ungodly man curseth Satan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he curseth his own soul as if they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one soul as if there were not only an identity of nature but of persons for it is the Soul of the man Animus cususque is est quisque Cicero that is the Person of the man And if Satan therefore acknowledge himself an accursed creature because deprived of this divine love what think you must not that man be also accursed who is of so near cognation to him that if he curse him he curseth his own soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Gregory Nazianzen What a cursed wretch must that man be that is separated from the pure fountain of all blessings who is hated by that God who is Love it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ajax nay whose very Blessings are cursed by the God of Blessings Malachy 2.2 What a cursed wretch that neither can nor dares pray to heaven for a blessing nay whose very prayers are such an Abomination to the Lord that they pull down Curses in stead of Blessings As the Philosopher said to the debauch't Marriners praying in a great storm Oh Wretches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hold your peace lest we all be cast away if the Gods perceive you to be sailing here What a cursed wretch whom all the Creatures pursue and rise up in arms to his ruine and confusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he armes the whole creation Wisd 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the revenge of his enemies as Jonah will tell you to his cost God is pleased to send him to Nineve and he forsooth in a pettish humour is hoysing up his sailes for Tarsus and see what comes of it The Windes and storms rise up in a fury and the Seas swell with rage against him the ship though of that bulk that it could carry any thing else Omnem rem vehere potest navis praeter fugitivum yet cannot the fugitive Prophet but over-board he must and there is a Whale ready to receive him into her wide jawes and there he is intombed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were in a living Sepulchre to let him and all the world see that he that flies from the ever living God flies to his own death And howso ever that jugling spirit casts mists before their eyes and fools them with a conceit of pleasantness and deligh in the wayes that are farthest off from the strictness and severity of holiness yet sayes Greg. Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a most divine truth that the waies of wicked men are full of hells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I sayes Plato if I were a Law-maker I would impose a severe penalty upon that man that should say that there are â—ome men that are not so pious indeed as they should be but they live merrily Soul eat drink and be merry sayes the rich Farmer Luke 12.19 But it was as great a mistake of the fool to think that such a soul could be merry as it was that it could eat or drink Soul be merry Foolish man how can such a soul be merry that is so taken up with the love thoughts of earth that is therefore so fain to wander abroad and busie it self about other objects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch because its afraid to look homeward and to behold its own ugly self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how can such a soul be merry or take joy in it self or any thing else that is divided from him who is the pure fountain of joy Yet that 's not the worst of it neither but 2. That man that does not love the Lord Jesus Christ must needs be in a cursed wofull condition because he shall be eternally separated from his blessed and blissefull presence And so my Apostle does assure us 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. The Lord shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels and shall in flaming fire take vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. No wonder he saith they shall be eternally destroyed who shall be eternally separated from him who is salvation it self And that it shall be so himself hath told it before-hand his very sentence shall run Depart from me Matth. 25.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Into fire eternall fire an heavie sentence this sayes St. Chrysost yet nothing so heavie as the former part Depart from me this is dreadfull indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's more horror contained in that word then in all the fire and brimstone and tortures of Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it s that Poena damni that eternal loss of his blessed face that makes Hell so terrible to the Saints Depart from me Lord sayes Saint Peter whither shall we go but unto thee Thou hast the words of eternal life John 6.68 Nay Thou art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Word that is eternall life And what death must surprize us if we depart from Thee who art Life it self What darkness if we depart from Thee who art Light it self Into what a cursed Hell must we be plunged if we depart from Thee who art Blessedness it self Depart from me no wonder he adds ye cursed If such a departure from such a blessed presence be not a curse I pray tell me what is And see how this blessed Lord payes them home with their coyn For did not those Wretches that did not love him first bid him depart from them and cry out we will not that he should reign over us would they part with one lust for his sake that parted with heaven for theirs nay did they not so hate him that they advanced their base lusts into his glorious Throne and made them their Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For without doubt sayes Macarius whatsoever it is that carries away the principall love of any mans heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that mans God And if that be not a prodigious departure from him what is And if so I must appeale to themselves whether that his dismissive sentence Depart from me be not very proportionable and just Oh what curse what hell can be bad enough for that man that dethrones the Lord of Glory nay enthrones in his stead Avarice Ebriety Envy Pride Luxury nay the very spirit of Darkness And yet to see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how prodigiously mad impiety makes its Idolaters there is not one of a thousand of these cursed Wretches but flatters himself with an hope that he shall hereafter be eternally blessed with the enjoyment of Christ in Glory How enjoy Christ in Glory and yet so shamefully to renounce him as not to love him its impossible as impossible as that himself should be forsworn Dost thou not hear God himself
