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
suffereth long and is kinde Charitie envieth not Chartie vaunteth not it selfe is not puffed up Doth not behave it selfe unseemly Rejoyceth not in iniquitie but rejoyceth in the trueth Beareth all things endureth all things Which whosoever so doeth cannot envie nor seek nor desire the evill of another nor rejoice at any evill befalling any other as if thereby some good had befallen him which is the guise of Envie Wherefore O Lord who knowest that all our doings without Charitie are nothing worth pour into my heart that most excellent gift of Charitie the proper Antidote against this Poison of Envie hatred and malice and the very soule of all Christian Graces and the Earnest of and key to Glorie and that fire of unquenchable blessednesse contrarie to that unquenchable fire of Hell where the Devill and his Angells are tormented that fo for his fake and through his Spirit who loved us and gave himselfe for us I may with faithfull servent and never failing Charitie love thee who hast first loved me and in thee and for thee all as they belong to Thee through Jesus Christ Amen SECT XIV Of the Capitall Sin Covetousnesse 1. I Have sometimes doubted and wondered how the excessive Declamations found in humane Authours and the sharpest Censures found in Holy Writ can be true of severall Vices as if more than one were worst of all For sometimes Pride is the originall of all Evill and sometimes Covetousnesse is said to be the Root of all Evill as 1 Tim. 6. 10. And than which nothing can be said more severely against any Sin the Apostle adviseth concerning Covetousnesse Ephes 5. 3. Let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints For what indeed can worse become Saints whose conversation is in Heaven than to fall flat upon the earth and like Moles to work in it And There is not a more wicked thing than a covetous man saith Ecclesiasticus 10. 2. But comparing the Diseases of the Soule with the distempers of the Body some satisfaction may be given of such exaggerating formes of Speech For as the Maladies of naturall Bodies cannot so well be estimated from their kindes as from the degree of affecting and the danger from the part so affected so is it with the evills of the Soule For a Pin thrust into one part may be more mortall than a Sword run through another And oft-times the pain of the Tooth is lesse tolerable than the Gout in Feet or Joints and a lighter distemper at the Heart more dangerous than a Cancer in the outward parts And thus may Pride be the chief and worst of sinnes of a spirituall nature and Covetousnesse may be the root of all Evill tending to bodily and brutish pleasure though it taketh the least sensible pleasure of any but only treasures up materialls for all other Vices and impells to monstrous desires and actions For gaping and hungry as the unsatiable Grave and dilating its stomach as Hell it fetches from thence allso hellish appetites contriveth plotts to catch its unjust prey or most unjustly hoardeth up and detaineth what perhaps not unjustly was acquired Or if at any time it letteth goe abroad part of its Magazine it is as Garrisons send out Parties to bring in more spoil by pilling and robbing the Country that is by Usurie and extortion or Money lent most disadvantageously to the borrower 3. Certain old Stories doe commonly passe of some Caves Hills or holes of the Earth wherein are great Treasures of Gold and Silver and precious Stones but so that they are kept by Dragons or evill Spirits from being carried out and become usefull to men Very true is this of Wealth in the possession of Covetous Persons There it is to be found but thence it may not be taken by any meanes For 't is kept by Evill Spirits so close that the pretended owner himselfe scarce durst touch it For as Solomon saith What good is there to the owner of them saving the beholding of them with the eyes Ecclesiast 5. v. 11. And yet this is not all but ver 13. There is a sore evill which I have seen under the Sun Riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt A double damage generally happening to the Amassers of Wealth One to the wicked treasurer of it while the more he hath the more he wants and the more he possesseth the lesse he enjoyeth And therefore very aptly in our English Tongue we call a Covetous Person a Miserable Person as most unhappie of all men And it proveth a sore evill to him for whome it is so gathered the Posterity of the Covetous Person scattering with like though contrary pleasure as the Father gathered and by prodigious Prodigality hasting to the Grave and so to Hell for spending as his Predecessour for sparing And the Evill Spirit that stopt the course of due spending now on a suddain drawes up the Sluce and drowns the Country with Vice and Vanity managed for a short season by Money But to begin the torment of the Covetous in this life he is told by trueth it selfe Prov. 28. 