even from the beginning there hath been Civitas dei Civitas mundi children of light and children of this world or to use the modern distinctions the Godly and the Wicked Regular and Secular persons Not because some have made new vows wore distinct habits or chosen new guides and separated from the Church but because some have lived after the flesh some after the Spirit that is some have followed Gods revealed will some onely their own some have obeyed the precepts of Christ and too many their own lusts and humors However I would not make any exprobrations against either Monks or Schismaticks by disobliging truths rather commend what is praise worthy in them because I would have and 't is every Christians duty to be really devout mortified and precise without entring the Cloister or the Conventicle For indeed I am somewhat jealous and not without reason that the ingaging men to be Religious and Vertuous by other considerations besides their Christian duty hath done some prejudice to Religion because now there be some that fansie self-denial and contempt of the world to belong only to Friers and others that to abstain from swearing and drunkenness is only the part of a Puritan Whereas Christianity binds those duties on all its Professors and every one by his Baptismal vow is bound to perform them though he doth not submit himself to the Rule of S. Francis or the dictates of the Assembly Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things saith the Apostle they are all parts of our duty Whatever is good in it self or any ways a means to make us good is commanded or recommended in holy Scripture is contained in the Christian Rule wherefore I say the Christian Professor designing to attain higher degrees of holiness the highest pitch of Christian perfection attainable in this life needs not separate from the Church nor make new vows nor wear distinct habits but only mind seriously and sincerely discharge the obligations which he lies under in being a Disciple and a Servant of the Holy JESVS My design therefore is not to Incloister particular persons Vellem universos Christianos ita vivere ut qui nunc soli Religiosi vocantur parum Religiosi viderentur but to make a large Monastery of the whole Common-wealth at least to make every family a School of Vertue and Piety and every man an Ascetick and strict liver wishing heartily with Erasmus that they who hitherto have been called Precise and Religious by way of appropriation might justly lose that name by the more exemplary lives of all other Christians But though it be my wish it is not my hope in the least to see any such thing come to pass by means of this little volume Many much bigger and better have not been able to effect it They that will not hear Moses and the Prophets nay Christ the Lord himself will be far enough from being perswaded by the meanest of his servants And where the Text it self is not regarded no Comment can signifie much I mean that if the Holy Religion we own be not able to reform our lives if the Gospel which is here preached and professed in purity doth not make us holy 't is in vain to expect any other instruments should prevail But yet our indeavours ought not to be wanting it may not be in vain to diversifie Christian instructions severall ways of perswasion may affect several persons and perhaps that which to day is slighted will to morrow make a deep impression However it is more or less the duty of every one of us with great S. Paul to trie all means that by any means we may save some at least that we may save our selves that if those arguments which we think most forcible cannot convince others they may may at least move us to take the better heed that after we have preached to others we our selves be not cast-aways Now to this end having observed how much in all cases men will do and suffer for love I have thought nothing would more conduce than to make a Christian love God with a sincere and devout affection a devout love being undoubtedly not only the best part but also the best instrument of true Religion an irreconcilable enemy to sin a friend or rather a nurse to all holy vertues No enticement could have drawn penitent Magdalen to any of her former sins whilest in the fervency of her love she washed her Saviours feet with her tears and 't is known by experience that when reading meditation the sight of a dying friend or any such thing hath softened a mans heart into a religious temper temptations will be then so far from prevailing that they durst not so much as appear before him But when he returns to mind earthly things and hath his thoughts taken up again with the concerns of this present life he finds that his spiritual strength decays by the same proportions that his love becomes cold and he grows indevout again Love is the Queen if not the fountain of passions the great mover and governor of actions and affections could we keep the fire of Divine Love always burning in our breasts it would be the most powerful and best instrument of Holy-living it would make self-denial and the yoke of Christ easie it would make acts of vertue and Religion pleasant and it would make us delight in pleasing God as much as we naturally do in pleasing our selves Therefore I have made it my aim and design in the following Pages to seize upon the affections to inkindle in the hearts of Christians the heavenly flames of the love of God To that end I have represented the more general benefits of God to mankind and especially that of Redemption by the greatest demonstration of love that ever was given the death of the Blessed JESVS which if duly considered would be an irresistible motive to love him I have shewed the power the pleasure and the great advantages of love and I have used devout meditations and ejaculations as it were to transport our souls to heaven by love for to adore that God whom love brought down from thence to save us 'T is certain that most of them that perish perish for want of consideration and I have heard dying men wonder at themselves how they could be so stupid as not to mind those things which are of an infinite concern and should rather take up all our thoughts and our cares than be neglected or forgot one only moment Israel doth not understand my people doth not sider Isa 1.3 Love may be said to be that fire which God would have always to burn upon his Altar Lev. 6.12 that is in our hearts which are his Temple where the sacrifices of good works and the incense of devotion should always
that the bare belief of the truth of the New Testament is a strong and indispensable obligation to a cheerful universal and persevering obedience to all its precepts the very profession of being Christians doth strictly bind us to the performance of all Christian duties But the necessity of a Holy faith and a holy hife hath been so fully evinced and asserted and all things that pertain to life and godliness so cleerly and learnedly explained by Catholick Writers Ancient and Modern especially many pious Fathers and Sons of this Church since the Reformation that I need nor can add nothing to their learned labours We want charity not knowledge Therefore now I turn my self as my design is to draw inferences from known and granted premises to move the affections and affect the heart and by various arts and meditations to kindle and nourish in our breasts the fire of a divine Love CHAP. XV. An invitation to enter the Cloister of Love I Ask therefore hast thou conceived a fair Idea of Christianity hast thou observed the glory and greatness of its Mysteries the holiness of it's Doctrine and the perfection of its precepts and counsels hast thou considered and admired the great exemplar of all vertues the Holy JESUS author of this Holy Institution hast thou read his life with an observing eye and hast thou viewed the fair copies of this perfect Original which have been drawn by many of his Saints in the imitation of his example hast thou weighed the excellency of his promises the great immunities and the invaluable advantages which belong to his followers hast thou seriously pondered the great obligations which the love of JESUS hath laid upon thee and art thou desirous to be happy by loving again and being grateful if so enter this Cloister of love Love JESUS and thou shalt reign with him The Cloister I mean is not the precinct of a particular Abbey or the confinement of a narrow Cell but as to the place it is the Catholick Church whose inclosure is large enough to entertain all the Religions in the world all that are of the Christian Order And the Rule I would have thee follow is not not that of any Founders nor even that of Pachomius said to have been brought down by Angels but that which the Son of God himself delivered the Gospel-rule the Christian Laws which were bound upon us by him that is our Lord and our Judge and to whom gratitude duty and interest obligeth us all to be obedient Hath not God given his beloved Son the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession Cur sic arctamus Christi professionem quam ille latissime voluit patere ego certe sic optarim Evangelicam Religionem sic omnibus esse cordi c. Ench. Psal 2. Why then saith Erasmus Should we confine the excellency and perfection of Christianity to particular places Why should we make that short and narrow which Christ would have to be of an universal extent If it be words we affect is not a City a great Monastery the Abbot whereof is the Bishop set over it by Christ Would to God the Christian Rule were so well beloved and observed that no man might seek or desire the Benedictin or Franciscan I say so too all this is true and to be wished yet the universal comprehends many particular Churches and the Christian Rule hath also many several interpretations therefore to be plain and positive the Church of England as