entertaynement of blessednesse and thus knowing God in Christ euen to the welcomming of the Spirit resting on him resigning our selues to him wee sucke happines from him who is both the Fountaine the Conduit of happinesse Hauing done this I know not how to inioyne thee more though happines be infinitly more worth for how can Man giue more then all And how can hee receiue more then all saluation and a whole Sauiour But if thou dost not this thou art short of that which thou art able to doe And Mercy that accepts the vtmost of thy little power will not accept a voluntary defect scantnesse Now this great dependance fixing and surrender of the whole soule to the whole Sauior is that blessed affiance trust and beliefe Famous in holy wisdome for knitting soules vnto the same Sauiour Which as it hath beene approued because it is the highest fullest and mightiest indeuour of the soule so also it is iustified by the fitnesse it hath of receiuing and by the fitnesse and proportionablenes it hath with Christs manner of entring It is fit to receiue for the eye of the soule being fixed in Christ stands as an open window readie to receiue him who enters by a lightsome and illuminating Spirit The eye of the Spouse thus in lightned reflects the light to him which sent it and with spirituall glances shootes the arrowes of loue into the heart of her beloued so that hee confesseth Thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes And no otherwise the wil wholly willing desiring and gasping after Christ is a doore wide opened to receiue the same Christ entring into vs by a quickning and sanctifying Spirit Yea the Will hath in it a power to hold and knit what it hath receiued euen by a knot of vnitie So the heart of IONATHAN was knit vnto DAVID and the Spouse of Christ is knit vnto Christ and runnes after him as one tyed vnto him and drawne by the cords of this vnitie And surely the soule thus knitting it selfe vnto Christ Christ also knitteth himself vnto the soule and this is the knot of happines Then begins that Song of ioy I am my Wel-beloueds and my Wel-beloued is mine To confirme this we haue also diuers promises which haue told vs that hee who giues happinesse will enter with the gift of happinesse into this posture and station of the soule GOD himselfe hath promised the Seekers to find and the Hungrie to be filled and the Sellers of all for the Treasure of happinesse to be the Buyers of that Treasure for which they sold all Hee telleth the Vnderstanding that to know God and his Sonne Christ is Life eternall and that in the knowledge of God is Mans chiefest glorying and therefore by the knowledge of God is mans chiefest happinesse Hee telleth the Will and Affections I will be found of them that seeke me euen of them that seeke mee with their whole heart Hee that cleaueth to God by a strong vehement loue shall dwell in his holy Mountayne He that cōmeth to Christ that is vpon the feete of the soule which can bee no other then these two the Vnderstanding and Will shall neuer thirst Let vs therefore goe out of our selues as out of tabernacles of miserie and leaue a large and open roome for him to enter who is the fulnesse of infinite felicitie Next if wee consider Christs manner of entring Christ enters into vs killing and giuing life killing our old nature and begetting in vs a new These workes are chiefly and fundamentally wrought in the vnderstanding will But if the vnderstanding know not Christ to be happinesse it will not stand still to haue the filme of naturall blindnesse taken from it neither to haue an vnknowne light and wisedome contrary to the old nature infused into it If the will bee not wholly deuoted to Christ as to the soueraigne Good and doe not trust in him alone as the only giuer of this soueraigne Good it wil neuer suffer the fleshly nature which hath so much delighted it to be cut off slaine by the sword of the Spirit nor a new inclination to be inspired into it by which it shall be subiect to Lawes and Commandements and things future and vnseene shal be wholly preferred before things present visible But if Christ bee knowne willed and trusted as our chiefest good and the way vnto it then let him enter circumcising cutting and slaying Our heart is only on our happinesse Hee may doe what he will so we may obtaine that blessed obiect of our vnderstandings and wills Againe our vnion with Christ is by a spirituall marriage Now let vs consider how such a marriage may most fitly be made Surely wee must first know him to be the fairest of men to be anoynted with the beatificall oyle of gladnesse and happinesse aboue all his fellowes and then forgetting our fathers house euen all the pleasures of the old ADAM we must wholly fasten our hearts on him and wholly cleaue vnto him resoluing to be his alone and to put our selues wholly vnder his shaddow protection and then the King will haue pleasure in our beautie Yea he will loue vs and come and dwell with vs If Christ bee the light of our eyes and the ioy of our hearts If his loue be pleasanter then Wine euen all earthly Comforts If it bee hee alone whome our soule loueth If we take delight and sit downe vnder his shaddow Cant. 2. 3. Then will hee set vs as Signets vpon his hand and as seales vpon his heart he will bring vs into the marriage Chamber and call vs his Loue his Doue and his Spouse Loue shall bee his Banner ouer vs this fruit shall bee sweet to our mouth and wee shall be no longer two but one flesh and one Spirit Now if this great affiance which worketh dedication resignation and so an application of the Soule yea of the whole Man vnto Christ bee the Key of our harts which openeth those euerlasting Doores that the King of glorie may enter in let vs take heed that this Key bee put home into the locke that our hearts be fully opened vnto him otherwise as much of our hearts as is shut vnto him so much of happinesse is shut out of vs. Let vs bee carefull that this Key of Faith bee not stayed and stopt within our vnderstandings but let it proceede to our wills and affections and make way to the bottome of our hearts that Christ may enter iust as far euen to the bottom For as far as this Faith enters so farre Christ followes And as far as Christ enters happinesse followes Therefore let not thy faith leaue entring vntill it hath made made roome inough for Christ to take vp his full rest in thee It seemes that the vnderstanding is but the Porch but the Will attended vvith the Affections is the chiefe roome of Christs rest and residence When the will is so seasoned by Faith that it hateth all felicities
haue set their rest on their Creatour and haue made him the end of their being and the meanes to the end euen a God to rule a Sauiour to redeeme and a happinesse to blesse these arise with the Image of God in their fore-heads God seeth his face in the face of their soules their workes also testifie the same for them These are clothed with pure White the Righteousnesse of Christ and the Righteousnesse of the Spirit with the first the Iustice of GOD is satisfied with the last the Mercie of God is pleased and by the last the first is adiudged to them They haue fed clothed and visited Christ in his hungry naked and imprisoned members these workes are the fruits of Loue and Loue is the fruit of Sanctification and Sanctification is an inseparable companion condition and witnesse of Iustification So by the works of Loue they are proued and approued to bee the sonnes of God who is Loue and if sonnes then also heires if heires they shall for euer dwell in the house of Glorie euen in the presence of God Their right to eternall Glory is by inheritance euen by being heires annexed with Christ but their admittance into their right is by the Euidences and Testimonies of the workes of Holinesse For it is a true Rule That none but the pure in heart can see God and againe None can be pure in heart but he must first be new begotten by God euen a sonne and heire of GOD. And now to these is sounded forth that most blessed voice which openeth the doore of eternall Felicitie a voice that consummateth that Supremest Marriage wherein Man is matched to the highest Essence the chiefest Blisse Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you In this Kingdome the ragged and filthy garment of the body of sinne the diseased infirmities of this sinful bodie the tears of oppression yea all griefe is wiped away And in stead of these Man is infinitely purified sublimated and so fitted for the presence of the highest Being In the Puritie of Holinesse hee is pure without blemish washed from guilt by the bloud of the Lambe and from corruption by the holy Ghost yea there is a new Light as a new Eye plāted in the vnderstanding exceedingly quickened and enlarged to a spacious view of Truth and Glorie Likewise new Vertue anoynteth and bedeweth the Will steeping and seasoning it in a Diuine Nature by which it excellently agreeth in harmonie with the will of God and is holy as hee is holy In the puritie of Substance the Soule shall be highly clarified vntill it be capeable of the vppermost and chiefest Light And the body shall bee lifted vp into a proportion with the Soule for the body shall then bee a spirituall Body euen a Body like a Soule euen so pure shall they both bee that they shall admit into themselues the beames of the Fountaine of Light vntill they bee filled with Light and Glorie God will bee their Sunne and hee will shine into them as into Christall and in his Light they shall haue the fulnesse of Light Then shall the Knowledge of Man ascend into Perfection farre aboue these poore pieced and patched knowledges which we call Arts and Sciences Euen the highest Degree of knowledge which in this mistie time of Ignorance Imperfection iustly holdeth the highest degree of Eminence shall then be the bottome and lownes of this new knowledge and then shall it be knowne that this kind of Learning is of vse much like to that of a Lanthorne It may doe vs seruice in this Night of Mans fall and corruption but in the Orient brightnesse of the Kingdome of Glorie the new light by surmounting it shall make it vselesse yea darken and discountenance it For whereas now wee doe but flutter about the branches and extremities of Wisdome then shall we behold Wisdome in the roote The Glorie and Fabrike of the Creature shall be seene in the Originall euen in the Creatour in whom it was first made within before it was made without In him shall wee reade the Resolution of all profitable vnknowntruths and his Wisdome shall bee a most perfect Oracle instructing all glorified and blessed Soules And with this Wisdome shall we also behold an infinite Treasure of Power and Almightinesse The right Hand and holy Arme of the Omnipotent God shall bee reuealed vnto vs and then shall wee wonder at this Power alone and not at the mightie Wonders which this Power hath done for then shal we plainly see that such Power might well worke such Wonders And while wee view and consider this Power the Power of GOD will point vs to the loue of God For so meane a thing as Man may well bee amazed at so infinite Power and Maiestie but that at once with the power there appeares an infinite Loue which tells the Soule that though Power not matched with Loue be a Terror yet tempred with loue it is the very Safetie Rest and Blisse of Soules beloued For as much power as there is in God so much is God able to blesse those whom hee loues and as much loue as there is in GOD so much willing is hee to blesse those whom by his Power hee is so much able to blesse Thus from Gods Wisdome his Power his Loue and his Light issue continuall obiects and spectacles of Ioy. Yet is not this all of that which cannot all be expressed For this whiles there flowes from the Deitie into the Heart of Man a most pleasant streame of the gladding Spirit wherein is the extremest power vertue of reioycing This is the new Wine of the Kingdome of Heauen which makes the Soule drunken with high comforts raptures and extasies which inward comforts meeting and clasping with outward ioyes fill vp a Man with an excesse of Ioy and Happinesse that he shall be euen swallowed vp and ouer-rauished with Ioy. And yet their Happinesse stinteth not for there is an addition of a most delectable and soule-pleasing Harmonie Harmonie is a chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe pleasure and the most excellent Harmonie is the chiefest of this chiefe Pleasure and the Harmonie of the most excellent Essences is the most excellent Harmonie and the most excellent Essences are Spirits and the Harmonie of Spirits is in the Kingdom of glory This Musike of Spirits exceedingly exceedeth the Musike of mortall voices yea that chiefe Musike of hearts which between men is called Friendship and betweene Man Wife is called Marriage-Loue is but a counterfeit resemblance and carries but some small rellishes of that Diuine and Celestiall Harmony For in the Quire of Heauen the Saints and Angels euen the blessed Spirits agree in a perfect Vnison of Truth and Loue. Their vnderstandings think one thing their hearts euen their wils loue themselues and their companions with one loue They delight themselues each in other especially all in God For as there is between themselues a perfect consent so there is also a true agreement between these Spirits and the chiefest Spirit which is the very top of pleasure and delight What perfection can be higher then that of the highest Creatour And how can a Creature bee more perfect then when he is consorted tuned to this highest perfection God speaketh to the hearts of these blessed Soules and the hearts of these blessed Soules thinke and vtter thoughts agreeable to the heart of GOD. God that saw his Workes of Creation that they were good and pleased himselfe in their goodnesse Now beholdeth his worke of Blessing and Glorification and reioyceth in the rest ioy which he hath giuen to his Beloued The glorified Soules behold and admire the Goodnesse and Mercie of God that gaue not only the workes of the six daies but the rest of the Seuenth to rebellious dust and sinful ashes In the infinite Loue of God their loue still steepeth and drowneth it selfe and the more it seeth the Loue of God the more it loues God and the more it loues God the more it is beloued And out of the feeling of this surpassing Loue of God breake out those Songs of Ioy and Voyces of Exultation Glory and Honour and Prayse bee to him that sitteth on the throne to the Lamb for euermore And Halleluiah For the Kingdome of the Lord God Almightie is come And Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue Glorie to God for the Marriage of the Lambe is come his Wife is readie and shee is arayed in pure and shining Silke And yet this felicitie is not all but that it may bee as long as it is large and as infinite in continuance as it is in extent there issues from the Deitie into the glorified Soules the sap and nourishment of an eternall Life The Tree of Life nourisheth eternally the branches of the same Tree Death is swallowed vp into victory and it selfe dyeth by the Word which is Life But the Soules partakers of God from him who is Eternall doe sucke Eternitie and so become that Kingdome whereof there is no end And yet this is not all of that inexpressible Felicitie but the greatest and chiefest is yet left in silence for that must needs be greatest which cannot enter into the heart of Man But let the transcendence of that which is vnknowne be a double spurre vnto vs in this Race of Happinesse one because it is transcendent another because vnknowne Let the Eminence prouoke our Ambitions the Secrecie our Curiosities Let vs desire and striue earnestly to enter into that which now by reason of wonderfull excellence cannot enter into vs. Let vs indeuour carefully to walke in the light of Grace which will bring vs to the full Reuelation of the yet inaccessible light of Glorie where Happinesse shall at once bee fully knowne and fully enioyed In the meane time it may be sufficient for me to discouer That the Soules seated in Beatitude passe their time which shall neuer bee past in the very top of Blisse and Delectation They laugh at sorrowes past and are secure for infinite ioyes to come God is theirs and they are Gods and in this Vnitie is the fulnesse of Felicitie FINIS
