confessed-incurable and desperate miserie And to this end may we reasonably beleeue that the fulnesse of time appointed for the cōming of our Sauiour in the flesh was so long in fulfilling and that during the space between the Promise and exhibiting of a Sauior there was so spare and rare and secret notices giuen of him euen that there might be a manifest and confessed neede of him before hee should be generally manifestly offered and shewed The whole World left to the state of nature must bee odiously and vnsufferably corrupted the Nation of the lewes taken out as the top of mankind and a chief part to conuince the whole lifted vp propped and supported by a cleere reueiled Law by Statutes Ordinances and Ceremonies and these againe inforced by Prophets Miracles and Signes I say this Nation must bee laden with iniquitie and wholly defiled from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot and so both among Iewes and Gentiles there must be none that worketh righteousnesse no not one and then is the fulnesse and fitnesse of time for the comming and publishing of a Sauiour Being thus humbled in our selues and made both needy and thirstie of saluation then will God open our eyes as he did the eyes of despairing AGAR that wee shall see a spring of waters of eternall Life Christ Iesus with the beames of his sauing health will shine in vpon our vnderstādings and shew them his beautie and vpon our wils through our vnderstandings to comfort rauish and draw them and this will bee doe iust at that time when we feelingly complaine and find that we are in the state of darkenesse and in the shaddow of death And now Christ Iesus entring into our souls with free mercy and grace to heale and refresh them our soules in faith and feruency claspe the will and affections about him and lay fast hold on the Lord of glorie and blessednes And then the soule kisseth him with the kisses of her mouth and as she needeth him most before she found him so she loueth him best after shee hath found him This is the path of Faith walke therein and liue for euer CHAP. III. That wee should striue to increase our happinesse and by what meanes BEing knit vnto hap pinesse by the knot of a most high and blessed Vnion wrought by that Faith in Christ which surrenders vs vp to the sanctification of the Spirit what remaynes but that we striue to preserue and increase our selues therein It is no lesse wisdome to keep then to get yea it is more folly negligently to lose a thing gotten the labour by which it was gotten then hauing taken no paines for it nor hauing tasted the sweetnesse of it to haue beene altogether without it And though the renewing Spirit bee strong in apprehension and where it once takes roote it will not wholly quit the ground yea we must know that the retchlesnesse hard heartednesse of Man by shutting vp the heart against the dew of heauen and by cherishing the weedes of naturall corruption may so much grieue afflict him that the seede of grace and glorie sowne in vs may be much withered and pined For the Spirit which is within vs as it holdeth vs so it lookes to bee held by vs as it quickens vs so it lookes to be quickned and inflamed by vs And on the other side it grieues it pines it drieth it dyeth to our feeling though not in it selfe when it wanteth comforting incouraging cherishing And the Spirit being thus quenched within vs the spirituall trading for happinesse decayeth so our losse of heauenly ioyes doth daily increase yea the comforts of God in our way to happinesse doe still abate and we are often left in a temporal hell euen in horror of mind vexation of conscience which is the night of the soule Wisd. 17.14 Farre be it therefore from vs to kill that which giueth vs life to quench that which is the Light of our darknesse to pull backe our hand from this hand of God which offers to leade vs to eternall Life But let it be the most earnest indeuor of our hearts and soules to comfort and cherish this heauenly Seede wherein lyes wrapt our euerlasting glorie and happinesse Let vs be merciful to our selues by being kinde to it for thou canst not sow to this Spirit but thou must sow also to thy owne glorie for the Spirit is a most sure Rewarder of all the seruice done vnto it And to whom it hath beene an Author of sowing in labour to them it will also bee a Giuer of a most blessed haruest in glorie yea according to the measure of sowing shall be the measure of reaping Wherefore let vs not bee content onely to get this glorifying Spirit nor hauing gotten it only to keep it but let vs in an vnsatiable couetousnesse euer bee increasing it euer be getting vpon it How can a Man be full inough of happines How canst thou stint thy seeking since there is no stine of an infinite felicitie and such is that which thou seekest Surely if thou euer didst taste thy Soueraigne Good thou canst not but ouer hunger and thirst after him thou canst not but cry out Euermore giue me this water of life Let thy worldly couetousnesse reach thee the manner of a spirituall couetousnesse That tells thee that goods are good and thou canst not haue too much of that which is good Now the Spirit tells thee that God is goodnesse it selfe and the summe of all things that are good Wherefore thou shouldest be still hungrie still thirstie after the liuing God neuer hauing