do not thou My Soul fixt here remain All Streams of Beauty here below Do from that immense Ocean flow And thither they should lead again Trace then these Streams till thou shall be At length o'rewhelm'd in Beauty's boundless Sea. Love. I. IMperial Passion Sacred fire When we of meaner Subjects sing Thou tune'st our Harps thou dost our Souls inspire 'T is Love directs the Quill 't is Love strikes every string But where 's another Deity T' inspire the man that sings of thee II. W' are by mistaken Chymists told That the most active part of all The various Compound cast in nature's mould Is that which they Mercurial spirit call But sure 't is Love they should have said Without this even their Spirit is Dead III. Love 's the great Spring of Nature's wheel Love does the Masse pervade and move What ' scapes the Sun's does thy warm influence feel The Universe is kept in tune by Love. Thou Nature giv'st her Sympathy The Center has its Charm from thee IV. Love did great Nothing 's barren womb Impregnate with his genial fire From this first Parent did all creatures come Th' Almighty will'd and made all by Desire Nay more among the Sacred Three The third subsistence is from thee V. The Happiest Order of the Blest Are those whose Tide of Love's most high The bright Seraphic Host who 're more possest Of good because more like the Deity T' him they advance as they improve Their noble heat for God is love VI. Shall then a Passion so Divine Stoop down and Mortal Beautys know Nature's great Statute Law did ne're design That Heavenly fire should kindle here below Let it ascend and dwell above The proper Element of Love. The Consummation A Pindarique Ode I. THe rise of Monarchys and their long weighty fall My Muse outsoars she proudly leaves behind The Pomps of Courts she leaves our little All To be the humble Song of a less reaching Mind In vain I curb her tow'ring flight All I can here present's too small She presses on and now has lost their sight She flies and hastens to relate The last and dreadful Scene of Fate Nature's great solemn Funeral I see the mighty Angel stand Cloath'd with a Cloud and Rain-bow round his head His right foot on the Sea his other on the Land He lifted up his dreadful arm and thus he said By the mysterious great Three-one Whose Power we fear and Truth adore I swear the Fatal Thred is spun Nature shall breath her last and Time shall be no more The Ancient Stager of the Day Has run his minutes out and number'd all his way The parting Isthmus is thrown down And all shall now be overflown Time shall no more her under-current know But one with great Eternity shall grow Their streams shall mix and in one Circling chanel flow II. He spake Fate writ the Sentence with her Iron pen And mighty Thunderings said Amen What dreadful sound 's this strikes my ear 'T is sure th' Arch-angel's trump I hear Nature's great Passing-bell the only Call Of God's that will be heard by all The Universe takes the alarm the Sea Trembles at the great Angel's sound And roars almost as loud as he Seeks a new channel and would fain run under-ground The Earth it self does no less quake And all throughout down to the Center shake The Graves unclose and the deep sleepers there awake The Sun 's arrested in his way He dares not forward go But wondring stands at the great hurry here below The Stars forget their laws and like loose Planets stray See how the Elements resign Their numerous charge the scatter'd Atoms home repair Some from the Earth some from the Sea some from the Air They know the great alarm And in confus'd mixt numbers swarm Till rang'd and sever'd by the Chymistry divine The Father of Mankind's amaz'd to see The Globe too narrow for his Progeny But 't is the closing of the Age And all the Actors now at once must grace the Stage III. Now Muse exalt thy wing be bold and dare Fate does a wondrous Scene prepare The Central fire which hitherto did burn Dull like a Lamp in a moist clammy Urn Fann'd by the breath divine begins to glow The Fiends are all amaz'd below But that will no confinement know Breaks through its Sacred Fence and plays more free Than thou with all thy vast Pindarique Liberty Nature does sick of a strong Fever lye The fire the subterraneous Vaults does spoil The Mountains sweat the Sea does boil The Sea her mighty Pulse beats high The waves of fire more proudly rowl The Fiends in their deep Caverns howl And with the frightful Trumpet mix their hideous cry Now is the Tragic Scene begun The Fire in triumph marches on The Earth's girt round with flames and seems another Sun. IV. But whither does this lawless Judgment roam Must all promiscuously expire A Sacrifice in Sodom's fire Read thy Commission Fate sure all are not thy due No thou must save the vertuous Few But where 's the Angel guardian to avert the doom Lo with a mighty Host he 's come I see the parted Clouds give way I see the Banner of the Cross display Death's Conquerour in pomp appears In his right hand a Palm he bears And in his looks Redemption wears Th' illustrious glory of this Scene Does the despairing Saints inspire With Joy with Rapture and desire Kindles the higher life that dormant lay within Th' awaken'd vertue does its strength display Melts and refines their drosâ—y Clay New-cast into a pure Aethereal frame They fly and mount aloft in vehicles of flame Slack here my Muse thy roving wing And now the world 's untuned let down thy high-set string Freedom I. I Do not ask thee Fate to give This little span a long reprieve Thy pleasures here are all so poor and vain I care not hence how soon I 'm gone Date as thou wilt my time I shan't complain May I but still live free and call it all my own II. Let my sand slide away apace I care not so I hold the glass Let me my Time my Books my Self enjoy Give me from cares a sure retreat Let no impertinence my hours employ That 's in one word kind Heaven â—et me ne're be great III. In vain from chains and fetters free The great man boasts of Liberty He 's pinnion'd up by formal rules of state Can ne're from noise and dust retire He 's haunted still by Crouds that round him wait His lot's to be in Pain as that of Fools t' admire IV. Mean while the Swain has calm repose Freely he comes and freely goes Thus the bright Stars whose station is more high Are fix'd and by strict measures move While lower Planets wanton in the sky Are bound to no set laws but humoursomly rove To his Muse I. COme Muse let 's cast up our Accounts and see How much you are in Debt to me You 've reign'd thus long the Mistress of
is what I design'd and endeavour'd in the whole Whether I have attain'd it or no I submit to Judgment All-Souls Coll. June 1st 1687. J. Norris THE CONTENTS OF THE PROSE-PART Of the advantages of Thinking Page 145. Of the Care and Improvement of Time. 153. Of Solitude 158. Of Courage 165. Of Seriousness 170. Of the slightness of all Secular and the importance of minding our Eternal Interest 175. A Metaphysical Essay toward the Demonstration of a God from the steddy and immutable Nature of Truth 193. The Christian Law Asserted and Vindicated Or a general Apology for the Christian Religion both as to the Obligativeness and Reasonableness of the Institution 211. A Discourse concerning Perseverance in Holiness 249. A Discourse coucerning Heroic Piety wherein its Notion is stated and its Practise recommended 275. Contemplation and Love Or the Methodical Ascent of the Soul to God by steps of Meditation 295. A Discourse upon Romans 12. 3. Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think But to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of Faith. 333. Considerations upon the Nature of Sin accommodated to the Ends both of Speculation and Practise 361. An Idea of Happiness in a Letter to a Friend Enquiring wherein the greatest Happiness attainable by man in this Life does consist 393. A Letter of Resolution concerning some Passages in the foregoing Treatise 431. Another Letter concerning the true Notion of Plato's Ideas and of Platonic Love. 435. A Letter concerning Love and Music 446. A Letter concerning Friendship 450. A Letter of Self-Consolation occasion'd by the Death of a Friend 455. ERRATA Page 164. for ingeniously read ingenuously Page 170. for gaiety read gait Page 281. