of the quintessence of all the choycest delights that ever the world produced or Imagined to charme and please the mind of man As of all the sweetest Quires and Consorts of Musicke both of voices and Instruments that ever nature invented or imagined to ravish our spirits Of all the most glittering amiable and glorious sights shewes Triumphs and beauties of the world Of all the most pleasant sweetes perfumes and flowers that ever the earth yeelded forth to delight us Of all the choycest liquors Wines Banquets dainties and delicates that ever man Enjoy'd even of all what pleasures the world hath hitherto produced to charme and delight our Spirits yea or Imagined either as of the Graces The Muses The Nymphs The Fayries The Syrens of Adonis Orchards The Hesperian Gardens The delights of Arcadia of Arabia foelix of the Elizian Shades of Mahomets Imaginary Heaven or whatsoever is delightfull In summe It can by contemplation enjoy a Paradise of delights within it selfe J might instance also concerning particular pleasures as of eating It is well knowne by Physitians that Intemperance therein destroyes health makes the body to become full fraught with crudities and noysome humours And so in time thereby the stomacke and appetite becomes corrupted and spoiled Insomuch as at last even dainties become displeasant to Intemperate men but Temperance keepes the body healthfull and agill and makes the stomacke well prepared to rellish and digest both meate and drinke Insomuch as ordinary fare to the temperate man becomes more pleasant then choycest dainties to an Intemperate Corrupted stomacke So might I instance concerning other pleasures in particular But in generall Vitious men their minds and perchance bodies being distempered by sloth passions and perturbations even pleasures are often to them as sweet meate to a sicke man or musicke to a discontented man distastfull displeasant and irkesome But vertuous men their Minds being as hath been shew'd free from such distempers passions and perturbations and possest with lightsomnesse Tranquility Ioy and happinesse becomes most apt and well prepared to enjoy the sweetest and choycest felicities on Earth And indeed there is no earthly pleasure either laudable or truely pleasant which is not contained within the precincts of Vertue because otherwise the same will cause much more displeasure then content For all vice ingenders offence and discontent and in the end will certainely turne to Sadnesse Sorrow and Misery But all pleasures being enjoy'd within the limits of vertue which ought to be the rule and guide thereof are good and laudable And so wee may and should freely and cheerefully enjoy even a Paradice of delights and felicities within us As I have shew'd and written more of this Subject in a former Booke Entituled THE Terrestriall Paradice OR Happinesse on Earth So that of earths felicities our minds within us may A sweet and pleasant Paradise of happinesse enjoy THE X. DIVISION That by vertue the mind becomes apt and well disposed to know attaine and enjoy as farre as the same is capable the felicities of Heaven on Earth REason which is the light of true wisedom is according to some Philosophers compounded of all the vertues of the intellectuall soule And by some said to be the onely Governesse and Directresse of all divine vertues The same is also an Attendant and a furtherance to all divine Graces Although Faith be the principall and fountaine of heavenly Graces and infinitely above our Reason yet this divine Grace of Faith disdaines not to make a good use of Reason for the furtherance and advancement of all heavenly Graces yet onely so as her handmaid to rule controll and governe her as a Mistresse how and when shee pleases Divine Reason therfore which is the Compound the light and directrix of all Vertue may be said to bee also a daughter of Heaven the handmaiden of divine Faith and serveth greatly to advance the honour and excellency thereof for the same often sheweth directeth and teacheth us to receive entertain and embrace this her heavenly Mistresse and to enjoy in her the delights of heaven in some measure on Earth Let us then briefly see how this Divine Reason which is the summe and substance of Vertue directeth well prepareth and disposeth our minds to see attaine and enjoy this heavenly happinesse on Earth Reason is of such force as that it can passe from things known to things vnknowne It can abstract from visible things things invisible from Corporeall Jncorporeall Generals from particulars High and mysticall from plaine and triviall things By Reason therefore it is that wee can in some measure spell Heaven from the Earth and so already in some degree enjoy heaven yea and God himselfe of whom it is said Hee is a Sunne whose glory still doth shine Hee is a Mine of all excelling Treasures Hee 's such whose essence no one can define Hee is a Paradise