the purest part or member of the Catholick which hath repurged corrupt innovations maintaining still a due conformity with Antiquity is that which I recommend to thee above all others and for the best interpretation of the Sacred Canon the Doctrine and Worship of this Church is that which I would have thee prefer to all the rest CHAP. XVI The Vow to be taken at the entrance of Loves Monastery BUt because I speak not to dissenters nor intend to dispute with them thou wilt say that thou hast entred this Cloister already and hast undertaken its Rule and so far 't is well But there is this difference betwixt what thou hast already done in this matter and what now I wish thee to do that thou didst not come of thy self but wert brought into this society that it was by proxy thou promisedst to observe the orders of it and that what was done at that time is never to be repeated Whereas now by an after election by free and considerate acts of thine own will I would have thee often renew thy holy vows and protestations and to do it with a great sense of love and gratitude Ratifie then thy former ingagements by being confirmed if thou art not and if thou art by a hearty and sincere endeavour to perform thy vows and promises which are as follows First To renounce the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanities rf this wicked world with all covetous desires of the same and the sinful lusts of the flesh Secondly To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly To keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of thy life This vow contains all thy duty the highest pitch of Christian perfection Quod summum est id omnibus est enitendum ut saltem mediocria assequamur nec est quod ullum vitae genus ab hoc scopo submoveamus c. Eras rules for the most Regular and Spiritual Life let thy serious application and earnest indeavour to observe it discriminate and sever thee from the prophane and less religious world Thou needest no distinct inclosure no distinct habits no distinct patrons or offices thy sincere Study thy Religious care to discharge this obligation In Vestimentis non est contritio mentis Ni mens sit pura nihil confert regula dura will sufficiently cloister thee in from the looser society and conversation of men and will make a difference great enough betwixt thee and them But though thou dost remain in the civil society of the world and the neighbourhood of thy neighbour yet various are the ways that lead through the world to heaven and here I undertake to teach thee a sure and short one through which all glorified Saints have past Some persons here are eminent in one vertue In Coelo videbimus amabimus hic amandum ut videamus some in another some are guided by hope and some by fear Many different are the considerations and helps whereby men are brought to make themselves happy in doing their duty but the motive the guide the way Dilectio est via rectissima absque devio via bevis absque taedio via plana absque tumulo via clara absque nubilo via secura absque periculo c. Idiot Cont. the instrument I recommend thee above all others is Love Love is the strongest motive the surest guide the safest way the best instrument in
are Gods workmanshep created in Jesus Christ unto good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Ephes 2.10 This then is the way wherein of necessity we must walk that as we ingaged and promised when we were baptized into Christ so we should live ever after which S. Paul expresseth thus As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Col. 2.6 and again walk worthy of the Lord being fruitful in every good work Col. 1.10 This is the rule whereby we must order the course of our lives that our conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Christ that our conversateon be in heaven whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.27 and 3.20 that whatsoever things are true honest just pure lovely of good report any vertue any thing praise-worthy Phil. 4 8. may be our constant study and practice We must labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of our Lord because we shall all appear before him and receive according as we obey him now in his absence 2 Cor. 5.9 CHAP. X. Considerations to encourage us in the discharge of our Christian duty with a caution to the Reader ALL this and much more to the same purpose which I have read and observed in the Sacred Books of the new Testament hath convinced me that it is the design of Christian Religion to make me meek and humble sober and contented just and charitable devout and religious vertuous and holy this I own to be my duty and I will endeavour my self heartily to perform the same And that I may do it with cheerfulness and affection I will stir and quicken the holy fire of love in my heart by pious considerations When any duty to God or man calls upon me for action and performance and I find in my soul too much of dulness or reluctancy I will again by meditation suppose my dying Saviour present telling me how much he hath done and suffered for me and desiring me as I love him to do that duty which lies before me Christian if thou dost understand the greatness of my love which brought me here to die for thee if thou art sensible of it and wouldst make any return for it do this obey this command this may be the last thing thou shalt ever do for me this may be the last tryal of thy love sure it would grieve thee to have denied this small request to him that gives his life that gives himself for thee Or else I will suppose my self in the presence of my Divine Master sitting on his heavenly Throne with his glorified servants about him shewing me the crown he hath assigned to me and saying N. N. wilt thou deny to do this at my earnest request wiit thou be so unkind to me Sure I have deserved better at thy hands sure I who am much above thee have done much more for thee than that comes to but besides I would highly recompence thee These my friends I have rewarded with the bliss and glory they enjoy for having done such things for me and I would reward thee as bountifully here is eternal life eternal rest eternal glory for thy recompence as thou lovest me as thou lovest thy self obey that thou maist be happy To this what answer could I make but such as this Lord not only this but any thing else thou hast commanded I am willing to fulfil and obey I bewail my dulness and depraved nature that makes me so unready so unactive in thy service but Lord thou knowest that I love thee I would undertake any labour any trouble to make it appear I would die to justifie it Yet sweetest JESU I beg of thee to increase my love to increase it to such a degree that like thy heavenly attendants I may burn with that Divine fire and be all love to thee that so I may be always prepared and desirous to do thy will Stir up we beseech thee O Lord Sund. 25. after Trin. the wills of thy faithful people that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of thee be plenteously rewarded through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Christian I would here advise thee before I pass further That thou wouldst not judge of several things in this Book by thy present liking of them Devotional things are discerned more by the affections than by the judgment the relish of them doth depend upon the temper of the Soul And so those resolves and meditations which now it may be please thee not may hereafter be very acceptable when thou art otherwise disposed to be sure when thou art ready to leave the world and enter thy portion of Eternity If now therefore thou wilt bring thy mind to such a frame as then it will be in I need not fear but that what I have writ thou wilt also read and repeat heartily in the first Person for to that end I have thus contrived it to ingage thine affections to make thee speak as of thy self these soliloquies acts of love and acts of resolution which run throughout the whole discourse It may affect thee much and to good purpose frequently to confer with thy Soul and with thy Saviour about thy duty and thy happiness However be sure thou beest serious and sincere For certain it is that for thee N. N. by name JESUS was crucified and died and certain it is that thou thy self shalt die and be judged and rise again to an intolerable eternity if by carelesness and inconsideration thou hast been unmindful of thy Lord and thy soul or else rise again to eternal joys if thou hast sincerely loved and served JESUS If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love John 15.10 CHAP. XI That Love will prompt us to free-will offerings and things it never doth enough THus much of necessity must be done my duty as well as my love constrains me to it Not to break negative precepts and to obey positive ones that is to cease from sin and to work righteousness is required of me if I do it by love I have made my task pleasant but yet a task it is which must be fulfilled Not but that there is mercy for sins against the New-covenant for the transgression of Gospel precepts there is joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner whatever his sins have been and it ought greatly to indear God to us that he is so willing to forgive so desirous to have us repent that we may be capable of his pardon but whether soon or late whether after crying guilts or ordinary sins still I say there must be a true contrition a sorrow and repentance for our sins proceeding from the love of God and a sincere endeavour to please and obey him for the future and so thus far we are drawn by a moral necessity by the desire of our own happiness which is