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Passion of our B. Saviour represented in a Pindarique Ode Quis talia fando Temperet à Lachrymis I. SAY bold Licentious Muse What Noble Subject wilt thou chuse Of what great Hero of what mighty thing Wilt thou in boundless numbers sing Sing the unfathom'd Depths of Love For who the Wonders done by Love can tell By Love which is it self all Miracle Here in vast endless Circles mayst thou rove And like the travelling Planet of the day In an Orb unbounded stray Sing the great Miracle of Love Divine Great be thy Genius sparkling every Line Love's greatest Mystery reherse Greater then that Which on the teeâ—ing Chaos brooding sate And hatch'd with kindly heat the Universe How God in Mercy chose to bleed and dye To rescue Man from Misery Man not his Creature only but his Enemy II. Lo in Gethsemane I see him prostrate lye Press'd with the weight of his great Agony The common Sluces of the Eyes To vent his mighty Passion won't suffice His tortured Body weeps all-o're And out of every Pore Buds forth a pretious Gem of Purple Gore How strange the Power of afflictions rod When in the Hand of an incensed God! Like the commanding Wand In Moses Hand It works a Miracle and turns the Flood Of Tears into a Sea of Blood See with what Pomp Sorrow does now appear How proud She is of being seated here She never wore So rich a Dye before Long was he willing to decline Th' Encounter of the Wrath Divine Thrice he sent for his Release Pathetic Embassies of Peace At length his Courage overcame his Doubt Resolved he was and so the bloody Flagg hung out III. And now the Tragic Scene 's displai'd Where drawn in full Battalia are laid Before his Eyes That numerous Host of Miseries He must withstand that Map of Woe Which he must undergo That heavy Wine-press which must by him be trod The whole Artillery of God. He saw that Face whose very Sight Chears Angels with its Beatific Light Contracted now into a dreadful frown All cloath'd with Thunder big with death And Showers of hot burning Wrath Which shortly must be poured down He saw a black and dismal Scroll Of Sins past present and to come With their intolerable Doom Which would the more oppress his spotless Soul As th' Elements are weighty proved When from their Native Station they 'r removed He saw the foul Ingratitude of those Who would the Labours of his Love oppose And reap no benefit by all his Agonys He saw all this And as he saw to Waver he began And almost to repent of his great Love for Man. IV. When lo a heavenly Form all bright and fair Swifter then Thought shot through th' enlight'ned Air. He who sat next th' imperial Throne And read the Councels of the Great Three-One Who in Eternity's Misterious Glass Saw both what was what is and what must come to pass He came with Reverence profound And rais'd his prostrate Maker from the Ground Wiped off the bloody Sweat With which his Face and Garments too were wet And comforted his dark benighted Mind With sovereign Cordials of Light refin'd This done in soft addresses he began To fortifie his kind Designs for Man Vnseal'd to him the Book of Gods Decree And shew'd him what must be Alledg'd the Truth of Prophecies Types Figures and Mysteries How needful it was to supply With humane Race the ruins of the Skie How this would new accession bring To the Coelestial Quire And how withall it would inspire New Matter for the Praise of the great King. How he should see the travail of his Soul and bless Those Sufferings which had so good Success How great the Triumphs of his Victory How glorious his Ascent would be What weighty Bliss in Heaven he should obtain By a few Hours of Pain Where to Eternal Ages he should Reign He spake confirm'd in mind the Champion stood A Spirit divine Through the thick Veil of Flesh did shine All over Powerful he was all over Good. Pleas'd with his successful Flight The Officious Angel posts away To the bright Regions of Eternal Day Departing in a track of Light. In haste for News the heavenly People ran And joy'd to hear the hopeful State of Man. V. And now that strange prodigious hour When God must subject be to humane Power That Hour is come The unerring Clock of Fate has struck 'T was heard below down to Hells lowest Room And strait th Infernal Powers th appointed signal took Open the Scene my Muse and see Wonders of Impudence and Villany How wicked Mercenary hands Dare to invade him whom they should adore With Swords and Staves incompass'd round he stands Who knew no other Guards but those of Heaven before Once with his powerful breath he did repell The rude assaults of Hell. A ray of his Divinity Shot forth with that bold Answer I am He They reel and stagger and fall to the Ground For God was in the Sound The Voice of God was once again Walking in the Garden heard And once again was by the guilty Hearers fear'd Trembling seiz'd every joynt and chilness every Vein This little Victory he won Shew'd what he could
have not done amiss For so the Ingenious Platonist Boethius Huc te si reducem referat via Quam nunc requiris immemor Haec dices memini patria est mihi Hinc ortus hic sistam gradum 'T is one immense and everflowing light My business was here to give a Compendious description of God. Now among all the representations we have of him I thought none so agreeable to the Genius of Poetry as a sensible one and of all those I could not find a better in all the Inventory of the Creation than this of Light. I shall not here endeavour a Parallel It may suffice to say that the Representation is warranted by Authority both human and Divine The School of Plato describes the nature of God by an immense light or Lucid Fountain ever flowing and diffusing its refreshing beams And Holy Scripture goes further and says in express terms that God is light and in him is no darkness at all John I. 5. The Curiosity I. UNhappy state of mortals here below Whom unkind Heaven does inspire With such a constant strong desire And with such slender facultys to know And yet we not content to bear the pain Of thirst unquencht and fruitless love With one more curse our ills improve And toil and drudge for what we ne're can gain II. With what strange Frenzy are we all possest Contented Ignorance to refuse And by laborious search to lose Not the enjoyment only but our Rest Something like Oar does on the surface shine We taken with the specious shew With pains dig in the flattering Mine But all alas in vain Truth lies more low III. The greatest Knowledge we can ever gain From studying Nature Books or men Serves just t' employ dull hours but then It yields less Pleasure than it costs us pain Besides so short and treacherous is our age No sooner are we counted Wise But envious Death shuts up our eyes Just our part is learnt we quit the Stage IV. Could I among the nobler spirits find One that would lay aside his State And be my kind confederate That suddainly I might inrich my mind 'T would be some pleasure this if happy I Could once at ease sit and survey And my great victory enjoy And not as now still labour on and dye The 114 Psalm Paraphrased I. WHen conquer'd by the Plagues of Moses Rod Th' Egyptian Tyrant gave command That Israel should depart his Land Israel the chosen Family of God. Among them dwelt the Holy One Juda his Sanctuary and Israel was his Throne II. The Sea beheld this Scene and did admire Each wave stood silently to see The Power of the Divinity They saw and fled the dreadful guide of Fire Aud Jordan too divided stood The Priests the sacred Ark bore through the yielding Flood III. Mount Sinai with great Horrour struck and dread Forgot her weight and in a trance Like a light Ram did skip and dance She fear'd and fain would hide her Palsy Head. The Hills their Mother Mountain saw The little Hills and like young sheep they stood in awe IV. What made thee to retreat thou Mighty Sea Tell me for never any shore Knew such a wondrous Tide before And thou great Jordan say what ailed thee Say sacred Mount what meant thy trance And you small under-hills why did you skip and dance V. You need not think it shame to own your fear What you dismaid the same would make The universal Fabrick shake The cause was great for Jacob's God was there That God who did the Rock subdue