more reioyce them then their Father Fountayne by continuall supplyes of life and ioy Now that God is a most blessed Spirit the true beatificall obiect of Spirits blessed his supremitie in Excellence wisedome and power doe strongly perswade and first for excellence euen in our vulgar estimation grosse things are base things and puritie is accounted excellencie Glasse is preferred before Clay and Cristall before Glasse and the Diamond before Cristall Among Men the heauie and earthly mindes are most contemned and they that are of the quickest sharpest spirits are held most noble and generous If then we will frame any conception of a transcendent and vppermost excellencie we must also conceiue a most absolute puritie Therefore if God bee most excellent he is also most pure Now what is to be thought more pure then a glorious single vn-compounded Essence such as a Spirit is and that Spirit most which is the Cause and Fountayne and Father of Spirits And no lesse doth a spirituall Essence fit best with wisdom For wisedome being a most pure and piercing thing which by the sharpnesse subtiltie thereof can pierce into the most hidden and secret profundities what Essence fitteth wisedome better then a pure subtill and piercing Essence such as is that of a Spirit Wisedome is a light and we find the higher any thing is sublimated and refined and as it were vnbodied the more capable it is of light So Earth which is a lumpe of darknesse by fire lifted vp and clarified into the purenesse of Glasse becomes especially capable of light And surely if we search but a little depth into wisdome it wil appeare to our vnderstandings to bee the child conceiuement and issue of a Spirit euen of a cleere pure and single essence which in their models our owne soules doe represent vnto vs and teach by patterne Thirdly in regard of Power as the Creator of all things must excell al things in power so Power hath his residence most fitly and especially in a Spirit Accordingly wee see in daily experience that the heauie and massie things are moued and commanded by things vn-corporeall vnseene The huge Sea is moued to and fro in her Tides by an inuisible and vnbodily Power There is no hand that toucheth it no arme that holdeth it backe or thrusteth it forward In liuing things euen those that liue but a growing life the massie part is moued in growing by a power vnuisible and vnperceiuable In Beasts the purest and most incorporeall part of them is that which mooueth increaseth and directeth their grosnesse and greatnesse The Wind is a thing inuisible of a great thinnesse and subtiltie Yet in Earthquakes it teares Rocks asunder remoues Mountaynes in Tempests it brings the Sea vpon the Land and equals Towres with their owne foundations Surely Power is then most pure absolute when it is least clogged with weight and massines doth lode it rather then increase it And as it is of it selfe cleere and vncorporeall so it cannot but proceed from a cleere and pure Essence things euer proceeding frō their like and what purer then a Spirit And to shut vp all in an experimentall conclusion We find in our selues an excellent essence intelligent vn-corporeall inuisible vn-touchable which are the expressions of a Spirit whereby many great works are performed and thereby giue euident testimonies therof If therefore there be such an essence in vs wee may imagine the Creator to bee purer then his worke and therefore he must be more spiritual than we or more then spirituall but cannot be lesse But be that graunted which wee seeke that God is a Spirit most wise most powerfull that can both free vs from miserie and giue vs the true and naturall happinesse of Spirits What auaileth it vs that God is able to doe it except it be done There must bee a communication of this abilitie vnto Man else Man onely knowes where he might be happy but knowes not that hee shall be happy And without this knowledge the life of Man is but a continuall feare and bondage Wherefore it concernes vs to make a new suruay of all Nations and all Doctrines of happines inquiring among them whether any of them can tell vs the glad tydings of a communion and entercourse betweene God and Man Let vs diligently examine the vniuersall Teachers of knowledges aske whether there hath beene any act of the Creator performed for the reparation of miserable mankind and the deliuerāce of him from this prison of wretchednes vanitie into the glorious libertie of blessed Spirits For my part as euery man is bounded with his owne knowledge I haue heard or read of one alone and that is so fully medicinable to Mans miserie so fully sufficient to giue Man perfect felicity That this is the very doctrine of happines or else Man must still remaine a sensuall wretched and vnprofitable creature which to say were a blasphemie against the wisdom of creation In this doctrine is God discouered to be the repayrer of his owne falne creature And the remedie is euery way equall yea preualent to the disease so that it well becomes the highest God to bee the Authour thereof And though the manner of it be not fetched from mans vaine-glorious imaginations nor grounded vpon Nature GOD being able equally to be an immediate Father of Mans reparation as of his creation of grace as of nature yet contayneth this doctrine no vnreasonable contrarieties or repugnances but onely things high aboue cōmon reason such as well befit a Deitie higher by farre then his owne creature And notwithstanding this height yet they that duely conuerse in this doctrine and by meditation enter into the mysterie thereof they I say shall find an excellent harmonie correspondence between it and Mans present estate and betweene all the parts of it selfe For the sore of Man is so iustly couered with an answerable plaister That it must needs be confessed that he who framed the remedie must bee hee alone that knoweth the secrets of the heart euen the depth and roote of our maladie Philosophie hath indeuoured to cure the Gangrene of Mans corruption by cutting off the very parts corrupted which must bee vpon the matter by cutting off Man from himselfe as indeed some haue done by leauing him as a meere trunke without feeling and without affection But this doctrine leaueth the parts whole but mainly opposeth the corruptiō it leaues man to be as much a man as he was but onely it so purgeth him that hee is not so much euil nor so much miserable as he was yea that at length he shall be neither euill nor miserable And this is so strongly sealed into the heart of Man that it leaues an euident proofe of a diuine power accompanying and iustifying it For none but the Creator can pierce into the hart of man and bind his will and affections euen against his will and affections with such powerfull and mightie chaines that neither the
but God but willeth and desireth him as the onely felicitie when the will toward the attaynment of this felicitie dependeth trusteth and leaneth on no other meanes but Christ Iesus but on Christ it resteth fully as the onely Mediator of happinesse when the will toward the attaynment of Christ and the vertues of his mediation yeeldeth it selfe vp to no other humane inuention but fully and wholly surrenders it selfe to the holy Ghost regenerating newbegetting then is Christ sealed in thy heart hee is come into thee and his feet tread on the very bottome of thy soule Thou hast taken vp thy rest in him and hee hath taken vp his rest in thee and this is the inward Sabbath of this life and an earnest beginning of the eternall Sabbath Accordingly hee calls out vnto Man My sonne giue mee thy heart for in the hearts of men is the Throne of his Kingdome and except hee raigne in our hearts wee cannot raigne in his glorie Thy knowledge of God in Christ must not bee dead but effectuall and working and the worke thereof must be the kindling of a seruent loue dependance and affiance in thy will and affections Thy will againe must worke by this dependance and loue and the worke thereof must be a dedication and resignation of all vnto God in Christ taking possession of thee by the Spirit Till thou commest to this point thou art short of happinesse For this is the Centre of descending to the Spirit of Christ and in the very ground of the hart doth the Spirit onely fasten his rootes Wherefore giue the inmost of thy heart to the Spirit of blessednes and know that in giuing thou dost rather receiue then giue For thy gift is but the gift of a sinfull heart that which belongeth to it and serueth it But thy receit is the receit of the Spirit of Life Ioy eternal Wherefore it concernes thee not to be niggardly to thy own soule for as much of thy soule as thou keepest so much of it thou losest and as much as thou giuest so much dost thou crowne with happines Thou maist perchance thinke it inough to beleeue he is thine but if thou haue no better warrant then such a thought hee may not bee thine For thou beleeuest that hee is thine too soone if thou beleeuest it before this worke of faith hath in some measure wrought home vpon thee It is not a rash presumption nor a bare thought that can snatch at Christ make him thine it must cost thee thy selfe before thou haue him The getting of Christ is by the way of traffike thou must not thinke wholly to gaine vpon him but as much as wee would haue him to bee ours so much must wee striue to yeeld our selues to bee his CHRISTS Kingdome is a Kingdome of power and hee will enter into thee as a King of power and it is not a bare imagination that makes way for this Kingdome but an affiance of the heart which actually and effectually surrenders vs vp to his Scepter and Rule Therefore the best way is hereby to get him first into thee and after to beleeue he is thine Many haue lost Christ because not hauing him they thought they had him For they sought not him whom they thought they had and so lost him who is found by seeking But on the other side if thou hast felt the depth of this faith though in a narrow breadth know that Christ is thine for whom thou hast ceased to be thine owne As much as thou hast gone out of thy selfe to possesse him so much hath he entred into thee to posesse thee so much as thou leauest to Christ yeeldest thy selfe to the renew ing of his Spirit so much dost thou knit Christ vnto thee and so much thou drawest yea suckest his Spirit into the innermost part of thy soule Hee who is Goodnesse it selfe and dyed for vs when we were sinners cannot restraine his Spirit from vs when with a full trust wee haue cast our selues wholly vpon him and with a whole resignation haue giuen vp our selues fully vnto him Hee who is Loue cannot resist loue but hee is ouercome and taken by the feruour of our hungrie and thirstie soules giues vs to drinke freely of the waters of Life Christ is the Phisician of our soules and to be cured by him we must deale with him as with a Phisician Now to be cured by a Phisician it is not inough only to beleeue that the Phisician can cure vs nor that hee will cure vs but this confidence in the Phisician must worke in vs a willingnesse and resolution to take and admit his receits by which he may cure vs. Euen so it is betweene Christ and our sicke soules it is not inough barely to think that Christ can cure vs or that hee will cure vs but our beliefe must open the mouth of our soules to receiue his medicines giuen vs in the Cup of saluation This Cup of saluation is the Spirit by which he communicates to vs his Redemption his Holinesse his Eternitie Therefore must we so belieue that we receiue Christ for such onely as receiue him haue the prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God so must we beleeue that we bee baptized with the holy Ghost for those onely who are so baptized shall bee saued And if we thus beleeue hee who neuer sent away any vncured of their corporall infirmities that sought him here on earth surely hee will not denie his sauing health to any beleeuing soule that thus heartily thirsts after him sitting in heauen For the spirituall phisicke was Christs truest most proper profession and the cure of bodies was especially to draw our faith thereby to behold beleeue receiue his cure of soules Therefore especially yee sicke soules bee of good comfort for you the Master calleth especially But when yee come to him remember that yee desire to bee cured of the whole spirituall maladie euen of sin and of sinfulnesse of the corruption of sinne as well as of the guilt and miserie that follow it For Christ will enter into none to cure the death of sin but withall hee will giue death vnto sinne neither will he by his Spirit giue any one the Life of glorie to whom by the same Spirit hee doth not first giue the life of Pietie CHAP. II. How a Man may get this facultie which vniteth Man to God BVt Man is brutish and sensuall both in vnderstanding will and so it is impossible for him while he is such to discerne a spirituall happinesse and the meanes of attayning it and much more hard it is to esteeme and loue the one or other Hee beleeues that which hee sees he loues that which he tastes and feeles but his grosse palate doth not rellish this celestiall and vnpalpable happines Therefore Man must bee lifted vp aboue this low estate of sensuall and carnall knowledge and to effect this there needes a second hand of the first
increase our glorie we must striue to increase our holinesse and by holinesse and other helps aduancing and supporting holinesse to in crease comfort and cherish the Spirit by which both holinesse and glory may be increased Now to know what these helps are we must seeke in the Oracles of God whose office and mayne purpose is to shine as a Light to mankind that standeth in the darke place of a clouded and corrupted soule and to guide their feete into the way of Peace and Rest. This sure Word of GOD was giuen by GOD vnto Man to direct Man vnto God And to effect this it hath a power to make the children of men the sonnes of God Yea it hath a power to nourish this spirituall and heauenly sonship so bestoweth a gift of growth as well as a gift of life for it causeth the sonnes and heires of God to grow vnto their perfect stature of Grace Glory The great Spirit of God which powreth that portion of the Spirit into vs wherein lyes our sanctification and sealing powred also in the Prophets Seers and Apostles the Word and Counsell of God So the Spirit within vs and the Word without vs are neere of kin they haue one Father euen the Spirit which is God and being brethren they must needes cherish loue and strengthen each other Yea the Spirit of GOD which best knowes how the Spirit issuing from him may bee cherished hath by that Word of purpose shewed vs sundry meanes by which that which hee hath giuen vs may be increased And God expects that wee which were dead and are now raised to life by him though in our deadnesse wee could not moue towards him yet being quickned wee should by imployments and exercise stirre vp the life bestowed on vs kindling it by those helps which his Word ministreth vnto vs. So behold O Man a double mercy one that the indeuours of the Saints may increase their glorie another that meanes helps and directions are giuen for the aduancement and execution of such indeuours Wee must not be still like Embrious and children in their first conception to haue the nourishment of life sent in o vs without our knowledge and will but being now at least babes in Christ wee must desire and sucke the sincere Milke of the Word that wee may grow thereby or being strong men we must desire and digest the solid meate by which wee may grow from strength to strength wee must by manly exercises seeke to fortifie the power of Christ in vs and we must worke towards the increase of our spirituall estate by heauenly traffike and marchandize that the talents of grace being increased may increase the talents of glorie But now perchance it wil bee demanded what these helps are by which the Man of GOD may enlarge his stature and grow vp to his head Christ Iesus For satisfaction to which demand I would point him to the Word of God which is the Treasure of the perfect knowledge of this Arte of felicitie but yet to giue some stay to hungrie soules that presently desire the prosperitie of the Spirit will not bee delayed I may name some of the chiefest though likewise I may leaue others vnnamed to stirre them vp somewhat to seeke for their owne prouision And here as the first means of increasing the Spirit I will name the increasing of those meanes by which the Spirit was first receiued we must striue to increase that faith and affiance by which wee cleauing vnto Christ Christ claue vnto vs. For the more wee cleaue vnto Christ the more Christ cleaueth vnto vs the more we comprehend him the more he doth comprehend vs by a larger and fuller possession of vs. Faith increased increaseth our capacitie of Christ Iesus and as wee are inlarged in our owne bowels by faith so doth Christ inlarge himselfe within vs by his Spirit To this end let vs remember what hath beene formerly set forth as the meanes of breeding faith and in those meanes let vs bee the more conuersant as wee would bee the more plentifull in faith and more ingraffed in the obiect of faith Christ Iesus Briefly let vs feruently and continually pray with the Disciples vnto the Author and Finisher of our faith Lord increase our faith Let vs be frequently conuersant with Christ Iesus and often behold him liuely described in the Word in the Sacraments by hearing by seeing by receiuing by meditation The more Christ is looked on the more trust and the more loue and so the more Vnion Wee cannot looke on the fairest of Men but we shall bee rauished with his loue for hee kindleth our affections as coles of fire and as a vehement flame And surely if wee looke into his Word and into the seales of his Word wee cannot choose if wee bee spirituall but wee must plainly looke on Christ himselfe For the Word of Christ is the Image of Christ hee hath stamped on it his owne likenesse and therein wee may see him borne liuing teaching dying rising againe Therein may wee behold his graces and gifts his excellencie and dignitie his loue vnto Men and his labours for Men. The Sacraments also Christ hath imprinted with his owne resemblance and they are the characters and representations of Christ. So in them may wee see Christ redeeming by passion and washing by regeneration feeding and quickning by viuification yea performing his part of the whole Couenant of Life And CHRIST being thus discerned what dull heart will not rise vp toward him in a stronger affiance in a more firie loue Wherefore walking along with the staffe of Prayer in our hands let vs still bee tasting of these restoratiues of Faith that so faith being cherished may cherish the Spirit and the Spirit being cherished may cherish our life eternall CHAP. IIII. Other helps of retayning and increasing happinesse The first is quicke obedience AN especiall furtherance and nourisher of the Spirit is a readie and prompt obedience to the motions of the same Spirit The businesse of our life is indeede no other but an attendance on the Spirit in whom lyes our dutie and happinesse and al other businesses that are not subordinate to this businesse are inordinate Wherfore to the holy lusts of this liuing and mouing Spirit must our continuall care bee attentiue that when it moueth vs we may be moued by it and that the commands thereof bee answered by a speedie obedience For the Spirit is the issue of the God of power and is it selfe a power proceeding from that great power now power reioyceth in action yea these second powers grow more powerfull by action In naturall things wee see that motion makes a thing more apt to moue and by how much more the strength of Man is exercised the more able and mightie it groweth No otherwise doth the Spirit in vs. It grows mightie by a free and prosperous exercise of his might It growes more vigorous and actiue by doing and by mouing it is more
