increase our glorie we must striue to increase our holinesse and by holinesse and other helps aduancing and supporting holinesse to in crease comfort and cherish the Spirit by which both holinesse and glory may be increased Now to know what these helps are we must seeke in the Oracles of God whose office and mayne purpose is to shine as a Light to mankind that standeth in the darke place of a clouded and corrupted soule and to guide their feete into the way of Peace and Rest. This sure Word of GOD was giuen by GOD vnto Man to direct Man vnto God And to effect this it hath a power to make the children of men the sonnes of God Yea it hath a power to nourish this spirituall and heauenly sonship so bestoweth a gift of growth as well as a gift of life for it causeth the sonnes and heires of God to grow vnto their perfect stature of Grace Glory The great Spirit of God which powreth that portion of the Spirit into vs wherein lyes our sanctification and sealing powred also in the Prophets Seers and Apostles the Word and Counsell of God So the Spirit within vs and the Word without vs are neere of kin they haue one Father euen the Spirit which is God and being brethren they must needes cherish loue and strengthen each other Yea the Spirit of GOD which best knowes how the Spirit issuing from him may bee cherished hath by that Word of purpose shewed vs sundry meanes by which that which hee hath giuen vs may be increased And God expects that wee which were dead and are now raised to life by him though in our deadnesse wee could not moue towards him yet being quickned wee should by imployments and exercise stirre vp the life bestowed on vs kindling it by those helps which his Word ministreth vnto vs. So behold O Man a double mercy one that the indeuours of the Saints may increase their glorie another that meanes helps and directions are giuen for the aduancement and execution of such indeuours Wee must not be still like Embrious and children in their first conception to haue the nourishment of life sent in o vs without our knowledge and will but being now at least babes in Christ wee must desire and sucke the sincere Milke of the Word that wee may grow thereby or being strong men we must desire and digest the solid meate by which wee may grow from strength to strength wee must by manly exercises seeke to fortifie the power of Christ in vs and we must worke towards the increase of our spirituall estate by heauenly traffike and marchandize that the talents of grace being increased may increase the talents of glorie But now perchance it wil bee demanded what these helps are by which the Man of GOD may enlarge his stature and grow vp to his head Christ Iesus For satisfaction to which demand I would point him to the Word of God which is the Treasure of the perfect knowledge of this Arte of felicitie but yet to giue some stay to hungrie soules that presently desire the prosperitie of the Spirit will not bee delayed I may name some of the chiefest though likewise I may leaue others vnnamed to stirre them vp somewhat to seeke for their owne prouision And here as the first means of increasing the Spirit I will name the increasing of those meanes by which the Spirit was first receiued we must striue to increase that faith and affiance by which wee cleauing vnto Christ Christ claue vnto vs. For the more wee cleaue vnto Christ the more Christ cleaueth vnto vs the more we comprehend him the more he doth comprehend vs by a larger and fuller possession of vs. Faith increased increaseth our capacitie of Christ Iesus and as wee are inlarged in our owne bowels by faith so doth Christ inlarge himselfe within vs by his Spirit To this end let vs remember what hath beene formerly set forth as the meanes of breeding faith and in those meanes let vs bee the more conuersant as wee would bee the more plentifull in faith and more ingraffed in the obiect of faith Christ Iesus Briefly let vs feruently and continually pray with the Disciples vnto the Author and Finisher of our faith Lord increase our faith Let vs be frequently conuersant with Christ Iesus and often behold him liuely described in the Word in the Sacraments by hearing by seeing by receiuing by meditation The more Christ is looked on the more trust and the more loue and so the more Vnion Wee cannot looke on the fairest of Men but we shall bee rauished with his loue for hee kindleth our affections as coles of fire and as a vehement flame And surely if wee looke into his Word and into the seales of his Word wee cannot choose if wee bee spirituall but wee must plainly looke on Christ himselfe For the Word of Christ is the Image of Christ hee hath stamped on it his owne likenesse and therein wee may see him borne liuing teaching dying rising againe Therein may wee behold his graces and gifts his excellencie and dignitie his loue vnto Men and his labours for Men. The Sacraments also Christ hath imprinted with his owne resemblance and they are the characters and representations of Christ. So in them may wee see Christ redeeming by passion and washing by regeneration feeding and quickning by viuification yea performing his part of the whole Couenant of Life And CHRIST being thus discerned what dull heart will not rise vp toward him in a stronger affiance in a more firie loue Wherefore walking along with the staffe of Prayer in our hands let vs still bee tasting of these restoratiues of Faith that so faith being cherished may cherish the Spirit and the Spirit being cherished may cherish our life eternall CHAP. IIII. Other helps of retayning and increasing happinesse The first is quicke obedience AN especiall furtherance and nourisher of the Spirit is a readie and prompt obedience to the motions of the same Spirit The businesse of our life is indeede no other but an attendance on the Spirit in whom lyes our dutie and happinesse and al other businesses that are not subordinate to this businesse are inordinate Wherfore to the holy lusts of this liuing and mouing Spirit must our continuall care bee attentiue that when it moueth vs we may be moued by it and that the commands thereof bee answered by a speedie obedience For the Spirit is the issue of the God of power and is it selfe a power proceeding from that great power now power reioyceth in action yea these second powers grow more powerfull by action In naturall things wee see that motion makes a thing more apt to moue and by how much more the strength of Man is exercised the more able and mightie it groweth No otherwise doth the Spirit in vs. It grows mightie by a free and prosperous exercise of his might It growes more vigorous and actiue by doing and by mouing it is more
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
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