being taken out of Mans heart a false god with a new law placed in their stead what shall become of such a wicked and corrupted thing Can a Creator quietly see himselfe robbed of his creature Can hee without indignation and iealousie behold an Idoll set vp in his roome or can hee contentedly looke on Pollution sitting on the face of that soule wherein before with pleasure he beheld his own resemblance No but much rather it is fit that a Creature thus running away from his Maker should be branded with a curse for a Vagabond that the new pride and godhead of the flesh should bee battered abased that this wry and false estate of Man should haue no long continuance but that this stolne and corrupt happines should soone be dissolued by reall miserie Accordingly God calls his sinfull Creatures to an account and hauing conuicted them by a confession of their own extorted from them by necessarie and infallible consequences of transgression on the Woman he imposeth a yoke of subiection euen to be subiect to the Husband whom shee tempted to sinne Hee also fastneth vnto her such an heauie paine of child-birth that to this day it witnesseth of it selfe that it is the stroke of an offended Deitie Surely as the bitter fruit of Lust it punisheth the fault of his owne roote and it is most iustly tyed to the Generation to which Mans fall had before tyed Pollution But neither may the Man passe away safe with his new purchase of false happinesse but the swelling of his pride must bee pricked and vented Though the Woman gaue him the fruit it was not the giuing but the eating that defiled him Therefore to Man is the earth cursed that it shall not traffike her fruit but for the sweat of his browes The new godhead is taken downe for it must either starue or labour and hee who might haue beene serued by a voluntary contribution of the Creatures and might haue beene next vnto God ouer them now by stepping vp into Gods place is cast into a slauerie vnto the Creatures and his life is a continuall seeking of them This great Earth hath a great curse of barrennesse or a barren fruitfulnes of thorns and bryers yea from the little Earth which is man shall spring the thornes of cares the bryers of feares and sorrowes which pricke and teare and torment the heart that beareth them The brute Creatures being freed from their naturall allegeance shall henceforth yeeld vnto Man an obedience forced or artificiall The enmitie of the wicked angels shall cōtinually persecute the mankind which they haue deceiued And finally Man being driuen from the diuine Sacrament of the Tree of Life his body shall be subiect to infirmitie and diseases and at last by death shall melt into dust from whence it was taken and his soule now darkened with Concupiscence shall be driuen into the darknes of the absence and wrath of God which is the second and most fearfull death Thus is vengeance taken on disobedience thus is the new pride crushed and taken downe the false gods being turned into most miserable men true miserie being applyed as a corrosiue to false felicitie Man shall not much inioy his iniquitie for it is either turned into bitternesse or vanitie it shall not please or it shall not last but the miserie following it shall last for euer Man is wholly deceiued by the Tempter God who is lost is Mans true happinesse and the outward and worldly obiects which Lust turnes into Idols and false gods in the heart of Man are by God turned into cursednes And this curse is so fastned that if Man goe about to repaire it himselfe shall be swallowed of it and become a prey to that which he would haue destroyed For Man is taken and inclosed with the wrath of the Almightie as a wilde Bull in a net or toyle and wrestling cannot free him it may more intangle him And now assemble your selues together all yee Philosophers and Wizzards behold Man thus dressed vp in corruption and miserie and heale him if you haue any Medicine equiualent to his Disease The truth is you haue taken great paines to make something of this wretched Nothing called Man you would faine haue restored him to the vse of reason the ancient Image of his Maker You would haue fitted an happinesse for him as Vertue Pleasure or some such fantasie and imagination And that Man might the more heartily apply himselfe to your deuised happinesse and soueraigne good by obscure gropings you haue discouered in Man a deceitfull knowledge of good and euill and from this you would haue freed him by shewing him what was truly good and truly euill But the whiles yee are all miserable comforters and all Phisicians of no value Man is really cursed and he cannot be verbally healed Be your words neuer so sweet and sententious yet Man is still corrupt and cursed in his very ground worke and foundation you haue no fit expiation for a guilt of so high a nature neither haue yee an expurgation of so foule a corruption Indeede your charmes may with their plesantnes bring mans corruption into short slumbers but it awaketh est-soones and rageth as before yea it neuer ceaseth a continuall opposition or auersion from and against the Creator Surely the roote of this corruption lies fastned in the grounds of Nature and Philosophie cannot pull it vp but it must only bee cured by the hand of the first Creator Therefore behold your folly you put restoratiues and those not true but fained into the mouth of a dead man and then yee set him on his feete to see whether he will stand or walke But loe hee is not raised aboue his wretched being in spight of your Spels he falleth downe into his true Station of vanitie miserie and death The hand of a Gyant hath bound him the voice of a child can neuer loose him CHAP. III. How Man is restored to happinesse WHat shall then bee done for this vnhappy and wretched thing we find no Balme on earth nor phisike among the sonnes of men Miserie hath seized on this world and miserie is far from being able to cure miserie neither may it be both a disease and a medicine What remaines then but that our eyes are inforced to lift vp themselues aboue the world to seeke a Sauiour where they found a Creator The goodnesse and power of him which created are onely able to restore but how canst thou expect goodnesse O rebellious Man of a God for saken disobeyed and prouoked to wrath yea if thou couldest hope against hope yet how mayest thou conceiue that the decree of GODS Iustice concerning thy death shall be fulfilled yet death by thee should be auoyded Shall God be true then how canst thou not die Shalt thou not die then how is Gods sentence to be fulfilled which hath pronounced that thou shalt die Surely thou couldest not thinke a remedie to be likely or possible and
Fountayne of goodnesse the Way to felicitie yea Felicitie it self The Manhood vnited to the Godhead is the Dore of happinesse and the Godhead vnited to the Manhood is Happinesse it selfe The life which in Paradise might haue beene receiued from the Tree of Life is now to bee receiued from that Manhood which is the Bread of Life And hee in whom is the Sabbath will now leade vs vnto the Sabbath which is in himselfe CHAP. IIII. The particular fitnesse of Mans restoring How it freeth him from miserie and in all points possesseth him of happinesse IT hath appeared how Man exchanged that which was his true felicitie but seemed not to be so for that which seemed to bee true felicitie but was indeed true misery Now let vs see againe how he can exchange his miserie for felicitie or rather how God doth it for him For God-in-Man our blessed Restorer hath done all things that may bee required for exchanging wretchednesse into blessednes and whatsoeuer God hath done is most fit yea necessarie for such an exchange To find the perfectnesse of our restauration in some measure let vs consider the miserie which we haue gotten and the excellence and happinesse which wee haue lost In our miserie we may with chiefest sorrow behold a roote of sinne an issue of corruption which being vgly it selfe begets also many sins vgly like it selfe and so altogether they prouoke the wrath and detestation of a pure GOD whereon attend all plagues temporall and eternal Man is the slaue of Wickednesse and Wickednes is the slaue of Iustice Wickednesse commands Man to offend Iustice commands Wickednesse to bee punished Here is the foundation of diseases famines pestilence heart-breaking cares and sorrowes the temporall death of the body and the thousand times more fearefull eternall death both of body and soule For Man being become a Nurserie of wickednesse wickednesse becomes the fuell of wretchednesse And as all these reall and positiue distresses afflict most miserable Man so hath he certayne priuations and absences of that excellence and happinesse wherein and whereunto he was created Hee hath lost the abilitie of doing the dutie of his Creation he hath lost the end and glorie of that duetie For hee hath lost obedience to God and he hath lost the Crowne of that obedience eternal fruition of God his soueraigne felicitie And now when the sore of mankinde was growne to this vastnesse that the whole world could not fit it with an equall plaister GOD who onely made Nature and can onely restore parts of Nature which are cut off and destroyed by his owne right hand and holy arme got himselfe the victorie ouer our miserie God doth put himselfe into the recouerie of mankind and if God be on our side Who can bee against vs for hee that will be against vs must needs be a Creature and therefore inferiour to him who made all things God being vnited to Man hath in himself an infinite store-house of blessednesse infinitely exceeding our miserie and whatsoeuer hee will blesse shall be blessed This blessednesse God imparts vnto Man either by turning bitternesse into sweetnesse euill into good or by taking away the bitter euill and putting the good sweetnes in the stead thereof And first toward the perfecting of this cure God in our Sauiour strikes at the roote of our miserie Sinne is the foundation of miserie our being against God who is holinesse sets God who is also happinesse against vs and after this we neede not to looke for any farther cause of wretchednes Neither is it a sufficient cure to heale vs of our old guilt of sinnes past because we still incurre a new by running into new sinnes because sin by lust hath dominion ouer vs. Therefore the chaines of this slauery vnto sinne must bee broken a sunder as well as the guilt of former sinnes purged Man being cleared from obligation vnto punishment must also be freed from obedience and obligation vnto that which obligeth vnto punishment This therefore our Sauiour vndertaketh and by a most precious Death and Passion satisfies the Iustice of GOD offended with our sinnes and after in a glorious Resurrection ray seth himselfe to a new life free from sinne which tooke away his former life and this free life by the spirit of libertie hee bestoweth on his members thereby discharging them from the slauerie of sinne and consequently of death the effect of sinne And that the Iustice of God might not yet complaine that though the breaches of the Law were satisfied yet the obedience vnto the Law was not fulfilled which was a yoke imposed on mankind by the Iustice of God in the Creation Therefore hee who freeth vs from the guilt of sinne and from the slauerie of sinne performeth also for vs a righteousnesse perfect without sinne that so the Law might clayme nothing of Man which by Man was not acquitted And this Righteousnesse as hee performed through his whole life so in that one action of his Passion he fulfilled a whole and intire Righteousnesse euen the length and breadth of the Law while for the loue of God and Man which is the substance of the Law he laid downe his life euen for the glory of God and the felicitie of Man Neither let the large communicablenes of this his absolute satisfying and bounding of the Law and Iustice of God be questioned much lesse censured by Mans foolish knowledge of good and euill for he who made this satisfaction is equiualent yea infinitely preualent to all mankinde his person is of more dignitie then all our persons and as an ordinarie King is more worth then a thousand of his subiects so this King of Kings is more worth then all the thousands of vs his Creatures And as his Person by reason of the Deitie is of such excellence so are also his actions euen of greater worth then if mankind had ioyned in the performance of them For according to the worth of the person is the worth of the action Now the person of Christ must surmount all creatures in dignitie for the worth of all Creatures floweth from the worth of Christ and the worth that giues worth must needes bee more then the worth giuen But if it be confessed that there is in Christ a sufficient worthinesse but there remaines a doubt how this may bee giuen to another It is answered that vnion makes a communitie the things of persons vnited are common to both by being one If a King marry the daughter of a meane person yet by the vnion of marriage his royaltie is cōmunicated to her by which though before a begger shee must of force become a Queene And now Man being freed from the burden of the Law and from the sinne and sinfulnesse which did sting vs by the Law the punishments which did before attend vpon sinne eyther altogether fall away or cease to be punishments Eternall death is a thing that cannot be made good no more then Darknesse can bee made Light
