god-head she could in number have made up that losse of quality she brought in all the celest all bodies into the account of Divinity serving the Militia of Heaven instead of the maker and we may call to minde that as humane bodies grew Giants mindes seemed to shrink into dwarfs when they fell in love as I may say with the daughters of men that is the conceptions of their owne naturall Reason in this point of Divinity And we may well suppose that the Giants soules in the law of nature became so by espousing this daughter of God which we may properly call Grace whereby their heads passed the skie and touched Heaven it selfe in this beliefe of the unity of the godhead and by this conjunction with grace reason produced their issue of a rectified Religion hence is it that we finde the Patriarks frequently visited by celestiall spirits as the allies as I may say of this daughter of Heaven they had espoused and most doe conclude that all those who in the law of nature continued in a rectified belief and worship of God were maintained in that state by grace supplementall to the virtue of single Reason How far humane Reason may alone finde the way to rectified Religion is a question to exercise curiosity rather then excite piety and very commonly reason in the disquisition of faith doth rather sink the deeper into the earth by falling from her over aspiring then she doth six her selfe upward in her proper station and besides this danger me thinkes there is this difference betweene them that are working upon reason to extract Religion and those that are feeding upon sincere faith that the first are labouring the ground for that fruit which the last are feasting on or that the first are plowing while the last are gathering of Manna I shall indeavour therefore to serve in this spirituall refection ready to be tasted treating of faith already digested rather then to be provided by ratiocination for devotion is faith converted into nourishment by which the soul contracting a sound active strength needs not study the composition of that aliment it finds so healthfull §. II. Treating the best habit of mind in order to the finding a rectified Religion ME thinks Religion and Devotion may be fitly resembled to the Body and the Soule in Humanity The first of which issues from an orderly procession of nature by a continuing virtue imparted all at once to mediate causes the last is a new immediate infusion from heaven by way of a creation continually iterated and repeated So Religion at large as some homage rendred to a supreme relation flows into every mind along with the current of natural causes But Devotion is like the Soule produced by a new act of grace directed to every particular by speciall and expresse infusion and in these respects also the analogie will hold that as Religion hath the office of the body to containe Devotion so Devotion hath the function of the soule to informe and animate Religion And as the soule hath clearer or darker operations according as the body is well organized or disposed so Devotion is the more zealous or remisse proportionately to the temper and constitution of the Religion that containeth it Sutable to the Apostle Saint James his intimation to us that Pure Religion keeps us unspotted from the world I shall not take upon me the spirituall Physitian to consult the indispositions and remedies of differing Religions but relying more upon the Testimony of confessed experiments then the subtilty of that litigious art I shall prescribe one receipt to all Christian tempers which is to acquire the habit of Piety and Devotion for this in our spirituall life is like a healthfull aire and a temperate diet in our naturall the best preservative of a rectified faith and the best disposition to recover from an unsound Religion for the Almes and Prayers of the Centurion were heard and answered when they spoke not the language of the Church and the Angel was sent to translate them into that tongue in which God hath chose onely to be rightly praised that which his Eternall Word Christ Jesus hath peculiarly affected and annexed to his Church this shews the efficacie of piety and the exactnesse of Gods order who hath inclosed his eternall graces within those bounds into which he brings all that shall partake of them and so doth naturalize all such strangers as he intitleth to them doth not allot any portions to aliens but reduceth all them he will endow into that qualification he requireth which is into the rank of fellow-citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God he leaves none with a dispensation of remaining forreiners The Angel that called the Centurion directed him to the gate of the Church Saint Peter did not bring him a protection to rest in his owne house with the exercise of his naturall pieties and so for those that are straying without the inclosure of the Catholique Church if they walk by the light of naturall charity morall piety and devotion in their religious duties this is the best disposition towards the finding of the way the truth and the life of whom the Psalmist sayes He is neere to all those that seeke him and those who are thus far advanced in morality may be said to be in atriis Templi in the Church-yard which is in a congruous disposition for farther advance into the body of the church I shall endeavour then to affect every one with the love of purity and holinesse of life for to those that are already rooted and growing in the Church this disposition will be are that fruit the Apostle soliciteth for them that their love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement And in those who are yet strangers and forreiners as he calls them this reverentiall feare of God seemes to chase the wax for the seale of the holy Spirit for Prayers and Almes doe as it were retaine God for their Counsel and as his Clients open their cause to him in these tearms of the Psalmist Lord cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soule unto thee And such may be said to be halfe way towards their end that doe worship in a zealous spirit and are likely never left there but helped on to the other part of worshipping in truth by him that hath ordained our worship to consist of Spirit and Truth so that devotion sincerity in any Religion are the best Symptomes of our designation to the true and sincere Religion Wherefore having made this generall presentation of piety and virtue to all parties I shall not stay to wrastle in the Schooles but rather strive to set such Church-musick as all parties may agree to meet at the service and this I presume may sound in tune unto most eares that where consort and harmony in faith appeareth it is a good note of that