things must be considered First the presentnesse of the euill for our flesh is like Gun-powder it presently takes fire it breakes out suddenly vpon vs there is no way to bee before it but by watchfulnesse For when a man meetes an occasion of Anger of Lust or of some other passion if he bee out of his watching his house is by temptation set on fire about his eares before hee sees that hee was tempted But the watchfull man is still in his spirit and so is still before the temptation yea the temptation comes still before him and not behinde him euen in his sight and vnder his view Therefore he forewarnes his owne soule and so forewarnes her to preuēt the harme which approcheth towards her Watchfulnesse tells the Soule here comes a temptation of Wrath there a temptation of Couetousnesse and another way a temptation of Lust and then the soule knowes her busines which is to walke in the Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh but the heedlesse man he hath raged he hath lusted he hath coueted before hee thought hee did so and as a bird only by being taken takes too late a knowledge of the snare so the vnwatchfull man doth first fall into some odious extremitie and then by the feeling of his fall knows to no purpose that he is falne and that such a temptation was the cause of his fall whereas watchfulnes by fore-seeing the temptation would haue kept him from falling And when a Man is falne into sinne then as much goodnesse as there is in such an one so much sorrow there is in him also whereas a little care before would haue saued both the sin and the sorrow The soule may bee kept cleane with lesse paine then she may be clensed being defiled for now shee must bee washed with teares and hardly rubbed with the rough hand of sorrow before our Sauiour will come neere to wash away the guilt by his passion Now that thy Watching may bee sure to preuent temptation as soon as thou watchest bodily watch also spiritually and let thy watching bee more early then Temptation Know that thou awakest among Philistiens therefore shake thy selfe vp and stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee and so put on the Armour of God that thou maiest stand in the euill day Put thy very first thought in order for the further our thoughts runne astray with DINAH the more danger of rauishment the harder is their recouerie But the heart being set in tune like a clocke in the morning it will goe the truer all the day after Wherefore set thy heart betimes in the way of GODS Commandements commit it to the Spirit to be guided in this way for the Spirit is the firie Chariot that carrieth our soules through the way of Pietie to the Countrie of Felicitie But hauing thus set forth in thy way still keepe close to thy Guide that thou continue in thy way for hee that keepeth his way keepeth his life and hee that keepeth his Guide keepeth his way but he that for saketh his Guide hazzardeth the losse both of way and life Surely if the heart running astray from the Spirit be suffered to take a full taste of naturall things it will hardly in a long time rellish spirituall things and therefore it is best both to season the heart first with spirituall things and after to watch that it doe not carnally that is ouer-greedily deuoure carnal things Yea beyond this thou must euen watch thy watching that it bee not stolne from thee for the craftie Serpent will often cast before thee some pleasant or cumbersome temptation to rob thee of thy watching if it bee not watched For securitie which is so easie to Man is also a chiefe ease to Satan For by it the gates of the soule stand alwayes open to him and hee may goe and come whensoeuer hee listeth On the other side watching is somthing painfull to a man and contrarie to Satan and therefore man will the sooner be perswaded to forgoe it and Satan will be readie still to perswade him But let such know who complaine of the hardnesse of this and other diuine exercises that custome makes hard things easie and assured happines makes hard things plesant Let them beleeue that the wages shall infinitely ouermatch the worke and it is inough If they belieue this they will throng violently into heauen and no paines shall stop them if they beleeue not this they are no Scholers for the Schoole of happinesse for beliefe is the ground of this learning their portion must be a sensuall brutish vanishing and dying life A second reason of watchfulnesse is the affinitie and kindred betweene our flesh and the world There was an old contract made betweene them in Mans fall and the world still continues the sute though we be new married to the Spirit there are certain cart-ropes of sinne which were once fast tyed betweene the flesh and the world which as the good Spirit hath out off by the knife of Circumcision so the wicked spirit seekes to knit againe by conuersation for well knowes Satan that if the flesh draw the world into the heart himselfe also rides in vpon the world For this is one of PHARAOHS Chariots which still pursueth the Israelites the Flesh is in stead of the lustie and proud horses the World is the chariot and the Deuill is the Rider and this Triplicitie sighteth against the Trinitie in vs. Let vs therefore be euer warie lest some tricks of the old loue passe vnespied let vs be carefull that the corrupt flesh nibble not too long yea not at all on the world for it will grow hungrie by eating and the taste will bee so pleasant that it will not bee contented vntill it eate with greedinesse and then wo be vnto vs for wee haue receiued deepely the loue of the world which as much as it is so much it excludeth the loue of God and so much it bittereth the sweetnesse of the Spirit yea euen in the lawfull loue of lawfull things let our watchfulnes continue for such haue betrayed many soules and while that which is lawfull hath been too carelesly admitted or too carefully sought a thing lawfull in matter hath beene vsed in a fleshly manner so things lawfull haue beene carnally and vn-lawfully enioyed The flesh hangeth so fast on vs that it will hang fast on our actions if we shake it not speedily from our hands as PAVL did the Viper To doe this let vs still mistrust the old alliance and let this mistrust breede watchfulnesse and let our watchfulnesse still keepe vs in a right fashion and standing toward the things of the world Let the soule behold the world as a thing from which she is diuorced as a thing made to bee her seruant and slaue finally as a thing folded vp in the state of perishing and vanitie Accordingly let her looke soberly chastly and coldly vpon it let her vse it as a
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
For how can a Creator continue his bountie when hee sees his Creature doth onely make vse of him that he sorues his owne turne vpon him and makes himself the end of God and not God the end of himselfe Therefore euenholy HEZEKIAH while he is more carefull to shew the glorie of his Treasures to the Heathen Ambassadors then to giue glorie to God for his health by which he inioyed them the treasures must bee carried away to the same Babylon whose Ambassadors he had intertayned with the sight of them The heart of man being filled with blessings must not bee lifted vp within it selfe but it must bee lifted vp with praise and thankfulnesse to the Authour of those blessings Therefore hauing receiued some Talents of grace let vs returne vnto God some other Talents of glorie and then to vs by whom hee receiues aduantage shall more bee giuen but if otherwise that which wee haue shall be taken away God hath put al things in order to himselfe and vpon this order the God of order rayneth his blessings If then wee will bee vnder his blessings we must be vnder this order wee must looke towards him glorifying praising if wee will haue him looke towards vs blessing sanctifying Therefore in summe Let vs pray continually and feruently and in al things giue thanks which is the will of God in Christ Iesus towards vs. If wee conclude our Psalme 33. with Prayer Let thy mercy and grace bee multiplied vpon vs as we trust in thee let vs begin it with thankfulnesse Reioyce in the Lord O ye righteous for it becommeth vpright men to bee thankefull For if thus Psal. 66. we call to him with our mouth and also exalt him with our tongue God will heare vs and will consider our prayer wee shall againe praise God who doth not put backe our prayer nor his mercy from vs. CHAP. VII Of Meditation ANother speciall preseruatiue and restauratiue of the Spirit is Meditation Hereby the beames of the heauenly Spirit are contracted into a point vpon the soule as the beames of the Sunne by a Cristall whereby the light and heate of grace are increased and multiplied into a spirituall Fire The soule goeth in from the flesh into the Spirit and bathing and anoynting her selfe in that Oile of gladnes shee sharpneth her sight and quickneth her might becomes much abler to see into heauen to see into her selfe to see and iudge the things on earth Hereby she groweth in the knowledge acquaintance of her soueraign Good hereby she takes out Lessons of a comfortable departing out of this world of vanitie vnto her Citie of blessednes and hereby shee iudgeth best of her own fitnesse for that happy voyage And hauing iudged her selfe in Meditation by the same she studies to increase that which is right in her through the remembrance of profitable motiues and documents heard read or conceiued and shee indeuoureth to cast away all that presseth downe and whatsoeuer sinne hinders by cleauing on too fast If we would speak of the subiect of Meditation wee might name all that is for al things haue in them some profitable doctrine and are Teachers of the glorie of their Creator But if we aske for the chiefest Matter and that which is most aduantageable to the Citizens of the New Ierusalem which is our present businesse Then let the soule flye vp from this place of miserie and take vp her rest in her only Rest. Let her thoughts bee on her happinesse and the way vnto it and let that be her chief meditation which is her chiefe concernment And that shee may draw neerer vnto happinesse by the wings of an inflamed affection Let her consider the beautie of the highest Essence let her thinke vpon a glorie creating and vncreated let her thinke on the Light of that Light which darkneth and shaddoweth the Sunne when shee hath thus thought let her know the glorie happinesse which shee shall inioy is more beyond her highest imagination then imagination can be beyond any thing which is seene Let vs also consider what God hath beene and is to vs as well as what hee is in himselfe and to this end let vs cast our inward eye on the great loue of him who is both our Fountaine and Felicitie our Beginning and End Let vs consider how great things this infinite loue hath done for vs from how great a miserie hee hath translated vs to make vs partakers and intoyers of himselfe and by the greatnesse of the effects let vs ghesse at the infinitenesse of the Cause There is nothing greater then Himselfe and this greatest Himselfe hath he giuen to Man by a wonderfull and mysterious Incarnation Hee hath also giuen the Bloud and Life of this incarnate Deitie to ransome vs the slaues bondmen of guilt and punishment from eternal death He hath giuen vs also his most pure sacred Spirit to purge the most lothsom corruption of our lustfull generation He hath giuen vs infinite blessings of this life and all these that we might serue him in holinesse without the feare of our enemies and hereafter may inioy him in that Kingdome wherein wee shall triumph ouer these enemies But hauing waighed though the weake ballances of our vnderstandings bee far vnable to beare and containe the exceeding weight of this infinite loue of God then let vs consider how wee ought to answer this loue with loue his mercies by thankfulnes and obedience And when we haue found out our dutie then let vs examine our performance euen whether the goodnesse of God hath had a perfect working vpon vs and hath brought forth fruits answerable to it and whether we haue sufficiently yeelded vp our selues vnto God in his blessed work of making vs blessed And herein let vs rippe vp our soules euen the very bowels of our consciences and let vs tent the bottome of our hearts to feele what is sound and what vnsound in them that the sound parts may be cherished and the vnsound healed If wee see any sparke of the Spirit let vs kindle it into a fire let the infinitenesse of that loue which is our patterne draw vs on by imitation to a continual inlargement of our loue and of the fruit of loue obedience If by Meditation we taste the sweetnesse of God in the Spirit dwelling in vs Let vs thirst afresh for the liuing GOD who the more he is thirsted after the more hee giues of the waters of Life So shall thirst increase that which satisfies thirst and the satisfying of the thirst shall increase our thirst that so the satisfaction may still increase The Riuer of Regeneration points vs to the Ocean of Regeneration euen the Spirit within vs vnto the great Spirit aboue vs. From him it confesseth that it commeth to him it desires to returne that so it may come larger from him then it returned to him But if by the inquest of our meditation wee finde that some rebellious
aspiring sinne hath assayed and vndertaken the conquest and death of the Spirit And on the other side we finde the Spirit grieued yea fainting and gasping for life Let the soule and all the powers thereof rise vp in armes for the suppressing of the body of death and for the rescuing of life Eternall Not a common fire but the fire of Hell hath feized not vpon our common houses but vpon the Temples of the holy Ghost what haste or care can be great inough to rescue such vnualuable habitations from so abominable a desolation Let vs run therefore and that speedily into the water of Baptisme to quench the firie darts of Satan let vs steepe our soules therein vntil the flame of sinne bee extinguished our soules washed cleane restored to their former beautie yea made fairer then before For euen by sins may the Spirit take occasion to increase grace though not by the nature of sinnes but by the soueraignty of that Spirit which powerful aboue all things turneth all things to his owne aduantage of sinnes maketh a plaister against sinne and by falls makes vs more safe from falling The mightie Spirit of God is as powerfull as ouer when with AARONS rod wee bee changed into serpents God can turne vs againe into rods bearing blossoms and fruit But that we faile not in this precious Art which turnes Scorpions into medicines and iudgement in to mercy Let vs obserue the true rules of iust proceeding And first sitting downe in the Court of Meditation let the sin which hath laid violent hands on the Spirit bee brought before our consideration euen in the vglinesse thereof Let it appeare iust as it is ragged putrifide and lothsome without the couering of Fig-leaues euen of partiall and deceitfull pretences Now that we may the more carefully view and iudge our sinne let vs remember that this Iudgement is the Iudgement of God and not of Man wee sit as in Gods place to iudge our selues that God may not haue neede to sit himselfe in iudgement vpon vs. For if we doe not iudge our selues well God will come himselfe to iudge vs better he will by his punishments set our sinnes in order before vs and his punishments will be double One for the sinnes which wee haue committed another for the partiall and corrupt iudgement of the same sins Wherefore without shewing mercy on these Cananites which shew crueltie to vs by being thornes in our sides pricking vs vnto death let vs take our sinnes and strip them starke naked that euery part and circumstance of them may appear Hauing done this let vs in one sight euen in a view of comparison at once behold the purenesse and holinesse of our Maker expressed in his Law ioyning therewith the infinite loue which hath powred it selfe out vpon vs in his inestimable benefits And euen then let vs also look on our deformed sins so contrarie to his puritie and on our selues offending by those sinnes against so great a Goodnesse And when we thus haue seene so pure and so gracious a Creator and withall behold so impure vngratefull and rebellious creatures how can the soule chuse but flie into her owne face to teare herselfe in pieces for disobeying the voice and crossing the goodnes of a most pure and bountifull God The sinne being compared to the Law will appeare crooked and full of deformitie it will be called foolishnes and filthinesse because it transgresseth the Lawe of the highest wisdome and puritie In summe the Soule in zeale indignation and reuenge will pronounce iudgment against her selfe and her accomplice the body she will pronounce the body worthy of smart and punishment eternall and in testimony that she beleeues what she saies she will perchance chastise him with mourning fasting and aspetity which also may bee profitable to this end that the sinfull body tasting some degree of his owne deseruings may loath that sin which deserued to feele without end and measure the punishment which she for a season only and in measure inflicteth on it And on her selfe will shee likewise powre forth iudgement That she who was made to the Image of God and should haue guided her selfe and the body according to that Image for forsaking her function hath deserued to lose both the Image of God and the sight of God for euermore She iudgeth her selfe worthy to passe from the darknes of sinne vnto the darknes of punishment and eternall horrour And in testimony hereof she sets the Vnderstanding Will and Affections against themselues to accuse vpbrayd and lothe their owne filthines so that the soule which hath doomed her selfe to deserue eternall trouble ratifies her sentence on her selfe by a selfe-vexation But is this the end of Iudgement that soules may therby despaire and dye No surely But this humiliation and Prostration is the foote of the valley which they must descend into that will ascend to the height of the Mountaine of God We are the sonnes of death and to vs is appointed a space to abide in the valley of death That is our naturall and first walke and in it must we doe the homage of our naturall condition before we may comfortably looke vp to the bills from whence commeth our saluation In summe God wil haue our miserie consequently our neede of a Sauiour acknowledged before a Sauiour shall be imparted But hauing condemned our selues and our sinnes euen to the pit of hell and being as sicke of sorrow as we are of sinne then may we hopefully go to the Phisicion of our soules who came into the world only to cure the sicke and to giue them only Light who sit in darknes and the shadow of death Behold thou selfe-iudgeing and selfe-condemning Soule thou hast preuented the Iudge of the world thou hast done vpon thy selfe his worke of Iustice and hast left him nothing to doe but this worke of Mercie Accordingly hee offers thee the waters of Baptisme which are the waters of Life Wash and bee cleane And that thou mayest know how to wash vnto cleannesse know and consider the diuers conditions of thy filthines and the diuers operations of this Water proportionable to that diuers condition that so to thy seuerall kinde of defiling thou mayest fit a seuerall kinde of washing In thy sin thou hast contracted thy olde contrariety vnto God thou hast brought backe the flesh vpon the soule thou hast for the time healed vp the cut of Circumcision and art become one with thy flesh from which by Regeneration thou wert diuorced So by touching this Pitch is there come vpon thy soule a spot of thy old corruption and to this is added the guilt of a sinne which hath proceeded from this corruption So art thou in a double disease thou art defiled by the touch of thy flesh and thou are arrested seized by guilt the fruite of Sinne the fruit of the flesh Thou art filthy and thou art guiltie Now in the water of Baptisme there is also a double vertue fitted for