And made it melt in tears tho harder far than you The 148 Psalm Paraphrased I. O Come let all created force conspire A general Hymn of Praise to sing Join all ye Creatures in one solemn Quire And let your Theme be Heaven's Almighty King. II. Begin ye blest Attendants of his Seat Begin your high Seraphic lays 'T is just you should your Happiness is great And all you are to give again is Praise III. Ye glorious Lamps that rule both night and day Bring you your Allelujahs too To him that Tribute of Devotion pay Which once blind superstition gave to you IV. Thou first and fairest of material kind By whom his other works we see Subtile and active as pure thought and mind Praise him that 's Elder and more fair than thee V. Ye Regions of the Air his praises sing And all ye Virgin waters there Do you advantage to the Consort bring And down to us the Allelujah bear VI. In chaunting forth the great Jehovah's Praise Let these the upper Consort fill He spake and did you all from nothing raise As you did then so now obey his will. VII His will that fix'd you in a constant state And out a track for Natures wheel Here let it run sayd he and made it fate And where 's that Power which can this Law repeal VIII Ye Powers that to th' inferiour world retain Join you now with the Quire above And first ye Dragons try an higher strain And turn your angry hissings into Praise and Love. IX Let fire hail snow and vapours that ascend Unlock'd by Phoebus searching rays Let Stormy winds ambitiously contend And all their wonted force imploy in Praise X. Ye sacred tops which seem to brave the skies Rise higher and when men on you Religious rites perform and Sacrifice With their Oblations send your Praises too XI Ye Trees whose fruits both men and beasts consume Be you in Praises fruitful too Ye Cedars why have you such choice perfume But that sweet Incense should be made of you XII Ye Beasts with all the humble Creeping train Praise him that made your lot so high Ye Birds who in a nobler Province reign Send up your Praises higher than you â—ly XIII Ye sacred heads that wear Imperial gold Praise him that you with power arrays And you whose hands the Scale of Justice hold Be Just in this and pay your Debt of Praise XIV Let sprightly youth give vigour to the Quire Each Sex with one another vie Let feeble Age dissolv'd in Praise expire And Infants too in Hymns their tender voices try XV. Praise him ye Saints who Piety profess And at his Altar spend your days Ye seed of Israel your great Patron bleâ—s 'T is Manna this for Angels food is Praise A Pastoral On the death of his Sacred Majesty King CHARLES the Second Menalcas Thyrsis and Daphnis Thyr. WHat sad Menalcas Sure this pleasant shade Was ne're for such a mournful Tenant made All things smile round thee and throughout the Grove Nature displays a Scene of Joy and Love. But Shepherd where 's thy flock Sure they in some forbidden pastures stray Whilest here in sighs thou number'st out the day Men. Ah Thyrsis thou could'st witness heretofore What strange Affection to my flock I bore Thou know'st my Thyrsis the Arcadian Plain Could not afford a more industrious Swain But I no longer now that mind retain Thyr. What change so great but what Love's power
voices join Their Praise to the Applause divine The Morning stars in Hymns combine And as they sung play'd the jocant Orbs danc't round XIV With this thy Quire divine great God I bring My Eucharistic Offering I cannot here sing more exalted layes But what 's defective now I will supply When I enjoy thy Deity Then may'st thou sleep my Lyre I shall not then thy help require Diviner thoughts will then me fire Than thou tho playd on by an Angels hand canst raise Plato's two Cupids I. THe heart of man's a living Butt At which two different Archers shoot Their Shafts are pointed both with fire Both wound our hearts with hot desire II. In this they differ he that lyes A sacrifice t' his Mistress eyes In pain does live in pain expire And melts and drops before the fire III. But he that flame 's with love divine Does not in th' heat consume but shine H' enjoys the fire that round him lyes Serenely lives serenely dyes IV. So Devils and damned Souls in hell Fry in the fire with which they dwell But Angels suffer not the same Altho their Vehicles be flame V. The heart whose fire 's divine and chast Is like the Bush that did not wast Moses beheld the flame with fear That wasted not for God was there A Wish I. WHatever Blessing you my Life deny Grant me kind Heaven this one thing when I dye I charge thee guardian Spirit hear And as thou lov'st me further this my Prayer II. When I 'm to leave this grosser Sphere and try Death that amazing Curiosity When just about to breathe my last Then when no Mortal joy can strike my tast III. Let me soft melting strains of Music hear Whose Dying sounds may speak Death to my ear Gently the Bands of life unty Till in sweet raptures I dissolve and dye IV. How soft and easy my new Birth will be Help'd on by Music s gentle Midwifery And I who ' midst these charms expire Shall bring a Soul well tuned to Heaven's Quire. To Dr. More Ode I. GO Muse go hasten to the Cell of Fame Thou kow'st her reverend aweful seat It stands hard by your blest retreat Go with a brisk alarm assault her ear Bid her her loudest Trump prepare To sound a more than Human name A name more excellent and great Than she could ever publish yet Tell her she need not stay till Fate shall give A License to his Works and bid them live His Worth now shines through Envys base Alloy 'T will fill her widest Trump and all her Breath employ II. Learning which long like an inchanted Land Did Human force and Art defy And stood the Vertuoso's best Artillery Which nothing mortal could subdue Has yielded to this Hero's Fatal hand By him is conquer'd held and peopled too Like Seas that border on the shore The Muses Suburbs some possession knew But like the deep Abyss their iuner store Lay unpossess'd till seiz'd and own'd by you Truth 's outer Courts were trod before Sacred was her recess that Fate reserv'd for More III. Others in Learning's Chorus bear their part And the great Work distinctly share Thou our great Catholic Professour art All Science is annex'd to thy unerring Chair Some lesser Synods of the Wise The Muses kept in Universitys But never yet till in thy Soul Had they a Councel Oecumenical An Abstract they 'd a mind to see Of all their scatter'd gifts and summ'd them up in thee Thou hast the Arts whole Zodiac run And fathom'st all that here is known Strange restless Curiosity Adam himself came short of thee He tasted of the Fruit thou bear'st away the Tree IV. Whilest to be great the most aspire Or with low Souls to raise their fortunes higher Knowledg the chiefest Treasure of the Blest Knowledg the Wise man's best Request Was made thy choice for this thou hast declin'd A life of noise impertinence and State And what e're else the Muses hate And mad'st it thy one business to inrich thy mind How calm thy life how easy how secure Thou Intellectual Epicure Thou as another Solomon hast try'd All Nature through and nothing to thy Soul deny'd Who can two such examples shew He all things try'd t' enjoy and you all things to know V. By Babel's Curse and our Contracted span Heaven thought to check the swift career of man. And so it prov'd till now our age Is much too short to run so long a Stage And to learn words is such a vast delay That we 're benighted e're we come half way Thou with unusual hast driv'st on And dost even Time it self out-run No hindrance can retard thy Course Thou rid'st the Muses winged horse Thy Stage of Learning ends e're that of Life be done There 's now no work left for thy accomplish'd mind But to Survey thy Conquests and inform mankind The Passion of the Virgin Mother Beholding the Crucifixion of her divine Son. 1. NIgh to the Fatal and yet Soveraign wood Which crouds of wondring Angels did surround Devoutly sad the Holy Mother stood And view'd her Son sympathized with every wound II. Angelic piety in her mournful face Like rays of light through a watry cloud did shine Two mighty Passions in her breast took place And like her Son sh ' appear'd half human half divine III. She saw a blacker and more tragic Scene Than e're