â—ing all that time infected and contiâ—â—â—ly vexed with the feavor of original â—â— which lay upon all and every one â—â—d with a Thousand other actual diâ—â—empers maladies and diseases of the â—â—ul which held and afflicted parâ—â—cular persons some in one kind â—â—me
in another As for Example â—ow many distempers of wilful igâ—â—rance and errour in the mind How â—any ulcers of envy and malice in â—e will How many fallings and ofâ—â—nces happened through frailty of conâ—â—piscences It would be endless to â—â—ckon all the Infirmities and Lanâ—â—ishings of Soul that lay upon and â—pressed mankind in such a manner â— was even incurable before the comâ—â—g of Christ and till he came to â—ply his Grace and the Merits of â—s Death and Passion for their Cure â—aving after him the Balsome of the â—â—craments to that end as namely â—e Water of Holy Baptism for the â—ashing away that foul stain of Oriâ—â—nal sin in every one and of all aâ—â—ual sin committed before Baptism in such as were rightly Baptized aâ—â— the other Sacraments especially thâ— Holy Eucharist and Pennance for thâ— healing of all actual wounds maâ— in the Soul by sin committed aftâ—â— Baptism Insomuch that before tâ—â— coming of Christ and also since â—â— all those that are through sin deprivâ— of the merits of his passion and â—â— those two Sacramental Antidotes â—bove-mentioned it may be rightâ— said even now at this present whâ— the Prophet Isaias of old said of tâ—â— Israelites Omne caput languiduâ— et omne cor moerens a planta peâ— usque ad verticem non est in eo sanitâ— Isa 5. v. 5. Every Head is sâ—â— and every Heart in heaviness frâ—â— the Sole of the Foot even to the Croâ— of the Head there is no Health â—â— Soundness All their Kings all thâ— Princes all their Priests Prophâ—â— and People were Soul-sick all â— them from the highest to the loweâ— languished through ingratitude aâ— other innumerable iniquities commâ—â—â—ed against God there was none of â—hem of what condition soever but â—ad defiled themselves by sin had corrupted their wayes and were subject to many spiritual imperfections and that which rendred their condition most deplorable and despeâ—ate was as it follows in the Prophet Ibid. because that Vulnus liâ—vor plaga tumens c. their Wounds and Bruises and Putrified Swelling Sores which sin had bred in them were not bound up by the Care and Skill of any Spiritual Physician They would not repent of their sins they would do no Pennance they would hearken to no good Counsel the Holy Oyl which should have mollified their hard hearts and brought health unto them infine they would make no use of any of those Remedies which were prescribed for recovery of their Spiritual Health and for the staying of further judgments whence the Prophet adds in the same place v. 7 9. Therefore is your Land still desolate your Cities burâ— with Fire Et nisi dominus exercâ— tuum reliquisset nobis semen c. Vâ—less the Lord of Hosts had left us â— Seed we should have been ere now â— Sodom and been like unto Gomorrah â— but blessed be God who of his infâ—nite mercy doth still preserve somâ— good and holy people in the World that his Church may never fail SECT 5. How this pernicious Disease of Selâ—-love corrupeth also all Vertuâ— and good Actions The Exercise and practice of Vertues is observed and done diversâ— wayes and therefore Plotinus thâ— Philosopher distinguishes the rational Vertues of the Soul in two generâ—â— kinds making some meerly morâ— or civil to wit such as polish anâ— adorn the manners and outward conversation others he make purgativâ— of the Minde Spirit and Understandâ—â—g of Men from errours perverse â—udgments and opinions Those of the â—â—rst sort are not so absolute Vertues â—s those of the second are by which â—e are after a sort made to the likeâ—ess of God All the Vertues that are â—ertues indeed are purgative Oâ—â—ers distinguish the same Vertues inâ—â— imperfect and perfect supposing â—â—at such division serves better for the â—eclaration of their several natures â—ut it comes much to one and the â—â—me For under those which they â—le imperfect they include all those â—hich others call moral or civil and â—arce any other for those which â—â—ey call natural and humane are â—ally moral vertues and pertain to â—e polishing of the civil life not â—â—rightly indeed stiled and accounted â—â—perfect seeing that if they do not â—â—oceed from Self-love as very ofâ—â—n they do yet they are alwayes â—â—nsistent with it and tend only to â—â—me worldly object Others they call perfect because they perfect us iâ— order to God having God for theâ— principal object and end and makinâ— us pure and holy after our propâ—â— measure and degree in his sight which are all by another name righâ—ly called purgative because they purgâ— and cleanse our Souls of those Vices which bar our sight of God and maâ—â— us seem unpleasing to him In furthâ—â— Confirmation of what has been saiâ— we are to know it is the general opâ—nion of Divines That Vertues of tâ—â— first sort to wit those we