miserie but not to this end onely to terrifie thee but that by terrifying it may make thee runne a-pace from miserie to felicitie Wherefore take courage and come with mee profitably to behold the countenance of miserie which as heretofore hath beene mentioned presents it selfe in a double aspect the miserie of corruption and the miserie of punishment inflicted on this corruption To discouer thy corruption thou shalt finde a strict and seuere Law the Counter-pane whereof is placed in thine owne heart and when thou comparest thy actions with this Law thou canst not choose but say thou art a Creature falne from the dutie of thy Creation for ill doe thy actions become him whom the Creator hath appointed to bee his seruant and the Lord of the World Now if thy deedes bee so vnrighteous in the sight of thy Maker how must not that highest Lord be displeased exceedingly with these lower Lords when hee seeth his perfection and Iustice crossed and contraryed with their imperfection iniustice when hee seeth his Creatures hyred by so many inestimable benefits only to doe him the seruice of Righteousnesse which is a thing of it selfe to bee loued to renounce their allegeance yea to rebell against their Creator with a course of opposition and to loue wickednesse more then a bountifull God commanding Righteousnesse Surely the wrath of the Almightie must needes smoke against such Traytors and rebellious Runnagates And if the Lyon rore how shall not the Beasts of the Forrests bee afraid Hence therefore the miserie of our corruption leades vs to the consideration of the miserie of punishment And that there is such a connexion betweene sinne punishment reason experience Gods owne Word do teach vs. Reason tells vs that hee who hath brought this great frame to an vnitie consisting of disagreeing parts by proportiō weight and measure is himselfe a God of Wisedome Order and Proportion And if he bee such hee must needes expect that Creatures of Reason Vnderstanding should also obserue Order Iustice and Righteousnesse For to say the truth as by this harmonie the Word was founded so by the same is it still preserued But if these Creatures which haue in them a power of resembling pleasing their Maker crosse him with a crosse of contrarie actions it must needes be expected that the Lord being crossed by his seruants in disobedience must also crosse them in punishment and being mightily inraged hee will returne the malice of their owne works on their owne heads Now wee know as the person is so is his wrath and as the wrath is so is the punishment An infinite person an infinite Wrath and an infinite punishment The very instincts of decayed Nature haue inspired the acknowledgement hereof into the terrifyed hearts of guiltie selfe-accusing Heathens who not knowing God but by the knowledge of nature yet because of their wicked liues vpon the hearing of thunder and tempests haue feared and shunned the furie of an Omnipotent Iustice. But now I shall little need to tell thee what experience hath already taught thee For I doubt not but to most that consider the life of Man it hath appeared that the mayne course of humane life is a connexion or succession of vnrighteousnesse and wretchednesse Man liueth as out of the sight of his Maker and Man liueth as out of the cherishing and fostering of his Maker being generally thrust out vnto a warre against brambles and bryers against the barrennesse and staruednesse of a cursed earth which he must resist and ouer-come with the sweat of his browes Yea each man eateth other men though not with the teeth of the body yet with the iawes of a fraudulent ouer-reaching and violent soule And yet there are further miseries wayting vpon Mischiefe for besides visible and palpable examples of sudden iustice executed and sent from heauen vpon diuers eminent and outragious crimes wee see in generall that this sinfull life at the best is but wise vanitie pleasant vanitie or glorious vanitie and at the worst vexation of spirit vexation of body losse of goods and losse of friends Yea Man is but a piece of reasonable miserie He hath reason to fore-see miserie and so to take it to his hart when reason cannot preuent it reason to fore-see death but not to auoid it For as sure as wickednesse is present so sure shal death be present for death and sinne wee see daily are in euery Man vnseparable Now the combining of sin and miserie in this bodily life for this life concernes the body most the soule least and so doth the misery of this life points our expectation to another life euen that there shall bee a pursuit of punishment after sinne in that life which is most proper to the soule that then the bodily miseries of this life shall bee seconded with spirituall torments But if we leaue these darker characters of reason and experience and come to diuine Reuelations there wee may reade running the fall and miserie of Man And these before are described out of the same holy Writings but here again they must be considered by the Learner of the doctrine of happinesse that by the full search and tenting of his miserie his miserie may be cured Briefly therefore to speake what hath beene spoken hee shall finde in Gods Word that wickednesse and sinne is the transgression of the Law that the Law being transgressed and offended is the ministerie of death That this death is both of soule and body in an eternall darkenesse absence from God who is Light yea in an eternall suffering of the fire of the wrath of God For Gods wrath is a Worme a Fire euer feeding on the tormented soules and bodies of disobedient wicked and sinfull men And now when thou hast found thy selfe a sinner and findest also the terror wrath of God against sinners I know thou canst not chuse but thinke thy selfe awhile the child of death and thy estate fearefull Thou wilt cry Wo is mee a man of sorrow and Wretched man that I am and call thy body a body of death But as I told thee before this terror is but thy way and not thy wayes end It is but thy entrance into happinesse yea it is thy aduancement vnto happinesse For the burthen of thy miserie will moue thee to seeke for one to ease and refresh thee The bitternes of thy wretchednesse will make thee more comfortably to rellish the sweetnesse of a Sauiour and the fearefulnesse of the Valley of death will make thee more stedfastly to list vp thy eies to the Hil of God from whence commeth thy saluation And surely this fruit of Humilitie doth God expect before he will exalt Hee will haue vs confesse our miserie to be fearefull and desperate in it selfe he will haue vs to feele it to bee a burthen intolerable we must tell him in wordes and deedes that we are weary and ouer-heauy laden and then is it for his glorie to helpe
for them while they bee here nor whether there be any other place for them when they depart hence These for the most part doe what they see done or what their owne lusts will haue done and so hauing spent their time according to Custome and Concupiscence they liue to no purpose and die to no end for ought they know A second sort is of them That thinke there is a happinesse and a way to it and which is more they thinke they haue it yet all the while they goe without it euen for this reason because they thinke they haue it For not hauing it by their beliefe that they haue it they cease from seeking and so from finding of that which may only be found by seeking A third sort is of such as thinke it enough to come within the reach of happinesse but care not much to fasten it or to increase it but please themselues in looking on it or onely in a little taste of it It is good to be happy they thinke but it is not good to be too happy and therefore they will gladly trafficke some superstuous happi nesse for a little folly and vanitie To all these which are almost all are the chiefe parts of this Treatise directed as Nayles to driue out Nayles euen rules of Light and Blisse to driue out the vsuall and receiued rules of darknesse and miserie and to stand fast in their roome Of these and the like directions let wretched and ignorant mankinde lay hold as vpon Boords Masts in this great shipwracke of Nature Let them by such helps lift vp their heads aboue the element of Basenesse and Vanitie wherein the sonnes of corrupted and degenerate Nature like Fishes doe swim and liue and die And let them mount vp into that higher Region wherein onely true and very Men are to bee found the rest being but the resemblances of Men and in substance the true Companions of brute and vnreasonable Creatures A Seeker of Happinesse for himselfe and thee F. Rovs THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The first Part. Which is a search of Mans Happinesse CHAP. I. That the Seeker of Happinesse must propose an End and it must be the best End WHosoeuer will better and aduance himself which is naturally euery mans desire he must finde out and propose to himselfe an End which is good and toward this End must so striue that hee may continually draw neerer to it vntill hee haue attayned it and hee must grow in the degrees of enioying when hee hath attayned He that proposeth no Marke nor mayne End to himselfe can neuer increase himselfe but is a man lost and comes to nothing such a one is like a ship that aymeth at no harbour and therefore cannot make any voyage of aduantage He that proposeth an End yet such a one as is but transitorily or narrowly good he can receiue but a transitorie and narrow aduancement He that proposeth for an End a seeming good but a reall euill may by attayning puffe vp his imagination but shall substantially lessen and ruine himselfe But hee that sets before him a Marke End truely and perfectly good by attayning it shall make himselfe truly and perfectly happy and the more happy in degrees as in more degrees hee doth enioy it But amidst the infinite changes of things seemingly good how shall man finde out that one thing which is truely and perfectly good It is indeed an impression of Mans nature to seeke for good but the corruption of the same nature is such that it makes euery thing seeme good to it self which it selfe though falsly apprehendeth to be good And so hence it comes that many men run an vnsatisfied course through diuers changes of things seemingly good and most men choose the lesse good for the better good yea the most euill for the most good But he that will seriously inquire for true happinesse must in his inquirie lay aside his bodie and the doctrines thereof and hee must retire into his innermost and most secret closet of Light and Reason and there aske of his Soule assured truths and resolutions concerning his chiefe and soueraigne Good Yea because the darknesse of a heauie and sensuall bodie since the fall subiect to corruption hath much dimmed the light of the Soule she hath need to returne to that vppermost Light by which at first she was kindled thence to receiue a second inlightning that by an addition of the highest Light shee may finde out her highest chiefest happinesse The soules thus rectified labour and in some measure attayne to behold things in their truth as also to see the difference of things confounded or misordered by the ignorance of corruption and to place each thing in his due ranke and consequently the chief and soueraigne good farre aboue all as indeed to the eye of wisedome it shines in a notable and manifest supereminence And as she giues due acknowledgment to this good being discouered so she calls aloud to the will and affections to striue towards it being knowne and acknowledged she aduiseth them to set vp their rest vpon it to aduenture al for it and neuer to leaue labouring vntill the soule and happinesse bee ioyned together CHAP. II. How that must be conditioned which is the end and happinesse of Man NOw if with such wise Searchers of felicitie wee shall make the like enquiry examining all things in their weight and worth we must needs meete in one Truth Truth being but one euen a common Center in which all rectified vnderstandings meet The more wise a man is the more possession hath he of this truth and therefore whosoeuer can challenge to himselfe to be the wisest of Men he must also be the largest discouerer of happinesse and with him especially shall other wisedomes meete euen of necessitie Now that wee firmely ground our discouerie let vs first inquire what conditions that thing must haue which shall be the happines of Man That which shall make Man happy must first bee able to bestow on Man an absence of miserie for Happinesse Miserie cannot dwell together in one subiect Againe it must giue a man a reall possession and enioying of the chiefest good and that in perpetuitie euerlastingnesse Man must possesse the soueraign Good for he can neuer bee happy by inioying imperfection but that only which is perfectly good can make a man perfectly happy He must also inioy this soueraigne Good in a perpetuitie else the feare of losing happinesse must needs lose part of it before it be lost and if not so yet he cannot be termed happy who shall haue a time when hee shall be without happinesse And surely if wee finde a soueraigne Good which is euerlasting it will bestow it selfe on vs in it owne nature euen euerlastingly Lastly the beatificall obiect of Man must bee the most agreeable obiect of his most excellent part Now Mans chiefest part is a lightsome reasonable and vnderstanding spirit Therefore that from which can issue vnto Man
the greatest ioy must be a most wise reasonable and lightsome spirit likenesse agreeablenesse and harmonie being the foundations of pleasure and consequently the most excellent Like powring into his inferiour Like the most conformable naturall and kindly ioyes from which ariseth an inioying euen in perfection contentment rest Hauing thus found out some conditions of Mans soueraigne good let vs now seeke out that thing which beareth these conditions to this purpose let vs search the length and breadth the height and depth of Essences and Beings which if we draw into a summe we shal finde to bee no other then the Creature and the Creator God and the World Let vs therefore inquire which of these is qualified with the abilities of perfect felicitie CHAP. III. Whether the World or part of it be Mans happinesse And first of Honour IF wee would begin with the World first aske of it whether it bee able to giue vs happinesse surely it preuents our asking most commonly and teacheth vs by blowes and not by words that it is our miserie rather then our happinesse euen a great treasurie of imperfections infirmities griefes cares oppressions wickednesse transitorinesse and vanitie There is in it no fit obiect for the soule no full and stable happinesse for the body The best things in it that concerne Man are of a goodnesse mixt or vncontinuing It is full of confusion all things comming alike to all and not the best to the best Folly sits very often in iudgement vpon Wisedome or which is worse then Folly Wickednesse and Wisedome and Righteousnesse are as often condemned yea Wickednesse hath the reward of Righteousnesse To conclude all things are full of change the World still changeth her owners and one generation driueth out another Euen these with whom the World makes most dalliance the same World turnes out of fauor and being as many Princes doe their Fauourites But if generalities by reason of their hugenesse may not easily enter into the narrow capacities of men Let vs examine some chiefe particulars and Master-pieces of the world and so trie whether any part can bee better then the whole or whether any part can bee free from that Law vnder which the whole is concluded And surely if the best parts of the world being examined be found to be vanitie and their ashes nothing the inferiour parts must if it were possible bee an extremer kinde of nothing And though many Volumes handling these things haue almost preuented these latter ages of any new matter truth in the same thing being still the same yet because truth is infinite in latitude and largenesse and all mankind is not an equall match to the breadth thereof Let euery man search for more truthes and if he cannot finde them he may doe well yet to ratifie and confirme the old And first let vs looke vpon Honor a chiefe flowre of this worlds flight and false happinesse and wee shall finde it hath iustly beene discouered to borrow valuation from opinion opinion it selfe is of all other a most groundlesse mutable vaine and witlesse thing It is the thought of a darke blind multitude which catcheth at things like mad Dogs suddenly rashly and vnconsiderately not staying for reason or at most onely for a shew of reason But if thy honour haue a better ground thy own merit and the estimation of wise and good men I confesse it is then a sweete oyntment which pleaseth and delighteth the iudgement but doth not fill and satisfie it It is not food strong inough for the soule of a wiseman nor for the body of a hungrie man the mind of man still reacheth beyond it and cryes it is farre from being the true rest of the soule How many sicke men how many sad yea but wisely seuere men haue looked vpon it and examined it when they had it and became merrie or angrie that they found no more in it But I need not much trouble my selfe with examining this kinde of honour for the World little troubles it selfe with seeking or finding it But that which chiefly pleaseth them is