the Sun before or then would see In vain did nature draw her dusky Skreen She saw and wept and felt the dreadful Agony IV. Grief in the abstract sure can rise no higher Than that which this deep Tragedy did move She saw in tortures and in shame expire Her Son her God her worship and her Love. V. That sacred head which all divine and bright Struck with deep awe the Votarys of the East To which a Star paid Tributary light Which the then joyful mother kiss'd adored and blest VI. That head which Angels with pure light had crown'd Where Wisdom's Seat and Oracle was plac'd Whose air divine threw his Traitours to the ground She saw with pointed circles of rude thorns embrac'd VII Those hands whose soveraign touch were wont to heal All wounds and hurts that others did endure Did now the peircings of rough iron feel Nor could the wounded heart of his sad mother cure VIII No No it bled to see his body torn With nails and deck'd with gems of purple gore On four great wounds to see him rudely born Whom oft her arms a happy burthen found before IX It bled to hear that voice of grief and dread Which the Earths pillars and foundations shook Which rent the Rocks and ' woke the sleeping dead My God my God O why why hast thou me forsook X. And can the tide of Sorrow rise more high Her melting face stood thick with tears to view Like those of heaven his setting glorys dye As flowers left by the Sun are charged with evening dew XI But see grief spreads her empire still more wide
great and substantial is To think is but to see good cause to grieve 'T is well I 'm mortal 't is well I shortly must Lose all the thoughts of Eden in the dust Senseless and thoughtless now I 'd be I 'd lose even my self since I 've lost thee To Sleep I. BReak off thy slumber gentle god And hither bring thy charming rod The rod that weeping eyes does close And gives to melancholy hearts repose With that my temples stroke and let me be Held by thy soft Captivity But do not all my senses bind Nor fetter up too close my mind Let mimic Fancy wake and freely rove And bring th' Idea of the Saint I love II. Her lovely image has been brought So often to my waking thought That 't is at length worn out and dead And with its fair Original is fled Or else my working overthoughtful mind With much intention is made blind Like those who look on Objects bright So long till they quite lose their sight Ah Cruel Fates is 't not enough for you To take my Saint but I must lose her Image too III. Thee gentle Charmer I implore This my lost Treasure to restore Thy magic vertues all apply Set up again my Bank-rupt memory Search every Cell and corner of my brain And bring my Fugitive again To thy dark cave thy self betake And 'mong thy Dreams enquiry make Summon thy best Ideas to appear And bring that Form which most resembles her IV. But if in all thy store there be None as I fear so fair as she Then let thy Painter Fancy limn Her Form anew and send it by a Dream Thou can'st him all her lively Features tell For sure I think thou knew'st her well But if description wont suffice For him to draw a Piece so nice Then let him to my Breast and Heart repair For sure her Image is not worn out there The Grant. I. 'T Was when the Tide of the returning day Began to chase ill forms away When pious dreams the sense imploy And all within is Innocence and Joy My melancholy thoughtful mind O'recome at length to sleep resign'd Not common sleep for I was blest With something more divine more sweet than rest II. She who her fine-wrought clay had lately left Of whose sweet form I was bereft Was by kind Fancy to me brought And made the Object of my happy thought Clad she was all in virgin white And shone with Empyreal light A radiant glory crown'd her head She stream'd with Light and Love and thus she said III. And why this grief and Passion for the Blest Let all your sorrows with me rest My state is Bliss but I should live Yet much more happy would you cease to grieve Dry up your tears Dear Friend and be Happy in my Felicity By this your wisdom you 'l approve Nay what you 'd most of all commend your Love. IV. She spake dissolv'd I lay and overcome And was with extasy struck dumb But ah the fierce tumultuous joy It s own weak being hastned to destroy To see that lovely Form appear My spirits in such commotion were Sleep could no more their force controul They shook their fetters off free'd my unwilling Soul. V. What Bliss do we oft to Deluston owe Who would not still be cheated so Opinion's an Ingredient That goes so far to make up true content That even a Dream of Happiness With real joy the Soul does bless Let me but always dream of this And I will envy none their waking Bliss The Aspiration I. HOw long great God how long must I Immured in this dark Prison lye Where at the Grates and Avenues of sense My Soul must watch to have intelligence Where but faint gleams of thee salute my sight Like doubtful Moonshine in a Cloudy night When shall I leave this magic Sphere And be all mind all eye all ear II. How Cold this Clime I and yet my sense Perceives even here thy influence Even here thy strong Magnetic charms I feel And pant and tremble like the Amorous steel To lower good and Beautys less Divine Sometimes my erroneous Needle does decline But yet so strong the sympathy It turns and points again to thee III. I long to see this Excellence Which at such distance strikes my sense My impatient Soul struggles to disengage Her wings from the confinement of her cage Wouldst thou great Love this Prisoner once set free How would she hasten to be linkt to thee She 'd for no Angels conduct stay But fly and love on all the way The Defence I. THat I am colder in my Friendship grown My Faith and Constancy you blame But sure th' inconstancy is all your own I am but you are not the same The flame of love must needs expire If you substract what should maintain the fire II. While to the Laws of Vertue you were true You had and might retain my heart Now give me leave to turn Apostate too Since you do from your self depart Thus the Reform'd are counted free From Schism tho they desert the Roman See. III. The strictest union to be found below Is that which Soul and Body tyes They all the Mysterys of Friendship know And with each other sympathize And yet the Soul will bid adieu T' her much distemper'd mate as I leave you The Retractation I. I 'Ve often charg'd all sublunary bliss With vanity and emptiness You woods and streams have heard me oft complain How all things how even your delights were vain Methought I could with one short simple view Glance o're all human joys and see them through But now great Preacher pardon me I cannot wholly to thy charge agree For Music sure and Friendship have no vanity II. No each of these is a firm massy joy Which tho eternal will not cloy Here may the Venturous Soul love on and find Grasp what she can that more remains behind Such Depths of joy these living springs contain As man t' eternity can never drain These Sweets the truth of Heaven prove Only there 's greater Bliss with Saints above Because they 've better Music there and firmer love The Prospect I. WHat a strange moment will that be My Soul how full of Curiosity When winged and ready for thy eternal flight To th' utmost edges of thy tottering Clay Hovering and wishing longer stay Thou shalt advance and have Eternity in sight When just about to try that unknown Sea What a strange moment will that be II. But yet how much more strange that state When loosen'd from th' embrace of this close mate Thou shalt at once be plunged in liberty And move as swift and active as a Ray Shot from the lucid spring of day Thou who just now wast clogg'd with dull mortality How wilt thou bear the mighty change how know Whether thou' rt then the same or no! III. Then to strange Mansions of the air And stranger Company must thou repair What a new Scene of things will then appear This world