thy double miserie There is one that washeth away thy guilt And another that washeth away thy corruption one that washeth away the fruite of the flesh and another that washeth away the flesh it selfe One of these is the bloud of Christ the other is the Spirit of Christ one is Iustification the other is Sanctification And these two CHRIST hath inseparably conioyned because he will haue them inseparable for he importeth his iustifying bloud by a sanctifying Spirit Whome Christ clenseth he will throghly clense not taking away the guilt and leauing the corruption nor taking away the corruption leauing the guilt but at once clearing both corruption and guilt by sanctification and iustification Wherefore when wee come to bee washed by Christ and haue recourse to his waters of Purification whose clensing was applyed mainly and generally to the whole body of sin in Baptisme if accompanied with Regeneration but the vertue thereof is also particularly to be applyed through our whole life to the particular sinnefull fruits of that body of sinne wee must beware of three faults The one that wee begge not the water of Iustification and leaue vnasked the water of Sanctification that we seeke not forgiuenesse onely but also amendment For if we will haue but one we shall haue neither this gift of Christ being alwayes double or not at al but thou must vpon better reason say as that Disciple of Christ said Not my feet only but my head also so say thou Not the defiled feete of the guilt of my sinnes but the polluted head roote of those sinnes so shalt thou bee wholly cleane The healing and closing flesh must bee new ript from the soule by the sword of the Spirit euen by holy Conuersion Repentance and Amendment the face of the soule must bee washed with the Oile of the Spirit to take away the spots blemishes receiued by the pitchy touch of sinne and then the bloud of CHRIST will take from vs the guilt of sinnes being formerly abandoned forsaken and thrust out of doores by the Spirit A second fault is a vehement desire and indeuour and performance of this part and dutie of sanctification without the cōfortable hope confidence of instification This infirmitie is most vsually found in broken afflicted souls who most vehemently desire renewing and reformation yet dare not to lay hold on iustifying and absoluing These are contrarie to the former offenders for they presently lay hold on Christ for mercy but neglect the holinesse without which no man shall see GOD and these striuing mainly for holinesse by doubt goe about to put from them that right in Christs bloud which belongeth chiefly to such as they are euen to the humble and meek to them that hunger and thirst for Righteousnesse A third fault is the misordering and misapplying of these Waters such is the washing away of guilt by the water of Sanctification of corruption by the water of Iustification For though they bee both ioyned together and doe not at all diuide themselues yet being ioyned they are not confounded neither doth the one properly performe the worke of the other Christs Bloud iustifies Christs Spirit sanctifies the Iustification is not without Sanctification neither is the Sanctification without Iustification yet Iustification is not Sanctification neither is Sanctification Iustification the Iustice of God is satisfied with bloud and his holinesse is pleased with purenesse in the inward parts in these two thus distinguished lyeth the Tenor of the new Couenant For thus we finde it described He will take away our sins and hee will giue vs new hearts But after wee haue sinned the renewing of our hearts is not a purgation of our guilt but of our corruption the purgation of our guilt being wrought by the bloud of Christ though imparted and sealed to our spirits by the same Spirit by which we are renewed yea euen the same time now because in this change and renewing of our minds the Spirit entreth into vs with fresh grace by which entrie the vertue of Christs satisfaction entreth also offereth it selfe to comfort and heale vp our consciences with assurance of forgiuenesse all Christs benefits being reached to vs by one onely Spirit therefore many times is Repentance said to be the cause of forgiuenesse not as some otherwise Venerable haue anciently misse-conceiued that the grace of Repentance is a sacrifice for sinne or that Contrition Conuersion by themselues can satisfie for the guilt of sin but because in the grace of Repentance the Spirit entreth bringing also with him the grace of CHRISTS Iustification In summe by the admitting of CHRISTS Spirit renewing we receiue Christ acquitting and renewing vs as the point of the Needle of the Spirit by which the Spirit pierceth it selfe into our hearts bringing the pardon of sinnes repented into our soules and the same sent from God for his Christs sake but imparted sealed and ratified by the Spirit This washing thus fully and duely performed and the Spirit restored to his former dominion he commonly fortifies himselfe by the remembrance of his late losse and hee striues to take deeper roote because his weaker rootes were before so much mooued and shaken He keepes a more carefull watch against the enemie and with a kind of malice especially against that sinne that before had foyled him He sucks harder from hence-foorth by more feruent desires at the great Spirit whose Ocean supplyeth him and filleth the Creekes of all emptie drie and thirstie soules and thus is sinne turned into a medicine against sinne and grace prospereth by her losses To this large and waightie kinde of Meditation which asketh both length and strength of Intention and requires the soule to be at leisure for it wee may adde a lesser and a shorter sort as it were in a portable and manuall forme to carry stil about vs for our continuall vse to which wee may haue continuall recourse amidst the continual distractions of this troublesome and toylesome life This is to be stil in the hand of a Christian as a Leuell in the hand of a Builder that he may square out his actions conuersations rightly thereby The most profitable fashion of this portable Meditation is when in few words it comprehends the summe of our businesse and dutie whereof there are patternes to bee found in the holy Scriptures or if wee list wee may fit the words our selues so wee fetch the matter frō thence A good one shall we find in the Epistle to TITVS The Grace of God hath appeared which teacheth vs to denie vngodly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world And in the second to the Corinthians Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glorie of God and that of the Royall Preacher Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole of Man If this be practised by vs wee shall finde this double benefite thereby First if we be in the beginning
cursed man can doe this how shall hee blesse that is the Father of blessings Surely let our soules firmely dwell in this Truth that those actions which are most perfectly referred to God and haue no end but God are most fully rewarded of God and as much as any outward thing doth share in the end so much doe we lose of our reward and so much of our reward must wee looke of that End which did set vs on worke Now where euill is offered goodnes cannot well propose any end but God in bestowing it selfe for euill By patience also wee make roome for Faith and like a good child it cherisheth the parent that begate it for while patience keepes the house of Man in quietnesse the vnruly and tumultuous affections being suppressed and stilled the soule is at leisure to look abroade vvith the eye of Faith euen to looke within the vaile and there to see comfort her selfe in eternall ioyes presently possessed by Hope which as an Anker both sure and stedfast is there alreadie vnmoouably fastned By Patience also haue we time and place for the excellent instrument of Prayer to fulfill her worke of piercing the heauens presenting our necessities griefes to the Throne of Grace And commonly the prayer of the patient returnes with this comfortable answere In a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I heard thee for the patient abiding of the meeke shall not perish for euer And that we may yet bee a little more in loue with this beautifying and beautifull patience let vs looke her somewhat stedfastly on the face and particularly desery her excellent proportion If thus we doe we shall find that patience is placed by God in the heart of man against troubles as the cliffes against the waues of the Sea for by patience God saith to the flouds of persecutions vexations Hitherto shall yee come no farther and here shall yee stay your proud waues It is the hedge of GODS Vineyard euen of the blessed Spirits of the Saints which hath fenced them in the bloudiest times against the wildest Bores euen the fiercest Tyrants The body might bee broken by torments but this brazen wall of the soule could neuer be battered it is a kind of metall that is fitted of purpose to indure the fire euen a firy triall and to bee made brighter thereby This she doth and how can she doe otherwise for she is borne of heauenly Ancestors and fetcheth her originall from the Highest The power of the most Mightie doth sustaine her how can it be but she must then be mightie and powerfull For Patience fetcheth her strength and life from Hope Hope from Faith Faith from Christ Christ from God If it were not for Hope the heart would breake with impatience if it were not for Faith Hope would dye and starue as being without a roote if it were not for Christ Faith would perish for want of an obiect And vvithout the Godhead the Manhood of Christ were not a sufficient foundation of Faith But now the Godhead supporteth and inableth the Man-hood of Christ by a mightie Vnion Faith groundeth an vnmouable foundation vpon Christ being God Man Hope violently layes hold on the ioyes truly discouered by Faith and Patience takes iust courage and comfort from Hope because Hope tells her shee must waite but a little and the promises shall certainly bee receiued And as Patience by this meanes powerfully supporteth and sustayneth the Soule and the graces infused into her so is shee also an excellent meanes for the increase of the same graces Patience is the calme of the Soule and as it is best sowing of visible Graine in a time of calme so in the calme of the Soule is it best sowing of the Inuisible seed of the Word and Spirit Then can wee most truely say My heart is ready and Speake Lord for thy Seruant is at leisure to heare thee and then with Marie are we most fit for that thing which is necessarie when by Patience we haue excluded the many things that are troublesome The Spirit delighteth in a meek and quiet Spirit it commeth in the still wind and not in the storme and tempest Accordingly experience teacheth vs that the Patient haue euer receiued spirituall consolations and euen this experience is a consolation to Patience For this experience that the loue of God is shed abroad into the hearts of the patient so affects the patient that they be not ashamed And if wee would rather beleeue Examples then Positions Let vs examine the Stories of IOB and DAVID and let vs remember what end God made with them The latter end of the patient hath recompensed his beginning his patient sowing in teares hath brought forth the carrying of sheues with ioy God will be suffered loued and trusted euen when he afflicteth and chastizeth he will haue the Soule to repose her Happinesse in him while the body feeleth temporall miserie And if hee bee still trusted and loued if the heart still cleaueth vnto him then hee commeth at length with a large measure of comfort he performeth indeed what he hath spoken in his Word Whoso trusteth in the Lord Mercie shall compasse him It is no great glorie to GOD nor excellencie in Man to trust in GOD when with THOMAS we feele and handle the fauours of God The bodie may haue a share in this kinde of trust But the sight of things inuisible is the highest pitch of the Soule this commends Man vnto God yea it glorifies God vnto Man for it brings downe certaine newes that there is Grace and Mercie with God when the bodie vtterly denies it because it feeles the strokes of seeming Wrath and Punishment And in this testimonie deliuered and receiued GOD exceedingly delighteth euen to bee trusted vnder hope against hope hee abundantly recompenseth it as in ABRAHAM so in the sonnes of ABRAHAM Another aduantage of Grace by the mediation of Patience is this that the patient afflicted and hee only vseth afflictions as incentiues to spiritual feruencie and being by troubles driuen out the flesh and the comforts thereof hee goes more mightily and wholly into the Spirit He quitteth the battered and polluted tabernacle of his lothsome flesh and hee entreth into the secret of the Highest where by his Spirit GOD himselfe resideth There doth he warme himselfe by the heauenly flames hee blowes and kindles them seeking by all meanes that as sufferings abound so consolations may also abound and that temporall sorrow bee at least counterpoyzed by spirituall ioyes So through Patience troubles driue vs neerer to Christ and sharpen our stomakes to sucke more earnestly and eagerly the nourishment of Life Eternall But on the other side besides the losse of aduantages a multitude of euils rusheth in vpon the Soule vnfenced by Patience Surely shee is a continuall prey to euery trouble shee is neuer owner of her selfe but like a light and vnballasted vessell shee is at the command of euery waue
