not finde words to expresse these Riches nor search the depth of them which made him to say O the depth of the Riches of God Rom. 11.33 and to cal them the unsearchable Riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 also the exceeding Riches of his grace Eph. 2.7 In desiring these Riches we cannot be too covetous Covet earnestly the best gifts saith Saint Paul O let our desires and our designes be eager in the pursuite of these heavenly Treasures And let the Riches of the earth help to direct encourage and incite us to the acquist of those divine Riches What though the blinde buzzards of the world dote onely upon earthly Riches and cannot see these infinitely more excellent heavenly Treasures yet Gods Saints the eyes of whose understanding are enlightned Eph. 1.18 do very perspicuously and gloriously view them 2 Cor. 4.6 7. And thogh we use these earthly felicities as passage-boats and ships the better to carry us to the haven where we should be to that cape of good hope to those happy Islands the heavenly Canaan yet doe we not set our hearts so on these ships or boats as to neglect or forget our heavenly haven but rather so as the better and oftner to remember the same and to convey us thither And we can with a most willing minde when God pleases leave those ships as Saint Paul did his to arrive at this our heavenly countrey Though as Travellâ—rs in an Inne while we are here we refresh our selves with these yet it is but the better to encourage and strengthen us in our journey towards our heavenly home where our soules are already oftentimes solacing themselves with divine hopes desires contemplations joyes of those heavenly Riches wherof we are now heires Rom. 8.17 Gal. 4.7 Tit. 3.7 And we may truly say That such men as terminate their hopes desires and affections to possesse those eternall heavenly treasures which are only able to quench the thirst of our souls are the richest in the world Whence it is that a truly pious man can in comparison of these divine Riches when he pleases trample under foot very generously all the treasures and Riches of the earth through the knowledge of those which his spirit possesseth while he contemplates the eternall glorious Riches of heaven How rich is he O Lord who is thus heavenly minded enough to contemne worldly in comparison of divine treasures and to enjoy earthly Riches only in thee and to thy glory How contented is he who thinks and contemplates often of eternall Riches Oh how happy is he that makes thy selfe his treasures O God let it ever be the choisest desires of my soule to be so rich so contented so happy Preserve me ever if it please thee in this divine temper wherein I now finde my selfe already to marke out and set up my repose my delight my treasures above the world with thee O Lord in heaven The second PARTITION Of Honour SECTION I. The excellency thereof and the misery of Dishonour A Good name saith king Solomon is rather to be chosen than great Riches Prov. 22.1 It is better than precious ointment Ecc. 7.1 Honour is defined by some to bee the rumour of a beautifull and vertuous action which reboundeth from our selves to the view of the world and by reflection into our selves bringeth unto us a testimony of what others beleeve of us which turneth to a pleasing contentment and joy of the minde By others true Honour is defined to be the shining brightnesse of vertuous and worthy actions reflected from our owne conscience unto the sight and view of those with whom we live It may be called a gracefull respect or renowned reputation which every man ought to have in recompence of his worthinesse declared unto the world by good and glorious deeds and approved by the acknowledgment of good and vertuous men It is not then an imaginary phantasie but a splendent brightnesse which maketh him that is the subject therof to shine forth as the sparkling rayes of a pretious diamond And it shineth most brightly in such as are of greatest birth of greatest riches of greatest dignity and authority both in Church and common-wealth And forasmuch as it proceedeth from vertuous and worthy actions it is a divine good a caelestiall Treasure viewed and approved of by God and Angels and is alwaies accompanied with inward delectation and pleasure And we are to know that this divine approbation and inward delight of the soule is the onely reward that vertue looks for in doing good and honourable actions The opinion of men is much too weake a recompence for vertue and not to be compared with the inward delight of the soule And vertue desireth not a more ample or rich Theatre to shew her selfe and her actions then her owne soule and conscience The testimony thereof shee esteemes much better then of all the world besides yet with modesty in all good waies she disdaineth not but rather endeavoureth and rejoyceth to gaine this outward honour also A good name amongst men And so much doth vertue esteeme of this honour which deservedly proceeds from good and worthy actions that amongst vertuous noble great spirits nothing seemes to be more desirous and pleasant insomuch as they will spare no labour no paine but willingly and fearelesly