shall soon understand that God is to be loved above all things infinitely without measure and if we love our selves as we should we shall easily remove our affections from the world to set them upon God and Eternity upon JESUS and his Kingdom Love as we have seen will make it easie and delightful to do our duty will make the yoke of Christ light and enable us with strength and courage to bear our cross cheerfully like Christians it will lead us the shortest and the safest way to heaven and make our journey pleasant it will make us dear to God and to his Saints and blessed Angels and fill our hearts with peace and comforts it will abide with us when we are forsaken by the world and all our friends can do us no good it will accompany us when we go from hence and open heavens gate and enter in with us there to perfect our happiness which it here began to be there our reward as it was here our work and our duty I may now upon too too just an account use the words of S. Bernard Non quod ego ista faciam dico sed quod facere vellem c. Ber. Med. what I have written is not what I do but what I should do what I grieve that I do not what I endeavour to do and what I wish all others might do But withall I shall plead for my self the advice of a Greek Father not to judge too severely of those who teach excellent lessons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Joh. Clim grad 26. § 18. great and profitable truths which they themselves learn and practise but very imperfectly because the usefulness of their instructions may make some amends for the defects of their performance Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our LORD JESUS CHRIST in sincerity Amen FINIS THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST PART THe Introduction Pag. 1. CHAP. I. Of the general Benefits of God to mankind and first of Creation Pag. 2 CHAP. II. How much we are obliged to God for our Preservation Pag. 5 CHAP. III. Of the positive Blessings of this life Pag. 8 CHAP. IV. What returns we should make for temporal Blessings Pag. 10 CHAP. V. Of the mercies of Redemption and first a consideration of the infinite miseries we were redeemed from Pag. 12 CHAP. VI. How graciously and wonderfully we were redeemed Pag. 19 CHAP. VII A consideration of the Cross in its four dimensions Pag. 23 CHAP. VIII The breadth of the Cross or the manifold Sufferings of Christ for our Redemption Pag. 25 CHAP. IX The length of the Cross Pag. 29 CHAP. X. The depth of the Cross Pag. 31 CHAP. XI The height of the Cross Pag. 33 CHAP. XII What an infinite love is exprest by the Cross Pag. 35 CHAP. XIII Of the eternal happiness merited for us by the Cross of Christ and measured by it Pag. 37 CHAP. XIV That the mercies of our Redemption challenge our love and hearty obedience Pag. 42 CHAP. XV. An invitation to enter the Cloister of Love Pag. 44 CHAP. XVI The Vow to be taken at the entrance of Loves Monastery Pag. 47 CHAP. XVII Considerations of the nature of Love and first of Self-love Pag. 50 CHAP. XVIII That the Love of JESVS requires we should mortifie self-love Pag. 55 CHAP. XIX How great a vertue is Divine Charity or the Love of God Pag. 58 CHAP. XX. That love always pursues what it thinks good and is never satisfied till it hath obtained it Pag. 62 CHAP. XXI That Love is strong and effective and sweetens all labours Pag. 66 CHAP. XXII A farewel to all sinful desires Pag. 70 CHAP. XXIII That the love of JESVS and the love of Sin can never consist together Pag. 76 CHAP. XXIV Of outward helps and instruments of love and obedience Pag. 78 CHAP. XXV A passionate Meditation on the Passion of our Blessed Saviour Pag. 83 CHAP. XXVI Of a sincere amendment which must be wrought by proper means Pag. 88 CHAP. XXVII Love the best instrument of Self-Reformation and true penitence with an act of hearty contrition Pag. 92 CHAP. XXVIII That Love will sweeten as well as produce the truest penitence and that true wisdom not melancholy is the guide of sincere penitents Pag. 98 CHAP. XXIX That severities and mortifications well regulated are subservient to Repentance and the Love of JESVS Pag. 103 CHAP. XXX A short Meditation for penitential days Pag. 105 CHAP. XXXI That repentance must look forward to the securing of our duty for the time to come With instances and resolutions to that effect Pag. 108 CHAP. XXXII A singular example of humane Love with a short reflection upon it Pag. 113 CHAP. XXXIII Some Scriptures to shew the necessity of departing from Sin according to our Baptismal Vow With some protestations to conclude this first Part. Pag. 116 THE CONTENTS OF THE SECOND PART CHAP. I. THat Love obligeth us also to fulfil the positive part of our Baptismal Vow with a protestation of obedience to it Pag. 1 CHAP. II. How great a happiness in Eternity follows our love and obedience Pag. 5 CHAP. III. That to win our hearts and duty God propounds great rewards to us Pag. 8 CHAP. IV. That Love hath a secret pleasure and reward in it self with a meditation to that purpose Pag. 11 CHAP. V. Reflections on the vanity of temporal things with some holy resolves and ejaculations Pag. 14 CHAP. VI. That Christ having bought us hath now a just title to our love and service Pag. 18 CHAP. VII How much we are ingaged to serve our Blessed Lord with renewed promises to do it faithfully Pag. 20 CHAP. VIII Meditation to excite us to a sincere and fervent love Pag. 23 CHAP. IX Christianity absolutely requires our love and strictest obedience Pag. 28 CHAP. X. Considerations to encourage us in the discharge of our Christian duty with a caution to the Reader Pag. 32 CHAP. XI That Love will prompt us to free-will offerings and thinks it never doth enough Pag. 36 CHAP. XII That our obedience to the Church is an excellent expression of our love to Christ Pag. 43 CHAP. XIII Of several voluntary Oblations Pag. 46 CHAP. XIV The true notion of Free-will Offerings vindicated with an Exhortation to abound in the work of the Lord. Pag. 50 CHAP. XV. Meditation on the Exaltation of the Blessed JESVS Pag. 57 CHAP. XVI Two general directions about the manifesting of our love to God Pag. 62 CHAP. XVII The two former Rules explained and enlarged Pag. 68 CHAP. XVIII Some more particular directions how to order our lives by the love of JESVS Pag. 74 CHAP. XIX That upon all accounts God should be loved above all things Pag. 78 CHAP. XX. That as it is most just so it is most easie to love God Pag. 84 CHAP. XXI An Objection answered which might be raised against this Book and its Subject Pag. 88 CHAP. XXII The second Objection concerning the love of JESVS answered Pag. 91 CHAP. XXIII That it is most pleasant and safe to love God Pag. 97 CHAP. XXIV That love brings the most lasting joy and satisfaction to the soul Pag. 105 CHAP. XXV The Conclusion Pag. 113 Books printed for Henry Brome Bishop Wilkins Natural Religion Dr. Comber on the Common Prayer in 4 Vol. Guide to Eternity Precepts and Practices for Christian Life Christianity no Enthusiasm or the several kinds of Inspirations and Revelations pretended to by the Quakers tried and found destructive to Holy Scripture and true Religion In Answer to Thomas Elwood's defence thereof in his Tract miscalled Truth prevailing c. Dr. Glanvill of Preaching Help to Prayer c. An Historical Account of the Reforma here in England Everlasting Fire no Fancy Dr. Ford in Gods Judgments Mr. Camfield's Discourse of Angels Dr. Woodford's Paraphrase on the Psalms his Divine Poems
more because his debt is also forgiven and yet he is freed from that trouble and sorrow which his fellow debtor underwent Why then thy gracious Redeemer by saving thee from the horrors and torments of Hell hath laid on thee at least as great obligations to love him as if he had brought thee out of it after thou hadst been long detained therein Therefore I desire thou wouldst bring thy thoughts back again to that unpleasant abode and consider thy self as if thou were shut up in that dismal dungeon and then express what thou wouldst give to be releast what thou wouldst do for him that should bring thee out of that horrible and bottomless pit I know that they that are afflicted with sharp pains and grievous sicknesses would purchase health with all the wealth they have and I believe no reward would hire a man to hold his hand in the fire but for one hours time therefore I doubt not but that if it were in a mans power he would give this and a thousand more worlds to be brought out of an ever burning furnace and I am perswaded that if thou wilt suffer thy fancy to be active in framing the black and dreadful scene of hellish horrors about thee thou wilt then heartily say Were I owner of the whole universe I would joyfully give it to come out of these ever-burning flames which torment my body and to be freed from this never dying worm the remorses of my guilty conscience which torture my soul but because I have nothing freely would I give my self to him that should bring me out of this woful place O I would follow him any where do any thing that he should command me imbrace his feet kiss the ground they tread on and give him all the demonstrations of a sincere and passionate Love Well thy petition is granted before 't was presented the Love and Mercy of JESUS hath prevented thy request and distress Now make good thy vows and resolutions Love and Serve JESUS thy Redeemer and give thy self up wholly to him I know that many may be good Christians without being snatcht out of the fire without these terrors and affrightments but I am shewing what our condition had been without a Saviour what is that gulf of perdition whence JESUS hath saved us if we will be saved by him and I mention these affrighting truths to perswade men to be motives of an active and a vehement Love For 't is too observable that few men seriously consider what Redemption means what it was we were redeemed from else they could not be so indevout so disobedient so unthankful to their Saviour S. Paul supposing as I do here that without Christ we were already dead and perisht makes it the reason of that Constraining