corrupt or sound principles of Reason and Faith and the sober affections of the heart purified by Faith. For untill the Spirit of Sanctification and mortification and renovation hath wrought our corrupt nature to a blessed and thorow change little may be expected from us outwardly either acceptable to God who looks more upon the manner and forme of the Deed than the Deed it selfe or profitable to our selves For to continue a little farther our similitude as we see men having bad Watches will with their Finger or Thumb place the Hand aright to give some credit to them which presently according to their ill frame returne to their wonted errour So Hypocrites to appear fair and good to men push themselves on sometimes to regular and laudable acts and sometimes restrain and set back their rank course of sin for some imperfect if not evill end but soon relapse to their accustomed excesses for want of the principle of holinesse and a constitution heavenly inclined the only true Spring of good and laudable actions 5. Again The inward man may well be compared to the Market-place of a strong Citie The Enemie may surprise or by some suddain violence may possesse himselfe of the out-workes and yet be repelled again and the Citie stand firme and safe and faithfull to its Soveraign but if the Enemie once possesses himselfe of the Market-place there is no hopes of standing true to the Owner or withstanding the Adversarie So is it with them who have suffered the Legions of foul Spirits to enter into their hearts and there to nestle and triumph All attempts are but feeble and insufficient to exhibit just and reasonable service to God. For no sooner doe some good inclinations arise no sooner doe we offer at good but a partie of vain thoughts dishonest motions are sent forth to suppresse all good but weak purposes of returning to our allegiance to God and the doing of his Will. Great circumspection therefore must be used strong resolutions must be taken and many difficulties of hunger thirst and hot service must first be passed through before our Redemption draweth nigh and we be restored to the Masterie of our selves and the ministrie we owe to God. 6. But adde hereunto fourthly a more intrinsick argument to the stirring us up to the cleansing our hearts the great benefit redounding to a mans selfe who shall so acquitt himselfe For however this conflict with the powers of flesh and blood and this Conquest is very difficult and tedious and therefore is called in Scripture Mortification and crucifying the Old man with the affections and lusts yet the work once done and the victory obtained brings wonderfull ease quiet satisfaction and cheerfulnesse unto the Spirit rendering it much more expedite and lightsome than it was before strugling against a contrarie Principle which evermore clogged it obstructed and either wholly impeded or grievously retarded the performance of Divine Services For men being scarce able to extinguish the cleer notice of a Deity in them and little lesse able to deny wholly such a service as is due to God doe with an unwilling will divers times submit to Religious acts but wearisome and tedious are they to them through the prevalencie of unsubdued lusts which by this necessary Discipline being master'd and expelled a great change is made in the Soule and then with lightnesse and readinesse is that done which before was irksome and grievous As David himselfe found it in himselfe when he said Psal 119. 32. I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou hast set my heart at liberty And then are our hearts at liberty when the Bond-servant Hagar with her off-spring which would domineer are cast out Then are we free indeed when the Son shall make us free then doth the Son make us free when he delivers us fo far as St. Peter speaks 2 Epist 1. 4. as by a Divine nature given unto us we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust Then shall we not fear the Law of the Land constraining us to Gods service more than God then shall we not shrinke and murmure at Fasting-dayes nor repine when on dayes of publique Thanksgiving to him that is glorious in all his Saints it is expected we should suspend and intermitt our lawfull labours and wholly cut off and denie our unlawfull pleasures We shall not need then as Beasts under the Leviticall Law one or more to drive us to the House of God nor drag us with violence to the Altar of God to offer an holy living and acceptable sacrifice to him which is our reasonable service But with Davids Spirit we shall say I was glad when they said unto me Let us goe up unto the House of the Lord. And how much better is it we should doe a thing with Alacritie and great content than with constraint But this we may doe if we can but free our selves from that load of corruption we are apt to lye under And what effect in this kinde and progresse a man hath made in himselfe may be competently discerned from the sense a man hath in himselfe of the fear of God and love to his service and worship which though the most pure and perfect in this life is not without some tepiditie of spirit sometimes yet the seed of God sown in the heart will generally spring up with gladnesse 7. This therefore should be our great and chiefe endeavour which is the Counsell of Solomon Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life And if as Solomon saith Prov. Chap. 18. 21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue much more true is it that both of them are in the power of the Heart as it stands affected or disaffected to God seeing the Poison or Balsome which distilleth from the Tongue is originally owing to the Heart as the Heart doth comprehensively signifie the entire bodie of affections which must be dedicated to God. But given to God it cannot be without a mock or derision but as it is whole and sound clear and clean according to the ballance of the Sanctuarie of the Gospell which consists much of Christian Equitie We never heard of any that liv'd a life of nature with halfe an heart only neither of any that was sick on one side of his heart and well on the other no more is it possible to please God with one part of our heart and to please the world with the other or at the same time to live the life of this sinfull world and of Christ My son saith God give me thy heart and not a piece of it for that must needs be dead flesh odious to man and much more to God. SECT IV. Of the proper Means and Methode of cleansing the Soule and first of Baptisme 1. SUCH is the contagion of sin naturally infecting the very Soule as inheriting our Forefathers corruption that being in love with it as all men love
THE Method and Means TO A TRUE Spiritual Life Consisting of Three Parts agreeable to the Auncient Way By the late Reverend Matthew Scrivener Vicar of Haselingfield in Cambridge-shire Cleared from Modern Abuses and render'd more easie and practicall Feb. 1. 1688. Imprimatur Jo. Battely LONDON Printed for James Knapton at the Queens head in St. Paul's Church-yard 1688. TO THE READER COnsidering with my selfe and lamenting the many polemicall or contentious Discourses about Religion and that Christian this unhappie Age hath produced it might be feared that through the subtiltie of the Old Serpent such strifes may have the mortall event upon too many of liking no Religion at all To prevent or obviate so great an evill I found my selfe inclined very much to treat of such a Subject as might by Gods blessing conduce much as well to the obliging of mens mindes to the Faith and fear of God in generall as to reconcile Christians one to another rather than divide them farther or encrease Animosities between them But I must confesse a more speciall reason hereunto exciting me how insufficient soever I found my selfe to the worthy perfourmance of so good work was the consideration of some Persons of our Communion I mean the established Religion in this Isle who though shining with Pietie and devotion towards God to the ecclipsing of phantastick lights lately appearing do keep up that temper of Spirit to which our Saviour Christ hath affixed this Beatitude Matth. 5. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied For as Gregorie the Great hath it in an Homilie on the Gospells Herein differ the delights of the bodie and the Soule that bodily pleasures while we have them not enkindle in us a sore desire of them but so soon as we devour them greedily they turn to loathing through satietie but on the contrarie spirituall pleasures are onely loathed when we have them not and are so much the more thirsted after by how much more they are received by the hungring Soule And this kinde of hunger observing to increase in them by conversing with spirituall Books wrote by others I conceived my generall Office and particular Obligations to such Persons in a manner demanded of me an endeavour to gratifie such religious Appetites And hereupon I chose rather to publish mine own inabilitie than to frustrate the expectations of such Christian Spirits intending hereby to divert them with a mean view and sense of heavenly things which as Saint Paul speaks Ephes 1. 4. are the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glorie But it will appear by the Methode I have here chosen and the manner of my proceeding in this Discourse that it was not my principall much lesse onely designe to be usefull to greater Persons or sublimer Christians but to the lowest and meanest of both Orders I having laid my foundation so low as the weakest may rest on and improve by and so raise themselves by orderly gradations to a more considerable height Which course I have taken not out of affectation of singularitie as some may conjecture who are either wholly ignorant that this is of very long standing in the Catholick Church or doe know that books of Devotion in our Mother-Tongue have very rarely if at all insisted on this Subject or trodden the same path with me and they of the Unreformed Church who have often treated of this matter have very seldome handled all these parts of Piety together but passing over lightly the Illuminative and Purgative parts of Religion have ambitiously to my apprehension strived to abound and excell in the Unitive-Way and their Mysticall Theologie soaring very high if not exorbitantly towards Heaven and gaining to themselves and Church no small estimation for divine Contemplations strange Notions and Language as if they had themselves been wrapt up into the Third Heaven as was Saint Paul and were priviledged to doe what was denied him viz. to utter those unspeakable words which he tells us 2 Corinth 12. It is not lawfull for any man to utter and exalting Contemplations to the undervaluing of operations and active life under pretence that Marie who sate still not attending Christ being present chose the better part and Martha the inferiour in serving of Christ which notwithstanding it be so generally received and applauded by Scholasticall as well as Mysticall Doctours auntienter and later seems to me to be no otherwise true than as Mary represented the state of blisse hereafter consisting alltogether of Contemplation and Affection and Martha the state of a Christian in this Life in which unactive Contemplation and barren in the work of the Lord is scarce laudable and as the Quietists are said to magnifie it not tolerable they amongst other notorious Errours charged upon them excluding divine Meditation from their contemplation by too great nicenesse though we our selves have in this Treatise distinguished them as degrees consistent one with another so far as they are Acts of the spirituall life we now live For according to our present Subject we first not without good advice consider simple Intelligence or knowledge of God acquired by Illumination of the naturall Man whereby a Christian comes to a right belief of God and a knowledge of himselfe and a discerner in good measure of Spirits and fallacious Visions and Revelations This being competently attained unto disposes the Soule to right Reformation of it selfe from the inveterate evills of sin corrupting and afflicting it which is the Purgative way every true Christian should exercise himselfe in untill he hath purged out the Old Leaven and cast out the Old Man of which Saint Paul speakes with the affections and Lusts And because it suffices not to denye and even to dye unto worldly lusts if this may be supposed unlesse we allso live the life of Christ and be truely united unto God through him and that by those proper helps and ascents prescribed by him and in some manner by us described here therefore doe we proceed to the third State of a Christian commonly called the Unitive wherein is to be found that true rest of the Soule promised by Christ not so as to cease from a possibility of sinning or suffering perturbations as late Quietists are allso reported wickedly to maintain but so as to prefer God and Godlinesse above all things in the World and by love of and delight in them to persevere immutably to perfect consummation in blisse hereafter And having thus given thee Christian Reader a brief account and Prospect of my present Designe I committ my selfe to thy favourable acceptance and commend thee to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build thee up and to give thee an inheritance among all such as are Sanctified The Summe of what is contained in the first Part. SECT I. Previous advice concerning the necessity reasonablenesse and usefullnesse of being truely Religious Page 1 SECT