Lord is coming Instruct me Oracles what is the meaning of this Some will have it to be a tacit rouzing of his Corinthians out of their supine lethargy prodigious forgetfulnesse of their duty to their Lord and Master An allusion to Scholars in the absence of their Master playing the wantons of a sudden one of them spying the master coming gives the rest warning of it To your books Scholars the Master is coming so the Apostle here To your lesson of Love Corinthians Maran-atha The Lord is coming Others will have it to be a patheticall adjuring of them by the loving coming of the Lord to reciprocate love to him again Others will have it to be an Apostolicall exprobration How not love the Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Chrysost Dominus venit salutis iste Dominum vementem non amat adeo perfidus ingratus Pet. Marr. Why this Lord came down from heaven out of mere love to save him and yet is he such a monster of ingratitude as not to love him Fy upon him let a curse yea and let shame light upon him Which I confesse I do rather embrace then any of the former interpretations yet there is another which I shall rather commend unto you then this also which sayes that the Apostle alludes to the originall form of Excommunication used in the Church of the Jewes which they called Sham-Atha and was the highest degree and with which sayes our learned Doctor this Maran-atha is coincidental Dr. Hammond For Sham that is no other then Shem our blessed Lord whose name is Wonderfull Esay 9.6 The Angel of the Covenant in the midst of whom is my name Exod 23.21 and Atha as here is coming And so St. Jude expresly tells that it was the very Thunder-bolt that old Enoch shot at such like prodigious Monsters in his time Jude v. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord is coming with his holy myriads to execute judgement upon all that are ungodly and to convince them of all their ungodly deeds and words Nay the word runs ' in the praeteritum tempus as this of my Apostle does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes holy Enoch Marā-atha sayes S. Paul the Lord is come whereby is implyed the Certainty of his glorious coming to the confusion of all such graceless wretches so sure as if he were come already So you see the interpretations of these Riddles clear as if they were wrote with the Sunne-beams And now let the Atheisticall scoffer at the power of the Church take them home with him and tell me nay rather himself whether this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two-edged Sword may not make deep wounds and gashes in that carnall soul of his If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema cursed from the presence of the Lord let him not be thought worthy to come where the Lord hath to do Maran-atha a cursed wretch of that deplored hope that the Church knows not what to do farther with him but is enforced to bind him over to answer that high indignity at that great generall day of Assizes and to expose him to the dreadfull sentence of that Lord himself whom he hath so contemned and incensed who shall be Judge and who he may be sure will pay him home nay and that suddenly too Maran-atha the Lord is coming to render vengeance and execute Judgement upon all such ungodly wretches as doe not love him Which is the first Quaere what is the meaning of those abstruse obscure words Anathema Maran-atha Yet before I can dismisse them I shall be seech the to fixe thy eye upon this glasse and therein take an exact view of the ill-favourednesse and uglinesse of that man that does not love the Lord Jesus Christ Thou seest the Apostle useth two words of diverse languages to expresse his horrid and wofull condition Let him be Anathema Maran-atha as if he would have it ingraven on his fore-head in such characters that all Nations both Jewes and Gentiles might read it running The Observation is obvious and evident yet such that I should think it should make the man to tremble There is no such cursed creature under the Sun as that man that does not love the Lord Jesus Christ Rather then he shall escape my Apostle here disciplines both Jew and Gentile to thunder out curses against him in their own dialect This is such a Truth that the Devil himself whose very propriety is lying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psellus confest it when by an holy man exorcized and conjured out of a poor man whom he had possest for being demanded his name he answered I am that cursed creature who am deprived of Love I hope then no Christian will deny it and if there be any such I doubt not but to convince them ere I have done If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ he must needs be accursed First because he cuts himself off from him that is the Fountain of all blessings here for the present and secondly because Christ will cut him off from all enjoyments of himself hereafter in the life of Glory 1. Accursed he must be because he flies off from him that is blessed God for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotinus à quo procul abesse est esse minus from whom the more that any man is at a distance the lesse he is a blinde man could say And he that does not love Christ must needs be at a great nay an infinite distance from him because he hates him Hate him Horresco referens I cannot but tremble at the very expression it 's a very sad yet infallible Truth for so himself hath said it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two Lords you cannot serve Matth. 