Oratorie and Ciceroes tongue could not assume to themselves such perfection as to free them from other blemishes which detracted as much from their worth as these perfections added to their glory For howsoever that saying of Solon may seeme authenticke All things among men are sound and perfect it is to be understood that he meant of dealings or commerce among good men whose word is their bond and whose profession is to deale uprightly with all men All things among such men are sound and perfect for no commoditie can move them to infringe their faith or falsifie their word for any advantage But it may be objected if none can be perfect whence is it that wee reade wee ought to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect or how is it that Paul exhorteth us to perfection or how may wee be presented every man perfect in Christ Iesus Surely not of us nor of our selves but through him who became righteousnesse and all perfection for us that he might perfect that in us which was farre from us without his especiall grace working or operating in us Yet are we to labour and strive hard towards the marke that is set before us not ceasing till wee become conformable unto him and be made perfect in him But become conformable unto him wee cannot unlesse wee take delight in contemplating him to whom our desire is to be conformed Wee will therefore descend to the second branch proposed to wit the Contemplative part of Perfection wherein wee shall easily finde what diviâ—e comfort is ministred to the minde in contemplating Him who distinguished Man from the rest of his creatures by a reasonable minde IT was the saying of a Heathen If God tooke delight in any felicitie it was in Contemplation To the free use whereof even those which are as Hortensius called L. Torquatus unlearned rude and ignorant may be admitted For howsoever some have beene pleased to terme the Images of Saints Lay-mens bookes sure I am whosoever he be be he never so simple or ignorant that contemplateth God in his creatures shall finde sufficient matter in that voluminous booke of his Creation to move him to admire the workmanship of his Maker For the heavens are his the earth also is his and he hath laid the foundation of the world and all that therein is So as even from the Cedar of Lebanon to the grasse upon the wall hath he shewne his power and his might to the ends of the world Now to the end this Contemplation might not be hindred by any worldly objects wee are to with-draw our eye from the Creature and fix it wholly upon our Creator For how can any one behold the glory of heaven when his eyes are poring upon earth or how should hee whose affections are planted upon his gold erect his thoughts to the contemplation of God So as we must not only leave whatsoever wee love on earth but even leave our selves till wee become wholly weaned from earth so shall our affections be in heaven though our temporary plantation be on earth For what are these Ostrich-winged worldlings who never flie up stooping to every lure that either honour profit or preferment cast out but base Haggards who lie downe and dare not give wing for feare of weathering Whereas these high fliers whose aimes are above earth are ever meditating of earths frailtie and heavens felicitie These consider how the solace of the captive is one and the joy of the freeman another These consider how that hee who fighs not while he is a Pilgrim shall not rejoyce when he is a Citizen These consider that it is an evident signe that such an one hates his Countrey who holds himselfe to be in good state while hee lives a Pilgrim These will not preferre the husks of vanitie before those inestimable treasures of glory These and only these value earth as it should be valued desiring rather to leave earth than set their love on ought upon earth Neither can death take any thing from him going out of the world who sets his love on nothing in the world Whereas it is much otherwise with them whose eyes are accustomed to darknesse for they cannot behold the beames of that supreme veritie neither can they judge any thing of the light whose habitation is in darknesse they see darknesse they love darknesse they approve of darknesse and going from darknesse to darknesse they know not whither they fall Such was Demas who forsooke his faith and embraced this present world Such was Simon Magus who bewitched the people with sorceries to gaine himselfe esteeme in the world Such was Demetrius the Silver-smith who brought great gaines unto the Crafts-men and mightily enriched himselfe in the world And in a word such are all those whose eyes are sealed to heavenly Contemplations but opened to the objects of earth prizing nothing else worthy either viewing or loving It is rare and wonderfull to observe what admirable Contemplations the Heathen Philosophers enjoyed though not so much as partakers of the least glimpse of that glorious light which is to us revealed How deeply searching in the influence of Planets how studious after the knowledge of Herbs Plants vertue of Stones which inforced in them no lesse admiration than delight in so sweet a Contemplation Now if the Heathens who had no knowledge of God but only a glimmering light of Nature being not so much I say as the least beamling in comparison of that glorious light which we enjoy conceived such sweetnesse in the search of causes and events preferring their contemplation before the possession of earth or all that fraile earth câ—uld promise what surpassing comfort or ineffable sweetnesse are wee to conceive in the contemplation of God the one and only practice whereof maketh man blessed although in outward things he were the poorest and needfullest in the world The blessed Saints and faithfull servants of God have beene so ravished with this sweetnesse as they were drunke with joy in contemplation of the Highest For either honour or preferment they were so indifferent as they rejected it and for riches so equally contented as they dis-valued it selling their possessions and laying the money at the Apostles feet Yea Peter to instance one for all no sooner tasted this sweetnesse than forgetfull of all inferiour things he cried out as one spiritually drunke saying Lord it is good for us to be here let us make us here three Tabernacles let us stay here let us contemplate thee because wee need nothing else but thee it sufficeth us Lord to see thee it sufficeth us I say to be filled with such sweetnesse as commeth from thee One onely drop of sweetnesse he tasted and he loathed all other sweetnesse What may wee imagine would he have said if he had tasted the multitude of the sweetnesse of his divinitie which he hath laid up in store for those that feare him Surely
est hee is dead unto God answered the Bishop Nam nequam perditus uno verbo Latro evasit for he is wicked and lost and in a word a Theefe Much matter might be collected from this Story to enlarge the ground of our Proposition to wit what imminent dangers are ever attending on Youth and how easie it is by the painted flag of vanity and sensuall pleasure to draw him to ruine For doubtlesse many excellent rules of instruction had this grave Bishop delivered and imparted to his young Pupill many devout taskes and holy exercises had hee commended to his practice many prayers full of fervent zeale had hee offered for his conversion many sighes had he sent many teares had he shed to reclaime him from his former conversation Yet see how soone this youthfull Libertine forgets those instructions which hee had taught him those holy taskes which were injoyned him those zealous prayers which were offered for him those unfained sighes and teares which were shed for him I hee leaves this aged Father to become a Robber he flies from the Temple to the mountaine he puts off the roabe of truth and disguiseth himselfe with the vizard of theft And no small theefe but a Leader Rachel was a theefe for shee stole idolls from her father Iosuah was a theefe seeing hee stole grapes from Canaan David was a theefe seeing he stole the bottle of water from Saul Ionathas was a theefe since he stole hony from the Hive Iosaba was a theefe since he stole the infant Ioash But here was a theefe of another nature one whose vocation was injury profession theevery and practice crueltie one whose ingratitude towards his reverend Foster-father merited sharpest censure for Bysias the Grecian Osigeâ— the Lacedemonian Bracaras the Theban and Scipio the Roman esteemed it lesse punishment to be exiled than to remaine at home with those that were ungratefull for their service So as it is not only a griefe but also a perillous thing to have to doe with ungratefull men And wherein might ingratitude be more fully exemplified than in this Young-man whose disobedience to his Tutor sleighting his advice that had fostered him deserved severest chastisement But to observeâ— the cause of his fall wee shall finde how soone those good impressions which he had formerly received were quite razed and defaced in him by reason of depraved company whence we may gather that Youth being indeed the Philosophers rasa tabula is apt to receive any good impressure but spotted with the pitch of vice it hardly ever regaines her former puritie Whence wee are taught not to touch pitch lest we be defiled for as that divine Father saith Occasiones faciunt Latrones Truth is the sweetest Apples are the soonest corrupted and the best natures quickliest depraved How necessary therefore the care and respect Youth ought to have in the choyce and election of his Company may appeare by this one example which sheweth that Society is of such power as by it Saints are turned into Serpents Doves into Devils for with the wise wee shall learne wisdome and with the foole we shall learne foolishnesse Dangerous therefore it is to leave illimited Youth to it selfe yea to suffer Youth so much as to converse with it selfe So as that Greeke Sage seeing a Young man privately retired all alone demanded of him what hee was doing who answered he was talking to himselfe Take heed quoth he thou talke not with thine enemie For the naturall pronenesse of Youth to irregular liberty is such as it is ever suggesting matter of innovation to the Soveraigntie of reason Now to reduce these enormities incident to Youth to certaine principall heads we will display the Vanitie of Youth in these foure distinct Subjects Gate Looke Speech Habit that by insisting and discoursing on each particular we may receive the feature of Ladie Vanitie portrayed to the life IT is strange to observe how the very Body expresseth the secret fantasies of the minde and how well the one sympathizeth with the other I have seene even in this one motion the Gate such especiall arguments of a proud heart as if the body had beene transparent it could not have represented him more fully And I have wondered how Man endued with reason could be so far estranged from that where with he was endued as to strut so proudly with feet of earth as if hee were never to returne to earth But especially when Youth is employed in ushering his Mistresse hee walkes in the street as if hee were dancing a measure He verily imagins the eyes of the whole Citie are fixed on him as the very patterne which they esteeme worthy imitation how neerely then concernes it him to stand upon his equipage He walkes as if he were an upright man but his sincerity consists onely in dimension He feares nothing so much as some rude encounter for the Wall and so be discredited in the sight of his Idoll Now I would be glad to weane this Phantasticke from a veine of lightnesse and habituate him to a more generous forme First he is to know how that which is most native and least affectâ—ve deserves choisest acceptance We were not borne to glory in our feet the Bases of Mortalitie but to walke as children of light in holinesse and integritie Safer it were for us to observe and make use of that which the Swan is reported to use when at any time shee glories in the whitenesse of her colour to wit shee reflects her eye upon her blacke feet which qualifies her proud spirit making her so much the more dejected as joying before in her owne beautie shee was erected Excellently was that Embleme of humane frailtie shadowed in the image of Agathocles the Syracusan tyrant who commanded his Statue to be composed after this sort the Head to be of gold signifying purenesse the armes of ivory intimating smoothnesse the body of brasse implying strongnesse but the feet of earth importing weaknesse Be the Head-peece never so pure be it a Diadem of gold wee weare it cannot promise to us perpetuitie wee stand on earthen feet how may we then stand long relying on such weak supporters Though Nebuchadnezzer strut never so proudly upon the turrets of his princely Palace saying Is not this great Babel which I have builded hee knowes not how soone he shall be deprived of his glory and be enforced to feed with the Beasts of the field being as one estranged from his former magnificence Quid ergo ad nos consolatio mundi Let us not glory in mundane vanitie nor repose too much confidence in these feet of frailtie Sipes interris mens sit in coelis Though our foot be on earth let our minde be in heaven knowing that as Saint Augustine saith Three cubits of earth doe expect us and how little or much so ere wee possesse this is all that shall be left us THe next Subject we are to treat of in
goeth to jest rather than visit or comfort and such miserable comforters are these friends of yours What then may deliver you in such gusts of affliction which assaile you Conscience shee it is that must either comfort you or how miserable is your condition Shee is that continuall feast which must refresh you those thousand witnesses that must answer for you that light which must direct you that familiar friend that must ever attend you that faithfull counsellour that must advise you that Balme of Gilead that must renew you that Palme of peace which must crowne you Take heed therefore you wrong not this friend for as you use her you shall finde her She is not to be corrupted her sinceritie scornes it Shee is not to be perswaded for her resolution is grounded She is not to be threatned for her spirit sleights it She is aptly compared in one respect to the Sea shee can endure no corruption to remaine in her but foames and frets and chafes till all filth be removed from her By Ebbing and flowingâ—s â—s shee purged nor is she at rest till shee be rinsed 〈◊〉 ab agro ad civitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum c. Discontentedly shee flies from the Field to the Citie from publike resort to her private house from her house to her chamber She can rest in no place Furie dogs her behinde and Despaire goes before For Conscience being the inseparable glory or confusion of every one according to the qualitie disposition or dispensation of that Talent which is given him for to whom much is given much shall be required We are to make such fruitfull use of our Talent that the Conscience wee professe may remaine undefiled the faith wee have plighted may be inviolably preserved the measure or Omer of grace we have received may be increased and God in all glorified Which the better to effect wee are to thinke how God is ever present in all our actions and that to use the words of Augustine Whatsoever we doe or addresse our selves to doe it is before him that we doe yea whatsoever it be that wee doe hee better knowes it than we are selves doe It was Seneca's counsell to his friend Lucilius that whensoever he went about to doe any thing he should imagine Cato or Scipio or some other worthy Roman to be in presence In imitation of so divine a Morall let us in every action fix our eye upon our Maker Whose eyes are upon the children of men so shall we in respect of his sacred presence to which we owe all devout reverence Abstaine from evill doe good seeke peace and ensue it Such as defil'd themselves with sinne by giving themselves over unto pleasure staining the Nobilitie and splendour of their Soules through wallowing in vice or otherwise fraudulently by usurpation or base insinuation creeping into Soveraigntie or unjustly governing the Common-weale such thought Socrates that they went a by-path separated from the counsell of the â—â—ds but such as while they lived in their bodies â—nitated the life of the gods such hee thought had an â—sie returne to the place from whence they first came If the Pagan had such a divine conceit of those whose approved life represented a certaine similitude or resemblance of God as he imagined no glory could be wanting to them in regard of their integritie let us embrace the like opinion and expresse such apparent demonstrations of sanctitie that as we exceed the Pagan in regard of that precious light wee enjoy so wee may exceed him in the conversation of the life we lead But how should these painted Sepulchres whose adulterate shape tastes of the shop glorying in a borrowed beautie ever meditate of these things How should their care extend to heaven whose Basiliske eyes are only fixed on the vanities of earth How should that painted blush that Iewish confection blush for her sin whose impudent face hath out-faced shame Two Loves saith that learned Bishop of Hippo make two Cities Hierusalem is made by the love of God but Babylon by the love of the world And these are they who engaged to worldly love have forsaken their true love they have divided their hearts and estranged their affections from that Supreme or Soveraigne good O then Young men come not neere the gates of this strange woman whose feet goe downe to death and whose steps take hold on hell This is the woman with an Harlots behaviour and subtill in heart This is shee who hath deckt her bed with ornaments carpets and laces of Aegypt and perfuming her Bed with Myrrhe Aloes and Cynamon Take heed thou sing not Lysimachus song The pleasure of fornication is short but the punishment of the fornicator eternall But of this Subject wee are more amply to treat hereafter onely my exhortation is to Youth whose illimited desires tend ever to his ruine that if at any time it be your fortune to encounter with these infectious ulcers these sin-soothing and soule-soiling Lepers and they like that whorish woman in the Proverbs invite you to their lothed daliance saying Come let us take our fill of love untill the morning Come let us take our pleasure in daliance that you shake off these vipers at the first assault and prevent the occasion when it first offers it selfe For know that which a devout and learned Father saith concerning the dangerous Habit of sinne is most true Prima est quasi titillatio delectationis incorde secunda consensio tertium factum quarta consuetudo Sinne begins with an itch but ends with a skar The first degree begins with delight the second with consent the third with act and the fourth with custome Thus Sinne by degrees in men of all degrees like a broad-spreading tetter runnes over the whole beautie of a precious soule exposing the fruits of the spirit to be corrupted by the suggestion of the flesh But too farre I feare mee have I digressed from this last branch whereof I was to discourse to wit of Habit or Attire albeit I haue enlarged my selfe in nothing which may seeme altogether impertinent to our present purpose For discoursing of the vanitie of women whose phantasticke Habits are daily Theames in publike Theatres I imagined it a necessary point to insist upon partly to disswade those Shee-painters of this flourishing Iland from so base and prostitute practice Base for Festus Pompeius saith that common and base whores called Schaenicolae used dawbing of themselves though with the vilest stuffe Partly to bring a loathing of them in the conceit of all young Gentlemen whose best promising parts use often to be corrupted by their inchantments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. there is one flower to be loved of women a good red which is shamefastnesse Saint Hierom to Marcella saith that those women are matter of scandall to Christian eyes Quae purpurisso quibusdam fucis ora oculosâ—