obstinacie and obduratenesse in their naturall state according to Christs own judgement of the world John 5. v. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life So that as it is written by Sulpitius Severus in the life of St. Martine that being endued with a marvellous gift or faculty of curing sick and impotent persons The blinde and lame and decrepit who got their living by begging were affraid of him and would not come near him lest being cured of such their defects and impotencies they should lose their livelihood In like manner many getting a miserable and beggarly livelihood by serving and complying with the world and so being blinde and crippled in an heavenly sense refuse that light and life and renovation which Christ bringeth with him An instance whereof we have in the ministrie of St. Paul preaching to the Athenians prepossessed and captivated with worldly wisdome and thereupon saying Thou bringest strange things to our eares In their judgements more strange than true And though it be Mannah it selfe and that dropt down from heaven for their edification and comfort men out of their scepticalnesse and curiositie will question it and perhaps in time loath it as the Israelites that bread from heaven there being generally too little agreement between the notions of half-sighted naturall reason and delectations of our senses naturall and the divine Revelations and more spirituall prescriptions given us by Religion though naturall reason not counterfeited nor corrupted by baser allayes of vitious men may passe also as Gods true coyne But that pure Gold it is not which the Holy Ghost counselleth us to buy Revel 3 18. that we may be rich and wherewith we may get white raiment that we may be clothed that the shame of our nakednesse doe not appear and get that eye-salve that we may see which is the word of God. For the knowledge or illumination which we have from thence and that which we have from the Holy Spirit differ no otherwise than that money a man carries about him or that which the Tradesman hath present in his Bank and that which he hath in his Books which must put him sometimes to trouble to fetch in The manner of which fetching in is by the Holy Spirit also opening the heart that we may as the Disciples going to Emaus after Christs Resurrection understand the Scriptures untill which time that will be found too true which the Prophet Hosea Cap. 8. 12. complains of in Gods behalf I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing 4. But if we should enquire faithfully into the grounds of such incredulitie and prejudice against Religion we may finde them too often in the corrupt manners of men influencing the understanding with mistakes and grosse errours which yet some to cover with shew of greatest candour in judging and ingenuity have wished they could believe the things Christianity requires of them But if reality and common integritie be not also laid aside here how easie a thing is it to reconcile them to the truth For does not their own prime reason and of all civilized People tell them that nothing truely humane is more naturall to Man than to be of some Religion And yet if they be men but of indifferent reading and observation they shall finde that there is no Religion nor ever like to be all whose Principles are obvious to all competent understandings And so consequently that men to avoid the barbaritie of Atheisme must believe more than nature can compell them unto by her philosophicall demonstrations or fall into an absurditie little inferiour to Atheisme That every man should frame his own Religion and be so far religious as he thinks fit and no farther and which must necessarily follow call his freak and humour his reason and judgement So that it is scarce so true that a man cannot believe the mysteries of Religion as that he will not and he will not because he dares not for fear of the worst Or let it be that he cannot when St. Paul if he be but so far believed saith of some 2 Corinth 4. 4. The God of this world who that is I suppose is well known hath blinded the mindes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them vain and vitious men having by their presumed wit and evill lives tempted evill Spirits themselves and drawn them to be accessaries to their infatuations For as every good and perfect gift cometh from above from the Father of lights as St. James tells us Chap. 1. 17. So doth everie notorious errour and wickednesse proceed from the Prince of darknesse who ruleth in the Childeren of Disobedience they being called children of Disobedience in Scripture who obey not the Gospell nor believe it reasonably propounded 5. But it may seem strange and worth our wondering How the same effect of blindnesse of minde should be ascribed to God and also to the Devill in Scripture as John 12. 4. speaking of God out of the Prophet Isaias He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts c. This is in truth a Scholasticall difficultie which belongs to another place to which I may referre it but here I would have it observed that as Judges or Princes are said to put Malefactours to death when they doe it not themselves but deliver them over to the Executioner whose office it is so God upon just provocation delivering great Sinners to the Devill may be said to be a cause of their hardnesse and blindnesse when it is caused directly by Satan only and themselves But the true light of Faith and life of Grace doth most properly appertain to God as it is said 2 Corinth 4. 7. By grace ye are saved through faith it is the gift of God. The reason whereof is That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us And this key of knowledge which is also of the Kingdome of God did Christ deliver to his Apostles by vertue of which God assisting Lydia's heart was opened as we read Acts 16. 14. And so necessary is the assistance of God in this case that he seems to keep this key by his own side and not at all times to lend it to his Ministers no not the Apostles Nor did Christ himselfe who as God had the command of mens mindes allwayes succeed in his teaching and exhortation but by I know not what deep providence suffered his labours to be frustrated by the incredulity of men But this we may say falls out by divine dispensation that God may be all in all in the beginning continuing and consummation of every good work and to repell that spirit of presumption whereby too prosperous Labourers in Gods Harvest or Vineyard might be prone to attribute much more to themselves than
the emptie and perishing vanities and fouling even in this life their Fingers in catching these worldly pleasures 8. And why should I adde the consequences of such evill infatuations and choice as is made here by such whom the God of this world hath blinded Doth not even Nature teach us that there is a reward of Good and Evill And doe not our senses or common observation teach us that that reward is not precisely or constantly dispenced in this life but very often all things as it is in Ecclesiastes befall all men alike him that sacrifices and him that sacrifices not which the Divine Wisdome hath so ordered that men might erect their mindes and direct their hearts to the state after Death and stead fastly believe and accurate remuneration both of good and evill and that sevenfold to what men suffer or enjoy of all the labour or pleasure taken in this life in pursuit of Good and Evill This our Christian Creeds would have us perfectly setled in This the Holy Scripture often inculcates unto true Believers And the Wise man saith Ecclesiasticus 7. 36. Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember thy latter end and thou shalt never doe amisse Know thy selfe and present frailties infirmities and vain inclinations exposing thee to sin and errours Remember the great end thou wert placed for in this world Remember the inevitable stroke of Death destroying this Body and the inevitable Resurrection restoring it again to never-dying joy or miserie Know and believe these things soundly and effectually and thy selfe thorowly by a spirituall Philosophie making thee wise to vertue and godlinesse here and to salvation hereafter To the attaining this Divine Knowledge of a mans selfe some of the wiser and soberer Philosophers and much more ancient and holy Fathers of the Church doe often exhort others and exercise themselves at the conclusion of the Day revolving in their mindes what they had done and what they had not the day passed and all this discerning themselves and judging their actions impartially they might adjust the accounts between God and their own souls and as the Tradesman desirous to thrive often turns over his Day book as he calls it and his Debt-book the better to understand whether he thrives or runs behind-hand in the world so every prudent and thrifty soule frequently reflects on its selfe and actions what he hath laid out and what he hath taken in to its advantage or prejudice If the good Emperour bewailed his hard hap when he upon reflexion upon what had passed one day said My Friends we have lost a day how much more reason of lamentation may inconsiderate and dissolute Christians ruminating upon ill-spent time say My Friends we have lost Eternitie we have lost our Souls or at least forfeited them so far as may not be regained without true and timely repentance and renovation neither of which can be obtained without discerning our selves nor that without search made into our selves nor this without reflexions made upon our selves nor this without Illumination nor Illumination of this nature without devout imploration of the Father of Lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift SECT VIII Of Revelations or Illuminations extraordinarie by Spirits and the discerning of them with the use of such Revelations 1. BUT hitherto have we treated of such Light and Knowledge which God in the ordinary course of his Covenant with Man generally vouchsafes unto him Now we proceed briefly to consider the Extraordinary way of Illuminations and as Saint Paul speaks 2 Corin. 12. 1. come to Visions and Revelations in the Lord. For that such there have been and such there may be who ever believes the Holy Scriptures must not deny and whoever will allow any credit to Ecclesiasticall Histories and Traditions cannot denie I know God hath given us a sufficient Rule revealed in his Word and so sufficient that we ought not importunately to seek for such extraordinarie manifestations of himselfe yet hath he not so far tyed his own hands as he hath our luxuriant appetites after knowledge which transported our first Parents and darkened and degraded them but having distributed to every man according to the measure of his Faith he of his undeserved and unexpected liberality casts into our dimension the overplus of immediate Illuminations The gift of Prophesie before Christ and the frequent grant of Visions to the beloved and honoured Patriarchs before the Law of Moses manifestly prove this beyond doubt or exception Of which reasons are endeavoured to be render'd by the subtile and learned not belonging to this place But as for Prophets and Seers after the Law given they were not only the Life and vigour of the Law so delivered which otherwise might and too often did lie languishing and neglected but so many speciall intimations of the minde of God to his people which became a Law likewise to their Posterities And we upon whom the ends of the world are come as the Scripture speakes 1 Corinth 10. are entred into their labours and Lights of Revelations and that with the advantage and accessions of more cleer and plentifull Revelations than the world before had been acquainted with And with this Bodie of Divinity or Divine Revelations we may safely and ought thankfully and modestly to acquiesce not despising Prophecyings as the Apostle advises consonant to that known Rule given us And that these materiall Revelations as I may so call them are not so full and manifest as to make all Illuminations superfluous and fruitlesse even the precisest admirers of Scriptures will grant themselves laying speciall claim to accessorie Revelations or Inspirations And an eminent instance to this purpose is given in the two Disciples travailing to Emaus Luke 24. who understood the Scriptures we may suppose as well as others generally and to help them therein had acted before their eyes what was before prophesied of Christ and yet could they not understand nor believe the Scriptures untill Christ expounded unto them all the Prophesies from Moses and downward concerning himselfe And upon the same occasion of the other Disciple not believing Christ ver 45. is said to open their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures which gift of God as hath been touched before will never cease to be usefull to the same ends For the office and gift of the Spirit shall never cease untill the Saints and Servants of God come to contemplation of God face to face and Christ hath deliver'd up the Kingdome to the Father 2. A great instance whereof though perhaps a little digressive we have in one of the most fundamentall Articles of our Faith questioned by that wretch Socinus and his followers directed only by their private naturall wits Upon the words of St. Johns Gospell Chap 1. v. 1. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God we believe that God became Man and the second Person in the Trinitie Incarnate And some naturall Philosophers as the
famous Emilius the Platonist by common understanding discerned a Great Mysterie of the Deitie to be intended thereby but that unnaturall Christian Socinus could not or would not apprehend so much the reason whereof may be that given by Christ himselfe John 9. 39. For judgement am I come into the world that they which see not might see and they which see might be made blinde They who have nothing to helpe themselves but mere naturall light may sooner come to the light of Religion industriously and modestly using that one Talent deliver'd to them but they who stand upon termes with God and refuse all other information besides naturall reason shall fall by the folly of their presumptuous knowledge This is the ordinary fate of such persons puffed up with their fleshly minde 3. So on the other extreme divers Christians having heard and read of extraordinarie Revelatious imparted by God and looking upon the Light without the Scriptures as a dark and dead letter in comparison of extraordinarie and Inward Light ambitiously aspire to that and credulously flatter themselves not without ostentations outwardly that they are priviledged thereby to their ruine answerably to the excessive curiosity of the Greatest of the Heathen Philosophers who having passed the bounds of vulgar capacities were pricked forward with immoderate studie of such secrets of Nature which they found they could not attain to but by commerce with Spirits and therefore with many vain and vile rites were tempted to combine with them in such pursuits of knowledge So that it is observed by Learned men very few there were of them who had not his familiar to assist him And I have often and much wonder'd with my selfe whence it should proceed that evill and naturall men should so easily and readily obtain the conversation and assistance of evill Spirits and good and spirituall men so rarely obtain without delusions the co-operations of Good Spirits or Angells for their more perfect Illumination and directions Yet at length I satisfied my selfe with such an account as this not knowing how it may satisfie others 4. The ground of all Divine Presence I take to be Puritie of heart and affection which is so rarely and hardly attained unto as to make the soule susceptible of such an Harbinger and therefore no wonder that Gods Spirit should estrange it selfe from such as are not purged according to the rate at least of humane frailty from their uncleannesse of flesh and spirit But wicked spirits stand not so much upon such preparations and predispositions as those though to conceale from men what their reason would teach them to lothe them for there constantly were used certain Ceremonies purgative as they supposed disposing to pretended purity as Poets have taught us And even in the Apothegmes of the Fathers in Olympius a devout Hermite we read of a certain Heathen Priest who entring into the Cell of a Christian Monk who lived in great austerity and Devotion demanded of him whether God did not in extraordinary manner reveal Mysteries to him who answered No. 