8. He that by Vsury and unjust gain encreaseth his substance he shall gather for him that will pitty the poor a thing which he dreadeth most of all who so hoardeth 4. But another Reason may be given why St. Paul calleth Covetousnesse the root of all Evill taking here Evill for Punishment and future Torments For I am of opinion that Covetousnesse sends more grist to the Devills Mill and finds more Fewell for to maintain Hell-fire than any other Sin infidelity perhaps excepted For very many great Sinners in the dayes of their youth and Vanity drawing towards the end of their lives have seriously and savingly repented changed their mindes and manners finding thereupon the effect of Gods bountifull Promises and Goodnesse But Covetousnesse like an inveterate Cancer in the Flesh the older it is the more it proceeds and consumes the Bodie and Soule Seldome doe men repent of their parsimonie and basenesse in their youth but often of their profusenesse and licentiousnesse And not so seldome as it were to be wished so rashly retreat from their former Errours that they run into the contrary Vice of Covetousnesse from which very few returne But the old Sinner thinks he makes God some recompence for his former Vices and doubts not but he repents notably if he declaims against young mens and his own expences in foolish Fashions in riotous Companie in costly Dames of the worst rank and such like miscarriages of youth and sees not that another Sin is to be repented of and his base sparing shall but adde to his punishment for base spending Here comes in a Mock-gravity Sobrietie Temperance Continence zeal against all sins but that he is lately wedded to and embraces as fondly as any he did formerly to the apparent hazard of his Soule mistaking change of sins for Repentance and Reformation of Life Whereas the Rule and Power of true Repentance for
comes to their share 6. For this reason God sends such tempestuous and dark weather at Sea to the skilfull Navigatour that he shall not be able readily to know or say where he is till the restored calme Light better informes him And sends Shipwracks sometimes to the subtill Merchant that he may understand better who it is that gives skill and strength to get Riches And diappointeth the hopes of the understanding and painfull Husbandman And as the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 44. maketh diviners mad and turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolish teaching them all and us too and that in all senses more perfectly that necessary lesson of humility Deuteronomy 8. 18. Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God. For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth c. And as it is with the riches of this world it is with the riches of the world to come or being rich towards God as the Scripture speaks Luke 12. 21. For undoubtedly God may and doth apparently denie the ordinary meanes of Salvation sound knowledge and holy faith in him and of divine mysteries to some To others he grants to be initiated and to have some knowledge of the saving trueth who there stop and proceed no farther as tender plants rising out of the earth wither and perish for want of the blessings of heaven falling on them without which they can proceed no farther towards perfection and some proceed farther and promise fair and for the same reason attain not to the intended end 7. But nothing of this nature can reasonably be taken into an Apologie or defence of the unprofitable servant whom God hath delivered such talents and meanes unto that in themselves tend unto such progressions and consummations as are saving and beatificall But admit thou art becalmed and canst make no way through want of divine aspirations and influence How canst thou how darest thou impute this cessation and oscitancie of thine in not doing the known Will of God unto an unknown cause or rather a not cause of doing which whether it is so as thou imaginest or givest out at least that thou imaginest when thy heart contradicteth thy tongue thou knowest not For who can say that God denies him the inward power and meanes of Salvation that is of effectuall Grace to whom he giveth the outward meanes of Illumination Faith and Salvation Whatsoever may be wanting in the abstruse counsell and dispensations internall of God and known to him cannot be so known to a man without divine Revelations It is an uncharitable and rash act in any man directly to charge his Neighbour with denying him his due or taking away his goods from him when he can prove nothing against him and much more injust it is and impious for a man to say directly that God denies him grace or doth harden his heart so that Rules and exhortations and sufficient reasons of becoming faithfull righteous and holy before God and man are of no effect upon him 8. It is not so much pardonable as commendable in all Good Christians to be sensible of their naturall insufficiencie and infirmity to doe any good act St. Paul having taught us 2 Corinth 3. v. 5. That we are not able to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God. But doe not the very next words as well as the latter part of that argument plainly tell us that God hath a sufficiencie for us and God doth make us able Ministers of his Will And doth not St. James tell us that every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights James 1. 17. And doth not our Saviour Christ direct us how we should fill our selves from that Fountain when he saith Matth. 7. 11. If ye being evill know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more should your Father which is in heaven give you good things that ask him And this good thing is the best and fullest of all good things being interpreted in St. Lukes Gospell Chap. 11. 