Love which enabled him and other Primitive Christians to suffer so patiently and act so zealously for JESUS The love of Christ saith he constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead as if he should say we were certainly dead irrecoverably lost had not Christ died to purchase life and salvation for us therefore we cannot chuse but love him and it is no wonder if that love be strong and if we are governed and acted by it That thou maist therefore love affectionately and live religiously consider seriously that death the misery of that condition wherein thou wert and ever must have been hadst thou not a JESUS a merciful Saviour and Redeemer I might add that we were delivered from the power and slavery as well as from the condemnation of sin but this is included in the other it being impossible to be saved from the wrath to come without bringing forth fruits meet for repentance and as it is mercy and grace on Gods part so on ours it is matter of duty and earnest indeavour and must be the result and effect of our love first that we offend not and then that we serve diligently and faithfully him that redeemed us from our vain conversation and gave himself for us that we being dead unto sin might live unto righteousness CHAP. VI. How graciously and wonderfully we were redeemed A Further ingagement to love and obey will be to consider the manner how our redemption was effected and the price that was paid for it thus The Blessed Son of God the Second Person of the Ever glorious Trinity undertook that work himself which none else could perform for us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man In this act of his miracles and mercies seem to vie one with another In praesepe jacet sed mundum continet ubera sugit sed angelos pascit Aug. Ser. de purific 2. that the God of eternity should be born in time that the Creator of all things should be the Son of a Creature that the most highest should abase himself to the low condition of a servant that God should become an infant is a miracle of Love which we can admire and adore but never fully comprehend The greatness of God is unsearchable his excellencies and perfections are incomprehensible he is infinitely good powerful wise and holy Man contrariwise is in himself wicked and weak ignorant impure and miserable there is so great a disproportion betwixt God and man so wide so immense a distance Haec est mensura amoris non solum quantum fecit nos quanta fecit pro nobis sed quantillus factus est pro nobis that nothing less than an infinite love could have filled up the gulf betwixt those two so different natures and united them into one person 'T was never seen that a shepherd would creep upon all four and cover himself with a sheep skin to call his flock out of danger and to expose himself for it but the good shepherd did much more When he came to lay down his life for his lost and wandering sheep and gather them into his fold he took on him not only the likeness but the very nature of them he became the Lamb of God that he might be the shepherd of mankind Though he was infinitely more above man then men are above beasts yet he became the Son of man that he might become the Saviour of men 'T was never seen that a Sovereign Prince would seek to reduce to loyalty the most abject of his rebellious subjects by mixing blooud with them uniting their families together but behold the Supreme Monarch of heaven and earth contracts a near affinity with his ungrateful rebels who are as vile and miserable as they are criminal that he may free them from their guilt and win them to their duty and their happiness Proud and wretched sinner thou wouldst be so far from entring into the kindred of meaner persons those that are much thine inferiors that thou canst hardly endure to be in their company and behold the most Glorious and Holy
is now crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed that hencenceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6. and S. Peter likewise makes it the purpose why Christ did hear our sins their punishment on his own body on the tree that we thereby being dead unto sin might live unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2.24 Christ gave himself fo us that he might redeem us from this present evil world Gal. 1.4 The Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 Sin is that which God hates above all things sin is that which is most contrary to his nature and to our happiness and so JESUS was crucified that sin might be destroyed he died that sin might live no longer and therefore I renounced all sin the Devil and all his works when JESUS owned me for his friend and I owned him for my Lord and Master they are incompatible their inconsistency is irreconcilable If I hold to the one I must despise the other if I love one I must hate the other I will therefore as I am most bound and as I have promised forsake sin and follow JESUS I will fight against his enemies and side with him against my own corrupt affections while I have a being I will love and obey JESUS CHAP. XXIV Of outward helps and instruments of love and obedience NOw to effect these good resolutions we must use means to bring our hears to a devout and Religious Temper and so to keep them It will not suffice that we intend well except we perform We may soon be diverted from our best designs either by temptations or by the interruption of worldly business Therefore the revolutions of time which bring on us the snares and disturbances of this life must also bring with them the frequent returns of our pious excercises and Christian duties We must often recollect our thoughts and listen to the Divine Love of our Blessed JESUS We must entertain our Souls with him renew our religious purposes and call to mind those special considerations which use to affect us most of all We must often resort to those fountains of Grace which God hath opened to his Church in his publick Worship and the several dispensations of his Word and Sacraments by his Ministers To these we must be sure to add Fastings Alms and Prayers than which we can do nothing more acceptable to God nothing that can better declare how much we love him and how heartily we devote to him our bodies souls and estates All these are not only means but duties of Religion also not to be omitted upon any pretence whatever But now the following have more of indifferency less of necessity in them but yet may have a good influence upon the inner man may move our affections and declare or increase our devotion and our sincerity Such are the constant reading of good Books set times of meditation and mental prayer the enjoyning to our selves a strict silence for some convenient time to bridle our tongue and so to use it to discipline and as it were to unsay and retract inwardly by hearty repentance what we have said amiss Sometimes like Hezechiah to turn our selves to the wall to mourn in secret I mean to retire from the world and enter our closet there to confer with God and our own souls about Eternity and the way to a blessed one Every day or at least once a week to cast our eyes back and take an account of our lives especially of what we have done since our last examen that we may repent and rectifie our follies renew our good resolutions and increase our diligence and our care In our adorations and penitential prayers to cast our selve on the ground with the humblest prostration to hold our hands like criminals bound supplicating before their judge to look up to heaven to smite our breasts and so excite our zeal and contrition Some are much affected with watching with visible representations the sight of a dying man and such instructions and mementoes as enter the Soul by the eyes which being the quickest and most apprehensive sense we have Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures Quam quo sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus quae Ipse sibi tradit spectator conveys its objects to the mind with the greater force and makes the deeper impression Here in my first Edition I had mentioned the making on our selves the sign of the Cross which could not escape being taxt of Popery by some that call by that name every thing they dislike I should not be much concerned at the charge but that I find Popery is made a thing too ancient and too innocent and so mistaken It hath indeed abused that primitive Ceremony and made it subservient to superstition but the right use of it is not therefore unlawful Those zealous and holy Christians in the first ages who frequently signed themselves with that Sacred Sign intended it as a tacit invocation of the name of Christ as an outward profession that they owned him for their Lord and Saviour and as a signature to themselves that they were devoted to his service and ready to die for his sake I might produce and plead their reasons and example the Custom of our Church and its 30th Cannon but that I would perswade no man to a rite so indifferent If any will reiterate it on themselves where they give no offence to the same purpose as it was intended when they were made Christians In token that they will not be ashamed to profess the faith of Christ crucified c. I shall not condemn him and I shall in no wise quarrel with them that omit it If we sincerely love our Divine Master and are faithful and obedient to him it is no great matter what outward means and instruments we use But yet experience and the approbation of the best of men have recommended these I have now mentioned as many ways useful and profitable They and others of the like nature and Church ceremonies are said by Calvin to assist our infirmities to increase our devotion and to make Religion more solemn and more venerable Inst l. 4. c. 10. § 28. 31. So the great duties be secured these are indifferent and may vary according to circumstances but yet they are not useless nor totally to be rejected Those outward rites and actions have an influence upon our hearts they not only express our inward piety but they increase it Though they proceed from the affections Nescio quomodo cum hi motus corporis fieri nisi motu animi praecedente non possint iisdem rursus exterius visibiliter factis ille interior invisibilis qui eos fecit augeatur Aug. they re-act upon them as S. Augustine saith they augment that fervour which at first produced them And so said a Blessed Martyr of our Church that the true inward worship of God while we live in the Body needs external helps