'T is strange replyed he that so it should not be with you taking such pains whereas we seeking our God so finde answers and see mysteries therefore sure it must needs be said he that your hearts are not clean before him which the Christians wondering to hear from him confessed it to be so indeed But did that Heathen Priest perswade himselfe that their hearts were cleaner than the Christians It may be so but the truer reason was that their god so free of his Oracles and Revelations was not so clean himselfe as the Holy Spirit by whom Revelations are given unto men and therefore might be more forward to afford an impure heart his impure companie Their cleannesse consisted in carnall abstinences such as they write that great Magician Apollonius Tyaneus to have excelled in and to have had communication of Spirits But purity of minde and unroyled and undisturbed Passions are that wherein such Christian purity doth consist which disposeth to or at least goeth before Inspirations truly Divine and spirituall Illuminations 5. Another reason why evill Spirits are so officious to attend their Confederates and the Holy Spirit not so signally present with Holy Men may be the purity of intention required to the Spirit of God more than to deluding Spirits For no more or greater impediment needs there be to the entrance of the miraculous Spirit of God than a passionate thirst after Revelations and Visions which imply a mislead understanding not rightly judging wherein consists true Divinenesse but supposing that Gifts proceeding from unmortified curiositie and tending to vain glorie and elevation of a mans minde above others render a man spirituall which God who scattereth the proud in the imagination of his heart and exalteth them of low degree Luke 2. 51 52. most of all detesteth and will not be accessarie to but rather delivers him over to Spirits answerable to his appetite and humour which shall deceive and abuse him A famous instance whereof we have in this Nation in the last age of a man very Mathematically learned and not wanting in other Sciences very retired in his Life and exemplarie in his conversation with Devotion extraordinarie towards God but being ardently set on Revelations and seeking Oracles from Spirits obtained his end so far as to have Spectres presented to him through Glasses and certain answers humouring exactly his superstition and curiositie so that he could not consider that it is without precedent Divine and of God that female Spirits should appear as sent from him and that such theatricall gestures and speeches could not consist with the Majestie of God or the solemnitie of his Angells sent by him so that the large Volume of such like Impostures remain to this day as a monument of his infatuations and a Rock to such as shall sail by such Compasses It is above an hundred years since this Delusion disturbed England and other parts of Europe too especially Germanie But not many yeers are passed since a more prodigious one of this kinde was afforded us in Scotland by a phanaticall Major allmost Sainted by the vulgar Innovatours in Religion for his well-managed hypocrisie and stupendious gifts of Prayer extemporie so that no lesse than Simon Magus he of a long time had bewitched that unhappie people to an obduration in an inveterate Schisme and admiration of his Illuminations untill his iniquitie was found to be hatefull as it is Psalm 36. and such a discovery of his bestialities and damnable practices as are not to be uttered by chast mouths or heard by chast ears 6. These and such like specious pretences to spirituall Illuminations ending in such scandalous events have put wise and grave Heads upon the Doctrine of distinguishing of Spirits as they informe or possesse men having so just warrant as such sad experiments minister'd and the precept of Saint John 1 Epist 4. ver 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the spirits whether
Possessions And I can think little more reverently of the frequentation of Visions and Revelations celebrated in the Lives of those three famous Women published together viz. Hildegardis Elizabeth Micthildis which afford us such instances by bushells as it were I will not instance in Jacobus de Voragine his Golden Legend nor Caesarius Heiberstachius as I could to the great disadvantage of that Cause which was intended to be advanced thereby as such at which the modester and graver of the Roman Communion need not any other to put them upon blushing at they doe it of themselves But when I read in the Visions of Katharine of Sienna sainted a perpetuall storie of God himselfe appearing to her and preaching in person to her almost through the whole book though I like the Sermon very well and must needs acknowledge the Documents deliver'd to be many of them very Divine and usefull I cannot assent unto the Scene there given us If these Revelations as we say of Phanaticall and pretended Inspirations and gifts of Prayer in Publick were so Divine as reputed and affirmed why doe they not become Canonicall Why are they not equallized to the Holy Scriptures But things are not come to that height thankes be to God unlesse with them who glorying immodestly of a Light within them and the Word and Will and Wisdome of God given into them contemne the written Word themselves for this very reason becoming suspected convicted and detestable 10. But those Visions which are so practicall and grosse as that they end as in their consummation in the gratifying of our senses outward and them the grossest overthrow in my opinion the spiritualnesse and even the honesty of Revelations and notably shake the reputation of that Religion which countenances them If it were recorded only in an unapproved Author what I finde in the Sermon of an eminent Preacher Granatensis Vol. 5. pag. 387. concerning the same Katharine of Sienna Granatens Vol. 5. Conc. 3. in Cathar pag. 387. it might have been lesse scandalous to read of the great and frequent familiarity between Christ and her so that termes of wooing passed between them for a long time till at length she was sensibly espoused to him but what were the consequences of that Wedding I know not This to my apprehension is a true consequence of such Revelations that it must be the Devill rather than Christ that so appeared and led away a silly Woman laden with sinne in the midst of her profession of Sanctity or that these Talemongers have shamefully belied that reputed Saint And on the other side the like instances might be given of such who were so vehemently devoted to the Virgin Mary as to win her love so far as to condescend to suffer her breasts to be handled by her Saints A little more cleanly and credible is that story in the Remains of Gregorie Thaumaturgus Bishop of Neocaesarea of an Exposition of the Faith which he received from Saint John the Evangelist by the meanes of Mary the Mother of God. But the Romanists themselves are so modest we thank them as not to hold it to be the same we now have under that name And we are so bold to tell them that their Visions Miracles and Revelations so much sometimes with the ignorant sort boasted of have done them more discredit with the wiser than good or honour 11. And to these another note of true and false Illuminations and Alluminations which I may call all outward Discoveries made to the senses may be that made by the observation of the Masters of such Learning That in the true and near approach of God and his Holy Spirit to the sense outward or minde inward first great trouble surprisement consternation and deep humiliation are wrought upon the spirit of him the Lord vouchsafes so to honour with his presence as it appears by Ezechiell the Prophet Daniell and before them by Manoah who were struck with dread and confusion at the Revelations made unto them as likewise was the Blessed Virgin at the aspect and Annunciation of the Angell Gabriell but in the winding up and conclusion they were all refreshed and comforted aboundantly On the contrary the specious Pageantry and Insinuations of Evill Angells are begun with great delight of the deluded minde and in the conclusion bring shame sorrow and confusion answerable indeed to the method of the tempter in all other Cases in which the good Wine is brought forth first of which when men have well drunk followes the bad but Christ first sets before his faithfull servants the bad and keepeth the best to the last of all that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to doe thee Good at the latter end as it is said Deuteron 8. ver 16. Brisk Pert and vaunting are the gifted by Evill Spirits reflecting upon such their perfections above others but modest humble and grave are they who are indeed taught of God. 12. And thus having briefly prepared the true Christian with a prospect given him of the nature use and necessitie of true Spirituall Illuminations translating him out of the Kingdome of darknesse into the marvellous light of saving Knowledge and Faith before due progresse can be made to the life and power of Faith in holy Conversation and likewise shewed the hazards of miscarrying through mistaken Light I proceed to the Second Part of Christian walking with God by walking according to that Light consisting principally in Spirituall Purgation or Sanctification A Prayer for Spirituall Illumination O Allmighty God and Heavenly Father the Light and life of the world lying in darknesse Who by thy Son Jesus Christ coming into the world enlightenest every one that cometh into the world and whome to know is eternall Life But who can know thee the Father but the Son and he to whome he shall reveale him and yet none can come unto the Son unlesse the Father draw him and none doth the Father draw unto him but by his holy Spirit teaching all things Send down I beseech thee that Spirit of light life and truth into my minde and heart that they may preserve me prevent and informe me and rule me that by that key of knowledge the door of my heart may be opened and the eyes of my understanding to perceive the things of God which are only spiritually discerned and that I may not love darknesse rather than light because my deeds are evill But grant that in thy light I may see Light and know how to choose the good and refuse the Evill not calling darknesse light nor light darknesse nor bitter sweet nor sweet bitter nor good evill nor evill good Various are the Mazes and Labyrinths of this World and many are lost in them Difficult is the road and strait is the way that leadeth unto trueth and life and few there be that find them Dangerous it is to lean to mine own understanding or wisdome who am but of yesterday and know nothing as I ought
ornaments of Nature which if they be not accurate enough recourse is had commonly to Artifices imitating and excelling Nature But with God lovely are the Eyes swelled with weeping the moistened and blurred Face the drooping Head neglected Attire pale Countenance and dejected not daring so much as to lift it selfe up to Heaven sackclothes on the Body instead of Silks and gorgeous Apparell and ashes on the Head and halfe-formed language directed to God through confusion of minde and oppression of spirits under the sense of sin and offences committed against God. This is the thing God is most in love with this is the Image methinks I could worship above any other representation and by mediation of which I should hope to have greater acceptance with God than by the intercession of the most eminent and renowned Saint in Heaven For if Saints can help and befriend us seeking to them they cannot prevail for us before God but as we repent but certainly Repentance may prevail with God without them Though thou wash thee with nitre Jerem. 2. 22 23. and takest much sope yet thine iniquitie is marked before me saith the Lord. How canst thou say I am not polluted But Take to you words of Repentance and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously c. and you shall be saved from your sins Offer to God all the Beasts of the Field and the Sheep upon a thousand Hills yea take the fruit of thy Bodie and offer it and them all as a sacrifice of expiation to Almighty God for the sin of your Soule and it shall not be received but the sacrifice of a broken spirit and contrite heart O Lord thou wilt not despise And what should I mention in this case the treasures of Princes of no account with God in comparison of Repentance to finde favour before him or to cleanse us 2. Who is there then that should be affraid of Repentance which removes all consternations and fears Who is there that should be ashamed of the deformities of Repentance so beautifull in the eyes of God or the basenesse of it so exalted and honoured by God 'T is true At first she will walke with him by crooked wayes Ecclesiasticus 4. and bring fear and dread upon him and torment him with her discipline untill she may trust his soule and trye him by her lawes then will she return the strait way unto him and comfort him and shew him her secrets For what can be more easie or equall or comfortable than what St. John saith 1 Ep. 1. 8 9. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the trueth is not in us But if we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 3. But all this while though the danger be not so common or great as the contrary undervaluing and neglecting Repentance caution is here to be used while we thus applaud and magnifie Repentance and the power of it lest we ascribe too much unto it For here may Repentance curing the distempers and purifying the pollutions of the Soule say with the Apostle Saint Peter Acts 3. healing the impotent man Not by our own power or holinesse have we made this man to walk But by the power and institvtion of God is the great cure wrought by it upon the Soules of the penitent For what is Repentance of it selfe Even as vile and contemptible a thing as it appears to be as course and uncomely as unhappie and unfortunate and unprofitable to such great ends as it seems What can a melanchollie look contribute to the cleering Gods countenance towards a Sinner Or what can a wounded heart conduce to the healing of the diseases of the Soule What satisfaction for the wrong done to God can wringing of hands beating the Brest sackcloth and ashes severe Penances liberall Almes very commendable in such cases avail to recompence the injuries done to God our Neigbbour or our own Soules How is it possible these things should restore innocency to the Person or integrity and puritie No surely But God seeing man plunged into debt with him in ten thousand Talents and having nothing to pay so condescendeth to the necessities and extremities of his miserable and forlorne Creatures as to raise up one Mighty to save poor in Spirit and rich in Mercies and Merits which he extended to the relief of us lying under guilt and Gods heavie displeasure but yet not so absolutely and inconditionately but we should concurre by our endeavours to put efficacie actually into the generall meanes ordained by God to our restauration and reconciliation amongst which none is more prevalent with the Father of Free Grace and Mercies than Repentance and that quicken'd and enlivened by such adjuncts and fruits mentioned For who shall except against God if he pleases that so many Cyphers of our penitent actions and humiliations shall stand for round Numbers tending towards the payment of our debts Baptisme by naturall water is but a poor and beggerly Element of it selfe to wash away originall Sin but God may and hath elevated it to a noble and Divine Effect So the baptisme of Repentance is altogether insufficient to such high Ends as washing the Soule but by Gods Institution it becomes thereunto effectuall to a miracle 4. Whatever therefore may be pretended of free Grace on Gods part and feared of superstition on mans part in disciplining the Soule by outward austerities such as afflicting the body to bring iâ— under subjection to the minde and rebating fleshly concupiscences and motions towards Sin Watchings Fastings Confessions to God and man Prayers forgiving others that have offended us Almes and such like Christian acts and exercises as inconsistent with Christs full satisfaction upon the Crosse it is more inconsistent with the Goodnesse and Grace of God to oppose these and may in like manner tend to the abolition of that small pretence to Repentance and Prayers yea Faith it selfe remaining with such selfe-securing Scruplers The power indeed of Faith and Repentance is in a manner infinite through Gods Power and Grace influencing them but God workes rather by his own prescription than according to our imagination and fond Faith naked of such a proper retinue as is mentioned It is abundantly sufficient to all ingenuous mindes and throughly repenting that God will admitt them to the benefit of Repentance upon the use of it in deepest manner and with all its circumstances and therefore for men to speak evill of that way and to studie for excuses from severer practices and to declaim against them as derogatorie to Christs merits may provoke God to denie that grace of acceptance which in many cases he granteth unto Penitents For God hath wisely and justly hid from every mans Eyes the precise and particular termes of our reconciliation with him neither hath he declared precisely all the qualities and circumstances of that humiliation upon which
finde great glorie ascribed unto it and set at the Right-hand of the very chiefest For what is more commended or extolled by the Holy Fathers of old than Virginitie And yet by Saint Austine Humilitie is preferred before it And Humilitie is but one branch of the main bodie of Repentance which therefore must much more excell the other And the same have many devout Hermites said as Palladius relates 11. Lastly How soure and severe soever acts of Repentance may at a distance doe appear to a naturall eye in the midst of its clouds and darknesse light doth spring out and when the greatest agonies for sin and the wounds of a Conscience stung with it smart most sorely there may arise this true ground of consolation that even this repentance as bitter as it may seem is a notable instance of Gods favour for God doth not give such singular gifts but to his beloved and chosen ones and that under his apparent frowns against a Sinner repenting are hidden reall smiles of love to such penitents ' to whome if he had not a speciall favour he would have suffered him with the throng of the world to passe without any remorse or means of readoption holinesse and happinesse but repentance proves the contrarie Which may both support the wearied minde in the midst of crushing sorrowes and excite the secure to undergoe this easie Yoke of Christ all things considered and reduce the fugitive Shulamite the straying Sheep unto the Chief Shepheard of our Soules Christ Jesus SECT VI. That this Purgative Repentance must be generall of all sins and perpetuall 1. AS God looks upon sin and as sin looks against God so must every one that is borne of God in this as other things resemble his heavenly Father There is no fin but God hateth there is no Sinner but hateth and opposeth God there is no sin but fighteth against our Soules woundeth defaceth and defileth the same there is therefore no Christian but ought to hate all sin as David may be understood when Psalm 139. he saith Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am not I grieved O Lord with them that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred even as though they were mine enemies So that he not only submitteth to but afterward demandeth a search to be made in his heart whether any kinde of iniquity lurketh there perhaps unbeknown to him which ought to be expelled 3. Learned Masters of Christian doctrine tell us that God cannot forgive absolutely one sin and leave another unpardoned and much lesse can a man denie one sin and embrace another no more than a Fornicatour can cease to be such in disliking one whorish Woman and choosing another Nor may he be said to repent that he hath abused his bodie by such unrighteous practices but that haply he had to doe with such a person so is it with the Sinner that forsaketh not wholly but changes his sin As if he hath in his young and wanton dayes lived luxuriously and prodigally and in his declining strength and yeers should begin as the Prodigall to be in want or ayme at the raising of a Family and leaving an ample Patrimonie to his Posterity and so take up basely now sparing as he spent basely formerly he may flatter himselfe and sometimes like a notable Convert and mortified person condemn his youthfull follies and mad exorbitancies and moreover speciously blesse God that he sees his errour past and securely blesse himselfe in his late wisdome and abstinences but all in vain yea more perniciously than before if he turnes pinchingly abstemious denying himselfe many things after the manner of true Asceticks and renouncers of the world and all this out of a new espoused vice Covetousnesse which infatuates his judgement so far as that he flattereth himselfe in his own eyes as it is Psalm 36. till his iniquity be found to be hatefull or Till his abominable sin be found out 3. For God who abhorreth commutations of Vertue for Vice much more abhorreth commutation of one Vice for another Whence it is that Saint James so expresly affirmeth Cap. 2. v. 10 11. Whosoever keepeth the whole Law and yet offends in one point is guilty of all For he that said Doe not committ Adultery said allso Doe not kill Disobedience Rebellion or but contempt of Gods commands is seen in one sin as well as in another And though all stains or spots upon the Face or Clothes be not of the same colour yet as they are stains and defilements are they to be equally cleansed And it is all a case whether a man be wounded with a Knife or a Sword or bruised with a blunter Weapon to his no lesse danger All Vertues are linked together in prudence faith the morall Philosopher for as much as without prudence men must needs offend even in doing good things And all sins are founded and grounded upon folly even those which carrie along with them a pretense and shew of witt and cunning all sin being errour and all errour proceeding from ignorance affected or involuntarie And all sins being managed by disobedience against God a man cannot heartily and sincerely apply himselfe to obey God in any one point unlesse he beareth about him a disposition to fulfill the will of God in all things commanded by God. 4. And this Rule extendeth it selfe likewise to our dutie towards our Neighbour whome having seen and not having seen God if we love not we deceive our selves as St. John teacheth us 1 Epist 4. 20. He that useth despitefully the Image of his Prince sheweth his malice against his Prince himselfe And no cheating or violence doth a man out of covetousnesse and desire of revenge offer to his Brother but for shame or fear or inability he would use to his Father allso yea to God himselfe This doth appear by profane blasphemous and outragious speeches often used against his God as the malice of a bitter spirit and tongue when the hands cannot reach him For I cannot but think that a man covetously bent to any great degree would if it were possible couzen God of what he hath as well as his Neighbour and tear from him by violence what may serve his turne as he sticketh not to doe from his poor and weak Brother when he is in the power of his hands But no man is made innocent from impotencie of offending And no man acquiescing in any one fault or Vice unrepented of can pronounce himselfe clean from any or hope to obtain pardon for any one 5. Again as Repentance cleansing us must extend to all manner of sins so that no man can deserve the name of a true penitent who is angerly inclined and not covetously or lustfully given and not a Drunkard or Proud and not unjust or a zealous censurer of profanenesse and deboistnesse and yet worldly or contumacious against Just Autority so must the same repentance be generall as to time allso that is
perpetuall A man must never have any kinde thought of that sin whereof he pretends to have repented He must have a perpetuall displeasure against himselfe for having so offended he must have an immortall enmitie against it And though perhaps he be not actually warring against it by open violence used against himselfe for it and against it for his own sake he must never hang up his Armes so as never more to pursue it as occasion shall require We are to imitate upon our selves Gods Justice against sin which never ceases where pardon doth not prevent it God punishes the impenitent Sinner with everlasting torments and therefore man should so judge himselfe that he be not condemned of the Lord And therefore though a man ought not allwayes to be in teares penances and lamentations for sins passed yet allwayes must he bear an habituall grudge against it an ill will and enmifie which intermitted by sutable actions for seasons extraordinary upon fresh returnes of the same into his minde and memorie he must exercise fresh acts of detestation and humiliation for such his failings and miscarriages Some men have ceased from the sin they have been formerly overtaken with but upon occasion can with some degree of content relate the same amongst them who will make merrie with it Such we may be sure are not cleansed throughly from that sin though they have laid it aside and that so that they never committ it over again For were their soules but so much estranged from it as they ought as they never committed such a sin but with pleasure such as it may be so they should never think of it but with displeasure and detestation and with an hidden smiting of the brest with the Publican say Lord be mercifull to me a sinner 6. This I say ought to be done in some degree occasionally though not in the intensest as when at the time of illumination and conversion the soule repenting travaileth under the weight and sense of sin especially by them who are not by office occupation profession wholly sequestred from the world For Monasticall and Heremeticall lives are described to be nothing else but a state of repentance Repentance being so called from that which is most eminent in that state Fastings hardships watchings solitarinesse but when the worship of God requires communion with others 7. But the degree required of all is not inconsistent with the due Alternations and vicissitudes of Consolations and spirituall Cheerfulnesse before God and others For upon repentance prescribed and sincerely perfourmed it pleaseth God in Scripture to declare himselfe reconciled to the broken spirit so that when God is said to repent of the evill suffered by others for their offences the offender may be sure to his great satisfaction that his repentance is accepted As when upon Moses his intercession in behalfe of the Idolatrizing Israelites it is said Exod. 32. 14. The Lord repented of the evill which he thought to doe unto his people And Judges 2. It repented the Lord because of the groanings of his people Therefore in the like cases he saith Isaiah 40. 1. Comfort ye Comfort ye my people speake comfortably unto Jerusalem Which God saith unto particular persons upon their sharp sufferings and deep humiliations upon the reason rendered for the mitigation of the punishment of the incestuous Corinthian 2 Corin. 2. 7. Lest such an one should be swallowed up of too much sorrow 8. And besides this Cheerfulnesse and Gratitude towards God may be esteemed a part of true Repentance taken in its latitude for such a generall change of heart and minde which giveth that affection to God which before was bestowed on the world Too much lightnesse and jollity and vanity having transported a man into evill before transportation towards God well becometh the true Convert David may be an instance and a Rule to us in this kinde Who had fallen more fowly than he And who repented more thorowly than he So that he saith My sins are ever before me Psalm 51. The act of sin was over the repentance was not so but frequent representations thereof were made to him which abashed and confounded him Yet found he such Lucid intervalls and seasons of recreation and joy in God that he took to him his Harp and celebrated the praises of Gods mercies to him And no doubt but he administer'd the Nation under him with proportionable sweetnesse of behaviour and severity of Justice Which should be the care and prudence of all true penitents least instead of humbling themselves under their sins they mortifie others by their froward and sowr behaviour towards them who are about them For unlesse some custodie in such cases be had over a mans passions spirituall against himselfe for his sins those which should wholly terminate in himselfe and against himselfe will steal out and be troublesome to others allso which is a great errour and scandalous as it is often seen that a man being vehemently set against his Enemie doth strike them allso that are next to him and would part them 9. But now let us see wherein consisteth this conflict between the flesh and the Spirit and by what meanes the Soule is sanctified and secured from such relapses as are incident to our infirme nature allwayes remembring this that no good Christian can indulge to himselfe any such sins as are commonly called Failings of our corrupt flesh or sins of infirmitie For no sin connived at and willingly suffered to abide with us can be properly called a sin of Infirmitie but comes under the notion and nature of presumptuous sin For as much as God the all seeing Judge doth principally look upon the temper and disposition of the will and heart according to whose alienation from him or opposition to him or affectation of an evill committed against him is an estimate set upon that sin though very tolerable and minute yea perhaps having somewhat of gracefulnesse in the eye of the world This will therefore comes here to be considered SECT VII Of Selfe-deniall required to true Reformation and that both of Vnderstanding and Will. 1 NO doubt but all things that God made as he made them were at first good and so continue but all things continue not in that first and perfect state wherein they were as well depending on God in their doing as in their being God gave man the most excellent gift of Reason and under that Appetites and affections which are the inward motions of the Soule either to or from God. So long as we walk by his light we cannot erre in knowledge so long as we desire by his Will we cannot erre in desiring Subordination to the Supream is no bondage and confinement to him that is infinite is no losse of libertie or freedome 'T is ignorance therefore which impells men no illimited knowledge and servitude to study and endeavour to be absolute and commanders of our selves without exception 'T is not to know that God prohibits but to know