a vizzard of honour which makes them honourable to the eyes and opinions of men no wiser nor better then themselues But if Fooles ride on horse-backe with this kinde of honour and Princes for wisedome goe on foote without it What mad good thing is this which sets vp folly aboue wisedome Of this I need to say the lesse for the very Huntsmen of this honor haue bitterly complayned on it they say it leades them into many pits and downe falls ouer many myres and dangerous precipices the mind hath manie strong counter buffes and affronts the conscience is forced to make wide steps for it and to leape ouer many blocks of stumbling and offence Againe they complain that it keeps the heart from rest and inioying being attayned it is digged at by Enuie and makes this often appeare that it hath clymed for ruine Finally one degree of honour attayned is but a degree not a bound of the desires and a farther honour desired and not attayned takes away the sauour of whatsoeuer honour is alreadie gotten Hence it plainly appeares that there is in it little substance or solide satisfaction since that pleaseth most which wee haue not that little and left which we haue CHAP. IIII. Of pleasures and riches that they are not Mans happinesse BVt if neglecting honour wee looke on pleasures to finde happinesse in them How doe pleasures die in inioying Their end deuoureth their beginning their backside is more lothsome then their face is pleasant They that are past haue not satisfide they that are to come will bee but the same and shall not satisfie There is nothing left of the former neither shall there be of the latter but all are bounded within one and the same vanitie Againe pleasures neuer stand still but while they bee they bee lessening going to nothing Therefore of laughter it may bee said Thou art mad and of pleasure What is it that thou doest And surely if we could obtayne a continued course of pleasures through the race of a whole life yet this only or chiefly concernes the body but the soule hath no obiect the whiles to giue her any full pleasure or delight As the body tasteth not spirituall ioyes so the soule tasteth not bodily pleasures Yea carnall pleasures haue this venom ordinarily in them that their heighth groweth or continueth by the diminishing or suppression of the reasonable soule and commonly the excellent soule is vsed but as a slaue to supply the lusts of the body with base satisfaction whiles her selfe goes away without any wages of pleasure or aduantage yea shee grones vnder the burden of so vile a bondage then especially sinking suffering and retyring when the body enioyes his chiefest pleasures But if sober toward pleasures wee yet stand in reuerence of profit after which the greatest part of the world runnes a whoring let vs turne our eyes from Multitude vnto
Truth which vsually by Multitude is most forsaken There is a sure saying that a competent portion fit to defend vs from hunger and nakednesse that is a measure able to serue and satisfie our naturall vses hath attayned the fulnesse of the substantiall goodnes thereof Wee are trauayling thrugh this world to death if we haue enough to beare our necessarie charges by the way how is not superfluity rather a burthen then a comfort to a trauayler whatsoeuer is beyond our vse wee can but behold with our eies or put a vaine confidence in it which often hath deceiued those that trusted in it for euen that which they haue put their trust in hath been the same thing that hath betrayed them Therefore it is fit that care and feare as commonly they do should accompanie Abundance as well as Pride and Confidence And if so then what a motley and minggled happines ariseth from a doubtfull and carefull superfluitie And surely very commonly and very iustly the owners of this excesse are called miserable For besides that it often deliuers them vp into the hands of miserie it makes them most wretched in themselues because most wretched to themselues There is a beastly kinred betweene the heart of man money and this kinred begets such a loue that the heart will goe neere to starue it selfe before it will part from its most beloued obiect Yea money begets the loue of money and stirs vp the affection in such a vehemencie towards it that pos session doth inflame the desire and not satisfie it Now what can giue rest to such a miserable Soule when obtayning which in other things giues some though short satisfaction yet to this man it giues new appetite farther motion a longer busines yet this aboundance thus brought forth by the Mid-wiferie of torment and perplexitie many times flyes away like an Eagle by the following generations Folly or Luxurie and this certainly is a great vanity and wretchednesse of riches that they are so often left to a foolish sonne who is lesse kin to a true wise man then an honest stranger that somtimes they are left to a sonne that is no sonne and sometimes left and there is not a second to enioy them Howsoeuer left they must bee euen all things wherin thou hast shewed thy selfe wise and industrious and that to some who laboured not in them to some whom thou knowest not after two or three generations therefore knowest not whether they shal be wise or foolish whether they shall perform thy purposes and desires with thy substance yea whether they shall turne it into the price of a Whore or a Dogge which both are an abomination in the sight of Wisedome But if riches might escape all this succeeding miserie yet is not the present possessor of them happy The common miserie of man laies claime to all and will not bee bought out by Riches Therefore the Rich man shall meete with crosses losses in friends or estate he shall be sicke in minde and sicke in body yea fulnesse it selfe shall make him sicke in both And if hee might escape all this yet riches which are the Seruants of his body cannot make his soul happy which is better then the bodie for farre be it from the soule to finde her happinesse in her seruants seruant especially such a fugitiue vagabond vncertaine seruant These massie and grosse riches are too course an obiect for a pure and spirituall Essence they carry no likenesse or proportion vnto it and therefore can giue the soule no addition of her naturall pleasure or profit much lesse of her perfect happinesse wherein shee must haue a part so farre greater then the body as shee is more excellent then it CHAP. V. Of Knowledge BVT some morall Wizzard will tell mee that Knowledge hath some high priuiledge aboue Miserie and such a one as can giue Happinesse to this in spight of it vnhappy life Indeede knowledge is a dim light which is better then very darknesse It hath an excellency as dawning aboue night but though it be better it is not that chiefe good which can make vs happy It may indeede bee vsed as an instrument for the discouery of happinesse though seldome it bee put to that vse But in it selfe neither in any thing created shall it euer be able to discouer it Yea rather it shall finde in it selfe and in all things of this world many imperfections and faylings of those iust conditions absolutely necessarie to bee found in Mans soueraign good Our knowledge is but of a short reach the things beyond it are infinitely more then the things on this side of it Therfore when knowledge is come to a supposed perfection a speciall qualitie of it is to know it selfe to be imperfect euen those things which are within the compasse of it it searcheth by piece-meale part after part as one that reades a great Volume in the darke with a Glow-worm which shews him but letter after letter so a great deale of trouble goes to a very little profit Hence are our Sciences but many littles pieced together while the great body of truth wisedome stands beyond our sight and by the incomprehensiblenesse thereof accuseth our knowledge euen to it selfe of weakenesse as the glorie of the Sunne doth our eies by dazeling them And this magnified little knowledge which we haue what extraordinarie vātage doth it bring vnto Man Surely it often bestowes vexation on the owners of it and by increasing increaseth sorrow for to the greatest knowledge the vanitie and miserie of man doth present it selfe in a most full apparance yea great knowledges vsually take vp afore-hand euils to come and make them present Hence it is that many learned Philosophers haue vexed their liues with the consideration of their deaths which many ignorant and sturdy Clowns without premeditation haue vnder-taken with more ease as missing the troubles of anticipation haue dispatched with lesse businesse and wrastling as being hood-winked with a blinde contentment to doe as their fathers haue done before them For this cause also some of our greatest knowers haue winked against knowledge and haue desired that ignorance should coozen them of their griefs to which knowledge would continually and lowdly awake them Surely when the knowledge of man hath discouered throughout this frame of the world an excellent wisdome and order when it sees that there is an excellent beautie in the face of Goodnesse yea some excellence in knowledge it selfe how must not this needes torment the heart of the knower while the same knowledge seeth also the actions of mankinde to runne so madly and confusedly whiles it sees Iustice or at least Power treading vpon the face of goodnesse and exalting wickednesse while it sees an vndistinguishing chance to come vnto all and finally while knowledge seeth knowledge despised and yet not able to helpe it selfe not any of those euils which it sees Certainly these things are a vexation of minde to the men
of knowledge and make them lothe the works that are wrought vnder the Sunne euen to hate life it selfe And as this miserie comes of knowledge being gotten so euen the getting of knowledge is it selfe a miserie for vsually it is acquired by two meanes The one is a vehement and continuall labour of the minde which takes vp one halfe of the life to instruct the other halfe yea many times knowledge is a funeral garment al the life in working worne but the last iourney to the graue A second meanes is an extraordinarie instrument of the soule which is called the drie beame by which the soule seeth most cleerly swiftly and will dicourse out of a present apprehension as soundly as some will doe by much studie and premeditation but we must know that in this case the window of the soule is vsually enlarged by the flaw of the body and the body and minde doe often suffer some indisposition when these beames of the soule are ouer-actiue Hence may we truly ghesse that such greatnesse of wit hath commonly to accompanie it some touch of madnesse or sicknesse And now that wee may giue a conclusion to the poore knowledge of man as before it was conuinced to be a spy for griefe while it beholds the confusion miserie and vanitie of this world so may wee truely say that it can neuer be an Intelligencer of happinesse while it suruaies the beautie and glorie of this world and sends vs newes of them alone For among the varieties of this worlds best most excellent parts knowledge can neuer finde any obiect worthy of the soule of man nothing that may giue it the true happinesse of a soule nor any thing that may lift vp man aboue miserie there to giue him a rest of safetie and perpetuitie yea much rather it sees the soule made a drudge to the bodie and trudging in the errands of corruption wickednesse vanitie and if sometimes shee delight her selfe in her owne light that light is but as the shooting of a star for man eft-soones fals downe into his old station of grosnesse miserie And though sometimes it giues a man some ease in lesser euils and troubles yet is knowledge it selfe vsually astonished with sudden encounters euen in little matters and commonly ouerborne with mightie tempests of greatly-sensible euils Therefore wee may conclude that knowledge rather shewes man that hee is ill then makes him to be well it seemes that some great knowledge hath subiected man to an vnresistable reuolution of miserie from which all lesser knowledges can neuer free him without the helpe of the greater CHAP. VI. The vniuersall vanitie of the World BVt if in all this I had said nothing but that stil in spite of all that hath beene said these and the like master-pieces of the world would of force bestow some happinesse on Man yet herein I cannot choose but to say something that is when deadly sicknesse either casuall or naturall commeth vpon vs When the grinders are weake the keepers tremble and the lookers out by the windowes yea by the windowes of the soule grow darke What can honor riches pleasures or knowledge then confer vnto Man thus buryed in himselfe and vncapable of any outward comfort vpon this consideration that old Man did wisely who refused the pleasures of the Court being inuited to them because his eare did no longer taste the sweetnesse of Musike nor his palate did any longer rellish the sauourinesse of meate The gates of Man are shut vp by which the trade betweene the Soule and the World doth passe to and fro and therefore Man cannot traffick any longer with his old customers of this outward and visible world But now the dregs of life are come to the spending wherin thou shalt confesse that there is nothing but labour and sorrow And if yet I had in this said Nothing because some Philosophers inuented a way to preuent this miserie by ridding themselues of themselues yet this must needes bee something that Death the thaw of all cold and frozen comforts dissolueth both thee and all thy imaginarie felicities into nothing euen into that which such felicities do nothing concerne Surely whatsoeuer titles thou hast inioyed whatsoeuer pleasures thou hast tasted whatsoeuer riches thou hast possessed whatsoeuer plots or inuentions thou hast cōtriued or conceiued Death cuts them wholly from thee or thee from them there is no more relation betweene you neither doe they any longer concerne thee Therefore in regard of all outward things hath there beene a iust out-crie What remayneth to Man of all his works vnder the Sunne The dust of Man hath no feeling nor knowledge of the things of this life neither those things which haue been nor those which are Death hath digested all mans works and concernments into vanitie vvhether hee hath beene poore or rich wise or foolish sad or merrie Yea death is most terrible to them commonly who haue most sought a happinesse in the things of this life and seemes to bee reuenged on them for this their folly error Therefore are the miserable and wretched most familiar with Death and take most pleasure in it for which reason they may seeme to bee happyer then the others For if present ease and pleasure sweeten all former griefe and bitternesse but present griefe and bitternesse doth giue a distaste to al former pleasures then these to whom ease and pleasure are present in the last place haue a recompence and counterpoise to their sorrowes and they to whom griefe and vexation are last of all present feele an extinguishment of their former pleasures and hence it seemes the miserable goe hence in some degree of happinesse the voluptuous in a great degree of wretchednesse Howsoeuer bee what thou wilt O worldling doe what thou wilt thou shalt goe into emptinesse and vanitie thou and thy thoughts shall perish and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaynes of thee in the world shal be of an equall condition to that mould wherein it is inclosed and the world shall conserue thy dust no more then it doth thy fellow-dust which lyeth next vnto thee CHAP. VII What remaynes of necessitie to be the happinesse of Man NOw the world being thus shut vp and bounded with vanitie there remaynes onely that highest Essence the Cause and Fountayne of all things in whom Man may seeke his happinesse Man is inforced to clime vp aboue this world of vanitie to reach his true felicitie His soule must set vp the ladder of contemplation thereon shee must ascend vp to her Maker to seeke in him a remedie of her miserie an obiect of blessednesse of perpetuitie And surely whither can shee more fitly repaire then to the Source of her being there to receiue a reparation of herill being and an eternitie of well being For hee that made Man is in all probabilitie most able to amend Man when he is mard yea there is none but he can do it Againe God being the Father of Spirits what can