the earth is thine In this verity he rejoyced extracted out of all his transitory felicity And King Ezekias having his treasury and cabinets filled with all pretious stores might have rejoyced in the truth of those blessings without deriving from them vanity and presumption as much as he boasted of them to the Babylonians so much untruth he found in that felicity whereof he seemed to have forgot the changeable property and was quickly instructed by the Prophet in the insecurity of such goods whereby he discerned how he had rejoyced in the untruth of his temporal happines out of which he might have extracted matter of a true and sincere rejoycing for Gods Spirit attesteth to us that he doth not cast away the mighty whereas he himself is mighty All the attainders lying upon great and rich men in the Scripture are brought against such as rejoyce in the errours and deceits of temporall goods such as either sacrifice all their wealth to the Idols of their fancy or such as make an Idol of their wealth and offer up all their thoughts unto it The voluptuous or the avaritious are those that fall under the sentence of the Gospell and their crime is not what they possesse but what possesseth them when they doe not rejoyce in the truth of their goods but delight themselves in contriving errours and fallacies out of them and as the Apostle sayes Change the Truth of God into a lie So that the defectivenesse of their happinesse ariseth out of their degression from Truth and whence doth all the blessednesse which Christian faith annexeth to sufferance issue but from this spring of verity which streameth out that joy and exultation is proposed to us in the afflictions of this life How come the thorns of sufferance to beare grapes the wine whereof rejoyceth the heart while our senses are prickedct wounded with this spinous or thorny matter Surely this cordiall is made of the Spirit of Truth which may be extracted out of all the asperities of this life first by considering the true state of Humane Nature designed to sufferings not only by sentence but by Grace in order to the aversing us from the love of this world next by contemplating the truth of those glorious promises which are made to a virtuous correspondency with Gods Order in his disposure of his creature so that both the materiall goods and evills of this life afford no legitimate joy but what the mind beareth when she is teeming with Truth we may therefore resolve with King David that when Truth doth spring out of the earth righteousnesse shall looke downe from Heaven §. III. The fallacies of some Objections solved and rejoycing in Truth concluded for our reall Happinesse BUt now me thinkes having determined the happinesse of this life in the loving and rejoycing in Truth many that thinke themselves unhappy wonder at this conclusion and conceive me disproved by their defeatures perswading themselves to have beene alwayes suitors and lovers of Truth when the Truth is that they doe not first seeke verity for the object of their love but conclude they have found it in what they have placed their love Supposing their opinions of such joyes as they pursue to be sincere and solid truthes insomuch as I may well resolve such sonnes of men that They love vanity and seek after lies In that region of the world which I have travelled the most I may reflect to the inhabitaints of it one raigning error which may convince many of insincerity in their addresses to Truth for the ground of their happinesse this it is the trusting the infidelity of fortune to others for our owne felicity designing our stock out of the spoiles of our fellowes and in this course doe we not fixe the hopes of our happinesse upon what can never passe to us but by such an infidelity as must assure us we are in continual danger of a like dispossession this must needs be our case when the expectance of the unfaithfulnesse of fortune is made the assignment of our prosperity And yet we see how Courts are commonly divided into these two partyes of some that are Sacrificing to their owne nets and others that are fishing for such nets the first is the state of such as are valuing themselves for what they have taken the second of those who are working and casting out how to catch what the others have drawne and in this manner there are many who pretend to be lovers of Truth that make these fallacies the very ground of that web of happinesse they have in hand This is so preposterous a course for ingenious spirits in order to true felicity as surely there is much of a curse in this method and God warranteth my beliefe both by the Prophets and Apostles when speaking by the voyce of Esay to this case he saith They have chosen their owne wayes wherefore I also will chuse their delusions and by Saint Paul the holy Spirit saith Because they received not the love of Truth for this cause God sends them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie Let the worlds darlings examine what they confide in for the security of their joyes and they will finde it is the Father of lies they trust for the truth of their felicity who being not able to diminsh the increated verity sets all his art to deface all created Truthes which worke in this region of the world I now treat of he designeth by such a course as he used with the Person of Truth it selfe when he was upon earth for he carryeth up our imagination to the highest point of esteeme he can raise it of earthly possessions from whence he exposeth to our fancies the glories and beauties of this world in deceitfull apparencies as if they were permanent and secured fruitions and our wills are commonly perswaded to bowe downe and reverence such false suggestions whereof the infidelity augmenteth by the degrees of our Devotion in that beliefe since the more we confide in their stability the more falshood doe we admit for our happinesse and thus are we abused in the possession of Truth while we affect all our delights under that notion by the subtilty of the great enemy of Truth we are as Saint Augustine saith elegantly brought to hate Truth by loving those things which we love only as we imagine them to be true for the impermanency of this worlds goods is odious to us which is the truth of their nature and we affect in them their assurance as a truth without which we would not love them and yet that opinion is a meere delusion This may satisfie many who account themselves unhappy by the mutations of fortune and the dispossessions of their secular commodities for they shall finde themselves unfortunate but in the same measure they misapprehended the true nature of such fruitions by as much as they over-loved them so much are they distressed by their losses so the
of humane nature in her own current and in the other a draught of that constancy may be superinduced upon it by this intervention of grace which is attracted naturally by the aspirations of prayer according to what the Psalmist tells us I opened my mouth and I drew in thy Spirit I may therefore hope to have acquitted my self of such direction as was requisite for attaining the possession of that truth wherin I had constituted happinesse and my way is so accessible it lies as neer every one as their own wil which is affirmed by the holy Spirit saying Open thy mouth and I will fill it This considered I may expect the perswading some at Court to be suitors to God for Devotion concurrently with all their other suites since in all the fortunes they can make they cannot unmake fortune For the variable temper of humane felicities is not to corrected and fixed Since they cannot then stay what is transitory let them attend to arrest that which is fixable which is a good degree of peaceable acquiescence of spirit in all transitory events and as no temporalities can conferre this spirit so no contingencies can sequester it for it is the spirit of Truth that stayes our minde which partly is composed of the knowledge and expectance of alternative variations in temporalities and hence it is that in all adverse changes this spirit is rather in action and practice of his owne constant nature then in suffering or passion with the fraile nature of temporall mutations Let me then intreat all those who neede not be pressed to muster themselves at Saint Pauls summons of Rejoyce alwayes to remember that this treasure is the pay and stipend of his discipline of pray without ceasing and give thankes in every thing for this is the will of God Whereby we may make all