ground of a disease is to mix the sound with the sicke now the soules disease is sinne wherewith she laboureth more painfully than the body can doe being annoyed with any infirmitie Those that are sicke are vicious men whose disease though it bee insensible and in that lesse curable it breakes out into loathsome ulcers which staine the pristine beautie of the soule Now as wee serve so many vices wee serve so many masters and so many masters so many devils each one having so many devils as evils Which miserable servitude to prevent for no slaverie is baser than the service of sinne the best and soveraignest receit that may be applied or ministred to the soule-sicke patient is the receit of aversion to turne aside from the wayes of the wicked and to keepe no company with the transgressour for this aversion from the companions of sinne is a conversion to the God of Sion Would you then have God turne to you turne you from your sinnes Would you be at one with your Maker be ever divided from these sensuall mates so shall you be made happie by the company of your Maker Would you bee found at heart leave to confort with these of an uncircumcised heart whose paths lead to perdition and they that walke therein shall be the heires of shame For howsoever these instruments of sinne as I have sometimes observed may make a shew of godlinesse or pretend meerely under colour to give a varnish to their vicious lives a semblance of goodnesse yet it is but meere painting they deale with they deny the power thereof in their life and conversation A ridiculous Actor in the Citie of Smyrna pronouncing O coelum O heaven pointed with his finger toward the ground which when Polemo the chiefest man in the place saw hee could abide to stay no longer but went from the company in a chafe saying This foole hath made a Solecisme with his hand he hath spoken false Latine with his hand Such ridiculous Actors are these time-spenders they pronounce heaven with their mouth but point at earth with their lives like wise Polemoes therefore stay no longer with them if at any time you have consorted with them for their practice is only to gull the world and with smooth pretences delude their unhappy consorts Their profession is how to play the hypocrite-christian but being unmasked their odious Phisnomies are quickly discovered Make use therefore of your experience and with all Temperance so counterpoize the weight of your passions as none of these assailants though their incursions be never so violent may ever surprize the glorious fortresse of your minde Which the better to effect let Lust be counterpoized by continence Ambition by humblenesse gorgeous apparell by comelinesse luscious fare by abstinence and company-keeping by that sweet seasoner of all vertues Temperance Thus you have heard how as without salt there can be no seasoning no warre without discipline no tillage without manuring no estate without mannaging no building without a foundation so no vertue can subsist without moderation AS wee have hitherto expressed the dignitie or sufficiencie of this vertue in that it giveth subsistence to all other vertues so are wee now to intreat of the amplenesse of it proposing such subjects wherein it is principally said to be conversant Now though there be no humane action which is not subject to many defects being not throughly seasoned by this exquisite vertue yet the use thereof may be reduced to these two as proper subjects wherein it is to be exercised expence of coine and expence of time for without moderation in the one wee should be prodigall of our substance without moderation in the other wee should grow too profuse in the expence of that which is more precious than any earthly substance Now touching worldly substance as wee are to be indifferent for the losse or possession of it so ought wee to be carefull in the use or dispensation of it As it is not to be admired when wee possesse it no more is it to be altogether disesteemed because wee stand in need of the use of it If money be so much to be contemned saith an ancient Father expresse thy bountie shew thy humanitie bestow it upon the poore so may this which of necessitie thou must lose releeve many which otherwise might perish by hunger thirst or nakednesse Thus to bestow it were not prodigally to spend it but to lay it up in a safer Treasurie even in Christs almes-box to the disbursers great advantage Yea but you will object you have other meanes to imploy it in you have a familie to support a posteritie to provide for a state to maintaine and pleasures suiting with your ranke and qualitie to uphold I grant it and you doe well in having a care to your familie for he is worse than an Infidell that wants this care It is commendable likewise in you to have an eye to your posteritie for Nature requires this at your hand To maintaine likewise your state and to continue your pleasures suiting with men of your ranke I allow it But where or in what sort must this be done For the place where surely none fitter than your owne countrey where you were bred setting up there your rest where you received your birth Let your Countrey I say enjoy you who bred you shewing there your hospitalitie where God hath placed you and with sufficient meanes blessed you I doe not approve of these who flie from their Countrey as if they were ashamed of her or had committed something unworthy of her How blame-worthy then are these Court-comets whose only delight is to admire themselves These no sooner have their bed-rid fathers betaken themselves to their last home and removed from their crazie couch but they are ready to sell a Mannor for a Coach They will not take it as their fathers tooke it their Countrey houses must be barred up lest the poore passenger should expect what is impossible to finde releefe to his want or a supply to his necessitie No the cage is opened and all the birds are fled not one crum of comfort remaining to succour a distressed poore one Hospitalitie which was once a relique of Gentrie and a knowne cognizance to all ancient houses hath lost her title meerely through discontinuance and great houses which were at first founded to releeve the poore and such needfull passengers as travelled by them are now of no use but only as Way-marks to direct them But whither are these Great ones gone To the Court there to spend in boundlesse and immoderate riot what their provident Ancestors had so long preserved and at whose doores so many needy soules have beene comfortably releeved Yet see the miserie of many of these rioters Though they consume their meanes yet is the port they live at meane for they have abridged their familie reduced their attendants to a small number and unnecessary expences set aside
the contemplative man whose affections are estranged from earth and seated in heaven makes use of whatsoever he seeth on earth as directions to guide him in his progresse to heaven His eyes are not like the Ambitious mans whose eye-sore is only to see others great and himselfe unadvanced nor like the Covetous mans whose eyes Tarpeia-like betray his soule seeing nothing precious or prosperous which he wisheth not nor like the Voluptuous mans whose sealed eyes are blinde to the objects of vertue but unsealed to the objects of vanitie seeing nothing sensually moving which he affects not nor like the Vain-glorious maâ—s who practiseth seldome what is good or honest for the love of goodnesse but to bee praised and observed Whereas the true Contemplative man loves vertue for vertues sake concluding divinely with the Poet This amongst good men hath beene ever knowne Vertue rewards herselfe herselfe's her crowne And for these light objects of vanity he as much loaths them as the Voluptuous man loves them and for coveting he is so farre from desiring more than he hath as he is indifferent either for injoying or forgoing what he already hath and for aspiring he holds it the best ambition of any creature to promote the glory of his Maker He is ever descanting on this divine ditty O how glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! for his thoughts are sphered above earth and lodged in the Contemplation of heaven And if so be that he chance to fix his eye upon earth it is as I said before to direct his feet and erect his faith to the Contemplation of heaven For by consideration had to these temporall goods to use the words of a devout Father hee gathereth the greatnesse of the heavenly Councell comprehending by these little ones those great ones by these visible those invisible ones For if the Lord shew or rather showre so great and innumerable benefits from heaven and from the aire from the land and sea light and darknesse heat and shadow dew and raine winds and showres birds and fishes and multiplicity of herbs and plants of the earth and the ministry of all creatures successively in their seasons ministring to us to allay our loathing and beget in us towards our Maker an incessant longing and all this for an ignoble and corruptible body what how great and innumerable shall those good things be which he hath prepared for them that love him in that heavenly Countrey where we shall see him face to face If he doe such things for us in this prison what will â—ee doe for us in that Palace Great and innumerable are thy workes O Lord King of heaven For seeing all these are very good and delectable which hee hath equally bestowed upon both good and evill how great shall those be which he hath laid up only for the good If so divers and innumerable be the gifts which he bestoweth both upon friends and foes how sweet and delectable shall those be which he will only bestow upon his friends If such comforts in this day of teares and anguish what will he conferre on us in that day of Nuptiall solace If a prison containe such delights what I pray you shall our Countrey containe No eye O Lord without thee hath seene those things which thou hast prepared for them that love thee for according to the great multitude of thy magnificence there is also a multitude of thy sweetnesse which thou hast hid for them that feare thee for great thou art O Lord our God and unmeasurable neither is there end of thy greatnesse nor number of thy wisdome nor measure of thy mercy neither is there end nor number nor measure of thy bountie but as thou art great so be thy gifts great because thou thy selfe art the reward and gift of thy faithfull warriours Thus is the spiritually Contemplative man ever employed thus are his affections planted thus his desires seated caring so little for earth as he is dead to earth long before hee returne to earth drawing daily neerer heaven having his desire only there long before he come there Now to instance some whose profession was meerely contemplative having retired or sequestred themselves from the society of this world we might illustrate this subject with many excellent Patternes in this kinde as those especially who strictly professed a monasticke life becomming severe Enemies to their owne flesh and estranging themselves from conversing wittâ—man Which kinde of discipline as it was in respect of humanity too unsociable so in respect of themselves doubtlesse sweet and delightfull being so intraunced with divine contemplation as they forgot earth and all earthly affections Of this sort you shall reade sundry examples whereof one more memorable than the rest might be instanced in him who reading that sentence of holy Scripture Goe and sell all that thou hast presently imagining it to be meant by him did so The like contempt towards the world might be instanced in holy Ierome Paulinus that good Bishop of Nola and many others upon which I would be loth to insist for brevity sake Neither certainly can they whose thoughts are erected above the centre of earth having their Hearts planted where their treasure is placed deigne to fix their eye upon ought in the world because they see nothing worthy affecting in the World for they thinke godlinesse is a great gaine if a man be content with that he hath They doe good being rich in good workes and ready to distribute and communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Yea they have not only learned in whatsoever state they are therewith to be content but wholly to relinquish both selfe and state to advance the glory of God But it may be now well objected that these men whereof we now treat are fitter for a Cell than a Court and therefore too regular masters to have young Gentlemen for their Schollers for how should these whose education hath beene liberty conversation publike society and who hold good fellowship an appendice to Gentry betake themselves to such strictnesse as to be deprived of common aire live remote from all company passing the remainder of their dayes in a wildernesse as if they had committed some egregious fact that deserved such severe Penance mistake me not my meaning is much otherwise for as I would not have Gentlemen Libertines so I would not have them Hermits for the first as they are too prodigally secular so the latter are too severely regular Neither am I ignorant how a Cloister may be no lesse shelter unto error than a more publike place of delight or pleasure But my discourse touching this Contemplative Perfection was purposely to draw the Curtaine from before the Picture and to shew to their eye that faire Idaea or feature which hath beene so long shadowed I meane the faire and beautifull structure of the inward man
this round Circumference of man note divers honest and sincere Dispositions whose gaine seemed to be godlinesse and whose glory the profession of a good Conscience wonderfully altered becomming so corrupted by the vaine pompe or trifling trash of the world as they preferre the puddle before the pearle forsaking Christ for the world Doe we not see how uprightly some men have borne themselves all their time without staine or blemish being all their Youth vertuously affected all their Middle-age charitably disposed yet in their Old-age miserably depraved Againe doe we not behold how many women whose virgin-modestie and Nuptiall-continencie promised much glory to their age even then when the flower of Beautie seemed bloomelesse so as their very age might make them blamelesse when their skin was seere and their flesh saplesse their breath earthie and their mouth toothlesse then even then fell these unweldie Beldames to embrace folly promising longer continuance to Pleasure than they could by all likelihood unto Nature Now tell me how happened this Were not these at the first vertuously affected if Disposition then could not be forced how came they altered All these rivers of Objections I can drie up with one beame darting from the reflex of Nature Thou producest divers instances to confirme this assertion That Dispositions are to be forced from what they were naturally affected unto Whereto I answer That Dispositions in some are resembled and not improperly unto a Beame cloathed or shadowed with a cloud which as we see sheweth his light sometimes sooner sometimes later Or as by a more proper Allusion may seeme illustrated may be resembled to the first Flourish in trees which according to the nature or qualitie of the internall pith from whence life is diffused to the Branches send forth their bloomes and blossomes sooner or later True it is you object that to the outward appearance such men shewed arguments of good Dispositions for they were esteemed men of approved Sanctitie making Conscience of what they did and walking blamelesse and unreproveable before all men but what collect you hence That their Dispositions were sincerely good or pure if Societie had not depraved them No this induction will not hold it is the Evening crownes the day What could be imagined better or more royally promising than Nero's Quinquennium What excellent tokens of future goodnesse What apparant testimonies of a vertuous government What infallible grounds of princely policie mixed with notable precepts of pietie Yet who knowes not how all the vices of his Ancestours put together seemed by a lineall descent to be transferred on him being the Patterne and Patron of all crueltie the Author and Actor of all villany the plotter and practiser of all impietie so as if all the titles of crueltie were lost they might be found in this Tyrant How then doe you say that his Disposition was naturally good but became afterwards depraved and corrupted No rather joyne with me and say that howsoever his Disposition seemed good during those five yeares wherein he dissembled with vertue and concealed those many vices which he professed and possessed afterwards yet indeed he was the same though not in shew yet in heart Only now the Cloud being dispersed his tyrannous and inhumane nature became more discovered acting that in publike which he had long before plotted in private For howsoever our Dispositions may seeme forced from what they naturally or originally were it is but a Deception they remain still the same though advice and assistance may sometimes prevaile so much with them as for the time they seeme to surcease and discontinue from their former bent but returning afresh they will Antaeus-like redouble their strength and become more furious For resolve me and shew what may be the effectuallest or powerfullest meanes to remove Disposition or alter Man most from what he may seeme naturally inclined unto Can Honour No for that man whose inclination is subject to change for any exteriour Title is not to be ranked amongst these generous spirits with whom I am onely here to converse For these admire Titles and assume a kinde of affected Majestie to make their persons more observed But tell mee what are these whom Honour hath thus transported expressing state with winkes and nods as if the whole posture of Stateâ—â—â—sisted â—â—â—sisted in gesture but meere Popin-jayes who glory more in the painting or varnish of Honour than the true substance of it And to speake truth as I had never fortune to doat much on an immerited Title nor gloze with counterfeit greatnesse their Dispositions howsoever they seeme to the vulgar eye changed they are nothing so for their inclinations were ever arrogantly affected so as they no sooner became great than they deblazoned their owne thoughts Can Riches neither for such whose imaginations are erected above earth scorne to entertaine discourse with ought that may make them worse all in the world being either fumus or funus a vanitie or vexation as the Preacher saith These conclude that no Object lesse than Heaven can satisfie their eye no treasure lesse than eternitie can answer their desire no pleasure save what hath concurrence with felicity can gaine them true delight Now for these earthly Moles who are ever digging till their graves be digged their Dispositions are of baser temper for they can taste nothing but earthly things They measure not estate by competence desiring only so much as may suffice Nature but by Abundance which fares with them as liquor with an Hydropticke man who the more he drinkes the more he thirsts so the more they have the more they crave making their desires as endlesse as their aimes effectlesse their hopes as boundlesse as their helpes fruitlesse When their mouths shall be filled with gravell and corruption shall enter those houses of clay for which so much Provision was stored and so small a share in the end contented Can Acquaintance No for if company better me by an internall grace working secretly yet effectually in mee my Disposition consented before such good fruit was produced if it make me worse my Disposition by consenting to suggestion induced me that I should be therto moved Yea generally whosoever is wel-disposed wil keepe no man company but either in hope to 〈◊〉 him or to be bettered by him as he whose inclination is vicious and corrupt leaveth the company hee frequents ever worse than when he found them For as a troubled fountain yeelds impure water so an infected soule vicious actions Can Travell No for give me a man that hath seene Iudasses Lanterne at S. Denisses the Ephesian Diana in the Louvre the great Vessell at Heydelberge the Amphitheatre at Vlâ—smos the Stables of the great Mogol or the solemnities of Mecha yea all the memorable Monuments which the world can afford or places of delight to content his view or learned Academics to instruct and enrich his knowledge yet are not all these of power to
