with sicknesse and age 2 Cor. 5.1 Knowing that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven It is by hope that the Martyrs all that suffer for righteousnesse see the crown layd on the top of their crosse and rejoyce in this promise of their Saviour Matth. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven By hope we behave ourselves wisely in prosperity 1 Cor. 7.31 using this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Hope beats down pride refraines lust and weans our hearts from the world Worldly hope disordereth the soul and makes a man go out of himself depending of the future and losing the present and is alwayes wavering and feaverish But heavenly hope although it transport the soul above herself and make her depend upon future goods sets her neverthelesse in a quiet steady frame because the soul rising to God receiveth God who makes her his home so that a man by hope enjoyes beforehand part of the goods which he aspires unto Hope groweth like rivers more and more as it draweth neerer the end of its course And when it hath brought the godly soul into the Ocean of felicity there it loseth the name of Hope and becomes Enjoyment CHAP. VIII Of the duty of Praising God SInce wee already embrace eternal goods by hope as wee desire to beginne now the joyes of heaven we must resolve to beginne the dutyes of that blessed Estate To seeke the first without the second would be an ungenerous disposition and an impossible undertaking If wee apprehend aright that the felicity of man consisteth in his duty and that the glory of the blessed Saints in heaven consisteth in glorifying God we will seeke in that great duty our felicity and delight to sing our part even in this life in the hymnes of those glorious spirits Nothing gives to the soule so great a peace Nothing elevateth the soule to such a Paradice like Joy The love of God is preferred before faith and hope because these seeke their owne good but that seeketh Gods glory Which to a godly soule being much more considerable then her owne happines yet is found to be the soveraigne happines of him that seekes it before his owne good Neither is there any more certaine and compendious way to get glory to ourselves then to seeke Gods onely glory In this then the godly man must delight and can never want matter for it all things giving him occasion to praise God either for his mercy to his children or his justice to his enemies or his power and wisedome eminently shining in all his workes or the infinite perfection that abideth in himselfe God hath made all creatures for his praise and none of his material creatures can praise him but man onely And of all men none but the godly praise him Or if others doe it for company it becomes them not neither are their praises accepted Then upon the godly lyeth the whole taske to praise God for other creatures that cannot or will not praise him But that taske is all pleasure as nothing is more just so nothing is more delightfull then that duty Look about upon the fields richly clad with the plenty and variety of nature Looke up to heaven and admire that great light of the world the Sun so wonderfull in his splendour vertue and swift nesse When he is set looke upon the gloryes of the night the Moone and the starres like so many bright jewels set off by the black ground of the skie and setting forth the magnificence of their maker See how some of them keep ea certaine distance among themselves marching together without the least breaking of their ranks some follow their particular courses but all are true to their motions equal and infallible in their regulated periods Then being amazed and dazelled with that broad light of Gods greatnes and wisedome let every one make this question to himselfe Why doeth God make me a beholder of his workes Why among so many different creatures hath he made me one of that onely kinde to whom he hath given reason to know and admire the workman a will to love him a tongue to praise him Is it not that I might render him these duties in the name of all his other workes And to this duty I am obliged by the lawes of thankfulnes since all these other workes are for me good reason then that I should be for God lending my tongue and my heart to the whole universe to love praise and blesse the great and good authour of this rich and beautiful Nature O the greatnes the goodnes the wisedome of the incomprehensible Creatour And among all his attributes manifested in this admirable workmanship O how his tender mercies are over all his workes How every part of this great work is compleat How all the parts are well sorted together helping and sustaining one another with a wise Oeconomy O if the worke be so perfect what must the workman be If the streames be so cleare what must the source be Upon these if wee fix our meditation with a holy attention wee shall heare that speech which St John heard being rapt up in spirit Rev. 5.3 I heard saith he every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them saying Blessing honour glory and power unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever From Nature looking to Providence let us observe how notwithstanding the opposition of spiritual malices and the preversnesse and blindnesse of men yea and by these very things God advanceth his glory maintaineth his truth and formeth a secret order in confusion For the execution of his decrees a Million of engines are set on work subordinate or co-ordinate among themselves wherby things most remote yet meet in the order of causes to produce the effects appointed in Gods counsel Where the chief matter of wonder is that many of these causes are free agents which doing what they will bring forth most part of the time that which they will not and by the uncertainty of their giddy agitations arrive to the certain End determined by God Who can comprehend the innumerable multitude of the accidents of the world all written in Gods Book and dispensed by his providence that infinitely capacious and ever watchfull wisdom ever in action though ever at rest which by the order he gives to the greatest things is not distracted from the care of the least He makes the heavens to move and the earth to bear and disposeth of peace
cheerefully out of hope of eternal felicity after death It is pittiful to behold what paine these old Philosophers tooke to arme themselves against death and how the seeming lofty peace wherewith they marcht towards death is like that of a starting hors blowing and pricking up his eares at the entry of a dark place whereas the good Christian goeth gently to it with simplicity joy and considence Why the Pagans knew not whither they went and conceived of death as of a ghastly darke denne but the right Christian seeth his way and thinking of death saith I know whom I have beleeved He gives thankes to the father who hath made him meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light His desire is to depart and to be with Christ remembring that Christ went before and sayd to all his disciples both present and to come when he went up to heaven I goe to prepare a place for you So whereas pagan Philosophy seekes comforts against death Christian Philosophy presenteth death as a comfort Fellons condemned to the gallowes heare not with so much joy the grace and pardon that giveth them life as good Christians heare the glad tidings of their approaching death for death is a grace unto them since it opens them the prison doore If they be dangerously sick the way to cheere them up is not to say Be of good heart you shall recover but be of good heart you must dye for they conceive of death as of their haven of salvation after a stormy voyage That hope sweetens all their Adversities It is a corke that keepes up their spirits above the most raging waves not suffering it to sinke under any sorrow It is the charme of all cares which makes the Christian to say when he loseth his earthly goods Now I am unloaden of that luggage I am the lighter for my journey to the Kingdome of heaven and there I have my true goods which no man can take from me So were the Hebrewes disposed that received with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 This also makes the Christian disgest injuries and contemne contempt saying Earth is not the Country where am I to expect glory I shall have enough in heaven shortly I am little concerned in the Opinion of men during this life of few dayes and I am yet lesse concerned in that they shall say of me after my death Of all sufferings the sufferings for righteousness have the surest comfort Christ saying so expresly Matth. 5.10.12 Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of God Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven Since by many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of heaven we perceive by the thornes which we were told we should finde in the way that we are in the right Any way is pleasant that leads us to salvation Finally this heavenly hope abates the tediousnesse of sickness and the chagreene of old age For the godly soul finding her house of flesh ready to fall prepareth herself with joy to come out at the breach and finding the race of this life neere done stretcheth herselfe towards the prize which the great Saviour holds her up from heaven Thus faith is found to be the most sublime Philosophy for it takes off the heart from things transitory and raiseth it up to the eternall It is the chiefe valour for it is victor over dolour and armeth the weake with invincible strength It makes the Christian to walke in the midst of calamities with a resolute and undanted march and to grow familiar with death finding in the principall subject of humane feares the great subject of his confidence and joy and in the cross a ladder to glory OF PEACE AND CONTENTMENT OF MIND FIFTH BOOK Of Peace in Society CHAPTER I. Of Concord with all men and of Meeknesse OUr first Book hath bin imployed about the Peace of man with God The three following about the peace of man with himselfe To confirme himselfe in these his next care must be to have peace with his owne kind For in vaine should we hope to keepe peace with God and our owne selves if we live in wilfull discord with our neighbours these are things altogether inconsistent If a man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can he love God whom he hath not seene and if a man be at odds with God and his brother how can he have peace at home We are commanded to follow peace with all men Heb. 12.14 Which because it is more easy to follow then to obtaines the Apostle St. Paul prepares us to meet with opposition by these termes If it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men Rom. 12.18 Now what lyeth in us with Gods assisting grace to live peaceably with all men is exprest in two counsels in the words next before The first is to recompense no man evill for evill It is impossible to go through the croud of the world and not to be thrust Fooles returne the like and thrust againe and thrusting brings striking The wise passe quiet and unconcerned As we must beare one with another for Gods sake that commands it we must do it for our own sake to keep tranquillity of mind the losse whereof cannot be recompenced by any satisfaction of revenge if revenge ever brought any Most part of injuries consisting in opinion the remedy consisteth in the same They hurt not him that resents them not Injuriarum remedium est oblivio But if the injury bee such that we must needs resent it Pardoning is the best resenting and the honorablest revenge of all is To recompence good for evill The other counsell is Provide things honest in the sight of all men For whether we live with good or bad men which are the greater number it were impossible for us to compasse all our designes if they were layd open in the sight of all men they must be so honest that when they are ripe for the knowledge of all men we need not be ashamed of them And if in the following of honest and beneficial designes we meete with opposition we must behave ourselves with so much meekenes that we make it appeare that we seeke not our advantage by the ruine of others and together with so much vigour that none be encouraged by our pusillanimity to crosse us There is no harder taske then to keepe ourselves free from dissention in this age which may be called the reigne of discord Here then wee must bestow the greater care to keep tranquillity in our conversation and more in our minde As for publique quarrels a wise man will wedde himselfe to no party with eagernes and if it be possible he will looke upon the game and himselfe