wherein this infinite Wisedome Power might dwell which puritie chiefly excelleth in a Spirit and to such a Spirit can agree no other but the highest Name of God Thus the things sealed bearing the Image of the seale teach vs the seale euen these visible Creatures bearing the impression of the Deitie represent to vs the same Deitie as their Cause and Beginning and in their dumb language they preach vnto vs their originall The world thus trimmed vp with the varietie of innumerable things both for vse and ornament as a royall Palace for some great Prince man though now a contemptible wretched thing was then thought a fit Owner and Commander of so glorious a Creation And this not without order for though by his body he was of kin to the Earth yet his soule was of kin to the Deitie being a Spirit breathed into man by the Father of Spirits So Glorie and Humilitie were married together in man at his first Creation the issues wherof should still be continued euen apprehensions of an excellent soule to keepe vs from sinking into the basenesse of sensualitie and earthinesse and considerations of a clay body to stay vs from mounting vp in pride and ascending into the place of the most High And now euen at the first beginning God did make man know both what was the basenesse of man and what was the happines of man hee shewed man that his seruice was the businesse of man yea hee shewed him how he would bee serued For God planted in man a reasonable soule in which was written an Image counter-pawne of the Deitie although not equall in degrees yet like in resemblance Now the reason of this soule could finde that a Creator creates things for himselfe by whom things are they are also for him Therefore man hauing his being from God he is to returne his being vnto God And if Man would know the manner how to please and serue God this very manner of his creation will teach him For the Creator was a Spirit himselfe and he gaue to man a Spirit resembling him both in substance and facultie The substance was spirituall the facultie an vnderstanding and wil. In the vnderstanding was a light which could shew vnto man the will of God and informe Man what was right in Gods vnderstanding So was it a created reuelation of the Law of God the sparkes and pieces whereof serue at this day both to informe and accuse the naturall man Now vpon the vnderstanding thus informed the will was readie to attend and vpon the will the affections yea all the members to execute and performe the will of God certified to them by the vnderstanding Now there being such an aptnesse and abilitie of conformitie betweene God and Man and all things being delighted with harmonie and conformitie especially that purest Essence which is vanitie it selfe surely it cannot bee imagined but the chiefest pleasure and seruice most acceptable to the Creator was when these lower and lesser spirits did cary themselues the bodies which they ruled in a perpetuall consent and conformitie to that great Spirit which made them And as Mans workmāship did thus shew him his worke so did it also his happinesse Towards the discouerie hereof let vs set downe these rules First the most excellent happines of Man must be the happinesse of Mans most excellent part Secondly Mans chiefest part being a Spirit the obiect of his happines must be a Spirit Spirits enioying Spirits as Bodies do Bodies chiefly the chiefest Thirdly this chiefest Spirit is not to bee found among the Creatures but must only bee the Creator for the Creator must needs exceede all the Spirits that issue from him as the highest cause doth his inferiour effects And to this also conspireth this conception euen of humane reason that in him must bee the chiefest exaltation of Mans being from whom the being it selfe did first proceede Yet neither doth our mercifull Father leaue this Truth without a witnesse but by that great reuerend mysterie of the Sabbath he telleth vs outwardly what before he inwardly taught vs euen that God is our blessednesse and that holinesse is the way to him For God is said to haue created the world in sixe dayes and to haue rested blessed and hallowed the seuenth Now God needed not sixe dayes to create a world which he can equally doe in a moment Neither needed he to rest the seuenth day for any wearinesse gotten by Creation But these things are of an higher meaning and include Doctrines more excellent and so more agreeable to the nature and dignitie of God God chose to make his worke distinctly in sixe seuerall dayes and in euery day distinctly considered the worke which that day hee had made and vpon this distinct and seuerall consideration hee pronounced this sentence vpon each dayes worke that the worke of that day was good Yet hee saith onely that it was good hee saith not that it was goodnesse it was good enough in his kind for seruice but not for happinesse But the seuenth day hee ceaseth both from Creation and this consideration of the good Creatures and with-draweth himselfe into himselfe Hee returneth from without to the enioying of himselfe his owne rest and to the contemplation of this rest inioyed and there onely hee findeth pronounceth to be perfect holinesse and perfect blessednesse To make this knowne vnto Man God takes this Seuenth day wherein hee retyred to his rest and imprints on it the qualities of his rest holinesse and blessednesse that the holinesse and blessednesse of that day might bee a patterne to vs of the holinesse and blessednesse which is in God that we reading therein the blessednesse of God might set our whole hearts desires thereon and reading therin the holinesse of God might fit our selues by holinesse to his Holinesse which as it is inseparable from happinesse in God so must it be also in all that wil see Good for nothing contrary or vnlike to God may approch vnto him Thus the Seuenth day crowned by the employment of that day the other sixe daies left vnblessed by the works of those dayes by a manifest differēce point vnto vs that the end and happinesse of Man are not to be sought in the workes of the sixe dayes but in the blessed Holinesse and holy Blessednesse of the Seuenth And to the same truth the order of Creation doth likewise inuite vs. For all Creatures being first made Man was made after Creatures and so set before them as their end to whom they should looke whom they should serue But Man being thus placed as the end of the Creatures in this great mysterie of the Sabbath solemnized after Mans creation God and his blessed Rest is set before Man as the end and happinesse of Man So as Man is set before the face of the Creatures so is God in the Sabbath set before the face of Man The Creatures should looke to Man and Man
righteousnesse and happinesse and the euill of wickednesse and miserie yea in those very instincts which are left as the principall guides of naturall men and by which their state is continued and preserued and if such had not beene left mankind being yeelded vp to the guiding of his naturall corruption must needes haue decayed and destroied it selfe euen these instincts are exceedingly tainted by this knowledge of good and euill Naturall instinct tells Man that by Woman succession is preserued and naturall helpe maintayned and that shee that is thine is thy selfe Lust comes in with his doctrines often and sayes Loue one that thou hast not for the good of varietie and it is euill and fulsome to loue but one though shee be thine owne flesh Naturall instinct tells vs it is good to loue our children and best the best Lust comes in many times and tells vs It is good to loue them better then our selues to wrong our selues others to increase them and sometimes to loue that childe best that deserues worst Yea sometimes on the contrarie it tells vs that it is foolish and euill to debarre our selues from any excesse or vanitie for their sakes and then the carelesnesse is as bad as the care was before Naturall instinct tells vs there must be an order among men for their preseruation that some must bee the heads and keepers of this order Hence ariseth the necessitie of Kings and States Fleshly wisedome comes in and tels many Kings they must rule men for their owne pleasures and to satisfie their owne sensuall desires And the same wisedome tells many Subiects Why should ye be subiect to one of your kinde and if so why not others to you as well as you to others Thus is the new knowledge of good and euill like a Byas to the soule and makes it runne awry both in regard of probitie and felicitie And surely the Philosophers troubled themselues much with the discouerie of such a disease but neither knew whence it came nor how to rid it away Indeed they plodded for remedies and to that purpose wrote of the ends of good and euill and framed their Distinctions of seeming good and euill and true good and euil One of these prophets cries out There is no euill but what thou thinkest to be euill and another sayes Euery mans lust is his guide and another Euery mans lust is his god But while they groped in the darke the day-starre is risen vpon vs and hath discouered to vs by the light thereof the true roote of Mans corruption and how they first went out of the right path of the true knowledge of good and euill into the infinite by-paths of a knowledge deceiued and deceiuing Thus these two trees of Life and Death being subiect to the choice of man this choice and power of Free-will which in it selfe is an excellent priuiledge yet to a solitarie and vnsupported creature it easily becomes a dore vnto miserie For while man is left to Free-will he is left to himselfe and himselfe is but a Creature and a Creature may bee circumuented by another Creature that exceedeth it both in cunning and power This knew well those falne and corrupted Creatures the euill and depraued angels who beeing subtill and powerfull in knowledge and withall malicious against happinesse because themselues were miserable employed their cunning power to the seducing of inferiour man inferiour because a Spirit clothed vayled with Dust. The way which they chose was by conference wherein they made vse of a visible Creature and the ground of their conference was to bring Man into iealousie of God Their drift was to perswade Man that the Tree which was forbidden to Man was denied out of an enuie of mans preferment for there was in that Tree say they such a supereminent knowledge that it could equall Man with God and make Man to become a god vnto himselfe And lest feare should be an hinderance to credulitie the death which was threatned to follow was vtterly denied Miserable man besieged with so strong a temptation for what resistance hath Man against such a temptation but a firme beliefe in the words of his Creator the same temptation bringeth the Creator into suspicion that his Word may be thought rather to forbid preferment then sinne and miserie Accordingly GOD is vnbeleeued the Tempter is trusted the hand is reached out and the fruit of miserie is deuoured The eating is most wicked and the digestion most wretched Lust as the iuyce of this fruit entreth into the soule and body of Man it obtaineth a conquest ouer the parts and powers of the Eaters and taynteth them with a fleshly wisedome a sensuall knowledge Man is become as a god by being become a rule of good and euill to himselfe His happinesse and misery must be taught him by his owne heart and his lust shall bee the Oracle Guide of his life And now the eyes of Man are opened but by a knowledge of apparances not of truths and accordingly Nakednesse which was the state of perfection is censured as shamefull whereas Nakednesse while Man was pure glorious was also glorious for it did plainly and manifestly set forth Mans puritie glorie But the new shame for which Nakednesse is now blamed is the shame of the new Lust which was not caused by Nakednesse but only discouered Nakednes excellently became glorie for glorie is the more glorious by being manifest euident but shame becomes shamefull by it and publisheth it selfe thereby to its owne disgrace But this is the fault of shamefull Lust to come into Nakednesse which is the habit of glorie and not as Man foolishly in his new wisedome complayned the fault of Nakednesse to discouer the shame of Lust which by wrongfull intrusion entred into it and shewed it selfe shameful by that which was appointed to shew forth Mans perfection in glorie And as in this so in Mans whole course doth this erroneous knowledge preuaile and no maruaile for the body was first guided by the soule and the soule by the Image of God yea by God himselfe But now this lustfull knowledge guideth the bodie and the bodie for the most part tuneth and guideth the soule Thus the Image of God in Man is reuersed and defaced Hee answereth not hee looketh not any longer to God hee neither loueth him neither is loued of him Man is become a stranger to God God to Man and hence it comes that there is at this day such a multitude of foolish children that know not their owne Father and Creator Man being thus cut off from God his end and become his owne God and end he is abased deformed and wholly ouerthrowne by his new preferment Hee left his true end and happinesse when hee would not bound himselfe within the happinesse of a Creature but striuing after the happinesse of a Creator he lost both what he would haue and what before hee might haue And now God and the Law of God