the severall conveyances of Gods providences new deeds of joy to us when our rejoycing is seated upon his will and thus our happinesse that cannot stand still upon the fixure of our fortunes may be firme upon the confixure of our wills to that immoveable one that changes all things Without any vicissitude or shadow of change in it selfe The ninth Treatise Of the Condition of Courts Princes and Courtiers Divided into three Sect. §. I. The best Notion of Courts proposed IN the Law of Moses all the Rites and Ceremonies were not only declaratory formes of the present Religion but significative figures of a future state and howsoever most of the vulgar looked no farther then the glosse and lustre of the exterior vaile which was the beauty and decency of the forme and order that affected them yet the nobler sort passed their sight through that vaile and fixed it upon the signification and mysterie it selfe and thereby had not only their eye of sense delighted but that of their understanding enlightned by these objects In reference whereunto I may hope not improperly to apply these considerations to the Courts of Princes since all the exteriour state of Ceremony and Reverence being truly conceived is significative as referr'd to the images of God and thus all the distinguished ranks of honour which compose the formall order of Courts are figures of those different degrees of Ministers which attend their Originall the King of Kings and in this order the Glory and Majesty which exteriorly in all sorts resideth about the persons of Princes may be fitly understood to represent in such shaddowes as these materialities can make the celestiall magnificence of the King of Heaven so that one who will interpret religiously the Ceremonies of Princes Courts may say all things befall them in figures But certaine it is there are many in Courts who determine and center their thoughts upon the fronts and out-sides of these mansions which are honour riches pleasure and raise all their Devotions to the place upon those objects and such are truly the meaner sort of Courtiers though they be greatest in the measure of the world and there are some of the other party who penetrate into the religious sense of these exteriour figures and derive from them spirituall conceptions and appetities concluding by these glories which are but the shaddowes of those they signifie that the substance it self must needs be above what eye hath seene or eare heard or hath entred into the heart of Man and so by this view are quickned in their ambition towards those originall honours and these are the nobility of Courts though they be never so inferiour in office Of these two kindes of Courtiers is verified The first shall be last and the last first And likewise of the first sort we may say as the Apostle saith of the Law the Letter kils If the litterall sense of the faire text of this worlds glories take up and fix their mindes and of the latter sort the spirit quickens when out of these specious objects they extract a spirituall sense which excites in them a celestiall aspiring and emulation Such a figurative conception Saint Fulgentius framed out of these images when he was asked whether the beauty and Majesty of Rome did not worke upon his affections he answered If terrestriall Rome be so beautifull how glorious must be celestiall Jerusalem His minde was so little taken or retarded on her way as she stayd not at all in the outward Court of the Gentiles but passed on as in her way through it to the Holy of Holies and by this method who attend the offices of their mindes upon earth and waite not upon the places of their bodies concluding that they are but strangers and passengers through these courts and Fellow-citizens of the Saints and Domestikes of God make excellent use of all the lustrous and polished glories of the place for instead of looking on them as flattering glasses and mirrours which reflect only the materiall beauty of the earth they make opticke glasses of them through which they do the easilier take the height of the celestiall glories and surely the sight of our minde is much helped by such materiall instruments in the speculation of spiritualities by reason that in this her prison all the intelligence of our minde with immaterialities passeth as I may say through her keepers hands which are her senses that can carry nothing but corporeall images to her and therefore we see the Apostle Saint John drawes the image of the court of heaven in such colours as are most visible and most affecting in the Courts of the earth whereby to raise our imaginations upon these steps which they can tread upon to some proportionate conception of such fruitions as are truly all spirituall and Intellectuall And under this notion all the lusters and splendors of Courts being understood as figures of the sublimer and purer state of the Kingdome of heaven are convenient ascents for our weak apprehensions to rise up to the love and estimation of these spirituall objects for the same affections which move us so
my self injoyned to make as much Restitution as I am able of that time which my Pen hath stoln from the Court For the most of that which is thought well passed away by the company that loseth it stands upon accompt to them that are the most accessary to the taking it away even from those that then reckon their loss of it as a benefit so that truly considered those whom the world abusively 〈◊〉 the best company are commonly the most chargeable with the undervaluation of time which the cheaper and more inconsiderable they render it to others the dearer are they to account for it themselves And this truth we easily perceive when looking through all time upon eternity we come to discern the true value of that which is the only price this transitory world hath to purchase everlasting glory Upon examination then of my time past I finde my self bound to give up all the stock of my following days as an extent assigned for restitutio 〈…〉 although I cannot hope to make a rigorous satisfaction by it For the unhappiness of these kinde of debts is such as the more we have taken away from others the less we are able to restore because such prize impoverishes the taker of it since he loseth his own time while he robbeth others of theirs wherefore this confession as it may prove precautionary to others may pass for the most likelâ— part of my satisfaction and I shall always assign my prayers towards the impetrating this of God that this penitential satisfaction may be so much blessed as to restore some value of time thither where I am to account for so much idle dissipation of it Let me therefore humbly propose to all my Readers to remember their creator in the days of their youth for when in their recollected days they come to this suit of the Psalmist Remember not Lord the sins of my youth one of the hardest points is even their own forgetting them since the Ghosts of our dead sins walk often in our Fancy and divert much of that time we assign for the discharge of our arrears although they be but such broken images as dreams that possess not the will yet they pinch away always somewhat off from the stock of time set out for past redemptions This case is attested by St. Augustine when he complained That his old familiar acquaintances did hold and shake the garment of his flesh repining and murmuring at his estrangement and this shaking and questioning us is always some diversion for he confesseth farther That after he had cast off the images of youthful vanities from all adherence to his will they stole after his fancy not