who makes Religion a generality of all good in this pregnant text Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest vvhatsoever things are just vvhatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things I hope with Gods helpe to justifie that unto true piety it properly belongs to set a man at peace with God with himselfe and with his neighbours to set a right order in his soul by rectifying his opinions and governing his passions to make him moderate in prosperity and patient in adversity wise tranquill generous and cheerefull as long as he liveth and glorious after his death In these few words I have set downe the argument and order of this Booke If all these are within the precincts of piety very little will remaine for humane wisedome separate from religious to make a man vertuous and happy Charron very wittily alledgeth that many Philosophers have been good and vertuous and yet irreligious To which the answer is that it is an indulgence when they are called good and vertuous without the knowledge and love of the divine and saving truth and that such of them as have been neerest to that title had reverend opinions of the God-head and despised the silly superstitions of that age Also that their want of religion hath made their pretended vertue maimed and monstrous as in the case of killing ones selfe which Charron after Montagne esteeme two much and dares not condemne it without a preface of reverence and admiration This he hath got by separating Vertue from Religion proving by his example that Nature without grace cannot but stumble in the darke and that to guide ones selfe it is not enough to have good eyes but there is neede of the light from above Whereas we should make a faithfull restitution to Religion of all that is vertuous in Pagan Phylosophy as descended from the Father of lights and belonging to the patrimony of the Church this man does the clean contrary robbing Religion of those things which are most essentiall to her to bestow them upon humane wisedome solliciting vertue to shake off her subjection to Religion her mother and Soveraine and to make her selfe absolute and independent Himselfe forgets to whom he oweth that wisedome of which he writes In the Schoole of Religion he had got his best learning to Religion also hee should have done his homage for it Can all the Bookes of humane wisedome afford such a sublime Philosophy aâ— that of the Lord Jesus when hee teacheth us to be prudent as serpents and harmelesse as doves Not to feare them that kill the body and cannot kill the Soul Not to care for the morrow because God cares for it and because to every day is sufficient the affliction thereof Not to lay up treasures in earth where the moth and the rust spoyle all but in Heaven where they spoyle nothing And when he brings us to the schoole of Nature sometimes to weane us from covetous cares by the examples of Lillies of the field which God cloatheth and of the birds of the aire which he feedeth sometimes to perswade us to doe good to our enemies because God makes his Sun to rise upon good and evill and his raine to fall upon the just and unjust How many lessons and examples doe wee finde in Scripture of heroicall magnanimity Such is the Philosophy of St. Paul who professed that when hee was weake then he was strong and that he fainted not because that while the outward man decayed the inward was renewed day by day Such is the Philosophy of the Hebrewes who bore with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had a better and an induring substance Such also is the Phylosophy of David who was confident never to be removed because God was at his right hand and taking him for the portion of his inheritance he looked through death and the grave to the glorious presence of Gods face and the pleasures as his right hand for evermore This is Theologicall wisedome Is it all frowning chagreene austere servile sad timorous and vulgar Is it not all free chearefull lofty noble generous and rare Let us acknowledge that it is the onely wisedome that makes man free and content If the Sonne of God set us free we shall be free indeed Out of him there is nothing but slavery and anguish Satan the great enemy of God and men could not have devised a more effectuall course to disgrace godlinesse and cast men headlong into perdition then to separate wisedome from religion and portray religious wisedome weeping trembling with a frighted looke and hooded with superflition They that take so much paines to prove that religion and wisedome are things altogether different have a great mind to say if they durst that they are altogether contrary And if any be perswaded by Charron that to be wise and vertuous one needs not be religious he will come of himselfe to beleeve that he that would be religious cannot bee wise and vertuous Certainely who so conceiveth once religious wisedome in that sad servile and timorous Idea which Charron assignes to her must needs think that wisedome and vertue lose their name and goe from their nature when they will be religious There is then nothing more necessary in this age in which Atheisme is dogmatizing and speaking bigge then to demonstrate that the beginning and accomplishment of wisedome is the feare of God And in stead of that prodigious method to withdraw men from religion that is from God to make them wise and content that truth must be prest unto the heart that a man cannot be wise and content but by joyning himselfe with God by a religious beliefe love and obedience That we fall not into a contrary extreme wee must take heede of robbing humane wisedome of her office and praise And we must acknowledge that she needs to be imployed about many things in which piety is not an actour but an overseer But piety must never bee severed from her for where shee gives no rules yet shee sets limits Piety must bee mistresse every where humane wisedome the servant Now it is the servants duty to do many things which the mistresse wil not put her hand to standing more upon her dignity then to descend to inferiour offices In which although piety hath no hand yet she hath an eye to them and lets nothing scape her knowledge On the other side humane wisedome confines not herselfe to inferiour offices but assisteth Piety in the highest She doth her good service when she keepes in her owne ranck But she goeth out of it when she presumes to governe her Mistresse subjecting faith to reason and conscience to worldly interesses In this Treatise I consider piety and wisedome as the meanes to obtaine the peace of the soule and contentment of minde Not to vote for the
that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened When this direfull remembrance sinkes into a conscience how man was put out of Paradice and Cherubims were placed at the gate with aflaming sword to keepe him out that he may not finde the way to the tree of life it is enough to sinke one downe with feare and anguish and make him cry out standing upon the brink of despaire Must I be driven away from God for ever and what way is left for me to returne to the tree of life without which I cannot shunne eternal perdition Upon that perplexity Prayer comes and offers her helpe saying I will bring thee thither and will goe with thee without any let of the flaming sword for I know a way to the tree of life where the terrour of the law doth not keep the passage the sonne of God who is the way the truth and the life hath made me way unto the throne of grace to which I goe with full assurance to obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need This freedome of prayer to approach unto God was in some sort represented by the sacrifices That they were figures of prayers wee learne it out of the Psalme 141 where David beseecheth God that his prayer may be set forth as incense and the lifting up of his hands as the evening sacrifice Ps 141.2 As then the smoake of the sacrifices did mount up toward heaven which is a way which cannot be stopt likewise faithfull prayers have at all times a free passage to heaven and although Satan be called the Prince of the aire he cannot disturbe them in the way But that they may reach to heaven the incense of the merit of Christ must be layd over the sacrifice of prayer To that holy duty wee are encouraged by Gods commandement and promise Both are in this text Ps 50.12 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shall glorifie me And so in this Come unto me saith Gods eternal Sonne all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will ease you Math. 11.28 None that prayeth to the father through the merit of the Sonne returnes empty For either he giveth us what we do aske or what wee ought to aske and that which is fit for us He that keepeth that holy correspondence with God is never dejected with sorrow or perplexed with feare for he finds in that divine communication a plaister to all his sores and an inexhaustible well of life and joy David had found it so when he sayd Ps 16 I have set the Lord allwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shal rest in hope By prayer wee ground our soules in faith raise them with hope inflame them with charity possesse them with patience during our life and yeeld them to God with joy in our last breath To reape these benefits by prayer wee must understand well the right use of prayer which is double It serveth to aske of God our necessities both of body and soule for since in him wee live and moove and have our being wee must continually seeke to him by prayer of whom wee continually depend But the noblest and most proper use of prayer is to glorifie God and converse with him because wee love him and because he is most perfect and most worthy to be beloved coming to that holy duty not as a taske but an honour the greatest honour and delight that a creature can be capable of in this world stealing away from affaires and companies to enjoy that pleasant and honorable conversation as lovers will steale away from all employments to entertaine their best beloved For what is sweet in the world in comparison of this sweetnes what is honorable compared to this honour to have familiarity with God and be admitted to his presence at any time to be received of him as his children and when wee lift up our affections to heaven the habitation of his glory to finde that