Command of Christ in generall which to apportion to every mans capacitie belonged to his Ministers So that a generall Rule prescribed by the Church concerning the same ought not securely to be interpreted and applied by every mans single and private opinion that he hath of his sufficiencie or insufficiencie to practise the same but may better be committed to the judgement of others and by them dispensed For some are too rigorous to themselves and others the greater number too partiall and indulgent and therefore safer and more reasonable it is to denie our selves that naturall and dear Judicature which every man is fond of and to committ our selves and especially our Senses to the wisdome of others not repugnant to greater Autority 5. But that which is most of all to be avoided is the intemperance and excesse which Art addeth to Nature which is that we may call Luxurie specially to be consider'd hereafter Surely it is too much for a good Christian to be allwaies full within and allwayes warme without and allwayes at ease and to fence our selves by all care and sollicitude against all ordinary incommodations and inconveniences so esteemed by flesh and blood the Scripture pronouncing them rather miserable than happie by the Prophet Amos 6. 1 Woe be to them that are at ease in Sion i. e. under no hardship or molestation rather drudging infinitely to gratifie Back Belly Eyes Eares and Palate with all Delectables contemning the simple sufficiencie and salubritie of Nature and exciting Lusts of all sorts by inventions strange and new to a greater rampantnesse than corrupt Nature it selfe disposed to Nay to that excesse of Fashion and Folly doe men strive to arrive that to attain praise and admiration or but estimation for their Vanities they can suffer more pain and run greater hazards of mischiefing their Bodies than they doe who for Heaven sake I mean the strait Gate of Austerities leading thither suffer willingly bodily incommodations and by affected nakednesses of Back Brest and Armes shew themselves more hardy for Fansie and Fashion-sake than the Plowman or Carter If a man should prescribe this for Gods sake which is done so frequently for the Worlds sake he should be judged very unreasonable if not superstitious allso And yet St. Paul saith Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minde And Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 1. 14. As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to your former lusts in your ignorance Ignorance and not skill cunning and not Art being according to him the Parent of superfluities and vanities worldly For witnesse Experience witnesse Saint Paul 1 Corin. 7. 31. The fashion of this world passeth away Before some can get well into a Fashion it weares out And if it would last a Mortall for ever i. e. as long as a man lives it were scarce worth the striving for especially with greater contention than men doe to be conformed to the meannesse and meeknesse of Christ so that by changing of this vile Body we may at length be fashioned like unto his glorious Body as Saint Paul speakes Philip 3. 21. 6. Surely something of this nature was aymed at by Saint Paul to Timothy 1 Epist 2. 9. prescribing That Women adorne themselves in modest Apparell with shamefastnesse and sobrietye not with broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly array but which becometh Women professing the Gospell with good works And Saint Peter 1 Epist 3. 3. speaking of the same Subject sayth whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair or of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparell but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price How doth this Doctrine of St. Peter crosse and confound the Apologies of the Advocates of outward lightnesse in Apparell and Behaviour The Wisdome yea the Religion of this World argueth this It matters not much what habit a Man or Woman uses nor what fashion they follow in outward Dresses and Ornaments provided they have good hearts towards God and be upright and innocent and true and devout in the main Duties of Religion But Saint Peter plainly saies doe not that but see to this And whose sense of Scripture is so narrow as to imagine that it intended none but Women here and not effeminated Men And who doth not see that if it had sufficed to regard the inward man only and the heart of Christians that these wise and holy Apostles would never have urged the gravitie and sobriety in wearing Hair and using Apparell and Gold and Silver thereby disobliging wavering or green Converts and by such indifferent severities deterring them from submitting to the uneasie Gospell of Christ But more blameable are such affected Artifices about the Bodie in men of greater mindes and designes than Women and most of all in Persons devoted to holy functions and ministrations some of whome we may suspect to have a worse end than the Pharisees in their religious Offices viz. to be seen of men and to covet rather to be seen and admired by Women for the spruceness of their Habits to the lothing of their improper affectations by sober Persons and contempt of their Character and capacitie spirituall appearing to commend themselves to mens Eyes rather than their Consciences which was Saint Pauls choice and practice 7. Nature and Infirmities are sometimes justly alledged for the vindication of such from lightnesse in such modishnesse which sometimes may be true and 't were to be wished were never otherwise but that Nature or Distempers require such curiousnesse as is upon such pretences taken up who can say or that all such ends could not be satisfied as well by artlesse supplements Neither would men betake themselves to that wretched Topick for refuge taken from the absolute nature of things in themselves no wayes sinfull and that there is nothing unclean in it selfe whereas all such things are to be judged by the circumstances of Persons Sexes Places Offices Age Time and such like all which to confound with such an universall argument is absurd enough to themselves at the first appearance But Religion heretofore never made Nature Judge in such cases as this unlesse in St. Paul's sense demanding 1 Corinth 11. 14. Doth not nature it selfe teach you that if a man hath long hair it is a shame unto him And may not this be extended farther allso were it not that greatnesse strength and numbers concerned are in a readinesse to oppresse such Discourses and the Authour of them The times were in my memorie when the Puritanes preached loudly for short Hair but whether they changed their Opinions and Notes when they perceived the Bishops likewise required the same of their Clergie or whether the Faction conquering and prospering thought it time to lay that Fashion down and be the first
others In doing evill men are generally to feare evill but men are to feare Pride most of all when they doe well When men preach eloquently and powerfully when others pray fluently and giftedly as they suppose to the admiration and applause of others the vain spirit of man licketh up as it were and draweth greedily to it selfe the fumes of praises offered so to him as the Gentile Philosophers taught the paltrie Spirits of the air for they made severall orders of Spirits too attended the Altars at the time of Sacrificing to them and with great pleasure drew to themselves the fat vapour that ascended from thence and were nourished by the same as they tell us And if men be so wanting that they of themselves refuse to offer a sacrifice of praise answerable to the appetites of the vain expecter prettie sly artifices are invented to ensnare as it were men to ascribe something to them of which that is none of the least or rarest To cast out some light disparagement of themselves that the Friend or flatterer may catch that occasion to confute what was said and amplifie his deserts on the contrarie and extoll him as it is often seen in young Children who discerning their Parents fondnesse towards them will sometimes cast themselves down upon the ground that they may be taken up into their armes dandled and kissed 6. But so much as to point at the severall sorts of this Vice might require a greater latitude of Discourse than is proper for this place Ambition or affectation of great Power or Honours or Place is that which can hardly consist with a sincere minde or spirit truely apprehensive of the vanitie of the world or the unsociablenesse I doe not say of the things themselves for such orders and subordinations God would have in the world but of the Affectation and appetite of them so far as least of all to desire that Good work the Apostle mentions in Dignities but wholly or chiefly to desire grandeur profits and perhaps ease from inferiour labours and lesse advantageous becoming so much the lesse sollicitous and industrious as the reward requires and deserves greater Here must necessarily be either Vain-glorie or Covetousnesse or both too prevalent 7. But Saint Chrysostome gives us an Instance of vaingloriousnesse and pride of minde even after men are dead and turned to corruption an exorbitancie Great men are subject to in this sin more then in any other For other sins commonly end their dayes with the Sinner but Pride divers times manifesteth it selfe after death and Drunkennesse and Uncleannesse and Gluttony and Covetousnesse fall away with the guilty person but he that is ambitious and vainglorious provides for the continuation of his blindnesse and errour by appointing lasting and magnificent Monuments to that purpose stately devices and Edifices must declare to Posteritie that such an one was once great and renowned whether he were so or not ay and as now the wicked world goes men shall be Sainted by an Inscription who have been prophane to a great degree in their lifes-time and by stately Tombes proudly after their death cease not to prophane the Church or Chancell by usurping that part of Gods Soile dedicated to Holinesse to the celebration of rotten flesh and drie bones and it may be to the bringing down the judgement of God upon that Church which tolerates such abuses when it is in its power to hinder it which often it is not through the power and Lordlinesse of Great Persons too resolute to be diverted and too strong to be resisted in their unrighteous actions especially when it so happens that men of such advantages over poor Ministers of Christ and their Superiours too shall take a kinde of Antichristian pride in shewing how they can exalt themselves above all that is called God or reputed holy and especially in following the Fashion and that when they are dead 8. Wherefore the mischief of this Deadly evill being duly considered and observed it will concerne every true Christian truely and impartially to make enquirie into the depths of his own heart and so judge his Spirit as to deliver himselfe from the same Many for kinde are the sorts thereof and some very monstrous for nature all delusive of the affected therewith procuring him Hatred instead of Love contempt instead of esteem and honour and restlessenesse of minde ever more thirsting for that with which he can never be satisfied Let us therefore take the Apostles advice Galat. 4. and not be desirous of vainglory provoking one another envying one another And if such mutuall Emulation were all it were more to be endured but by such vainglorious provocations of God and Man we stirr them both up to the ruine and dejecting of our selves exalting our selves some Philosophers being so wise as well as some Christian contemplatours of the wayes and workes of God to see and say that God sitteth above in the highest Heaven observing who by humility is capable of Exaltation and who by exalting himselfe deserves to be crushed and confounded 9. And this is it which the wise Man Ecclesiasticus Chap. 10. v. 9. teaches us when he seem'd to be alltogether ignorant of the ground of Pride in Man. Why saith he is earth and ashes proud For asking why it is certain he knew not Why. Yea rather asking Why he knew why not Which appeareth from what he had said formerly ver 7. Pride is hatefull before God. And so ver 13. Pride is the beginning of sin and the parting from God is the beginning of it Pride and Apostacie from God are mutuall causes one of another by a kind of monstrous incest begetting one another but having for their common Father the Devill himselfe that Apostate Spirit Lucifer who first committing that sin and suffering condigne punishment for the same has made it his Office to draw men into the same offence and condemnation and losse too by aspiring as Holy and humble Job informes us Chap. 41. 34. thus speaking of him He beholdeth i. e. according to the language of the Scripture he loves and admireth all high things he is the King of all the Children of pride that is his own children made so by pride 10. And who is not ignorant of the reason why Flesh and blood should be proud which Ecclesiasticus resolves into Earth and Ashes And why so but because Ashes are barren of good and Earth is base ordained to be trampled on not lifted up but in such cases as great calamities seize on a man and then it was wont to be heap'd on the head to augment his vilenesse and misery that brought it upon him by his folly and vanity Man having by pride advanced himselfe above his originall Earth by as unnaturall a course as if the stream should rise higher than the Fountain-head reason good that Earth should recover its dignity and place by becoming higher than the calamitous proud man. 11. Let not therefore saith God by the Prophet Jeremie Chap.