call Nâ—tural Civil and Moral considerâ—â— in themselves alone or in their owâ— Nature are of no effect nor esteeâ— with God as being imperfect aâ— practiced by a certain instinct aâ— inclination of nature whereto â—â— the most part Self-love and private iâ—terest or at the best humane râ—â—son and prudence that is world wisdom carries us As for Exampâ—â— How exactly do many men yea â— wise and well grounded persons oâ—serve the Civil and Temporal Laws â— the Land The cause is they â—ar to do otherwise reflecting upon â—e penalties and punishments inflictâ— upon transgressors How many â—omen live chast and contain themâ—â—lves in the bounds of Wedlock not â— much minding to fulfil Gods Comâ—andment or to be chast continent â—r Gods sake but meerly for the â—ame and ignominy which they apâ—rehend would follow and happen to â—â—em should they abandon themâ—â—lves to sin and to an unlawful liâ—erty in that kind How many exâ—rcise patience not for the Love of â—ertue but for fear either to disturb â—hemselves to little purpose or to disâ—lease the party that gives the occaâ—â—on Morover How many are there to â—e found in the world that seem to â—ove their Friends their Kindred and â—elations that seem most dutiful and â—bservant to their Parents as in duâ—y all are obliged to be and yet how often is it likewise found that all â—â— most of these observances dutifulness complacency proceed meetly from Self-love and not out of thâ— Love of God or from any principle â—â— true Piety Love Duty c. Wâ— fear that if we should not seem loving dutiful kind c. we shoulâ— lose the good-will of others wâ— should be deprived of some great estate great fortune or great hopes anâ— thus it is for interest only and for oâ—â— own ends for the most part that wâ— are dutiful and observant towards Pâ—rents As much may be said of mâ—ny that make great shew of affectâ—on and of great Love to those of an â—ther Sex it may be feared such kinâ—nesses and courtships carry with theâ— much abuse and corruption and thâ— if the chief object or end be not lust â—â— some
becomes not thereupon more or less sad idle remiss and negligent in Gods service Wherefore if we desire to be victorious and to gain a full Conquest over all our Ghostly Enemies and all Ghostly impediments defects infirmities whatsoever let us be willing to receive all sorts of Humiliations from Gods hand and from the hands of men Let us even rejoyce and be glad whensoever we find our selves vilified and undervalued by men and whensoever we are destituted of Consolations Let us rejoyce to submit our selves not only to our chief Prelates and Superiours but also to our Equals and Inferiours following therein the example of Christ our Lord who submitted himself to such and so low as to become obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Philip. 2. v. 8. Sect. 3. By overcoming our selves and sensual Appetites You have heard of old that the life of man is a continual warfare upon Earth as the holy Job testifies in his Book Chap. 7. v. 1. saying Militia est vita hominis super terram c. We cannot live in any place or in any condition or state whatsoever without continual opposition and repugnancy we must be always fighting and consequently always in trouble and danger never secure of our selves never at perfect rest never in perfect peace and a great reason hereof is that wheresoever we go we carry in our selves and in our own bosom our Enemy who never ceases to oppugn and hinder us especially in our spiritual proceedings This S. Paul clearly insinuates 2 Cor. 4. v. 16. where he speaks of a twofold man dwelling in every one of us to wit our selves and this our Enemy saying Licet is qui for is est noster homo corrumpitur tamen qui intus est renovatur de die in diem Although that our man which is without us doth corrupt and perish by little and little yet that which is within us is renewed day by day By which expression the man without us signifies our Body together with its naturâ— Affections Concupiscences and Lusts which die or ought to die and decay in us every day and the maâ— within us our Soul or interiour Spirit with its faculties and graces which should proportionably live be renewed and every day gather more and more strength in us These two Men or parts of Man are so fast chained and joyn'd together that the one cannot be without the other and yet are so opposite and contrary the one to the other that the life of the one is the death of the other Between these two Men all the Contradictions Contentions and Opposition incident to our life are tried for which cause the Apostle attributes to them several names by which they may be distinguished the one from the other for that end calling one of them the Spirit the other Flesh the one Body the other Soul one of them the Law of the Mind Spirit Soul c. the other the Law of Bodily Members One he calls the Old Man the other he calls the New and finally as here one the Exteriour or outward Man the other the Interiour or inward all which several names do serve very properly to represent to us the several and peculiar natures properties and inclinations of these two men and that we ought to obey and follow the inclinations of the one but to reject the motions and resist the inclinations of the other following herein the Counsel of the same Blessed Apostle which he gives Galat 5. v. 16. Dico aut em vobis Spiritu ambulate desideria carnis non perficietis I say unto you to all you that desire to be happy walk in the Spirit and the lusts of the Flesh you shall not fulfil Where we see that obedience to the Spirit and its motions is commanded but the motions that is the lusts of the Flesh we must not fulfil And again Rom. 8. 