himselfe is come to meete us in our heart and hath made it another heaven by his gracious presence In that meditation a faithfull man will call Gods benefits to minde and to conceive their excellency to his power he will from the consideration of Gods grace reflect upon that of his owne naturall condition sometimes criminal miserable and Gods enemy but now through Gods preventing love and unspeakable mercy changed into the quality of child of God and heire of his kingdome He hath bin provoked to pity us by the depth of our misery wherefore in all reason wee must be provoked to thankfulness by the height of his mercy And this is the chiefe employment of prayer an employment which paying our duty brings our felicity and though wee have payd but what wee owe and scarce that giveth us a present payment for the duty which wee have payd O what a heavenly delight it is to lose ones selfe in the thought of Gods mercyes which are beyond all reckoning and above all imagining and to say to him after David Ps 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderfull workes and thy thoughts which are to us ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee v. 8 If I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy law is with in my heart Ps 86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord I will walke in thy truth unite my heart to feare thy name I will praise thee O Lord my God withall my heart and will glorifie thy name for evermore for great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest hell Such a conversation with God to rejoyce in his love praise him for his graces and crave the leading of his spirit to walke before him unto all pleasing is an imitation of the perpetual imployment of Angels and glorified Saints It is a beginning of the Kingdome of heaven in this life In it consisteth the true peace of the soule and the solid contentment of minde CHAP. V. Of the love of God BEing entred into the meditation of the love of God let us stay upon it It is good for us to be here let us make here three tabernacles And more reason have wee so to speak in this occasion then St. Peter when he saw Christ transfigured in the Mount For by planting his abode there he could not have made Christ to doe the like nor given a settled continuance to that short bright lightning of glory But by our meditation upon the love of God wee make him to stay with us and our soul is transfigured with him being filled with his grace and his peace and already enlivened with a beame of his glory Now because the ground the spring and the cause of the love that
are either the goods of fortune as they are called which are riches honour friends and family Or goods of the body as beauty strength health pleasure and life it selfe As these things depend not of us no more do their contraryes poverty dishoner enemyes losse of friends deformity paine sicknesse and death When one hath those former at will that state is called prosperity the latter passe under the name of adversity The things that depend of us or rather of the grace of God in us which becomes the best part of ourselves are piety honesty wisedome diligence and their contraries depend of us also yet with some dependance from outward agents the world and the Devill There be other things of a mildle rank which partly depend of us partly not and therefore are ours onely in part as learning and capacity where industry and diligence may do much but nothing against or without nature and they are lost by age and sicknesse and other outward causes Let us review this order with more leasure and weigh the price and inconvenience of each thing for without that it is impossible to behave our selves about them with a judicious tranquillity We beginne with things belonging to prosperity CHAP. III. Of Riches OF things that depend not of us the most remote from us are the goods of fortune The goods of the body are neerer for our body is the house of our minde which is our trueselfe and whose goods are properly ours Yet such is the imprudence of men that they are most busy about that which is most remote and neglect that which is neerest and most essential to them for the goods of the body neglecting those of the minde and for the goods of fortune neglecting those of the body They will forfeit their conscience to please and serve their body and hazard their body to get or preserve the goods of fortune Whereas they should follow a clean contrary order hazarding and neglecting their body if need be for the good of the mind and the goods of fortune for both Here I say once for all that by fortune I understand not blind chance since Gods providence rules all but the exteriour of a mans condition as it is distinct from those things which properly belong to the body and the mind So farre I will comply with the humour of the world as to speak of riches in the first place for it is that they seek before all things shewing by their actions which alwayes must be beleeved rather then words that they hold it the first and chiefe good Pecunia ingens generis humani bonum An errour that hath provoked some to oppose it with another errour saying that money is the root of all evill St. Paul decides the difference saying that the love of money is the roote of all evill 1 Tim. 6. the love of money not money it selfe It is not wealth that doth the mischiefe but the weaknesse of men that cannot wield it coveting it with greedinesse purchasing it with wicked wayes imploying it in unjust actions keeping it with trouble and losing it with despaire Riches are good but in the lowest rank of all goods for they have no place among laudable goods there being no praise to be rich Nor among goods desirable for their own sake for they are desired because of other things It is not nature but custome and fancy that giveth price unto gold silver instead of which shells are used for commerce in some part of the East Indyes But for fancy a barre of Iron would be more precious then a wedge of Gold In one point as indeed in all other respects money is inferiour to other goods as health honour and wisedome that whereas one may enjoy them by keeping and increase them by using one must lose his money to enjoy it and part with it to use it But in two things especially the imperfection of riches is seen that they satisfye not the desire and that in the greatest need which is the redemption of the soul they are of no use rather a hindrance True goods are those that make the possessors good which riches do not They are indeed instruments of good in the hands of those that can uve them well But they are instruments of evill in the hands of those that know not how to use them And the number of these last being the greater by farre riches do much more evill then good in the world They stirre up folly lust and pride and open a wide gate to wickednesse yet themselves not wicked of their nature To a well composed and disposed minde they are excellent helps to vertue for they afford meanes for good education and matter for good actions Wisedome and riches together is a faire match The rich and wise Solomon speakes thus of it by his experience Eccl. 7.11 Wisdome is good with an inheritance and by them there is profit to them that see the Sunne for wisedome is a defence and money is a defence the excellency of knowledge is that wisdome gives life to them that have it The French version of that Text saith that Riches cover the owners So they do but it is as the shell covers a snaile for they are a heavy toilesome luggage wherewith a man can advance but slowly and without which he cannot goe And if they shelter him from some injuries they expose him to other they provoke envy and are a faire butt for fraude and insolency So to go one step further in the comparison that shelter may be broken upon a mans back and he crusht under it To know the just price of riches reckon what they cost both to get and to keepe what paines there is to get them what danger and care in the keeping what unsatisfaction in the enjoying what uncertainty in the possession Prov. 23.6 for they make themselves wings saith Solomon which no humane art can clip A thousand accidents which no prudent forecast can prevent make them suddenly flee away The worst is that they distract the minde from the true goods for they that have got them and possesse them most innocently if they will preserve them and keepe them from sinking which they will naturally do must apply their mind to them and much more if they will increase them Which interposition of the earth cannot but eclipse the cleare light of the minde and hide heaven from the sight of the soul This made the Lord Jesus to speak this sentence confirmed with an oath and a repetition Matth. 19.23 Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of heaven And againe I say unto you It is easier for a Camell to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God And truly although riches of themselves be not evill but be as the minde of him that possesseth them is good to him that useth them well evill to him that useth them ill yet
tottering standing especially in a croud where all justle against him to make him fall A Crowne loads a Kings head and covers it not but le ts in on all sides the arrowes that are shot against it There is no need of deep Philosophy to be free from the desire of it and of all places of great respect and great busines One needs but know them and love himselfe All great dignities are great miseries It must needs be that there is some fatality for the subsistence of the general that sets-on men to thrust blindly forward for high dignities Otherwise men being all voluptuous lovers of themselvs would not take so much labour as to climb up with hands and feet unto their misfortune A wise man will love his own rest better then to crowd for dignities choosing rather to sit upon lower steps and to owe his tranquillity to his obscurity He will esteeme no honour or great imployment worth losing the liberty of meditation and the holy and heavenly conversation with God for who would come from heaven to be toyling in the earth As valleys have lesse wind and more heat of the Sunne then mountaines so the low condition hath lesse agitation then the high and the rayes of the Snune of righteousnesse will commonly shine upon it more graciously and powerfully Nobility of extraction being nothing in nature the same is true also of meane blood both consist in Opinion and yet not in opinion of the persons concerned but of others which to any wiseman must be of very smal consideration In any condition one may have natural nobility consisting in a meeke and magnanimous disposition apt to the knowledge of great things and so well seasoned with vertue By that description how many ignoble persons will be found among the Noble by extraction and how many noble among persons of meane descent God deliver us from Gentlemen of the savage kinde that make nobility to consist in barbarousnesse idlenesse and contempt of divine and humane lawes and from ignobleupstarts who to approve themselves Gentlemen strive to outdoe them that are so in pride and licentiousnesse But there is a nobility infinitely above the best natural nobility I bring not the Cvil within this comparison it is nothing but fortune and Opinion That high transcendent nobility is but to be the child of God by Jesus Christ and heire of his Kingdome The titles of that nobility are from all eternity and will be to all eternity