my heart You 've been the ruling Planet of my days In my spare-hours you 've had your part Ev'n now my servile hand your soveraign will obeys Too great such service to be Free Tell me what I 'm to have for being thy Votary II. You have Preferments in your gift you say You can with gold my service pay I fear thy boast your sacred Hill I 'm told In a poor curs'd and barren Country lies Besides what 's state to me or gold These you long since have taught me to despise To put me off with this would be Not to reward but tax my ill Proficiency III. But Fame you say will make amends for all This you your soveraign Blessing call The only lasting good that never dies A good which never can be bought too dear Which all the wise and vertuous prize The gods too with delight their Praises hear This shall my Portion be you say You 'l crown my head with an immortal Bay. IV. Give me a place less high and more secure This dangerous good I can't endure The peaceful banks which profound silence keep The little Boat securely passes by But where with noise the waters creep Turn off with Care for treacherous rocks are nigh Then Muse farewell I see your store Can't pay for what is past and I can trust no more Of the advantages of Thinking MAN being the only Creature here below design'd for a sociable life has two facultys to distinguish him from other Créatures Thinking and Speaking The one to fit him for the society of others and the other to qualify him also for his own As to the latter of these Facultys there 's no fear of its gathering rust for want of use We are rather apt to speak too much and the most Reserv'd have reason to pray with the Psalmist Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips But the former is that which generally lies fallow and neglected as may be guess'd from the intemperate use of the other There are few indeed that are capable of thinking to any great purpose but among those that are there are fewer that employ this excellent Talent And for ought I know however strange it may seem among the Ingenious and well educated there are as few Thinkers as among the Herd of the vulgar and illiterate For either they live a Popular life and then what for business pleasures Company visits with a world of other impertinencys there 's scarce room for so much as a Morning reflexion Or else they live retir'd and then either they doze away their time in drowsiness and brown studys or if brisk and active they lay themselves out wholely upon devouring books and making Common places and scarce entertain their Solitude with a Meditation once in a Moon But 't is merely for want of Thinking that they can allow themselves in doing so For by a little of this they would soon discover that of all the Methods of improvement that can be used there is none so advantagious as Thinking either for our Intellectuals or our Morals to make us wiser or to make us better And first for our Intellectuals 'T is the perfection of our Rational part to know that is to be able to frame clear and distinct conceptions to form right Judgments and to draw true consequences from one thing to another Now besides that the Powers of the mind are made more bright vigorous and active by use as all other facultys are there is this further advantage that by habitual thinking the object is made more familiar to the understanding the Habitudes and relations of Ideas one towards another by frequent comparing become more visible and apparent and consequently 't is more easy to divide what ought to be divided and to compound what ought to be compounded wherein consists the sum of all Truth and Science Reading is indeed very excellent and useful to this purpose but Thinking is necessary This may do without the other as appears in the first Inventors of Arts and Sciences who were fain to think out their way to the Recesses of Truth but the other can never do without this Reading without thinking may indeed make a rich Common place but t will never make a rich head it may indeed bring in a great store of Hyle but 't is yet without form and void till Thinking like the Seminal spirit agitates the dead shapeless lump and works it up into figure and symmetry But of what advantage Thinking is to the advancement of Knowledge will further appear by considering some of the chief impediments of it and how they are removed by Thinking And the first that I shall mention is the Prejudice of Infancy We form infinite rash judgments of things before we duly understand any thing and these grow up with us take root spread and multiply till after long use and custom we mistake them for common notions and dictates of nature and then we think it a crime to go about to unlearn or eradicate them And as long as we stand thus affected we are condemn'd to errours and perpetual wandrings So great reason had the excellent Des-Cartes to lay the foundation of his Philosophy in an Equipoise of mind and to make the removal of these Prejudices the very entrance and beginning of wisdom But now when a man sets upon a course of Thinking nothing will be so obvious as to consider that since we come so late to the perfect use of our reason among those many judgments we have made 't is very likely the major part are false and erroneous And this is a fair step to the shaking off those infant-Prejudices at least he will be thereby induc'd not to believe any thing the rather because he had given it such early entertainment From this general reflexion he proceeds to examin the things themselves And now he is a capable Judge can hear both sides with an indifferent ear is determin'd only by the moments of truth and so retracts his past errours and has the best Moral security against any for the future Another great hindrance to knowledg is the wrong perception of things When the simple Ideas of our minds are confus'd our Judgments can never proceed without errour 'T is like a fault in the first concoction which is never corrected in either of the other For how can I judge whether the Attribute agree to the subject it my notion of both be confus'd and obscure But now the only cause of the confusedness of our notions next to the natural inability of our faculties is want of Attention and close application of mind We don't dwell enough upon the object but speculate it transiently and in hast and then no wonder that we conceive it by halves Thinking therefore is a proper Remedy for this defect also Another great hindrance to knowledg is ambiguity of Terms and Phrases This has bred a world of confusion and misunderstanding especially in controversys of
of Humanity 'T is true indeed as Seneca says Miscendae alternandae sunt Solitudo frequentia Solitude and Company are to have their turns and to be interplaced But Wise-men use to dedicate the largest share of their Lives to the former and let the best and most of their Time go to make up the Canonical Hours of Study Meditation and Devotion And for this besides the practice of Wise-men we have the Authentic example of our B. Lord himself Who as 't is reasonably supposed for he had pass'd the thirtieth year of his Life before he enter'd upon the stage of Action and then also sought all opportunities to be alone and oftentimes purchas'd Retirement at the expence of Night-watches allotted the greatest part of his little Time here on Earth to Privacy and Retirement and 't is highly probable would have liv'd much more reservedly had not the peculiar business of his function made it necessary for him to be conversant in the World. The inclination of our Lord lay more toward the Contemplative way of Life tho the interest of Mankind engaged him oftentimes upon the Active And 't is very observable that there is scarce any one thing which he vouchsafed to grace with so many marks and instances of favour and respect as he did Solitude Which are thus summ'd up by the excellent Pen of a very great Master of Learning and Language It was Solitude and Retirement in which Jesus kept his Vigils the desart places heard him pray in a privacy he was born in the Wilderness he fed his thousands upon a Mountain apart he was transfigured upon a Mountain he died and from a Mountain he ascended to his Father In which Retirements his Devotion certainly did receive the advantage of convenient circumstances and himself in such dispositions twice had the opportunities of Glory Indeed the Satisfactions and Advantages of Solitude to a person that knows how to improve it are very great and far transcending those of a Secular and Popular Life First as to Pleasure and Satisfaction whosoever considers the