so bold as to face his consent but as it were muttering behinde him and by stealth snatching at him and pinching him to turn and look back It is surely then a singular blessing never to have been so familiarly conversant with the vices and vanities of youth as our memories may be challenged acquaintance with and so drawn to some discourse with such images when they present themselves they are therefore the best disposed for spiritual advances whose imaginations freed from the clogs of idle and vain notions are always in their motion and progress through the speculation of some fair object and are not distracted by looking back upon the calls and noises of their discarded familiars The structure of the temple advanceth faster when we build with both hands then when we are forced to hold armâ— in one hand to repulse our enemies such a 〈…〉 levolent opposition do our fancies make wh 〈…〉 they have been long possessed of images which we must not admit into association towards thâ— edifice of the temple they are as much unconsortable as those strangers to whom Zorababel answered We cannot joyn with you in building the house of God therefore the wise mans counsel is excellent in order to the prepossessing our mindes Endue thy self with vert 〈…〉 from thy youth and thou shalt retain wisdom to thy old age And this other position of Solomon is verified by common experience He that flatters his servant in his youth shall finde him disobedient When I have considered how much is written of this spiritual regiment of Life and how much better then any thing I have prescribed I have sometimes questioned the exhibiting these my receipts but again I have concluded my self justified in this consideration that the domestique Phisitian is always called into consults though his abilities be so much meaner then others that are joyned with him as his learning can promise little contribution yet his experience in the constitution of the Patient is accounted useful for the appliance of their prescriptions So under this notion of one that hath had long experience in the indispositions and infirmities of the Court I have conceived that my opining in the consult might prove in some degree profitable to the Pa 〈…〉 and I may believe that of the constitution of the body the peculiar peccancies of the humors I have given no ill information towards which part I have had a great advantage by having been so long a domestique For as there are many little passages and pertusions in living bodies which are closed up and inacceptible in Anatomies so I having studied this body alive may be better informed of the composure thereof then many learned and pious persons that look as I may say upon the Anatomy only of Courts surveying them laid out as it were dead in speculative figures And concerning what I have voted in order to remedies I will say nothing savoring of a formal disesteem thereof for such vails of sale are commonly so thin as there is more affectation then modesty seen through them I will profess ingeniously I have done my best in a sincere regard to the benefit of that place to which I owe so much civil obligation and spiritual satisfaction and I may hope God will accept the design and bless the operation conâ—iding on this of our Patron Apostle The earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God One humane advantage this work may own namely That though there are many better invitations to Devotion yet there is little expresly provided for this family so that mine may be a less feast and yet a bettter entertainment for such guests with whose appetites I am so well acquainted wherefore I have served in more of St. Pauls milk then of his solid meat rather familiar Piety then severe Perfection I have intended most the presenting such wholsom confections as are good against those particular humors which breed a kinde of spiritual green-sickness so familiarly in these bodies I entertain I mean those levities and trifles which the fancies of these bodies are so apt to feed upon which I may call the unwholsom green fruit that even old age is commonly greedy of in this
nature and over-pay by good security of sincere secular joy what may seeme taken away in that adulterate species wherein our fancies use to accept the receites of our contentment For surely Devotion doth assigne the minde a rectified joy in the use of temporall goods instead of that vitious and counterfeit which our three enemies pretending to be our stewards bring into our fancy that is prone to take all whatsoever hath but the image of sensible pleasure without examining the substance which facility to be deceived the Prophet reproacheth in us saying We sell our selves for nothing Should a traveller passing through a forreign countrey finding the coyne of the place raised to an excessive value exchange into it all the good species of his own thinking to make gain by this traffique because the coyne is currant in his passage as soon as he were passed that dominion he would quickly repent his inconsiderate mistake This seemeth to be the familiar case of man who while he is in his transition and passage through this world findeth the temporalities thereof which are the currant species of the place cried up to such an over-value as he is perswaded to turne all his affections into that species of joy and at its issue out of this forreign region he findeth the irreparable losse he hath made by the debatement of his talents in this exchange And it is against this delusion not against all commerce with secular joy in our journey that Devotion issueth to us her inhibitions lest by this ill husbandry in their way when they come to account with their great Creditor they be reduced to give a worse answer then he who brought back his talent unimproved I shall therefore exhibite to our minds which must needs negotiate in their passage through this world the true Intrinsique value of those joyes uttered in the commerce with the creatures that taking none but such as are allowed in their last audict their traffique may bring home into their native countrey not their Bonds forfeited but rather Bils of exchange payable upon their Masters joy In answer then of the desire of having the truest happynesse of this life specially determined I declare that the felicity of this life consisteth in a constant rejoycing in truth This is the assertion of Saint Augustine and is easily verified to all rationall dispositions The first reply the world is like to make to this proposition is Pilates question What is truth to which I answer Truth is a perfect and edequate similitude or likenesse imprinted in our understanding of the nature of the thing we conceive So that when our conception is just equall to the being and property of the thing we conceive we are said to understand truth Wherefore the truth of knowing is as it were the mould cast off from the truth of being or the print of that seal and so the image of the true being of a thing is the figure of truth seated in our minds But this which may seem a fair impression of the nature of truth may perchance appear but a dark Character of the form of happynesse to my auditory unto whom indeed I do not intend to assigne onely the speculative notions of verities for the subject of their satisfactions but I will open farther this store of joy the rejoycing in truth and shew how it containeth the Prophets wine and milk which he offereth to all for fetching it From hence the contemplative life draweth that wine whereof King David saith My chalice inebriating how goodly is it and the active sucketh that