and by it a man riseth so high as to become partaker of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 saith St. Peter Who so hath the patents of that nobility and makes himselfe sure of them by a lively faith working by love is neither puft up nor beaten downe with his temporal condition He will look with contempt upon the vulgar contentions about the first place much like the emulation of horses striving who should go the formest of a company And truly it is a quality of good horses not of good men A man honoured with spiritual nobility if he have temporal nobility besides must keep his degree but esteeme it too low to glory in it And if he have not that worldly advantage he will be content with the heavenly knowing that being one of Gods children he cannot be further ennobled As we that live upon Earth find it very great and see the Sunne very little although it be a hundred and threescore times greater then the Earth Likewise to men altogether earthy the honours of the earth seeme very great and the heavenly nobility but a small thing But if from the Orbe of the Sun the Earth may be seene as it is very likely no doubt but it appeares a very small thing as lesser then most of the visible Starres Worldly honours appeare lesser yet to him that hath the true sence of his heavenly nobility and lookes upon Earth as it were from Heaven The time draweth nigh that will make Kings and Beggers alike in the dust CHAP. XI Of Dishonour REal dishonour is within and consisteth in viciousnesse and indignity of the person for by it a man is separate from God the scource of honour out of whom there is nothing but dishonour and misery But the dishonour which we are here to consider is out of the person and consisteth in the Opinion of others These two sorts of dishonour do not meet alwayes for many that are vicious and infamous before God are honoured of men even because they are vicious and others that are good honoured with Gods love are blamed and dishonored of men even because they are good So erroneous and fantasticall is the judgement of the multitude We have already found that therenowne and praise that men give is but winde that is enough to judge that the blame and infamy which they give is of the same substance It is such an imaginary evill that it is almost impossible to find out in what subject it subsisteth It is not in him that is blamed for what is that to him that is in the grave or to him that is alive and knowes it not or careth not for it It is not also in him that blameth for it proceeds indeed from him but subsisteth not in him else he that blameth another for a murther should be a murtherer himselfe If then the blame subsist neither in the blamed nor in the blamer where shall wee finde its subsistence betweene both It may be conceived that it subsisteth in the blamed person because it sticks so fast many times to him and penetrates so deep that it kills him with sorrow Yea but to speak properly and truly it is not the blame that doth the harme but the imagination of the blamed prevented with an erronious Opinion which makes a man fansy an evil where there is none and do to himselfe that harme which none could have done him but himselfe And is not that voluntary paine which is not felt unlesse a man have a minde to feele it God give me never greater evills then those that cannot hurt me unlesse I will be hurt and have need to begge my consent and my hand to give me the blow A wise man will despise not onely that imaginary evil but even the remedy For what need of a plaister where there is no sore When his friends come to him to comfort him because that some have spoken ill of him he will desire then to apply the remedy where the disease is even to the rashnes of the judgement of those weake persons and to the intemperance of their tongue And will think that their applying a balsome of consolations to his heart for a sicknesse in his neighbours braines no lesse strange and extravagant then if they would warme his bed because his horse hath a cold This is indeed the right reasoning when the thing is considered in its proper and bare nature but because the world being prepossest with a wrong opinion of a worthy man may be perswaded to
substance and intellectual faculties of our soul of immortal nature which cannot be so offuscated with the mists of the flesh but she is cleared of them when she is freed of the body The other is that supernatural wisedome when it pleaseth God to endow our minde with it even his knowledge his love conformity of our will unto his will and faith in his promises Of other ornaments of the soul we cannot certainly say what we shall keep and what we shall lose It will be therefore wifely and thriftily done to labour for that which wee may be sure to keep when we have got it and of which death that takes away all other possessions shall deliver us a full possession It is a great discouragment to them that stretch their braines upon Algebra and Logarithmes and arguments in Frisesmo as it were upon tenterhookes to think that all that learning so hard to get will bee lost in a moment Who would take the paines to load himselfe with it seeing that it gives nothing but vexation in this life and leaves in the soul neither benefit nor trace after death unlesse it be the guilt sticking to the soul to have mispent the strength of wit upon negotious vanities and neglected good studies Yet am I not so austere and peremptory as to despise all the spiritual endowments which we are not sure to keep after death For many of them are such that as we are not certaine to keep them after death so we are not certaine to lose them by death Many of those perishable ornaments are neverthelesse good gifts of God But our minde must be so disposed that in these several ornaments of the soul we seek a contentment proportionate to the assurance that we have of their abiding with us We are most certaine that the knowledge and love of God are permanent possessions and impart to their possessor their permanency there then let us apply our study and place our permanent content We are not certaine whether the other spiritual ornaments will continue with us after this life Then let us not bestow our principal study about those things which we are not sure to keepe nor place our chiefe content in them Let the Soul lose none of her advantages let her glory in her eternall goods and there fixe herselfe Let her rejoyce also in those goods which she hath for a time according to their just value which must be measured by their use Before we consider the several ornaments of the soul more particularly we must consider her substance and faculties The Soul is immateriall and Spirituall bearing in her substance the image of her creator and more yet in her faculties and naturall endowments which before her fall were in an eminent degree of perfection for to be made after the likeness of God includeth all perfection in so much that this high expression to be adequate unto man hath need to be contracted to the proportion of a created nature Of that primitive perfection the traces are evident still in that reasoning quicknesse and universal capacity that goeth through all things and compasseth all things that remembreth things past that provideth for things to come that inventeth judgeth ordereth and brings forth ingenious and admirable workes The principal is that the soul is capable to know God love him commune with him A priviledge special to Angels Souls of men above all creatures as likewise they are the only creatures capable of permanency which is a participation with Gods eternity such as finite natures may admit Humility would not give us leave to conceive high enough of the price of our soul but that the onely Sonne of God God himselfe blessed for evermore hath shewed the high account that he made of her So high that he thought it worth his taking the like nature in the forme of a servant and suffering death with the extremity of paine and ignominy that he might recover and save her when she had lost herselfe The soul being of such an excellent nature and after her decayes by sinne restored to her primitive excellency by grace is a rich possession to herselfe when God gives us the wisedome to obey that evangelical and truly Philosophical precept of Christ Luk. 21.19 In your patience possesse your soules not giving leave to the impatience of cupidity and feare to steal that possession from us But the soul never hath the right possession of herselfe till she have the possession of God To possesse God and to possesse our soul is all one for the spirit cannot be free nor happy nor his owne but by his union with his original Being whereby God and the soul have a mutual possession one of another A blessed union begun in earth by grace and perfected in heaven by glory The contrary state which is to be separated from God is the perdition of a man and the extremity of bondage want and misery Here to undertake an exact anatomy of the soul would be besides my theame and more yet beyond the possibility of right performance For as the eye cannot see it selfe the spirit of man cannot looke into his owne composure and in all the Philosophical discourses upon that subject I finde nothing but conjectural It is more profitable and easy to learne the right government then the natural structure of the soul It is part of the knowledge of the soul to know that she cannot be known and that her incomprehensiblenesse is a lineament of her Creatours image The spirit of man is more quick and stirring then clearsighted and many times is like a Faulcon that flyeth up with his hood on He hath a good wing but he is hood winkt How many wits take a high flight and know not where they be And where shall you finde one that understands thoroughly the matter that he speakes of The Authors that write of all animals and plants understand not the nature of a caterpiller or a lettice how then shall they understand the nature of intellectual substances Certainly all our Philosophy of the nature of things is but seeking and guessing Job 8.9 We are but of yesterday and know nothing because our dayes upon earth are as a shadow saith Bildad Our life is a shadow because it is transitory but more because it is dark The Earth where we live is inwrapt in clouds and our soul in ignorance as long as we live upon earth and yet we are as resolute and affirmative in our Opinions as if we had pitcht our Tabernacle in the Sunne We could not speak with more authority if we were possest as God is with the original Idea's and the very being of things A wise and moderate man will not be carryed away by that presumption neither of others nor his owne but with humility will acknowledge the blind and rash nature of the spirit of man that knoweth nothing and determines of all things that undertakes all and brings nothing to an end Pure truth and full wisedome
