not very tender handed in searching the faults of Solomon but he that reades them may soone finde the reason was because the vulgar Iewes tooke Solomon to be Christ for the noysing of him to be the Messias was the cause as some imagine the Queene of Sheba tooke so long a iorney to visite him Therefore S. Ambrose well coniectures God it may be suffered him to sin so fouly least others should induced with the rariety of his wisdome sinne more fowly in beleeuing him to be God But shall we therefore infer God sufsuffered him to be damned I would not pronoūce it of the greatest sinner that I should see dye though I should visibly perceiue his sins to couer him like a cloude as if they would keepe God from looking on him the deuill waiting for him as for a certaine prey yet I would not pronounce it The wayes of thy mercies O God are past finding out more vnknowne then the way of a Ship in the sea or of an Eagle in the ayre Let them shew me how a flash of Lightening melts the Sword without making any impression in the Scabberd I will shew them as well how at the instant of our death 〈◊〉 mercy more suddaine and more penetrating then the Lightening may melt our hearts into repentance though outwardly the eyes of the standers by perceiue it not Of the two then I dare say the Pope offends the lesse because more charitably in Canonizing them for Saints who for ought hee knowes are damned then these do in damning them who for ought they know are Saints But I will no longer tract the vncharitable footsteps of Solamōs censurers more I might say to secure him from their malice lesse I could not I will leaue them onely with this aduise To bestow more time in sauing their owne soules lesse in damning of the soules of others For Solomon saith not heere Damne another mans heart with all diligence but Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it come issues of life The best counsel that euer was frō the most able Counsellor that euer was for we haue already discouered him to bee no lesse then Solomon one that leaueled the vneuen wayes of knowledge from the Caedar of Libanus to the Hisop that groweth on the wall that had traced the Labyrinth of all secrets without a thred and left neuer a knot in nature to vnty to whom God himselfe had said There was none like thee before thee nor shall any arise after thee that is like thee Preferred therefore for his Wisdome by Abulensis before Adam in his Originall perfection nay that which toucheth vs more nere one that exactly knewe the true value of a heart aswell by the losse as by the enioying He it is giues you the aduice as a short exact drawne out of the large coppy of his experience Keepe thy heart with all diligence nor onely so he prescribs not as ignorant Empiricks giue Phisick take this but ask me not why or as Tyrants giue Lawes obey this my will is my reason For he hath a quia for you as well as a quid a why aswell as a what For out of it come issues of life Thy Heart therefore is a Iewell thy Body the Cabinet the Guardian thy Selfe the Watch all diligence the motiue of all Life Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it come issues of life The first suruey shal be of the Iewell a Iewell of Gods own cutting he that only Lapidary if you marke the fashion of it you may easily find it large and open towards heauen but angular and narrow and shut vp towards the earth Aske the Philosopher what the Heart is he will tell you It is the fountaine of life the furnace of heate and centre of the bloud But aske the Diuine and you shal heare It is a Ray a Spark an Image of the Diuinitie It is the soule it selfe in St. Pauls lāguage Rom. 10.10 With the heart man beleeus vnto righteousnes Make the heart of this thy people fat saith the Prophet Esaiah but why Esay 6.10 Lest they vnderstand with the heart So that as St. Basil obserues The Court hath gott the attribute of the Queene that dwells in it the Queene the name of her Court the Heart the attributes of the Soule the Soule in exchange the name the title of the Heart To keepe therefore thy Heart is as much as to keepe thy Soule Nay Saint Bernard will tell you That to keepe your Heart is as much as to keepe thy God For doe but open thy seuerall Closet there and there you shall find a nest of Iewels involued and shut vp one within another Open thy Heart thou shalt find thy Soule there open thy Soule thou shalt meet thy Spirit there 〈◊〉 vnfold thy Spirit thou shal◠see thy Faith vnlocke thy Faith and thy God will shew himselfe St. Basil therefore iustly cryeth out vnto vs Contemne not O man this miracle within thee doe not vndervalue the heart which God hath so inricht What madnesse is it to think meanly of your Soules which the Deuil esteemes so precious He wageth warre against God himselfe he obserues he watcheth he compasseth the world to gaine one heart If thou wilt not take