respect of that which is injoyned me to know Nothing in respect of others who knew farre more than ere I may know For saith Bernard how canst thou possibly be a proficient if thou thinkest thy selfe alreadie sufficient But alas how farre hath selfe-opinion estranged Man from knowledge of himselfe who rather than he will be found ignorant in any thing will assume upon him a supposed knowledge in every thing He will rather lye upon his knowledge then seeme defective in any knowledge Whence one speaking of the knowledge of Mans selfe most divinely concludeth Nosce teipsum first descending from Heaven to Earth is now ascended from Earth to Heaven leaving miserable Man admiring his owne feature as if hee were his owne Maker And whence proceedeth this but because he hath ascended unto that Mountaine to which the first Angell ascended and as a Devill descended whereas if he duely considered those many imperfections whereto he is engaged those many debts and bills of errours which as yet are undischarged that naturall or originall sinne wherein hee was conceived and that actuall sinne wherewith hee is daily polluted hee would questionlesse conclude What 's man whose first conception's miserie Birth baine life paine and death necessitie Which divine Meditation is of power to subdue the whole Man of Sinne and bring him under the yeaâ—â—â—â— of obedience by an incessant consideration had of Gods mercie and mans misery which may produce in him a more blessed effect by extenuating and humbling himselfe both in respect of the Substance or matter of his creation and in respect of the irregenerate course of his conversation as also in contemplating the ineffable mercie of the Almightie whose grace it is that directs miserable man and reduceth him from erring whose compassion it is that raiseth him from falling and whosâ— tender mercy it is that supporteth him in his rising Buâ— in my conceit there is no one motive more effectuall or divinely powerfull to bring us to a true and perfect knowledge of our selves than to observe with what passions or perturbations wee are encountred especially when through immoderate excesse we are in the cup of forgetfulnesse drowned Which Saint Basil confirmeth saying That passions rise up in a drunken man like a Swarme of Bees buzzing on every side Which passions are not such as are prevented by reason and directed by vertue for these are not altogether to be extinguished as the Stoicks supposed but to be provoked as movers of vertue as Plutarch teacheth But rather such distempâ—red oâ— indisposed affections as are suggested to Man by his implacable Enemies labouring to undermine and ruine the glorious palace of his deare bought soule Vpon which affections seriously to meditate were to expell all selfe-conceited or opinionâ— tâ— arrogance to become humble in our owne thoughts concluding that our knowledge is ignorance our strength wâ—â—knesse and our wisdome foolishnesse Being as one well observeth like a Spring-locke readie of our selves to shut but not to open apter to shut grace from us than to receive grace into us or like stones upon the top of a hill by reason of our heavie and earthie nature readie enough to tumble downe but without the helpe or motion of another slow enough to mount up Saint Anselme walking abroad in the field and beholding a Shepheards Boy who had caught a Bird and tied a stone to her leg with a threed and ever as the Bird mounted the stone haled her backe againe The venerable old man moved with this sight fell a weeping pitifully lamenting the miserable condition of Man who endevouring to ascend up to heaven by Contemplation are detained by the passions of the flesh which enforce the soule to lye there like a Beast and not soare to heaven by that proâ—er motion which was first given her by her Creator â—ow to conclude this first point by making a fruitfull use or application of what hath beene already spoken I could wish Young Gentlemen whose aymes perchance are addressed to purchase rather the light freight of forraine fashions than the precious gemme of Selfe-knowledge to be otherwise minded by conforming themselves to his patterne and example who though he knew all things boasted not of his knowledge but abased himselfe to make us rich in all spiritual knowledge As for such as are puft up and know nothing but dote about questions and strife of words whereof commeth envie strife railings evill surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth we are taught to withdraw our selves from them because their fellowship is not of Light but Darknesse their knowledge no perfect nor sincere knowledge but palpable ignorance their wisdome no sound nor substantiall wisdome but meere foolishnesse Their wayes are not by the stockes of the Shepherds but ragged and uneven wayes leading their deluded followers head-long to all perdition Deare Christians though I know this point to have beene gravely and exactly handled by many solid and learned Divines whose holy oyle hath beene fruitfully employed in unmasking and discovering these dangerous Separatists who have sowne the seed of pernicious doctrine in the eares of their weake Auditory yet I thinke it not amisse to presse this exhortation further lest your speedie ruine prevent you of all hope hereafter Beware of these Pharisaicall Doctors whose puritie only consists in semblance and outward appearance whose doctrine hath ever a taste of pride whose counsells ever tend to faction and whose wayes are ever Antipodes to the truth These are called Prophets but they are none being humblâ— Teachers but proud Doctors Outwardly specious but inwardly vicious having faire rindes but false hearts having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Come from among them and leave them for their wayes lead to death and their paths to destruction Saint Iohn would not come in the Bathâ— where the Hereticke Cerinthus was Another holy Man though most innocent could endure to be accounted a Whoremaster an uncleane person and the like but when one called him Hereticke he could beare no longer Wee have here thankes to our Maker more pleasant and delightfull Springs to retire to than these troubled and corrupted Puddles which taste of nothing but pollution Leave these and love those Where can there be Vnitie where there is no Conformitie Where a holy zeale or compassionate fervour when nothing is spoke but by the sonnes of thunder Be yee wise unto salvation may godlinesse be your best knowledge that dissolved from this Tabernacle of earth yee may keepe consort with the Angells in a blessed Harmony because ye resembled them on earth in mutuall love and unitie And let this suffice for the first branch to wit Knowledge Now wee will descend to the second to wit Discourse with some necessary Cautions very profitable if put in use to direct or rather limit such whose 〈◊〉 liberall and profuse Speech oft times brings them within the censure of indiscretion DEmocritus
necessitie of his family labouring with his owne hands to get him a competent living Neither are these to be divided one from the other partaking indeed so neerely one of another For as we are not altogether to imitate the Hermite or Anchorite in being wholly retired from the world so like the Libertine or loose worldling are we not too much to be cumbred or intangled with the world For the First as it implyes a kinde of hate to humane societie so the Latter inferres our too much care to the things of the Bodie Now to observe that golden meane which may free us â—â—om being taxed by the one or tainted with the other â— doe thinke it fitting that Gentlemen should be sociably affected ever with a reservancie with whom they keepe company Likewise from worldly affections weaned that being on earth they may have their minds seated above being I meane so free in the inward man as rather than they will slave the noblest motions of the soule to the unworthy bondage of the body they will endure want contempt or whatsoever the blinde world can lay upon them The Vocation of a Gentleman without more curiositie of division is either publike or private Publike when imployed in affaires of State either at home or abroad at home either in advising or acting abroad as by way of embassage or personall exploits in the field Private when in domesticke businesse he is detained as in ordering his household or if not as yet attained to the name of Housholder in labouring to know such things as may ripen his understanding when he comes unto it Touching the First to wit Publike affaires of State as all are not fit for such a charge or burden so there is a necessitie injoyned such who are able to undertake so great and weightie a Taske to submit themselves willingly to the command of their Soveraigne whensoever his pleasure shall be to make triall of their sufficiencie in affaires of State In the carriage whereof divers necessarie cautions have beene formerly observed by Statesmen As first to avoid all occasions of distrust never to shew too much inwardnesse with forraine States for this may beget a suspect in your Prince that your aymes are neither faire nor loyall It was this which broke Byrons necke being accused to have had conference with one Picote borne at Orleans and fled into Flanders to have intelligence with the Arch-duke to which Picote he had given an hundred and fifty crowns for two voyages to that effect Likewise it was objected against him that he had treated with the Duke of Savoy three dayes after his comming to Paris Likewise the intelligence he had from the Duke of Savoy in the taking of Bourges giving him advice to attempt against the Kings Armie Likewise that hee should bring the King before Saint Katherines to be slaine there and to that end had written to the Governour giving him some tokens to know his Majestie Likewise that he had sent La Fin to treat with the Duke of Savoy and the Count of Fuentes To which although he replyed and in some sort purged himselfe yet those treaties or parlyes which were proved against him shewed him guiltie of divers indirect proceedings against him It is dangerous therfore to entertain conference with Strangers in matters of State for howsoever your aymes may be faithfull and honest such Treaties may be so racked and misconstrued by such as maligne your greatnesse as they will bring you in danger if not to finall distresse It is no lesse dangerous to one imployed in affaires of State to be too credulous and that in two respects either by being too credulous in giving trust to the relations of others or by being too credulous in imparting his thoughts to the secrecie of others For the former it detracts much from the worth and estimate of man yea and if I may so say argues great indiscretion to have an care open to all reports seconding whatsoever is related with an opinion of credulitie For such as these whom either greatnesse of Place by Descent or some more noble and native characters of personall worth have advanced need not want for Relaters in this kinde especially if they finde them apt to beleeve whatsoever they shall be readie to report Neither are any sort of men more subject to the garbe of strange and novell relations than Travellers who may arrogate to themselves a libertie of invention in this kinde by authoritie Whence it is said that Travellers Poets and Lyers are three words all of one signification Now there is no meanes better to avoid the company of these fabulous Relaters than by interrupting them or by requiting their Tales to argue their incredibilitie telling stories farre more strange and indeed beyond the compasse of common sense whereof I have heard a merry conceited Tale to this effect A certaine Traveller or at least one who desired though he never deserved that title reporting wonderfull and incredible things which hee had seene in his travell amongst the rest related this Vpon a time it befell said he that I travelled along a certaine desart in Arabia felix where I with others who then accompanied me were assailed by a violent showre so as labouring to flie for shelter to some covert wee might perceive a little Coppice wherein grew great store of Cabbages of such huge proportion as the very leaves thereof so largely extended were the spurges might by their greatnesse give shadow to five hundred men This Tale being told one amongst the rest to answer his Tale makes this reply by way of discourse upon such occurrents as had hapned him in his Travell proceeding thus It fortuned that I with some other Gentlemen of eminent ranke and quality travelled neare the Riphean Mountaines in the clifts of which Mountaines abundance of all metalls but especially of copper is daily found Now as we coasted along we might perceive some three leagues westward from those Mountains a great number of people beating and knocking with incessant labour but for what end wee knew not wherefore with one consent we resolved to approach neerer them and see about what they so eagerly laboured Where we found five hundred Braziers making of one Caldron which was of so huge proportion as not any one of all those Braziers though they were all employed in one worke could heare one another strike Good God quoth the former Traveller for what use was so huge a caldron made Surely replyed the second I cannot imagine for what use it should bee unlesse it were to boyle your Cabbage in This present and pregnant answer so daunted that fabulous Traveller as he was ever after more sparing in discourse of his Travells A States-man ought likewise to beware of giving credit to all forra in relations for divers there be who presuming of the distance of place will invent and vent their inventions to curry favour having so couched and digested their new-minted Newes as they
without least respect had to his Masters benefit Difference therefore you are to make of their care in cherishing the one and chastising the other which can hardly be effected unlesse you who are to make this difference of your servants have an eye to their imployments Neither would I have your care so extended as to afflict and macerate your selves by your excessive care a meane is the best both in the preservation of health and wealth Be diligent saith Salomon to know the state of thy flocke and take heed to thy herds Yet withall note his conclusion Let the milke of thy goats be sufficient for thy food for the food of thy familie and for the sustenance of thy maids Whence you may observe that to gather is admitted so the use or end for which wee gather be not neglected For such whose Hydroptick minds are ever raking and reaping yet know not how to imploy the blessings of God by a communicative exhibition unto others are become vassals unto their owne making their gold-adoring affection an infection their reason treason and the wealth which they have got them a witnesse to condemne them But I have insisted too long on this point especially in framing my speech to you whose more free-borne dispositions will ever scorne to be tainted with such unworthy aspersions wherefore I will descend briefly to such instructions as you are to use touching spirituall affaires being Masters of Housholds in your private families WE reade that Abraham commanded his sons and his houshold that they should keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and judgement And wee are taught what wee must doe returning from Gods house to our owne and what wee are to doe sitting in our houses even to lay up Gods word in our heart and in our soule and binde it for a signe upon our hand that it may be as a frontlet betweene our eyes And not only to be thus instructed our selves but to teach them our children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest up And not so onely but thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and upon thy gates Whence you see how no place time or occasion is to be exempted from meditating of God but especially in Housholds and Families ought this exercise of devotion to be frequently and fervently practised for a Blessing is pronounced upon the performance hereof as appeareth in the foresaid place and the next ensuing verse where he saith You shall doe all that I have commanded you that your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them as long as the heavens are above the earth Marke the extent of this Blessing for it promiseth not only length of dayes to them that performe it but even to the children of them that performe it and that in no unfruitfull or barren land but in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them and that for no short time but so long as the heavens are above the earth So as this blessed promise or promised blessing is as one well observeth not restrained but with an absolute grant extended so that even as the people that were in the gate and the Elders wished in the solemnizing of that mariage betwixt Boaz and Ruth that their house might be like the house of Pharez so doubtlesse whosoever meditates of the Law of the Lord making it in his Familie as a familiar friend to direct him a faithfull counseller to instruct him a sweet companion to delight him a precious treasure to enrich him shall finde successe in his labours and prosperitie in the worke of his hands But amongst all as it is the use or Masters of housholds to call their servants to account for the day past so be sure Gentlemen and you who are Masters of houses to enter into your owne hearts by a serious examination had every night what you have done or how you have imployed your selves and those Talents which God hath bestowed on you the day past in imitation of that blessed Father who every night examined himselfe calling his soule to a strict account after this manner O my soule what hast thou done this day What good hast thou omitted what evill hast thou committed what good which thou shouldst have done what evill which thou shouldst not have done Where are the poore thou hast releeved the sicke or captive thou hast visited the Orphan or widow thou hast comforted Where are the naked whom thou hast cloathed the hungry whom thou hast refreshed the afflicted and desolate whom thou hast harboured O my soule when it shall be demanded of thee Quid comedit pauper how poorely wilt thou looke when there is not one poore man that will witnesse thy almes Againe when it shall be demanded of thee Vbi nudus quem amicivisti how naked wilt thou appeare when there is not one naked soule that will speake for thee Againe when it shall be demanded of thee Vbi sitiens quem potasti Vbi esuriens quem pavisti Vbi captivus quem visitasti Vbi moestus quem relevasti O my soule how forlorne wretched and uncomfortable will thy condition be when there shall not appeare so much as one witnesse for thee to expresse thy charitie not one poore soule whom thou hast releeved one naked whom thou hast cloathed nor one thirstie whom thou hast refreshed nor one hungry whom thou hast harboured nor a captive whom thou hast visited nor one afflicted whom thou hast comforted Thus to call your selves to account by meditating ever with S. Hierome of the judgement day will be a meanes to rectifie your affections mortifie all inordinate motions purifie you throughout that you may be examples of pietie unto others in your life and heires of glory after death concluding most comfortably with the foresaid Father If my mother should hang about mee my father lie in my way to stop me my wife and children weepe about mee I would throw off my mother neglect my father contemne the lamentation of my wife and children to meet my Saviour Christ Iesus For the furtherance of which holy resolution let no day passe over your heads wherein you addresse not your selves to some good action or imployment Wherefore Apelles posie was this Let no day passe without a line Be sure every day you doe some good then draw one line at the least according to that Line upon line line upon line And Pythagoras posie was this Sit not still upon the measure of corne Doe not looke to eat except you sweat for it according to that He which will not worke let him not eat In my Fathers house saith Christ are many mansions So that no man may sing his soule a