with covetuousnesse desire of superfluities but keepe within the bounds of nature and necessity Where there is a compleat vertue there is neither fortitude nor temperance Therefore these are not in God who is the original vertue He hath no need of fortitude for he hath no danger to overcome and no use of temperance for he hath no affection that need to be restrained whence it followes that man also when he is once brought to his perfection of vertue which is his full union with God shall have neither fortitude nor temperance as having no evill to oppose and no â—upidity to represse Justice is the onely vertue that outliveth the body and lives eternally with God not that justice establisht in the Polities of the world for in heaven there is neither selling nor contracting which are the subjects of communicative justice And as for the distributive which hath two offices to recompence vertue to punish vice humane justice exerciseth but the last recompence is accounted an act of grace and is rare Whereas Gods justice regardeth so much more reward then punishment as a thousand is more then three or foure as it is exprest in the precept against Idolatry Exod 20.5 and 6. That justice of good Christians which outliveth temporall life is the uprightnesse of their will which in the passage of the soul to the high seat of perfection will be wonderfully mended and sublimated While the spirit liveth in the flesh though the will were never disturbed from its uprightnesse by the tumult of passions yet it could not be raised to a degree of uprightnesse above the proportion of the illumination of of the understanding Now the understanding is obscured in this world with a mist of errour receiving but some few rayes of the Sun of righteousnesse through a cloud I like very well the setting forth of a faire and compleat notion of Vertue filling the soul with joy which is not a chimera and a fiction for every good soul must once be really brought to that perfection in his finall union with God who is the soveraigne good of man the originall perfection and vertue in substance But I wish together that while we set before the eyes of men a high character of a wise vertuous man compleat happy in himselfe we put them in mind of the fickly condition of mans soul as long as she dwels in the flesh that none be deceived with those Idea's of imaginary perfection which Pagan Philosophers ascribe to the wise man living according to nature To the Christian onely it becomes well to describe vertue in a perfect character 2 Pet. 1.4 partaker of the divine nature and though it be above his pitch yet to aspire to it for he knowes whom he hath beleeved and where he may get a perfection exceeding abundantly above all that he askes or thinkes according to the power that worketh in him Ephes 3.20 yea so farre as to be filled with all the fullnesse of God But in the mouth of Philosophers that expect no perfection but from their own nature nor a longer duration of their vertue then of their natural life and of such men there are more in the world then one would think those high expressions of the greatnesse and happinesse of a vertuous man are illegitimate unsuitable and unbecoming for either these characters are true and then they were not made for them or they are productions of a wild and phantasticall pride Seneca describing his wise man saith that he cannot be shaken with any thing and that he marcheth equal with God Alas poore little man Do but discharge a pistol at his eares though charged with powder only you shall see that stout champion which marcheth equal with God mightily shaken and discomposed in his march There needs but the sting of a tarantola to make him skip and dance put his vertue out of tune and turne all his Philosophy upside downe Another was saying virtute mea me involvo I wrap my selfe about with my vertue as if it had bin an armour cannon-proofe and thunderbolt proofe Though it had bin so and impenetrable to temptation besides yet it is not impenetrable to death for these disciples of nature onely pretend not to extend the life of their vertue beyond the life of nature To what purpose all those bravado's for a mortal vertue that the wiseman is alwayes free alwayes rich alwayes happy that he wants nothing because he hath himselfe that he is King of the universe and Master of fortune that in all conditions he is safe stedfast and content and finally that he is alwayes in health but when he hath got a cold as Horace jestingly addeth This is stretching man beyond man That wiseman after al that flourish is a calamitous creature weak needy unstable subject to erre to sinne to suffer and in the end to dye Certainly if among all the Philosophical vertues humility and faith be wanting they serve but to puffe up a man and make him burst and perish Let us before all things humble ourselves before God who is the onely wise and righteous mistrusting ourselves and putting our trust in him Then let us seeke wisedome in his wisedome and to frame our spirit upon it let us implore the assistance of his Spirit After that moral vertues will become easy to learne and pleasant to practise They shall obtaine a good reward in heaven and in earth work their own recompence CHAP. XX. Of the World and Life HAving lookt within and about us and beheld the course of the World in its parts let us now behold it in the great Which may be done two wayes Either in the outward scene of mens actions or in the inward motions of Gods providence that are visible to us in some part In both these respects the World is incomprehensible in the former for its great variety and confusion in the latter for its infinite deepenesse The outward face of the world is a stage of wickednesse vanity and misery Wickednesse is universall for although in Policies there be some face of order and justice without which no society can subsist Yet if one looke to the reality of the actions and intentions of men the two great trades of the World are fraud and oppression There is a general maxime which every man denyeth and every man in a manner practiseth That wisedome consisteth in thriving by other mens harmes Publique and private contracts bonds sureties and hostages are fences against that generall inclination and yet many times are imployed to execute it All securities both by strength and law are grounded upon that Opinion that none abstaines to do harme but he that wants power In the best composed States governed with most integrity particular interesse beares the sway howsoever publique good be pretended Wherefore that is the best forme of State where the more good the Soveraine Magistrate doth to the publique the more he advanceth his owne private interess Rapine is the
to satisfie the desire of temporal things is to abridge it A counsel comprehending these two Not to depend of the future and to be content with little for the present Both are effects of an entire confidence in Gods goodnes and providence Of not depending upon the future I shall have several occasions to speake hereafter To be contented with little is an unspeakable treasure That way one may with much ease get plenty which a covetous man cannot get by heapes of money scraped up with a greedy labour He that desires onely what he can have obtaines easily what he will have And he that desires nothing but what pleaseth God hath obtained it already All things smile on him because he receives all things at the hand of God whom he knowes to be good and wise Little and much are all one to him for both serve alike for contentment as it pleaseth God to extend a blessing upon it Let us apply this to the three principal desires that cause so much tumult and disorder in the world Covetousnes Ambition and Voluptuousnes CHAP. V Of Desire of Wealth and Honour What I have sayd of wealth and honours will persuade any man of good sense that they are not satisfying objects of a mans desire therefore not to be eagerly followed It is our Saviours consequence Luk. 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousnes for mans life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth It is also St Johns consequence who forbids us to love the world and the things that are in it because the world passeth away 1 Joh. 2. These are two powerfull reasons to moderate the desire of the things of this world drawne from their nature The one that they are not necessary the other that they are transitory And yet the covetous and ambitious seeke after them as if life consisted in them or they were to endure for ever Which they cannot thus desire without turning their affection from the onely necessary and permanent thing which is God Matth. 6.24 You cannot serve God and Mammon saith the Lord Iesus For as when a channel is cut for a river in a ground lower then her bed all the water will fall where it finds a slope and leaves her former channel dry Likewise the desire of man whose true channel is the love of God will turne the whole affection of the soule towards low earthly things when that slope descent of covetousnes and ambition is made in the heart and nothing is left for God For it is improperly spoken that a man pretending to great worldly honours is aspiring too high Rather he is stooping too low for the most precious things of the world yea and the whole world are very much under the excellency of mans soule and more yet below the dignity of Gods children Who so then enslaveth his soule of heavenly origine and called to a divine honour unto temporal things which in this low world cannot be but low debaseth his dignity most unworthily And in all earthly things high or low condition makes but little unequality for still it is earth Hills and dales are alike compared with their distance from Heaven But what as the Israelites quitted Gods service to worship the golden calfe the luster of gold and honour will so dazell mens eyes and inflame their desires that they transport unto things of this world that devout love which they owe unto God Wherefore St Paul saith that covetousnes is idolatrie Col. 3. And it is no wonder that the sensual objects prevaile more upon Nature then the spirituall Yet covetous and ambitious desires are not properly natural but enormities of nature for little provision serveth nature whereas if all the waters of the sea were potable gold they would not quench the thirst of covetousnes Nature is contented with a meane degree but crownes heaped up to heaven would yet be too low for ambition Greedines is an unthankfull Vice It makes a man so thirsty after that he hath not that he forgets what he hath and thinks not himselfe advanced though he see a great many behind as long as he seeth yet some before him He cannot enjoy that he hath because he hangs upon that he hath not Thus he is allwayes needy discontented unquiet and spares his enemies the labour to find him a continual vexation And whereas the proper use for which Desire was given to man is to supply his necessities he makes use of his desire to multiply his necessities To that sicknes these are the proper remedies The first is to abridge our desire and be contented with little To him that contenteth himselfe with little little is much But to him that is not contented with much much is little To abridge our desire wee must beare downe our pride That which makes a man think a great wealth to be too little for him is his too great esteeme of himselfe Whereas the humble and meeke though they have but little think they have more then they deserve Who so will calmly compare what he deserveth with that which God hath given him shall find great matter to humble himself and praise God and silence the murmuring of his greedines Let us remember our beginning Being borne naked a little milke and a few baby clouts served us Who would think that some yeares after whole kingdomes could not satisfie us Yet our need since that time is not much increased 1. Tim. 6.8 Having food and raiment wee may be therewith content A little is sufficient for necessary desires but for curious and superfluous desires the whole world is too little Let us employ our greedy desire to heale it self considering that this greedines for the wealth and honour of the world spoiles the enjoyment and takes all content from it for no man hath joy in these things but he that useth them as not using them That greedines makes us seeke them with torment possesse them with unquietnes and lose them with anguish Yea many times greedines hindereth the acquisition Good fortune seldome yeelds to them that will ravish her but to the wise and moderate who though they lose no opportunity woe her as little concerned in her and are alwayes prepared for the repulse That wee spend no more about worldy fortune then it is worth Put in one scale the splendour of honour and the plenty of wealth Put in the other scale the labour to get them the care and vexation to keepe them the peril the envy the losse of time the temptations offered to the conscience the stealing of a mans thoughts from God and the danger of losing heaven while wee goe about to get the earth Then the incapacity of those goods to satisfie the desire their weakenes their uncertainty and how one infortunate moment destroyes the labour of many yeares and then judge whether they be worth enflaming our desire and enslaving our affections With the uncertainty of these possessions consider the uncertainty of the possessours that