milk which the Apostle saith is proper for their vocation which nourisheth their minds with more sensible delectation issuing from the true use and ordinate love of the creature And this is that I may not unpleasantly call the milk which these Gentiles love best to whom I present my breast The preference of the contemplative life before the active is inferred from this respect of affording a more clear and serene light for the perception of Supernatural verityes For contemplation is a fixure of the mind on the aspect and presents of truth and although this act of contemplating be purely Intellectuall yet the terme and end thereof rests in the affections as the possession of our pursuits induceth joy whereby this is demonstrated that the happynesse of the contemplative life consisteth in the rejoycing in truth This sensible delight in contemplation flowing from the Superior portion of the mind down upon the Inferior is a good Image of mans consummate Beatitude in Heaven where the glory of the body is derived from the excesse and redundancy of the joy and blessednesse flowing from the soul and in this order the delight imparted to our affections by contemplation fals from a superfluence of truth in our understanding And thus what may be said to be light in the Superior region of the Soul seemeth fire in the lower The first reporting to truth and the latter to joy which as it is a passion in our nature may be said to be more materiall then the other in the same degree as flame is lesse pure then the radiancy of the Sunne but the comparative degrees of purity between the acts of our Intellect and our affections are not our Theam Certaine it is that all the sensible delectation of the contemplative life streameth from the springs of Supernatural verities we will therefore stay no longer on the top of Mount Sinai which may seem all cloud to those that are below while the Moseses that are upon it find all splendor and clarity and may not unfitly be said to see the hinder parts of that verity in seeing the face whereof consists the consummate rejoycing Comming then down into the Camp of the active life it will be no hard task to prove the happinesse of that state likewise seated in the rejoycing in truth which hath so gratefull a savour even to our sensitive appetite as I may say none wish for quailes but they desire to tast this Manna in them I mean no body affecteth any sensible fruition but as it is under the form of a true good For as Saint Augustine reasoneth let any be asked whether he had rather joy in truth or in falsity and the answer will bear no doubt For although there be many would deceive others in their happinesse there are none would be deceived themselves in it there is such a signature of the light of the countenance of verity stamped upon the reason of man as his understanding can propose nothing to his affections as matter of joy but under the colour at least of truth So that the object of all our affections is true delight though the errour be never so great in the subject of our joy For no body can rejoyce under this notion of being deceived the instinct of man is such in order to truth as he must present that object to his Imagination even out of the
errour it self he rejoyceth in so Essentiall is truth for the terme of his acquiescence Supposing we do thus generally aim at truth for our felicity I may well be asked how it commeth to passe that the subject of our joyes is oftener apparence and falsity then the real good of this life's benedictions the cause surely is the partiality of our imagination towards our sensitive appetite rather then in favour to our reason and thus Opinion which is but a changeling introduced by Sense passeth commonly for the right child and certainly Opinion may well be said to be the mean issue of sense and Verity the noble child of Reason but by this unjustice of our imagination it followeth that all the delights which are touched but at our senses are commonly accepted by our will for the true species of joy from the credit of that test without examining their nature in the fire of Ratiocination whereby it happens that when we are the trulyest deceived we are most believing in the truth of our happynesse for when we misapprehend the most the nature of secular pleasures having the least suspition or scruple of the mutability of such fruitions our joy seemeth the most sincere which proveth clearly that truth is but mistaken in the colouring not unintended in the designe of our felicity In redresse of this error Devotion taketh off the deceitfull colours of good and evill which Opinion layes upon the creature and presenteth to our understanding a naturall image both of the worth as well as the vanity which may be found in the rectified or vitious apprehension of all temporalities possessing us with the true nature of all our possessions directeth us how to rejoyce in the truth of such blessings and thereby satisfyeth that instinct of the mind with the reality and doth not amuse it with the meer colour of verity Certaine it is that temporall blessings as health beauty wealth and honour are indued with a true and sincere goodnesse wherein their owners may vertuously rejoyce the point is the discernment of this Truth and the selecting that only for subject of our delectation because just as much as we stray from this principle so much we remove from our happinesse which depending on the satisfaction of our opinion if that be unsound in apprehending the nature of such goods as are the objects of our affections we are in danger of being unhappy by their being but true to their owne nature while we are untrue to ours For their true instinct is mutation and instability and ours the perception and use of that verity whereby our understanding may sort an affection proportioned to the nature of secular benedictions §. II. Sacred examples shewing what may be said to be a rejoycing in the truth of temporall goods and how even secular evils afford joy by the same method of a right understanding them THe states of many the dearest friends of God testifie that temporall felicity affordeth a sincere matter of joy which is commensurate to the true sense conceived of the nature of such happinesse Abrahams wealth was thought worthy the holy Ghosts mentioning as a blessing as his peregrination was fitted with great accommodations so that state of unsettlednesse was a fixing in his minde the true nature of all he possessed In proof whereof it may well be observed that the only purchase Abraham made upon earth with his riches was a grave from whence we may inferre how rightly he understood the truth of their transitory nature and his owne mutable condition whereupon he chose to take possession of the Land promised him by a marke of his parting with it rather then of his possessing it thus did he understanding the true goodnesse of his worldly commodities derive from them both exercises of charity and notions of mortification while he imployed his wealth in the accommodations of strangers and passengers and in provision of his owne lodging as a traveller at the end of his journey and remaining in this rectified sense of his tempoporall fruitions all their effects proved a constant rejoycing in Truth By this method Abraham extracted the same Spirit of Truth out of his plentifull substance that Lazarus did out of his penury and indigence and surely if Dives had rejoyced but in the truth of his abundance and not set his heart upon the false part thereof he would have taken Lazarus into his breast in this life then they might have been bed-fellowes