inough of that happinesse whereof there is still some degree beyond that which thou hast Wherefore fastning one foote that thou slide not backe in the path of happinesse aduance the other so march on stedfastly to the Congregation of the first-borne to the spirits of iust and perfect Men to the Mediator of the new Alliance and Couenant and to the happy presence of the liuing God Thy path is in the Spirit walke in the Spirit and thou walkest toward God walke feruently in the Spirit let it in flame thee and bee inflamed by thee thou walkest swistly towards God and the more this fire of Grace is kindled in thee the more shall thy shining be when thou art a Starre in glorie For the same Spirit which is the seede of Sanctification is also the seede of Glorification the first it brings forth in this life the other in the next As certainly as it shewes the first so certainly will it bestow the latter and the latter in the degree of the former For according to the power of the quickning Spirit within vs shall be the power excellence of the Spirit raising vs and according to the power of the Spirits sanctifying is the power of the Spirits quickning Sanctifying and quickning being knit together and so prospering together in the prosperitie of one and the same Spirit Therefore to
readie to moue If it be well followed in a combate with a Beare â—â—en a terrible and vgly temptation it will after leade vs on to the conquest of a Lyon euen of some raigning wickednesse and at last will bring vs to triumph ouer a Gyant euen the prince of wickednesse And as it will leade vs to the increase of the ruine of vice so it will also leade vs to the increase of vertue finally to increase the reward of vertue in eternall felicitie For as it is the naturall and kindly desire of the Spirit to beare fruit so is it likewise his desire to beare more fruit and by obtayning this desire it goes on to a farther desire and so to a farther obtayning if our following bee proportionable to his leading When the Spirit moueth vs to a good worke by fulfilling it wee haue a double profit One is the reward of that worke in glorie the other is the increase of the Spirit by working who being increased will increase more workes vnto more glorie On the other side by neglecting disobaying the Spirit when it moueth wee haue a double losse the first a losse of the good worke and the reward pertayning to it a second is an impouerishing discouragement and weakning of the Spirit against another like occasion for it must needes moue weaker the next time to that work to which before it hath moued in vaine Now farre be it from vs to stop and shorten our owne perfection euen the perfection of holinesse and happinesse which two are inseparable one the measure of the other Let it be farre from vs to abate our felicitie by lesning our obedience yea farre be it from vs to grieue stop that Spirit which demandeth of vs but an excellent and necessarie dutie which is holinesse and that with a condition annexed of the most excellent thing which is happinesse Surely wee discomfort our Comforter we goe into a spirituall consumption we dead our life wee grudge our selues the increase of felicitie when wee resist or neglect the sacred instincts blessed influences of this soueraigne Spirit Whereas on the other side by a readie obedience we inflame the Spirit wee adde fuell to this heauenly fire wee giue that thing food nourishment which giueth food nourishment to our life Eternall For the motion of the Spirit tends to this that we would doe good to our selues by doing good to it and that by sowing vnto it in a speedie and large obedience wee may reape a more full and large haruest of glorie Wherefore let vs be carefull to accept euery proffer of the Spirit as that wherein is an vnited gift of grace and glorie If the Spirit would exercise it selfe in the practice of some vertue let our members as readie seruants runne to the execution thereof If the Spirit stirre vs vp to a strong resolution to make a straighter couenant with our God to draw neerer vnto him by an increased seruice let vs make roome in our heart for the settlement of this pillar and let vs giue way vntill this naile bee driuen vp to the head If the Spirit lust for a vacation from the world and complaine that it is oppressed with an heap of earthly imployments let vs ease it of waight take from it that which surchargeth yea let vs giue it full and steady times of respiration and breathing that it may conuerse with his Fountayne and sucke new streames of refreshing from that abundant and euerslowing Spring If the Spirit desire to warre with the flesh and particularly with some especiall infirmitie let vs come willingly to the fight and helpe the Lord in his battailes euen this Spirit of God against the enemies of God and our felicitie and if wee serue him in the fight we shall triumph with him for the victorie Finally if the Spirit long to cherish it self with the food of the Word or the precious and last Banquet of our dying Redeemer let vs bee carefull to feed the hunger thereof with the food of God in due season So shall wee increase the life of our life and by the growth of the Spirit wee shall grow more gracious here in the sight of our Creator and wee shall grow more glorious hereafter by the increased sight of the same Creator