of euery winde As continuall as the miserie of Man is so continuall is the distemper of Men impatient and as often as troubles doe happen so often be they lifted vp frō the hindges of their soules and remooued into the habitations of their blinde and vncomfortable flesh Such a one is cleane besides himselfe euen besides his Soule which is the reason that hee can neither aduise nor comfort himselfe For the vnderstanding which should direct is as a Candle put out or couered with a Bushell the will and affections which by the succours of Reason should support and strengthen are drawn away from lending their seruice to Reason and so to Man and are become slaues of Passion and Perturbation And so it comes to passe that in such cases a mans owne will and affections which should sustaine and cherish him doe distract and teare him to pieces And commonly it falls out with the impatient that to the euill of affliction which might haue been turned to good hee addeth two euils more of his owne euill actions and euill passions committing foolish things and doing cruell things against his own Soule and Heart And these two are commonly the greater kinde of euils and which the enmitie of Grace most intendeth and therefore by vs especially should be preuented Satan in spoyling the Flockes in destroying the Children in tormenting the bodie of holy IOB did not so much ayme to make him poore childlesse and full of paine as to make him desperate and rebellious against his Creatour and Sauiour by impatience His greatest Malice is against our greatest Happinesse he knowes wee are still blessed while God is one with vs though we be poore naked and full of sores as LAZARVS who in this life tormented yet was after exalted to ABRAHAMS bosome He values our chiefe Felicitie at a higher and a truer rate then many of vs doe and he values temporall things at a lower rate then many of vs doe Therefore hee will indifferently take or giue temporall things to diminish our eternall ioyes he will assay either by proffers or by plagues to draw vs from our soueraigne Good And wee more foolishly and ignorantly are readie to forsake eternall felicitie whensoeuer Satan will hire vs with temporall commoditie or beate vs from it with momentanie afflictions But it becommeth vs not to bee ignorant of Satans policies where Satans eye is most settled to hurt vs let our eye bee there most fixed for our preseruation Toward this let vs thus farre ioyne with Satan yea learne of him if wee knew it not before that the vnion and agreement of our Soule with God is the vnion of felicitie and therefore whatsoeuer wee lose let vs not part from that If Satan rob vs of a bagge of Siluer let vs not call after him and bid him take a bagge of Gold also If hee afflict vs outwardly yet surrender not to him thy inward and euerlasting Happinesse He is a Prince in this World and so can doe great things in the World He can persecute he can exalt he can torment But hee is a slaue us concerning the other World which is called the Kingdome of Heauen Hee cannot reach to this Kingdome which is in the Soule where GOD is the King Therefore by the things of this life on which hee hath power hee reacheth to the things of the next life on which hee hath no power that by his owne hee may preuaile on that which is Gods But we on the other side as we know the Deuils purpose so let vs know his bounds and then wee shall be safe Let vs know that he can only stretch his power to temporall and outward things and no further and the inward things hee must get by surrender or else he cannot conquer them Wherefore bee carefull to keepe him at his true distance if Satan haue leaue to winnow thee outwardly yet pray to thy Mediator that hee pray that thy faith faile not if hee cause thy outward man to perish bee thou carefull that thy inward man bee renewed daily and take heed that thou giue not more to him then he hath alreadie especially giue not thy eternitie for his vanitie neither giue him an vsurped power ouer the Kingdome of Heauen to which hee is a base slaue and by which he shall be iudged Cast not to him thy soule after thy bodie nor thy soule and bodie after thy goods if the Prince of this World will haue the things of the World yeeld to this Prince what must needes bee giuen to this Prince but the things of GOD giue only to GOD the things of Grace and Glorie reserue for the Author of Grace and the King of Glorie For want of this restraint and limitation of Satans power haue many Saints of God lost the possession of their soules and in those times of extasie haue vndertaken dolefull actions and executions which haue grieued and pined the Spirit within them and haue made worke for a long-after-sorrow and vexation of soule Surely NABALS churlishnesse entred too farre into DAVIDS spirit and the iniurie of the Thessalonians too much deliuered away the soule of THEODOSIVS into furie and the questions of the High Priests Seruants stole away too much of PETERS Courage and Resolution These holy men sometimes by their frailty gaue too much way and yeelded too great aduantage to Satan But some there bee who are perfect in Satans arte of impatience and therefore are his highest and greatest schollers Let the Deuill throw but one crosse to them they will take their soules and throw them to the Deuils head for they breake out either into some cursed rage or into the rage of cursing or into some cursed action Such a one is the Deuils Water-spaniell he goes and brings what the Deuill sends for and if hee bid him bring his owne soule hee carries it many times to him in his owne mouth euen in a mouth of Reuiling Reuenge Curses and Execrations But let vs rather consider that Mankind stands betweene two Spirits the Spirit of Light and the Spirit of Darknes and each of them hath a seuerall doore into Mans heart to possesse and inhabit it The Spirit of Blessednesse comes in by the doore of the Spirit and this is opened vnto him by the Key of Patience The spirit of Hell enters by the doore of the flesh and this is vnlocked to him by impatience Now troubles afflictions knock at both these doores they knock at the doore of the Spirit calling to vs to open to the Lord of Life with the Key of Patience who is now comming by afflictions to nurture and to instruct vs euen to increase vs in the fruits of Righteousnesse But afflictions knock likewise at the doore of the flesh and by the feeling of smart perswade Impatience to open to the prince of darknesse since so griefe may be eased and it seemes a vaine thing to please serue an afflicting and chastizing God But take heed thou open not the
wit of Man which hath beene fruitfull in inuentions of torment nor the power of Emperors which hath ruined mightie Kingdomes could change or alter them Concerning this Arte of Arts what I haue receiued I purpose to deliuer to others through his helpe who is the Author thereof and surely this knowledge is only worthy of a man other knowledges except they serue this they are but wearinesse and vanitie for man is as miserable and sometimes more when he hath gotten their perfections as when he entred into their beginnings And becauseit giues a great light to Mans reparation to know how he came to haue neede of it and because it concernes the glorie of the Creator to shew that at first he created not miserie and corruption Therefore most fitly doth this Doctrine beginne with the first estate of man and the losse thereof euen a created perfection and a purchased corruption A learning which all Philosophy could neuer reach For she is the child of man and therefore cannot tell the beginning of her owne Father For man was before shee was yea man was lost before shee was found and so shee which was since corruption cannot tell how that corruption came which was before her much lesse can she speake of that perfection which was againe before this corruption But the truth is bad she findes vs and not knowing the cause she can neuer find the cure and therefore as she found vs so shee leaues vs miserable THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The second Part. Which particularly sets forth the happinesse of Man and the restoring of it when it was lost CHAP. I. Of the Creator and the Creation and the purpose of the Creator in the Creation THe Creator is the beginning of all things and therefore must he needs be without beginning For from the things which haue their beginning of him him selfe cannot take beginning neither can he be his owne beginning for that were to say he was before he was But God is an eternall Essence that by himselfe vpholdeth himselfe and all things else For all other things haue no being of their owne but they borrow their being from him and in him is their foundation and for this cause may he alone rightly because alone originally say I am And as he is the fountaine and beginning from which all things flow so is he the end to which all things returne either by their owne wills conformed to his will or by the ouer-ruling of his power which subdueth the vnwilling to his will And thus must it needes be for the Creator is his owne end in his Creation and doth all things for himselfe If wee allow not a Creator we confesse no Author of the things wee see but either wee make them Eternall which is to make meaner gods and to denie the more excellent or we frame some imagination of our owne to be their beginning which shall neuer fit with them so well as a wise powerfull and eternall Spirit and lastly we rob mans soule of a true rest happinesse For if the Spirit of man had not some soueraigne Spirit to giue it eternall Blisse then were miserable man shut vp vnto this present life as vnto his soueraigne good into which a wise good man would neuer re-enter if he were once well discharged of it Let vs then seeke a GOD higher then these visible things and a happines higher then these miserable things and let vs not reason with the brutish Sensualists Hee is not a God whom wee cannot see with our eyes but let vs say with the Soules inlightned Hee is fittest to bee a God whose purenesse doth excell the grosse capacitie of bodily sences For the purer the Essence is the more fit to bee a God and the more pure the more inuisible to a grosse and carnall sight Let vs therefore beleeue the Creator to bee a most cleere lightsome and glorious Spirit and to bee seene onely by Spirits and bodies sublimated into a spirituall kinde of being This glorious eternall Spirit manifesteth himselfe to our apprehensions in three Persons the print and impression of each person being found in euery creature and there being an absolute necessitie that euery one of the three should concurre in all Creation The first in order of Consideration though there bee no first in order of Time is the great and infinite Mind or Vnderstanding which begetteth a great Wisdom Thought or Word euen the first and radicall Light the almightie Begetter of the second Light and this person is called GOD the Father The second is the begotten second Light euen the Wisdome Conceiuement of the minde or vnderstanding an Image issue thereof and this person is called GOD the Son The third is the Vertue Power which breatheth or floweth from the God head whereby GOD loueth and inioyeth himselfe and puts in execution whatsoeuer he wil haue done for himselfe and this person is called GOD the holy Ghost These three are one God and doe so necessarily ioyne in euery Creation that without any one of them nothing can be created For how can there be any Creation but that the Minde or Father must beget a wise purpose by Wisedome his Sonne what he hath purposed and proiected by the Sonne he must effect by the power of the holy Ghost Accordingly this God who is the end of himselfe for himselfe intended and brought forth a Creation To himselfe he would haue glorie and to his Creature happinesse yea this happines of the Creature should be by the glorie of the Creator so in the glorifying of God should Men and Angels bee glorified But on the contrarie they that would not giue glorie to God should not haue happinesse to themselues yet though vnwillingly shall they glorifie him by seruing his Iustice in miserie who would not serue his Goodnesse in felicitie To effect this in six dayes God made this great masse of Creatures called the World which he fitted for the seruice of Man and Man for the seruice of his GOD. Now as this great Frame came from this one God so the infinite disagreeings of seuerall parts reconciled to an Vnitie point to some great vnitie as the Cause of this reconciliation which can deserue to be called by no other name then by a supreme and soueraigne Name and such a Name is God Againe the infinite diuersitie of Formes and that large heape of Matter neither of which were before and of which it is alike easie to the Creatour to make Matter as Formes direct our eies to som great Wisdome Power which could both inuent and produce them Yea more neerly the drops and streames of wisedome powred into the Creatures in their seuerall instincts and into Man with his soule plainly confesse that there is some Spring of infinite wisdome from which these Riuolets might flow and some infinite power which could actuate them into the Creatures And if so then necessarily must wee also allow some pure and infinite Essence
wherein this infinite Wisedome Power might dwell which puritie chiefly excelleth in a Spirit and to such a Spirit can agree no other but the highest Name of God Thus the things sealed bearing the Image of the seale teach vs the seale euen these visible Creatures bearing the impression of the Deitie represent to vs the same Deitie as their Cause and Beginning and in their dumb language they preach vnto vs their originall The world thus trimmed vp with the varietie of innumerable things both for vse and ornament as a royall Palace for some great Prince man though now a contemptible wretched thing was then thought a fit Owner and Commander of so glorious a Creation And this not without order for though by his body he was of kin to the Earth yet his soule was of kin to the Deitie being a Spirit breathed into man by the Father of Spirits So Glorie and Humilitie were married together in man at his first Creation the issues wherof should still be continued euen apprehensions of an excellent soule to keepe vs from sinking into the basenesse of sensualitie and earthinesse and considerations of a clay body to stay vs from mounting vp in pride and ascending into the place of the most High And now euen at the first beginning God did make man know both what was the basenesse of man and what was the happines of man hee shewed man that his seruice was the businesse of man yea hee shewed him how he would bee serued For God planted in man a reasonable soule in which was written an Image counter-pawne of the Deitie although not equall in degrees yet like in resemblance Now the reason of this soule could finde that a Creator creates things for himselfe by whom things are they are also for him Therefore man hauing his being from God he is to returne his being vnto God And if Man would know the manner how to please and serue God this very manner of his creation will teach him For the Creator was a Spirit himselfe and he gaue to man a Spirit resembling him both in substance and facultie The substance was spirituall the facultie an vnderstanding and wil. In the vnderstanding was a light which could shew vnto man the will of God and informe Man what was right in Gods vnderstanding So was it a created reuelation of the Law of God the sparkes and pieces whereof serue at this day both to informe and accuse the naturall man Now vpon the vnderstanding thus informed the will was readie to attend and vpon the will the affections yea all the members to execute and performe the will of God certified to them by the vnderstanding Now there being such an aptnesse and abilitie of conformitie betweene God and Man and all things being delighted with harmonie and conformitie especially that purest Essence which is vanitie it selfe surely it cannot bee imagined but the chiefest pleasure and seruice most acceptable to the Creator was when these lower and lesser spirits did cary themselues the bodies which they ruled in a perpetuall consent and conformitie to that great Spirit which made them And as Mans workmāship did thus shew him his worke so did it also his happinesse Towards the discouerie hereof let vs set downe these rules First the most excellent happines of Man must be the happinesse of Mans most excellent part Secondly Mans chiefest part being a Spirit the obiect of his happines must be a Spirit Spirits enioying Spirits as Bodies do Bodies chiefly the chiefest Thirdly this chiefest Spirit is not to bee found among the Creatures but must only bee the Creator for the Creator must needs exceede all the Spirits that issue from him as the highest cause doth his inferiour effects And to this also conspireth this conception euen of humane reason that in him must bee the chiefest exaltation of Mans being from whom the being it selfe did first proceede Yet neither doth our mercifull Father leaue this Truth without a witnesse but by that great reuerend mysterie of the Sabbath he telleth vs outwardly what before he inwardly taught vs euen that God is our blessednesse and that holinesse is the way to him For God is said to haue created the world in sixe dayes and to haue rested blessed and hallowed the seuenth Now God needed not sixe dayes to create a world which he can equally doe in a moment Neither needed he to rest the seuenth day for any wearinesse gotten by Creation But these things are of an higher meaning and include Doctrines more excellent and so more agreeable to the nature and dignitie of God God chose to make his worke distinctly in sixe seuerall dayes and in euery day distinctly considered the worke which that day hee had made and vpon this distinct and seuerall consideration hee pronounced this sentence vpon each dayes worke that the worke of that day was good Yet hee saith onely that it was good hee saith not that it was goodnesse it was good enough in his kind for seruice but not for happinesse But the seuenth day hee ceaseth both from Creation and this consideration of the good Creatures and with-draweth himselfe into himselfe Hee returneth from without to the enioying of himselfe his owne rest and to the contemplation of this rest inioyed and there onely hee findeth pronounceth to be perfect holinesse and perfect blessednesse To make this knowne vnto Man God takes this Seuenth day wherein hee retyred to his rest and imprints on it the qualities of his rest holinesse and blessednesse that the holinesse and blessednesse of that day might bee a patterne to vs of the holinesse and blessednesse which is in God that we reading therein the blessednesse of God might set our whole hearts desires thereon and reading therin the holinesse of God might fit our selues by holinesse to his Holinesse which as it is inseparable from happinesse in God so must it be also in all that wil see Good for nothing contrary or vnlike to God may approch vnto him Thus the Seuenth day crowned by the employment of that day the other sixe daies left vnblessed by the works of those dayes by a manifest differēce point vnto vs that the end and happinesse of Man are not to be sought in the workes of the sixe dayes but in the blessed Holinesse and holy Blessednesse of the Seuenth And to the same truth the order of Creation doth likewise inuite vs. For all Creatures being first made Man was made after Creatures and so set before them as their end to whom they should looke whom they should serue But Man being thus placed as the end of the Creatures in this great mysterie of the Sabbath solemnized after Mans creation God and his blessed Rest is set before Man as the end and happinesse of Man So as Man is set before the face of the Creatures so is God in the Sabbath set before the face of Man The Creatures should looke to Man and Man