9. 23. the wise man glorie in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glorie in his might let not the rich man glorie in his riches which is an Inference following upon what is said ver 22. Even the Carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field Is there any so wise that he can deliver his Soule from the hand of the grave The Psalmist saith no. Psalm 49. He seeth that wise men die as well as the ignorant and foolish Or can the Rich mans wealth defend him from the violence of death Of such in the same Psalm it is said None of them can redeem his brother by any means nor give to God a ransome for him And what is beautie more than strength Nay it is much lesse For generally it fades first and while it staies what is it but an apt contemperation of blood and choler and phlegme and that more earthy humour Melancholy which to be proud of is much the same as to be proud of fine Clothes and Fashions which suddenly alter into absurdities and every night as duely as they were put on are put off and laid aside Wherefore rather as the Prophet saith He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord that is account it his greatest honour and happinesse that he knowes God and is educated in the Doctrine of Salvation which principally instructeth all true Believers in the practice of humilitie 12. And Humilitie alone made glorious by the example of Christ and made easie by the Yoke of Christ perswading to it and wearing of it and lightening it to us is instead of a thousand directions to induce an ingenuous Christian to the studie of it and imitation and will wholly leavell the towering minde of man to due compliance with the simplicitie of the Gospell and purge out the sowre and ungratefull leaven of Pride Therefore Christ exhorteth Matth. 11. Learne of me for I am meek and lowly and ye shall finde rest for your Soules Stupendious was the humilitie of Christ in his severall condescensions but whether not equally stupendious it be that after an humble God as Austin speaks there should be found a proud man I think may be doubted It is written of Heraclius Emperour of Greece that having obtained a glorious Victorie over Cosdroes or Cosroes King of Persia he was so puffed up with that successe that he made all possible preparations to enter into the Gates of Hierusalem with greatest triumph and splendour having Christs Crosse carried before him but that an Angell of God opposed him and shut the Gates against him not suffering him to enter but rebuking him said The King of heaven entred in here in mean and low estate which so far affected him that laying away his Imperiall Robes and Trophies and blushing at his own errour he lighted off his Horse or Chariot and walked into the City barefoot Which made good what St. James speakes and St. Peter allso God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble And from hence doth St. Peter exhort us to be clothed with humility which is the true Robe of Christ militant and ought to be of every one that will follow his example and obtain his Promises 13. Lastly Because I know the difficulty of Selfe-deniall in this case is no small impediment to the performance of this Dutie let the generous minde conceive from thence a resolutenesse to encounter such an Adversarie as is worthy of his Christian warfare here on earth and as that Conquest which must needs be great and in the conclusion of all glorious in the best sense because difficult but this difficultie well master'd wonderfully facilitates the Victorie we are to gain of the subordinate Vices introduced and acted principally by this leading only SECT XII Of Anger and its Concomitants the Second Deadly Sin and some Remedies thereof 1. IT is requisite for the better detecting and pursuing of this deadly Enemie that some description be premised thereof but more Divine than Philosophicall properer for other Treatises Anger therefore wrath displeasure revenge and violence in Spirit Word or Deed is a Passion properly belonging to evill Spirits and a resemblance of them furiously bent against God and all that are unlike themselves Beasts indeed have their rage and furie especially provoked but without transgressing any Rule of Reason prescribed them as angry Spirits and men doe Woe be to the earth saith the Angell in the Revelations Chap. 12. 12. For the Devill is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth his time is short Not for any just cause given him but because his perverted nature impells him to indignation and furie and by the just Sentence of God upon him he rages by his Office thus described by the Son of Sirach Ecclesiasticus 39. 28. There are Spirits that are created for vengeance which in their furie lay on sore strokes in time of destruction they poure out their force and appease the wrath of him that made them By which it seems there should be some colour and cause for the execution of the wrath of Evill Spirits but I know no ground for the immoderate wrath of men but their lust of tormenting others contrarie to Gods institution 2. And this Vesuvian flame worketh principally three severall wayes sometimes like that fierie Mountain it frets within and consumes its own bowells with madnesse wanting power and meanes to burst out upon others Sometimes it spits fire outwardly in horrible language casts the same in the face of such as it is incensed against calling them all to naught and that if they be not so they may be such by such violence offered And sometimes violent actions assault with what comes next to hand sparing neither limb nor life of such as stand in its way And men having done what Passion urged them to they make this cold defence of their woefull effects They were in a Passion making one sin to justifie another and voluntarie Drunkennesse of minde and phrenzie to apolologize for the worst of actions 3. It is true some men are by their naturall temper more cholerick than others and furious and much more to be excused than they whose nature is more governable and not unhappie but made so by affected and acquired Habits of this nature But God having blessed every man with Princely Reason and fortified the reason of every Christian with the wise and grave Precepts and Documents of Religion and the assistance of the Holy Spirit promised to all that ask it at Gods hands Luke 11. 13. No man can reasonably excuse himselfe from the guilt of such intemperances or say they are not voluntarie in him when as he is obliged so it is in his power to bring his Passions to a conformity to Reason and Gods Will rather than to his own turbulent humour But when frequented excesses in this kinde acted outwardly shall have added strength and improvement to naturall inclinations then is the Passion wholly owing to the will of
his present use When the Joiner having used sufficient Art and care cannot make a joint When some little thing is so forgot in setting together a Watch or Clock that when all was supposed to be ended it must be taken apieces again When such a snarl is made in a skean of Silk or Thred that the thred must be broken men are apt to frett at higher causes than themselves which they vulgarly call Luck or Fortune really no where extant And when Cyrus as Herodotus writes in a furie laid Gyndes a River in Armenia dry by cutting three hundred and sixty Rivolets out of it because one of his white Naggs dedicated to the Sun was drowned in it could not be so stupid to think that the River merited that punishment but shewed his rage against that because it could not reach higher causes how much wiser man had he been if he had put a stop to the torrent of his Passion which is much more the wisedome and Piety of a Good Christian whome God suffereth many times to be provoked that the prevalence of true Grace may be seen in mastering himselfe and sometimes suffereth to become fretfull waspish and ready to sting him that stands next him upon either no fault but his own or verie frivolous and so if any hath offended him in such manner he punishes the innocent for it making such as converse with him to feel the effects of his imbitter'd Spirit than which there needs no cleerer argument to convince any ingenuous minde of his excesse it being but tolerable to be in Passion where the cause is given and not so to extend the same to the faultlesse This therefore all Reason and Religion requires to be corrected by the conscientious Christian SECT XIII Of the Deadly Sin of Envie its nature and Remedies 1. NEither will I goe with consuming Envie for such a man shall have no fellowship with Wisdome saith Wisdome For that likewise is a proper bratt of the Evill Spirit who since his degradation and fall cannot love nor wish well to any because he can hope for no good to himselfe Gods Kingdom is a Kingdome of order peace quietnesse love charity long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperance called allso the fruits of Gods Spirit by St. Paul Galat. 5. 22 23. because they spring from the seed of Grace sown in the heart by it But the Kingdome of the Devill is a Tyrannie of Adulteries Fornication Uncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Wrath Strifes Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkennesse Revilings and such like as the same Apostle speaks just before And as if Envie Hatred and Malice all of a knot and fraternity descended from the Common Father the Devil and differing rather in degree and duration than nature conspired with Anger and wrath to their mutuall advantage St. Paul Ephes 4. 21. ranks them together in this advice Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evill speaking be put away with all malice And again to the Colossians Chap. 3. 8. But now ye allsoe put off all these Anger Wrath Malice Blasphemie And in that he writeth to Titus Chap. 3. 3. of all the Lusts charged upon men in the state of Gentilisme he instanceth more specially in Malice and Envie whereby men are hatefull to and hating one another For where these Vices abound the Soule may be câ—mpared to those Cities which we read were by the Invader and taker sown with Salt rendring the Soil burnt and barren to all wholesome fruits and fertill to all unwholesome and pernicious weeds 2. For how nerely doth he resemble the Devill himselfe whoe becomes pale thin cloudie frowning of an averse countenance outward fretts boils and burns inwardly at the prosperitie ingenuity dexterity in actions dignitie and wealth of others exceeding him having an evill eye because Gods is good spitefull against the Donour who preferred not him against the gift as ill-placed out of him against the Person possessing it as standing in his light and usurping what he adjudges due to none so justly as himselfe And the expostulation against Providence it selfe lies higher than that cursed by the Apostle and Prophet which demandeth of the Potter and Creatour Why hast thou made me thus For the envious Person demands rather of God Why hast thou not made me so or so And why hast thou made such an one so and not thus Thus Cains countenance fell when he saw his younger Brother better accepted than himselfe of God. And then lift he up his hand against him and slew him And wherefore saith Saint John slew he him Because his workes were evill and his Brothers good And because Gods favour was greater towards him than to Cain Monstrous impietie But not there only resting as it were to be wished but imitated and acted over again in two Brothes of a wealthy and noble Familie in this Age and Nation whereof one judging himselfe undervalued in comparison of the other killed him right out and suffered the just penalty of the Common Law. This was much the same case with that malicious part played upon Joseph by his Brethren because he was clad a little finer than they and was supposed to be loved best 3. So that no place can be said to be free from this Evill Spirit of Envie which is wont to creep into the low Cottage and stir up sillie Creatures to a combination with the Devill himselfe to wreak their otherwise weak spite against their envied Neighbour And in Courts it reigns most powerfully every one allmost contending for the highest Seat and greatest favour and place so that restlesse is the ambitious and envious Spirit till it hath defeated by fine plottings and devices such as by this Vice are accounted their Enemies So that when their counsell is slighted concerning Publick affairs and that of others preferred to convince the world of the imprudence of his Competitour or Adversarie little or no conscience is made of rendring it improsperous though with the perill of the whole Commonwealth that so for the future such a mans wisdome might be blasted and his flourish and be admired This was seen notoriously in the emulation between Hanno and Hannibal he envying the glorie and successe of this in Councill constantly advised and contrived what might crush him rather than advance the good of his Countrey whereby at length he was the ruine of both So that a King may not without double securitie of integritie and such generousnesse of minde as can master Malice and Envie ever follow the advice of that Counsellour in the managing a designe who hath directly before opposed the same For such is the pride of mens heart that they hate to build sincerely and faithfully upon that foundation they at first rejected but tacitely if not openly triumph at the miscarriages of others Projects how reasonable and profitable soever they might have been in themselves though of an unhappie event because their will and wisdome consented not to them 4. Neither can Justice in