of heavenly pleasures Let us therefore even by the light of Reason looke upwards and take a view of heaven and of God himself we need mount up but eleven steps according to Astrologers from the Earth thither The first stayre is the Sphere of the Moone The second of Mercury The third of Venus names which they assigne unto the heavens The fourth that of the Sunne The next of Mars Iupiter Saturne Then of the fixed Starres The ninth Primum Mobile The tenth the Christalline heaven and the highest and infinitly most excellent is the Imperiall which is Gods habitation This is the place of our Eternity of our heavenly Kingdome So that we can by our bodily eyes from the earth looke up to the Moone The Sunne The Starry heaven and therein sweetly please our selves in view and Contemplation of their glorious aspect their amiable silver bright caelestiall Rayes from thence higher even by the light of Reason wee can see beyond the Spheres to the Imperiall heaven contemplating with Admiration and Reverence the Soveraigne Lord and Creator of all these God himselfe and so by and through these lower Glories The firmament Sunne Moone Starres and all the Caelestiall Spheres we may in some measure spell learne and espy infinitely more excellent heavenly glory delights and felicities The Heavens declare the glory of God c. Psal 19. The Earth also in some sort shewes us his excellency When therefore in reason wee consider the motions the ends and the causes efficient of all the Creatures of the Earth Their multitudes also for all mutitudes proceed from one unity and the utmost unity is GOD Likewise the marvailous Providence Art and wisdome which may be observed in all things as in the making of every least Creature insomuch as all the world but GOD cannot make the meanest therein much lesse the most excellent such as are the admirable divine Immortall soules of men As also his continuall preservation of all things without whom the Sea would overflow the Land one Creature devour another The earth without him could not bring forth fruit Nor man generate man
without him our clothes could afford us no warmth nor meat nourishment neither indeed could any thing without him live grow or subsist When also we consider the course of nature The due order and subordination of all Creatures which doe give their influence one to another in an excellent manner and all for the use of man Also the many and divers pleasures and felicities of the world so full of excellency sweetnes and delight And lastly the wonderfull miracles which have beene done in all Ages in the world We cannot but in reason confesse and in some measure espy the heavenly Fountaine the Cause the Creator the Preserver and Lord of all these and admire his infinite Power Wisedome Glory and Excellency And more particularly as from the pleasures and felicities of the Earth we may by reason espy and contemplate the infinitely more excellent felicities of heaven If therefore we think of the most pleasant and sweetest delights and felicities that ever the world produced or can invent to please to delight to charme The Senses The Spirits The Mind of man Reason will tell us if there be so much excellency in Creatures much more is there in the Creator GOD himself If we enjoy and contemplate so many divers sweet and pleasant delights in these little drops proceeding from the ocean of Gods excellency while we are heere on Earth Reason tells us much more excellent and more pleasant may we and shall we enjoy in God himselfe in heaven Also from the mind of man we may in some sort even by reason espy God himselfe and his heavenly excellencies and felicities To instance in some particulars And first from the excellency of the mind of man which is of such an admirable quicknesse sprightfulnesse lightsomnesse and capacity as that it can glide through the world and thinke of the most excellent things therein even in a moment and by contemplation enjoy the same within it selfe yea it is already capable in faithfull contemplation to eye Eternity to mount up to Heaven to GOD himselfe and in some degree to possesse and enjoy him and his heavenly felicities within it selfe So that the mind of man seemes to be farre more excellent then the world being of such an admirable quicke perspicuous lightsom and heavenly nature even while it remains on Earth When therefore the mind of man considers its owne excellency it may even by Reason looke further to its Fountaine and Creator GOD himselfe whose Image it is in some measure so farre as it is good and happy And knowing the cause is infinitely more excellent then the effect as in a Mirror see and contemplate his infinite excellency who is the efficient cause of this and of all other excellency and happinesse and so be excited to love him with deerest ardent love and rejoyce in him with sweetest and highest pleasure who is our Minds onely true Ioy and