13. to be the Holy Spirit it selfe the fountain of all Grace which he giveth to them that ask him The Querie then must needs be made to our selves whether upon sense of our infirmities and defects we ever did and that as we ought invoke Almighty God implore the gift of his Spirit and its concurrence and whether we ever submitted to its Dictates and directions to that power God hath given us For to doe this as well as believe that we have an excellent president from the wise Man Wisdome 8. v. 21. Neverthelesse I perceived I could no otherwise obtain her i. e. True Wisedome comprehending all intellectuall graces except God gave her me and that was a point of Wisedome also to know whose gift she was I prayed unto the Lord and besought him and with my whole heart I said O God of my Fathers and Lord of mercie c. Which prayer for that illuminating gift and Grace so necessarie might not very unfitly be transcribed hither and used by all true lovers of light rather than darknesse at least untill the Day-star shall arise in their hearts according to which true Believers may shape their course more steadily towards Heaven but I shun prolixnesse SECT VI. Of the Gift and guidance of Gods Spirit towards true Illumination The abuse and true use of the same and necessity of Believing 1. BUT the use or act of the grace of Faith resteth not here but is wonderfully assistant to the naturall understanding in discerning the minde of God revealed unto us in his Word For as the discreet and diligent Master doth not only set his Schollar whom he teacheth to write an exact and fair Copie to imitate and follow but also guides his hand in the making the Letters and joyning them together according to their true shape and order in like manner doth he whose Chair is in heaven teaching the hearts as his Instruments and Officers doe the eares and eyes of men below to understand receive believe and act according to the Rule and scope prescribed For man naturally is apt to believe those things only which his Reason assures him of but his reason how acute soever cannot demonstrate the Scriptures to be the Word of God which we believe and must believe to be so if we would be accounted good Christians And having the Scriptures in that esteem we cannot out of our promptitude and acutenesse of wit discerne clearly and readily many usefull things therein contained without the direction of that great Authour the Blessed Spirit principall in the composing them For 't is truly said The Scriptures must be understood by the Spirit that indited them According therefore to the gifts and grace given unto Mee doe they understand the mysteries of Faith Rom. 12. 6. And to every man is given grace according to the measure of Christ Ephes 4. 7. whereby that light revealed shineth unto the true Believer as out of a dark place So that
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
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
without true wisdome the Apostle St. Paul so flattly contradicting and confuting mens opinion vainly conceived of themselves thus writing 1 Corin 8. 2. If any man thinke that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Which is most true when he would needs know as Adam and Eve did without God or what God would have hidden and concealed from him And when a man would needs know all things but can be content not to know himselfe For as Charity of which the Apostle there allso speakes according to the common and generally true saying begins at home so doth or ought to doe knowledge For the Alpha of true knowledge and the Omega too is to know God but a man cannot know God as becometh him when he stands in his own light And in his own light may he be said to stand when he understands not himselfe his measures his capacitie and meanes to true knowledge He that layeth hold of more than he can well span or embraceth more than his Armes can contain commonly letteth all goe and loseth it And so it is in curiosity of knowledge he knoweth nothing that would pretend to all things Like to the Church of Laodicea Revel 3. 17. which because she gloried in her riches was poor and wretched and blinde and naked and knew it not What blindenesse what ignorance so grosse lamentable and dangerous as this And yet loth are men to have their eyes opened to perceive it as if in the mist of their minde they discerned and feared that which he who was cured of a phrenzie bewailed in himselfe that in his distemper he was much more happie than in his cure For in that he imagined and pleased himselfe with nothing lesse than a fair Principalitye under him subjects obsequious Pallaces stately with Crown and Scepter but reduced to his true reason found the contrary to all these to his great losse and trouble And to such excesses doth our presumptuous knowledge betray us For as St. Paul before saith Knowledge puffeth up swells and apostemateth the Soule with corruption which often breakes out into rottennesse scandalous Hence it is that if a man erres wilfully and notoriously to all he is not ashamed as Seneca observeth as when in Grammar he speakes false Latine or English or gives a false pronunciation to a word but if he doth it ignorantly and be told of it then he either blushes or boldly defends his errour against his own tacit perswasion least he should seem not to have known as much as another And Cardane himselfe a Physican tells us he knew one of the same facultie who having through ignorance destroyed his Patient rather than he would be thought ignorant professed he killed him on purpose though there was no such matter to such a monstrousnesse of absurdities and iniquitie doth this unbridled and untamed humour of seeming wise and appearing so transport a man. 2. This evill Appetite wars against nothing so much as Religion and is inconsistent with nothing more and therefore should Religion war against that turning the forces of the Spirit against this Tower of the Flesh built up to this dangerous height by the evill spirit of Pride and affectation of vain-glorie And this I look on as a prime and materiall part of our selfe-deniall when we shall be able and willing to submitte our private busie and clambering Reason to the simplicitie of the Faith and know our infirmities and failings as well as we know others yea and better too having attained to that perfection which the wise Man only owned in himselfe Prov. 30. 