6.24 for you must hate the one and love the other It is a plain case sayes Cusanus two loves cannot be equall especially where there is no subordination but contrariety of Objects as in the present case Christ and Mammon and therefore he that loves the one must of necessity hate the other as being divided from that one which he loves Does he so does he hate Christ then separated from Christ he must needs be for as Love is of an uniting nature so Hatred is of a dividing Your sins have divided betwixt me and you saith God Esay 52.2 Alas alas sayes Gregory Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is not the least sin that I hugg in my bosome but it estrangeth and divorceth me from my God especially that damnable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hatred of God this must needs estrange the soul from God because it is of an heterogeneous nature frō him it is the very assimilation of the Devil who is therefore called Satan because he is an hater of God Hatred is no other then the participation of the satanicall nature and transforms the soul into Satan himself if you 'l believe the Wise man Ecclus 21.27 When the
swear the contrary Heb. 3.11 I sware in my wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ever they enter into my rest What then Nay there is all but it s such a dreadfull Aposiopesis as I should think should shake every vein of thy heart As it he had said if ever they come where I have to do then say I am no God I am perjured But suppose there had bin no such oath I shall ask thee First with what modesty Secondly with what reason couldest thou expect to come into the presence of that Majesty What impudence were it for such a soul as black as hell to dare to approach near such a resplendent brightnes As Mercurius told Charon in Lucian requesting him to shew him Iupiters Palace above How sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that such a Caitiffe as thou whose conversation hath been altogether with black shades and impure ghosts shouldest set thy foot in that pure Palace of Light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what a dishonour and derogation were that to the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what harmony is there sayes my Apostle betwixt Light and Darkness There is such an absolute contrariety and heterogeneousness betwixt their natures that they are incompatible and inconsistent sayes Proclus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is of another and discrepant nature from light must needs stand off at a great distance from it Iohn 1.5 And that light shined in darkness sayes St. Iohn of Christ and the darkness comprehended it not Indeed it were strange if it had sayes Cusanus ubi nulla basis lucis where there was not the least base or foundation for that light to fasten upon And sure as light cannot comprehend darkness so neither can darkness comprehend light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived sayes my Apostle neither fornicatours nor idolaters c. shall ever inherit the Kingdome of God No sayes an Heathen but those that would be immortally happy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antisthenes they must live holily and justly There is no happinesse of the Soul but onely in its immediate union with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclus as of the eye with light sayes Plato no nor can the soul ever be in a capacity of that happy union 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except it be first transformed into the same nature with the Deity sayes Proclus What thinkest thou do not these Heathens speak reason may they not put thee to the blush thou wretch who art so unlike to God that thou hatest him who is Love it self and all that is lovely and yet with a shameless confidence lookest to enjoy the beatificall vision of him in Glory How and yet not love him with what congruitie of reason canst thou think so But suppose thou shouldest come to that glorious sight which yet that it is impossible those blind men have told thee it would be so farre from being any advantage of happiness unto thee that it would be as * Quid pravis mentibus imprecer◠Opes honores ambiant Etcum falsa bona gravi mole paraverint tunc vera cognoscant bona Boetius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Julianus Imperator hideous and horrible as hell it self thou wouldst so burst with very envy to see his infinit Glory whom thou didst so hate thy case would just be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soar eye gazing upon the Sun as Hierocles instanceth which is so far from being a comfort that it proves a torment to it And now if thou hast any further maw to it go and spit out all the virulencie thou canst against the Lord Jesus and let thy rapine and malice against his poore Members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and impious confounding of Heaven with Earth things sacred with profane proclaim to the world that thou hatest him Yet sayes Diphilus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I must tell thee thou foolest thy self if ever thou thinkest to sneak away without vengeance and confusion How is it possible when the very presence of him who to the Saints that look upon him with pure eyes is an infinite delectable light will be to thee as the light of the Sun is to those that see it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through a cloud that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither purely nor clearly it doth not seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pure light Julianus Imperat. but fire its an observation of one of thy fellow-haters of Christ if thou wouldst know what fire my Apostle tells thee to thy confusion Heb. 12.