some care to keep what the deuill bestowes so much to gaine must it not follow that thou thinkest far 〈◊〉 of thy selfe then the deuill doth If nothing else will teach thee the value of they heart know it is the onely glasse that God delights to look◠in it is a letter written by himselfe to himselfe as wel directed to God as sent from him the Inscription his the Superscription his It is 〈◊〉 Sacrifice his Altar and his Temple it is a Sterling piece of Gods owne Coine a Medall on which he stampe his Image and in that stampe thou mayst read thy value I haue said enough but no◠all yet did euer any affirme the shadow to be worth the substance or the Picture worth the face of him it representeth Yet St. Augustin◠hath a strain aboue this with so exact compleatnesse was our Redemption accomplished God laying downe at stake his soule for the soule of man that was forfeited as if the soule of a sinner were worth the soule of his God Bold words holy Father the soule of a sinner worth the life of his God worth those stripes those buffetings those riuers of bloud that Passion nay that Death Had not the least droppe or the easiest groane of Christ beene ransome enough for more worlds then there were euer men from Adam to this houre Had not the very act of descending from his Glory into the bosome of the Virgin merited as much Yet such was the will of our blessed Sauiour that could it bee supposed there were but one lost soule in al the world imagine it were onely thine yet he would haue come into the world would haue suffered all those torments to haue saued that one Soule of thine for
sayth Saint Austine When he hath sent his Graces as Harbengers to prepare thy heart he continues them there to guard thy Heart Doe but recount to your selues the Stories of your own liues Remember how often your hearts haue bene resolutely set on such or such a sinn yet God hath diuerted them How often haue your tongues bene ready to blaspheme or slander yet God hath stopd them and your hands prepared for a mischiefe yet God hath stayd them How this affects you I know not but St. Augustin was so taken with it when he thought on 't that it made him speake those words 〈◊〉 which nothing but such a zeale such a deuotion as St. Augustine had could make warrantable Such are the mercies of God saith he to my souleâ— that I can scarse imagine God doth any thing els but study how to saue me as if hee had forgot all the rest of his creatures to haue the more time to looke to me alone Nor is this all but as great Princes will haue their Seruants attend on him whom they honor so God commaÌ„ds the glorious Angels to wait on their Harts on whom he casts a gratious eye nay They are no longer Angels as St. Gregory well obserues then they are so employd For according to S. Austin An Angel is a name of Office not of Nature They are alwayes Spirits but not alwayes Angels for no longer messengers from God to man no longer Angels since onely to be a Messenger implies to be an Angell That euery one of vs hath a seuerall Angell deputed for his guard from his natiuitie is the iudgement of some of the learned Fathers Saint Hierome proues the dignity of the soule by that argumeÌ„t St. Basil as confidently sayes That euery true beleeuer hath his Angell the like sayes Origen of euery one that is baptized Others of later times haue gone so far as to affirm our Sauiour Christ while he liued on earth had his tutelaâ—â— Angell because it is sayd that when he was in that bloudyagony in the Garden Luke 22. there appeared an Angell from heauen comforting him But the bold forehead of the Iesuite Maldonat blusheth at this reiecting it for a Paradoxe That hee that was the true God should want the guard of one single Angell Bellarmins Meditations haue eleuated him to so high a fancie as to find out that in euery Kingdome there are two Kings a Man and an Angel in euer Dioces two Bishops a Man and an Angel nay in the Catholike Church two Popes without a Schisme the one a visible Man the other an inuisible Angell But wee knowledge is bounded oâ— the one side with the Scripture on the other side by ouâ— owne modesty do willingly forbeare to giue you dreames instead of Reuelations Fancies instead of Truth Whether euery Soule of vs hath a seuerall Angell for a Tutorâ— Let it rest with those Fathers that thought so But whether each of vs hath a bad Angell to oppose as a good to assist as Maldonat thinks probable or whether at the resurrection euery mans good Angell shall gather together the bones of him he guarded as Suarez teacheth Or as Bellarmine will haue it In the Chaire of Rome there bee seated an inuisible Pope as well as a visible Let the Iesuits only determine that haue made themselues a false Key to the Cabinet of Gods secrets It shall suffice vs to whom the Foolishnesse of the reuealed Gospell is sufficient That hee that maks his