in Abrahams Bosome For I may truly affirme that there is no Lazarus in this world who hath not an Abraham in his Bosome that shall get to the being in Abrahams Bosome in the next And likewise conclude that there is no Dives in this life who hath a Lazarus in his bosome that shall not attaine to Abrahams Bosome in the other world For there is no necessitous body wanting fidelity of heart and poverty of spirit that can be qualified for that state meerely by his misery and there is no so splendid or opulent person indued with true Christian poverty of spirit that is not thereby intitled to eternall felicity and surely as there are many Lazarusses who want this kind of Abraham I have explained in their heart so there are diverse Abrahams in this life as I may terme them who carry this sort of Lazarus in their bosome being both rich humble and faithfull contriving all their temporary joy out of the perception and dilection of the true blessing intended in the Creature and deduce their satisfaction from Gods order not their owne exaltation in which respect they may be proved to rejoyce in verity Did not holy Job rejoyce in the truth of his worldly goods when he assigned the most of them to sacrifices either expiatory for his children or propitiatory for himselfe to purge the excesses of feasting in his owne family or to provide against the exigences of fasting in the houses of his neighbours acting this part which the holy Spirit gives the potent saying the portion of the poore is in the rich mans hands and surely we may conceive that in the latter part of his life which I may call his temporall resurrection his estate rising againe to more glory then it had expired with his piety was also exalted in proportion to a higher state of perfection so that truth being found and acknowledged in any splendid condition will keepe Peace and righteousnesse in the family kissing each other Was not King Davids vast treasure well managed by the superintendency of truth when he assigned all the most pretious materialls the earth affordeth to their true use some as it were converted into vocall instruments of Gods prayses others into visible memorialls of his presence and designed in a Temple as good a sensible figure as he could of the truth he conceived of all materiall substances which was of the earths belonging to God and all the plenitude thereof which confession he made in these words thine are the heavens and
defect will still result out of the distance of our joy from this principle of rightly possessing and rejoycing in Truth for all our reall unhappinesse riseth by the same degrees that Verities are diminished from among the Children of men There is one familiar scruple raised against our perswading the active life to this constant intendment of Truth which is that this fixure of the minde upon verity rather then leaving it a little loose to opinion taketh off the point and edge of our spirit in the activenesse and commerces of this life Whereunto I answer that spirits wher and sharpned upon the errours of imagination are subject to turne their edge upon the least encounter of disappointment when mindes temper'd by the consideration of truth and thereby set and whetted for action keep their edge cutting against the haire as I may say not blunted or rebated in any adverse occurrencies nor doth this breast of Verity as some suppose nourish only the minde and pine the senses but feedeth them also with healthfull and convenie 〈…〉 pleasure and teacheth the soule how to keepe the senses in their true degree of servants managing their trusts only upon account which the minde taketh so exactly of them in all the commerce of their delights as they can never runne out much in prejudice of her estate and in this order the rationall part doth the office of the good steward in the Gospell Feeding the family with their portions in due season And surely this orderly oeconomy in the managing of all worldly goods Reason presiding and the senses entertained with competent satisfaction is the best state of happinesse this active life can admit So is it the knowledge and love of Truth seated in our understanding and our affections which can only consort this harmony of a constant rejoycing And doubtlesse while our fancies doe but counterfeit that truth they expose to our affections we can no more justly complaine of the insufficiency of that object in point of affordingus felicity then of a painted fires not warming us be it neverso wel drawn For commonly they are but designs of our imaginations coloured over with vaine apparencies of Truth which they exhibite to our affections for the true substances of our happinesse wherefore I may me thinkes fittly illustrate this familiar errour of the world by this story of Zeuxis the famous Painter who having made the figure of a boy with a cluster of grapes in his hand being told the birds sate upon the boyes hand to peck at the grapes answered this was no true praise of his art because it was a signe he had painted the grapes better then the man otherwise the birds would have been afraid of that figure In like maner may I say that these imaginations which figure such a truth of happinesse in sensible delectations as their affections take them for the reall and sincere felicity of this life are not to be commended for this vivacity for it is a signe they represent more lively to our reason the fruits of this world which the man hath in his hand then they doe the nature of our humanity the constitution whereof if it were truely imaged and figured to our understanding would fright our affections from setting themselves upon the fruit of temporalities by considering the state of man which inadvertency is now familiar by this partiality of our fancy in figuring the grapes more to the life then the hand that holds them if the images which Truth it selfe hath drawn of the condition of man in this life were well impressed in our imagination of being but a blast a vapour or a shaddow this would undoubtedly divert our mindes from taking never so well coloured images of riches honour beauty or dominion for the true substances of humant felicity If there be any then that wonder they are not happy pretending they have alwayes held Zerubbabels party preferring truth before all competitors of empire beauty and pleasure if they are in any great deâ—ection of spirit let them take this course to undeceive themselves in this their supposed rectitude of intention which if it had beene sincere could not have let their mindes sinke into any deepe depression let them I say examine first whether they have rightly apprehended the state of our humane Nature and the condition of all temporall fruitions and then whether they have squared their loves to such delights by the measure of a rectified apprehension of both their nature and their own for the same disproportions there are betweene our affections and the true property of those things we love the same deficiencies must be consequent in our happinesse and upon this reflection Truth may tell most of the world This people honoureth me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me and as the increated Truth told the Pharisees who pretended to have great interest in God the Father that if what they alledged had beene true They would have acknowledged him also because he proceeded from the Father So in the name of the created Truth which is to be found in all Gods Workes I may say to many such pretenders if they had truly loved the Originall Verity they would have beene possessed of the true nature and use of the