Happinesse Also further when the mind of man considers its owne excellency even by reason it often doth or may looke upwards to Heaven wihther its future eternall and heavenly nature and desire directs it and contemplate if in this short transitory mortall life it be of such excellent wisedome Agility Sprightfulnesse Perspicuity Wonder Joy and happinesse how much more wise lightsome quicke perspicuous Angel-like divine and happy shall the same bee when it is disburthened of this corrupted heavie earthly body which clogs it when also it shal leave the world and ascend to Heaven to God himselfe with him and in him to live and pertake of his infinite sweetnesse and heavenly pleasures for ever Also the mind of man from its Conscience can even by reason in some sort know and espy heavenly happines Conscience is called by some A little God within us to direct us to doe well and to cheere and rejoyce us therein Also to divert us from evill and to cause trouble and sorrow in us when we eschew goodnesse and doe evill This divine part of the mind called Conscience doth as it were by an heavenly instinct tell us That there is a most powerfull glorious wise just good loving and in all respects infinitely excellent Creator and Governour of all things who dwels in the Heavens who gives us all the good wee have And that he hath also prepared for Pious and vertuous men eternal heavenly rewards after this life checking us with thoughts of Atheisme and Blasphemy when we goe about to thinke and beleeve the contrary But rejoycing us when we doe well when we love desire seeke and contemplate this our gracious and infinitely excellent God and his heavenly felicities wherefore seeing God hath imprinted in us such a feeling of himselfe as no Conscience can deny him but rather that every one acknowledgeth his infinite Glory Power Excellency and heavenly felicities it is great reason that we should beleeve and endeavour to seeke see and enjoy the same Also from the desire of the mind of man to this eternall heavenly happinesse in God and the satisfaction and contentment which it receives in the faithfull Contemplation thereof even on Earth Reason in some sort sees and espies the same For the mind of man is of so large and excellent an apprehension and desire as it is already in some measure capable to view and long after eternity and heavenly happinesse Of so generous a nature it is as nothing will satisfie the desire thereof but Infinitenesse but Eternity but Heaven but God himselfe There was yet never any man though possessed with all sorts of earthly felicities but his mind hath still desired new pleasures it never can be satisfied untill it can enjoy God himselfe and his heavenly felicities which often doth or may cause our minds greatly to desire and long thereafter And to pray with King David Shew me O God the Ioy of thy Salvation This also may in some sort even by Reason make us perceive and Enjoy this infinite Eternall heavenly felicity since without the same our divine heaven borne soules can never be satisfied and after the same since we doe even according to the nature of our soules greatly long and desire Also forasmuch as when our minds once come to bee truely raysed in divine Contemplation to heaven to God himselfe The desires thereof doe remaine even satisfied contented and most sweetly pleas'd on Earth For then knowing that when God pleases and thinkes good wee shall eternally enjoy this heavenly happinesse in perfection Of which in such divine Contemplations wee begin to tast already and in this heavenly elevation seeing our minds raysed aboue the world aboue our selves and beginning already to live an heavenly Angellicall life with God himselfe our desires remaine sweetly pleas'd and satisfied with heavenly delight and happinesse Thus doth divine vertue or Reason which is the Compound light and directresse thereof prepare our minds to see know attaine and Enjoy heavenly delights and happinesse on Earth I might instance also concerning divers particular vertues But in Generall let vs yet further consider The minds of vitious men being dulled and annoyed by Sloth Intemperance or distempered by passions and perturbations cannot be well capable nor well prepared to performe the functions and exercises thereof or any good Action or office proper thereunto Such as are Prayer Study divine Meditations Contemplations and all lofty and excellent matters or to receive retayne or enjoy divine wisedome Grace Jlluminations or Consolations But vertuous men their minds being free from Sloth and evill desires from distempers passions and perturbations and on the contrary being Active quicke lightsome well disposed and possest with sweet Tranquility Joy and happinesse become free cheerefull sprightly apt and well prepared for the performance of all excellent and divine Studies Exercises and Contemplations And to know receive