my opinion there is no meanes better or surer to weane man endued with reason from being too much captived or enchained with these pleasures than to consider what benefits redound from moderate Recâ—eâ—tâ—on and againe what inconveniences arise from immoderate delight therein First then let us consider the end for which Recreations were ordained and wee shall finde that they were rather intended to beguile time than to bestow our selves on them all our time Though many too many there be who will not sticke to say with him who sported himselfe in the warme Sunne Vtinam hoc esset vivere would to God this were to live would to God this Recreation were a Vocation this pleasure my trade forever No as Recreation was at first intended for refreshing the minde and enabling the body to performe such offices as are requisite to bee performed so is it not to bee made a Trade or profession as if we should there set up our rest and intend nothing else Consider therefore the Benefits which redound by a moderate or temperate use of Recreation FIrst it refresheth or cherisheth the minde accommodating it to all studies clearing the understanding which would be easily depressed if either with worldly cares or more noble and generous studies wholly restrained It is said of Asinius Pollio that after the tenth houre he would be retained in no businesse neither after that houre would he reade so much as any Letter Of Cato likewise that he used to refresh his minde with wine the like of Solon and Archesilaus that they would usually cheere their spirits with wine yet whosoever should object drunkennesse to Cato might sooner prove that crime honest than Cato dishonest So as whether we beleeve the Greeke Poet It is sometimes pleasing to be a little madding or Plato who in vaine expulsed Poets the bounds of his Common-weale or Aristotle That there can never be any great wit without some mixture of folly we shall finde that even the gravest and most experienced Statists have sometimes retired themselves from more serious affaires to refresh and solace their tired spirits with moderate recreations The Poet excellently describes a man buried in the deepe slumber of contemplation after this manner He dies pent up with studie and with care So were the Anchorites and Hermites in former time being wholly divided from societie yea so immured as they seemed to be buried living Whose conversation as questionlesse it argued a great mortification of all mundane desires so it ministred matter of admiration to such who given to carnall libertie wondred how men made of earth could be so estranged from conversing with inhabitants of earth But to leave these and imagine their conversation to be in heaven though their habitation was on earth we perceive hence how beneficiall Recreation is to the minde in cheering solacing and refreshing her if used with moderation How it lessens those burdens of cares wherewith shee is oppressed revives the spirits as if from death restored cleares the understanding as if her eyes long time shut were now unsealed and quickens the invention by this sweet respiration as if newly moulded Neither is this Benefit so restrained as if it extended onely to the minde for it conferres a Benefit likewise to the bodie by enabling it to performe such labours Taskes or Offices as it is to be imployed or exercised withall There are two proverbs which may be properly applied to this purpose Once in the yeare Apollo laughes this approves the use of moderate Recreation Apollo's Bow 's not alwayes bent this shewes that humane imployments are to be seasoned by Recreation wee are sometimes to unbend the bow or it will lose his strength Continuall or incessant imployment cannot be endured there must be some intermission or the bodie becomes enfeebled As for example observe these men who either encombred with worldly affairs so tye and tether themselves to their businesse as they intermit no time for effecting that which they goe about or such as wholly nayled to their Deske admit no time for Recreation lest they should thereby hinder the progresse of their studies See how pale and meager they looke how sickly and infirme in the state of their bodies how weake and defective in their constitution So as to compare one of these weaklings with such an one as intermits occasions of businesse rather than he will prejudice his health 〈◊〉 serving times as well for recreation and pleasure as for imployment and labour were to present a spectacle of Iuius Dwarfe not two foot high and weighing but seventeene pound with a Rhinoceros Tiger or Serpent of fiftie cubits long such difference in proportion such ods in strength of constitution For observe one of these starved worldlings whose aimes are onely to gather and number without doing either themselves or others good with that they gather with what a sallow and earthy complexion they looke being turned all earth before they returne to earth And what may be the cause hereof but their incessant care of getting their continuall desire of gaining being ever gaping till their mouthes be filled with gravell So these who are wholly given and solely devoted to a private or retired life how unlike are they to such as use and frequent societie For their bodies as they are much weakned and enfeebled so is the heat and vigour of their spirits lessened and resolved yea their dayes for most part shortned and abridged the cause of all which proceedeth from a continuall secludiâ—g and dividing themselves from company and use of such Recreations as all creatures in their kinde require and observe For if we should have recourse to creatures of all sorts wee shall finde every one in his kinde observe a recreation or refreshment in their nature As the Beast in his chace the Bird in her choice the Snaile in her speckled case the Polypus in her change yea the Dolphin is said to sport and play in the water For as all things were created for Gods pleasure so hath he created all things to recreate and refresh themselves in their owne nature Thus farre have wee discoursed of moderate recreation and of the benefits which redound from it being equally commodious to the minde as well as the body the body as well as the minde to the minde in refreshing cherishing and accommodating it to all studies to the understanding in clearing it from the mists of sadnesse so the body in enabling it for the performance of such labours tasks or offices as it is to be imployed or interessed in It now rests that wee speake something of her opposite to wit of immoderate recreation and the inconveniences which arise from thence whereof wee shall but need to speake a word or two and so descend to more usefull points touching this Observation AS the wind Caecias drawes unto it clouds so doth immoderate recreation draw unto it divers and sundry maine inconveniences for this immoderation
writing to them Themistocles was suspected to be knowne to Pausanias treason although most cleare of himselfe because he wrote unto him For as the nature of man is originally depraved so by consorting with vicious men the arme of sinne becomes strengthened The Fuller as it is in the fable would by no meanes suffer the Collier to dwell with him under one roofe lest hee should soile what he had rinsed Which fable hath a morall relation to the course of our life and the nature of such as wee usually consort with for there is a traffique or commerce as well of manners as persons of vertues and vices as other commodities The Babylonian hath beene naturally said to be arrogant the Theban passionate the Iew envious the Tyrian covetous the Sidonian a rioter the Egyptian a sorcerer neither did these nations keepe these vices to themselves for they induced others likewise to whom they had recourse and commerce to be affected to the like for the very Egyptians had so bewitched Caesar himselfe with their illusions as hee gave great attention to them as Alexander was delighted with the Brachmanes For Vice is such an over-growing or wildespreading weed as there is no soyle wherein it likes not no kinde of nature of what temper soever it invades not and invading surprizeth not To the Body diseases are infectious to the Minde are vices no lesse obnoxious for vices are the diseases of the minde as infirmities breed distempers and diseases to the Body So as whether wee observe the state of Church or Common-weale we shall finde vices to bee of a nature no lesse spreading than diseases neither the state or Symptome of the minde lesse endangered by the infusion of the one than the body by the infection of the other For as the state Politicke is much weakned by the haunt of these vices so is that mourning Dove the Church many times afflicted to see herselfe torne with Schismes and divisions where as Waspes make honey-combes so Marcionists make Churches How needfull then is it to divide our selves from the consorts of vice without entertaining the least occasion that might induce us to give consent to her followers Augustus wore ever about him for preservative against thunder a Seales skinne which Plinie writes checketh lightning as Tiberius wore alwayes about his necke a Wreath of Laurell But let us carrie about us that Moli or herbe of grace whose precious juyce may repell the spells of so inchanting a Syren For as the Vnicornes horne being dipt in water cleares and purifies it so shall this soveraigne receit cure all those maladies which originally proceed from the poyson of vice The mind so long as it is evill affected is miserably infected For so many evills so many Devills first tempting and tainting the soule with sinne then tearing and tormenting her with the bitter sense of her guilt Saint Basil saith that passions rise up in a drunken man like a swarme of Bees buzzing on every side whatsoever that holy Father saith of one vice may be generally spoken of all so as wee may truly conclude with that Princely Prophet They come about us like Bees though they have honey in their thighs they have stings in their tailes wounding our poore soules even unto death Requisite therefore is it to avoid the society of such whose lives are either touched or tainted with any especiall Crime these are dangerous Patternes to imitate yea dangerous to consort with for as the Storke being taken in the company of the Cranes was to undergoe like punishment with them although she had scarce ever consented to feed with them so be sure if we accompany them we shall have a share in their shame though not in their sinne Auoid the acquaintance of these Heires of shame whose affected liberty hath brought them to become slaves to all sensuality and sure ere long to inherit misery Give no care to the Sycophant whose sugred tongue and subtill traine are ever plotting your ruine hate the embraces of all insinuating Sharkes whose smoothnesse will worke on your weaknesse and follow the Poets advice Avoid such friends as feigne and fawne on thee Like Scylla's rocke within Sicilian Sea So dangerous are these Syrenian friends that like the Sicilian shelves they menace shipwracke to the inconsiderate sailer For these as they professe love and labour to purchase friends so their practices are but how to deceive and entrap those to whom they professe love Whence it is that Salomon saith A man that flattereth his Neighbour spreadeth a net for his steps That is he that giveth eare to the flatterer is in danger as the bird is before the Fowler Hee whistleth merrily spreadeth his Nets cunningly and hunteth after his prey greedily And let this suffice to bee spoken for the Timist who professeth observance to his friend onely for his owne end Now Gentlemen as I would not have you to entertaine time with fawnes so neither with frownes The former as they were too light so the latter are too heavy The one too supple the other too surlie For these Timonists for we have done with our Timists as Cicero said of Galba's leaden and lumpish body His wit had an ill lodging are of too sullen and earthy a constitution It is never faire weather with them for they are ever louring bearing a Calender of ill weather in their brow These for the most part are Male-contents and affect nothing lesse than what is generally pleasing appearing in the world naturalized Demophons whose humour was to sweat still in the shadow and snake in the Sunne So as howsoever they seeme seated in another Clime for disposition they are like the Antipodes unto us opposing themselves directly against us in all our courses They are of Democritus mind who said that the truth of things lay hid in certaine deepe mines or caves and what are these but their owne braines For they imagine there can be no truth but what they professe They proclaime defiance to the world saying Thou miserably deluded world thou embracest pleasure wee restraine it Thou for pleasure doest all things wee nothing Now who would not imagine these Stoickes to be absolute men Such as are rare to see on earth in respect of their austeritie of life and singular command over their affections Such as are divided as it were from the thought of any earthly businesse having their Mindes sphered in a higher Orbe Such as are so farre from intermedling in the world as they dis-value him that intends himselfe to negotiate in the world Such as when they see a man given to pleasure or some moderate Recreation whereby he may be the better enabled for other imployments sleight him as a Spender of time and one unfit for the societie of men Such as say unto Laughter Thou art mad and unto joy what meanest thou Such as take up the words of that grave Censor in
necessarily tied that onely pure Bullion should be current among his Subjects for if occasion serve hee may stampe Lether Brasse or any other metall which being authorized by his image or superscription is not to be denied within his Dominions Much more he who contains the world in his fist restraines not his power to any outward meanes working sometimes with meanes sometimes without meanes sometimes against meanes sometimes above meanes With meanes as when he fed those which followed him into the wildernesse with bread above meanes when he fed so much people with so little bread without meanes when he himselfe fasted so long without bread against meanes when he caused the very Ravens to bring his Prophet bread No this exhortation rather tendeth to move you to rely on Gods providence yet withall not to abuse those creatures which he hath bestowed on you but to use them with Temperance Sobrietie and Moderation for what is it to abound in all riches surfet in pleasures enjoy the treasures of the whole earth yea to want nothing that either the eye can desire or the heart affect Surely nothing Alexander the Monarch of the world had all other things save onely a Sepulcher to bury him in when he was dead he never thought of that for alas when corruption shall receive what Mortality renders and man after so many dayes passed over in delights shall make his bed in the darke those perfunctory pleasures which he so much affected those temporary blessings which he enjoyed shall be as if they had not beene So moderate therefore your expences in the use or dispensation of your earthly Mammon that it may appeare your hearts are where your Treasure is and your Treasure where your heavenly master is for what is this world but a List environed with fearfull Combats So as the world is more to be feared when it smileth than when it frowneth and more to be taken heed of when it allures us to love it than when it moves or induceth us to contemne it Howsoever they who embrace the world are like unto them who are drowned in waters for their minds are so drenched in the depth of worldly affections and so entangled by the reeds and oaze of earthly vanities as they are divided from the Sailers Starre and the Haven of the ship-wrackt soule being miserably forced to grope in darknesse without a light to direct them and to remaine wofully shelfed being farre from sight of haven to receive them And let this suffice to have beene spoken touching Moderation in your expence of coine I meane your frugall dispensation of such estates as God hath blessed you withall ever remembring that you must give account of your Talent not only I say of your Talent of knowledge but of that Talent of Substance whereof in this life you were possessed And so I descend to your Expence of time that precious Treasure which is incomparably to be valued above all that wee enjoy because it affords a respit of using or employing whatsoever we enjoy TIme is so absolute and soveraigne a Regent as he is all-commanding but not to be countermanded whence we commonly say that Time and Tide stayeth for no man There is nothing undertaken by man which can be effected without the attendance and gracefull assistance of Time Neither can experience be gained nor Truth the Daughter of Time discovered nor the issue of any mans expectance attained nor any thing worthy observance produced unlesse Time further it There is nothing of consequence that can be done at an instant great Taskes require long Time neither can wee limit Time but Time will limit us whence it appeares that nothing can be intended much lesse effected unlesse Time assist and second it Time being thus precious we must of necessity value it above any inferiour Substance seeing without the company of Time wee are wholly deprived of the use of our Substance Whence it was that a friend of mine caused these two verses to be set directly before his Table of accounts If Coines expence be such pray then Divine How rare and precious is th' expence of Time Now there be three sorts of persons with whom I am to encounter by way of admonishment for their abuse or carelesse expence of Time the Ambitious Voluptuous and miserable covetous person For the first he trifles away Time in the pursuit of impossibilities spending his meanes and misspending Time in hope of a day which day he seldome or never sees for his Time is a bridged before it come so as the date of his death anticipates the day of his hopes Now to point out the place of his abode hee is ever to be found in the eminentest places for obscuritie fits not his humour whose only aymes are to acquire honour Hee is so farre from moderating his humour as he is humorously conceited of his worth and thinkes whatsoever the Parasite saies in his commendations to be no lesse than what he in his owne proper person deserves For his Contemplations they are ever mounting yet seldom so high mounting as heaven for his thoughts are directed to another Sphere He is prodigall in his feasts solicitous in the pursuit of friends impatient in the quest of rivalls and importunate in the dispatch of his affaires and though it be a greater reproach to lose what is got than not at all to get yet his ayme is to get though he fore-see his losse before he get and though the least libertie be apportioned to the greatest fortune yet in his highest fortunes will he use the greatest libertie the reason is hee conceits himselfe to walke in a Cloud where no popular eye can reach him He is unmeasurably opinionate and admires his owne knowledge wherein he discovers his owne folly for as he that seekes to be more wise than he can be shall be found to be lesse wise than hee should be so he who conceits himselfe more wise than he is displayes himselfe to the world what he is So as it seemes hee differs in opinion from the Poet who holds this as a maxime He 's solely wise who is not selfely wise But humble in the judgement of his eyes Now his daily Tasks may be aptly compared to Domitians sports who spent the whole day in catching Flies For those many projects which he hath devised those impossible aymes he hath contrived those ayrie Turrets he hath reared fall in the end to nothing and like those misty conclusions of the deluded Alchymist bewray the folly of him that formed them And as Domitian grew ashamed of his owne impieties exiling all Arts lest the knowledge of them should bring him to a discovery of himselfe so the ambitious man whose aymes are as boundlesse as his purposes fruitlesse when his eyes begin to be unsealed and those scales of ambition which hindred his sight removed he will then if then be not too late acknowledge his shame