man God lets it alone and suffers it to runne on in the course of miserie purposing to blot it out wholly by a last fire and reseruing perfection for the life to come Another that the wretchednesse of Man falne being continually felt may bee a continuall document and reacher of the weaknes of Man without God of the odiousnesse of sinne in the sight of God and the pointing of a finger to turn our eies from this wretched world to the happinesse which is aboue For present griefe is a sharpe spurre to the heart of Man prouokes him to runne hastily from these remnants of miserie vnto perfect felicitie Againe miserie sweetneth ioy and the sorrowes of this life shall like a darke vaile giue a lustre to the glorie of the next As for the strong remnant of corruption and the small portion of grace which is the second question wee must know that both by it and by the remnants of miserie God is mightily glorified and Mans glorie in the presence of GOD greatly increased For Gods glorie must needes be great when by a little seed of the Spirit he manageth steereth and guideth Man through a masse of corruption and a throng of outward euils into a Port of blessednesse The lesser the meanes and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth ouercome a great opposition yea it is greater glorie to God to turne euils into good by ouer-mastering them then wholly to take them away And for our part our glorie shall be increased because wee haue serued Gods glorie in a bitter conflict and a difficult combat The more is the present labour the more shall be the future ioy the hardnesse of the Victorie shall increase the glorie of the triumph and opposition it selfe shall become our aduancement Accordingly the greatest seekers which commonly are the greatest finders of happinesse are vsually placed in the forefront of the battaile against the thickest presse of remayning euils and the push of most fierce and fierie temptations And surely while they suffer present euils for future glorie while they fight fearfull conflicts against remayning corruption and the king thereof that they may not impaire their future ioyes as thereby they preserue and increase these ioyes so bee they Heralds and Proclaymers of the exceeding happinesse of the presence of God they are the witnesses of God to the world that this world is nothing comparable to the next and that neither the miseries nor felicities of it are any way equal to that transcendent ioy which is to come Finally when corruption ouer-masters vs the sufficience of Gods grace doth releeue vs forgiuenesse supplying or couering the defects of infirmitie But yet Man is not quiet hee is not in good liking with this kind of happines for hee complayneth it is thin and ayrie and his fleshly palate hath more sauour in the taste of flesh then in the taste of a spirituall happinesse Againe he saith it is long in comming and a Man may bee wearie with looking for it before it comes To the first I grant indeede that the fleshly taste rellisheth not spiritual ioyes but yet are they not therefore the worse but the better For the grosnesse of the one and the puritie of the other are the causes of this dislike So doth the stomake of the country Swain despise the delicate and nice dyet of the finer Dames not that hee can finde any ill in it but because it is too slight to satisfie his grosse and mightie appetite This was truly patterned in the Israelites whose strong stomakes desired the Onions and Melons of Egypt but lothed the pure and excellent Bread of heauen Therefore this must be the rule in this matter euery appetite pleaseth it selfe most in an obiect fitting proportionable to it selfe and it is not the excellency of the obiect but the agreeablenesse that makes it delightfull According to this is that of the Poet the Lyonesse hunteth the Wolfe the Wolfe seeketh the Kid and the Kid delighteth in the greene grasse Wherefore I expect not that grosse flesh should find extraordinarie comfort in a most pure and spirituall glorie But a spirituall Man onely rellisheth spirituall things because they are onely agreeable to such a man Accordingly as farre as a man is spirituall so farre takes hee comfort in a spirituall happinesse which indeede is here but in part so that we do but looke as through some crany into the glorie of Heauen and we do loue this glorie but with a part of our affection yet in some Saints hath it beene so feruent that they haue sent challenges to Death in strong desires to bee dissolued and would haue built Tabernacles in this spirituall blessednes But when the Spirit of God in the great Day shall haue fully purged our soules and bodies with that diuine fire and refined our grosnesse corruption and drosse then to vs made fully spirituall shal the most high soueraigne Spirit bee the chiefe and soueraigne good for Man being made spirituall shall delight in Spirits chiefly in the chiefest And then these grosse pleasures desired now by grosse lusts shall be lothsome and contemptible as too base for so pure diuine Essences Wherefore if wee would take pleasure in things of excellence we must striue to raise our selues to their excellent degree we must lift our selues vp to a nature proportionable vnto them And by such an indenour wee shall purchase a higher station and a higher happinesse whereas otherwise we lye downe basely in our owne dregs complaine like Owles of the glorie of the Sunne when the fault is in our owne eyes wherefore let this bee the most commendable ambition of a truly-noble and generous Spirit to aduance his mind to a puritie and excellence proportionable to a supereminent obiect and happinesse And bee it reputed the quality of a base worthlesse and muddie thing to bring downe happinesse to his low groueling and grosse desires and when he cannot doe so to accuse it To the second Who is troubled so much with the delay of payment and the deferring of Happinesse for an answere I would aske him how long hee would willingly stay to bee Heire of a Crowne Here if I may speake for him I thinke hee would confesse that hee would bee contented if hee might haue it but seuen yeeres before his death Now I will desire him to stay but seuen yeeres more and then hee shall haue this Crowne that farre excels the other And to comfort him in this ods of expectation I can tell him that those who haue knowne and now worne both these Crownes haue made a far greater ods betweene them then a few yeeres patience preferring a day in the Courts of heauen before a thousand in the Courts of Princes But that wee may come lower doe not wee see it an ordinarie thing that a man continues thirtie yeeres in a course of learning that he may be a learned man but thirtie
yet beleeue thou the Word of the Lord which hee hath spoken to thee by his Spirit for his record is true and he must be beleeued vnder hope against hope The Spirit which establisheth vs hath warranted our stabilitie and this Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and what is once Truth is still Truth must stifly be retained against all contrary probabilities apparances Therefore are wee and may wee bee alwayes bold amidst tribulations and afflictions amidst terrors without and terrors within for the seale of God remaineth vpon vs inuiolable and the Lord who knowes who are his hath told vs that we are his Now that wee may haue the comfort of this Testimony let vs often examine our selues and search our hearts to see whether they resemble God or not let vs lay vp in our memories yea in memorialls records the witnessings of the Spirit to our Spirits against the day of Exercise and Tryall Thus wee see that euen in this Life wee are not left comfortlesse but wee haue both Comforts and a Comforter Yet wee still say that our chiefe Comfort is in the next Life yea the next Life is the chiefe Comfort of this Life to those whose eyes see things inuisible and make future things present Wherefore amidst the comforts of this life let our eyes and hearts be especially fixed on that because comforts in this life are but baytings and incouragements in our way vnto Happinesse but are not themselues our wayes end THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The third Part. Wherein is shewed how Man hyeth hold on happinesse retayneth and increaseth it and finally is put into the full fruition of it CHAP. I. How Man fastneth himselfe vnto happinesse WE haue seene what is our Soueraigne Good and we haue seen how this soueraigne Good imparts it selfe vnto Man now it concernes vs to search by what meanes Man may apply this soueraigne Good to himselfe or rather himselfe to it In vaine to vs it is that there is an happinesse In vaine it is that there is an hand stretched out to deliuer this happinesse to vs if we haue not also a hand to receiue it For if there be an happinesse and an offered happinesse if we receiue it not if wee haue no propertie in it wee continue in miserie euen in the sight of happinesse Wee are not happy except happinesse bee ours and not the being but the communication of happinesse makes vs happy And euen for this communication application is there an instrument giuen vs by him who is our happinesse he that hath giuen a mouth to the body to receiue the food of the body hath giuen a mouth to the soule to receiue the food of the soule Yea he hath taught vs how to open this mouth wide that it may admit and receiue a great fulnesse of happinesse But if in stead of telling thee how this is done I should aske thee what thou wouldest do for that which is better then all things How canst thou returne any other answer but this That thou wouldest giue all things for that which is better then all things For euen at that rate thou shalt be a gayner And if thy minde bee like this answere thou art in a good preparation for the receit of blessednes thou drawest neere vnto it and that thou maist not faile receiue these directions following The soule of Man hath two especiall parts or powers the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding is appointed to be the guide of the will and vpon the will moued by the vnderstanding should the affections and all the members attend yea all things that are ours Now if thou wilt receiue and apply happinesse offered in that God and Man our most blessed Restorer first thy vnderstanding must bee opened by knowledge for it must know acknowledge God in Christ to bee that which he is euen the blisse of mankinde and the meanes to that blisse As he is God so hee is Blessednes as hee is Man vnited to God so is he a Mediator betweene Blessednes and Man This thou must know and thou must know that this thy knowledge of him is true right For CHRIST being thus known the eye of the soule is turned from all other shewes and meanes of happinesse and the same is fixed onely on the onely Lord and Sauiour Being thus settled in the full assurance of vnderstanding thou hast performed a good part of thy promise for thou hast giuen thy vnderstanding euen a chiefe part of thy soule wholly to CHRIST And if further thou desirest a signe to know whether thou hast done this truely and really this may serue for a signe vnto thee If the knowledge of any thing for happinesse or the meanes to happinesse besides God in Christ bee vnto thâ—â— as drosse and filth and â—â—â—lishnesse But 〈…〉 vnderstanding must proceede to worke vpon thy will it must moue the will to open it selfe wide vnto happinesse and being open to sucke cleaue and fasten it selfe by an ardent loue rest and settlement vnto happinesse certainly discouered in Christ by the vnderstanding And indeed in Spirits either vncorrupted or rectified this is a natural course For in such the vnderstanding hauing assuredly descryed the soueraigne Good the will presently moueth it selfe to it being deseryed and drawes with it all the parts and powers subiect vnto it And as for all other offers of fained happinesse it giues them this answere Whither shall I goe for this is he that hath the words of eternall Life Blessednes Wherefore that the whole promise be performed and that all may bee giuen for happinesse let the will follow the vnderstanding and wholly and vnmoueably will and loue this Treasure of felicitie discouered in Christ Iesus for saking selling and abandoning all things for it I say let the will sticke to Christ alone by a feruent loue desire as vnto the alone happines and let the same will sticke to Christ alone by a strong trust and confidence as the alone Mediator of happi nesse And finally with an earnest hunger and thirst let it surrender vp it selfe and all things subiect to it vnto his sauing or imparting of blessednes which he doth by the Spirit For thus farre must the wil proceede in working and then only comes the crowne of the worke For it is not inough barely to know that God is happines nor to put thy trust in no other but the Sonne for the imparting of this happinesse but thou must also surrender vp thy selfe wholly to the Holy Ghost by whom the Father powreth and sealeth blessednesse into vs through Christ his Sonne When therefore wee haue proposed and settled the Deitie for our happinesse haue yeelded our selues vp to the three Persons of the same Deitie vnited to the Humanitie for the conferring of happinesse I meane to God the Father redeeming vs by the Sonne and regenerating vs by the holy Ghost then hath the vnderstanding and will wrought home euen to the
Creator If the bodily sight be extinguished He which made the first sight can only make a new and when the eye of the soule is so farre put out that it seeth not him that made it He that made it only can giue it a new sight whereby himselfe may bee seene Wherefore if thou which readest thus farre yet beleeuest not what thou readest I wonder not for I know what thou art I looke not that blindnesse should see or carnalitie should sauour spirituall ioyes Thou art bounded with thy owne flesh which is thy Horizon limit of discerning Thy candle cannot see thorow the thicke Lanterne of thy bodie to perceiue the mysterie of the blessednes of Spirits nor the glorie that is aboue the vaile of this visible heauen But perchance thou wilt aske If the opening of the eyes be from God alone to what purpose shall aduice begiuen to thee in a matter that lyeth not in thee and which is not effected by aduice but by supernaturall operation To this I answere That although the power that must inlighten thee doth descend from aboue yet vsually it doth communicate it selfe vnto vs by the seruice of certaine meanes left with vs here below Againe when grace doth first breathe vpon vs it worketh by degrees which degrees being by some neglected or misconstrued it hath bred vnto them a greater difficultie hardnesse of trauaile in the new birth but being perceiued and duely entertayned they turne into Testimonials vnto vs yea to incouragements vnto farther degrees of grace But if thou aske mee againe how thou shalt like or vse the meanes when thou neither seest nor likest the happines intended by the meanes To this I must reply That without God thou canst not so much as loue the meanes yet as a naturall man thou mayest consider these things following first If thou looke into the best sort of heauenly Philosophers thou shalt see among them Men wise and vnderstanding iust righteous inioying both wealth and honour and if thou talke with those Men they will tell thee seriously that they most certainly see and feele an estate of happinesse and that they came to the sight of such an estate by frequenting the meanes left with vs here on earth Secondly if thou wilt search some special works of men thou shalt finde Writers of vndeniable worthines who by Miracles Prophesies Oracles Successe and Victorie against oppositions haue proued the veritie of Christian learning it being impossible that a Doctrine mainly contrarie to flesh bloud should be aduanced so much among men whose very frame is flesh bloud without the maintenance of an Omnipotent LORD Thirdly doe but consider what this Doctrine which is the instrument meanes of Life proposeth to thee and requireth of thee It proposeth to thee an eternall felicitie it requireth of thee Pietie and Puritie things of themselues desireable excellent But thou wilt say that this puritie will cost thee deare for it is sure to cost thee all thy sinfull pleasures and may cost thee much paine yea thy life it selfe But to this I may answere That though it may cost thee something yet vpon the matter it loseth thee nothing for whatsoeuer pleasures of sinne thou canst inioy being inioyed they dye and come to nothing yea life it selfe comes at last to nothing that for nothing so the condition required of thee is onely this That what shall be nothing if it be may be nothing by not being and to incourage thee herein thou hast for aduantage an aduenture for Eternitie In summe thou art required at the most but to lose that which will bee lost for an happinesse which may and shall be found for euer Yea for these grosse pleasures euen in this life thou shalt haue ioyes vnspeakeable Howsoeuer whether thou receiue the meanes of happinesse or refuse it certaine it is that to all those that receiue the Life of blessednesse the Doctrine of God left vnto vs in writing and vnfolded by his seruants properly deputed to this office is the vsuall conueyance of this life God alone inuented and conceiued the remedie of Mans miserie and a way from miserie vnto felicitie The same God who onely knew it could only tell it and only by telling can men know and beleeue it and only by knowing and beleeuing can men striue toward it and so finally attaine it So wee see that men must know and beleeue happines to obtain it and happinesse must bee taught if they will know beleeue it and to teach this happinesse there needeth a word of Reuelation and to reueile this GOD himselfe must speake vnto vs who alone was the Founder and Knower of this mysterie Therefore must we esteeme this Word highly as a great second Mercy by which the first great Mercy is de liuered to vs. Before this Doctrine our happines was lockt vp in Gods vnsearchable purpose but by this Doctrine happinesse is reached out to vs and issueth from the heart of God into the heart of Man Wherefore let vs be farre from accounting it a vaine Word for it is our life and the length of our dayes and by it wee receiue eternall Life from the Ancient of daies For while it is taught vnto vs without the Vertue and Spirit of God entreth into vs within and makes vs capable of that happinesse which is taught vnto vs. Now the degrees by which this Spirit vsually worketh vpon vs are these First it causeth vs somewhat to discerne allow the truth of this Word And next it moues a desire of more knowledge and of a greater taste of the Word of Life which is also made knowne to God in Prayer And at length the heart is moued with so seruent a loue vnto it that it desires to be wholly sauoured salted and seasoned therewith that the naturall Man may no longer liue in the heart but that CHRISTS Kingdome may bee set vp therein And so the Word or CHRIST in and by the Word becomes the Treasure of the heart and therefore from thenceforth the heart is euer thinking on his treasure it thirsts after it it seekes it with eye and eare But that thou maist not be discouraged in thy first beginnings thou must also know in what manner and order the Doctrine and Art of felicitie doth present it selfe vnto thee It will first offer to thy knowledge and meditation the lamentable face of humane miserie so that thy flesh perchance will feare to goe on halfe despairing how thou canst euer come through so great miserie vnto felicitie But feare not the beginning and the end are contrarie Thy naturall estate is indeede very miserable And this Doctrine doth not make it to be so but shewes it to bee so The corruption of nature made thee miserable and hid thy miserie from thee and so made thee contentedly to continue in miserie But this Doctrine sheweth thee thy miserie that by shewing it it may cure it It shewes thee indeede the vgly face of thy