CHAP. V. Another furtherance of the Spirit is watchfulnesse AS Obedience doth cheere and as it were make ioyfull the Spirit within vs so Obedience it selfe is supported by Watchfulnes Therfore though in a second remoued degree is Watchfulnesse a helpe to the Spirit so an Increaser of our felicitie For a Christian coÌ„sisting of a double nature one spirituall and another carnall and two-fold motions proceeding from this two-fold nature and each aduerse yea hurtfull to the other herein must Watchfulnesse helpe vs that the motions of the nature of corruption and miserie bee quickly apprehended and suppressed and that the motions of the Nature of blessednes and grace bee soone espied and furthered Else on the one side the egge of Concupiscence being grown to a Cockatrice before it be seene may kill and on the otherside the excellent desires and pregnancies of the Spirit which would haue brought forth the fruit of glorie may come to abortion by a barren miserable and inglorious neglect Beyond these also hath Watchfulnesse a profitable imployment for it ought to stand as vpon the top of a Towre to espie a farre off as well as neere at hand euen to descry the remote occasions of such motions and to sound the Bel to the soule that shee shut out the Messengers of the enemies of her peace and louingly admit the friends of her happinesse We are safest from euill when euill is kept a good distance from vs and euill is kept at a good distance when wee espie the occasions of euill a farre off and auoid them Many times the occasion is admitted with a hope of not admitting the euill but coÌ„monly the euill throngs in close after the occasion and approching neere vnto vs it ouer-comes vs at handie blowes whom it could not at the Pikes point It is farre easier to kill sinne in the occasion then in it self and to grant the occasion and to denie the sinne is almost as bad Logike in practice as to grant the former Propositions and to denie the Conclusion is in reasoning Therefore let vs keepe the eye of our soule broad-waking that we lye not like waste ground vn-hedged and vn-kept and so become the prey and food of euery wandring Beast euen of euery beastly affection Let vs also stand watching in the dore of our Tent with the Father of the faithfull that when Angels descend vnto vs euen the graces of God through Iesus Christ our Mediator we may bee readie to entertayne them feeding them with the slain concupiscences of our brutish flesh and the kisses of our hearts which are more comfortable then wine To adde intention and earnestnesse to our watchfulnesse against sinne three
for them while they bee here nor whether there be any other place for them when they depart hence These for the most part doe what they see done or what their owne lusts will haue done and so hauing spent their time according to Custome and Concupiscence they liue to no purpose and die to no end for ought they know A second sort is of them That thinke there is a happinesse and a way to it and which is more they thinke they haue it yet all the while they goe without it euen for this reason because they thinke they haue it For not hauing it by their beliefe that they haue it they cease from seeking and so from finding of that which may only be found by seeking A third sort is of such as thinke it enough to come within the reach of happinesse but care not much to fasten it or to increase it but please themselues in looking on it or onely in a little taste of it It is good to be happy they thinke but it is not good to be too happy and therefore they will gladly trafficke some superstuous happi nesse for a little folly and vanitie To all these which are almost all are the chiefe parts of this Treatise directed as Nayles to driue out Nayles euen rules of Light and Blisse to driue out the vsuall and receiued rules of darknesse and miserie and to stand fast in their roome Of these and the like directions let wretched and ignorant mankinde lay hold as vpon Boords Masts in this great shipwracke of Nature Let them by such helps lift vp their heads aboue the element of Basenesse and Vanitie wherein the sonnes of corrupted and degenerate Nature like Fishes doe swim and liue and die And let them mount vp into that higher Region wherein onely true and very Men are to bee found the rest being but the resemblances of Men and in substance the true Companions of brute and vnreasonable Creatures A Seeker of Happinesse for himselfe and thee F. Rovs THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The first Part. Which is a search of Mans Happinesse CHAP. I. That the Seeker of Happinesse must propose an End and it must be the best End WHosoeuer will better and aduance himself which is naturally euery mans desire he must finde out and propose to himselfe an End which is good and toward this End must so striue that hee may continually draw neerer to it vntill hee haue attayned it and hee must grow in the degrees of enioying when hee hath attayned He that proposeth no Marke nor mayne End to himselfe can neuer increase himselfe but is a man lost and comes to nothing such a one is like a ship that aymeth at no harbour and therefore cannot make any voyage of aduantage He that proposeth an End yet such a one as is but transitorily or narrowly good he can receiue but a transitorie and narrow