doth cause his countenance to shine fauourably on vs. Finally if the name of friendship bee sweet if loue on earth be a chiefe comfort and againe if the friendship and loue of good men of men wise in the chiefest wisedome of men true single in heart be the eminence of this eminent comfort then haue we all this in the Saints and sonnes of God For these are our friends vnto the death yea after death their loue is more equal stable then the loue of Women For goodnesse they are the salt of the world and without them the world is vnsauourie for wisedome they haue that chiefe wisedome which is to know and obtaine the soueraigne Good and for truth they haue that sincerity of heart which may giue rest to the heart that puts confidence in them Wherefore if it be a speciall addition in matches to match into a good family let vs know that in our marriage with our Sauiour wee match into the best family in the world the family of Saints euen a house-hold of Loue of Faith of Holinesse and of Happinesse Besides by our vnion with Christ we haue a new right in the Creatures We were disinherited by the fault of our first Parents and no part of our Fathers goods belonged vnto vs so the vse of Gods Creatures was a very robbery of God for it carried a meere absurditie that they whose liues were a continuall enmitie against God should preserue the same wicked liues by the benefits of GOD. Therefore the despisers of God haue no title in regard of God to the Creatures of God And though in regard of men they may seeme to haue a propertie in them it being not in the iudgement of men to define who is not and shall not bee the Child of God yet hereafter by the iudgement of God which shall make hidden things manifest it shall plainly appeare that this propertie was not by right but by vsurpation and by the long suffering of a most patient God And then shal they be cast into prison vntill they haue paid the vtmost farthing for their vnlawfull vse of the blessings of GOD. I must confesse they haue these benefits that in the greatest abundance but it is no otherwise then a prodigall borrower hath heapes of money lent or rather as a thiefe hath bags of treasure stolne The repayment of the borrower makes the remembrance of the heapes lothsome vnto him because the more they were the greater is the burthen and account The arraignment of the Thiefe makes him to curse the hugenesse of his bags for the greater the theft the harder the pardon and the more strict his sentence Therefore as in the things of this world there hath beene an honest wise and safe Prouerbe that a little of a mans owne is better then a great deale of another mans so in the Words of God we shall find a holier wiser and safer Prouerbe that a little thing to the Righteous yeelds more stedfast and vndoubtfull contentment then the greatest reuenues of the wicked can yeeld to their vnfaithfull vngrounded consciences And no maruel for they take the goods without the leaue of the Owner and transport them to the seruice of his Enemies fleshly lusts and an aduersarie angell and what shall the Lord of these things doe when hee commeth to iudgement Hee must needes render vengeance in flaming fire to these that haue robbed him of his Creatures and of the seruice and glorie due by them But they that are one with Christ are one with him who is true Heire of all things Al things were made by him and therefore all things are his owne and by our marriage with him wee haue a right in his goods Therefore truely may wee say If Christ bee ours all things bee ours for he whose all things are is ours And by his owne reason if hee giue vs the greatest gift which is himselfe hee cannot with-hold from vs the lesser which is his Creatures Besides these there is also a continual eie of Fatherly prouidence that watcheth ouer vs. The Redeemer of Israel is the Watchman of Israel and the Watchman of Israel doth not slumber or sleepe but at all times beholdeth all his flocke As the Sunne seemeth directly to behold looke on euery man that looketh vp to the Sunne so and much more doth the eye of GODS prouidence settle it selfe fully on euery one that is indeed a Man euen a Man of God which with the eye of his soule still looks vp vnto his God And then by his prouidence God doth hedge him about in safetie for hee seeth his dangers to preuent them and his necessities to releeue them The same prouidence sends some-times good Angels to gard him and when hee wanders it sends buffetting Angels to beate him home into the path of happinesse and through the diuers exercises of humiliation and exaltation it keepes him in one steadie course to his soueraigne Good Surely it is an especiall comfort to an heauenly Souldier to performe his seruice in the sight of his Prince whose eye incourageth him fighting valiantly whose power reseueth him being oppressed and whose bountie scores vp all his aduentures and sufferings vnto a finall reward And this reward is of such a glorie that the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this Glorie Lastly though it bee hard to giue a taste of Gods blessing in this life the Spirit of Christ besides the light of direction and clarification besides the Oyle of gladnesse besides that highest and supremest Vnion it giues also to the members of Christ a Testimoniall and Patent of their saluation and happinesse The light of direction somtimes growes dimme the light of glorie and the vanishing brightnesse are often extinguished the sauour of the oyntment for which the Virgin-Spouse doth loue her Lord Christ Iesus somtimes is drawn vp into heauen and the feeling of that Diuine Vnion is for a time wholly lost But though heauen and earth do passe yet one word of God cannot passe Now the Word of Gods Spirit is the Word of God for God speaketh to vs by his Spirit If therefore that Spirit hath giuen thee his testimonie that thou art the sonne of God if it haue shewed thee thy Regeneration and caused thee to behold the true Image of God thy Father in thee from henceforth thou mayst feare and serue God without feare euen without the feare of totall and finall desertion The seede of this Regeneration is like the Father of it an immortall God and an immortall Seede therefore it cannot die if once it hath had life in thee Then though the windowes of thy Soule be shut vp that no light can shine into thee though the voice of ioy and gladnesse bee not heard yea though thy owne corruption stand vp before thine eyes like a Wall or Mount of separation betweene thee and thy God yea though the terrors of God doe seeme to fight against thee
yet beleeue thou the Word of the Lord which hee hath spoken to thee by his Spirit for his record is true and he must be beleeued vnder hope against hope The Spirit which establisheth vs hath warranted our stabilitie and this Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and what is once Truth is still Truth must stifly be retained against all contrary probabilities apparances Therefore are wee and may wee bee alwayes bold amidst tribulations and afflictions amidst terrors without and terrors within for the seale of God remaineth vpon vs inuiolable and the Lord who knowes who are his hath told vs that we are his Now that wee may haue the comfort of this Testimony let vs often examine our selues and search our hearts to see whether they resemble God or not let vs lay vp in our memories yea in memorialls records the witnessings of the Spirit to our Spirits against the day of Exercise and Tryall Thus wee see that euen in this Life wee are not left comfortlesse but wee haue both Comforts and a Comforter Yet wee still say that our chiefe Comfort is in the next Life yea the next Life is the chiefe Comfort of this Life to those whose eyes see things inuisible and make future things present Wherefore amidst the comforts of this life let our eyes and hearts be especially fixed on that because comforts in this life are but baytings and incouragements in our way vnto Happinesse but are not themselues our wayes end THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The third Part. Wherein is shewed how Man hyeth hold on happinesse retayneth and increaseth it and finally is put into the full fruition of it CHAP. I. How Man fastneth himselfe vnto happinesse WE haue seene what is our Soueraigne Good and we haue seen how this soueraigne Good imparts it selfe vnto Man now it concernes vs to search by what meanes Man may apply this soueraigne Good to himselfe or rather himselfe to it In vaine to vs it is that there is an happinesse In vaine it is that there is an hand stretched out to deliuer this happinesse to vs if we haue not also a hand to receiue it For if there be an happinesse and an offered happinesse if we receiue it not if wee haue no propertie in it wee continue in miserie euen in the sight of happinesse Wee are not happy except happinesse bee ours and not the being but the communication of happinesse makes vs happy And euen for this communication application is there an instrument giuen vs by him who is our happinesse he that hath giuen a mouth to the body to receiue the food of the body hath giuen a mouth to the soule to receiue the food of the soule Yea he hath taught vs how to open this mouth wide that it may admit and receiue a great fulnesse of happinesse But if in stead of telling thee how this is done I should aske thee what thou wouldest do for that which is better then all things How canst thou returne any other answer but this That thou wouldest giue all things for that which is better then all things For euen at that rate thou shalt be a gayner And if thy minde bee like this answere thou art in a good preparation for the receit of blessednes thou drawest neere vnto it and that thou maist not faile receiue these directions following The soule of Man hath two especiall parts or powers the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding is appointed to be the guide of the will and vpon the will moued by the vnderstanding should the affections and all the members attend yea all things that are ours Now if thou wilt receiue and apply happinesse offered in that God and Man our most blessed Restorer first thy vnderstanding must bee opened by knowledge for it must know acknowledge God in Christ to bee that which he is euen the blisse of mankinde and the meanes to that blisse As he is God so hee is Blessednes as hee is Man vnited to God so is he a Mediator betweene Blessednes and Man This thou must know and thou must know that this thy knowledge of him is true right For CHRIST being thus known the eye of the soule is turned from all other shewes and meanes of happinesse and the same is fixed onely on the onely Lord and Sauiour Being thus settled in the full assurance of vnderstanding thou hast performed a good part of thy promise for thou hast giuen thy vnderstanding euen a chiefe part of thy soule wholly to CHRIST And if further thou desirest a signe to know whether thou hast done this truely and really this may serue for a signe vnto thee If the knowledge of any thing for happinesse or the meanes to happinesse besides God in Christ bee vnto thâ—â— as drosse and filth and â—â—â—lishnesse But 〈…〉 vnderstanding must proceede to worke vpon thy will it must moue the will to open it selfe wide vnto happinesse and being open to sucke cleaue and fasten it selfe by an ardent loue rest and settlement vnto happinesse certainly discouered in Christ by the vnderstanding And indeed in Spirits either vncorrupted or rectified this is a natural course For in such the vnderstanding hauing assuredly descryed the soueraigne Good the will presently moueth it selfe to it being deseryed and drawes with it all the parts and powers subiect vnto it And as for all other offers of fained happinesse it giues them this answere Whither shall I goe for this is he that hath the words of eternall Life Blessednes Wherefore that the whole promise be performed and that all may bee giuen for happinesse let the will follow the vnderstanding and wholly and vnmoueably will and loue this Treasure of felicitie discouered in Christ Iesus for saking selling and abandoning all things for it I say let the will sticke to Christ alone by a feruent loue desire as vnto the alone happines and let the same will sticke to Christ alone by a strong trust and confidence as the alone Mediator of happi nesse And finally with an earnest hunger and thirst let it surrender vp it selfe and all things subiect to it vnto his sauing or imparting of blessednes which he doth by the Spirit For thus farre must the wil proceede in working and then only comes the crowne of the worke For it is not inough barely to know that God is happines nor to put thy trust in no other but the Sonne for the imparting of this happinesse but thou must also surrender vp thy selfe wholly to the Holy Ghost by whom the Father powreth and sealeth blessednesse into vs through Christ his Sonne When therefore wee haue proposed and settled the Deitie for our happinesse haue yeelded our selues vp to the three Persons of the same Deitie vnited to the Humanitie for the conferring of happinesse I meane to God the Father redeeming vs by the Sonne and regenerating vs by the holy Ghost then hath the vnderstanding and will wrought home euen to the
but God but willeth and desireth him as the onely felicitie when the will toward the attaynment of this felicitie dependeth trusteth and leaneth on no other meanes but Christ Iesus but on Christ it resteth fully as the onely Mediator of happinesse when the will toward the attaynment of Christ and the vertues of his mediation yeeldeth it selfe vp to no other humane inuention but fully and wholly surrenders it selfe to the holy Ghost regenerating newbegetting then is Christ sealed in thy heart hee is come into thee and his feet tread on the very bottome of thy soule Thou hast taken vp thy rest in him and hee hath taken vp his rest in thee and this is the inward Sabbath of this life and an earnest beginning of the eternall Sabbath Accordingly hee calls out vnto Man My sonne giue mee thy heart for in the hearts of men is the Throne of his Kingdome and except hee raigne in our hearts wee cannot raigne in his glorie Thy knowledge of God in Christ must not bee dead but effectuall and working and the worke thereof must be the kindling of a seruent loue dependance and affiance in thy will and affections Thy will againe must worke by this dependance and loue and the worke thereof must be a dedication and resignation of all vnto God in Christ taking possession of thee by the Spirit Till thou commest to this point thou art short of happinesse For this is the Centre of descending to the Spirit of Christ and in the very ground of the hart doth the Spirit onely fasten his rootes Wherefore giue the inmost of thy heart to the Spirit of blessednes and know that in giuing thou dost rather receiue then giue For thy gift is but the gift of a sinfull heart that which belongeth to it and serueth it But thy receit is the receit of the Spirit of Life Ioy eternal Wherefore it concernes thee not to be niggardly to thy own soule for as much of thy soule as thou keepest so much of it thou losest and as much as thou giuest so much dost thou crowne with happines Thou maist perchance thinke it inough to beleeue he is thine but if thou haue no better warrant then such a thought hee may not bee thine For thou beleeuest that hee is thine too soone if thou beleeuest it before this worke of faith hath in some measure wrought home vpon thee It is not a rash presumption nor a bare thought that can snatch at Christ make him thine it must cost thee thy selfe before thou haue him The getting of Christ is by the way of traffike thou must not thinke wholly to gaine vpon him but as much as wee would haue him to bee ours so much must wee striue to yeeld our selues to bee his CHRISTS Kingdome is a Kingdome of power and hee will enter into thee as a King of power and it is not a bare imagination that makes way for this Kingdome but an affiance of the heart which actually and effectually surrenders vs vp to his Scepter and Rule Therefore the best way is hereby to get him first into thee and after to beleeue he is thine Many haue lost Christ because not hauing him they thought they had him For they sought not him whom they thought they had and so lost him who is found by seeking But on the other side if thou hast felt the depth of this faith though in a narrow breadth know that Christ is thine for whom thou