great variety of mens humours the peevishness of some the pride and conceitedness of others and the impertinence of most he that considers what unreasonable terms of Communion some persons impose upon those that partake of their Society how rare 't is for a man to light upon a Company where as his first Salutation he shall not presently have a Bottle thrust to his Nose he I say that considers these and a thousand more grievances wherewith the folly and ill nature of men have conspired to burthen Society will find take one time with another Company is an occasion of almost as much displeasure as pleasure Whereas in the mean time the Solitary and Contemplative man sits as safe in his Retirement as one of Homer's Heroes in a Cloud and has this only trouble from the follies and extravagancies of men that he pitties them He does not it may be laugh so loud but he is better pleas'd He is not perhaps so often merry but neither is he so often disgusted he lives to himself and God full of Serenity and Content And as the Pleasures and Satisfactions of Solitude exceed those of a Popular Life so also do the Advantages Of these there are two sorts Moral and Intellectual to both which Solitude is a particular friend As to the first it is plain that Solitude is the proper opportunity of Contemplation which is both the Foundation and the Perfection of a Religious Life It is as the same excellent Person forecited says elsewhere of a single Life the huge advantage of Religion the great opportunity for the Retirements of Devotion which being empty of Cares is full of Prayers being unmingled with the World is apt to converse with God and by not feeling the warmth of a too forward and indulgent Nature flames out with holy Fires till it be burning like the Cherubim and the most extasy'd Order of holy and unpolluted Spirits And for this reason 't was that the Anciente chose to build their Altars and Temples in Groves and Solitary Recesses thereby intimating that Solitude was the best opportunity of Religion Neither are our intellectual advantages less indebted to Solitude And here tho I have in a great measure anticipated this consideration there being nothing necessarily required to compleat the Character of a Wise-man besides the knowledg of God and himself yet I shall not confine my self to this instance but deduce the matter further and venture to affirm that all kinds of Speculative knowledg as well as practical are best improved by Solitude Indeed there is much talk about the great benefit of keeping Great men company and thereupon 't is usually reckon'd among the disadvantages of a Country life that those of that condition want the opportunities of a Learned Conversation But to confess the truth I think there is not so much in it as people generally imagine Indeed were the Souls of men lodg'd in transparent cases that we might read their thoughts would they communicate what they know were it the fashion to discourse learnedly 't were worth while to frequent the Cabals of Great men But when it shall be counted a piece of errant Pedantry and defect of good breeding to start any Question of Learning in Company when every man is as shy of his Notions as of a Fairy-treasure and makes his Head not a Repository or Exchequer of Knowledg but a Grave to bury it in A man may be a constant attendant at the Conclaves of Learned men all his life long and yet be no more the wiser for 't than a Book-worm is for dwelling in Libraries And therefore to speak ingeniously I don't see for my part wherein the great advantage of great Conversation lies as the humours of men are pleas'd to order it Were I to inform my self in business and the management of affairs I would sooner talk with a plain illiterate Farmer or Trades-man than the greatest Vertuoso of The Society and as for Learning which is the only thing they are supposed able to discourse well of that in point of Civility they decline So that I find I must take refuge at my Study at last and there redeem the Time that I have lost among the Learned Of Courage A Ristotle in his Morals begins the Doctrine of Vertues with Courage which has found work for his Interpreters to assign the reason of his method But methinks there is no great need they should either study or differ much about it For certainly among all the Vertues this will justly challenge the Precedency and is the most Cardinal and fundamental part of Morality This Vertue is pre-required to the susception of all the rest For the very entrance into the School of wisdom and a vertuous course is a state of Discipline Difficulty and Hardship And therefore 't is sapere aude a great piece of daring and boldness to set up for a good man especially if to the
intimate perception of the Divine Beauty All the true Followers of Jesus shall indeed feast with him at the great Supper but some shall be placed nearer to him than others and still there shall be a Beloved Disciple that shall lean on his Bosom I know this Doctrine concerning different degrees of Glory is and indeed what is there that is not very much question'd by some and peremptorily deny'd by others but since it is so highly agreeable to the goodness and bounty of God and to the Catholic Measures of Sense and Reason and is so mightily-favour'd if not expresly asserted in many places of Scripture I shall not here go about to establish the truth of it but taking it for granted do urge this as another consideration of great moment toward encouraging the practice of Heroic Piety 17. Fifthly and lastly I consider that We have indeed but very little time to serve God in The Life of man at longest is but short and considering how small a part of it we live much shorter If we deduct from the Computation of our Years as we must do if we will take a true estimate of our Life that part of our time which is spent in the incogitancy of Infancy and Childhood the impertinence and heedlesness of Youth in the necessities of Nature Eating Drinking Sleeping and other Refreshments in business and worldly Concerns engagements with Friends and Relations in the offices of Civility and mutual intercourse besides a thousand other unnecessary avocations we shall find that there is but a small portion left even for the Retirements of Study for our improvement in Arts and Sciences and other intellectual accomplishments But then if we consider what great disbursements of our time are made upon them also we shall find that Religion is crowded up into a very narrow compass so narrow that were not the rewards of Heaven matter of express Revelation 't would be the greatest Presumption imaginable to hope for them upon the condition of such inconsiderable Services Since then our time of serving God is so very short so infinitely disproportionate to the rewards we expect from him 't is but a reasonable piece of ingenuity to work with all our might and do as much in it as we can to supply the poverty of Time by frugal management and intenseness of affection to serve God earnestly vigorously and zealously and in one days Devotion to abbreviate the ordinary Piety of many years 'T is said of the Devil that he prosecuted his malicious designs against the Church with greater earnestness and vigour because he knew he had but a short time And shall not the same consideration prevail with a generous Soul to do as much for God and Religion as the Devil did against them 'T is a shame for him that has but a short part to act upon the Stage not to perform it well especially when he is to act it but once Man has but one state of Probation and that of an exceeding short continuance and therefore since he cannot serve God long he should serve him much employ every minute of his life to the best advantage thicken his Devotions hallow every day in his Kalendar by Religious exercises and every action in his Life by holy references and designments for let him make what haste he can to be wise Time will out-run him This is a Consideration of infinite moment to him that duly weighs it and he that thus numbers his days will find great reason to apply his heart to more than ordinary degrees of Wisdom CONTEMPLATION AND LOVE OR The Methodical Ascent of the Soul to God by steps of Meditation Nisi ad haec admitterer