creature which notion issueth and proceeds out of an application to the first Verity Having shewed how the beames of Truth enlighten both hemispheres of the contemplative and active life and infuse into each of them their respective happinesse I may conclude with the Wisemans confession upon his loving of Truth above health or beauty that hers is the only light because it is inextinguishable and that all other goods come together with her and Devotion may lawfully use the words of her great master and assure her followers If you continue in my word then are you truly my disciples and you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free The eighth Treatise Touching the meanes of possessing that Truth wherein the happinesse of this life is stated In two sections §. I. Diffidence in point of obtaining Spirituall lights reprehended and prayer proposed in order to this designe NOW me thinks I am called upon as one that hath advised a traveller not to lose his way to give some nearer directions for the finding it as a further contribution towards the securing his journeyes end then a simple caution against the danger of deviation For as Solomon telleth us The lame man in the way maketh more hast then a Courser out of it And by reason there may be many different humours that may ask this question of Saint Thomas How can we know the way to this so excellent possession of truth I may well premise this consideration before my answer that there was a wide difference between Pilat's Interrogatory concerning truth when he asked our Saviour What is truth and Saint Thomas his question about finding the way to it saying How can
we know the way The first seemed to question onely the truth of Christs affirmation not to intend the being satisfied in his question whereas the other sought to be informed of the readyest accesse to that truth which he believed so they who shall be moved onely by the captiousnesse of the Infidel examinant in this point are like after his manner not to stay long enough upon the inquest to be enlightened in this verity but to such as with the credulity of faithfull Disciples shall make this quaere How shall we know the way to this truth you propose namely a rectifyed understanding and true use of all prosperous and adverse events in this life I may say as the Angel did to the faithfull watchers at the Sepulchre after he had strucken as it were dead the miscreant wayters Fear not you If you seek Jesus for he answereth all sincere inquirers of truth as he did Saint Thomas I am the way and the truth and none commeth to verity but by me yet this me thinks gives a fair hint for such a further demand as Saint Philips was saying Shew us the plain direct way of comming to you Lord Jesus and it will suffice us This question Christ hath also answered by this most evident direction of Ask seek and knock for every one that asketh receiveth and that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Prayer is therefore expresly given us for our addresse to Jesus who is truth and in these three proper divisions of petition meditation and perseverance which ought to be concomitant with each of them our asking respecteth the particular suits we make seeking importeth the application of our minds unto Spiritual verityes and knocking referreth to our zeal earnestnesse and perseverance in the acts of prayer and to this sort of prosecution is annexed the promise of asseqution of truth wherefore I may answer my inquirers as Christ did some who distrusted his proposals If any man will do this wil of Jesus he shall understand of the Doctrine whether it be of God or I speak of my self So that considering aright these gratious assignations unto prayer I may say we may obtain the possession of verity even with lesse solicitude then we can neglect it for the seeking asking and knocking in this world upon such applications as divert us from this inquest are the more laborious assignments of our mind May I not therefore boldly reply to all the incredulous and disbelievers of the facility of this medium exhibited Say not in thine heart who shall thus ascend into heaven for the word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart we onely need but as the Prophet adviseth us return to our own hearts to find that happynesse which while we seek else-where we lose our hearts in that inquest True it is that the great enemy of our nature useth all his arts towards the prejudicating this belief of the alsufficiency of prayer in which designe he doth now impugne our nature by a Machination farre differing from his first slandering it to us now almost as much as he did heretofore flatter it for now to discredit to us our capacity of repairing his first breach he suggesteth the ineptitude of our present state for this perception of truth and seemeth to ask us now by way of derision Shall you be like Gods thus knowing good and evill so that he tempteth us now and often prevaileth upon us even by the disparagement of our nature thus much hath he gained upon us since his first acquaintance when he durst not attempt us by lesse then the promise of a capacity above our nature to wit of knowing like Gods whereas now he presumes to implead our right to that knowledge which is due to us as men that is the discernment of our being qualified for the penetration into truth by the beames of prayer and meditation But the holy Spirit hath left us a good caution against this delusion Resist the Devill and he will flie from you approach to God and he will approach to you This refuteth all suggestions of diffidence in this point of attaining by prayer the effect of my proposition since God promiseth to set forward to meet us as soon as our prayers do but set out towards him which is likewise aver'd by the Psalmist assuring us God is near all such as call upon him in truth Gods mercy hath so much outdone mans mischiefe as he hath not left him either the subtilty of the Devil or the infirmity of his nature to charge with the continuance of his misery there must go an accession of wilfulnesse to our weaknesse for the duration of our unhappynesse For since the Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godlinesse we have no more colour left to diffide in the meanes of rectifying the enormities of our infirm nature then a Malefactor that were offer'd grace for asking it had reason to fall sick die for fear of his former sentence he who hath blotted out the hand-writing of the Decree against our nature hath given us his hand for such security of obtaining what we solicite by this appointed meanes and method as we can onely indanger the wanting a sufficient provision by our pretending too little by this addresse for surely this rule will hold in our asking little Spirituall light that what we have shall be rather taken away then more confer'd and the contrary disposition will likewise be answered with the more abundance What Saint Gregory conceiveth to be the case of the Saints in heaven in this point of supplicating God may be firly said to be that of us sinners upon earth in our act of petitioning for Spirituall light and verity as the Saints the more ardently they are united to God receive the more fervent impulses from him of asking what they know he is resolved to do and thus drink out of him what they thirst for in him after such a manner the more zealously our prayers are applyed to the pursuite of Spirituall illumination the more fervent desires we attract from the increated verity of begging what we are sure he will give viz the discernment of truth whereby in an admirable sort we draw from Jesus even in this life the hunger in the very food we take of them while our prayer attracting the infusion of truth doth extract conjoyntly out of those verityes fresh desires of the same illuminations May not these considerations justly silence any objection against the facility of this proposed medium of prayer for obtaining from God a sufficient communication of that truth wherein I have stated the happinesse of this life since there is no condition charged upon this grant but the sincere desiring it which is comprised in the direction of Christ prementioned and the Apostle witnesseth to the same tenor re-minding us in this particular the frequent promises of the giver of