13. If you walk according to the Flesh you shall die but if by the Spirit you mortifie the deeds of the Flesh you shall live It is required of us that we mortifie and overcome the Flesh by the Spirit and for as much as the Flesh rebelleth so much and so often against the Spirit the Spirit must be encouraged by all the good means we can use against the Flesh and the sensual motions thereof So that the only way for a Christian to obtain tranquility and perfect peace is to be continually fighting with this Enemy We must seek our Peace in Wars our Life in Death that is in dying to sin that we may live to God and finally our greatest liberty in servitude for if we be the servants of God and of Righteousness we shall be free from the slavery of sin and wickedness which is the best liberty of all The great courage liberty and power of a vertuous Man sheweth it self best in overcoming himself and his passions To subdue and make subject the sensual appetites of the Flesh to the Spirit is the work of a great and heroick mind as on the contrary to follow and obey them overmuch speaks a great tepidity and weakness of heart In this kind of Combate 't is no disgrace to flie and run away but rather 't is the best art of fighting for by flying and running away we are sure to gain the victory neither does any thing more discourage vex trouble and mortifie our adversary than to know that we dare not encounter we dare not come up to him By flying from the World we avoid the snares of the World by flying from the Flesh we escape the temptations of the Flesh and by flying and running from our selves we make void and of no effect all private affections all private and proper interests that may be hurtful unto us and all the private designs of Self-love So that by flying we conquer the World the Flesh the Devil our wicked selves also and all We lead captive all evil inclinations whatsoever and so pacifie and quiet our exteriour or outward Man as that we make the interiour or inward Man to reign and rule in us in much peace gaining thereby a more glorious and illustrious triumph than if we had vanquished whole armies and subdued the mightiest Kingdoms of the whole World Josue by flying and running away from the City of Hay Jos 8. 15. obtain'd a great victory over his enemies and subdued that City which but a little before had put the whole Army of Israel to flight So if you will conquer and subdue to Reason all your unreasonable and disorderly appetites the only way is to flie from them not to attend to them nor hearken to any thing they suggest The same is to be said of your fighting and contending with the world and your selves to get the victory over them you must flie you must renounce the world and deny your selves the world and all its glory magnificencâ— or vain pomp riches honours pleasures c. Your selves and all your private concupiscences lusts designs Can you
in the Law and more will to do Justice and Judge according to Equity in all Causes than his Father saying thus 2 Reg. 15. v. 4. Quis me constituat judicem c. O that some Body would make me Judge over the Land that all might come to me me that have any Law-business and I might to do them Justice seeing there is none appointed by the King to do it Thus he insinuated himself into the affections of the People and by little and little stole away their hearts from his Father insomuch that afterwards he openly rebelled raising an Army against his own Father and to make himself irreconcileably odious abusing his Fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel Chap. 16. 2. This was his Sin but he prospered not long in it For in the first Battle that he Fought against his Father his Army was overthrown and himself in great confusion flying from his Pursuers was in a Woody Place caught by the Hair of his Head in the thick Boughs of a Tree and his Mule going from under him was there hang'd alive between Heaven and Earth by the Bushy Hair of his Head till Joab the General of the King His Fathers Army finding him thrust him with three Arrows to the Heart and so he perished Thus Genes 39. 