Non fuerat operae pretium nasci Senec. Nat. Quaest l. 1. Contemplation the First That 't is necessary Man should have some end 1. IN the Depth of Solitude and Silence having withdrawn my self not only from all worldly Commerce but from all thoughts concerning any thing without my own Sphere I retire wholly into my self and there speculate the Composition of my Intellectual nature 2. And here besides that faculty of Perception whereby I apprehend objects whether Material or Immaterial without any Material species which in the Cartesian Dialect I call Pure Intellect and that other of apprehending objects as present under a corporeal image or representation which I distinguish from the other power of Perception by the name of Imagination I say besides these two I observe an Appetitive Faculty whereby I incline to Apparent good and that either by a bare act of Propension or endeavour to unite with the agreeable object which answers to Pure Intellect and may be call'd Will or rather Volition or by such a propension of the Soul as is also accompany'd with a Commotion of the Blood and Spirits which answers to Imagination and is the same with the Passion of Love. 3. And of this I further meditate and by self reflexion experiment that altho the Perceptive Faculty be not always in actual exercise or at least not in the same degree of it For if according to the Cartesian Hypothesis there be no intermission of Cogitation yet 't is most certain that its applications are not always equal and uniform tho this I say be true as to the Perceptive yet I find by attending to the operations of my nature that the Appetitive faculty is not only always in Act but in the same degree of intension and Application As it never has any total intermission so neither is it subject as indeed every thing else in man is to ebbs and flows but acts uniformly as well as constantly This Amorous Biass and Endeavour of the Soul is like that stock of Motion which the French Philosopher supposes the Universe at first endow'd with which continues always at the same rate not to be abated or increas'd Not that this equality of Love is to be understood in reference to particular objects any more than that of Motion in reference to particular Bodyes but only that it gains in one part as much as it loses in another so as in the whole to remain equal and uniform 4. For however various and inconstant I may be in my love of particular objects according to the various apprehension I have of their respective excellencyes yet certainly I persue Happiness in general with the same earnestness and vigour and do not love or wish well to my self more at one time than at another 5. And indeed since all my inconstancy in the prosecution of particular objects proceeds from the variety of my Apprehensions concerning their Excellency and the only reason why I withdraw my Affection from this or that thing is because I discern or suspect that Happiness not to be there which I expected it is hence plainly argued à posteriori that I stand at all times equally affected towards Happiness it self As he that is therefore only variously affected toward the means according as he variously apprehends their serviceableness
in the enjoyment 16. From these and the like Considerations I think it will evidently appear that this perfect Happiness is not to be found in any thing we can enjoy in this Life Wherein then does it consist I answer positively in the full and entire Fruition of God. He as Plato speaks is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Proper and Principal end of Man the Center of our Tendency the Ark of our Rest He is the Object which alone can satisfy the appetite of the most Capacious Soul and stand the Test of Fruition to Eternity And to enjoy him fully is perfect Felicity This in general is no more than what is deliver'd to us in Scripture and was believ'd by many of the Heathen Philosophers But the manner of this Fruition requires a more particular Consideration Much is said by the Schoolmen upon this Subject whereof in the first place I shall give a short and methodical account and then fix upon the Opinion which I best approve of The first thing that I observe is that 't is generally agreed upon among them that this Fruition of God consists in some Operation and I think with very good Reason For as by the Objective part of perfect Happiness we understand that which is best and last and to which all other things are to be referr'd So by the Formal part of it must be understood the best and last Habitude of Man toward that best Object so that the Happiness may both ways satisfy the Appetite that is as 't is the best thing and as 't is the Possession Use or Fruition of that best thing Now this habitude whereby the best thing is perfectly possess'd must needs be some Operation because Operation is the ultimate perfection of every Being Which Axion as Cajetan well observes must not be so understood as if Operation taken by it self were more perfect than the thing which tends to it but that every thing with its Operation is more perfect than without it 17. The next thing which I observe is that 't is also farther agreed upon among them that this Operation wherein our Fruition of God does consist is an Operation of the Intellectual part and not of the Sensitive And this also I take to be very reasonable First because 't is generally receiv'd that the Essence of God cannot be the Object of any of our Senses But Secondly Suppose it could yet since this Operation wherein our perfect Happiness does consist must be the perfectest Operation and since that of the Intellectual part is more perfect than that of the Sensitive it follows that the Operation whereby we enjoy God must be that of the Intellectual part only 18. But now whereas the Intellectual part of man as 't is opposed to the Sensitive is double viz. That of the Vnderstanding and that of the Will there has commenced a great Controversy between the Thomists and the Scotists in which Act or Operation of the Rational Soul the Fruition of God does consist whether in an Act of the Vnderstanding or in an Act of the Will. The Thomists will have it consist purely in an Act of the Vnderstanding which is Vision The Scotists in the Act of the Will which is Love. I intend not here to launch out into those Voluminous Intricacies and Abstrusities occasioned by the management of this Argument It may suffice to tell you that I think they are both in the extream and therefore I shall take the middle way and resolve the perfect Fruition of God partly into Vision and partly into Love. These are the two arms with which we embrace the Divinity and unite our Souls to the fair one and the good These I conceive are both so essential to the perfect Fruition of God that the Idea of it can by no means be maintained if either of them be wanting For since God is both Supream Truth and infinite Goodness he cannot be entirely possess'd but by the most clear knowledg and the most ardent love And besides since the Soul is happy by her Faculties her Happiness must consist in the most perfect Operation of each Faculty For if Happiness did consist formally in the sole Operation of the Vnderstanding as most say or in the sole Operation of the Will as others the Man would not be compleatly and in all respects Happy For how is it possible a Man should be perfectly Happy in loving the greatest good if he did not know it or in knowing it if he did not love it And moreover these two Operations do so mutually tend to the promotion and conservation of one another that upon this depends the perpetuity and the constancy of our Happiness For while the Blessed do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Face to Face contemplate the Supream Truth and the infinite Goodness they cannot chuse but love perpetually and while they perpetually love they cannot chuse but perpetually contemplate And in this mutual reciprocation of the Actions of the Soul consists the perpetuity of Heaven the Circle of Felicity 19. Besides this way of resolving our fruition of God into Vision and Love there is a famous Opinion said to be broacht by Henricus Gandavensis who upon a Supposition that God could not be so fully enjoy'd as is required