shall not be so much charged with their defects in them as this Capernaum where these virtues seeme preached every day and wonders done in this Doctrine of ceremoniall purity which is a figure of a reall immaculatenesse of minde But I must speak yet plainer and declare that this humility I propose to Courtiers for their commerce with one another is farre different from that currant species of a verball imagery of this vertue which I have decryed for it is an internall habit or disposition of humblenes impressed upon our spirits by the signature and character of truth made by a lively exhibiting to our minds the intrinsique value of all specious temporalities by which perception we are disposed to dis-value really this world and our selves in the first place as knowing best our interior unworthinesse and this sincere root of Humility beares our severall engagements proportionated respectively First to the greatnesse of God then to the meannesse of our selves and next to our nearnesse and relation to our Brother And as these three divisions contain the totall summe of Christianity so is there no better Accountant to make up a just estimate of these divisions then Humility whereof they who are solidly possessed shall not be confounded in the diverse fractions and partitions of estimates either of things or persons which their condition requires them to make in the true account of this world for they can easily by this Rule of Three wherein Humility is perfect divide all their respects to each of those duties and so give God Themselves and their Brother respectively their just estimations Nor can it be answered that this degree of exactnes seemeth opposed by the offices of this Vocation for this cleare-sighted Humility is so farre from being incompetent with the condition of Courtiers as if many circumstances be fairely weighed their profession may appeare more advantaged then any towards this endowment since likely they are the sharpest and most discerning Spirits which apply themselves to this active course of life and surely this dis-abusing the object is the most fairely and most familiarly exposed in Courts viz. The ficklenesse and infidelity of all temporall advantages since what the world calls Fortune goes in other places more modestly attired and so may easily be mistaken whereas in Courts presuming on her beauty like a professed Curtizan she unveiles her selfe confident of corrupting even those to whom she proclaims her disloyaltie by continual shows triumphs of inconstancy Many private and setled states of Life do take this knowledge of the instability of humane goods but by heare-say living themselves in a calme dead water where they feele little motion of variety but Courtiers who are in this Ocean of Fortune feele continually her tides and very frequently her stormes insomuch as they living in a perpetuall fluctuation of temporalities may be said to walke Per speciem in the sight of the true nature of all mundanities and to see the variety of Fortune face to face while low obscurer lives looke upon her perfidiousnesse but through a glasse and darkely in reports of the various turbulencies and confusions of Courts The heights of Courts may in this regard be said to be the best scituations for prospect and farre sight upon the truth of the worlds constitution and so courtiers to be better placed then lower estates in order to their being undeceived in the specious fallacies of the world by as much as experience is more operative upon our nature then speculation And methinks we may account it a speciall provision of God that where our affections are in most danger to be seduced by the alluring invitation of temporalities that there our reason should be most powerfully disswaded from such adherencies by the clearest evidences of the infidelity of such confidences for here Fortune beares her own name in her forehead which is visible together with her smiles and the continuall objects of rise and ruine the frequent vicissitudes of braving and bleeding conditions show Fortune in Courts even but to indifferent good eyes not as the Sirens of the Poets the beauty and graciousnesse of her only above water but expose her just like to the Locusts of the Revelation for although on her head there seemes to be crownes of gold and her haire like the haire of Women yet her teeth appeare as the teeth of Lyons and her sting like that of Scorpions so that the deterrings and disabuses appeare together with the delectations I may therefore conclude that Courtiers by their living in this demonstration of the truth and nature of all mundanities are advantaged above others towards the acquisition of Humility which is a naturall resultancy from a true apprehending the meannesse and vility of all things so unfaithfull transitory For as all Pride riseth from the beliefe of some propriety which we rely on so the perswasion of the insecurity of our possessions must needs abate our esteem of them and consequently dispose us to a modest and humble account of our selves and our conditions I will therefore confidently commend Humility to Courtiers for their guide through all the snares of their way in the tearmes of Solomon She shall lead you by the paths of equity which when you are in your steps shall not be straitned and when you run you shall not stumble for you shall neither faint in the restines of your Fortune nor fall in the full speed of it Humility doth not decline the course of Honour and Dignity but only casts reines upon our sensitive appetite and holds that from running away with our Reason in the course Nay Magnificence and Humility are consortable in the same heart wherein the habit of this vertue may consist with acts of the other since this disposition dislodgeth no vertue and secureth all For the posture of prostration in which Humility conducts our minds may be said to carry as it were a Trench before them casting up the earth it selfe for their defence against all the fiery engines of the Prince of this World in regard the Penetration and inspection which sincere Humility makes into the bowels of our own earthinesse and mortality casts up our misery and despicablenes before us as a brest-worke of our own earth to defend our hearts against vain-glory or presumption by which any Fortune never so eminent can endanger us For indeed they who have this Parapet as I may say before their minds of Dust thou art and to Dust thou shalt returne may be said to be fortified in the nakednes and discovery of themselves Such is the ingeniousnes of Humility as it can raise defences for us out of our wants and destitutions nay it may be said to draw in them a Line of communication between heaven and earth joyning the knowledge of our own nullity and the apprehension of the immensity of God which view may keep us alwayes little in our own eyes though we have never so many false reflexes from the eyes