things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth As nothing makes the mind more magnanimous so nothing makes it more holy then that doctrine which teacheth Gods children that all the world is too little for them and that God alone who adopteth them and calls them to the inheritance of his Kingdome is worthy to possesse their whole heart For would any that is so highly dignifyed stoope so low as to subject his affection to the things of the earth or would he be so ungrateful as to returne him disobedience for so much love Rather his high condition will fill him with high thoughts and according to the Apostles exhortation he will endeavour to walke worthy of God who hath called him to his Kingdome and glory 1 Thes 2.12 O could we apprehend the excellency of this high calling by a serious faith with what contempt would we looke upon those things that captivate the passions of men How should we laugh at that which others desire or feare We should looke upon the actions of men as beholding the earth from heaven seeing the clouds of cares and sorrowes gathering farre under our feet and tumultuous desires busling and raising stormes where we should have no other share but compassion of those that are tossed by them Neither temptation nor persecution should be capable to trouble our heavenly serenity The false profit and pleasure of sin should not tempt our desire but provoke our scorne and indignation as unworthy of men and muchmore of Gods children coheires of Christ in his eternall Kingdome called to be Kings and Priests unto God and their Father The same magnanimity will breed in us agodly ambition to imitate God our Father keeping righteousness in all things because the righteous Lord loveth righteousness Psal 11.7 using charity and liberality giving and forgiving because the Lordis good and his tender mercies are over all his workes Psal 145.9 Doing good to our enemies because God fills with his goods the mouthes that blaspheme him And because God gives alwayes and receiveth nothing we must thinke it more happy and divine to give then to receive From magnanimity reflect againe to meekeness Let all that is done magnanimously be done meekely together with simplicity and reality without noyse and ostentation These vertues going hand in hand meekenesse and magnanimity are the two supporters of Justice and the teachers of all goodnesse A meeke and magnanimous spirit is the fruitfull soyle of all vertues To express them in other termes more familiar to the Church They are humility and faith which with the love of God the true essence of Justice make up the greatest perfection that a man is capable of upon earth whereby the minde is sanctifyed sweetened and raised and filled with goodnesse peace contentment and assurance CHAP. II. Of the exercise of Vertue in Prosperity IF I treat not methodically and severally of all Vertues the title of this worke may excuse me I seeke not here the definitions and divisions of Vertues but the use And of all the uses that which conduceth to the peace and contentment of mind Besides all that we have said before and all that we have to say is an exercise of vertue which careth not much by what name she is called justice fortitude temperance or what you will if she may have leave to do her effect which is to maintaine the spirit every where in a vertuous tranquillity Her principall worke is so to informe or rather forme the minde both for Prosperity and Adversity that it be neither corrupted by the one nor dejected with the other That worke is the result of our second and third Book Who so hath learned to have a right Opinion of the things that the world desireth or feareth and to rule his passion accordingly is fenced against all inconveniencies of both fortunes But because it is a worke of the highest difficulty and importance to make the right use of these two different conditions and go through both with a serene and equall spirit Let us consider them with more care and learne to behave ourselves vertuously in both Let us begin at Prosperity as that which requires more vertue Infants will greedily graspe the bright blade of a new knife and cut their fingers The like is done by growne men dazled by the gay shew of honour wealth pleasure they lay hold on them eagerly and hurt themselves for they take them the wrong way We need not say that Prosperity is good in itselfe He that would say the contrary should not be beleeved Yea none would beleeve that such a man beleeveth what he saith But by the evill disposition of those into whose bosome prosperity falls it becomes evill yea farre worse then adversity For one that is ruined and brought to despaire by adversity ten are spoyled and undone by prosperity because adversity makes a man to retire within himselfe and warnes him to arme his minde with prudence piety and resolution But prosperity relaxeth the mind and by it weak braines are made weaker imprudent arrogant and profane acknowledging no vertue and no God but Fortune Which they think to be so enamoured with their person and merit as not to have the power to disgrace them Such is the character that David gives of a man corrupted with prosperity Psal 10.5 His wayes are alwaies grievous thy judgements are farre above out of his sight As for his enemies he puffeth at them He hath said in his heart I shall not be moved for I shall never be in adversity It is an unhappy prosperity that makes men dissolute outragious puft up with pride blinded with selfe love sometimes heavy with a drowzy sloath sometimes transported with an insolent joy The most dangerous and most ordinary abuse of prosperity is the diverting of a mans thoughts and love from God and a better life to fixe them upon the world Wherefore David speaking of men inclosed in their owne fat calls them men of the world whose portion is in this life Psal 17.14 intimating that they have no portion in the other life Truly prosperity is a slippery place With most men it is a faire walk ending in a precipice And the least harme it doth is to enervate the mind and dull the edge of industry The abuses of prosperity are divers according to the different humours of men Some of a joviall and inconsiderate humour glut themselves with prosperity and become fierce and violent Others of a darke and timorous constitution are opprest with wealth and honour as with heavy weights dare not enjoy what they have and live in an anxious care to lose all Eccles 5.12 The abundance of the rich will not suffer them to sleep They ought to thank him that should ease them of that heavy burden their riches Of the sicknesses that attend prosperity I have sayd much and of their remedy It comes to this To consider
and free ourselves of that popular folly to run and croud to heare unknowne persons that are at high words and be presently interessed in the quarrell as when two dogs are fighting all the dogs of the street will run to them and take parts A good and wise man will seek to make peace where possibility invites him but where he seeth that he can do no good to others he will not venture to do harme to himselfe Mediations unlesse they have a great measure of goodness and discretion make the differences wider and beare the blow on both sides To that end a wiseman will be none of the forwardest to give his judgement of every thing and none of the affirmative and great disputants that will set forth all their opinions and evince them by strength of argument but he will be swift to heare slow to speake slow to wrath as St. James commandeth Jam. 1.19 In which words hee giveth a character of a wise man in conversation that heares all makes profit of all determines of nothing and is moved at nothing And whereas there is in all men good and bad a certaine respect of truth and righteousnes which at the hearing of untruth and unrighteousnes will worke a sudden aversion in the minde if we will keepe an inoffensive course in conversing with the world we must learne to silense that aversion and not let it appeare abroad without an especiall order of our serious judgement accustoming our eyes and eares and countenance to an unmoved patience not thinking ourselves obliged to oppose all the lyes and impertinencies of every one that we meete with but onely when the good name of God is notoriously blasphemed We ought to beare in mind that things true and just in our opinions in the opinion of all others That we cannot justly claime the liberty of enjoying our opinions unlesse we leave the same liberty to others That our minds as all the rest of mankinde are short-sighted and wrapt up in errour And we are to give account of our owne not of other mens follies For one to beare himselfe as the repairer of all wrongs and reformer of all that is amisse in the world is an humour that hath much of the veine of old romanses Crafty and ambitious dealers have often got strength by that weakenes of vulgar soules yea have made even the true zeale to Gods glory tributary to their ambition Truly for so high a subject as Gods glory our reason our will our Passion our words and our actions must be set on worke But we must take a carefull heed of mistaking madnes for zeale and superstition for religion Neither must we think that for such good ends as we may conceive any way is lawfull there being nothing more cruel and pernicious then a bastard and fanatical zeale It is the plague of religion the ruine of the State and undoing of human society Better were it to live a slave in the chaines of Tunis and Tripoli where the bodies are misused without violence to the conscience then to be yoaked to the tiresome conversation of a fierce scrupulous clamorous bigot that will be at peace with no man unlesse every one beleeve at his mode though himselfe knoweth not what he beleeveth and alloweth rest neither to himself or to others Who so loveth his peace will keepe himselfe from the torture of such an odious companion and will be yet more careful to keepe his minde free of that impetuous weakenes disguized with the name of holy zeale and wisedome Iam. 3.15 That wisedome descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devillish