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a consuming fire What thinkest thou now canst thou conceit any comfort in the approach to such a presence dost thou not clearly see an inevitable necessitie of thy forlorn cursed condition Oh sayes our blessed Saviour if the eye Matth. 6.24 which is the sole light of the body if that be darkness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how great is that darkness The application is easie but withall very dreadfull If the presence of Christ who is Life it self prove Death to thee oh how great will thy death be If the presence of him who is Happiness it self and Salvation it self prove a Torment to thee and Damnation oh how great will thy torment and damnation be If the presence of him who is the very Joy and Bliss of Saints and Angels prove a Curse to thee oh how great and inconceivable will thy curse be And so you have the first quaere what is the meaning of those abstruse tearms Anathema Maran-atha 2. Why this Apostle comes with these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 direfull Thunderbolts and lets them fly abroad against such wretches that anathematize themselves by that their not loving our blessed Jesus What saith he to these very Corinthians shall I come unto you with a rod 1 Cor. 4.21 or rather in love and in the spirit of meekness How sweetly he recollects himself and the truth is there is no such loadstone to attract love as love Generosa est mens hominis facilius ducitur quam trahitur Seneca and no such ready way to win upon the noble mind of man as the spirit of meekness and without doubt there is nothing more symbolicall and suitable to the Evangelicall spirit of this Apostle And it may seem strange at the first view that such a Barnabas Son of Consolation whose sacred lines use to flow with grace and peace should become such a Boanerges and come upon them with such terrible Thunders Anathema Maran-atha Yet if thou please whosoever thou art that art so unhappy as not to love the Lord Jesus Christ with a little patience to hear what may be said to shame thee out of that hellish fury and to draw thee nay and enforce thee to return to the love of him I shall appeal to thy self as a rationall creature whether S. Paul could do less then
and perfect and yet If any man not love him who is happiness it self and perfection it self What sad contradictions are these and how irrationall What thinkest thou now of it Is it not reason that thou shouldst love the Lord Jesus Christ Art thou not enforced to it when every thing in nature crieth out upon thee if thou do not Thou must either shew some other object that can perfectionate thy love and ennoble it or thou must renounce thy naturall reason or else love him thou must for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Epictetus an inviolable law of reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whatsoever appeareth the best that be loved best and then sayes another Heathen thou must know that that only may be esteemed best 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marcus Imperat. which makes thy self best that is just wise free holy and without all doubt saith a third that is a truth that is evident to every man * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclus what that whatsoever it is that makes man happy it must be something that will assimilate him unto the Deitie rather then what will make him un godlike and that must needs make the man therefore happy because by that assimilation he riseth up into the highest perfection sayes another Heathen as if a liveless picture should be assumed and advanced into the same vigorous degree of liveliness and loveliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotinus with that majestie which it resembleth All this is reason is it not Now point me out or single out any one object here below if thou canst that will raise thee to that divine perfection I will tell thee what one of these Heathens saith in this case If the rationall soul stoop to the love of these materiall treasures or brutish pleasures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin it descendeth and debaseth it self infinitely and its an unhappie fracture of her noble wings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and precipitation of the soul If thou doubtest the mans judgement yet what can be more infallible when it is the very nature of love Transformat in imagines istarum rerum quas amamus Raym. de Sab. to transform the soul into the image of those things which it loves and there is a Text that implieth so much They are become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 9.10 abominable like those things which they have loved Si terram amas terra es If saith Saint Augustine thou lovest Earth thou art Earth and so whatsoever else And if that be not an embasing of the soul to degrade it and transform it into such low elements of such inferiour natures to it what is What is it then that will beatifie and elevate the soul into its primordial state of perfection Why saith he its a wise recess and retreat of the soul from all loves of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin and affectionate converse with these things below and an holy flight and retiring unto him onely who is onely Christian dost thou hear this without a blush Le ts see now what canst thou pretend to love that 's worth the while besides Jesus Christ Whatsoever it is that is less then a God Quicquid minus Deo menteÌ„ Dei capacem non implet Bern. Si aliud praeter Deum habeo nec aliud plene possideo nec Deum Deus qui non deficit solus mihi sufficil Euseb Niremb Et hoc adepto beata