cannot so privately retire but feare and horror will awake him nor sly so fast though hee should take the wings of the morning but fury and vengeance will over-take him Having thus far proceeded in the treating of such Subjects wherin Temperance is required and of such assailants by whom shee is usually encountred and impugned it rests now that I impart my advice briefly touching Temperance or Moderation of the Passions of the minde whereof omitting the rest as having else-where discoursed of them I will only and that briefly insist of these two the passions of Ioy and Sorrow This passion to insist on Ioy first requires direction to order our desires aright in the matter of Ioy. Every man loves a glad heart and wisheth Ioy as the fruit of his labours but therein many mistake First one rejoyceth in his Substance he hath gotten much Secondly another rejoyceth in his Promotion Thirdly another doateth upon that mad mirth which Salomon speaks of Fourthly another rejoyceth in a Table richly deckt an over-flowing cup a faring deliciously every day Fifthly another rejoyceth at the destruction of him whom he hates Sixthly another rejoyceth in sinne and wickednesse It is a pastime to a foole to doe wickedly It is the Drunkards joy to be at the cup early and to sit till the wine hath enflamed them The twi-light glads the heart of the Adulterer The Oppressour danceth upon the threshold of him that is oppressed Ismael geereth at Isaac Holy Iob was as a Tabret to the godlesse ones and the Drunkards made songs on David But this is not that Ioy which is required because the foundation of this Ioy is grounded on sinne wherefore we are to finde a Ioy more pure more permanent for the Ioy of the wicked is short but the Ioy of the righteous shall endure for ever This Ioy which we are to seeke and whereon we are to ground our sole content is no carnall but a spirituall Ioy the Ioy of our hearts the divine Melody of our soules concluding with the blessed Apostle God forbid that we should rejoyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ and him crucified For in this did all the Saints and servants of God joy disvaluing all other joy as unworthy the entertainment of the soule Wee are to rejoyce likewise forasmuch as God hath called us not to uncleannesse but unto holinesse Wee are to rejoyce in the testimonie of a good conscience being that continuall feast which refresheth every faithfull guest Wee are to rejoyce in our brothers aversion from sinne and conversion to God in his prosperitie and successe in his affaires of state But above all things wee are so to moderate our joy in the whole progresse of our life that our joy may the more abound in him who is the crowne of our hope after this life The like directions are required in our moderation of sorrow for there is a sorrow unto death which to prevent understand this by the way that not so much the passion as the occasion enforcing the passion is to be taken heed of Sorrow wee may but not as Ammon did till he had defloured Thamar for that was the sorrow of licentiousnesse Sorrow wee may but not as Ahab did till he had got Naboths vineyard for that was the sorrow of covetousnesse Sorrow wee may but not as Iosephs brethren did grieving that their father should love him more than them for that was the sorrow of maliciousnesse Sorrow wee may but not as Ionah did grieving that the Ninivites were not destroyed for that was the sorrow of unmercifulnesse Lastly sorrow wee may but not as the Gergesenes did grieving for the losse of their swine for that was the sorrow of worldlinesse These sorrowes are not so much to be moderated as wholly abolished because they are grounded on sin but there is a religious and godly sorrow which though it afflict the body it refresheth the spirit though it fill the heart with heavinesse it crowneth the soule with happinesse And this is not a sorrow unto sinne but a sorrow for sinne not a sorrow unto death but a sorrow to cure the wound of death By how much any one saith a good Father is holier by so much in praier are his teates plentifuller Here sounds the Surdon of religious sorrow the awaker of devotion the begetter of spirituall compunction and the sealer of heavenly consolation being the way to those that begin truth to those that profit and life to them that are perfect But alas the naturall man saith the Apostle perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned It is true and this should move us to more fervour of devotion beseeching the divine assistance to minister strength to our weaknesse that what is wanting in the flesh may be supplied by the spirit yea daily to set our houre-glasse beside us and observe those precious graines the minute treasures of time how swiftly they run thorow the Cruet whereof not one must fall un-numbred for as a haire of the head shall not perish no more shall the least moment of time Now how healthfull were it though the carnall man distaste it to vie teares with graines of sand that our sinnes being as the Sands of the Sea-shore that is numberlesse might be bound up and throwne into the deepe Sea of eternall forgetfulnesse so as they may neither rise up in this life to shame us nor in the world to come to condemne us Surely if you would know those blessed fruits which true penitent sorrow produceth you shall finde that He who sowes in teares shall reape in joy Neither can any one goe to heaven with drie eyes May your teares be so shed on earth that they may be bottled in heaven so shall you bring your sheaves with you and like fine flower being boulted from the bran of corruption receive your portion in the land of the living And may this Sacrifice of teares which you offer up unto him whose eyes are upon all the wayes of the children of men minister like comfort to your soules as they have done to many faithfull members of Christs Church And let this suffice to have beene spoken of such Subjects wherein Moderation is to be used for to speake of Moderation of sorrow for sinne I hold it little necessary seeing most men so insensible are they of their inward wounds come rather short of that sorrow which is required than exceed in any sort the measure that is prescribed AS Moderation in all the precedent subjects is to be used so in all and every of them is it to be limited for to be so Stoically affected as we have formerly noted as not to entertaine so much as modest mirth or approve of the temperate and moderate use of those things which were at first ordained for the
some mixture of pride for they would have the world to observe how well they deserve it and againe their humilitie which is seldome in these without some tincture of vaine-glory in that they so little desire it So as these popular and firie spirits whose only aimes are to dignifie themselves deserve no sharper curbe for over-valuing themselves than these who pride themselves in their humilitie deserve for counterfeiting a kinde of debasing or dis-valuing of themselves to the eye of the world Whence I might take occasion to speake of those precise Schismaticks who cannot endure any precedencie or prioritie of place to be in the Church but an equalitie of Presbyterie but I will leave them to a sharper censure till they be throughly cured of their distemper Now for the second motive to sinne which is the Concupiscence of the eye as it is so to be moderated that it stray not so should it be so directed that it sleepe not sleepe not I say in the survey of that for which it was created The eye strayeth when it coveteth what it should not it sleepeth when it retireth from what it should it strayeth when it lusteth after a strange woman it sleepeth when it readeth not the Law of God to reclaime it from lusting after a strange woman it strayeth when it lusts after Naboths vineyard it sleepeth when it lookes not after Gods vineyard Neither is the eye so to be limited as if contemplation were only intended for as it is not sufficient to pray unlesse wee practise as well as pray so is it not sufficient to looke upon the Law unlesse wee live after the Law on which wee looke Wee reade that Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Maâ—pelah that is in a double Sepulchre He that burieth his minde in knowledge only without any care of practice he buries Sarah in a single Sepulchre but he that buries his minde as well in the practice and feeling of religion which is all in all as in the knowledge and understanding of it he buries Sarah in a double Sepulchre and so must all wee doe which are the true children of Abraham for then with Abraham burying our spirit in a double Sepulchre wee shall with Elizeus have a double Spirit a spirit that as well doth as teacheth Otherwise wee are but tinkling Cymbals making only a sound of religion without any sound or sincere profession being as that honey-tongu'd Father saith in body inward but in heart outward Now the eye as it is the tenderest and subtilest organ of all others so should the object on which it is fixed be the purest and clearest of all others The Eagle accounts those of her young ones bastards which cannot fix their eyes upon the Sunne and with equall reflexion as it were reverberate the beaming vigour or splendour thereof which should be the Embleme of divine contemplation teaching us that howsoever wee have our feet on earth wee are to have our eyes in heaven not by prying too saucily into the sealed Arke of Gods inscrutable will but by meditating ever of him so to rest in him that after earth wee may for ever rest with him It is observed by profest Oculists that whereas all creatures have but foure muscles to turne their eyes round about man hath a fift to pull his eyes up to heaven How farre divert they then their eyes from the contemplation of that object for which they were created who cannot see their neighbours ground but they must cover it nor his beast but they desire it nor any thing which likes them but with a greedy eye they heart-eat it So large is the extent or circuit of their heart to earthly things as they can see nothing but they instantly desire so strait is the circumference of their heart to heavenly things they set no minde on them as if altogether unworthy their desire So as I cannot more aptly compare these idolizing worldlings to any thing than to the bird Ibis which is of that filthy nature as she receives those excrements in at her mouth which she had purged before from her guts Neither doe they resemble this bird only in respect of their bestiall or insatiate receit but also in the unbounded extent of their heart Oris Apollo writeth that the Egyptians when they would describe the heart paint that bird which they call Ibis because they thinke that no creature for proportion of the body hath so great a heart as the Ibis hath Neither hath our worldly Ibis a lesse heart to the filthy desires of the world being of necessity forced to leave the world before he can leave desiring the things of this world for their Satan-like come from compassing the whole earth esteeming no joy to the worldling like much enjoying yet am I not so rigorously affected or from feeling of humanity so farre estranged as with Democritus to move you to pull out your eyes that the occasion of temptation might be removed by being of your eyes those motives to temptation wholly deprived Nor with that inamored Italian to wish you to fix your eyes upon the beames of the Sunne till they were â—eared that the sight of your Mistresse might not move your disquiet No enjoy your eyes and make them directers to guide you not as blinde or deceitfull guides to entrap you use the object of this Sense but weane it from assenting to concupiscence concluding ever with that good remembrance May that object be from our eyes removed which makes us from our deare Lord divided Now for the last Motive which is the Pride of life it was Lucifers sinne and therefore should be each true Christians scorne For this sinne saith an ancient and learned Father are the children of the kingdome throwne into utter darknesse and whence commeth this but because they ascend up unto that Mountaine unto which the first Angell ascended and as a Devill descended Hee who entertaineth this Motive is an ambitious man who as one rightly observeth may be well and fitly similized with the Chameleon who hath nothing in his body but Lungs so the badge of the ambitious is to be windy and boisterous whereas if hee would measure all his undertakings rather by the dignity of the thing than the Ambition of his minde he should finde as much content as now he finds disquiet It was the rule of a wise Statesman and well deserves it the observance of every private person but especially of such who sit neere the Sterne of State not to suffer any ambitious heat transport him but to measure aâ—l things according to their dignity and worth and withall rather to refer the opinion of themselves and their actions to the censure of others and freely put themselves to be weighed in the judicious scale or ballance of others than to be approvers of themselves without the suffrage of others for certainely as there is no humour more predominant than Ambition nor
graduall So as howsoever we may terme one perfect or complete in respect of some especial qualities wherewith he is endued yet if we come to the true ground of Perfection we shall finde it farre above the Sphere of Mortality to ascend to for man miserable man what is he or of himselfe what can he to make him absolutely perfect Exceed can he in nothing but sinne which is such a naturall imperfection as it wholly detracts from his primitive Perfection Time was indeed when man knew no sinne and in that ignorance from sin consisted his Perfection But no sooner was that banefull Apple tasted than in the knowledge of sinne he became a professant Wee are therefore to discourse of such Perfection as wee commonly in opinion hold for absolute though in very deed it appeare only respective and definite for to treat of that Perfection which is transcendent or indefinite were to sound the Sea or weigh the Mountaines so far it exceedeth the conceit of man yea I say to taske humane apprehension to the discussion of that soveraigne or supreme Perfection were as unequally matched as ever were earth and heaven strength and weaknesse or the great Behemoth and the silliest worme that creepeth in the chinkes of the earth Let us addresse our selves then to this Taske and make this our ground that as no man is simply good but God so no man is absolutely perfect till hee be individually united to God which on earth is not granted but promised not effected but expected not obtained but with confidence desired when these few but evill dayes of our Pilgrimage shall be expired yet is there a graduall Perfection which in some degree or measure wee may attaine becomming conformable unto him whose Image we have received and by whom we have so many singular graces and prerogatives on us conferred And this Perfection is to be procured by assistance of Gods Spirit and a desire in man to second that assistance by an assiduall endevour Which devout and godly endevour that it might be the better furthered and his glory by whose grace we are assisted the more advanced needfull it were to reduce to our memory daily and hourely these two maine Considerations First those three profest Enemies that infatigably assaile us which should make us more watchfull Secondly that faithfull friend who so couragiously fights for us which should make us more thankfull for our Enemies as they are some of them domestick so are they more dangerous for no foe more perillous than a bosome foe Besides they are such pleasing Enemies as they cheere us when they kill us sting us when they smile on us And what is the instrument they worke on but the soule And what the time limited them to work in but our life Which humours do swel up sorrows bring downe heats dry aire infect meat puffe up fasting macerate jests dissolve sadnesse consume care straitneth security deludeth youth extolleth wealth transporteth poverty dejecteth old-age crooketh infirmity breaketh griefe depresseth the Devill deceiveth the world flattereth the flesh is delighted the soule blinded and the whole man perplexed How should wee now oppose our selves to such furious and perfidious Enemies Or what armour are we to provide for the better resisting of such powerfull and watchfull Assailants Certainly no other provision need we than what already is laid up in store for us to arme and defend us and what those blessed Saints and Servants of Christ have formerly used leaving their owne vertuous lives as Patternes unto us Their Armour was Fasting Prayer and workes of Devotion by the first they made themselves fit to pray in the second they addressed themselves to pray as they ought in the third they performed those holy duties which every Christian of necessity ought to performe And first for Fasting it is a great worke and a Christâ—â—â—worke producing such excellent effects as it subjects the flesh to the obedience of the spirit making her of a commander a subject of one who tooke upon her an usurped authority to humble herselfe to the soules soveraignty Likewise Prayer how powerfull it hath beene in all places might be instanced in sundry places of holy Scripture In the Desart where Temptation is the readiest In the Temple where the Devill is oft-times busiest On the Sea where the flouds of perils are the neerest In Peace where security makes men forgetfull'st And in Warre where imminent danger makes men fearfull'st Yea whether it be with Daniel in the Denne or Manasses in the Dungeon whether it be with holy David in the Palace or heavenly Ieremie in the Prison the power and efficacie of Prayer sacrificed by a devout and zealous beleever cannot chuse but be as the first and second raine fructifying the happy soile of every faithfull soule to her present comfort here and hope of future glory else-where Thirdly workes of Devotion being the fruits or effects of a spirituall conversation as ministring to the necessitie of the Saints wherein we have such plenty of examples both in divine and humane writ as their godly charitie or zealous bounty might worthily move us to imitate such blessed Patternes in actions of like Devotion For such were they as they were both liberall and joyed in their liberality every one contributing so much as he thought fit or pleased him to bestow And whatsoever was so collected to the charge or trust of the Governour or Disposer of the stocke of the poore was forth with committed Here was that poore-mans Box or indeed Christs Box wherein the charity of the faithfull was treasured Neither did these holy Saints or Servants of God in their Almes eye so much the quality of the person as his Image whom he did represent And herein they nourished not a sinner but a righteous begger because they loved not his sinne but his natur◠〈◊〉 now because wee are to treat of Perfection in each of these we are to observe such cautions as may make the worke perfect without blemish and pure from the mixture of flesh As first in that godly practice of fasting to observe such mediocritie as neither desire to be knowne by blubbered eyes hanging downe the head nor any such externall passion may tax us to be of those Pharisees whose devotion had relation rather to the observance of man than the service of God neither so to macerate the body as to disable it for performing any office which may tend to the propagation of the glory of the Highest For the first institution of Fasts as it was purposely to subdue the inordinate motions of the flesh and subject it to the obedience and observance of the spirit so divers times were by the ancient Fathers and Councels thought fitting to be kept in holy abstinence of purpose to remove from them the wrath of God inflicted on them by the sword pestilence famine or some other such like plague