19. we read of the Sons of Jacob how they envied and bore ill-will to their Brother Joseph because his Father loved him and because that he happened upon a time innocently and without intending any harm or offence to them in his Fathers hearing to tell them certain Dreams he had had whereof they making an ill construction conceived so much hatred and ill will against him that they resolved to kill him outright saying to themselves at the sight of him Behold the Dreamer comes yonder let us put him to Death and then it will appear what his Dreams profit him But being prevented of this evil purpose Almighty God having otherwise decreed concerning him they finally sold him to the Ishmaelites who carried him down into Egypt But for this their wickedness and unkind usage of their Brother many afflictions came upon them with sorrows and distresses to their Families which forced them after some years through extremity and great want of necessaries to go themselves down into Egypt to buy Corn where necessity constrain'd them to humble themselves with all submission before their Brother Joseph though they knew it not and to adore him in the Person of the Governour of that Land until he was pleased to make himself known to them and to forgive them the injury that they had done him All which may be read more at large Genes chap. 37. 42 43 44 c. So true it is that to despise or be unnaturally unkind to those of our own Blood or near Relation is a cursed thing and ever attended first or last with due vengeance from God Sect. 3. Malediction upon those that Contemn their Kings and Princes Kings are the Common Fathers of their Countries and of the People that live under their Dominion and therefore even by the Law of Nature and Common Humanity deserve that their Persons should be had in all due Regard and Honour and their Commands Obeyed how much more when the Law of God seconds the Law of Nature and imposes a further Obligation upon us as it doth in very express manner Fear God and Honour the King saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. v. 17. My Son Fear God and the King saith Solomot Prov. 24. v. 21. cum detractoribus non commiscearis Meddle not with those that detract from him that speak irreverently and undutifully of him we must have nothing to do with such Do I say we must not speak evil of them that we must refrain our Tongues and not vilifie them with unseemly and contumelious Words That 's not all We must not so much as think ill of them In cogitatione tua ne detrahas regi We must not detract from him no not in our thought and if we do we do it at our Peril God who is the Great Guardian of Kings and solicitous for their Honour no less than his own will find a means to bring thy ill thoughts to light and thy self to condign punishment Aves coeli portabunt vocem tuam c. rather than fail The Birds of Heaven shall betray thy wicked mind and that which hath wings shall tell what thou sayest And yet notwithstanding that the wisdom of God doth take such order and provides so well for the Honour of his Vicegerents Deputies and Lieutenants upon Earth such as all Kings are yet how great is the number of Detractors how frequent and bold are they that dare despise Kings and detract from them not in thoughts only and the secret imaginations of their evil hearts but in open words proclaiming as it were their contempt and disaffection at once yea even their own Domestiques oft-times are found most injurious and blameable in this kind Witness the practice of that petulant Michol Wife to King David but a Daughter of Saul of whom in the Book of Kings Chap. 6. the Scripture makes mention that when King David her Husband with all the People of Israel brought up thâ— Ark of the Lord to Hierusalem with Shouting and Sound of Trompet in great Solemnity and that the King out of Devotion and Joy Danced before it girded with a Linnen Ephod she looking thorow a Window and seeing him despised him in her heart for so doing and when he was returning home to his own House she had the boldness to meet him and profess her contempt and despising of him in these scornful words Quam gloriosus fuit hodie Rex Israel c. Oh how Glorious was the King of Israel to day how well did he behave himself being uncovered and as it were naked in the eyes or before so many Handmaids of his Servants even as some Ribauld or Vain Fellow would uncover himself For which the King rebuked her in such manner as was most meet saying unto her Ante Dominum qui me elegit c. It was before the Lord and in honour to him that I thus appeared who chose me before thy Father to be King and to Rule over the Lords People and for this reason I will not forbear to Dance before the Lord and if this be to be vile I will be more vile in my own Eyes and of the Handmaids of which you speak I shall be had in more Honour And though the Kings reproof went no farther than this yet God was so displeased at what she had done that he permitted not that any Children should be born of her to her dying day She both liv'd and dyed under the Malediction of a Barren Womb esteem'd not without cause by all the People of the Jews a great infelicity Another Example of disrespect shewn to Kings in the Person of this good King David we read in the First Book of Kings Chap. 5. where it is