aduancement He that proposeth for an End a seeming good but a reall euill may by attayning puffe vp his imagination but shall substantially lessen and ruine himselfe But hee that sets before him a Marke End truely and perfectly good by attayning it shall make himselfe truly and perfectly happy and the more happy in degrees as in more degrees hee doth enioy it But amidst the infinite changes of things seemingly good how shall man finde out that one thing which is truely and perfectly good It is indeed an impression of Mans nature to seeke for good but the corruption of the same nature is such that it makes euery thing seeme good to it self which it selfe though falsly apprehendeth to be good And so hence it comes that many men run an vnsatisfied course through diuers changes of things seemingly good and most men choose the lesse good for the better good yea the most euill for the most good But he that will seriously inquire for true happinesse must in his inquirie lay aside his bodie and the doctrines thereof and hee must retire into his innermost and most secret closet of Light and Reason and there aske of his Soule assured truths and resolutions concerning his chiefe and soueraigne Good Yea because the darknesse of a heauie and sensuall bodie since the fall subiect to corruption hath much dimmed the light of the Soule she hath need to returne to that vppermost Light by which at first she was kindled thence to receiue a second inlightning that by an addition of the highest Light shee may finde out her highest chiefest happinesse The soules thus rectified labour and in some measure attayne to behold things in their truth as also to see the difference of things confounded or misordered by the ignorance of corruption and to place each thing in his due ranke and consequently the chief and soueraigne good farre aboue all as indeed to the eye of wisedome it shines in a notable and manifest supereminence And as she giues due acknowledgment to this good being discouered so she calls aloud to the will and affections to striue towards it being knowne and acknowledged she aduiseth them to set vp their rest vpon it to aduenture al for it and neuer to leaue labouring vntill the soule and happinesse bee ioyned together CHAP. II. How that must be conditioned which is the end and happinesse of Man NOw if with such wise Searchers of felicitie wee shall make the like enquiry examining all things in their weight and worth we must needs meete in one Truth Truth being but one euen a common Center in which all rectified vnderstandings meet The more wise a man is the more possession hath he of this truth and therefore whosoeuer can challenge to himselfe to be the wisest of Men he must also be the largest discouerer of happinesse and with him especially shall other wisedomes meete euen of necessitie Now that wee firmely ground our discouerie let vs first inquire what conditions that thing must haue which shall be the happines of Man That which shall make Man happy must first bee able to bestow on Man an absence of miserie for Happinesse Miserie cannot dwell together in one subiect Againe it must giue a man a reall possession and enioying of the chiefest good and that in perpetuitie euerlastingnesse Man must possesse the soueraign Good for he can neuer bee happy by inioying imperfection but that only which is perfectly good can make a man perfectly happy He must also inioy this soueraigne Good in a perpetuitie else the feare of losing happinesse must needs lose part of it before it be lost and if not so yet he cannot be termed happy who shall haue a time when hee shall be without happinesse And surely if wee finde a soueraigne Good which is euerlasting it will bestow it selfe on vs in it owne nature euen euerlastingly Lastly the beatificall obiect of Man must bee the most agreeable obiect of his most excellent part Now Mans chiefest part is a lightsome reasonable and vnderstanding spirit Therefore that from which can issue vnto Man
vnwelcommed how can hee choose but scorne vs being neglected whom hee might iustly haue despised being sought we are sinful and miserable creatures and God might well haue lothed vs left vs in our bloud but now he that might haue lothed loueth and visiteth and shall we dare to neglect the most great and holy One that commeth to vs most wretched and impure for our owne felicitie let vs rather with watchful soules espie and with humble and deuout affections entertain these heauenly Guests the issues and sparkes of the Deitie Let vs wonder at our owne happinesse that our lowlinesse should bee regarded by the Almightie finally let vs yeeld vp to him the whole roome of this Tabernacle of ours that hee may fully rule and raigne in vs for in his raigning in vs is included our raigning with him For a second motiue let vs consider what it is that this great God sendeth to vs. Surely it is the sap of the Tree of Life a iuyce of Eternitie a food of life euerlasting When his Spirit commeth into vs it is a Light to our darknesse a Purifier of our pollution a conueyance of our Redem ption a celestiall Fire to warm the benummed coldnes of our spirituall bloud a seede of liuing and perpetuall felicitie It offers to guide vs it offers to sanctifie vs it offers vs iustification it offers vs zeale it offers vs eternall Glorie These are