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
seruant not as a Companion much lesse as a Master yea let her vse it as if shee vsed it not euen as one readie not to vse it when happinesse shall call her from the world or when vanitie losse and decay shal call for the world from her A third reason of watchfulnesse is the watchfulnes of our Aduersarie euen that crooked Serpent who is the Prince of darknesse and the enemie of Mans happinesse This is the roring Lyon who still seeketh whom hee may deuoure and of this kind are specially carelesse and secure men for such he is sure may most easily be deuoured This is the enuious man that soweth tares among the wheat while the good man sleepeth euen in the sleeping time of our securitie hee watcheth most for a mischieuous malicious seed-time Neither let any man maruell that this keeper of the dungeon of infelicitie is so vigilant and carefull to fill his prison for Enuy as a mayne disease hauing throughly seized him this gnawing malady giues him no ease but in the ruine and destruction of others and the onely comfort of his wretchednesse is to get good store of company to be wretched with him Neither need wee to goe farre for an example patterne of the same thing for very violent is the same sicknesse among men and in them is also a communication of the same serpentine nature for they can excellently repine at superioritie there is no greater quarrell among many then this that one doth excell and goe before another And if it be so powerfull in men wee may allow it to be more powerfull in meere Spirits for the greater is the eminence of their nature the greater is the eminence of the corruption of that nature according to the rule the corruption of the best is worst But let vs make a medicine of this Scorpion and this we shall doe if the same Enuy which keepes him waking to deuoure bee a remembrance to vs to keepe our selues waking that we be not deuoured Is not our owne preseruation as sweet to vs as our destruction is to him If our enuious neighbor promise to watch vs a good turne wee will watch our selues that wee may haue no neede of his good turne but this spitefull Serpent from the beginning is sealed vnder a couenant of continuall enmitie and shall not his malice be a spurre in our sides and a thorne in our brests to keepe vs waking therefore giue no sleepe to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eye-lids while thou art in a life of combate but still beleeue for it is plaine enough to be beleeued that a watching Angell is too hard for a secure and sleeping man Indeed it is true he is too hard for vs in our best watching did not a higher Watch-man keepe vs who neither slumbers nor sleepes The watchfull eye of that greatest Spirit is our Preseruer against the watchfull cursed inferiour spirit but this withall wee must know that God loues to watch ouer them that watch ouer them selues his watching is an example to vs not a discouragement he will haue vs to doe what wee can for our selues and then what wee indeuour to doe and cannot he will doe for vs the Mariners must stay in PAVLS ship to doe their indeuours else those could not bee safe whom God did meane to saue He hath giuen vs soules and these soules he hath inlightned and sanctified that wee might discerne and foresee Satans policies this gift of his he will haue vs to make vse of and not to looke to haue that done by him which hee hath giuen vs power to doe our selues But if wee take away our owne watching wee prouoke GOD also to take away his for if wee bee not worth our owne watchfulnesse much lesse are wee worth his And then if wee be wholly forsaken both of God and our selues wo to him that is thus alone he is one of those that are fittest to be deuoured Euill and mortall concupiscences enter in by swarmes into such a soule al good thoughts are presently carried away as seede by the Fowles of the aire The Vine of our soul dressed with the bloud of Christ and watered with the Spirit is abandoned to the wildest Bore of this worlds wide Forrest But on the other side you cannot anger this Destroyer worse then to spie his nets and his traps and if hee see you make a custom of marking and shunning them it is great ods but he will remoue his engines His first plot was to cast vs into a drunken darknesse that hee might handle vs being blind at his will and pleasure And this darknesse is the Deuils pale at this day by which hee incloseth the sonnes of darknesse euen naturall men that they are taken at his pleasure Yea such men vvonder when they see the sonnes of light watchfull in their wayes they hold them to bee but scrupulous fellowes to watch against one whom they neither see nor feare But indeed the lesse hee is seene the more he is to bee feared for hee doth farre more hurt to them that see him not then he can doe to them that see him Therefore the children of wisedome lighten their eyes with the Spirit and Word of God by these Lamps through the night of their owne nature they espie the snares of Satan and auoid them For this double-vnited Light is the thred that must leade vs through this Maze of temptations vnto the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God If we abide in this Light we are out of the iurisdiction of the kingdome of darknesse wee are escaped into the protection of the Father of Light and in this light of his we walk into his owne primitiue Light But being translated into this Kingdome of Light let vs not then make our selues secure but still stand vpon our watch for sleeping becomes the night and not the light And as wee haue before receiued some incitements to watch our enemies so now let vs consider some motiues which may incourage vs to watch and welcome our friends euen the Messengers of grace which are sent to leade vs into the Eternall habitations To this end let vs first weigh who it is euen how great is that Prince which visiteth vs by such messages of grace it is euen the King of glory that knocks at our soules gates by the fresh supplyes of his Spirit Maiestie vouch safeth to visite Miserie and Omnipotence sendeth strength to Infirmitie what remains then but that the euerlasting Dores of our soules presently open themselues wide that the King of glory may readily enter in We must open large windowes in our hearts that the Sun of righteousnes may powre in a large light and heate when hee visiteth vs in the mornings of grace But far be it from vs to be far from home when God commeth to see vs. Far bee it from vs to let him passe as a stranger that lodgeth not for a night And surely if he be vnregarded
if he vse long delay in the grant of thy Petition thereby hee teacheth thee the worth of his gift and demands of thee a large price of earnest and continuall prayer Surely we make no ill bargaine if with the Prayers of a whole temporall life wee obtayne that which is to be inioyed by a life Eternall Therefore bee not weary of continuance in seeking for whiles thereby thou acknowledgest the great worth of that which thou seekest and thine owne great neede of the bountie and supply of thy Creator God that takes pleasure in this acknowledgement of thy prayers will grant what pleasing acceptable prayers doe request of him And indeede where canst thou in thy wants better bestow thy thoughts and whither wouldest thou turne them from God since our helpe standeth only in the Name of the Lord and there is none but God that heareth and granteth prayers In GOD alone is the Sabbath and rest of our soules battered with necessities cares and temptations And therfore God inuited vs by his Apostle to take cares and sorrowes out of our owne hearts and to lay them in his hands for he careth for vs himselfe Surely if with the King of Iudah before the Arke of Gods presence we vnfold the letters of defiance which the infernall enemie sends vs in his firie temptations if with the same King being neere vnto death especiall the death spirituall we morne before God as Doues and lift vp our eyes to him on high no doubt but he that dwelleth on high will send downe his Angels of deliuerance to rebuke Satan to chase him away into the deepe and will also send the Spirit of life to adde life vnto our decaying life And though prayers of length and continuance doe not worke meerely by their length yet are they powerfull by another meanes For God being a Spirit hath professed himselfe to bee pleased by the seruice of the Spirit and the more seruice of the Spirit the more GOD is pleased So while in the length and continuance of Prayer much of the Spirit is powred out there is much acceptation of the same with God who is greatly delighted with spirituall sacrifices And as much Spirit in continued prayer is powerfull with GOD so much Spirit vented and darted forth euen in one petition is forcible with the same God God suffers himselfe to be ouercome by the feruencie of the Spirit whether by degrees vttering it selfe or all at once SALOMON in a long Prayer and the Publican in a short were both heard the Publican shooting forth the whole strength of his soule in one petition which SALOMON dispersed into many But in the length of our prayers let vs remember this that the Spirit is the wingednes of Prayer by which it pierceth the heauens and it is no longer prayer but babbling when some measure of the Spirit doth not expresse it selfe therein Now wee know that we pray in the Spirit so long as by the light thereof wee behold God in Christ to whom we pray and the fitnesse and necessitie of the things for which we pray and by the feruencie thereof wee earnestly desire and thirst after the things wee pray for I must needes confesse that some-times the Spirit of prayer supplication doth hide and withdraw it selfe so that we cannot perfectly fulfill all these parts but then let vs lament our own dulnesse and pray or at least grone some grone of the Spirit for the Spirit of prayer let vs bee earnest with God that he will open our lips that our mouth may speake to his praise wee shall seldome depart without a blessing And if God yet delaies vs for hee seldome finally denies vs let vs cast vp short eiaculations desiring God to accept our desires to pray and to giue vs those things which hee knowes to bee best which our hearts do implicitly pray for though not openly and finally to forgiue vs our dulnesse and to heare Christ Iesus praying for vs. But in the shortnesse of prayer let vs take heed that we doe it not out of idlenesse or neglect of God as if God were not worthy of more labour or prayer were a thing of little profit or value but let such short Petitions bee vented forth either by reason of impotency in prayer or vpon a fulnesse of the heart by reason of some incident meditation or because of our shame and confusion of face for some lothsome sinne when with the Publican we be ashamed to lift vp our eyes to heauen and to enter into a sudden familiaritie with God being so newly polluted and hauing so lately offended him and then it may bee in stead of prayer with PETER to weepe bitterly for GOD heareth the voyce of PETERS teares aswell as of ABELS bloud and anon to cast forth Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I know GOD forgiueth at once yet the comfort of that which hee doth at once must wee receiue by degrees and wee must not too suddenly leap out from the sorrow for sin into the comfort of Gods promises but with MIRIAM wee must for a certayne time and that proportionably greater or lesse according to the measure of the sinne I say wee must beare the shame of offending so high a Maiestie and by vndergoing some burthen punishment of sorrow acknowledge the weight of sinne make sinne lothsome to vs and feele it burthensome and intolerable and being armed to this point that voice of Christ is then both sweetest and fittest to be heard Come vnto me ye heauy laden and I will refresh you DAVID hauing his pardon pronounced by the Prophet yet after he ceaseth not to feele the lothsomnes of his sinne and in the 51. Psalme prayeth that his sin may bee pardoned and his iniquity purged that which was at once done in heauen he desires with time to feele more sealed and imparted to him on earth Lastly such may vse short prayer to whom bodily infirmitie alloweth not the bent of long meditation of such GOD requires according to that they haue and not according to that they haue not and to them a short Petition may bee accepted for a long Prayer yea a sigh of the Spirit may bee like a Diamond of great value though it lye in a little roome But ordinarily let vs thinke it best to imitate the ancient Saints who haue worshipped God in a continuing and combined forme of prayer the patternes whereof are often to bee found in the Word of life And as our prayers must be continual so stil let vs striue to make them earnest seruent and vehement that it may still appeare vnto God that wee haue an earnest desire to bee heard Otherwise coldnesse in asking may wel deserue coldnesse in granting and since giuing is more then asking that which doth not merit the lesser how may wee think it should procure the greater Againe God himselfe by the Parable of the vniust Iudge like SAMSON hath shewed vs how hee may be bound for he hath