it withall it will kill our lusts crucifie the members of the body of sin and carry us through the labours and difficulties of penitence and sincere amendment it will be the fulfilling of repentance as it is the fulfilling of the law For as love is strong to overcome strong enemies to kill the greatest sins so is it wise and quicksighted to see and to find out the least A loving friend will not only not slander and defame his friend not rob or strike or murther him but will forbear all words and actions which might bring him the least grief or inconvenience love will not only not give the greatest provocations but even not disoblige or displease in the least instances And now my soul I must apply this home and thereby examine how true are my resolves and protestations if my love to JESUS my Lord be sincere it will not only keep me from confederation with his profest and greatest enemies but even make me shun and forsake the most secret and contemptible of them I mean that the love of JESUS will never suffer me to entertain any the least sin and whenever I find that I have been unhappily seduced to commit any it will cause me to grieve and sadly to repent that I have displeased my dearest Saviour and wounded that tender love I owe him and profess ever to have for him And indeed it is reported of many devout persons great lovers of JESUS that they would sorrow and weep for ordinary failings for small omissions more than others would for much greater sins Divine Love like a bright burning flame will feel a commotion and disturbance by the least drop of water that falls upon it a small irregularity will be more grievous to a pious lover of JESUS than great crimes to another Therefore he that could say the love of Christ constraineth us would also highly complain and groan under the sense of our unavoidable imperfection O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7.24 Nothing will make us more sensible of our least and most common sins than the love of JESUS it will make us angry at and impatient of them and earnest and severe in reforming of them Now therefore as I profess my self a sincere and affectionate lover of JESUS I am obliged to undo as much as may be what I have done amiss and to do it no more this earnestly and vigorously I must now resolve and beg the divine grace an assistance to perform it I must make amends and restitution to those I have any ways damnified in body goods or name and even ask their pardon for the injury and then bewail my sins grieve that I have offended my Divine and loving Master and beg his forgiveness and indeavour by tears and contrition to wash away the stain and spots wherewith my soul is polluted and displeaseth the holy eyes of the Holy JESUS And so to own and to love JESUS my Master binds upon me all the duties of holy penitence repentance must now be my my work and I must live like a true penitent Especially on Lent Fridays and such other times as the Church appointed and devout Christians use for mortification and more solemn devotion I must then and even every night call my ways to remembrance And besides those greater provocations wherewith I have offended my Lord in the days of my folly and inconsideration I ought also to take notice of those sins of daily incursion I last committed and weep over them all and beg for pardon and this I say especially on penitential days For though true contrition should always abide in the heart of every one that truly loves JESUS yet there are occasions and proper times to bring it forth when we are to make it our business to soften our hearts and make them melt into penitent tears Which must be done by religious exercises pious meditations and such acts of contrition as this My dearest JESUS I owe to thy kindest goodness my being and all the blessings I enjoy and I know that thou didst come down from heaven to die on the Cross that I might not die in hell to eternity to suffer a bitter and shameful death that I might live in eternal joys I hope to see thy glorious face one day I hope to receive a crown from thy gracious hands I hope to dwell in thy blissful society for ever Dearest Saviour if thou wert upon earth I would go all the world over to prostrate my self before thee to kiss the ground thy Holy Feet should tread to serve thee to shew my love and gratitude to thee Dearest Lord I would now joyfully give up my life for thee I would lose the last drop of my blood to please and glorifie thee I would die rather than deny thee Why then unhappy wretch that I am do I offend thee to whom I owe my self and all that I have Why do I wound thee by my transgressions who wast wounded for them by thy love Why do I grieve thee who purchasest eternal joys for me Why do I displease thee with whom I hope to live and dwell and from whom I expect mercy and salvation Why do I sin against thee whom I love with all my soul and why do not I live to thee for whom I would die Lord if what thou hast done and suffered for me be not able to win my heart what canst thou do more but O break and yield sinful heart of mine open the way to tears and grief and let the love of thy dearest Saviour enter and fill and ever possess thee CHAP. XXVIII That Love will sweeten as well as produce the truest penitence and that true wisdom not melancholly is the guide of sincere penitents SUch considerations and soliloquies as these will produce not only lacrymas doloris tears of grief but also lacrymas amoris tears of love and true contrition and moreover will make pleasant all the severities of repentance which are so unacceptable and so repugnant to nature those things that would be ungrateful as acts of justice on our selves or obedience and submission to a severe Master will become delightful as acts of love to a gracious beloved Lord. In amore nihil amari in love all things are sweet that are done or suffered for the sake of the beloved I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 12.10 that great lover of JESUS not that those things are of their own nature pleasant whether inflicted by our selves or others 't was for Christs sake that he liked them He likewise that by self-denial and revenge on himself expressing his sorrow for his sins shews his love to JESUS is certainly delighted with the most afflictive of those voluntary sufferings as they are expressions of his love Accordingly 'tis said of some Religious persons that their watchings and fastings and all the severities to
profitable in some cases absolutely necessary and always well pleasing to God They are instruments of Religion whereby our lusts are subdued the body kept under and the Spirit it self mortified They are marks of the sincerity of our sorrows and our regret to have offended God And they are testimonials of our love to JESUS and our earnest desire to secure our duty to him for the future All this is attested and proved true not only by holy Scripture and the injunctions of the Christian Church but also by the practice and experience of all devout persons affectionate lovers of the Blessed JESUS CHAP. XXX A short Meditation for penitential days REmember that Fasting and Alms are the two wings of Prayer and that all three must unite their strength to raise our heavy hearts from this earth and lift them up to the regions of Love All three together ascended as a memorial before God to plead for Cornelius And our Blessed Saviour in one Sermon Mat. 6. joined them all three and assigned to them one reward Thus therefore meditate O my Soul on thy days of humiliation My Blessed Lord I know that I have been too much addicted to sensual pleasures and now to speak my grief for it here I mourn and afflict my self judging my self unworthy even of those refreshments thou hast allowed me I have too much served Mammon and been too greedy of the world and now I devote all I have to thee giving this as an earnest that all I have is thine and that now I will use it for my self with more moderation and spend it on others with greater charity that thou maist be acknowledged and glorified for thy gracious gifts and I may speak my dependence on thee My heart hath been too far from thee and for my negligence in thy service thou mightst justly blot my name out of the list of thy Servants but here I return to thee with tears and prayers begging that still thou wouldst be my Lord and Master and I may be more faithful and active in waiting upon thee I pour out my soul before thee desiring it may evermore cleave unto thee most affectionately and that no creature whatever may ever be able to draw me from that love and duty I owe thee Lord had I offended any earthly Prince that had power on me in that grievous manner as I have offended thy Divine Majesty I should be loaded with irons cast into a dungeon and never admitted to see his face and to beg his pardon But thou givest me liberty and invitest me to plead for my self to come and prostrate my self at thy feet to implore thy mercy to retract my folly and shew how much I am grieved for it and if I am sincere in this I am assured of thy pardon and that thou wilt receive me to favour again Lord I beseech thee as it is written in thy Book that I have sinned so therein let it be registred