to perfect Happiness only by the Operations or Powers of the Soul fancied a certain Illapse whereby the Divine Essence did fall in with and as it were penetrate the Essence of the Blessed Which Opinion he endeavours to illustrate by this Similitude That as a piece of Iron red hot by reason of the Illapse of the fire into it appears all over like fire so the Souls of the Blessed by this Illapse of the Divine Essence into them shall be all over Divine 20. I think he has scarce any followers in this Opinion but I am sure he had a leader For this is no more than what Plato taught before him as is to be seen in his Discourses about the refusion of the Souls of good men into the Anima Mundi which is the self-same in other terms with this Opinion And the Truth of what I affirm may farther appear from an expression of that great Platonist Plotinus viz. that the Soul will then be Happy when it shall depart hence to God and as another and no longer her self shall become wholly his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having joyn'd her self to him as a Center to a Center 21. That such an intimate Conjunction with God as is here described is possible seems to me more than credible from the Nature of the Hypostatic Union but whether our Fruition of God after this Life shall consist in it none know but those happy Souls who enjoy him and therefore I shall determine nothing before the time This only I observe that should our Fruition of God consist in such an Union or rather Penetration of Essences that would not exclude but rather infer those Operations of Vision and Love as necessary to Fruition but on the
of conveyance it cannot be propagated from the Intellectual part to the Sensitive Whereupon they affirm that none are capable of this sensitive passionate Love of God but Christians who enjoy the Mystery of the Incarnation whereby they know God has condescended so far as to cloath himself with Flesh and to become like one of us But 't is not all the Sophistry of the cold Logicians that shall work me out of the belief of what I feel and know and rob me of the sweetest entertainment of my Life the Passionate Love of God. Whatever some Men pretend who are Strangers to all the affectionate heats of Religion and therefore make their Philosophy a Plea for their indevotion and extinguish all Holy Ardours with a Syllogism yet I am firmly persuaded that our love of God may be not only passionate but even Wonderfully so and exceeding the Love of Women 'T is an Experimental and therefore undeniable Truth that Passion is a great Instrument of Devotion and accordingly we find that Men of the most warm and pathetick Tempers and Amorous Complexions Provided they have but Consideration enough withall to fix upon the right Object prove the greatest Votaries in Religion And upon this account it is that to heighten our Love of God in our Religious Addresses we endeavour to excite our Passions by Music which would be to as little purpose as the Fanatic thinks 'tis if there were not such a thing as the Passionate Love of God. But then as to the Objection I Answer with the excellent Descartes that although in God who is the Object of our Love we can imagine nothing yet we can imagine that our Love which consists in this that we would unite our selves to the Object beloved and consider our selves as it were a part of it And the sole Idea of this very Conjunction is enough to stir up a heat about the Heart and so kindle a very vehement Passion To which I add that although the Beauty or Amiableness of God be not the same with that which we see in Corporeal Beings and consequently cannot directly fall within the Sphere of the imagination yet it is somthing Analogous to it and that very Analogy is enough to excite a Passion And this I think sufficient to warrant my general division of the Love of God into Intellectual and Sensitive 31. But there is a more peculiar Acceptation of the Love of God proper to this place And it is that which we call Seraphic By which I understand in short that Love of God which is the effect of an intense Contemplation of him This differs not from the other in kind but only in degree and that it does exceedingly in as much as the thoughtful Contemplative Man as I hinted before has clearer Perceptions and livelier Impressions of the Divine Beauty the lovely Attributes and Perfection of God than he whose Soul is more deeply set in the Flesh and lies groveling in the bottom of the Dungeon 32. That the nature of this Seraphic Love may be the better understood I shall consider how many degrees there may be in the Love of God. And I think the Computation of Bellarmin lib. 2. de monachis cap. 2. is accurate enough He makes four The first is to love God proportionably to his Loveliness that is with an infinite Love and this degree is peculiar to God himself The second is to Love him not proportionably to his Loveliness but to the utmost Capacity of a Creature and this degree is peculiar to Saints and Angels in Heaven The third is to love him not proportionably to his Loveliness nor to the utmost capacity of a Creature absolutely consider'd but to the utmost capacity of a Mortal Creature in this Life And this he says is proper to the Religious The fourth is to love him not proportionably to his Loveliness nor to the utmost capacity of a Creature consider'd either absolutely or with respect to this Life but only so as to love nothing equally with him or above him That is not to do any thing contrary to the Divine Love. And this is absolute indispensable duty less than which will not qualify us for the enjoyment of God hereafter 33. Now this Seraphic Love which we here discourse of is in the third degree When a Man after many degrees of Abstraction from the Animal Life many a profound and steddy Meditation upon the Excellencies of God sees such a vast Ocean of Beauty and Perfection in him that he loves him to the utmost stretch of his Power When he sits under his shadow with great delight and his fruit is sweet to his Tast Cant. 2. 3. When he Consecrates and Devotes himself whollly to him and has no Passion for Inferiour Objects When he is ravished with the delights of his Service and breaths out some of his Soul to him in every Prayer When he is delighted with Anthems of Praise and Adoration more than with Marrow and Fatness and Feasts upon Alleluiah When he melts in a Calenture of Devotion and his Soul breaketh out with fervent Desire Psal 119. When the one thing he delights in is to converse with God in the Beauty of Holiness and the one thing he desires to see him as he is in Heaven This is Seraphic Love and this with Contemplation makes up that which the Mystic Divines stile the Vnitive way of Religion It is called so because it Unites us to God in the most excellent manner that we are capable of in this Life By Union here I do not understand that which is local or presential because I consider God as Omnipresent Neither do I mean a Union of Grace as they call it whereby we are reconciled to God or a Union of Charity whereof it is said he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Jo. 4. 16. The first of these being as common to the inanimate things as to the most Extasi'd Soul upon Earth And the two last being common to all good men who indeed love God but yet want the excellency of Contemplation and the Mystic Union The Union then which I here speak of is that which is between the Faculty and the Object Which consists in some Habitude or Operation of one toward the other The Faculties here are the Vnderstanding and Will the Object God and the Operations Contemplation and Love. The result of which two is the Mystic Vnion Which according to this complex Notion of it that I have here delivered is thus most admirably represented by the excellent Bishop Taylour It is says he a Prayer of quietness and silence and a Meditation extraordinary a Discourse without variety a Vision and Intuition of Divine Excellencies an immediat entry into an Orb of light and a resolulution of all our Faculties into Sweetness Affections and Starings upon the Divine Beauty And is carried on to Extasies Raptures Suspensions Elevations Abstractions and Apprehensions beatifical 34. I make no doubt but that