Serpent or some brute beast and this it knew but it would not for thy goodnesse sake This it was which forced from that devout and zealous Father this emphaticall discourse or intercourse rather with God who upon a time walking in his garden and beholding a little worme creeping and crawling upon the ground presently used these words Deare Lord thou might'st have made me like this Worme a crawling despicable creature but thou would'st not and it was thy mercy that thou would'st not O as thou hasâ— ennobled me with the Image of thy selfe make me conformable to thy self that of a worm I may become an angel of a vassall of sin a vessell of Sion of a shell of corruption a Star of glory in thy heavenly mansion And in truth there is nothing which may move us to a more serious consideration of Gods gracious affection towards us than the very image which we carry about us preferring us not only before all the rest of his creatures in soveraignty and dominion but also in an amiable similitude feature and proportion whereby we become not only equall but even superiour unto Angells because Man was God and God Man and no Angell To whom are wee then to make recourse to as the Author of our Creation save God whose hand hath made and fashioned us whose grace hath ever since directed and prevented us and whose continued love for whom he loveth he loveth unto the end hath ever extended it selfe in ample manner towards us How frivolous then and ridiculous were their opinions who ascribed the Creation of all things to the Elements as Anaximenes to the piercing Aire Hippeas to the fleeting Water Zeno to the purifying Fire Zenophanes to the lumpish Earth How miserably were these blinded and how notably evinced by that learned Father who speaking in the persons of all these Elements and of all other his good creatures proceedeth in this sort I tooke my compasse saith he speaking to God in the survey of all things seeking thee and for all things relinquishing my selfe I asked the Earth if it were my god and it said unto me that it was not and all things in it confessed the same I asked the Sea and the depths and the creeping things in them and they answered we are not thy god seeke him above us I asked the breathing Aire and the whole Aire with all the inhabitants thereof made answer Anaximenes is deceived I am not thy God I asked the Heaven Sun Moone and Stars neither are wee thy god answered they And I spake to all these who stand about the gates of my flesh tell me what you know concerning my god tell mee something of him and they cryed out with a great voice He made us Then I asked the whole Frame and fabricke of this World tell me if thou be my god and it answered with a strong voyce I am not said it but by him I am whom thou seekest in mee hee it was that made mee seeke him above me who governeth me who made me The interrogation of the creatures is the profound consideration of them and their answer the witnesse they beare of God because all things cry God hath made us for as the Apostle saith the invisible things of God are visibly to be understood by those things which are made by the creatures of the world Thus wee understand the Author of our Creation of whom seriously to meditate and with due reverence to contemplate is to die to all earthly cogitations which delude the sinne-belulled soule with extravagancies And let this suffice for the first Memoriall or Consideration to wit who it was that made us we are now to descend to the second particular which is for what end he made us He who rested not till he had composed and disposed in an absolute order of this Vniverse proposed us an example that we should imitate So long as we are Pilgrims here on earth so long as we are Sojourners in this world wee may not enjoy our spirituall Sabbath wee may stay a little and breath under the Crosse after the example of our best Master but rest wee may not For what end then did he make us That we might live such lives as may please him and die such deaths as may praise him lives blamelesse and unreproveable lives sanctified throughout pure without blemish fruitfull in example plentifull in all holy duties and exercised in the workes of charitie that he who begetteth in us both the Will and the Worke may present us blamelesse at his comming Now that our lives may become acceptable unto him to whose glory they ought to be directed we are in this Tabernaâ—le of clay to addresse our selves to those studies exercises and labours which may benefit the Church or Common-weale ministring matter unto others of imitation to our soules of consolation and in both to Gods name of glorification Wherein appeareth a maine difference betwixt the Contemplative and Active part for sufficient it is not to know acknowledge and confesse the divine Majesty to dispute or reason upon high points touching the blessed Trinitie to be rapt up to the third heaven as it were by the wings of Contemplation but to addresse our selves to an actuall performance of such offices and peculiar duties as we are expresly injoyned by the divine Law of God Our Lord in the Gospell when the woman said Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the brests that gave thee sucke Answered Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And when one of the Iewes told him that his mother and brethren stood without desiring to speake with him He answered and said unto him that told him Who is my mother and who are my brethren And stretching forth his hand toward his Disciples he said Behold my mother and my brethren For whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother It is not knowledge then but practice which presents us blamelesse before God Therefore are we exhorted to worke out our salvation with feare and trembling Not to idle out our time in the market-place as such who make their life a repose or cessation from all labours studies or vertuous intendments Of which sort those are and too many of those there are who advanced to great fortunes by their provident Ancestors imagine it a Taske worthy men of their places to passe their time in pastime and imploy their dayes in an infinite consumption of mis-spent houres for which they must be accomptants in that great Assize where neither greatnesse shall be a subtâ—â—â—â—g to guiltinesse nor their descent plead privilege for those many houres they have mis-spent O how can they answer for so many vaine and fruitlesse pleasures which they have enjoyed and with all greedinesse embraced in this life Many they shall have to witnesse against them none to
like answers will flesh and bloud make to dispence with workes of Charitie or like the answer of churlish Nabal Who is David and who is the sonne of Iesse There be many servants now adayes that breake away every man from his master Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh which I have killed for my Shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be O let not these objections divert the current of thy compassion Eye not so much his Countrey whether neighbour-borne or a stranger as his Countenance the expresse Image of thy Saviour But to descend to some reasons why the Active part of Perfection is to be preferred before the Contemplative this amongst others is the most effectuall and impregnable In that great day of Account when the sealed booke of our secretest sinnes shall be unsealed our privatest actions discovered our closest and subtillest practices displayed and the whole inside of man uncased it shall not be demanded of us what knew we but what did we Fitting therefore it were to prefer Action before Knowledge in this life being so infallibly to be preferred after this life Howbeit greater is their shame and sharper doubtlesse shall be their censure whose education in all Arts divine and humane hath enabled them for discourse fitted or accommodated them for managements publike or private yet they giving reines to liberty invert their knowledge to depraved ends either making no use of such noble and exquisite indowments or which is worse imploying them to the satisfaction of their owne illimited desires O happy had these beene if they had never knowne the excellence of learning for ignorance is to be preferred before knowledge loosely perverted Yea but will some object I cannot see how any one should observe a Law before they know it wherefore as I thinke Knowledge is to be preferred because by Knowledge is Action directed It is true indeed Knowledge directs and instructs for otherwise we should grope in darknesse neither doe I exclude all Knowledge but admit so much as may instruct man sufficiently in matters of faith put him in remembrance of heaven whose joyes are ineffable of Hell whose pains are intollerable of the last judgement whose sentence is irrevocable So as I exclude only this grosse ignorance or blinde Paganisme for to these is the way to heaven closed because they are divided from that light without which the celestial way cannot be discerned Wheras then I have so much insisted heretofore upon the Contemplative part of Perfection my ayme was to shew how those who continued in a Contemplative and solitary life sequestring themselves from the cares and company of this world doubtlesly conceived ineffable comfort in that sweet retirement yet in regard they lived not in the world the world was not bettered by their example But in this Active Perfection where the Active part no lesse than Contemplative is required we intend those who doe not only know but doe and in the Actions of this life use to make their Lights so shine before men that they may see their good workes Yea but it may be againe objected all sinnes be properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beare the name of ignorance how then may wee exclude any knowledge Every Sinne indeed implyes an ignorance of the creature towards the Creator which ignoranâ—â— imports rather a forgetfulnesse For admit a man should steale commit perjury or any such act contrary to the expresse will and commandement of God it were to be imagined that this breach or transgression of the divine Law proceeded not of ignorance for he could not chuse but know that consent to any of these incurred the breach of his Law but rather it may be said he had not God before his eyes but out of a wilfull forgetfulnesse violated the ordinances of God But to conclude this Branch in a word the Active is to be preferred before the Contemplative for two respects The first whereof hath relation to our selves The second to others To our selves having account to make for the Actions of our life how we have imployed or bestowed those Talents which he hath lent us what use profit or benefit we have made of them in what spirituall affaires have we beene exercised in what holy duties trained Have we not preferred private profit before the testimony of a good conscience Have we not laboured to inhaunce our means by sinister and indirect courses Have wee not withdrawne our hand from releeving our needfull brother or defrauded the labourer of his wages Have wee not consorted with the evill doer and encouraged him in his sinne Have we not hindred some pious worke tending to the honour of God and imitable for example of others Have we propagated the Gospel comforted Sion when shee mourned repaired those breaches which were in her and received those in peace which blessed her Have we only sought the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof esteemed godlinesse to be great riches left our selves and all to be followers of him who gave us dominion over all If we have done this as we are here in the Alpha of grace we shall be there in the Omega of glory here initiate there consummate but having knowne the will of our Father and done it not read principles or instructions of a good life and observ'd them not conversant in deepe mysteries and applied them not studied in all Arts and Sciences and practised them not how miserable is our knowledge pronouncing on us a heavier judgement Wherefore in respect of our selves whether our knowledge be great or little if our conversation be not in heaven though our habitation during our Pilgrimage be on earth our knowledge is but as a tinckling Cymball and shall smally availe us before the high Tribunall For knew we the power and vertue of all creatures of all plants and vegetive bodies from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hyssop upon the wall yet were this knowledge fruitlesse being not seconded by a life conformable to that knowledge § Secondly in respect of others Action is the life of man and example the direction of his life How much then doe such men prejudice those who live in the world that betake themselves to a private or retired life estranged from humane societie and ending their dayes in some solitary cave as men divided from the world For howsoever their manner of life be religious their discipline strict and rigorous and in their devotion fervent and zealous yet they deprive others of the benefit which they might reape by their example Wherefore most safe and sure it is to use the words of a judicious Author for those who have a desire to take upon them a solitary life to retire and withdraw their affections before they withdraw their bodies from the world and to force the world to flie from their minde before they flie the world lest going out of
the world they carry about with them the world For as he may live ill who liveth apart from the societie of men even so though they flie not into the wildernesse yet may they flie the world and amidst the crowd of people live solitary by an inward contemplation of the supernall glory and in midst of a clamorous Court conferre with themselves and converse with God in the meane time whatsoever they know or can doe that may any way tend to the common good benefit or utilitie of humane societie to effect it accordingly and not bury that talent in the ground which they have received from above which rule they are to observe after the example of the most holy and excellent men of both Orders Ecclesiasticall I say and Secular Thus farre have wee proceeded in the examination or discussion of these two especiall parts of Perfection Contemplative and Active wherein by manifest and infallible arguments wee have proved how the Active part is to be preferred both in respect of our selves and others because a life well acted shall minister most comfort to our selves besides that light of example which it yeelds unto others Now as the Active is preferred it resteth that wee shew you wherein this active part of perfection consisteth which discovered that whereof wee treat and would gladly finde may be the sooner attained THere is no building which as it relies on a foundation consists not of some materiall composition no body but it consists of nerves arteries or sinewes which cement the lineaments together no confection which consists not of some simples for otherwise it were not mixed but simple and uncompounded The like may be said of this choice and exquisite Confection this Active part I meane of perfection For as all Rivers tend to the Sea to make one Ocean all Creatures to make one Vniverse so all Vertues aime at Perfection which once attained they surcease from action Now in this discourse of Active perfection the period of Man wee doe not meane of that absolute perfection or accomplishment which admitteth no blemish or imperfection for wee are to seeke that above us not below us for our righteousnesse justice and perfection is such in this life as it rather consisteth in the remission of sinnes than perfection of vertues Yea we sinne daily so as properly wee can attribute nothing to our owne strength but weaknesse to our owne abilitie but infirmnesse to our resolves but uncertainnesse to our wills but untowardnesse to our affections but depravednesse nor to the whole progresse of our lives but actuall disobedience But rather I say wee meane of that Christian perfection which every one in this Tabernacle of clay is to labour for that wee may become perfect through him who became weake that wee might be strengthned hungry that wee might be nourished thirsty that wee might be refreshed disgraced that wee might be honoured yea who became all unto all that by all meanes he might gaine some But wherein may this Actuall perfection be properly said to consist In Mortification which like the swift gliding torrent of Hydaspes divides or dilates it selfe to two channels Action and Affection Action in expressing it Affection in desiring to expresse it Action in suffering Affection in desire of suffering The one actuating no lesse in will than the other in worke Where the Action being more exemplar and in that more fruitfull gives precedencie to Affection which concurres with the act to make the worke more graciously powerfull For where a worke of Mortification is performed and a heartie desire or affection to that worke is not adjoyned that Action may be properly said to be enforced rather than out of a free or willing disposition accepted Now this two-fold Mortification extends it selfe properly to these three Subjects Life Name Goods Life which even Humanitie tendreth Name which a good man before the sweetest odours preferreth Goods on which the worldling as on the Supreme good relieth For the first many excellent and memorable examples of sundry devout and constant servants of Christ Iesus are in every place frequent and obvious who for the confirmation of their faith and the testimonie of a good conscience joyfully and cheerefully laid downe their lives esteeming it an especiall glory to be thought worthy to suffer for him who with all constancie suffered to become an example of patience to them which were easie to illustrate by the sufferings of many eminent and glorious Martyrs Prudentius writeth that when Asclepiades commanded the tormentors to strike Romanus on the mouth the meeke Martyr answered I thanke thee O Captaine that thou hast opened unto me many mouthes whereby I may preach my Lord and Saviour Tot â—ece laudant ora quot sunt vulnera Looke how many wounds I have so many moâ—thes I have to praise and laud the Lord. Ignatius words were these to witnesse his constancie at the time of his suffering Frumentum sum Christi per dentes besâ—earum molor ut mundus panis Dei inveniar I am Christs corne and must be grownd by the teeth of wilde beasts that I may become pure manchet for the Lord. It is reported that blessed Laurence being laid upon the Grediron used these words to his Tormentors Turne and cut it is enough Saint Andrew when he went to be crucified was so rapt with joy as hee rejoyced unmeasurably in that blessed resemblance of his Masters death Blessed Bartholomew willingly lost his skin for his sake who had his skinne scourged that hee might be solaced Iohn dranke a Cup of poâ—son to pledge his Master in a cup of affliction Thus Laurences Gridiron Andrewes Crosse Bartholomews Skin Iohns Cup expressed their Mortification by a willing surrender of their life for his sake who was the Lord of life Yea should we survey those strange invented torments during the bloudy issue of the ten Persecutions which were contrived by those inhumane Assacinates whose hands were deepe-died in the bloud of the Saints wee should no lesse admire the constancie of the persecuted suffering than the cruelty of the Persecutors inflicting What rackes hookes harrowes tongs forkes stakes were purposely provided to torment the constant and resolute Professours of the truth wearying the tormentors rather with tormenting than abating any part of their constancie in the height and heat of their tormenting Yea they were solaced in the time when they suffered esteeming death to be such a passage as might give them convoy to a more glorious heritage Neither did these blessed Professors of the faith receive comfort by the eye of their meditation firmely fixed on heaven but by the compassion and princely commiseration of divers eminent and victorious Emperours bearing soveraignty then on earth Constantine the Great used to kisse the eye of Paphnutius which was bored out in Mâ—â—ciminus time The like noble and princely compassion we reade to have beene shewed by Titus Trajan Theodosius and many other