Divine Not that all who are ardent pursuers of the world are proportionably industrious for Heaven but that they whose Genius indisposes them to the one seldome shew any spirit or livelinesse in the other For often it happens that immoderate care of Earth stupifies the sense a man ought to have of Heaven But if there be no fire on the Smiths Forge no work good or bad can be wrought there So that as Siracides saith Chap. 22. 1 2. A slothfull man is compared to a filthy stone and every one will hisse him out to his disgrace A slothfull man is compared to the filth of a Dunghill every man that taketh it up will shake his hand And moderner Doctours of the Jewes give this for a Rule Whosoever bringeth up his Son to no employment teaches him to turne Robber 6. But to come closer up to the description and cure of spirituall Sloth The generall ground of lazinesse laid where Nature admonishes to be stirring no wonder the Spirits faile a man in things above and sometimes against Nature For this indisposition to Good seizes first the minde sadding it at the approaching good Duties that they must rise from their seat or Bed that they must spend so much time about the dry service of their Souls And though in their own affairs perhaps sinfully slothfull yet when such expectation is of them that serve God they must and ought they will forget their lazinesse in worldly matters and be stirring then and there when for shame they must doe something Then shall Civility in visiting or entertaining a Friend be alledged against the tedious hour or two in Gods service Nay perhaps Charitie to visit the sick just at that time shall be pretended and Scripture sometimes shall be alledged as warranting not too rash and unprepar'd approach to sacred Offices when the reall reason is spirituall sloth detaining them from preparing themselves and aversenesse to Good. Which lothnesse to open the mouth or bend the knee or raise the bodie answerable to the exigence of the severall parts of Gods publique Worship amongst manie proceeds from dead-heartednesse in Religion and to hide or excuse that perhaps a reason taken from Religion shall be forged and Conscience shall be alledged and simplicitie of Evangelicall worship and the straitest way of going to Christ shall be offer'd contrarie to the generall practice of the Catholique Churches in the best Ages and all this while listlessnesse in the service of God is at the bottome of all though I know religious or more properly superstitious Paradoxes have of late obstructed divers in this way under whose protection slothfullnesse too often shelters it selfe 7. Neither doth the slothfull Soule carrie it selfe with so much ofcitancie in things made doubtfull by the cunning sleights of men whereby they lye in wait to disturb Religion and destroy Charity but in things out of dispute allso as when men read the Scriptures or hear godlie Doctrine and Precepts without attention pray without zeal and intension of spirit Sing without cheerfullnesse and elevation of minde live without circumspection confesse their sins without sorrow and contrition So that the hedge of vigilance being broken down all they that passe by all sorts of temptations as Psalme 80. hath it pluck her the Boar out of the wood wasts it and the wild Beast of the field devours it For hereby is it made as it were a thorow-fare for all sorts of tempting Spirits So that to this and not to ill-husbandry may we believe Solomon to have respect when he saith Proverbs 24. 30 31. I went by the field of the slothfull and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding and it was all grown over with Thornes and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the Stone-wall thereof was broken down whereby is insinuated the desolations of the Soule occasioned by spirituall carelesnesse and sloth 8. Yet am I not so severe as to impute to this Vice all the defects we are subject to here in spirituall things For not without Gods speciall permission it happens divers times that faithfull and righteous Soules are surprised with dullnesse and aridities in Gods service But not in the like manner For in the Soule tainted with the vice of Sloth no great trouble or sollicitude befalls the same but it passes the thing over unconcerned implying strongly an affectednesse in the miscarriage whereas in the Spirit becalmed as it were for want of the Spirit of Grace great anxiety and discontent affect it like as the Ship having lost the Winde lyeth beating her selfe with her Sails But they who by generall Dutie or speciall Offices especially Ecclesiasticall and Sacred suspend themselves studiously from discharging them painfully and diligently because they can live at ease and sit still and perhaps have some other to toyl for them let them at least labour hard to bring themselves off from this imputation of sloth for I cannot neither must I accuse them according to their merits 9. And to the intent we may better quitt our selves of this burden let us see briefly what may be prescribed against it First then let us look up and lift up a Prayer unto the Authour of all Graces to send this Grace unto us For he hath promised what we ask in his Name and with great confidence we hope for his service he will grant us as he did unto Solomon requesting what might make him more serviceable in the place to which he was by God called 10. Another Remedie and more particular is the consideration of the unsatiable desire flesh and blood have of Ease and Libertie contrary to divine Exercises so that yield to them they become softer and softer duller and duller lother and lother to engage in religious actions untill easie things become difficult and difficult things left quite off and a desolation be made in the Soule so that a man may say with David Psal 119. My soule melteth away for very heavinesse 11. Nay Thirdly Contrarie Maladies will multiply and grow strong against the Soule answerable to the description given by some of spirituall sloth viz. A grief and sorrow of heart at the apprehension of heavenly Exercises approaching such as are Pusillanimity spirituall affraid of every inconvenience wearisomnesse under the accustomed and halfe-constrained perfourmances though not frequent despondencie and diffidence of any good to come of such things and thereupon arguing against the troublesomnesse of them somnolencie in them and gladnesse when delivered out of them after the manner of the corrupt Jewes Amos 8. 5. When will the new Moon and Sabbath be over 12. Furthermore it may avail much to consider seriously what Solomon saith Prov. 18. 9. He that is slothfull in his work is Brother to him that is a great waster For like a City without a Watch or Walls he lyeth exposed to all Invaders and spoilers And that good which he doth is thereby corrupted his time and pains little better than lost and God provoked to
is requisite that we should not rest in the opinion we have of our selves which is commonly biassed by selfe-conceit selfe-love selfe-interest all quite contrary to that great Dutie of Selfe-deniall but that we should be so true and just to our own Soules as like righteous Judges to keep one Ear for what others judge of us and impartially to give a sentence upon our selves accordingly and not slie to that base and bold subterfuge of nonplus'd and shamelesse persons I care not I care not For though Malice and ill-will may instigate some one or two and upon speciall occasion to false accusations and slanders yet if the opinion be of more and those not so prejudiced and constant and lasting in vain doe men proclaim their integrity and innocencie for such judgement of others is much more to be trusted than our own 7. Sixthly Appearance of Evill and Hypocrisie reverst as I may so speak when men seem by outward carriage to be worse than in trueth they are is allso carefully to be avoided not onely because of the sin of scandalizing our Brethren and causing an erroneous judgement and uncharitable to be entertained but because it very often happens that men fall really into that sin which they at first onely seemed to committ Therefore it is St. Pauls Rule Philip. 2. 4. Look not every man on his own things but every man allso on the things of others not by curiositie and censoriousnesse but Charitie and conscienti ous walking without offence to others and if possible to prevent sin in others as well as our selves 8. Lastly Every man should have Charitie towards his Brother but no man is to demean himselfe so as to stand in need of the charitable judgement of others For he that doth so is certainly uncharitable in the first place and being really guiltie within himselfe is most wickedly unjust in demanding that another should be so charitable as not to think so of him though there be use of Charitie even where Crimes are past defence or excuses but for men to live conscious to themselves of unrighteousness towards God and justice towards men and then because there may want notorious convictions to demand of Censurers to judge charitably is in effect to require that others should be religious and they may be wicked under the protection of others Pietie and Charitie A Prayer for Puritie of Spirit O Lord God who is like unto thee amongst the Gods Who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders And what greater wonder is there than of sons of Men we should be called the Sons of God and of Children of wrath heirs of the Kingdome of God of lost sheep be brought back to the great Shepheard of our Soules of prodigall and fugitive Sons be brought home and embraced by thee our heavenly Father making us as well as requiring us to be holy as thou art holy raising us from the death of sin to the life of Righteousnesse given us by the Spirit of Grace which worketh in us by the meanes of Grace ordained by thee to that great end Let that Spirit be never wanting in me let that Grace never be received by me in vain whereby I may be sensible of my unworthinesse and insufficiencie to any thing that is good and at least to have an hunger and thirst after righteousnesse that I may in thy due time be satisfied and in the mean time grow and increase in this desire and this desire proceed to action and this action to such perfection as to overcome and mortifie all worldly lusts and Carnall affections purifying my selfe as he is pure and taking greater content and pleasure in casting off than ever I did in taking on me the burden of sin and in purging away all my old sin than ever I did in contracting those spots and blemishes which have too much and too long defiled that pure Spirit thou once gavest me and defaced that beautifull Image thou once stampedst on me And let the pleasure of Repenting be greater to me than that of offending ever was to me though alas it was too great Lord nothing is impossible to thee who canst bring light out of darknesse and strength out of weaknesse and out of stones raise up Children unto Abraham and to thy selfe and out of the ruines of Religion in me raise up a Temple fit for thy holy Spirit to dwell in Descend into possesse and dwell in my heart by faith and love of thee which may purge out the old leaven and make me a new lump and quench all fleshly Concupiscences which have or may raign over me or rage in me For this corruptible bodie presseth down my minde musing on high and heavenly things and the weight of sin so easily besetteth me that I cannot run the Race which is set before me and the stain of sin pollutes my best actions Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this bodie of death from this bondage of corruption Thy grace I know O Lord is sufficient for me and thy Son mighty to save and that his Office is to save his people from their sins from their sins I say as well as from the punishment of sin Let that Day-star at length arise in my heart and enlighten and warm my minde with love of thee and let that breath of new life be inspired into me enliven my dead bodie and re unite and animate my drie bones and excite me with new vigour to the perfourming thy holy will that so the life I now live may be by the faith of the Son of God and being poor in spirit as he was I may be pure in spirit as he allso was for theirs is the Kingdome of God even the Kingdome of Grace here and the Kingdome of Glory hereafter whither O mercifull God and Father in thy due time bring me for thy blessed Sons sake Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen The Third Part. Treating of the UNITIVE WAY OF THE Devout Soule with God. SECT I. Of the Nature of true Vnion with God and Mysticall Theologie and of the Abuses and due Vse thereof 1. SUCH due preparation being made towards Spirituall Life in laying aside every sin so easily besetting us the remainder of our Christian Race towards God and our Union with him are more easily attained which Union is by Saint John called our fellowship with the Father and the Son 1 John 1. 3. And this is it which vulgarly is called allso Perfection Perfection being here used for Justification by faith in Christ and Christ dwelling in us and such a measure of assurance of Gods grace and favour which are competible to our Militant state in this life and incline God to the acceptation of us to a future inheritance of Immortalitie and Glorie And to this it is not absolutely necessarie that no blemish imperfection or infirmity should be incident but that none such should be found which either of it selfe should tend to corruption
they presently feel most grievous torments And this I rehearse verily believing that God by his holy Spirit doth elevate some men so extraordinarily as that they exceed humane order in contemplations and sensations heavenly and that evill Spirits may counterfeit notably the same effects in their Servants And hereupon I leave these few Rules to all sober faithfull and devout Christians tending to the discerning of Spirits good and evill 5. First they who pursue the great meanes ordained of God to arrive at the heighth of the Love of God uniting them to God and causing an acquiescence and rest in him so that in effect their reasons and senses naturall inconsisting with such perfection should be lost in God and in Christ and they live in the world undisturbed by it are laudably and safely extaticall 6. Secondly That they who may have surpassed others in the exercise of Christian Vertues and the Unitive Way with God and no wayes aim at such Perfections or desire them as at the best not making the Soule more good but more great rather and not more dear or acceptable to him which should be every prime Christians studie and endeavour may have exaltations of this nature which importunately coveted may provoke God to deliver them over to delusions of evill Spirits 7. Thirdly Seeing counterfeit Ware comes too often under the countenance and resemblance of what is pure and passing good the soundnesse of the faith professed by such is not proved by such excesses but such excesses must be rather judged by the Law and Testimonie of God as Isaiah speakes Chap. 8. upon which Faith is grounded and by which it is directed For no otherwise true is that description of Extasies given by that auncient Authour called Dionysius the Areopagite That Extasies are a wisdome putting a man besides himselfe than that suspension or absorption of naturall knowledge and understanding is occasioned by the dominion of divine Irradiations truely so called So that this excesse of Light and Love must be it selfe subject to tryall and that twofold principally the one taken from the Antecedent and the other from the Consequent Circumstances For if sobernesse of believing and divinenesse of behaving our selves lead not to these Extasies they are spurious and dangerous Again if such transported mindes thereupon fall into unreasonable unjust or ridiculous actions inconsistent with the gravitie and puritie of the divine Presence there supposed it is but reasonable to suspect the Scene to be managed by idle Spirits For Rapts of a Royall stamp are such as Gerson describes An experimentall knowledge of God obtained by a conjunction of spirituall affection Which Unitive and experimentall knowledge may be had without the disorder of the naturall understanding and may allso dissetle it so as to depend for some time wholly upon Gods supportation and transportation and that especially in the estimation of the world and common judgements For thus was Christ judged to be Mark 3. 21. and that by his own Friends besides himselfe and Saint Paul allso by Festus and by some other Believers as may be gathered from 2 Corinth 5. 13. SECT IV. Of the Vnion of the Soule with God by Divine Contemplation and Meditation with some instances of particular Subjects of this latter 1. WHEN Meditation and Contemplation are distinguished as sometimes they are Contemplation may be said to be directed immediately to God and the fixing of the minde and heart on him and from and through him to cast an eye on the Creatures and the various acts of his Providence in which he is seen allso with an Evening Light and Knowledge as he is with a Morning Light as Saint Austin was wont to speak by that immediate Intuition which yet properly is to be attained onely in Heaven But Meditation is the consideration of created things not so much as they are in themselves which is the employment of naturall Philosophers but as they are effects of a Divine and supernaturall Power and designed to the assistance of duller and weaker Eyes which are not able to behold the Glorie of God but as men doe the beauty of the Sun in Water And yet from hence ascent is made to a faithfull and fruitfull apprehension of God himselfe where the Soule mounted as was Peter James and John at the transfiguration of Christ desireth to abide and have its residence for ever 2. But Grace and Goodnesse here being in their minoritie yea and under Tutours and Governours as the Apostle speakes Galat 4. 2. We are not to take possession of the promised and expected Inheritance in this life But the Methode hereunto is this which we finde exemplified in David speaking thus Psalm 17. I will behold thy face in righteousnesse here when I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse For as Saint Paul allso saith 1 Corinth 13. 12. 2 Corinth 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord are changed as into the same Image from glorie to glorie even as by the Spirit of the Lord meaning hereby that the Spirit of God concurring with the Glasse of Gods Creatures and his revealed Word gives us a true but a distant and so dimme representation of God as through Perspectives And these to improve to the best degree and advantage is the great businesse of our present state here as whereby we are dayly wrought to a conformity to the Image of Christ and God defaced in us and returne unto his likenesse and a liking of him which two are both Unitive of us to God and actuall Union with him according to our present capacity For it is true in Religion what Philosophie in her Sphere teaches that the Understanding is made all things answerable to its Object the minde of man wonderfully conforming it selfe to such things as are brought unto it by the Ear or Eye and is in a manner figured by them as we see that Water admitting any Body more solid than it selfe into it selfe gives way to it and receives the shape thereof within it selfe as doth the Air allso though not so visibly to our sense So the minde of man contemplating and conceiving God and Divine matters is formed or conformed to the same morally loosing its naturall shape and posture and propensities which is thus expressed by Saint Paul Rom. 12. 2. And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minde that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God. For instance a man hearing and taking pleasure in absurd riotous and obscene Discourses or Books as is in part noted before is conformed thereunto and corrupted therewith the Images of things so imbibed or impressed being with great difficulty to be removed and with great facility and promptitude stirring up or at least yielding to sinfull temptations as occasion shall be offered agreeably And so in mens reading of the Histories of far and unknown Countries and the strange fruits of