retayne entertayne and enjoy all heavenly Inspirations Irradiations and Consolations Insomuch as it is said that many of the Ancient fathers and other divine Saints of GOD have by reason of Temperance and other vertues attained unto a very high Pitch of heavenly wisedome and Grace and that by this meanes they came to so great a measure of holinesse and familiarity with God as they became admirable to all the World and that his divine Majesty vouchsafed very graciously to descend downe vnto them Illuminating them wonderfully with divine Graces and heavenly consolations Insomuch as they were possest with so great Ioy and solace of mind with such heavenly delights and happinesse as they deemed themselves in Paradise Insomuch as truly by divine Vertue The Mind of Man becomes most apt well prepared and disposed to enjoy as farre as it is capable the felicities of Heaven on Earth To mount up to heaven in faithfull Contemplations and to entertaine it selfe with Angells and with God himselfe To enjoy within it selfe as much heavenly pleasure and happinesse as it can thinke of Nay more as some have enjoy'd such and so much as the mind that enjoyes the same is not able to conceive or receive it Such as St. Paul saith hath not entred into the Heart of man Such as even overcomes the heart and mind brings the same into a divine extasie and Transportation and makes it even besides it selfe with heavenly admiration and pleasure yea even beyond and above it selfe of a future and divine nature of a Super-humane and heavenly temper on Earth But concerning this Subject of heavenly Ioy and happinesse I have now lately also publisht another Treatise Entituled Heaven within vs OR Divine happinesse on Earth A Paradice of heavenly Ioy So may we gaine that even Within vs we already may Possesse delights of heaven To Conclude In summe By vertue our minds become apt well prepared and disposed to Enjoy a Paradice of delights and felicities both Earthly and heavenly within vs. So if we could fayre vertues Beauty spy With love we should bee inflamed presently Her sweetnesse would attract vs with such Charmes Wee should embrace the same with open Armes Who loves her lovely selfe loves not in vaine Millions of pleasures they shall surely gaine Shee free 's our minds from sloth and evill passions From ill desires from feares and perturbations Shee Crownes the same with lightsome pleasantnesse With peace and Courage Ioy and happinesse Shee doth direct vs and prepares the way Both vnto earthly and to heavenly Ioy. So hee that 's wise A Paradise of sweet delights doth find In vertues wayes Which he enjoyes within his happy Mind FINIS
obstinate therein It is also in the furthest degree remote from nature and reason which excite us to nothing more then to the willing desire and diligent Inquisition search and enjoyance of pleasure and happinesse And in truth there be so many thousand delights on Earth to please all our Sences which we may enjoy yea we may enjoy such and so many heavenly pleasures even on Earth as truly if we were wise and divine enough would fill our minds with such joy and happinesse as that we should rejoyce evermore as S. Paul exhorteth us we should be unexpressably pleasant joyful we should as farre as our minds are capaple enjoy the pleasures of Earth and Heaven within us But of these more in the ensuing Divisions To conclude then in generall let us endeavour by all meanes to drive away and banish out of our minds all evill passions and perturbations All Sloth Lazinesse Dulnesse Sottishnesse and base mindednesse All Intemperate Riotous dissolute pleasures and selfe-conceited vaine-glorious dispositions All Pride Ambition Choller Anger and Rashnesse All Melancholly Covetousnesse Feare Sorrow and Sadnesse All Envie Hatred Malice Revenge Cruelty Sullennesse Obstinacy and Desperation And on the contrary as much as wee may possibly let us possesse our minds with livelinesse quicknesse perspicacity and gallantnesse of Spirit with moderation Temperance Humility Meekenesse Tranquility Mildnesse with Contentation Fortitude Cheerefulnesse with Humanity Affability Love kindnesse and with all Joy and Happinesse Me thinkes if we could truely consider and think of the many and divers sorts of delightfull felicities both earthly and heavenly which we may enjoy it were enough to make our minds immediately leape out of all ill passions and perturbations into most sweet Peace Joy Mirth livelinesse and pleasure So as to enjoy even a Paradice of delights and happinesse within us There is so many pleasures which wee may Aswell Terrestriall as divine enjoy That who enjoyes all such felicities Enjoyes an Earthly heavenly Paradise THE IX DIVISION That by vertue the Mind becomes apt and well prepared to enjoy the choicest and sweetest felicities on Earth SO then having briefly endeavoured to shew the felicity of a vertuous mind The way to