hast ceased to be thine owne As much as thou hast gone out of thy selfe to possesse him so much hath he entred into thee to posesse thee so much as thou leauest to Christ yeeldest thy selfe to the renew ing of his Spirit so much dost thou knit Christ vnto thee and so much thou drawest yea suckest his Spirit into the innermost part of thy soule Hee who is Goodnesse it selfe and dyed for vs when we were sinners cannot restraine his Spirit from vs when with a full trust wee haue cast our selues wholly vpon him and with a whole resignation haue giuen vp our selues fully vnto him Hee who is Loue cannot resist loue but hee is ouercome and taken by the feruour of our hungrie and thirstie soules giues vs to drinke freely of the waters of Life Christ is the Phisician of our soules and to be cured by him we must deale with him as with a Phisician Now to be cured by a Phisician it is not inough only to beleeue that the Phisician can cure vs nor that hee will cure vs but this confidence in the Phisician must worke in vs a willingnesse and resolution to take and admit his receits by which he may cure vs. Euen so it is betweene Christ and our sicke soules it is not inough barely to think that Christ can cure vs or that hee will cure vs but our beliefe must open the mouth of our soules to receiue his medicines giuen vs in the Cup of saluation This Cup of saluation is the Spirit by which he communicates to vs his Redemption his Holinesse his Eternitie Therefore must we so belieue that we receiue Christ for such onely as receiue him haue the prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God so must we beleeue that we bee baptized with the holy Ghost for those onely who are so baptized shall bee saued And if we thus beleeue hee who neuer sent away any vncured of their corporall infirmities that sought him here on earth surely hee will not denie his sauing health to any beleeuing soule that thus heartily thirsts after him sitting in heauen For the spirituall phisicke was Christs truest most proper profession and the cure of bodies was especially to draw our faith thereby to behold beleeue receiue his cure of soules Therefore especially yee sicke soules bee of good comfort for you the Master calleth especially But when yee come to him remember that yee desire to bee cured of the whole spirituall maladie euen of sin and of sinfulnesse of the corruption of sinne as well as of the guilt and miserie that follow it For Christ will enter into none to cure the death of sin but withall hee will giue death vnto sinne neither will he by his Spirit giue any one the Life of glorie to whom by the same Spirit hee doth not first giue the life of Pietie CHAP. II. How a Man may get this facultie which vniteth Man to God BVt Man is brutish and sensuall both in vnderstanding will and so it is impossible for him while he is such to discerne a spirituall happinesse and the meanes of attayning it and much more hard it is to esteeme and loue the one or other Hee beleeues that which hee sees he loues that which he tastes and feeles but his grosse palate doth not rellish this celestiall and vnpalpable happines Therefore Man must bee lifted vp aboue this low estate of sensuall and carnall knowledge and to effect this there needes a second hand of the first
of an ill action like a Rule it will presently shew vs the crookednesse of it point vs to the right way from whence we haue straied and if it haue beene too long deferred so that the sinne is past before it was called for then will it bee a Seer vnto thee to tell thee thy sinne and to deliuer thee ouer to the larger meditation of Repentance Secondly if thou art in a good and right action it stands by thee to abet and incourage thee thou art in the path of Gods protection in the way where the Angels gard and watch Goe on valiantly feare not what man nor euill angels can doe vnto thee Thus shall the soule cōtinue her flight towards heauen if euer among shee anoynt her feathers with this Oile of the Spirit For in this respect shee is not vnlike those flying fishes whose wings by flying grow drie and by being drie lose their flying so that still they must haue recourse to the Sea by the moysture thereof still to make good their flight So the soule flying through this world vnto heauen her wings euen her cogitations purposes and conceptions will grow drie by earthly conuersation and therefore must bee new oyled with grace if they will carry her throughly to her iourneys end The cares and temptations of this life quickly dry vp the heauenly Vnction and so the soule is in danger to fall if she doe not often moisten her selfe in the Riuers of Oyle which flow from the eternall Spirit and thither doth this short Meditation direct vs. Lastly we may adioyne hereunto incident occasionall Meditations which will bee very vsefull vpon the receiuing of extraordinary blessings or the suffering of vnwonted chastizements It is fit wee should search out Gods meaning as neere as we may by the light of his Word when he speaketh to vs in his fauors and frownes His blessings should bee esteemed like so many bands of obedience and thou shouldest acknowledge both in heart and actions that each of them calls to thee for more Loue more Thankefulnes more Holinesse Yea thou art by them led vnto Humilitie for when thou lookest on Gods blessings and thy sinfull selfe at once thou must needs cry out I am lesse then the least of thy blessings and what is man that the Lord regardeth and visiteth him yea the bountie of God leadeth thee to Repentance and God is often to vs a patterne of ouercomming euill with good euen our sinnes with his Mercies Hee dresseth and manureth many times a fruitlesse Tree that he may receiue fruit from it Therefore bee thou amended by his benefits and increase thy fruit otherwise blessings made vnfruitfull are the fore-rūners of cursings and dressing if to no purpose is the way to digging vp and casting into the fire Likewise let the chastizements of God be entertayned by Meditation vnto thy profit and aduancement They would haue thee either to examine thy selfe of some neglected sin or they would haue thee repent euen for thy secret sinnes for though thou know nothing by thy selfe yet art thou not thereby acquited or they would haue thee humble thy proud heart vnder the mightie hand of God or they would spurre thee to a speedier and more actiue Zeale or they would teach thee the skill of that excellent vertue Patience and instruct thee to loue God afflicting and to trust in him slaying Some of these are commonly the purposes and ends of affliction and if thou take occasion by chastizements to put them all in execution thou shalt bee the surer to hit the right one and so to bee a gainer by thy sufferings But before wee leaue this subiect if wee would know which is generally the best and fittest habitude of Man for the receiuing of profit by the larger and more leisurable kinde of Meditation Surely it is when the body least burdeneth the soule especially when shee is least clogged with the grosse vapours of fulnesse and repletion It is truely said by the Wiseman That the corruptible bodie weigheth downe the soule and therefore as truely it may be said That the bodie rarified and lessened by abstinence lighteneth the soule when the eyes or eares which see and heare the soule are stopt vp by thick exhalations the soule cānot tel the dul body what the Spirit of God doth tell it But since spirituall things are spiritually discerned surely then are spirituall things best discerned when the bodie is most spirit-like and least bodily When the Lanthorne of the flesh is pared and thinned by Abstinence then the Light of the soule shineth most cleerly through it Saint PAVL spake of the Man that saw Reuelations vnvtterable that whether hee were in the body or out of the body hee knew not so if wee will see Reuelations otherwise inconceiuable wee must striue to goe out of the body so farre by abstinence as wee may with preseruing the bodie For certaine it is That the soule inlightened by Grace if it were not for the cloud of the bodie would shine out to vs in many notable and excellent Truths and therefore hee takes the true course to meete them that goes a little out of his body towards them And surely such soules so walking toward God by going out of the flesh into the Spirit GOD hath often met with heauenly Visions whereas others shutting vp their windows by continuall fulnes haue lost great Reuelations To DANIEL fasting GABRIEL appeared to PETER fasting the Sheete was let downe from Heauen and to CORNELIVS fasting euen to the ninth houre an Angell was sent from God And surely this latter kind of fasting seemes most profitable for Meditation euen the fast of the Morning rather then of the Euening For in the Morning after rest the Spirits are freshest and most capable both of Light and Action they are most lightsome most actiue for Meditation And as fasting kindles the bright flame of Meditation so the true and kindly fire of Meditation sends vp to Heauen the smoke and incense of Prayer For fasting is an excellent Preparatiue to Meditation and Meditation to PRAYER Without abstinence Meditation lesseneth her Light without Meditation Praier lesseneth her might but Meditation ioyned to Abstinence mounteth the higher and Prayer mounted on Meditation pierceth the swifter and reacheth the neerer to Heauen Againe as by Abstinence we are made the fitter to meditate and by Meditation made the fitter to pray so by Prayer wee get a greater fitnesse and ability both for Abstinence and Meditation Such Prayer blesleth the meanes by which it is begotten by going to the Father of blessings and it is of a great power with GOD euen so powerfull that some kind of Deuils go not out but by it Let vs therefore often abstaine that wee may often meditate and when wee haue dwelt awhile in Meditation let vs goe forth into Prayer For Prayer thus inflamed by Meditation is as the Sacrifice of Israel kindled by the fire of Heauen and such a Sacrifice is indeed
imposeth a necessitie on him to loue the one and hate the other to lose the one and to gaine the other Therefore as much as wee retayne of this corrupt felicitie so much doe we abate of true Happinesse and the roome that is giuen to the one is denyed to the other And surely too true it is that euen after our Regeneration there abides a great remnant of our proud corruption It is of kin to the Serpent which perswaded it when the head of it is broken in pieces the tayle will still bee moouing And in what degree this corruption remaineth in that degree is grace abated but in what degree this swelling euill is abated in the same degree is Grace increased Therefore if we be much proud wee are much gracelesse if we be much humble we be much gracious Wherefore let vs take vp Humilitie which as a Corrosiue will fret away the proud flesh make way for the prosperitie of the liuely and quickning Spirit Towards this let vs consider that the Naturall Man being stuft vp with himselfe and not regarding any thing beyond the Lust and Law of his owne heart sits downe in himselfe and takes vp his rest Sabbath and felicitie in his owne imagination But while God is vnregarded and vnsought he also as little regardeth these vnregarders yea hee beholdeth the proud a-far-off He knowes the weight and end of their swelling that it is Nothing that ere long it shall come to Nothing and that at last these swellers must come before him as a Iudge who refused him here for a Sauiour and happinesse On the other side the spirituall Man plainly seeth that this imaginarie happinesse of pride is true miserie since Man the more hee stands vpon himselfe without God the more weakly wretchedly he stands and the fuller Man is of himselfe the fuller is he of Corruption Vanitie and Miserie Therefore desireth hee to goe out of himselfe into God to vnlade himselfe of himselfe that hee may be filled with God hee purgeth his heart of the tree of false knowledge that he may satiate it with the Tree of Life And Humilitie hauing thus fulfilled her Worke then enters Grace into the Soule so swept and trimmed for the same God who resisteth the Proud giueth Grace to the humble God will be a welcome and not a fulsome Guest he loues not to come when there is no neede of him he desires not to thrust vnnecessarie Happines vpon Men sufficiently happie But the hungrie soules hee filleth with good things he guideth the meeke humble in his wayes and the poore in Spirit are allowed only to receiue the Gospell These haue set open their doores to the King of Glorie they haue forgotten their Fathers house euen their naturall condition and therefore the LORD hath pleasure in their beautie His Light takes pleasure yea gets Glory in comming into confessed Darknesse his Grace is delighted and magnified by pardoning and sanctifying an acknowledged corruption and his blessednesse reioyceth in blessing apparant and desperate miserie Wherefore let vs striue for a practicall skill of this profitable humilitie that by not louing our selues wee may loue our soules best by the greatest emptinesse we may purchase the most true happy fulnesse To this end let vs euer be pricking the tumours of our nature that we die not of a spirituall Timpany Let vs striue to make our selues nothing that hee which made all things of nothing may make some-thing of vs. Let vs willingly walke downe into the Vale of humilitie from whence God calls for all whom hee exalteth vp to his holy Mountaine And for the furtherance of this holy vertue let watchfulnes vndertake as a speciall part of this taske to marke the first swellings of the heart that they may bee abated as soone as lifted vp Let no degree bee allowed to that which so much as it is so much euill so much losse it is so much haue wee offended God and so much haue wee abated his Grace But still let vs be paring and fretting off the proud flesh with meditations of our owne naturall miserie and miserable condition with the asperitie of the exercises of Humiliation with feruent and violent Prayer sent vp to the Giuer of perfect gifts Let vs intreate him that hee will discouer vnto vs our selues himselfe our owne vilenesse his Glory that so wee may rightly glory in Gods true Glorie not like Fooles in our owne shame In our Meditations let vs fasten our eies on the wickednesse of Man the wretchednes deseruedly annexed to it In our wicked corruption let vs first see our owne blindnes and bring our darknesse into the light There shall we see that we see little or nothing yea in the mayne matters of our life such as are our beginning and end whence we come and whither wee goe wee are naturally blind Therefore our life is but a thing at randome without knowing what it doth and wherefore it is And if we haue gotten a little knowledge then let vs behold our filthinesse How doe wee defile our selues in the things which wee know how weake are our resolutions of Pietie Vertue they are like a Mist or the Morning dew blown away and dryed vp with euery blast of Temptation So that they seeme to be set vp only for shewes and to stand no longer then nothing toucheth them But the motions of our concupiscence are strong and continuall The flesh of Man is powerfull vpon the Soule and in Man that opinion is verified that the Earth runs round and the Heauen stands still For there breatheth vp from the defiled bodie euen the Earth of Man a continuall and mightie Venom which by perpetuall motion changeth the aspect and influence of the heauenly Soule as it selfe lifteth But the whiles it fastneth and nayleth the Soule that shee cannot stir about her owne businesse of Immortalitie but shee must wholly fixe and employ her selfe in a carefull studie how to execute fitly the lusts of this beastly dust And if at any time the Soule lothing the filth and mire wherewith shee hath sullied her selfe euen to vglinesse lay downe a plot for repentance euen for the clean washing of her face how soone doth the old dirt of sinne spowt into her visage again so that her businesse in this life if it be a life of penitence seemes to be nothing but a washing of that which is fouled and a fouling of that which was washed and if wee turne our eyes from this filthines vnto the bordering wretchednesse we shall find our selues subiect to a thousand infirmities Miserie Vanitie haue both liuerie and seisin in vs and we are their Tenants for terme of life One trouble calleth to another as the waues of the Sea and miseries like Beacons giue notice one to the other vntill the whole life of man bee set on fire The sound of the old is but newly gon out of our eares but there is a new which presently