the Earth the motions of the Air and temper differing from ours and the unusuall formes of Beasts and such like Rarities doe beget an inclination in the minde to be present on the place Likewise Relations of Battles wise Stratagems Valiant and bold Actions in others inflame the spirit to an imitation In like manner he who converses much with Religion its strange and preternaturall Notions the sublime Speeches and heroicall Actions of Saints and Martyrs and especially the admirable designe and Providence of God in Lost mans Redemption and Restitution perfourmed by Christ cannot choose but finde and feel a disposition in himselfe answering the impressions made in his minde of them where it is not notoriously pester'd with earthly and vitious Habits prepossessing it which by the foresaid prescriptions of the Purgative Exercise must be first discharged before any such transformation as we speake of can be hoped for For no man can attain to any savourinesse or complacencie in any faculty whatever untill by frequent practice he becomes a competent Master of such Science or Art. So that Saint Paul exceeding in these Exercises himselfe and thereupon experimenting the admirable effects of them in the vehement zeal for Gods glorie ending in Raptures and Visions Celestiall commends the same Methode to his Son Timothy 1 Epist 4. 8. in these words Till I come give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine which are easily applicable to such an attendance whereupon Christ with his blessed Spirit may enter into the Soule to its Illumination Purgation and Conjunction with him 5. And though all the Scriptures being given of God are profitable for Instruction and Edification yet as the glorie of the Celestiall Bodies differ in degrees so some Lights in Gods Word produce both greater light and heat in men than others doe Whereupon it is expedient that choice be there made allso of such as may be more effectuall upon a man not excluding inferiour points as uselesse but insisting upon such as are more honourable and weighty and fruitfull to be meditated on 6. And to give some assistance here to the weaker in directions and instances of subjects proper for Meditation not intending to limit any strictly to what I here offer What if we should distribute the Great Work of God in restoring and renewing or recreating the world brought into ruine and confusion by the fall of Man into as many dayes as it pleased him to take for creating and forming of the naturall and Visible world at the first And thus beginning on Munday to consider and meditate on the miserable Chaos of confusion into which all the world was reduced by Mans Apostacie from and the severall branches of the sinne committed thereby against God with the aggravations of guilt pertaining thereunto And how God entertained within himselfe thoughts of reconciliation with Man so undone and to determine or decree the same by his Sons becoming Man and undertaking the great Work of Mediation If on Tuesday a man should observe seriously and contemplate of the execution of this Decree by Covenanting a second time with Adam in behalfe of himselfe and Posteritie this true and proper Covenant of Grace and the foundation thereof in promising the Messias as a Mediatour and Redeemer and the exceeding love of God in giving his Onely Son to be Incarnate to that end Thirdly If on Wednesday we should meditate how upon this Day God created light out of darknesse and the light sprang up to the Righteous a Light of Hope and Life and of help by which we perfourme all spirituall Offices and workes as we doe our naturall workes by the light of the Sun dayly And if the observation be true and the reason of the Jew given to the Gentile Philosopher Why the Sun fails not to shine little or much every Wednesday viz. because it was made on that Day and so shining celebrates its own Nativitie much greater reason is there that we should celebrate the praise of Gods mercy shining in the face of Jesus Christ to us If on Thursday we should more particularly observe the severall Raies of the glorious Body of Grace falling upon us here on earth and how that he who hath given his Son thus to us will and doth with him give us all things so that the fat and the sweet and the plentie of the creatures ordained to mans use are derived to him by Christ through whome as he made the Worlds he administers and governs and disposes all things in an admirable order and Harmonie filling even the naturall mans heart with food and gladnesse which ought to appear and utter it selfe in outward acts of gratitude and service rising up from thence to the valuation more serious and high of the spirituall Blessings whereby he satisfieth the hungrie and thirstie Soule after Righteousnesse and the graces of the Gospell conducting to the glorie of God. And on Friday how ample noble and patheticall Meditations may be had on the sufferings and death of Christ for the sins of the whole world and the satisfying of Gods wrath due to man in extremitie by the tearing of his Flesh and the shedding his Blood even to the death of the Crosse for us so fullfilling all Righteousnesse And how reasonable just and righteous a thing it is for all true Christians to suffer for him and themselves all such hardships of Abstinences Continences Selfe-denialls and bodily punishments to be made like unto Christ and more capable of the fruits and effects of his Intercession and Redemption Sixthly On Saturday to consider the Rest of Christ in the Grave having finished the severall workes of our Redemption as God did that Day the workes of Creation resting from them And that we allso should rest from such workes of Nature corrupt which may be called properly Ours and so fit our selves to live and die as that the next Day which we call Sunday we may be fitted for a blessed and joyfull Resurrection And being then raised from the death of sin unto the life of Righteousnesse we may keep a perpetuall Jubilee of Holinesse and Happinesse elevating our mindes in the contemplation of the Power of God the glorie of Christ raised from the dead ascended up into Heaven ever to make intercession for us labouring here under severall conflicts untill we allso reign together with him Which future state may well deserve the best and highest of our thoughts as that where the imperfecter union of faith and love we can attain here shall receive its absolute and most perfect consummation hereafter 7. But untill that fullnesse of time or time of fullnesse shall come the minde of man is wonderfully helped and exalted by the exercise of the contemplation of God in his beautie and goodnesse which is oftentimes very effectuall upon men for the quietation and fixing of the unsetled minde in great peace and tranquillitie from the molestations of this world though at the same time there be found no small sollicitude how to
that he might doe them good at the latter end not feasting them so by the way that they should not desire to enter into any other rest For as we see it is with the Day-labourer that his Meals are very short in comparison of his toyl so is it allso with the faithfullest Servants of God in this life their spirituall refreshments are not comparable to their labour in working out their salvation with fear and trembling so that as Bernard observeth the Dayes are rare and the stayes are short of Consolations 6. And a fourth reason hereof may be Gods great designe to keep the Soule in Humility which might be endanger'd by such exaltations and upon which inferiour and harder services might be slighted and neglected as more proper for Persons not so highly priviledged Or it may be vainly presumed that such priviledges are granted to the Soule for its extraordinary diligence in Gods service which must not be allowed but looked upon as an overplus of his favour 7. Fifthly The withholding or withdrawing of such delectations in Gods service may be to instruct us in the absolute Will of God to keep times and seasons in his own Power which it is not for us to know as Christ tells his Disciples Acts 1. And that the Kingdome of God cometh not by observation or according to our expectations 8. But because it is very acceptable to God that we should in all our services give a cheerfull Sacrifice to him which cheerfullnesse is much advanced by the sense of Gods good will towards us such a lightnesse of spirit is not to be wholly slighted as it is not too importunately to be sought after The meanes therefore to obtain the same may be First The due observation of the foregoing Rules now mentioned Secondly A free submission of our selves and services to the disposition of the will of God and contentednesse to persist unalterably in our station under such Aridities of which we know not our selves to be direct occasions a great motive to incline God to manifest his favour unto us more fully Which calls to my minde what I have been told to have happened in the Court of Charles the First For why may we not illustrate things as well by Moderne as Auncient Examples and Domestick as well as Forein in which rare and noble divertisements being prepared for the delight of such as he favoured an inferiour person demanded entrance into the place of such Splendour but being repulsed by a Noble Person to whome the power of admission was given He said Well if I must not be admitted I know what I will doe Doe said the Noble Man Why What will you doe I will goe home said the other and goe to Bed. Nay then if you be so indifferent and well content without it come in replied that Lord. So doth it usually happen unto such who cannot but desire to be admitted into the Presence of God in this way of sensible delectations and yet with patience and submission absolute to Gods Will readily and quietly rest in their ordinarie Dutie ordained of God to walk in here in fullfilling his Will so on Earth as it is in Heaven according to humane abilitie where alone is the consummation of that Union we have but in part here never to be dissolved or interrupted Last of all Retirement for some time into our private Chambers and then into our own selves by stillnesse and composednesse of spirit and minde from not onely worldly cogitations but forcible as I may so speak devotions towards God becomeing as it were Blanks before him that so he may write his own will and in his own way upon the Soule and having so done not to intermitt the wonted Worship of God whether private or publique fullfilling what is said Lamentations 3. 28. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him He putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope For it often happens that a great mistake is committed through the speciousnesse of the condition of serving God and having him in our Eye as if we intended nothing more than a more cheerfull and acceptable service when love of our selves bears the greatest share in the pursuit of such serenities of minde and consolations For the Soule finding an heavinesse and wearinesse upon it naturally desires ease and relief which Religion it selfe does not denie or disallow provided it be pure from Selfe-love often concerned herein And an humble apprehension of our vilenesse unworthinesse and unfitnesse to entertain Christ in such singular manner moving one to cry out in the words and Spirit of Saint Peter Luke 5. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord may be as great an argument of the profitable and saving Presence of Christ as the possession of him in Consolations and a more readie way to attain what is really good for us though not directly craved in this kinde A Prayer for true Union with God. MOST High and Holy Lord God whome the Heaven of heavens cannot contain who dwellest on high and yet humblest thy selfe to behold the things done in heaven and earth yea to dwell with them that are of an humble spirit and broken heart and takest the simple out of the dust and liftest the poor out of the mire to set him with Princes even with the Princes of his People even with thine holy Angells and the Spirits of just men made perfect And to this end vouchsafest to begin that glorious state here by that state of Grace whereby thou enterest into the Soules of thy Servants and dwellest with them and art united to them O most Gracious Father in thy Son Jesus Christ and through thy Holy Spirit be pleased to descend into my heart and make thy abode with me as by thy Son thou hast promised Vnite my heart to fear thy Name Open the eyes of my understanding that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law and with cleer and pure Contemplation of thee and things spirituall and Heavenly may be so far inflamed with the love of thee and thy Worship that all earthly and sensuall contents and pleasures may be strange and unsavourie to me and that such a spirituall gust may so affect my Soule that I may refuse all delights and glories not placed in thee and derived from thee and tending to thee which may more firmely oblige and endear me to thee so that Nuptiall Bond whereby thou hast espoused me to thee and thy Son Jesus Christ may never be dissolved but amidst the many cares troubles and temptations which may befall me in this life I may constantly and faithfully persevere to serve thee without distraction and much more alienation from thee Thou knowest O Lord that this corruptible bodie presseth down the Soule musing on heavenly things thou knowest that though our spirit be willing our flesh is weak and yet hast taught us that thy Grace is sufficient for us and thy strength is made known in our weaknesse as thy mercy is in our wickednesse wherefore Righteous Father take possession of this thine House which thou hast chosen to dwell in vindicate me from the usurpations of sin the flesh the Devill and all worldly vanities apt to deceive me or draw me from thee that so like thy servant Stephen by a strong eye of Faith evermore stedfastly beholding thee and the glorie with thee I may joy in thee here and everlastingly enjoy thee hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen FINIS