For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evill worke But the wisedome that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy And the fruit of righteousnes is sowne in peace of them that love peace The chiefe way to keepe peace in Society is meekenes It takes up quarrels and tyeth againe the knot of love when it happens to be untyed It is the balsame that healeth the wounds made in friendship It is the lenitive of injuries It is the preserver of peace with God with men and with ourselves Psal 37.11 The meeke shall inherite the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace There is a bastard meekenes which is nothing else but a base timorous nature whereby a man yields all and to all because he is afraid of all If that disposition serveth sometimes to prevent discord it serveth more often to provoke it for it invites contempt and gives faire play to insolence It is farre from maintaining peace within as true meekenes doeth for it keepes the mind in perpetual feare and fills it with diffidence and superstition But true meekenes is a compound of humility charity and generosity whereby we keepe concord with our neighbours because we love them And to avoyd quarrel call prudence and sometimes disdaine to the helpe of patience letting ill words goe by as haile clattering over our roofe and after a noise without effect falling to the ground and melting of itselfe A meeke generous man will be ingenious to devise excuses for them that offend him alleadging for them sometimes the age sometimes the sexe sometimes the sicknes of the body sometimes that of the minde He will say This man is otherwise discontented affliction makes men froward he deserves rather pitty then anger That other man hath offended me unwittingly or he was ill informed If he layeth a false imputation upon me he sheweth that he knoweth me not I must not be angry with a man for mistaking me for another If he deale unrighteously with me I must consider that all unrighteousnes proceeds of errour He hath more need to be taught then punisht I must not hate a man because he is out of his way In the offence done to me God is offended first God then must first ressent it Vengeance is Gods not mine If he that offendeth me is one of Gods children he is beloved of him and I must not hate him whom God loveth If he be wicked and will never repent of his wickednes I need not procure him evill God is his enemy and will be sure to make him eternally miserable But because for any thing I know he may repent and be reconciled with God which I must wish and hope for I must not be enemy to him that may be Gods friend eternally He and I were best to be friends on earth least we never meete in heaven As in wrestling so in injuries that man is the strongest who is lesse moved The best victory over an enemy is to make him our friend It is double victory for so a man overcometh both his adversary and himselfe CHAP. II. Of brotherly Charity and of Friendship TO live in concord with our neighbours we must love them otherwise all our compliance and dexterity to keepe concord
he must looke for errour impertinency in al sorts of acquaintance let him put every one upon the discourse of those things that he understands best so shall he doe a kindnes to the company for every one loveth to speak of that wherein he is expert he shall benefit himselfe fetching from every one the best that is in him Let him also fit his minde for all kinds of buzinesses thinking none too great when they are not above his capacity for those affaires that have more dignity have not alwayes more difficulty And on the other side thinking no buzines too low when it is necessary or when it gives him occasion to doe good But in general let him charge himselfe with as few buzinesses as he can I meane those buzinesses that engage a mans minde in the tumult of the world without which he may find buzines enough to keepe him selfe well imployed Want of preferment is better than want of peace Let him avoyd those imployments that give vexation and yet draw envy where a man must continually stand upon his guard imbark himselfe in factions and live in perpetuall emulation and contention The man to whom God keepes the blessing of a quiet life shall bee kept by him from that glittering rack and golden fetters but the man whom he will aflict shall be given over to be tossed betweene the competition of others and his owne ambition David shewes us how great is Gods goodnesse which he hath layd up for them that fear him namely that he wil hide them in the secret of his presence from the pride of man he will keepe them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues Psal 31.19.20 But what there are some spirits that love noise and live by Contradiction and when old factions are worne out hatch new ones sowing quarrels that they may be sticklers and in such sort arbitrating differences as to make them immortall that so they may never want business To such men no worse imprecation can be made then that they may alwayes have the business which they love for as they serve the father of discord they are like to share in his reward But those are worthy of his compassion whose serene religious soules capable and desirous of high contemplation are aspiring towards the God of peace but are distracted with contentious businesses and prest down with worldly imployment though perhaps too high for their condition yet too low for mind which measuring the height of things by their distance from heaven finds the great Offices of the State very low because they are deeper in the earth and further from heaven then other Offices of an obscurer note Who would not pitty a great person that hath scarce time to eate and sleepe that must have a light brought to his bed to make dispatches before day and when he goeth to the Court hath much adoe to get out of his yard through the crowd of suitors and in that clogge of businesses what time hath he to examine the state of his conscience and labour to advance his union with God Where is any gaine able to countervaile that loss But there are more persons undone for want of businesses when they have not the capacity to find themselves worke of some utility especially when the love and feare of God have not taken root in their hearts For there being in the soul three Offices or audits the first for contemplation the second for passion and the third for action when a mans mind is unfit for contemplation wants action he giveth himself wholly unto passion Then a man tickleth himselfe with evill desires and vaine hopes gnawes his heart with envy and spite and torments himselfe with impatience these vices being bred and fed by idlenesse Such men having nothing to do devise evill or uselesse businesses going up and downe all day long like swallowes that flye round not knowing for what walking from one end of the Town to the other to visit one that will not be at home when they aske for him or is put to his shift to be rid of their company Of that kind are most of those that thrust one another in the street as buzy as if they had three Chancery suites to solicit then returne home late weary and sweating having found the invention to tire themselves and do nothing In effect an idle life is more painfull and wearisome then an active and negotious life It makes one sad troublesome and vicious He that doth nothing cannot but do evill as grounds left untilled will bring thistles But he that hath an ordinary employment of some utility to the publique hath no leasure to attend vaine and evill actions nor to be sad By doing good he contenteth his conscience and maintaines the serenity of his mind so that he embrace no more then he can hold They that will doe too much good do it ill and do harme to themselves It is a preposterous diligence when it brings vexation to a mansselfe Rich old men should do wisely to give over busy imployments of the world vvhich require a whole man to give themselves wholly to the office of man as he is a man and a Christian If they be speculative judicious and experienced men they may do more good to the world in their retirement then in the crowd of businesses They that lead an active life ought not to give but lend onely their mind to the businesses of the world A wise man will follow his worldly occasions with diligence and industry but he will not transubstantiate himselfe into them In our busiest imployments let us retire often within to enjoy God and ourselves labouring chiefly to preserve his favour and our peace Without these all labour is superfluous or evill and gaine becomes damage CHAP. VII Of Moderation in Conversation IT is a most necessary provision for any man that will lead a peaceable life in this age and these regions torne with diversity of parties Mens minds being so generally exulcerated that in casuall meetings either they cast a suspicious eye upon their Contreymen because they know them not or abhorre them because they know them Here then there is need of a meek compliant industrious and universall mind retired within himselfe and healed of that epidemicall itch of light-brained men to declare all their opinions and inclinations and quarrell with all that are otherwise disposed It is an old and usefull observation that God hath given us two eares and one mouth to teach us that we ought to heare more then speake To which it may be added that we have no eare-lids to keep our eares from hearing and often must heare against our will but our mouth shuts naturally and we may keep our tongue from speaking unlesse by our intemperance we lose that priviledge of nature God indeed hath not given us a tongue to hold our peace But that we may use it so that our neighbours may receive good by it and
resolution not a tender body that needs carefull tending These are the general precepts to preserv health To mend it when it is impaired Physicians must be consulted and remedies used About which two rules must be observed Let it be betimes before sicknes have taken roote Let it be seldome for too many remedies are worse then the disease I presuppose that Physique and Physicians shall be used as it is prescribed by the Sonne of Sirac Ecclus. 