that I truly repent that I judge and punish my self and indeavour what I can to undo and recall it again Let the penance I here perform my sighs and tears my prayers and bitter sorrows intitle me to the merits of thy precious blood let them stand on record that I may be justified at the last day to have been a true penitent that here the judgments I have deserved may be turned from me that having been here numbred among thy Servants who duly own thee before men I may hereafter be numbred among thy Saints in glory everlasting And Lord let my love to thee be proportionable to my sins and thy great mercies that I also may hear that blessed voice much is forgiven thee because thou lovedst much and I may go and sin no more CHAP. XXXI That repentance must loook forward to the securing of our duty for the time to come With instances and resolutions to that effect BUT one great half of repentance is yet behind that which is most to be attended to that which I must chiefly design in all acts of mortification is that I return no more to those sins for the which I grieve and afflict my self I must not only grieve that I have not forsaken those lusts and vanities I renounced when I became a Christian but I must now actually f rsake them and perform my vows Except I do this my repentance is vain and my love not sincere True contrition doth include love and love includes an hearty obedience But here lies the difficulty The occasions and inticements of sin will doubtless come again my thoughts will now always be fixt upon Divine Objects my mind will return to the world my passions will be disorderly and my appetite unruly again how shall I stand and resist and be safe in the time of danger in the hour of trial and temptation this I must do this I resolve to do devoutly to lift up my Soul to JESUS my Master and beg his assistance to remember my ingagements and my protestations and consider how much I am bound to love and obey my Lord and Saviour rather than my lusts and how infinitely much I shall gain by it to summon all the strength and all the powers of devout Love to my aid and to use all those means I have before resolved upon for the resisting of temptations and doing my duty Thus when a provocation to anger is given and I find my heart rise and my spirits take fire and grow turbulent instead of giving way to the mischievous passion or suffering that it should proceed to hatred and revenge I will turn aside and check my self with the remembrance of my meekest Saviour who was led as a Lamb to the slaughter and opened not his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered the greatest injuries yet used no threatning leaving us an example that we should follow his steps I will remember how ill it becomes me to be angry with others who have so much reason to be angry with my self for having so highly and frequently provoked my God to anger I will consider how ill it becomes me to be revengeful and severe to others when all my hopes and all my happiness depend upon forbearance and mercy I will think of and fear that just exprobration of my Lord against the revengeful thou wicked servant shouldst not thou have had compassion on thy fellow servant as I had pity on thee and I will remember that it is JESUS who died for me JESUS for whom I would die who intercedes for mine enemies and so will rather rejoice that I have some of that kind of love to repay to my dearest Saviour which he shewed to me when I was his enemy If lust enticeth me to acts of impurity I will call to mind the corruption and dissolution of this vile body of sin I will think on my last account the day of judgment and the dreadful flames of hell and I will remember him who for me was crucified
of sorrow and tedious sadness and are left in the world to struggle with the temptations of a discontented mind would perhaps take Sanctuary in a Religious house and give themselves up wholly to JESVS and forget their temporal sorrow by heavenly joys and meditations and at last bless that storm and shipwrack which cast them into that unknown land of rest and safety Some that are forward and ready to promise well and take good resolutions have not strength enough to keep them but are prevailed upon by the importunity of those temptations they meet withall in the converse of men they perhaps being fled from those occasions of sin might by the good example and good instructions of a Religious Society secure themselves and stand to their holy ingagements Some who never loved the world or that are grown weary of it or have passionate longings for heaven would willingly free themselves of the cumbrances and distractions of worldly business to enjoy the leisure and opportunities of meditations devotion and other spiritual exercises And some that are much taken with the strict lives and beads and orisons of Papist-Friers would look home and spend their commendations on the purer Religion and better ordered lives and devotions of those in this Church that should wholly devote themselves to God However 't is not to be denied but that men are much affected and influenced by the place the company the way of living and the outward circumstances wherein they are ingaged and I believe it might be now as true a proverb as ever Benè vixit qui benè latuit he lives best and most safe who is least acquainted with the world and lives farthest from it I might add further that such pious foundations or restitutions might be so ordeoed as to afford a very great advantage to our Church and Religion For thence persons of good parts and great piety devoted to the advancement of the true Christian Faith and free from those cares and cumbrances that are upon others might be sent as Missionaries to make it their business to reclaim persons of all sorts from schism errors and heresies and even from loosness and irreligion Not but that we have an abundant supply of persons very well fitted for that blessed imployment from our great Seminaries of Learning But their necessary attendance upon their Ministry and particular Cures besides other avocations deprive them of the leisure and opportunities of running after their strayed sheep They can well guide and feed such as duly keep within their folds but such as break out and wander they have not time to seek after And yet great is the number of these especially about great Towns where small incouragements and stiff opposition are a great hindrance to the gaining of Converts This excellent and charitable work could be best done by them that should have nothing else to do But first let every one work out his own salvation and make sure work for himself that will best enable him to work upon others But though we want some conveniences for withdrawing from temporal affairs to mind eternity and our souls the better yet we must go to heaven wherever we live we must live to God that we may live with God therefore if we cannot have a material Claustrum ubique portate interius Norb. ab praemonst we must have a Spiritual cloister which may defend us against temptations and guide and assist us in doing our duty Such a one is the love of Jesus it will protect us against all dangers and spiritual enemies better than the strongest walls of any Abbey and will make us devout and zealous in Gods service beyond what the exhortations of the wisest Abbot could do Dum crescit fortitudo amoris interni infirmatur fortitudo carnis whilst love is strong the flesh is mortified and its lusts are subdued Greg. Mag. Amanti nihil est difficile nihil impossibile love can do all things of its self it passeth over all difficulties and there is no obstacle which it overcomes not August Love can supply the want of all outward helps and advantages let it but be our care to secure love and it will secure us Let us therefore feed and entertain it by reading and meditation by frequent prayers and acts of love Coelum terra omnia quae in eis sunt non cessant mihi dicere ut a mem Dominum Deum meum Aug. and by observing and tasting how gracious the Lord is in all his works all things in heaven and earth do incessantly cry to us that we should love God God draws us after him Hos 4.11 with cords of a man with bands of love therefore by love we can best follow him 1 John 3.18 But let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth and hereby we shall know that we are of the truth and we shall assure our hearts before him THE Reformed Monastery Or the Love of JESUS CHAP. I. That Love obligeth us also to fulfil the positive part of our Baptismal Vow with a protestation of obedience to it MY former disobedience and rebellions against my Blessed Lord and dearest Master I have examined and bewailed I have considered that by sin I wound and crucifie him afresh and therefore have resolved to sin no more never to lift up hand or heart against him But will love be satisfied with this is it a sufficient demonstration of love not to abuse not to injure a friend No sure I must proceed further love requires more than this I must not only abstain from what would anger him I love but I should further do that that will please him 'T is part of my duty as it was of my vow not only to renounce the Devil and all his works but also to believe all the articles of the Christian Faith and to keep Gods holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life As for the Articles of the Christian Faith I believe them from my heart and resolve to own and confess them whilst I live I never will dispute or object against them and I hope I should chuse to die before I would renounce any of them as for other less necessary doctrines I will be guided by my Spiritual Governors in controversies I will submit to the judgment of that Holy Church in whose Communion I live and so I will read and ponder Gods Holy Word especially the new Testament that I may know my Masters will and be incouraged to do it not that I may find out new mysteries and maintain the private opinions of a party It remains then only that I should keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life And this I also undertake it shall be my daily and constant study and endeavour I resolve to obey to the utmost of my power and I also promise further to manifest my love by free-will-offerings as