2. Surely I am more brutish than any man I have not the understanding of a man with this limitation notwithstanding that if God or good Autoritie under him shall have chosen any such humble Person to preside teach and lead others no modestie nor humility in him ought to with-hold him from discharging his office No more than any knowing himselfe more wise or learned out of his abundance is to withdraw himselfe from the guidance of such an one as he excells under suspicion of calling Gods Providence and Right in question to rule and teach by whome he pleases and especially the difficult lesson of humility and selfe deniall Don't I know Can you teach me is the language of a proud Spirit very often and of one who wilfully how ignorantly soever must and will have his saying A man out of common charitie might blush for such as doe not blush to hear them oftentimes indeed wise and more than vulgarly knowing when they fall into Paradoxes when they stumble in plain ground when their mistake happens by surprise or other incogitancie how loth are they to be taken in the snares of truth it selfe how they by all tricks pretences fetches and innumerable devices and defenses would justifie what once they happen to say though conscious to themselves of errour they would not have said or done such things yet they once passing from them they will maintain them to the last though the more they struggle the more they are ensnared and fall into a far worse absurdity in defending than committing an errour And all this that they might not suffer in their beloved and selfe-admired witt And because they cannot denie them neither for Gods sake nor for trueths sake but hold it the most honourable course to themselves to bend both to their saying than to yield to be measured by such Rules And if their wits fail them in framing evasions and shuffles which may justifie in some degree their slips Passion and loud clamour shall support their cause and drown the noise of weake trueth as the Idolatrous Jewes were wont in sacrificing their Children to Molech in the Valley of Hinnon to use Fife Trumpet and Drum that the voice of the massacred might not be heard or pittie shewn to them nor justice O foolish Galatians saith St. Paul in another case Galat. 3. Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the trueth Answer may be made selfe love selfe-preservation which are such that a man can better endure a blow on the Pate than on his Opinion But St. James saith Chap. 3. 14. My brethren Lye not against the trueth a reason whereof may be because he that opposes an acknowledged trueth though not very important sinneth in some degree against the Holy Ghost the Spirit of trueth and the testimonie of his own Conscience and to have his will in arguing or doing grieveth the Spirit of trueth trueth in all things being Sacred and Divine which when it possesseth the minde of a man seasonable and true is that advice of the Prophet Habakkuk Chap. 2. 29. The Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep keep silence before him 3. And this Advice reacheth unto the other Branch of a Christians Selfe-deniall which consists principally and more immediately in the subjecting the will of man to the Will of God as that did in the subjection of the
Christ hath set us 6. Secondly The speciall care that God taketh of him who careth least for his own will but committeth the management of it into the hands of his most Wise and Gracious Father 'T is true To have ones own will and to doe as we are impelled by it is the preciousest Pearle in the world to the naturall man nothing so deare to him as that and that when it is really evill in it selfe and hurtfull though pleasing to himselfe But man having so little skill how to use such a dangerous instrument were it not much better to resigne it into the hands of him that careth for us more than we doe for our selves and is wiser for us than we for our selves As we see it in Children When a thing of great value is bestowed upon them by some Friend the Parents have the keeping of it least it should be lost spoiled imbezel'd or hurt the young owner till he comes to yeers of discretion So our Godfather properly so called God himselfe bestoweth upon us that great Jewell of Freewill and Choice which he denies to inferiour Creatures but with this tacit condition that we should committe it to his custodie and by his wisdome and direction only use and exercise the same till we come to yeers of true discretion which is only in Heaven and not in this life Then shall we have the full and absolute use of it because then there is no feare that we should use it amisse as here we doe And this is that which holy David adviseth Psalm 55. 22. saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved This is it which St. Peter allso exhorteth unto 1 Ep. 5. 6 7. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you And more expressely and particularly Christ himselfe counselleth thus his Disciples Matth. 