38.1 for necessity not for wantonnes The chiefe use of that art is to prevent diseases Every one ought to have enough of it to know his owne body and keepe off the indispositions to which he feeles himselfe obnoxious not to weare out his body with drugs without great necessity But there are certaine simple and eazy helpes that prevent great inconveniencies when they are used betimes And what wiseman would not keepe himselfe from grievous sicknesses if the use of a little sauge or juniper berries will doe it What remedy soever be used for prevention of sicknesses take it for certaine that they are better prevented by abstinence from unwholesome things then by the use of wholesome Let the body be well clad for commodity not shew neither curiously affecting the mode nor opposing it with a fantastical singularity Let all that we weare be comely and handsome not to please other mens eyes but our owne He that is slovenly in his attire thereby groweth sad and dejected ere he be aware Why should one make himselfe contemptible to the world and displeasing to himselfe by a wilfull lazy neglect of his person Let there be order and suitablenes in our stuffe and furniture though never so coorse Let not any thing want its proper place though never so little Confusion is offensive to the minde but order gives a secret delight Let our dwelling be lightsome if possible in a free aire and neere a garden Gardening is an innocent delight it was the trade of man in the state of Innocence With these if one may have a sufficient revenue an honest employment little buzines sortable company and especially the conversation of good bookes with whom a man may converse as little and as much as he pleaseth he needs little more as for the exteriour to enjoy all the content that this world can afford Of the pastimes of the Nobility and Gentry those should be preferred that bring a publique utility as hunting the wilde boare and the wolfe where the countrey is annoyed with them and in England the fox and the badger It is double content to a generous and well given nature when he doeth good for his pleasure The military pastimes of young Gentlemen in France and Italy are usefull and pleasant and by them they are fashioned and fitted to serve their countrey Games of hazard discompose the minde extraordinarily They accustume it to be hanging upon the future and depending on fortune to which every wiseman will give as little power over him as he can They do also provoke passion and cause great agitations in the soule for things of nothing All that point blank contrary to the worke of piety and Philosophy Games that consist in dexterity of body or minde are preferable to those that are committed to blind chance Chesse will sharpen the wit but buzy it overmuch and toyle the spirits instead of recreating them which is the proper use of play Of all gaming the lesse the better And when it disordereth the passion the least is too much He that ventureth much money at play ventureth not with it the tranquillity of his mind a thousand times more precious but makes a certaine losse of it whatsoever become of the money That bold venturing comes not out of contempt of the goods of this world as gamesters would have us to beleeve but out of an unsatiable greedinesse to gaine much in short time Wherefore to them that have little money and to great lovers of it great losses at play are very smarting and yet the gaine is more hurtfull then the losse for it enflameth covetousnes and sets the heart upon a wicked labour to grow rich by the ruine of others which afterwards is practised in the more serious commerces of Society Thereby also the fountaine of charity is drained and so the streames of charitable deeds Bestowing money in play is not the way to make friends with that unrighteous Mammon that receive a man into eternal habitations but enemies to turne him out of his temporal habitation It is the way to lose both earth and heaven When you have an undoubted right to a considerable summe of money and the present possession what a mad part is it to call it in question whether it must be yours or anothers and decide the question with three dice And what ungratefulnes to the great giver of all goods gifts to play those goods away which are afforded to us by his liberality and acquired for us by the sweate and hard labour of many poore families Though then the parties at play be consenting to that strange way of acquisition that consent doth not make it lawfull neither of them being the owner those goods which he calls his but the keeper and steward who must give account of his stewardship to his Master Whether we winne or lose considerable summes at play we commit robbery for if we rob not our adversary we rob our family and ourselves and God Herein worse then that ill Servant that hid his talent in the ground for the gamester if he be a loser hath made away the talent intrusted unto him by God And though he be a gainer yet he hath made himselfe incapable to give a good account of his talent to his Lord since he hath put it to an unrighteous banke Eloquence is a pleasant and profitable pastime both to read and compose For while it delights the mind it doth polish sweeten and heighten it It is then most delightfull when it serveth to cloath good matter and when the chiefe ornament is good sense And it fals out happily that the eloquentest books of antiquity are also the best and they that have the wisest reason express it with most elegancy The same is true of the late Authors Poetry delighteth much So one take little of it at once for it is lushious meat too much of it brings wearinesse and loathing It is more delightfull to read then to compose herein like musique which delights the hearers more then the Musicians As then it is better to heare a Set of violins then to make one in it it is better to heare Poets then to augment their number I had rather that others should make me sport then I them I need not be curious in the search of the severall devices of men to passe their time the task of the wise being not to seeke them but to use them well when they meet in his way and more yet to learne to live contented without them What we want of
is that peace of God which passeth all understanding and keeps our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ It is a transfiguration of the devout soul for an earnest of her glorification It is the betrothing of the Spouse with Christ and the contract before the marriage After that all the Empires of the world all the treasures of Kings and all the delights of their Court deserve not to be lookt on or to be named If that divine Embrace could continue it would change a man into the image of God from glory to glory and he should be rapt up in a fiery charet like Eliah To enjoy that holy Embrace and make it continue as long as the soul in the flesh is capable of it We must use holy meditations prayers and good workes These strengthen those two armes of the soul faith and love to embrace God and hold him fast doing us that good office which Aaron and Hur did to Moses for they hold up the hands of the soul and keep them elevated to heaven And seeing that God who dwelleth in the highest heavens dwelleth also in the humblest soules let us indeavour to put on the ornament of a meek quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 It is a great incouragement to study tranquillity of minde that while we labour for our chiefe utility which is to have a meek and quiet spirit we become of great price before God and therefore of great price to ourselves How can it be otherwise since by that ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit we put on the neerest likenesse of God of which the creature can be susceptible For then the God of peace abiding in us makes his cleare image to shine in the smooth mirrout of our tranquill soul as the Sunnes face in a calme water Being thus blest with the peace of God we shall also be strong with his power and among the stormes and wrackes of this world we shall be as safe as the Apostles in the tempest having Christ with them in the ship It is not possible that we should perish as long as we have with us and within us the Saviour of the world and the Prince of life The universall commotions and hideous destructions of our time prepare us to the last and greatest of all 2 Pet. 3.10 when the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up In that great fall of the old building of Nature the godly man shall stand safe quiet and upright among the ruines All will quake all will sinke but his unmoved heart which stands firme trusting in the Lord. Psal 112.7 Mountaines and rocks will be throwne downe in his sight The foundations of the world will crack under him Heaven and Earth hasting to their dissolution will fall to pieces about his eares but the foundation of the faithfull remaines stedfast He cannot be shaken with the world for he was not grounded upon it He will say with Davids confidence Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoiceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore A Table of the Books and Chapters of this Treatise THE FIRST BOOK Of Peace with God Chap. 1. Of the Peace of the Soule pag. 1. Chap. 2. Of the Peace of Man with God in his integrity and of the losse of that peace by sinne pag. 6. Chap. 3. Of the Reconciliation of Man with God through Jesus Christ pag. 16. Chap. 4. Generall meanes to preserve that peace with God and first to serve God purely and diligently pag. 25. Chap. 5. Of the love of God pag. 35. Chap. 6. Of Faith pag. 45. Chap. 7. Of Hope pag. 49. Chap. 8. Of the duty of praising God pag. 53. Chap. 9. Of good Conscience pag. 59. Chap. 10. Of the exercise of good works pag. 66. Chap. 11. Of redressing our selves often by repentance pag. 72. SECOND BOOK Of Mans peace with himselfe by rectifying his Opinions Chap. 1. Designe of this Booke and the next pag. 77. Chap. 2. Of right Opinion pag. 80. Chap. 3. Of Riches pag. 87. Chap. 4. Honour Nobility Greatnesse pag. 92. Chap. 5. Glory Renowne Praise pag. 98. Chap. 6. Of the goods of the Body Beauty Strength Health pag. 104. Chap. 7. Of bodily pleasure and ease pag. 110. Chap. 8. Of the evils opposite to the forenamed goods pag. 116. Chap. 9. Of Poverty pag. 121. Chap. 10. Of low condition pag. 130. Chap. 11. Of dishonour pag. 134. Chap. 12. Of the evills of the body unhansomenesse weakenesse sicknesse paine pag. 136. Chap. 13. Of Exile pag. 142. Chap. 14. Of Prison pag. 144. Chap. 15. Husband Wife Childen Kinred Friends Their price their losse pag. 147. Chap. 16. Of Death pag. 155. Chap. 17. Of the Interiours of Man pag. 163. Chap. 18. Of the ornaments acquisite of the understanding pag. 177. Chap. 19. Of the acquisite ornaments of the will pag. 188. Chap. 20. Of the World and Life pag. 195. THIRD BOOK Of the Peace of Man with himselfe by governing his Passions Chap. 1. That the right Government of Passions depends of right Opinion pag. 205. Chap. 2. Entry into the discourse of Passions pag. 211 Chap. 3. Of Love pag. 214. Chap. 4. Of Desire pag. 231. Chap. 5. Of desire of Wealth and Honour pag. 237. Chap. 6. Of desire of Pleasure pag. 243. Chap. 7. Of Sadnesse pag. 248. Chap. 8. Of Joy pag. 257. Chap. 9. Of Pride pag. 265. Chap. 10. Of Obstinacy pag. 273. Chap. 11. Of Wrath pag. 278. Chap. 12. Of Aversion Hatred and Reuenge p. 289 Chap. 13. Of Envy pag. 298. Chap. 14. Of Jealousie pag. 305. Chap. 15. Of Hope pag. 309. Chap. 16. Of Feare pag. 313. Chap. 17. Of Confidence and Despaire pag. 319. Chap. 18. Of Pitty pag. 323. Chap. 19. Of Shamefacednesse pag. 327. FOURTH BOOK Of Vertue and the exercise of in Prosperity and Adversity Chap. 1. Of the Vertuous temper requisite for the peace and contentment of mind pag. 331. Chap. 2. Of Vertue in Prosperity pag. 344. Chap. 3. Of Vertue in Adversity pag. 357. FIFTH BOOK Of Peace in Society Chap. 1. Of Concord with all men and of meeknesse pag. 375. Chap. 2. Of brotherly Charity and of friendship pag. 387. Chap. 3. Of Gratefulnesse pag. 395. Chap. 4. Of Satisfaction of Injuries pag. 399. Chap. 5. Of Simplicity and Dexterity in Society pag. 402. Chap. 6. To have little company and few businesses pag. 412. Chap. 7. Of moderation in conversation pag. 421. SIXTH BOOK Some singular Counsels for the Peace and contentment of minde Chap. 1. To content our selves with our condition pag. 431. Chap. 2. Not to depend of the Future pag. 436. Chap. 3. To retire within our selfe pag. 443. Chap. 4. To avoyd Idlenesse pag. 448. Chap. 5. To avoid curiosity in divine matters pag. 451. Chap. 6. Of the care of the body and other little contentment of life pag. 458. Chap. 7. Conclusion Returne to the great principle of the peace and contentment of mind which is to stick to God pag. 468. FINIS