God shall enable me But first my love is to appear by doing what is commanded This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments saith S John 1 John 5.3 and he that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me saith our Blessed Saviour John 14.21 There can be no love without obedience this is its first and chiefest Tryal if a man love me he will keep my words ver 23. Now then should my beloved Lord ask me as once he did S. Peter N. N. dost thou love me would not my heart answer with his zealous Apostle Yes Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee I would lay-down my life for thee John 21.15 and 13.37 Now to this he replies again if thou lovest me keep my Commandments John 14.15 Every time we tell him Lord I love thee thou knowest that I love thee He doth answer again if thou lovest me keep my Commandments So that without we observe this we can no ways pretend to love him I am therefore to take notice of and to amend sins of omission which too too many among Christians mind little or not at all In the matter of sobriety I am commanded whether I eat or drink to do it as all things else to the glory of God and to be contented whatsoever state I am in for chastity I am commanded to know how to keep my vessel in sanctification and honor for acts of corporal and spiritual mercy I am commanded to be merciful as my heavenly Father is merciful and to forgive injuries as I desire my self to be forgiven for reverence to my betters I am commanded to honour and obey my superiors Ecclesiastical and Civil in what concerns Divine Worship I am bound to read and pray and meditate to instruct my self and family to receive the Blessed Sacrament to have a veneration and respect for all things that belong or relate to God and him to love and fear and trust and adore evermore All these with the particulars included in them and all other duties and the special precepts of the New Testament is the task I chearfully undertake and in the performance whereof I will approve my self a sincere lover of JESUS CHAP. II. How great a happiness in Eternity follows our love and obedience HIS yoke is easie and his burthen light his Commandments are not grievous and yet in keeping of them there is great reward a temporal happiness than which none is greater in this world and an eternal happiness infinitely greater than any this world can afford Do not I see what pains most men are at to get a subsistence for this world how they run and sweat and spend themselves to provide for this perishing life which yet is miserable short and uncertain and shall I not labour for the meat which abideth to eternal life shall I be at no pains to secure that life which hath no end and knows no misery O that I could duly understand the difference betwixt this life and the life to come how would I slight the one and desire the other or rather how chearfully would I imploy this present to obtain that which is to come Is not there servants that work hard day by day a whole year together for small wages who are almost perpetually employed about their masters business and yet have sometimes no thanks and often but a sorry reward and am not I one of those labourers whom my Lord hath hired to work in his vineyard Mat. 21. Am not I one of those servants whom he hath intrusted with his goods to whom he hath intrusted talents to improve for him and do not I desire he should tell me one day well done thou good and faithful servant Mat. 21. Is not my salary great greater than any Prince on earth could make it greater than I could wish greater than I can comprehend eternal rest eternal joys eternal happiness eternal glories eternity it self he himself will be my reward Eternity Eternity Eternity Blessed Eternity Eternity never enough to be considered Eternity never enough to be valued shall I obtain thee by what I do here for my Lord shall I obtain thee by that imperfect service I pay to my gracious Master O God who hast prepared for them that love thee Sixth Sund. after Trin. such good things as pass mans understanding pour into our hearts such love towards thee that we loving thee above all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all that we can desire through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Lord I am not worthy to be called thy Son I have often begg'd to be one of thy hired servants the meanest so I love and obey best O let me like thy servant Moses ever have a respect to the recompence of the reward ever consider what I shall get by serving thee that I may be diligent persevering and cheerful in doing my duty O my soul blush to consider how laborious men are for the unsatisfying acquests of this earth how eager thou hast been thy self in pursuing of them how slothful how unactive and heavy thou art in working for eternal rest for the treasures of eternity for the glories of heaven for those Divine Pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore Whence comes this unhappy soul is it not from inconsideration because thou dost not lift up thine eyes to see whither the way of love and obedience will bring thee because thou dost not look beyond the world upon things eternal because thou dost not often enough meditate upon heaven and eternity that unvaluable infinite recompence which awaits thee as soon thy work is finished Resolve therefore to amend this and daily once at least to consider what are thy wages what thou shalt get by serving God As the Apostle says of afflictions that they are light and but for a moment whilst we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen the same we may say of the most difficult of Christian duties that they are light and but for a moment that they are easie and soon done that there is no tediousness no hardship in them whilst we look upon things eternal whilst we have a respect unto the recompence of the reward CHAP. III. That to win our hearts and duty God propounds great rewards to us THis consideration doubtless would be powerful and effectual would wake and stir us up and make us active and lively if we had it often in our minds Therefore our Blessed Saviour to incourage his followers and make them diligent in his service doth often give them to understand what by parables and what by plain declarations that they should not serve him for nought and that they should be no losers by him that he would consider them for their time for their expences for their sufferings and for their labours that he would take notice of the least thing they should do for him so that even
and 1.6 Blessed Lord I rejoice that thou hast the disposal of me I willingly submit my self to thy good pleasure both to obey and to suffer I desire that my heart and all my affections may wholly be subject to thee O why is thy name dishonoured thy Church persecuted thy holy Religion despised or perverted and thou thy self rejected and rebelled against even by many of them that have sworn allegiance to thee O that it were in my power to advance thy Kingdom here among my Fellow-Servants to bring all men in subjection to thee But first my Blessed Lord let me sincerely submit to thy will in all things Let never one of my words or actions send thee that impious message of the rebellious Citizens We will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19.14 but now thou art absent I beseech thee let me observe thy laws and own and reverence thy power in them to whom thou hast imparted it thy Church and Ministers Thou art my King dearest JESU let me never see that hour that I shall not heartily love and humbly obey thee Consider O my Soul how great is the happiness and honour to be one of the retinue of so great so good a Master Let nothing cast thee down thou shalt certainly reign above if thou art faithful here below Jacob and his sons were in fear to perish with hunger because they knew not that Joseph did reign in Aegypt but my timorous heart why shouldst thou fear any thing when thou knowest that JESUS doth reign in heaven God hath given him power over all flesh that he might give eternal life to all that will sincerely give themselves to him If thou art his thou canst not want to be protected and provided for All his servants are certainly prefer'd all his souldiers come to be Kings the Crown of life the Kingdom of heaven the glories of eternity are the recompences laid up for his humble subjects Live and Reign sweetest JESU for ever When I do consider that Legions of Angels millions of blessed Souls perpetually adore thee with the greatest extasie of love and divine joy that all pious men throughout all the world express their love and gratitude by daily worshipping and obeying of thee that all thy wicked enemies are seiz'd with fear and trembling before thee When thus I see thee blessed Lord with the eyes of my faith on the Throne of highest Majesty encircled with glory and power I then disdain the world and am raised above my self transported with pleasure to see thy labours and sufferings thus justly rewarded to think that mine for thee shall have the same reward according to the utmost of my capacity And now my gracious Lord this I make my request if I can add nothing to thy highest glory yet let me enter in and partake of thy joy for they that love thy name shall be joyful in thee Psal 5.12 CHAP. XVI Two general directions about the manifesting of our love to God IT is a Maxim in Morals quod cor non facit non fit what the heart doth