6. Take no thought for your life c. For Which of you by taking care can adde on cubit to his stature The trueth is no man exalts himselfe so highly as he who secluding or not considering God followes the will of himselfe and the greatest of all humiliation is by the subjecting of our wills to Gods and the next and readiest way to true preferrement or exaltation And take no thought saith Christ not commending supinenesse sloth or lazinesse in any but none without God none not directed and regulated by his Will and Prescripts none without consulting him and submitting the event with all confidence aed calmenesse to his all-disposing most wise most just most gracious Providence and in suffering as well as doing his Will For it is a Maxime or Rule berter becoming a Heathens mouth than a Christians Every man is master or maker of his own fortune not but that every man hath a hand in and contributes towards Good or evill events befalling him but that the Architectonicall or Over-ruling Power of all is in God whoe doth not allwayes give the Battle to the strong nor the Race to the swist nor bread to the wise to teach us that he is Lord paramount of all according to the Divine acknowledgement of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou allso hast wrought all our works in us And therefore it seems to me a thing as very memorable so more worthy the mouth and practice of a Christian what is written of Muhamed Olbarsalanus the Great Prince of Bagdet or Babylon a Saracen who being wounded to death in a Battle which he fought as he died said I never before this once fought but first I desired Gods blessing I would all Christians would doe so and have so much confidence in God in all matters especially of importance that they would first implore Gods aid and then depend on him for the successe which if it be favourable he must be humbly thankfull if improsperous in like manner patient as the effect of Gods Divine and wise Providence requires 7. Thirdly The Scripture both by Example and Precepts directs us to this reasonable as well as religious resignation of our wills unto Gods Will when it sets before our eyes the practice of earthly Parents and Children as Hebr. 12. 9. We have had Fathers of our Flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be patakers of his holinesse Fathers of our flesh may take a cruell pleasure rather than intend any reall profit or benefit unto Children in chastising them but 't is not to be imagined that God can transgresse the mean or erre in the end of any Dispensation severe or unpleasant to us therefore much rather should we be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live a more easie safe and comfortable life here than otherwise can be expected and a most happie life hereafter where all things be perfectly subject to the Father as Saint Paul speaks 1 Corinth 15. that he may be here allso as well as hereafter All in All. 6. Fourthly This Selfe-deniall is the true Holocaust or absolute Sacrifice we can give to God and most acceptable imposed upon us as true Believers according to Saint Paul Rom. 12. 1. saying I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of the spirit of your minde that ye may prove what is that good and perfect Will of God. Sacrifices came alive to Gods House and Altar but were not accepted till they were slain so it is with the spirituall or reasonable Sacrifice of our selves especially our naturall wills so long as they live cannot please God but they must be crucified as Christ was crucified for us And as the same Apostle advises Rom. 6. we must reckon our selves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. He that is dead ceaseth from willing and so from sinning He that denieth himselfe and his will is dead indeed unto sin and liveth by the life of the Son of Man and is acted by the Will of God. And surely if it be our Dutie our Wisdome our Righteousnesse to committ our very Soules and life into Gods hands and disposall shall we stick to render that one faculty of our Soule our Wills into his hands That doth Saint Peter exhort us unto 1 Epist 4. 19. Wherefore let them who suffer according to the will of God committ the keeping of their soules to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour Let God then have the keeping of our Wills as he hath of our Lives as he had of Christs
and intemperance of speaking as Theophrastus calls Garulitie be accounted a flux of the Mouth and not eloquence folly and not prudence ignorance and not knowledge according to the acute replye of Demaratus in Plutarch Apotheg Lacon unto one demanding of him being silent when others talked Doe you say nothing out of doubting or ignorance This latter cannot be said he for a Fool cannot hold his Tongue Here therefore let us end this Discourse SECT IX Of outward Moderation to be used in Abstinences and Apparell 1. THAT the Perfection we are capable of here in this World consisteth principally in inward Mortifications and Selfe-denialls That God requireth the heart that God will be worshipped in Spirit and in trueth is most certain and excelleâ—t Doctrine which the crafty Sophister the Devill perceiving to be much applauded and himselfe not able openly to gainsay or destroy he with wonted subtilty betook himselfe to drive it on farther than God himselfe ever intended and to overthrow it by excessive celebration and praises given of it and by confining Religion to its Chamber at first at length to smother it in his Bed. For as the Spirits and naturall faculties of man are the cause of motion and actions so are they maintained and cherished by outward acts and exercises But if a man shall pretend as is before intimated that it suffices that a mans life is entire his Understanding