cursed man can doe this how shall hee blesse that is the Father of blessings Surely let our soules firmely dwell in this Truth that those actions which are most perfectly referred to God and haue no end but God are most fully rewarded of God and as much as any outward thing doth share in the end so much doe we lose of our reward and so much of our reward must wee looke of that End which did set vs on worke Now where euill is offered goodnes cannot well propose any end but God in bestowing it selfe for euill By patience also wee make roome for Faith and like a good child it cherisheth the parent that begate it for while patience keepes the house of Man in quietnesse the vnruly and tumultuous affections being suppressed and stilled the soule is at leisure to look abroade vvith the eye of Faith euen to looke within the vaile and there to see comfort her selfe in eternall ioyes presently possessed by Hope which as an Anker both sure and stedfast is there alreadie vnmoouably fastned By Patience also haue we time and place for the excellent instrument of Prayer to fulfill her worke of piercing the heauens presenting our necessities griefes to the Throne of Grace And commonly the prayer of the patient returnes with this comfortable answere In a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I heard thee for the patient abiding of the meeke shall not perish for euer And that we may yet bee a little more in loue with this beautifying and beautifull patience let vs looke her somewhat stedfastly on the face and particularly desery her excellent proportion If thus we doe we shall find that patience is placed by God in the heart of man against troubles as the cliffes against the waues of the Sea for by patience God saith to the flouds of persecutions vexations Hitherto shall yee come no farther and here shall yee stay your proud waues It is the hedge of GODS Vineyard euen of the blessed Spirits of the Saints which hath fenced them in the bloudiest times against the wildest Bores euen the fiercest Tyrants The body might bee broken by torments but this brazen wall of the soule could neuer be battered it is a kind of metall that is fitted of purpose to indure the fire euen a firy triall and to bee made brighter thereby This she doth and how can she doe otherwise for she is borne of heauenly Ancestors and fetcheth her originall from the Highest The power of the most Mightie doth sustaine her how can it be but she must then be mightie and powerfull For Patience fetcheth her strength and life from Hope Hope from Faith Faith from Christ Christ from God If it were not for Hope the heart would breake with impatience if it were not for Faith Hope would dye and starue as being without a roote if it were not for Christ Faith would perish for want of an obiect And vvithout the Godhead the Manhood of Christ were not a sufficient foundation of Faith But now the Godhead supporteth and inableth the Man-hood of Christ by a mightie Vnion Faith groundeth an vnmouable foundation vpon Christ being God Man Hope violently layes hold on the ioyes truly discouered by Faith and Patience takes iust courage and comfort from Hope because Hope tells her shee must waite but a little and the promises shall certainly bee receiued And as Patience by this meanes powerfully supporteth and sustayneth the Soule and the graces infused into her so is shee also an excellent meanes for the increase of the same graces Patience is the calme of the Soule and as it is best sowing of visible Graine in a time of calme so in the calme of the Soule is it best sowing of the Inuisible seed of the Word and Spirit Then can wee most truely say My heart is ready and Speake Lord for thy Seruant is at leisure to heare thee and then with Marie are we most fit for that thing which is necessarie when by Patience we haue excluded the many things that are troublesome The Spirit delighteth in a meek and quiet Spirit it commeth in the still wind and not in the storme and tempest Accordingly experience teacheth vs that the Patient haue euer receiued spirituall consolations and euen this experience is a consolation to Patience For this experience that the loue of God is shed abroad into the hearts of the patient so affects the patient that they be not ashamed And if wee would rather beleeue Examples then Positions Let vs examine the Stories of IOB and DAVID and let vs remember what end God made with them The latter end of the patient hath recompensed his beginning his patient sowing in teares hath brought forth the carrying of sheues with ioy God will be suffered loued and trusted euen when he afflicteth and chastizeth he will haue the Soule to repose her Happinesse in him while the body feeleth temporall miserie And if hee bee still trusted and loued if the heart still cleaueth vnto him then hee commeth at length with a large measure of comfort he performeth indeed what he hath spoken in his Word Whoso trusteth in the Lord Mercie shall compasse him It is no great glorie to GOD nor excellencie in Man to trust in GOD when with THOMAS we feele and handle the fauours of God The bodie may haue a share in this kinde of trust But the sight of things inuisible is the highest pitch of the Soule this commends Man vnto God yea it glorifies God vnto Man for it brings downe certaine newes that there is Grace and Mercie with God when the bodie vtterly denies it because it feeles the strokes of seeming Wrath and Punishment And in this testimonie deliuered and receiued GOD exceedingly delighteth euen to bee trusted vnder hope against hope hee abundantly recompenseth it as in ABRAHAM so in the sonnes of ABRAHAM Another aduantage of Grace by the mediation of Patience is this that the patient afflicted and hee only vseth afflictions as incentiues to spiritual feruencie and being by troubles driuen out the flesh and the comforts thereof hee goes more mightily and wholly into the Spirit He quitteth the battered and polluted tabernacle of his lothsome flesh and hee entreth into the secret of the Highest where by his Spirit GOD himselfe resideth There doth he warme himselfe by the heauenly flames hee blowes and kindles them seeking by all meanes that as sufferings abound so consolations may also abound and that temporall sorrow bee at least counterpoyzed by spirituall ioyes So through Patience troubles driue vs neerer to Christ and sharpen our stomakes to sucke more earnestly and eagerly the nourishment of Life Eternall But on the other side besides the losse of aduantages a multitude of euils rusheth in vpon the Soule vnfenced by Patience Surely shee is a continuall prey to euery trouble shee is neuer owner of her selfe but like a light and vnballasted vessell shee is at the command of euery waue
of euery winde As continuall as the miserie of Man is so continuall is the distemper of Men impatient and as often as troubles doe happen so often be they lifted vp frō the hindges of their soules and remooued into the habitations of their blinde and vncomfortable flesh Such a one is cleane besides himselfe euen besides his Soule which is the reason that hee can neither aduise nor comfort himselfe For the vnderstanding which should direct is as a Candle put out or couered with a Bushell the will and affections which by the succours of Reason should support and strengthen are drawn away from lending their seruice to Reason and so to Man and are become slaues of Passion and Perturbation And so it comes to passe that in such cases a mans owne will and affections which should sustaine and cherish him doe distract and teare him to pieces And commonly it falls out with the impatient that to the euill of affliction which might haue been turned to good hee addeth two euils more of his owne euill actions and euill passions committing foolish things and doing cruell things against his own Soule and Heart And these two are commonly the greater kinde of euils and which the enmitie of Grace most intendeth and therefore by vs especially should be preuented Satan in spoyling the Flockes in destroying the Children in tormenting the bodie of holy IOB did not so much ayme to make him poore childlesse and full of paine as to make him desperate and rebellious against his Creatour and Sauiour by impatience His greatest Malice is against our greatest Happinesse he knowes wee are still blessed while God is one with vs though we be poore naked and full of sores as LAZARVS who in this life tormented yet was after exalted to ABRAHAMS bosome He values our chiefe Felicitie at a higher and a truer rate then many of vs doe and he values temporall things at a lower rate then many of vs doe Therefore hee will indifferently take or giue temporall things to diminish our eternall ioyes he will assay either by proffers or by plagues to draw vs from our soueraigne Good And wee more foolishly and ignorantly are readie to forsake eternall felicitie whensoeuer Satan will hire vs with temporall commoditie or beate vs from it with momentanie afflictions But it becommeth vs not to bee ignorant of Satans policies where Satans eye is most settled to hurt vs let our eye bee there most fixed for our preseruation Toward this let vs thus farre ioyne with Satan yea learne of him if wee knew it not before that the vnion and agreement of our Soule with God is the vnion of felicitie and therefore whatsoeuer wee lose let vs not part from that If Satan rob vs of a bagge of Siluer let vs not call after him and bid him take a bagge of Gold also If hee afflict vs outwardly yet surrender not to him thy inward and euerlasting Happinesse He is a Prince in this World and so can doe great things in the World He can persecute he can exalt he can torment But hee is a slaue us concerning the other World which is called the Kingdome of Heauen Hee cannot reach to this Kingdome which is in the Soule where GOD is the King Therefore by the things of this life on which hee hath power hee reacheth to the things of the next life on which hee hath no power that by his owne hee may preuaile on that which is Gods But we on the other side as we know the Deuils purpose so let vs know his bounds and then wee shall be safe Let vs know that he can only stretch his power to temporall and outward things and no further and the inward things hee must get by surrender or else he cannot conquer them Wherefore bee carefull to keepe him at his true distance if Satan haue leaue to winnow thee outwardly yet pray to thy Mediator that hee pray that thy faith faile not if hee cause thy outward man to perish bee thou carefull that thy inward man bee renewed daily and take heed that thou giue not more to him then he hath alreadie especially giue not thy eternitie for his vanitie neither giue him an vsurped power ouer the Kingdome of Heauen to which hee is a base slaue and by which he shall be iudged Cast not to him thy soule after thy bodie nor thy soule and bodie after thy goods if the Prince of this World will haue the things of the World yeeld to this Prince what must needes bee giuen to this Prince but the things of GOD giue only to GOD the things of Grace and Glorie reserue for the Author of Grace and the King of Glorie For want of this restraint and limitation of Satans power haue many Saints of God lost the possession of their soules and in those times of extasie haue vndertaken dolefull actions and executions which haue grieued and pined the Spirit within them and haue made worke for a long-after-sorrow and vexation of soule Surely NABALS churlishnesse entred too farre into DAVIDS spirit and the iniurie of the Thessalonians too much deliuered away the soule of THEODOSIVS into furie and the questions of the High Priests Seruants stole away too much of PETERS Courage and Resolution These holy men sometimes by their frailty gaue too much way and yeelded too great aduantage to Satan But some there bee who are perfect in Satans arte of impatience and therefore are his highest and greatest schollers Let the Deuill throw but one crosse to them they will take their soules and throw them to the Deuils head for they breake out either into some cursed rage or into the rage of cursing or into some cursed action Such a one is the Deuils Water-spaniell he goes and brings what the Deuill sends for and if hee bid him bring his owne soule hee carries it many times to him in his owne mouth euen in a mouth of Reuiling Reuenge Curses and Execrations But let vs rather consider that Mankind stands betweene two Spirits the Spirit of Light and the Spirit of Darknes and each of them hath a seuerall doore into Mans heart to possesse and inhabit it The Spirit of Blessednesse comes in by the doore of the Spirit and this is opened vnto him by the Key of Patience The spirit of Hell enters by the doore of the flesh and this is vnlocked to him by impatience Now troubles afflictions knock at both these doores they knock at the doore of the Spirit calling to vs to open to the Lord of Life with the Key of Patience who is now comming by afflictions to nurture and to instruct vs euen to increase vs in the fruits of Righteousnesse But afflictions knock likewise at the doore of the flesh and by the feeling of smart perswade Impatience to open to the prince of darknesse since so griefe may be eased and it seemes a vaine thing to please serue an afflicting and chastizing God But take heed thou open not the