Angels ministring spirits Heb. 1.7 his Ministers a flame of Fire hath giuen his Angles charge ouer vs Psai 91.11 to keepe vs in all our wayes Daniel 10 In Daniel wee find but one Angell to guard a whole Kingdome all Persia Genes 32. In Genesis two Armies of Angels to keepe one Iacob Of their protection wee are certaine of their number whether one or more wee may be with religion euough vncertaine That which concernes vs neerest is to make such vse of it which St. Bernard doth on those words already cited He gaue his Angels charge ouer thee O what reuereÌ„ce should these words strike in thee what deuotion should they stirre vp what confidence to heare that thy Angels are thy guides to hear that they are not onely preseÌ„t with thee but present for thee they are the coniuring words of that deuout Father Let mee beseech you Brethren that yee would not commit those foule sinnes in the sight of the Angels that keepe you in the eyes of God himself which you would not doe if no more then I were by If you will needs sin saith St. Basil chuse out some place where neither God nor his Angels are but if their be no corner so darke so solitary so secret but they are there let there as well be no place for you to dare to sinne I haue showne you the attendance of the Angels vnder God the great Keeper of all harts That there is a heauenly watch dayly set about vs. I will onely adde this out of St. Basil That God nor his Angels neuer part with vs till we make them goe that only our sins dismisse this Watch. For as smoake driues away Bees saith that Father or as ill smels chase Pigeons from their Doue-coats so doth the smoake the stench of sinne driue God from vs with all his Angels Let not therefore the vnregenerate Sinner complaine that his Heart is not in Gods keeping For had he not throwne durt on it himselfe nay had hee not razed out of it the Image of the Deitie as a Thiefe doth the marke of stollen Plate that the owner should not know it God had still kept it But he keepes no defaced Hearts nor yet no counterfeit he keepes no carelesse vnregarded throwne-away hearts Heart keepe thy selfe must be the watchword that passion that meetes thee without that word let it not liue a minute longer for there is no greater Treason then selfe-Treason when the betrayer and the betrayed spell but one man But it troubled St. Austine much how the heart should keepe the heart when the heart would so seldome obey the heart It makes him begin with admiration The minde commands the body it is obeyd the minde commands it selfe it is resisted bid thy feet stirre or thy hands moue or thy eyes turn in a moment it is done with such ease and suddennesse that you can scarse distinguish the performance from the command but the Heart commands the Heart to will this or that good which it had not commanded had it not willed yet doth it not will what is commanded He ends with the admiration he began What Prodegie is this what Oedipus shall vnriddle it But the good Father findes it out at last For sayth he the Heart turnes but halfe a fide on good actions it lookes on them but with one eye if it chance to bid farewell to sinne it is as foolish friends part with many lookings backe many excuses stil one farewel more When Saint
life It was Platoes aduice in his second Dialogue of his Republique That euery Citie should haue his Fountaine in the midst of it his reason that it might be readier for vse either for the ordinary employments of it or if a casuall fire should neede the helpe of it For the same causes thinkes St. Christome That blessed Fountaine of bloud and water brake forth out of our Sauiours side about the heart nere the middst of him that it might be equally neere to all that would either drinke out of that eternall spring or quench the fire with it that either Lust or Anger had made flame Like such a Fountaine in the middst of a besidged Citie should the Heart of man be among his many enemies But poysoning of waters is the ordinary stratagem of warr nor hath our great Aduersary forgot it He knowes that if the Fountaine of Life bee not spoyled his broken Cisterns of death will neuer be frequented nor can hee euer call himselfe his Conqueror whose heart stands out against him It was the complaint of Italy in the Ciuill Warres That as often as Rome was set on she of necessitie was the way of the Warre but it fares worse with the Heart For as it is the first part of the man that liues the last that dyes so it is the first the Deuill giues assault vnto and the last that he giues ouer nay were there neuer a Deuil the Heart hath anill Spirit of ' its owne to trouble it For as some Boroughs with vs boast of the Priui ledge that they may hang draw within themselues so is the heart of man such a Corporation it may execute it selfe within it selfe without any Forraigne either Iudge or Executioner For should