not is reputed as not done it can deserve neither praise nor reward and it can signifie nothing to any purpose of vertue Now the heart is the fountain of humane affections and the seat of love so that the meaning is that what is not done out of love is insignificant and wholly unacceptable Which truth holds in Religion also God earnestly requires the heart of all his worshippers and without it he doth accept neither their services nor their oblations Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart Deut. 6.6 Love therefore must carry us through the whole course of our lives through all our duty that our actions bearing its stamp and signature may be pleasing to God and to us profitable So that in the discharge of our several callings in our intercourse with others at home or abroad and in the most common actions of our lives still we must act as being acted by a sincere love to God It is one of the best of those ancient Rules which were given to ascetick persons Let charity which abides for ever In omnibus quibus utitur transitura necessitas superemineat quae permanet charitas Reg. Aug. influence and govern the use we make of time and other transitory things let it go along with us in all our ways and we shall certainly go right But this like other general Rules will signifie nothing except it be applied to particulars My love to JESUS must appear in what I do this day and what I shall do to morrow The justice and charity of the words I speak and the work I am about must justifie it that indeed I own JESUS for my Lord his Gospel for my Rule and his love for my comfort and encouragements Let charity which abides for ever direct us in our use of transitory things It is the advice of some spiritual directors that we would single out some one eminent Christian vertue to the study whereof we should more particularly addict our selves and examine our growth in grace by our proficiency in it This may be much for our ease and for our advantage For the Duties and Graces of our Religion are very numerous not to be attained and attended to all at once and as they stand together whereas if we make choice of any one single which leads us to all the rest and includes them all our Christian advancement will be with greater speed and less difficulty and we shall be masters of all other vertues by having bent our strength and endeavours on the practice of one Such a one I am sure is the love of God the love of the Blessed JESUS which if well followed and attended to will bring us to the highest perfection to which any Christian can arrive in this life Let it therefore be our chiefest care to beget and entertain in our hearts that most blessed love and then to express and perfect it by these two general Rules 1. In all our actions to have respect to Gods will and to seek to fulfil it rather than our own This is recommended to us by the Example of our Blessed Saviour who professed that he came not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him and this was his great demonstration of love to the Father That the world may know that I love the Father Probatio dilectionis exhibitio est operis Greg. and as the Father gave me Commandment even so I do arise let us go hence Joh. 14.31 He would go and deliver himself into the hands of his crucifies rather than not comply with that order he had received from God his Father And thus if we chuse Gods will where it is most contradictory to our own desires we shall make it appear that indeed we love him Abraham was
disappear or else make it a paradise for him Though the relation may be fabulous yet I believe the thing it self is true he that is joined to God by love and so possest of him who is the fountain of all joy and bliss it is not possible he can be miserable despair the hell of the damned can never seize his soul However I am confident that the love of God would sweeten all the bitterness of our innocent miseries and that it is only the imperfection of a Christians love that exposeth his mind to the vexation of humane sorrows I am not to my grief a competent witness to this truth but there have been many Saints and devout persons who in the fervency of their love to God have found those joys those ravishments of joy which are ineffable Nihil crus sentit in nervo dum animus est in Coelo and which made them in some manner insensible and incapable of any great sorrow And even the lesser love of more imperfect though sincere Christians doth in a great measure take away the sense of humane calamities and brings to their minds the greatest contentment and delight this world is capable of A mans heart is more where it loves than where it lives Magis est ubi amat quam ubi animat he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4.16 and what greater Deus Charitas est quid pretiosius qui manet in Charitate in Deo manet quid securius Deus in eo quid jucundius Bern. what more excellent bliss can we imagine or desire what stronger expression could one find to express the highest felicities to dwell in God! to be swallowed up in an abyss of infinite goodness to be overwhelmed in the immensity of Divine Joys and perfection as an atom in the air as a drop of water in the Ocean so so he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God Nothing can better represent those transcendent and delicious raptures wherewith the soul is inebriated and raised above it self Extasim facit amor amatores suo statu demovet sui juris esse non sinit Dionys de divin nom This was it made the Holy Martyrs shout and rejoyce in the midst of the flames they dwelt in God no sorrow no harm could approach them Happy are they that can say with S. Paul Our life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 and I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 The love of God fits us for the joys of heaven and is an anticipation of them it powerfullly governs the will and it sweetly overflows the mind it is the perfection of grace and will be the consummation of glory but 't is much easier and happier to feel than to express it How much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thine ointment than all spices Cant. 4.10 One thing that adds much to the worth and the pleasure of Divine Love is that it never fails it is of the nature of its object eternal as God is whether there be prophecies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away but charity never faileth 1 Cor. 13.8 Faith and hope may accompany us as far as heaven-gate but there they for sake us the one is turned into sight and the other into enjoyment love alone enters and abides with us to eternity Our greatest safety therefore as well as pleasure consists in loving God affectionately for that love which never faileth secures our duty here and our happiness hereafter We are sure never to live and never to perish in sin if we love JESUS sincerely He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and there neither sin nor misery can come to hurt him Quid refert natura esse quod potes effici voluntate Chrys What matters it then to be by nature what we may be by choice and affection If of our selves we are not holy and happy we may be so by love the love of God will transform us into his nature and make us partakers of his holiness and happiness Love kills us in our selves that we may live in God Occidit quod fuimus ut simus quod non eramus Aug. It maketh such a change in us that we are no longer what we were as to the sinfulness and wretchedness of our condition Mandato novo facit hominem novum homines amando Deum dii efficiuntur Aug. The New Commandment maketh the New Creature men become Gods by loving God Love considers and dischargeth all the duties of Religion it allows of no omission nor transgression Love is the fulfilling of the law this is love that we keep his Commandments 2 John 6. Ille sancte juste agit qui sanctam habet dilectionem Aug. He is a Holy Man whose love is holy Non faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores Aug. for love having the rule and direction of all mans passions and affections they become either good or bad according to the nature of what they love Therefore to know whether a man be vertuous or no we inquire not what his condition is or what are his parts and learning but what he delights in what he loves for if he loves the world and himself he is certainly vain and vicious but if he loves God he is pious and good and of a certainty he can never perish If natural love be so powerful and active as we know it is how much more when it is set upon God and by him assisted This therefore doth greatly manifest how secure and well guarded they are that love God in that their holy love masters and mortifies their unholy affections What is it that hurries men to sin and hell and destruction but their masterless and unruly passion now love can not only subdue them but even makes them useful and subservient to vertue the love of God sanctifies all passions and makes them serviceable If it cannot make him meek who is of an angry nature it will make him angry against sin and against himself a sinner if it doth not make him bold and generous whose temper inclines him to timorousness it will turn his fear into prudence and make him not dare to offend God if it makes him not cheerful who naturally is melancholy it will turn his sadness into penitent sorrow and make him a blessed mourner And so all other passions love will make them instruments of vertue Amor ubi venerit caeteros in se traducit captivat affectus S. Bern. or occasions of a greater reward that is it will either fight and conquer them or else put them to a good use Love is obeyed wherever it appears and Divine Love is irresistible it overcomes all difficulties nay Nomen difficultatis erubescit it scorns the name of difficulty saith S. Augustine it is as strong and