quo amisso misera fit anima S. Aug. that cannot possibly fill up the vast chasms and immense capacities of the soul that 's sure and if so then take joy in it it cannot that 's as certain no nor can it be said properly to enjoy it saith S. August for that onely can it enjoy which can terminate the restless motions of its desires and which being once attained the soul is happy which being lost it is miserable and wretched And if there be any thing else then the Lord Jesus the loss whereof will undo you then go and love it with all thy heart and soul strength and spare not But say in sober sadness is there any such indeed There is little signe saith Longinus when it is the greatest argument of a great mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Longinus to look upon them with the eye of disdain and contempt as poore small nothings and he instanceth in those things which the world adores as the great gods Riches Honours Principalities If there be any thing that will satisfie the soul it is more then Solomon could see who had his eyes in his head and could tell better then another as having a full experiment of all He cries out Vanitie of vanities emptiness of emptinesses and all things are vanitie and vexation of spirit Vexation of spirit that they must needs be because First they are emptinesses â— they can no more fill up the spirit or soul then a drop of water can fill up the huge Ocean no morâ— quench the natural desires of the soul then a little water can the thirst of a man inflamed with a feaver nay they are so far from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pâ—lus as that they inflame the more they vex them as the Tick vexeth the Oxe or the Indian Gnats do the Lions which sitting on their eye-browes cause them to scratch themselves blind Secondly A vexation of spirit they are because they delude the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrianus which no man can endure and put a cheat upon him promising huge contentments and pleasures and when he hath run through them all he findes no more satisfaction in them then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hungrie stomach doth in the reaking fume of a ladle or dreaming of a banquet The spirit must needs be vexed to be thus deluded and gull'd in its expectation And thirdly A vexation of the soul they must needs be because they are of an heterogeneous and extrinsecall nature to this our spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a gross mistake saith Plotinus if thou takest any of these material things to be the good which thou naturally seekest or to be thy good indeed or to be loved by any but fools and if sayes Marcus Antoninus thou be drawn to any of their loves thy motion is violent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those Puppets that are set on motion by gins of iron or wire that are of another and extrinsecall nature That soul that is moved by any other principle then God who onely can move it naturally because he onely iâ— that soveraign Good and Truth wherein the Will and Understanding can acquiesce is dragged by unnaturall principles and therefore by violent No wonder then he calls it a vexation of spirit that puts the soul to a most torturing violence and turneth it out of its naturall biass Nay Epictetus will tell thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that as none but base and servile spirits wil desire things impossible so none but such as dare proudly to fight with God will love any thing that is of a distant and strange nature from him And yet what saith the Apostle If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ How not him such an incomparable and comprehensive perfection that all things else are but mere emptie Vanities and Nothingnesses Not love him that is that absolute necessarie One that is both the Principle and Middle and End of all Pluralities all the myriads of all created Beings and entities both in Heaven and Earth that absolute One or Unitie Qui habet hoc unum habet unum universale that is so one that he is all so that if any man seek rest in any thing else he cannot possibly find it because he seeks it not where it onely is he seeks it not in one but in another and therefore otherwise then he should and otherwhere then it is What folly what madness is this For so the Prophet putteth them both together Psal 75.5 I said unto the fools deal not so madly Here is the folly and madness of men they runne after Riches and Pleasures and Honours and run themselves out of breath in their hot pursuit after them and the more they runne after them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plot. the more they runne from him who is the veritie and realitie of them all Which is that frenzie that himself inviteth the Angels to stand agast at Jer. 2.13 Be astonished ye Heavens They have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters and have digged unto themselves Cisterns that will hold no waters As if he had said If there were any other Fountain besides my self that could stay or satisfie their thirst I could dispence with that their revolt from me but now that there is no other such but my self that they should forsake me and run to the Creatures that are mere emptinesses this is that offendeth and astonisheth me Ah wreched and mad man sayes Cusanus no man that seeketh any thing but pretendeth to seek something that is good and he that seeketh good and forsaketh God what doth he but run away from that which he seeketh And if this be thy case I cannot but wonder at thee nay I hope thou wilt now begin to wonder at thy self to be sure thou mayest not canst not any more wonder at my Apostle for his Anathema Maran-atha nor at me if I dismiss thee with the saying of an honest Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diogenes Why pretendest thou to live if thou think much to love him by whom thou livest FINIS