gaine the same to eschew such Maladies distempers passions and perturbations as hinder this happinesse also to embrace such amiable and delightfull vertues as may encrease the same Now let us also further and more plainely view how that by vertue our minds become most apt and well disposed to enjoy the felicities of Earth and Heaven And first concerning Earthly felicities to instance briefely and to begin with Riches and honour First no men on Earth are more like to attaine Riches and honor then vertuous men by reason their minds are free from Sloth dulnesse Carelessenesse Intemperance Riot and such dissolute Courses as usually are the occasions of dishonour and of declining in estates and fortunes And no men living are more likely to gaine Riches and honour then the industrious diligent temperate frugall unpassionate courteous affable and every way vertuous man Secondly no men doe enjoy more felicity therein then vertuous men for why by reason their minds are active perspicuous free and filled with the delights and felicities of vertue the same becommeth well prepared to enjoy these earthly Treasures and felicities and we know that a free and cheerefull mind enjoyes all things with farre greater happinesse then a dull sottish turbulent vicious passionate discontented Mind Yea which seemes a Paradox it is certaine that even Covetous and Ambitious men take not so much pleasure in Riches and honour which they so much esteeme as the contented vertuous man for Covetousnesse and Ambition doe not onely blind and draw away the mind from all the choycest earthly pleasures yea and heavenly also But which is most strange even from the pleasures which otherwise they might enjoy in Riches and Honour for Covetous and Ambitious men regard not so much what what felicity they may derive from that which they possesse but still thinke how well they should be if they had some great matter which they have not the want whereof almost continually vexes them for Covetousnesse and Ambition are unsatiable desires they regard not so much what they have as vexe and perplexe themselves for what they have not still thinking they want although they possesse abundance The cares which they take in getting and keeping and the feares and griefes of Crosses of loosing and parting from what they have doe almost continually perplex them So as even Riches and honour to Covetous Ambitious men seeme to be rather a burthen a griefe then a pleasure to them But the contented vertuous man although he bee but of low degree and possesse but a meane estate yet he enjoyes farre more happinesse therein then the other in abundance he it is whose free cheerfull and happy mind most sweetly enjoyes within it selfe the choicest felicities that may be derived from Riches and honour So also of pleasures Vertuous men their free and happy minds are most apt and well prepared to enjoy the sweetest delights and pleasures on Earth They enjoy much more pleasure in a little of these Earthly felicities then vitious men in abundance and varieties who are seldome satisfied or contented for if they should glut themselves with all sorts of Earthly pleasures yet would they still be gaping after and vnsatiably wishing for new contentments and if they doe enjoy their gluttonous Intemperate Luxurious pleasures to the full yet soone after they remain more melancholly and discontented then Monkes for all vitious pleasures most certainely will end in sadnesse discontent shame and misery But vertue teacheth us to be sweetly pleased yea even with a little according to Nature Reason and moderation and giveth such a free and happy mind to the followers thereof as they enjoy all earthly good pleasures with much greater delight then vicious men with contentment Vertuous men doe farre more sweetly in their minds contemplate all good pleasures then vicious men and so more delightfully enjoyes them for why Slothfull Dull Heauie passionate distempered vicious minds doe not imagine conceive nor enjoy nigh so much pleasure in any thing as active perspicuous free cheerefull vertuous minds for such minds are much more capable then the other to enjoy within themselves by contemplation and consequently in Action the most delightfull felicities on Earth Such minds do farre more excellently and pleasantly then the other contemplate and enjoy the sweetest delights that may be derived from the happy society of Parents children husbands wives lovers friends from Riches Honour Sports Recreations and pleasures of all sorts whatsoever Such a vertuous free lightsome perspicuous cheerefull happy mind can most pleasantly sprightfully glide through the world and sweetly enjoy the most delightfull felicities thereof for by contemplation it can assemble together even in one subject within it selfe all whatsoever is most pleasant and delightfull on Earth And thereof make an Electuary of pleasure compounded