Happinesse And how can it bee otherwise for this Marriage is betweene the Creature and the Creatour And how can the Creature comprehend the Creatour especially since wee haue here only a little glimpse of Faith whereby to behold him Againe it is a spirituall Marriage and wee are here more carnall then spirituall so the tabernacle of corruptible flesh doth much cloud and darken the Spirit in the view of incorruptible ioyes Yet are wee not left here wholly ignorant of that which here we cannot wholly know but hee who is our Happinesse hath shewed some sparkles of that which he is hath deliuered it to vs in this World of ignorance by some palpable expressions fitting rather to our dull capacity then to his supernaturall Excellency Too much light darkens and dazles a weak sight and therefore the full apparance of felicity is reserued for a perfect most absolute Purenesse and Claritie In the meane time let vs firmely lay hold on those reuealed Truths which GOD hath set apart vnto vs for our allotted portion of Light in this darke place vntill we come vnto the perfect Day Among them we find this most certainly proclaimed That as there went out at first a Word of Creation so shall there goe out a Word of Dissolution and therewith also a Word of Resurrection The mightie voyce of the Lord of Heauen shall make Heauen and Earth to shake the Elements to melt with fire and the World to be dissolued The face of this Visible frame shal be wiped away it shal be rolled vp as a Scrol And al the false happinesses of Man shal passe away into nothing But the All-seeing Prouidence of the Almightie Creator who numbreth the haires of our heads and the sands of the Sea for without his appointed number they could not haue the quantity or number which they haue knoweth all Mankind both dead and aliue yea euery part of euery scattered Man and calleth vp all Men as hee doth the Starres in their turnes Arise ye Mortals from Death and Mortality and come vnto Iudgement The Earth is but a Ball in the hand of God whereof euery Mote or Atome was placed by his Wisedome and the WISEDOME that made all cannot but know all that it hath made yea the thing made cannot goe out of the reach of the Maker for it must bee by a Power giuen from the Maker that it is able to doe those actions by which it striueth or seemeth to auoyd his Maker And this Power can be disposed but at the will or permission of the Giuer and so it is still subiect to his reach and comprehension Accordingly God the Infinite cause of all these finite things fully searcheth and comprehendeth his owne Creation yea euery change and varietie thereof neither can any thing in the World escape his knowledge whose knowledge is the very Fountaine of all those changes which would seem to escape it Wherfore if we will allow a Wisdome wise enough to create wee must also allow a Wisdome wise enough to know and to master in knowledge the things created And if we allow a Power able to create without matter we should much more allow the same Power to bee able to renew of something what was first created of nothing Bee this therefore the assurance of the blessed that the Trumpe shall blow and the dead shall rise and that the sruit of this Creation shall return to the hand that first did plant it As God is the beginning of his Workes so is he the end of them all things that went from him with Power must returne to him with Glory and the Seed-time of Creation must be answered with the Haruest of a finall Iudgement God hath not made the World to no purpose neither hath hee cast out from him so great a Creation as a thing contemned and neglected Hee hath not beene wise in an excellent Creation to no end he hath not set Man here as a wild beast of the Forrest only to run after his lusts neither seeing his Maker nor seene of him The Soule of Man had in it the power of a reasonable seruice it could see and know and please his Creatour And Nature hath truly discouered that GOD makes nothing for nothing Therefore the Soule with her Subiect the Body must come and stand at the Barre of Iudgement to bee tryed by her workes whether in the Body shee hath pleased him that formed her And though many vagabond soules haue run from their Maker and haue indeuoured to put themselues out of his seruice command yet he will not lose his property in them they may fly from his Obedience but neuer from his Power Iustice and Vengeance they shall be forced to serue him who is the end of all his Creatures by the sufferings of Iustice who would not serue him in the Righteousnesse of Mercie Accordingly in this great Day of Trial their appearance shal be in the vglinesse of Gods defaced Image their blind foule and leprous soules shall appeare in a perfect naked deformednesse and their many sins shall come againe to visit them shall stand before them as so many vnnaturall accusers of them that begat them The pleasure that once encouraged to the commission of them shall now be stripped from them and sinnes shall then appeare only sinfull filthy and detestable And so by them sinners being lothsome to the God of purest Eyes they shall be carryed from the Eyes whom they offend yea the Eyes of Mercie and Glorie shall be shut vp from them But on the contrarie side the Eyes of Wrath and Iustice shall sparkle out fire against them and this fire shal seize and feed on their Sinfulnes for sinne vnto Iustice is as fuell vnto fire Burne it shall for euer in a tormenting but not a consuming flame It shall haue the agony and vexation but not the consumption and abolition of fire for the torment must be like the wrath the wrath of an eternall God and the torment of an eternall fire Thus blinde and darke toward the God of Comfort and the Comforts of God they shall bee open-sighted toward their owne Guilt Horrour and Amazement Their guilt shall beget feare and their feare amazement by reason of desperation and hopelesnesse of release What depth of vexation or rather how bottomlesse a horror it is when the Soule cannot see beyond torments but is whol ly swallowed vp of anguish by the contemplation of an immortall miserie These are they whose portion is the Creature and whose Happinesse is in this Life And as they liued without God in this World yea against God so shall they liue without GOD in the next World and God will bee against them Hee who might haue beene their felicitie but was neglected shall now because neglected become their misery their Habitation shall bee the blacknesse of darknes and their businesse shall be eternall anguish vexation and gnashing of teeth But the blessed sonnes and seruants of the Highest God who
haue set their rest on their Creatour and haue made him the end of their being and the meanes to the end euen a God to rule a Sauiour to redeeme and a happinesse to blesse these arise with the Image of God in their fore-heads God seeth his face in the face of their soules their workes also testifie the same for them These are clothed with pure White the Righteousnesse of Christ and the Righteousnesse of the Spirit with the first the Iustice of GOD is satisfied with the last the Mercie of God is pleased and by the last the first is adiudged to them They haue fed clothed and visited Christ in his hungry naked and imprisoned members these workes are the fruits of Loue and Loue is the fruit of Sanctification and Sanctification is an inseparable companion condition and witnesse of Iustification So by the works of Loue they are proued and approued to bee the sonnes of God who is Loue and if sonnes then also heires if heires they shall for euer dwell in the house of Glorie euen in the presence of God Their right to eternall Glory is by inheritance euen by being heires annexed with Christ but their admittance into their right is by the Euidences and Testimonies of the workes of Holinesse For it is a true Rule That none but the pure in heart can see God and againe None can be pure in heart but he must first be new begotten by God euen a sonne and heire of GOD. And now to these is sounded forth that most blessed voice which openeth the doore of eternall Felicitie a voice that consummateth that Supremest Marriage wherein Man is matched to the highest Essence the chiefest Blisse Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you In this Kingdome the ragged and filthy garment of the body of sinne the diseased infirmities of this sinful bodie the tears of oppression yea all griefe is wiped away And in stead of these Man is infinitely purified sublimated and so fitted for the presence of the highest Being In the Puritie of Holinesse hee is pure without blemish washed from guilt by the bloud of the Lambe and from corruption by the holy Ghost yea there is a new Light as a new Eye plāted in the vnderstanding exceedingly quickened and enlarged to a spacious view of Truth and Glorie Likewise new Vertue anoynteth and bedeweth the Will steeping and seasoning it in a Diuine Nature by which it excellently agreeth in harmonie with the will of God and is holy as hee is holy In the puritie of Substance the Soule shall be highly clarified vntill it be capeable of the vppermost and chiefest Light And the body shall bee lifted vp into a proportion with the Soule for the body shall then bee a spirituall Body euen a Body like a Soule euen so pure shall they both bee that they shall admit into themselues the beames of the Fountaine of Light vntill they bee filled with Light and Glorie God will bee their Sunne and hee will shine into them as into Christall and in his Light they shall haue the fulnesse of Light Then shall the Knowledge of Man ascend into Perfection farre aboue these poore pieced and patched knowledges which we call Arts and Sciences Euen the highest Degree of knowledge which in this mistie time of Ignorance Imperfection iustly holdeth the highest degree of Eminence shall then be the bottome and lownes of this new knowledge and then shall it be knowne that this kind of Learning is of vse much like to that of a Lanthorne It may doe vs seruice in this Night of Mans fall and corruption but in the Orient brightnesse of the Kingdome of Glorie the new light by surmounting it shall make it vselesse yea darken and discountenance it For whereas now wee doe but flutter about the branches and extremities of Wisdome then shall we behold Wisdome in the roote The Glorie and Fabrike of the Creature shall be seene in the Originall euen in the Creatour in whom it was first made within before it was made without In him shall wee reade the Resolution of all profitable vnknowntruths and his Wisdome shall bee a most perfect Oracle instructing all glorified and blessed Soules And with this Wisdome shall we also behold an infinite Treasure of Power and Almightinesse The right Hand and holy Arme of the Omnipotent God shall bee reuealed vnto vs and then shall wee wonder at this Power alone and not at the mightie Wonders which this Power hath done for then shal we plainly see that such Power might well worke such Wonders And while wee view and consider this Power the Power of GOD will point vs to the loue of God For so meane a thing as Man may well bee amazed at so infinite Power and Maiestie but that at once with the power there appeares an infinite Loue which tells the Soule that though Power not matched with Loue be a Terror yet tempred with loue it is the very Safetie Rest and Blisse of Soules beloued For as much power as there is in God so much is God able to blesse those whom hee loues and as much loue as there is in GOD so much willing is hee to blesse those whom by his Power hee is so much able to blesse Thus from Gods Wisdome his Power his Loue and his Light issue continuall obiects and spectacles of Ioy. Yet is not this all of that which cannot all be expressed For this whiles there flowes from the Deitie into the Heart of Man a most pleasant streame of the gladding Spirit wherein is the extremest power vertue of reioycing This is the new Wine of the Kingdome of Heauen which makes the Soule drunken with high comforts raptures and extasies which inward comforts meeting and clasping with outward ioyes fill vp a Man with an excesse of Ioy and Happinesse that he shall be euen swallowed vp and ouer-rauished with Ioy. And yet their Happinesse stinteth not for there is an addition of a most delectable and soule-pleasing Harmonie Harmonie is a chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe Pleasure and the Harmonie of the most excellent Essences is the most excellent Harmonie and the most excellent Essences are Spirits and the Harmonie of Spirits is in the Kingdom of glory This Musike of Spirits exceedingly exceedeth the Musike of mortall voices yea that chiefe Musike of hearts which between men is called Friendship and betweene Man Wife is called Marriage-Loue is but a counterfeit resemblance and carries but some small rellishes of that Diuine and Celestiall Harmony For in the Quire of Heauen the Saints and Angels euen the blessed Spirits agree in a perfect Vnison of Truth and Loue. Their vnderstandings think one thing their hearts euen their wils loue themselues and their companions with one loue They delight themselues each in other especially all in God For as there is between themselues a perfect consent so there is also a true agreement between these Spirits and the chiefest Spirit which is the very top of pleasure and delight What perfection can be higher then that of the highest Creatour And how can a Creature bee more perfect then when he is consorted tuned to this highest perfection God speaketh to the hearts of these blessed Soules and the hearts of these blessed Soules thinke and vtter thoughts agreeable to the heart of GOD. God that saw his Workes of Creation that they were good and pleased himselfe in their goodnesse Now beholdeth his worke of Blessing and Glorification and reioyceth in the rest ioy which he hath giuen to his Beloued The glorified Soules behold and admire the Goodnesse and Mercie of God that gaue not only the workes of the six daies but the rest of the Seuenth to rebellious dust and sinful ashes In the infinite Loue of God their loue still steepeth and drowneth it selfe and the more it seeth the Loue of God the more it loues God and the more it loues God the more it is beloued And out of the feeling of this surpassing Loue of God breake out those Songs of Ioy and Voyces of Exultation Glory and Honour and Prayse bee to him that sitteth on the throne to the Lamb for euermore And Halleluiah For the Kingdome of the Lord God Almightie is come And Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue Glorie to God for the Marriage of the Lambe is come his Wife is readie and shee is arayed in pure and shining Silke And yet this felicitie is not all but that it may bee as long as it is large and as infinite in continuance as it is in extent there issues from the Deitie into the glorified Soules the sap and nourishment of an eternall Life The Tree of Life nourisheth eternally the branches of the same Tree Death is swallowed vp into victory and it selfe dyeth by the Word which is Life But the Soules partakers of God from him who is Eternall doe sucke Eternitie and so become that Kingdome whereof there is no end And yet this is not all of that inexpressible Felicitie but the greatest and chiefest is yet left in silence for that must needs be greatest which cannot enter into the heart of Man But let the transcendence of that which is vnknowne be a double spurre vnto vs in this Race of Happinesse one because it is transcendent another because vnknowne Let the Eminence prouoke our Ambitions the Secrecie our Curiosities Let vs desire and striue earnestly to enter into that which now by reason of wonderfull excellence cannot enter into vs. Let vs indeuour carefully to walke in the light of Grace which will bring vs to the full Reuelation of the yet inaccessible light of Glorie where Happinesse shall at once bee fully knowne and fully enioyed In the meane time it may be sufficient for me to discouer That the Soules seated in Beatitude passe their time which shall neuer bee past in the very top of Blisse and Delectation They laugh at sorrowes past and are secure for infinite ioyes to come God is theirs and they are Gods and in this Vnitie is the fulnesse of Felicitie FINIS