presents well becomming such a Giuer of infinite worth as hee is in finite and the least is of more worth then hee is that shall receiue them So the greatest giueth vs gifts greater then our selues and what remaines but that we be inlarged in our affection thereby to inlarge our capacitie of them if it were possible to equall those gifts with loue welcome which our owne persons doe not Let vs with a watchfull care with a seruent loue with hungrie and thirstie soules receiue the bountie of heauen still remembring that free mercie is the Ladder by which these blessings descend vpon vs by which mercie alone God becomes so familiar with Man as to visite him And as God is free to be mercifull so he is free to bee angrie if his mercie be contemned And if once the Ladder of mercie be taken vp into heauen then shall wee see a great Gulfe of distance and separation betweene GOD and Man Man is far vnable and vnfit to approch to the same God being angrie whom with a confident boldnesse hee might intreat behold being mercifull The way is cut off betweene GOD Man by changing mercie into furie and he is become admirable in seueritie who before was wonderfull in familiaritie Therefore to day let vs heare his voyce in the present time without delay without stay or let Let vs not put him off vnto to morrow lest wee be a generation that grieues him and so may not enter into his rest But if our Welbeloued put in his hand by the dore let vs bee affectioned to him yea let vs rise and open to our Welbeloued that wee may bee readie to performe this though wee sleepe yet let our hearts wake Amidst the dreames of worldly pleasure profit which are all but vanitie let our hearts watch for the graces of Eternitie Let vs giue heede to that One kind of things which is only necessary let our harts bee onely in earnest when they regard the things of soliditie permanence and perpetuitie Doth the Spirit cast foorth his beames to inlighten the Temple of the Spirit let Watchfulnesse bee readie to see this Light and by this Light things otherwise inuisible and inutterable for surely a soule thus inlightned will see more then seuen Men on a Watch-towre Doth the Spirit stirre vp in thee a desire of meditation and a motion to goe aside into heauen by the raptures of contemplation watch apprehend and follow and let Watchfulnesse deliuer thee ouer to obediēce Hast thou motions vnto Prayer vnto spirituall Ioy vnto feeding on the Word or the seales of the Word attend and obey and let him that hath an eare harken what the Spirit saith vnto the Church For thus shall watchfulnes become a true factor and seruant of obedience The Spirit speaketh Watchfulnesse heareth Obedience performeth and the Spirit prospereth CHAP. VI. Of Prayer AN inseparable companion of watchfulnesse and an especiall aduancement of spirituall prosperitie is Prayer for among all the furtherances of the Spirit Prayer goes directly to the fountaine of the Spirit seekes the gift of the Giuer himselfe And indeede whither should our indeuours most addresse themselues but where is most of that which wee seeke and who should exceed him in bountie who exceedes all in that which may bee giuen yea in that goodnesse which is the cause of giuing Wherefore since God alone hath the true abundance of Spirit yea since hee hath promised by his Sonne to giue the Holy Ghost Luk. 11. 13. to them that aske why doe we not haste to this eternall and bottomlesse Spring of the waters of Life where we may fill our selues freely by asking Grace is a chiefe gift of the chiefest Giuer To bee admitted into the presence of the chiefest Giuer is a great priuiledge but being admitted to obtaine also a chiefe gift is a high prerogatiue Why dost thou not then make great vse of this thy great priuiledge yea why dost thou not at once purchase to thy selfe spirituall honour and spiritual profit which both in prayer are together bestowed For if thou art one of those whom God graceth by hearing thou art also one of those to whom God will giue the grace of his Spirit for thy speaking And surely as Prayer is honorable and profitable so it is pleasant and comfortable for we may terme it a little saluation since the soule in Praier clearing her selfe by Faith from fleshly darknesse looketh directly to the face of God the vision of whom is our perfect beatitude if light be pleasant it is far more pleasant to behold the Father of light vvhich though it bee but by the glimpses of faith yet so much as it is so much happinesse it is The soule for the time is in heauen beholdeth God yea beholdeth God beholding her with a gracious countenance through our elder Brother Christ Iesus Wee see in naturall things how ioyfully the young-ones run to their dammes yea children with earnestnesse apply themselues to the brests of their mothers Surely Man hath but one true and very Father but one true Cause and Creator how ioyfully should Man run to this his Originall how earnestly should he suck from God by prayer the nourishment and increase of that spirituall life which himselfe hath begotten in vs Therefore draw neere vnto God by prayer and that continually and earnestly Let thy prayer be continuall because there is in GOD continuall abundance to be prayed for yea because GOD knowes the excellency of his gift and that it is worth long seeking and therefore