sound and good his Will free and brisk his Affections vigorous and powerfull and these things standing so it is superfluous to take any pains about the outward parts it were to rob God of his due and in time himselfe of that presumed Perfection of his heart and minde For undoubtedly there is a naturall communication and correspondence held between the outward and inward man the Spirit and the Flesh the outward actions and inward affections and that they mutually assist or weaken one another is apparent to reason and experience A man therefore may possibly couzen himselfe with a perswasion of a good heart and pure minde and iâ—…ention spirituall while he takes all the liberty to himselfe which Lawes will allow him of indulging to himselfe in eating drinking clothing adorning his outward person sporting and pastime sleeping and slothfulnesse and argue strictly from the nature of the things or from St. Paul's words I know that there is nothing unclean of it selfe but to him that esteemeth a thing unclean to him it is unclean or from Christ's words Matth. 15. Not that which goeth into the man defileth the man but that which cometh out that defileth the man or from the nature of Cloathing Attires Gesture Postures that nothing is unlawfull of it selfe and therefore it is unlawfull to forbid it and perhaps looks on it by bleer or envious Eyes as a part of the libertie Christ hath purchased for us to doe what we please and to prove the same and to act contrary to the prescriptions of our lawfull Governours endeavouring and designing to regulate the outward man answerable to the habit which best becometh the inward in simplicity in abstinence in gravitie in humility and conformity to anholy profession and possession taken of the Soule by Religion 2. For it is undoubtedly a very false notion of common prudence or vertue and much more of Religion to imagine a man cannot offend both God and his Brother by the scandalousnesse of morose or affected singularity provided his heart be upright towards him which yet can scarce be supposed For unlesse some perverse opinion or disposition first seizes such Spirits it is hard to believe they should affect a disconformity to the Rules and Practice established and designed for the promoting of decencie and Pietye 3. But next to the detestable humour of opposing things because they are commanded is the unreasonable opposition they make to prescribed severities and testimonies of holding unity with the Churches of all Ages and places by undervaluing that little that remains amongst us of auncienter and stricter observations They for instance will tell you that Fasting is abstinence from all Meats and Drinks for the time designed and not to admitt of or tolerate a distinction of Meats and because some exceptions must according to the charity of the Church as well as wisdome and goodnesse of States be made from all Rules and prescriptions of men and sometimes the generall order given by God as appears by the argument of Christ taken from Davids practice Matth. 22. 3. in eating the Shew-bread against the hypocriticall and precise Pharisees they inferre from such Dispensations the absurditie of the Rule with greater absurditie and scoffe and laugh as if they were mighty and much more perfect Chastisers of their Bodies or deniers of their Senses than the low rate prohibitions are set at by the Church The Church to be sure meanes and designes much greater things than it indispensably requires and that while relaxations are but too easily obtained And such glorious asserters of such great things should doe very well to exceed vulgar practices but while they speak contemptibly of the Day of small things themselves in the mean time sometimes alledging the grievousnesse and sometimes the lightnesse of the burden laid on them will doe just nothing in that kinde they and their laughter too become ridiculous 4. But what shall we say of such late Divine Disputants as the Christian world never heard of or if heard of lothed and disowned who stick not to make the uncircumscribed freedome of eating and drinking as Nature moves them a part of that Christian libertie which Christ purchased with his blood and whereby he made us free and in which we must stand fast as they mistake the Apostle As if Christ at the same time that he freed us from the Jewish restraints by Moses had also freed us from all Christian Lawes and proclaimed an everlasting yeer of Jubilee and liberty for the Naturall Law of mens Appetites to take place without distinction of times seasons or reasons left undoubtedly in the power of Superiours to moderate What is this but to make the Coming and Gospell of Christ to advance the brutish part of man to its perfection upon which must necessarily follow the great imperfection of the Spirituall What is this but to interpret the Oracles of God by the Oracles of the Belly suggesting such Scholies Doe I speak this that I can glorie in any gift in this kinde above others No surely but rather blush at my defects herein Only this I may say that I retain such a veneration for the use and ends of abstinences and the universall practice of the Catholick Church that I abhorre the petulancie of such and their presumption who teach otherwise not doubting but they fall under that menace of our Saviour Christ Matth. 5. 19. Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so to doe he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heaven And surely denying our Senses was allwayes reputed a
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.