of an ill action like a Rule it will presently shew vs the crookednesse of it point vs to the right way from whence we haue straied and if it haue beene too long deferred so that the sinne is past before it was called for then will it bee a Seer vnto thee to tell thee thy sinne and to deliuer thee ouer to the larger meditation of Repentance Secondly if thou art in a good and right action it stands by thee to abet and incourage thee thou art in the path of Gods protection in the way where the Angels gard and watch Goe on valiantly feare not what man nor euill angels can doe vnto thee Thus shall the soule cōtinue her flight towards heauen if euer among shee anoynt her feathers with this Oile of the Spirit For in this respect shee is not vnlike those flying fishes whose wings by flying grow drie and by being drie lose their flying so that still they must haue recourse to the Sea by the moysture thereof still to make good their flight So the soule flying through this world vnto heauen her wings euen her cogitations purposes and conceptions will grow drie by earthly conuersation and therefore must bee new oyled with grace if they will carry her throughly to her iourneys end The cares and temptations of this life quickly dry vp the heauenly Vnction and so the soule is in danger to fall if she doe not often moisten her selfe in the Riuers of Oyle which flow from the eternall Spirit and thither doth this short Meditation direct vs. Lastly we may adioyne hereunto incident occasionall Meditations which will bee very vsefull vpon the receiuing of extraordinary blessings or the suffering of vnwonted chastizements It is fit wee should search out Gods meaning as neere as we may by the light of his Word when he speaketh to vs in his fauors and frownes His blessings should bee esteemed like so many bands of obedience and thou shouldest acknowledge both in heart and actions that each of them calls to thee for more Loue more Thankefulnes more Holinesse Yea thou art by them led vnto Humilitie for when thou lookest on Gods blessings and thy sinfull selfe at once thou must needs cry out I am lesse then the least of thy blessings and what is man that the Lord regardeth and visiteth him yea the bountie of God leadeth thee to Repentance and God is often to vs a patterne of ouercomming euill with good euen our sinnes with his Mercies Hee dresseth and manureth many times a fruitlesse Tree that he may receiue fruit from it Therefore bee thou amended by his benefits and increase thy fruit otherwise blessings made vnfruitfull are the fore-rūners of cursings and dressing if to no purpose is the way to digging vp and casting into the fire Likewise let the chastizements of God be entertayned by Meditation vnto thy profit and aduancement They would haue thee either to examine thy selfe of some neglected sin or they would haue thee repent euen for thy secret sinnes for though thou know nothing by thy selfe yet art thou not thereby acquited or they would haue thee humble thy proud heart vnder the mightie hand of God or they would spurre thee to a speedier and more actiue Zeale or they would teach thee the skill of that excellent vertue Patience and instruct thee to loue God afflicting and to trust in him slaying Some of these are commonly the purposes and ends of affliction and if thou take occasion by chastizements to put them all in execution thou shalt bee the surer to hit the right one and so to bee a gainer by thy sufferings But before wee leaue this subiect if wee would know which is generally the best and fittest habitude of Man for the receiuing of profit by the larger and more leisurable kinde of Meditation Surely it is when the body least burdeneth the soule especially when shee is least clogged with the grosse vapours of fulnesse and repletion It is truely said by the Wiseman That the corruptible bodie weigheth downe the soule and therefore as truely it may be said That the bodie rarified and lessened by abstinence lighteneth the soule when the eyes or eares which see and heare the soule are stopt vp by thick exhalations the soule cānot tel the dul body what the Spirit of God doth tell it But since spirituall things are spiritually discerned surely then are spirituall things best discerned when the bodie is most spirit-like and least bodily When the Lanthorne of the flesh is pared and thinned by Abstinence then the Light of the soule shineth most cleerly through it Saint PAVL spake of the Man that saw Reuelations vnvtterable that whether hee were in the body or out of the body hee knew not so if wee will see Reuelations otherwise inconceiuable wee must striue to goe out of the body so farre by abstinence as wee may with preseruing the bodie For certaine it is That the soule inlightened by Grace if it were not for the cloud of the bodie would shine out to vs in many notable and excellent Truths and therefore hee takes the true course to meete them that goes a little out of his body towards them And surely such soules so walking toward God by going out of the flesh into the Spirit GOD hath often met with heauenly Visions whereas others shutting vp their windows by continuall fulnes haue lost great Reuelations To DANIEL fasting GABRIEL appeared to PETER fasting the Sheete was let downe from Heauen and to CORNELIVS fasting euen to the ninth houre an Angell was sent from God And surely this latter kind of fasting seemes most profitable for Meditation euen the fast of the Morning rather then of the Euening For in the Morning after rest the Spirits are freshest and most capable both of Light and Action they are most lightsome most actiue for Meditation And as fasting kindles the bright flame of Meditation so the true and kindly fire of Meditation sends vp to Heauen the smoke and incense of Prayer For fasting is an excellent Preparatiue to Meditation and Meditation to PRAYER Without abstinence Meditation lesseneth her Light without Meditation Praier lesseneth her might but Meditation ioyned to Abstinence mounteth the higher and Prayer mounted on Meditation pierceth the swifter and reacheth the neerer to Heauen Againe as by Abstinence we are made the fitter to meditate and by Meditation made the fitter to pray so by Prayer wee get a greater fitnesse and ability both for Abstinence and Meditation Such Prayer blesleth the meanes by which it is begotten by going to the Father of blessings and it is of a great power with GOD euen so powerfull that some kind of Deuils go not out but by it Let vs therefore often abstaine that wee may often meditate and when wee haue dwelt awhile in Meditation let vs goe forth into Prayer For Prayer thus inflamed by Meditation is as the Sacrifice of Israel kindled by the fire of Heauen and such a Sacrifice is indeed
Religion let thy companie to such a one be a conuersation of reproofe and the doctrine of SIMON PETER to SIMON MAGVS or let it bee no companie at all These are they for whom chiefly the Name of God is ill spoken of among our Heathen Christians These be they that set Religion to the basest lowest seruice euen to the attendance and supportation of sinne which of all things else it most hateth and detesteth These be they that make Religion to bee most dangerous and hurtfull to those who haue most Religion if withall they haue not the wisedome to discern Spirits These be they that vse the Word of God to aduance prosper their owne wickednes and consequently their owne damnation and certainly their damnation sleepeth not but euery Sermon which they heare increaseth their heape of wrath against the Day of wrath Now as wee should generally apply our selues vnto the societie of the Saints so should we striue to bring Saints into the places of neerest vse and societie For goodnes being so neere vs will continually bee doing good vnto vs. Whereas on the contrarie gracelesnesse by the continuance of conuersation will be still infecting quenching and killing of grace Ancient examples of wretched Memory haue confirmed this at large the greatest and the broadest miseries hauing beene brought on mankind by the mischiefe of such infectious societie There was but one man at the first and in him was all mankinde and in him all mankind fell into destruction by his beleeuing a seduced wife and their both associating and beleeuing a seducing Serpent Yea there is before vs but one great World and by the conuersation of the daughters of men with the sonnes of God this world was both corrupted and drowned After that deluge there was but one Nation chosen by God as a pattern and Master-piece of the World in which God by miracles precepts mounted and improued mankind to his vtmost height to see what Man could doe towards his owne happinesse and saluation this chiefe Nation yea the chiefest one of that Nation became abominably sinfull by conuersing with sinners And can a part thinke to stand where the whole hath falne Or can our weaknes thinke to ouer-come that enemie before whom such strength and wisdome lies vanquished and subdued It cannot be expected Our vaine and groundlesse presumptions may puffe vs vp with an opinion of conquering but that very presumption is the mayne thing that by such perswasions leades vs to bee conquered and by telling vs of Victorie it leades vs on valiantly to be beaten And let vs assuredly beleeue this that if there bee the like prophane marrying and the like taking in marriage as there was in the dayes of NOE the like eating and drinking euen such wicked heathenish good fellowship the world that now is will bee as ripe for Fire as it was then for Water it will haue as much need of burning as it had then of drowning But let the wise of heart hasten this day rather by their prayers then their sinnes and to preuent sin let them walke as sonnes of Light with the children of Light and haue no fellowship with the works or workers of darknesse I know right well that the fewnesse of those who enter into the straight gate doth impose vpon vs a difficultie of fitting our selues round with the societie of Saints I know also that the necessities of this life doe forcibly carry vs into the companies of prophane godlesse men Yet let vs remember to striue stil for the best to account the euill as thornes in our sides and let vs finde willingly a trouble vexation in their companie but neuer satisfaction rest and contentment Let our hearts bee to the Saints still euen to the seede of the Womans seed and let there euer be a horror in vs and reluctation against the seede of the Serpent Let vs doe our indeuor cōtinually to vnwinde our selues from the wicked and from the need of their societie And let vs take heed that we doe not too easily despaire of accommodating our vses and occasions by some of those sanctified few especially in that place of neerest Vnion which requires but one and that one in the Lord GOD hath promised the seekers to find and that hee will withhold no grace nor blessing from them which seeke blessings for his Glorie To conclude conuerse also with the dead heare and reade their Actions and Sayings thou shalt finde that the dead will quicken the dead as the dead Prophet did the dead Souldier The spirit of the dead will enter into thy dead heart when thou considerest their excellent Actions and heauenly Meditations The zealous heate of their spirits remaineth yet in their words and actions and by these will enter into thee to raise thee vpto the same degree of feruence in the Spirit The first Loue was the best Loue and the first louers were the best louers The Apostles that were neerest to Christ were neerest to him in Loue those that succeeded the Apostles in time succeeded them best in Loue for then did the Kingdome of Heauen suffer greatest violence I know that God is stil mightie in his Saints but I know also that in these first times the fire of Loue was more generally vehement for then they did euen dote vpon Martyrdome and by their forwardnesse of suffering daunted many times the fury of their Persecutors But on the other side it hath beene fore-told that in these last Times Loue shall waxe cold and men shall loue pleasures more then God whereupon the World shall bee consummate Therefore let our cold Loue warme it selfe by the communion of their hote Loue and let no man so much condemne the Fathers for Errours as admire and imitate them for Zeale Let vs be followers of them that followed so vehemently after Christ yea of all such which since their daies and euen at this day haue beene followers of those followers of Christ. Thus compassed with a cloud of witnesses the testimonies of their loue will powerfully perswade vs to cast away all that presseth down and the sinne which hangeth so fast on and to runne more actiuely and swiftly in the race of Pietie Glorie which is set before vs. CHAP. IX Of Humilitie TO increase in the Spirit and so to grow in happinesse wee must carrie about vs a perpetuall Humilitie For Humilitie is the Fore-runner of Grace and it neuer goes before but Grace followes after This excellent Vertue casts out the old ADAM and makes roome for the New it puts away the fulnesse by which wee are full of our selues and so makes place for Christ that we may bee full of his Spirit Man as before hath gotten a God-head into him hee is filled and puffed vp with his knowledge of good euil euen with a selfe-happines which keeps out the true Happinesse God will not haue any gods but himselfe neither will he allow Man to haue two Felicities but he
doore of Death to admit the Prince of Death but by Patience admit the King of Glorie and giue him the possession of thy soule for his stripes are healers his chastizements are restoratiues and his strokes are the strokes of a Father So shalt thou prosper in grace by afflictiōs through the good husbandry of Patience and on the other side thou shalt preuent all Satans mischieuous purposes euen all the euils that vsually doe issue from a tottered disioynted and abandoned spirit Now that thou mayst prouide for thy selfe such a strong Patience which may bee a Coate of proofe to the soule thy Patience must be tempred and steeled with Resolution This Resolution is the Armour of thy Armour euen the keeper of thy Patience which is the keeper of thy soule and the Graces bestowed vpon it For hereby wee are constantly prepared to indure all the crosses and troubles of this transitorie race of miserie And this Resolution to be good must also issue from faith that sees GOD our felicitie who otherwise is inuisible and from hope by which future blessednesse though absent yet assured yeelds vs comfort aboue all vanishing miseries Thus the Souldier of God warfaring against the Enemies of his heauenly Countrie stands inuincible against the gates of Hell and himselfe being wounded or slaine yet his Patience and consequently his soule is safe and aliue But if thou hast not this Resolution stil ready at hand thou art impatient as soone as thou feelest a blow thou must needs run away for thou didst neuer resolue to fight Thou hast not made thy cōputation what the Kingdome of Heauen will cost thee or at least when thou sawest the reckoning thou diddest not resolue to bee at the charge Therefore thou art not for the Army of Christ for all his Souldiers haue resolued to sell all to take vp his Crosse and to follow him in the way of suffering vnto the Crowne of Glorie To conclude that wee may yet bee more secured that neither our Patience nor Resolution faile vs in the day of tryall Let vs know by whose strength wee may stand and in that strength let vs especially seeke strength We may doe well to open the Eye of Faith to behold the ioyes of Heauen which are eternall for Christ on the crosse beheld this Glory therefore endured the Crosse no doubt the same ioyes seene with the same sight may worke the same Resolution We may doe well to apply the Oyle of hope to the sores and wounds made by troubles temptations we may doe well to behold the loue of GOD which wee cannot thinke intends to punish or torment but to amend and exalt and we may doe well to looke vpon the print of Gods seale in our hearts by which that loue is assured to vs. Yet when wee haue done all this it is the power of God that makes all this profitable to vs. If GOD draw in his breath we shall be troubled in the midst of our Contemplations and Resolutions we shall after many protestations deny him with PETER all these helps will helpe vs no more then the Law did the Iewes without the strong Helper For euen Christ himselfe by the power of God endured the wrath of God and by being GOD despised the shame imposed for the sins of men The Glory proposed comforted him but by the Comforter the Spirit which hee had not by measure did aboue measure quicken him with the sight of those ioyes Wherefore let vs especially by earnest Prayer resort to our chiefe and only strength without whom no man shal bee strong in his owne strength Let vs seeke of God that power by which PAVL being strengthened was able to doe all things Let vs put our trust in God alone and with DAVID call him our Rocke our Fortresse our Shield and our strength We are but Dwarfes to Satan and hee that is in the World is farre greater then we But if God be in vs hee is farre greater then he that is in the World and he can make our weaknesse to exceed Satans strength Therfore disclayming the keeping of our selues let vs commit our selues to GOD trusting that he will keep to the end what wee haue committed vnto him Let vs draw neere vnto GOD and to the power of his right hand let vs take vp our rest vnder the shaddow of his wings In his Name and not in our owne may wee boast all the day long for it is his right hand that will get himselfe the victory in vs. If thus wee seeke the Lord hee will be found of vs if we ascribe power to the Lord the power of God will descend to those that glorifie his power if we trust in the God of Battailes of weake we shall be made strong as the faithfull haue beene in the dayes of old And if we can once say The Lord girdeth mee with strength to the battell wee may also say Those that rise against vs shalt thou subdue vnder vs. Let Principalities Powers muster vp things present and things to come height and depth life and death yet in all these shall wee be more then Conquerours through him that loueth and sustaineth vs. Our Patience and our Resolution are grounded vpon the Rocke of Omnipotence though the windes blow the flouds beat they shall stand for they are grounded on a Rocke and while Patience standeth the Soule flourisheth where God seeth Patience he seeth also that the workes are more at last then at the first for that and that alone is a good and fruitfull ground which bringeth forth fruit with Patience CHAP. XI Of the finall possession and fruition of Happinesse THis World though of it selfe it be vnto Man but Misery or Vanity yet by the Mercy of the Creator it is made vnto Man a Nursery vnto Happinesse For the Creatour hauing lost his Creation recouered it by Redemption And by this Redemption the World which otherwise is but troublesome transitorie yet it serues to fit vs for Ioy and Eternity yea the troubles and transitories thēselues are imployed to doe much of it For the troubles of this life beate vs on to ward future blisse and the transitorinesse deliuers vs vp to euerlastingnesse In this life is the Bride trimmed and dressed here is she decked for the Day of her Gladnesse and here being made glorious within shee goes hence to be made perfectly glorious both within and without hauing glorified God by an inward Puritie shee goes to bee glorified by God in a shining Eternitie But what tongue of Man can expresse the Glory of this felicity which the Heart of Man cannot conceiue The Tongue must receiue it from the Heart and the Heart it selfe doth not receiue it The Tongue is more narrow then the Heart and the Heart is infinitely too narrow for the receit of these Ioyes so how narrow must bee Mans relation of this Happinesse which must issue from that which is narrower then that which is infinitely narrower then