thy increase annexing a promise to this precept So shall thy barnes be filled with plenty and thy presse shall burst out with new wine But forasmuch as many things are required to the mortification of this earthly Mammon wee will reduce them to two especiall heads the better to retaine in memory this meanes of mortification 1. to consider from whom we have received these worldly blessings 2. how to dispose of them lest they become cursings of blessings For the first wee are positively to set downe that every good gift and every perfect gift commeth from above the beasts that graze on a thousand hills are his the treasures of the earth are his for from whom should wee thinke are they derived to us but from him by whom they were created for us He who never had it how can he give it but he who hath all guides all governes all and is all in all is sole-sufficient for all He it iâ— then that maketh rich and maketh poore exalteth and humbleth sendeth forth his waters out of their treasuries and all things are drowned shutteth them in their treasuries and all things are dried Hee it is that maketh the fruitfull barren and the barren fruitfull In stead of the thorne shall come up the firre tree and in stead of the brier shall come up the mirtle tree and it shall be to the Lord for a name for an everlasting signe that shall not be cut off He it is that made Heaven and Earth and all things replenished Heaven and Earth with all things giving Man dominion over all things that Man might be subject unto him who made all things Now as he gave them to man so are they to be disposed of by man to his glory who made man And how is that Not in laying land unto land with the oppressour nor in repairing to the house of the strange woman with the adulterer nor consuming your substance in excesse with the rioter nor hoording up vengeance against the day of wrath with the miser nor grinding the face of the poore with the extortioner but rather distributing freely of that which you have and communicating to the necessitie of the Saints so shall you make to your selves friends of your unrighteous Mammon and shall be fed with Manna in the Courts of Sion Gainfull is the use of that money which is put out to the workes of charitie which be it more or lesse cannot but be exceeding great being given with devotion and the worke attended by singlenesse of heart and sinceritie of affection for where a sincere will is not joyned with the worke the worke cannot be effectuall to the doer howsoever it may seeme fruitfull to the beholder Ac which sort of men who erect sumptuous works rather for popularitie and affectation than pietie or sincere affection the Poet pleasantly glanceth THESE Statues reare in publike wayes as trophies of their love Which as they heare in passengers will admiration move And gaine a fame unto their name which may survive in them But trust mee Sirs these works of theirs shew them vaine-glorious men Which works howsoever usefull unto others were better undone than done in respect of themselves for to glory in our works doth not only derogate from our works but denounce upon us greater damnation ascribing to our selves what duly properly and solely ought to be attributed to the glory of God But to draw neerer the point wee have in hand there is nothing that weaneth our minds more from the meditation of God and mortification to the world than our earthly affections which beare such sway over us as they will not suffer those divine motions or meditations to take root in us This is excellently shadowed in that Parable of the great Supper where many guests were invited but all with one consent began to make their excuse the first he had bought a peece of ground and he must needs goe see it the second had bought five yoke of oxen and he must goe prove them and another had maried a wife and therefore he could not come These though the fatlings be provided the choicest dainties prepared wherewith their hunger-starved soules might be refreshed cannot come the world must detaine them their earthly respects inchaine them their sensuall delights restraine them they cannot come though often invited nor reâ—ort to this great Supper though all things be provided These seldome or never take into their more serious consideration the state of the blessed in Heaven or the state of the damned in Hell Neither can the joyes of the one allure them or the paines of the other deterre them These will dispense with the word for the profit of the world and enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season deferring repentance till it be past season Saint Chrysostome relateth how Paulus Samosetanus that arch-heretike for the love of a woman forsooke his faith Saint Augustine relateth divers who denied the torments of Hell to have eternitie thereby to flatter their affections with a pretended assurance of impunitie Saint Gregory imputeth it to avarice and covetousnesse that many forsake their faith These follow not the example of sundry devout men the memory whereof is recommended unto us in holy writ who being possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them downe at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need The like contempt in respect of earthly substance wee reade to have been in many noble and equally affected Pagans as Crates Bisias Zeno Bias Anacreon Anacharses who though they had scarce the least glimpse of an eternitie yet they dis-valued the substance of earth as the subject of vanitie But I must now draw in my sailes and take a view of your dispositions Gentlemen how you stand herein affected that seeking what I expect to finde I may no lesse glory in your aversion from earth than if you were ascending Iacobs ladder to have your names enrolled in the kingdome of heaven Have yee honoured the Lord with your substance and tendered him the first fruits of his bounty Have yee acknowledged every good thing to come from him as from the fountaine of mercy Have yee subjected your selves unto him as he hath subjected all things to your soveraigntie Have yee disposed of them soberly and solely to his glory Have yee beene oppressors and with good Zacheus made fourefold restitution Have yee not exposed your inheritance to riot and pollution Have yee not hoorded up vengeance against the day of affliction Have yee not grinded and grated the face of the poore with extortion Have yee distributed freely and communicated to the Saints necessitie Have yee made you friends of your unrighteous Mammon and so made your selves way to the heavenly Sion Have yee done these works of compassion with singlenesse of heart and without affectation Have yee beene by no
earthly respect detained from comming to that great Lords Supper to which you were invited O then in a happy state are you for having honoured the Lord he will fill your barnes with plenty or having acknowledged all good things to be derived from his mercy he will give you a fuller taste of his bounty or subjected your selves to his obedience hee will cause every Creature to doe you service or disposed of them soberly and solely to his glory he will exhibit his good gifts unto you more fully or beene oppressors and made restitution you shall with Zacheus become vessels of election or not exposed your inheritance to riot and pollution you shall be safe from the doome of confusion or not grinded the face of the poore with extortion the poore shall beare record of your compassion or distributed freely to the Saints necessitie he that seeth in secret shall reward you openly or made you friends of your unrighteous Mammon Manna shall be your food in the heavenly Sion or done these works singly and without vaine-glory you shall be cloathed with the garment of mercy or not detained by the world from going to that great Lords Supper yee shall be graciously admitted and exalted to honour Thus to dispose of the substance of the world is to despise the world preferring one meditation of the pleasures and treasures of heaven before the possession of the whole earth and esteeming it farre better to be one day in the House of the Lord than to be conversant in the Palaces of Princes O then yee whose generous descents and mighty estates promise comfort to the afflicted releefe to the distressed and an hospitable receit to all such as repaire to you for succour or comfort minister to the necessitie of the Saints be liberall and open handed to the poore having opportunitie doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith be exercised in the works of the spirit and not of the flesh so shall yee build upon a sure foundation and in the inheritance of Gods Saints receive a mansion Turne not I say you eare from the cry of any poore man lest his cry be heard and procure vengeance to be powred on your head Pitty the moanes of the afflicted wipe off the teares of the distressed comfort those that mourn in Sion The ordinary forme of begging in Italy is Doe good for your owne sakes Doe good for your owne sakes for your owne selves for your owne soules No sacrifice to God more gratefull to your selves more usefull or to your owne soules more fruitfull than to be zealous in all holy duties and compassionate to the needfull for he that in himselfe burnes not in devotion can never inflame another with the zeale of devotion neither can any one shine unlesse before hee burne shine in the works of compassion unlesse he burne before with the zeale of a devout affection So as many though they be Lights in respect of their ministerie or office yet are they Snuffs in respect of their use effect or service Exhibit therefore freely of those good gifts and bounties which God hath bestowed on you and shew your liberalitie now in the opportunate time for as there is a time when none can worke so there is a time when none can give give it then in your life time that you may expresse your charitie with your owne hand and not by way of Legacie for many make good wills which I much feare mee proceed not of good will being rather by the sentence of mortalitie inforced than of their owne charitable disposition affected to leave to the poore afflicted of the world which they so exceedingly loved while they sojourned here in the world And what shall these bountifull Legacies availe them these charitable Wills profit them when they shal make their beds in the darke and enter parlie with their owne Consciences whether this coacted charitie of theirs proceeded from compassion or compulsion leaving what they could no longer enjoy and giving that which was not in their power to give Surely no more benefit shall this inforced charitie conferre on them than if they had sowne the sand for fruitlesse is that worke which deriveth not her ground from a pure intention or sanctified will In the Easterne countries they put coine in the dead mans hand to provide for him after his departure hence The like provision carry these along with them to their graves who deferre giving till they cannot give making their Executors their Almoners who many times defeat the poore or number themselves in Beadroll of the poore whereby they gull the deceased enriching their owne coffers with the poore mans box O Gentlemen you whose corps are followed with many mourners and oft-times inward rejoycers send out those sweet odours of a good and devout life before you dispense and dispose faithfully in whatsoever the Lord above others hath enriched you deferre not your charity to your death lest you be prevented of your charity by death bethinke your selves how you would be provided if that great Master of accounts were this houre to call you before him and make your reckoning with him would you not be glad if your conscience told you how you had beene faithfull disposers or imployers of those Talents which were delivered to you Would not your hearts rejoyce within you to have such a Testimony as the witnesse of an undefiled or spotlesse conscience within you Would it not intraunce you with an exceeding joy to heare that happy and heavenly approbation Well done good and faithfull servants you have beene faithfull over a few things I will make you rulers over many things enter yee into the joy of your Lord If this could not choose but joy you so dispose of your earthly Mammon that you may be partakers of this surpassing joy in the Courts of Sion And so I descend to the last Branch of this last Observation expressing that object of ineffable consolation whereto this Active Perfection aspireth and that spirituall repose of heavenly solace and refection wherein it solely and properly resteth MAN is borne unto trouble as the sparkes fly upward being here a sojourner in the Inne of this world and drawing every day neerer and neerer the end of his Pilgrimage where mans life is the Travellers embleme his forme of living the very mirrour of his sojourning his home returning the type or figure of his dissolving In which progresse or journall of man by how much more the Sun-diall of his life proceedeth by so much neerer the night-shade of death approacheth Yet behold the misery of man His desires are daily to disquiet and disturbe himselfe for shew me that man howsoever affected or in what degree soever placed whose desires are so firmely fixed as his minde is not troubled in the pursuit of that whereto his aymes are directed For to begin with the Highest because his thoughts are
God unto them Diogenes trod upon Platoes pride with much greater selfe-pride but the Christian with patience and humilitie surmounteth and subdueth all worldly pride being of nothing so carefull as lest he should taste the Lotium of earthly delights and so become forgetfull with Vlysses companions of his native Countrey Meane time he sojournes in the world not as a Citizen but as a Guest yea as an Exile But to returne to our present discourse now in hand in this quest after that soveraigne or supreme end whereto all actuall perfection aspireth and wherein it resteth wee are to consider three things 1. What is to be sought 2. Where it is to be sought 3. When it is to be sought For the first wee are to understand that wee are to seeke only for that the acquisition whereof is no sooner attained than the minde whose flight is above the pitch of frailtie is fully satisfied Now that is a blessed life when what is best is affected and enjoyed for there can be no true rest to the minde in desiring but partaking what she desireth What is it then that wee seeke To drinke of the water of life where our thirst may be so satisfied as it never be renued our desires so fulfilled as never higher or further extended He that hath once tasted of the fountaine named Clitorius fons and choice is the taste of such a fountaine will never drinke any wine no wine mixed with the drâ—gs of vanitie no wine drawne from the lees of vaine-glory the reason is hee reserves his taste for that new wine which hee is to drinke in his Fathers kingdome And what kingdome The kingdome of heaven a kingdome most happy a kingdome wanting death and without end enjoying a life that admits no end And what life A life vitall a life â—empiternall and sempiternally joyfull And what joy A joy without sorrowing rest without labouring dignitie without trembling wealth without losing health without languishing abundance without failing life without dying perpetuitie without corrupting blessednesse without afflicting where the sight and vision of God is seene face to face And what God God the sole-sufficient summary supreme good that good which wee require alone that God who is good alone And what good The Trinitie of the divine persons is this summary good which is seene with purest mindes The Heart triangle-wise resembleth the image of the blessed Trinitie which can no more by the circumference of the World be confined than a Triangle by a Circle is to be filled So as the Circular world cannot fill the Triangular heart no more than a Circle can fill a Triangle still there will be some empty corners it sayes so long as it is fixed on the world Sheol it is never enough but fixed on her Maker her only Mover on her sweet Redeemer her dearest Lover she chants out cheerefully this Hymne of comfort There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus She then may rest in peace And what peace A peace which passeth all understanding Shee then may embrace her Love And what Love A Love constantly loving She then may enjoy life And what life A life eternally living She then may receive a Crowne And what Crowne A Crowne gloriously shining This Crowne saith S. Peter is undefiled which never fadeth away The Greeke words which S. Peter useth are Latine words also and they are not only Appellatives being the Epithetes of this Crowne but also Propers the one proper name of a Stone the other of a Flower for Isidore writeth there is a precious stone called Amiantus which though it be never so much soiled yet it can never at all be blemished and being cast into the fire it is taken out still more bright and cleane Also Clemens writeth that there is a flower called Amarantus which being a long time hung up in the house yet still is fresh and greene To both which the stone and the flower the Apostle as may be probably gathered alludeth in this place Here then you see what you are to seeke For are your desires unsatisfied here is that which may fulfill them Are your soules thirstie here is the Well of life to refresh them Would you be Kings here is a Kingdome provided for you Would you enjoy a long life a long life shall crowne you and length of dayes attend you Would you have all goodnesse to enrich you enjoying God all good things shall be given you Would you have salvation to come unto your house and secure you rest you in Christ Iesus and no condemnation shall draw neere you Would you have your consciences speake peace unto you the God of peace will throughout establish you Would you have your constant'st Love ever attend you He who gave himselfe for you will never leave you Would you have him live ever with you Leave loving of the world so shall he live ever with you and in you Would you have a Crowne conferred on you A Crowne of glory shall empale you Seeke then this one good wherein consisteth all goodnesse and it sufficeth Seeke this soveraigne or summary good from whence commeth every good and it sufficeth For he is the life by which wee live the hope to which wee cleave and the glory which wee desire to obtaine For if dead he can revive us if hopelesse and helplesse he can succour us if in disgrace he can exalt us Him then only are we to seeke who when we were lost did seeke us and being found did bring us to his sheepe-fold And so I descend from what wee are to seeke to where wee are to seeke that seeking him where he may be found wee may at last finde him whom wee so long have sought For the second wee are to seeke it while wee are on earth but not upon earth for earth cannot containe it It is the Philosophers axiom That which is finite may not comprehend that which is infinite Now that supreme or soveraigne end to which this Actuall Perfection is directed whereto it aspireth and wherein it resteth is by nature infinite Ena without end beginning and end imposing to every creature a certaine definite or determinate end The sole solace of the Soule being onely able to fill or satisfie the Soule without which all things in heaven or under heaven joyned and conferred together cannot suffice the Soule So boundlesse her extent so infinite the object of her content How should Earth then containe it or to what end should wee on Earth seeke it Seeing whatsoever containeth must of necessitie be greater than that which is contained But Earth being a masse of corruption how should it confine or circumscribe incorruption Seeing nothing but immortalitie can cloath the Soule with glory it is not the rubbish or refuse of earth that may adde to her beautie Besides the Soule while it sojournes here in this earthly mansion she remaines as a captive inclosed in prison