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
to us SECT III. Of the excesse of Vnitive Love of God in Extasies and Raptures with their abuses and uses noted 1. ALthough the principall designe in this Unitive Tractate be not to fill the Brain with gallant Speculations and gay Notions of Union with God yet because it seemeth necessary to a competent understanding of the Love wherewith God doth love us and of that whereby we love God to take in the Extent of it it will not be amisse to consider the doctrine and use of Extasies and Raptures too much famed by some and no lesse defamed by others For as supream Illuminations by Faith and Contemplation ordinarie do receive their Crown and summitie by extraordinarie Revelations and Visions God may and doth sometimes impart to his Servants so may it be that the top of spirituall Affections and Love seraphicall may touch the bottome of extraordinary Extasies and Raptures which are certain transportations of the Soule above the pitch of common Love though sincere sound faithfull and saving For in trueth I scarce read of any Religion except we make some factions Religions in which instances of wonderfull nature to this purpose are not found excepting the Mother faction of late For others issuing from them have gloried much of such elevations and transportations And Histories and Relations very credible assure us that of old amongst the Heathen and at this day amongst the Mahometans certain devout Persons in their way receive after some Ceremonies used to that end supernaturall impressions and Inspirations extaticall And why not Since it is very probable that all Religions tending either remotely or immediately to the worship of a Deity whereby some honour at large and blindly is given unto the only true God above what Atheists ascribe to the same and that according to the most probable Philosophie about Spirits there are divers kinds of them some purer others impurer some most malitious and mischievous others lesse noxious that God the most Wise just and infinite dispenser of all things and disposer may give way to Spirits to enter into and cooperate with zealous Persons in their simple yet intense devotion to a Deity and manage them according to the merits and manner of their Profession So that in very trueth faithfull and unerring judgement of a sound Religion cannot be made from such possessions and transportations but on the contrary rather that not the reality but purity and divinenesse of such Extasies are to be estimated from the reasonablenesse trueth and holinesse of the Religion professed by such Enthusiasts Onely this may be well granted that such Persons by such Enthusiasmes are competently characterized for select Persons in their Professions whether Idolatrous Hereticall or Orthodox 2. Or may we not say as there is one Fire necessary for the Cook to make his Vessels boyl over for Extasies are certain ebullitions of the spirit of a Man and another Fire requisite to the Smith to temper and fashion his Mettall and another to the Founder for his service so severall loves giving severall heats those severall heats have severall effects upon divers Subjects which they work on Certainly though true and modest Believers should not live or carrie themselves so towards God as if they would oblige him to extraordinarie Inspirations or Motions to be granted them so should the modestest of all demean themselves in their Religion as thereby they should be more susceptible of supererogated Gifts or measure running over as the Gospell speakes from God. Of which impartments I doe verily believe the professours of that Faction who are Enemies to all prescribed disciplining shall never be partakers pretending their Divinity is too spirituall to trouble themselves with such Exercises and they must goe the nearest way to Christ destructive of all bodily reverence decencie and due veneration which consists in select outward formes and fashions distinguishing to the sense divine from naturall morall or civill services as is most requisite 3. But as to Extasies of which we now speak as they are such which God vouchsafes to cause to the eminently constant and servent in his service and worship so may we not argue a certainty of Gods valuing those Vessels he so fills as more honourable or holy than some others from which he with-holds such gifts though where he so conferrs them and they are not delusions of idle and Evill Spirits imitating divine no doubt but there is some good degree of holinesse preceding not common to all true Believers For still we must look on them as gifts to profit withall and not as Graces whereby men actually have profited And the profit which succeeds thereupon is rather of others than themselves For such they are described to be that in them sometime the reason is taken away from them who suffer them and sometime their senses I scarce know what to judge of that saying of Antonie the Great undoubtedly eminently devout whatever Moderne Censurers may judge which Cassian in Collat relates That no man arrives at the perfection of Prayer who in Prayer understands what he sayes which possibly might give occasion to moderner Authours to invent such a kinde of Prayer which they call Supramentall that is such which is above Intelligence but this I may presume to say that if any whose Office it is to be the Voice of the People to God in Publique who then especially should together with him offer a reasonable Sacrifice to God should affect or willfully fall into such extaticall formes of speaking that neither he should understand himselfe nor should be understood by others he must be owing to some other Spirit for such his gifts than that of God. 4. And for privation of Senses in Extasies some Instances may be given very credible during such translations of minde which I dare neither rashly applaud nor condemn But whether this was the case of that holy man Elpidius of whome the Auncients write I know not that he was wont to stand whole Nights in Prayer and praising God in Psalmes not in recitation of Creeds and Ave Maries with such stedfastnesse that being once stung with a Scorpion he changed not his posture Which might be ascribed to an holy pertinacie against sense not without sense But if evill Spirits entring into and possessing Vessells of dishonour and impious drown the senses for that time there is no incrediblenesse that the good Spirit of Grace and Peace may overcome all sensations externall Was it not so with Saint Paul when as we read 2 Corinth 12. he was wrapt up into the third Heaven whether in the body or out of the body he knew not And 't is most apparent that some Epilepticall distempers bereave men both of sense and Reason And it is related to us by Bodin Theatr. Naturoe lib. 4. that in Germanie divers men are wont to cast themselves by Witchcraft into Extasies in such manner that for the time they feel no pain by blowes pinchings or burnings but returning to their common senses