wee goe no further then the thought might wee not make a shift to thinke our felues to hell if we had neither hands nor eyes nor feet would not our hearts finde the way thither I know we all keepe an outward state with our sinnes as Princes do with their meane Fauourites we will not seeme to acknowledge theÌ„ abroad yet wee hugg and play and make wantons of them in the inward Chambers of our hearts as if ill thoughts at the day of Indgement would weigh no more then the ayre or the Sunne beames doe in the Scales against vs but at that triall we shall find that without the mercy of our God euery loose lasciuious thought which wee take delight in shall be as a sheet of Lead to helpe to sinke vs. Proclus tels vs a story of Pollidorus the Tyrant who in a vision saw his Heart thrown into a boyling Caldron where after it had bene a while tormented in the heat it cryed out of the Caldron to him Apollidore I am the cause to thee of all this Nor may wee vniustly feare that their hearts will really cry out so who now passe ouer all as in a slumber whose ill thoughts dayly vsher them to ill actions whose ill actions bring them in a circle backe to ill thoughts againe For Dauid found it out The wicked still walke the round First they act a sinne because the thought hath pleased them then they thinke that sinn ouer againe because the Act hath pleased them by a damned Arithmatike multiplying one sinne into a thousand How then must this Fountaine be so pure may not the least straw nor graine of dust be throwne into it Cannot the Heart so much as play with the Deuill Are ill thoughts sin Good thoughts that are not put in execution are not rewarded shall then the ill ones vnacted bee condemned Cannot the distinctions of the Doctors of Rome excuse when our great God shall examine may not we answer for our thoughts in the subtil LaÌ„guage of their Schoole That some of theÌ„ were but first first motions therefore no sinnes others second first motions therefore but veniall sins How the learned Papist may euade from Hell with this I know not but we dull Protestants haue no such Art we dare not venter on it That all our inordinate thoughts are sinne is our Confession for all is our sorrow of all is our repentance Nor is it a wonder that thoughts should be interpreted for deeds For St. Chrisostom sheweth vs That as the Deed of the band is the out ward action so the Deed of the Heart is the thought Yee haue heard saith our Sauiour Mat 5.37.28 it was said by them of old Thou shalt not commit Adultery but I say vnto you that whosoeuer lookes on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery in his heart already For saith Tertullian The will it selfe is imputed to it selfe nor can the bea rt because the deede is vndone hauing done the thought that it selfe could do be excused As Hanibal therefore was wont to say of the Romanes that they could not be ouer-come but in their own coun trey So let vs vse this Stratagem in fighting against our sinne in the very heart the countrey wher it breeds It was St. Bernards aduice to his Sister to mark wel what God said of the Woman to the Serpent Shee shall bruise his head Hee himselfe answers The very head of the Serpent is then truely said to bee bruised when sinne is there stifled where it is first borne Psal 137.9 Hee is a religious Herod that kils such Insants nor shall hee want the name of happy that dashes these little ones against the Stone The Ebrew hath it against the Rocke A misery which concernes vs all cryes St. Augustine for the Rocke is Christ Doth the tender Conscience complaine of young growing sinnes of disordered vnruely thoughts that break in vpon vs in the midst of our prayers Away with them to the Rocke That Rocke hath strength to bruise them doth Lust kindle a flame in our hearts of loose Lasciuious regitations Away with them to the Rocke that Rocke hath water to quench them Doe we find Gods anger kindled against vs for these sinnes Away againe to the Rocke that Rocke hath holes to hide vs in Moses was in the cleft of the Rocke when he saw God passing by but if wee once get into the cleft of this Rock God shall bee alwayes passing by but neuer passe so he is ours for euer It can be neither time noâ— labour lost that is spent iâ— clensing of the Fountaine foâ— if any one here would thâ—â— minute make it his work 〈◊〉 God would bee well please◠〈◊〉 to looke downe from heâ—â—â—â— uen vpon such Labourers whom his Sonne hath already blest saying Blessed are the cleane in heart yet this is not enough be thy heart as pure as Truth as white as Snow or Innocency if it be a Fountaine sealed vp onely a wishing a thinking or intending heart nay I may adde if it be onely a beleeuing heart if there be no good workes no issues of Life from it then flatter not thy self that ther is any life in it Tertullian speaks of some in his time That God