What delights then can be pleasing what delicates relishing to the palat of this prisoner She is an exile here on earth what societie then can be cheerefull to one so carefull of returning to her Countrey If Captives restrained of their libertie Exiles estranged from their Countrey can take no true content either in their bondage be it never so attempred nor in their exile be they never so attended how should the Soule apprehend the least joy during her abode on earth Where the treasure is there is the heart her treasure is above how can her heart be here below Mortalitie cannot suit with immortalitie no more can Earth with the Soule Whereto then be the motions of our Soule directed To Him that gave it no inferiour creature may suffice her no earthly object satisfie her nothing subject to sense fulfill her In Heaven are those heavenly objects wherewith her eye rests satisfied in Heaven are those melodious accents wherewith her eare rests solaced in Heaven those choicest odours wherewith her smell is cherished in Heaven those tastfull'st dainties wherewith her soule is nourished in Heaven those glorious creatures wherewith herselfe is numbred What difference then betwixt the satietie and saturitie of Heaven and the penurie and povertie of Earth Here all things are full of labour man cannot utter it The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing whereas in Heaven there is length of dayes and fulnesse of joy without ending And wherein consists this fulnesse Even in the sweet and comfortable sight of God But who hath seene God at any time To this blessed Austine answers excellently Albeit saith he that summary and incommutable essence that true light that indeficient light that light of Angels can be seene by none in this life being reserved for a reward to the Saints only in the heavenly glory yet to beleeve and understand and feele and ardently desire it is in some sort to see and possesse it Now if wee will beleeve it though our feet be on earth our faith must be in heaven or understand it wee must so live on earth as if our conversation were in heaven or feele it wee must have so little feeling of the delights of this life as our delight may be wholly in heaven or desire it wee must hunger and thirst after righteousnesse to direct us in the way which leadeth to heaven It cannot be saith a devout holy man that any one should die ill who hath lived well Wee are then to labour by a zealous religious and sincere life to present our selves blamelesse before the Lord at his comming O if wee knew and grosse is our ignorance if we know it not that whatsoever is sought besides God possesseth the minde but satisfies it not wee would have recourse to him by whom our minds might be as well satisfied as possessed But great is our miserie and miserable our stupiditie who when wee may gaine heaven with lesse paines than hell will not draw our foot backe from hell nor step one foot forward towards the kingdome of heaven Yea when wee know that it pleaseth the Devill no lesse when wee sinne than it pleaseth God to heare us sigh for sinne yet will wee rather please the Devill by committing sinne than please God by sending out one penitent sigh for our sinne For behold what dangers will men expose themselves unto by Sea and Land to increase their substance Againe for satisfaction of their pleasures what tasks will they undertake no lesse painfull than full of perill A little expectance of penitentiall pleasure can make the voluptuous man watch all the night long when one houre of the night to pray in would seeme too too long Early and late to inrich his carelesse heire will the miserable wretch addresse himselfe to all slavish labour without once remembring either early or late to give thanks to his Maker Without repose or repast will the restlesse ambitious Sparke whose aimes are only to be worldly great taske himselfe to all difficulties to gaine honour when even that which so eagerly he seekes for oft times brings ruine to the owner Here then you see where you are to seeke not on earth for there is nought but corruption but in heaven where you may be cloathed with incorruption not on earth for there you are Exiles but in heaven where you may be enrolled and infranchised Citizens not on earth the grate of miserie but in heaven the goale of glory In briefe would you have your hearts lodged where your treasures are locked all your senses seated where they may be fully sated your eye with delightfull'st objects satisfied your eare with melodious accents solaced your smell with choicest odours cherished your taste with chiefest dainties relished your selves your soules amongst those glorious creatures registred Fix the desires of your Heart on him who can only satisfie your heart set your eye on him whose eye is ever upon you and in due time will direct you to him intend your eare to his Law which can best informe you and with divinest melodie cheere you follow him in the smell of his sweet oyntments and hee will comfort you in your afflictions taste how sweet hee is in mercy and you shall taste sweetnesse in the depth of your miserie become heavenly men so of terrestriall Angels you shall be made Angels in heaven where by the spirituall union of your soules you shall be united unto him who first gave you soules And so I come to the third and last When wee are to seeke lest seeking out of time wee be excluded from finding what wee seeke for want of seeking in due time If words spoken in season be like apples of gold with pictures of silver sure I am that our actions being seasonably formed or disposed cannot but adde to our soules much beautie and lustre To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven which season neglected the benefit accruing to the worke is likewise abridged There is a time to sow and a time to reape and sow wee must before wee reape sow in tears before wee reape in joy Seeke wee must before wee finde for unlesse wee seeke him while he may be found seeke may wee long ere wee have him found After the time of our dissolution from earth there is no time admitted for repentance to bring us to heaven Hoc momentum est de quo pendet aeternitas Either now or never and if now thrice happy ever Which is illustrated to us by divers Similitudes Examples and Parables in the holy Scripture as in Esaus birth-right which once sold could not be regained by many teares and in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus where Abraham answered Dives after he had beseeched him to send Lazarus that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and coole his tongue Sonne remember that thou in thy life
is And therefore Prudentius in one of his Hymnes give this memorandum Thinke with thy selfe if thou from sin would free thee Be 't day or night that God doth ever see thee O then let us fix our thoughts upon God here on earth that we may gloriously fix our eyes upon him in heaven Let us so meditate of him here on earth that wee may contemplate him there in heaven So repent us to have dishonoured him here on earth that wee may be honoured by him in heaven Let us become humble Petitioners unto him and prostrate our selves before his foot-stoole of whom if we begge life his hand is not so shortâ—ed as it will not save his eare so closely stopped as it will not heare it is reported that when a poore man came to Dionysius the Tyrant and preferred his petition unto him standing the imperious Tyrant would not give eare unto him whereupon this poore Petitioner to move him to more compassion fell downe prostrate at his feet and with much importunity obtained his suit after all this being demanded by one why he did so I perceived quoth he Dionysius to have his eares in his feet wherefore I was out of hope to be heard till I fell before his feet But God who intendeth rather the devotion of the heart than the motion of the hand or prostration of the bodie will heare us if wee aske faithfully and open unto us if wee knocke constantly and having fought a good fight crowne us victoriously Thus you have heard what we are to seeke where we are to seeke and when we are to seeke What a Kingdome not of earth but of heaven Where not on earth nor in earth but in heaven When while we are here on earth that after earth we may reigne in heaven What a Garden inclosed a Spring shut up a Fountaine sealed What a crowne of righteousnesse a precious pearle a hid treasure What wisdome health wealth beautie libertie and all through him who is all in all Aristippus was wont to say that he would goe to Socrates for wit but to Dionysius for money whereas this we seeke and seeking hope to enjoy confers upon us the rich treasures of wisdome and abundance of riches for evermore For first seeke we the kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all things else shall be ministred unto us Secondly where wee are to seeke Where in Heaven the House of God the Citie of the great King the inheritance of the just the portion of the faithfull the glory of Sion Where not without us but within us for the kingdome of God is within us So as I may say to every faithfull soule Intus habes quod quaeris That is within thee which is sought of thee It is God thou seekest and him thou possessest thy heart longeth after him and right sure thou art of him for his delight is to be with those that love him Lastly when on earth when in this life when while we are in health while we are in those Tabernacles of clay while we carry about us these earthen vessels while we are cloathed with flesh before the evill day come or the night approach or the shadow of death encompasse us now in the opportunate time the time of grace the time of redemption the appointed time while our peace may be made not to deferre from youth to age lest wee be prevented by death before we come to age but so to live every day as if we were to die every day that at last we may live with him who is the length of dayes What remaineth then but that wee conclude the whole Series or progresse of this Discourse with an Exhortation to counsell you an instruction to caution you closing both in one Conclusion to perswade you to put in daily practice what already hath beene tendred to you Now Gentlemen that I may take a friendly farewell of you I am to exhort you to a course Vertuous which among good men is ever held most Generous Let not O let not the pleasures of sinne for a season withdraw your mindes from that exceeding great weight of glory kept in store for the faithfull after their passage from this vale of misery Often call to minde the riches of that Kingdome after which you seeke those fresh Pastureâ— fragrant Medows and redolent Fields diapred and embrodered with sweetest and choicest flowers those blessed Citizens heavenly Saints and Servants of God who served him here on earth faithfully and now raigne with him triumphantly Let your Hearts be enditers of a good matter and your voices viols to this heavenly measure O how glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God as the habitation of all that rejoyce is in thee Thou art founded on the exaltation of the whole earth There is in thee neither old-age nor the miserie of old-age There is in thee neither maime nor lame nor crooked nor deformed seeing all attaine to the perfect man to that measure of age or fulnesse of Christ. Who would not become humble Petitioner before the Throne of grace to be made partaker of such an exceeding weight of glory Secondly to instruct you where this Crowne of righteousnesse is to be sought it is to be sought in the House of God in the Temple of the Lord in the Sanctuary of the most High O doe not hold it any derogation to you to be servants yea servants of the lowest ranke even Doore-keepers in the House of the Lord Constantine the Great gloried more in being a member of the Church than the Head of an Empire O then let it be your greatest glory to advance his glory who wil make you vessels of glory But know that to obey the delights of the flesh to divide your portion among Harlots to drinke till the wine grow red to make your life a continued revell is not the way to obtaine this Crowne Tribulation must goe before Consolation you must clime up to the Crosse before you receive this Crowne The Israelites were to passe thorow a Desart before they came to Canaan This Desart is the world Canaan heaven O who would not be here afflicted that he may be there comforted Who would not be here crossed that he may be there crowned Who would not with patience passe thorow this Desart onely in hope to come to Canaan Canaan the inheritance of the just Canaan the lot of the righteous Canaan a fat Land flowing with milke and honey Canaan an Habitation of the most holy Canaan a place promised to Abraham Canaan the bosome of Father Abraham even Heaven but not the heaven of heaven to which even the earth itselfe is the very Empyraean heaven for this is heaven of heaven to the Lord because knowne to none but to the Lord. Thirdly and lastly that I may conclude and concluding perswade you neglect not this opportunate time of grace that is now
offered you I know well that Gentlemen of your â—anke cannot want such wittie Consorts as will labour by their pleasant conceits to remove from you the remembrance of the evill day but esteeme not those conceits for good which strive to estrange from your conceit the chiefest good Let it be your task every day to provide your selves against the evill day so shall not the evill day when it commeth affright you nor the terrours of death prevaile against you nor the last summâ—ns perplex you nor the burning Lake consume you O what sharpe extreme and insuperable taskes would those wofull tormented soules take upon them if they might be freed but one houre from those horrours which they â—ee those tortures which they feele O then while time is granted you omit no time neglect no opportunitie Be instant in season and out of season holding on in the race which is set before you and persevering in every good worke even unto the end Because they that continue unto the end shall be saved What is this life but a minute and lesse than a minute in respect of eternity Yet if this minute be well imployed it will bring you to the fruition of eternitie Short and momentanie are the afflictions of this life yet supported with Patience and subdued with long sufferance they crowne the â—ufferer with glory endlesse Short likewise are the pleasures of this life which as they are of short continuance so bring they forth no other fruit than the bitter pils of repentance whereas in heaven there are pleasures for evermore comforts for evermore joyes for evermore no carnall but cordiall joy no laughter of the body but of the heart for though the righteous sorrow their sorrow ends when they end but joy shall come upon them without end O meditate of these in your beds and in your fields when you are journeying on the way and when you are sojourning in your houses where compare your Court-dalliance with these pleasures and you shall find all your rioting triumphs and revelling to be rather occasions of sorrowing than solacing mourning than rejoycing Bathe you in your Stoues or repose you in your Arbours these cannot allay the least pang of an afflicted conscience O then so live every day as you may die to sinne every day that as you are ennobled by your descent on earth you may be ennobled in heaven after your descent to earth Laus Deo Totum hoc ut à te venit totum ad te redeat A Gentleman IS a Man of himselfe without the addition of either Taylor Millener Seamster or Haberdasher Actions of goodnesse he holds his supreme happinesse The fate of a younger brother cannot depresse his thoughts below his elder He scornes basenesse more than want and holds Noblenesse his sole worth A Crest displayes his house but his owne actions expresse himselfe Hee scornes pride as a derogation to Gentry and walkes with so pure a soule as he makes uprightnesse the honour of his Familie He wonders at a profuse foole that he should spend when honest frugalitie bids him spare and no lesse at a miserable Crone who spares when reputation bids him spend Though heire of no great fortunes yet his extensive hand will not shew it Hee shapes his coat to his cloth and scornes as much to be beholden as to be a Gally-slave He hath beene youthfull but his maturer experience hath so ripened him as he hates to become either Gull or Cheat. His disposition is so generous as others happinesse cannot make him repine nor any occurrent save sinne make him repent He admires nothing more than a constant spirit derides nothing more than a recreant condition embraceth nothing with more intimacie than a prepared resolution Amongst men he hates no lesse to be uncivill than in his feare to God-ward to be servile Education hee holds a second Nature which such innate seeds of goodnesse are sowne in him ever improves him seldome or never depraves him Learning hee holds not only an additament but ornament to Gentry No complement gives more accomplishment He intends more the tillage of his minde than his ground yet suffers not that to grow wilde neither He walkes not in the clouds to his friend but to a stranger He eyes the Court with a vertuous and noble contemplation and dis-values him most whose sense consists in sent Hee viewes the City with a princely command of his affections No object can with-draw him from himselfe or so distract his desires as to covet ought unworthily or so intraunce his thoughts as to admire ought servilely He lives in the Countrey without thought of oppression makes every evening his dayes Ephemeris If his neighbours field flourish he doth not envy it if it lie fit for him he scornes to covet it There is not that place he sees nor that pleasure he enjoyes whereof he makes not some singular use to his owne good and Gods glory Vocation hee admits of walking in it with so generous and religious a care as hee makes Pietie his Practice acts of Charitie his Exercise and the benefit of others his sole solace Hee understands that neither health commeth from the clouds without seeking nor wealth from the clods without digging He recommends himselfe therefore in the morning to Gods protection and favour that all the day long hee may more prosperously succeed in his labour He holds idlenesse to be the very moth of mans time Day by day therefore hath he his taske imposed that the poison of idlenesse may be better avoided He holds as Gods opportunitie is mans extremitie so mans securitie is the Devils opportunitie Hoping therefore he feares fearing he takes heed and taking heed he becomes safe Hospitalitie he holds a relique of Gentry He harbours no passion but compassion He grieves no lesse at anothers losse than his owne nor joyes lesse in anothers successe than his owne peculiar Recreation he useth to refresh him but not surprize him Delights cannot divert him from a more serious occasion neither can any houre-beguiling pastime divide him from an higher contemplation For honest pleasures he is neither so Stoicall as wholly to contemne them nor so Epicureall as too sensually to affect them There is no delight on mountaine vale coppice or river whereof he makes not an usefull and contemplative pleasure Recreation he admits not to satisfie his sense but solace himselfe Hee fixeth his minde on some other subject when any pleasure begins too strongly to worke upon him He would take it but not be taken by it Hee attempers his attractivest pastimes with a little Alloes to weane him all the sooner from their sweetnesse He scornes that a moment of content should deprive him of an eternitie of comfort He corrects therefore his humour in the desire of pleasure that he may come off with more honour Acquaintance he entertaines with feare but retaines with fervour He consorts with none but where he presumes he may either better them or