the action in hand 9. Lastly A certain revenge upon a man and a conscience towards God for defrauding him of his due service and himselfe of the benefit of Prayer by vain Aberrations may be usefull here which is this That upon a sense of such strayings in his thoughts in time of Prayer he punishes his Carnall part desireing to be at liberty by going over again with that which he once perfourmed so negligently For hereby allso having so resolved to doe he shall be revenged of the Tempter and cause him to be lesse busie in molesting him afterward finding such evill successe in his wiles and so good effect of a bad Cause SECT VII Of the due use of Publique and Private Prayer 1. WHerefore think we did God build the spacious and beautifull Temple of this World this Universe which we behold and admire but to make known the glorie of his Majestie and that it being known by us should affect us with proportionable zeale to celebrate his Prayse all the wayes he hath taught us and all that we can devise not repugnant to his own prescriptions They therefore that would shrink up all Devotions into an House of their own nay peradventure into their own brest and a narrow dark corner of the heart judging that alltogether sufficient doe in a manner implicitely lay a slight upon the Creation of the World by God as superfluous seeing be might have been as great and glorious in himselfe without that But the same Spirit if not Person that said Psalm 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid in mine heart said allso Psalm 40. 10. I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart I have declared thy faithfullnesse and thy salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindenesse and thy trueth from the great Congregation intimating unto us that the stock of Grace inwardly must not be kept so as it were under Lock and Key as not to appear publiquely to the use and service of him to whome as Money bearing his Image and superscription it properly belongeth The House of God so called because it is devoted to his service is undoubtedly the most proper place of his Worship that being like the Treasurie-Chamber of Kings and great Princes into which all Duties are to be paid and out of which all undue favours are to be dispensed And therefore surely as greater glory is given to God by publique than by private Worship so greater Blessings may be from thence expected And though common Prayers wherein many agree to glorifie God in private places is to be preferred before single Devotion the same service in Gods House as more publique and exemplarie must needs be more acceptable than that of private Places Christ said indeed to confound Hypocrites seeking praise of men When thou prayest enter into thy Closset and shut thy Door c. never intending to confine men to their Chambers in praying but to cut off ostentation in Prayer which yet may be avoided in publique Prayers The Devill therefore envying the glory of God and the edification of Christians in faith towards God and Charitie to one another and a more powerfull accesse to God and a more prosperous successe of publique Prayers there offered must needs have a Finger in that sacrilegious doctrine of detracting from the honour and efficacie of publique Prayers in matching private with it 2. They say God is in all places that he is They say God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands They say God can hear us in all places at home as well as at Church and in Private as well as in Publique And in saying this and the like they say they know not what For doth God dwell in Clossets or Halls or Parlours or Kitchins and doth he not dwell in Temples made with hands Is it not said expressely of the Temple that it is the place where his Honour dwells Psalm 26. 8. Psalm 29. 9. And are not there expresse Promises fixed there above other places If it be said Those things were Jewish Let them tell me if they were not Gentile allso if among all Nations civiliz'd and professing Religion and among all Christians so soon as they were able and permitted to have Publique places they carried not their Sacrifices to them to be tender'd to God and shall private senses of ignorant persons in the Scriptures presumed upon without knowledge or ground preponderate all these And hereunto not to repeat here what hath elsewhere been more fully discussed we may adde the Mock which is too often put upon God and Religion by this Opinion so that very often God is not worshipped at all in Private by divers who plead for such private Worship which is securely passed over uncensur'd because no man can witnesse to the contrary But I may say safely no men generally make a greater Conscience of worshipping in their proper seasons in Private than they who most frequent the Publique worship For Private worship was onely intended for an Auxiliarie and supplie of what we could not perfourme publiquely which I can scarce think God will accept of when it is grounded upon such a false foundation as making Private equall to Common Prayer joyntly with others or to such publique Prayer which in Gods House is by private and single Persons made to God agreeable to the Primitive practice of Christians so early as they had such places to pray in and never laid down but where an unluckie and precipitant zeal against a scandalous Religion hurried men forward to divers unwarrantable alterations in Religion not in one Church nor one Age received and practised 3. And against this makes nothing what Saint Paul saith 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands but teaches how we should pray where-ever and when-ever we pray that is Lifting up holy hands And that we should rather pray any where than no where but not excluding Prerogatives of some places above others They write of Lombard that being reproached by the Devill for praying in an House of Office an unseemly place for so holy an Action as a man may think he answered him Here and any where else I may pray unto my God which is most true in some cases but 't is not true therefore that one place is not better than another to pray in or that all are alike to God in all respects saving that of accommodation for Companie to meet in But necessitie may consecrate any Place and affected choice of privacie when circumstances require publique and open worship may desecrate or unhallow any Room making it unfit to serve God and the worship it selfe unpleasing to God So that to me it is not easie to resolve whether the moderner way so much applauded by some of constancie of Family-meetings in Prayers to the keeping the Church vacant and the Doors shut at all times allmost but when a man scarce dares stay away have not robbed God of more glorie and worship than they have given
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