will adventure through many difficulties many perils obtaine the same True honor and good estimation is the most illustrious most commendable and most durable good that a man hath in this world forasmuch as he leaveth unto the world a good testimony of his life and to his own posterity a good example Honour also may serve to many good uses as to countenance and uphold all goodnesse and good men to stirre and inflame us to all good pious and laudable actions and thereby to looke to that fountaine of all honour and glory God himselfe and those coelestiall rayes of glory of which these terrestriall are but little reflections those eternall crownes and kingdomes of heaven But of this more hereafter And we shall the better esteeme of honour and more plainly see it's excellency if we consider the misery of the contrary that is of shame and dishonour There is no greater griefe and vexation to high and generous spirits than dishonour and ignominy insomuch as they will take any paines and travell yea and chuse rather to dye then lose their honour their good estimation True it is there are many impudent people in the world who will not be moved with dishonour and ignominy but even with a face of brasse will out-beard all modest shame and honesty very impudently oppose all goodnes and maintaine all wickednesse yet a generous modest man a gallant and gratious spirit will be very sad and grieve exceedingly when he hath done any dishonourable actions and so to be disgraced and lose their good name and honour Wherefore true honour and good repute being so excellent as hath been said and the contrary so disdainfull and miserable the same is
the same to many good ends and purposes as to the benefit of themselves their family the common-wealth the Church and in all respects to the glory of God and so can truly enjoy much pleasure and felicity therein and embrace the same as a blessing and gift of God as a little foretaste of that honour and glory which they expect to enjoy in heaven And by this good and divine use of honour to bee excited to search taste see and enjoy in some measure even on earth that heavenly honour and glory is that which I principally intend to discourse of in this Section This terrestriall honour and happinesse is a little reflection from the lightening wherewith heaven illuminates divine soules directing them to the acquisition of the true source and fountaine of all honour glory and happinesse by the aide of these small springs and rivolets Let then the excellency and splendency of this terrestriall honour stirre us up to view search and enjoy that eternall honour and glory of heaven which in the sacred Scriptures is called a kingdome in divers places the kingdome of God and of heaven Mat. 3.2 and 6.33 c. A heavenly kingdome 2 Tim. 4.18 A kingdome prepared for and to be given to us Mat. 25.34 Luke 12.32 A crowne which in expectation and in divine glorious and heavenly contemplation and so in vision wee may already have and are advised to hold fast Rev. 3.11 and wee are by that Prince of Kings Iesus Christ already made and called Kings and Priests unto God his father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1.5 6. Great men ambitious men despised men all men harke to this heavenly language which most certainly tels us we may and bids us seek to possesse such a Kingdome such a crowne such honour and glory as if we were truly capable thereof would make us even on earth so high and heavenly minded as even to disdaine in comparison thereof the most glorious earthly honour but only so farre as it may serve to the furtherance and increase of this heavenly honour and glory and then should we bend all our choisest desires and endeavours to seek this honour and glory of God of heaven But by the way let me say or rather let the sacred Oracles of God tell us that before this honour is humility Prov. 15.33 Isa 57.15 Mat. 6.5 Luke 1.52 1 Pet. 5.6 and divers other places We should deny and esteeme our selves as the Laodiceans wretched miserable poore blinde naked Rev. 3.17 and so denying our selves wee should looke up to Christ Iesus our Redeemer and Saviour and as hee counsels us ver 18. buy of him pure gold white rayment c. all divine and heavenly graces and so thereby live well graciously piously for to such as so live is this honour and glory promised Psal 84.11 and 91.14 15 16 and 149.9 Rom. 2.7 10. So then though we must deny our selves yet in Christ Iesus if we be endued with his heavenly graces and so live well we ought to think our selves rich honourable happy and illustrious even in the sight of God and Angels Isa 43.4 that we are as Kings children and all-glorious within Psal 45.14 faire as the moone cleere as the sun and terrible as an army with banners Cant. 6.10 even the sonnes of God and heires of the kingdome of heaven Iohn 1.12 Gal. 4.6 7. 1 Iohn 3.2 Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.6 Such honor have all his Saints Psal 149.9 So then let our designes be so high and heavenly even as to acquire a kingdome a heavenly kingdome the kingdome of God Mat. 6.33 Luke 12. In him let us seeke for glory honour immortality eternall life Rom. 2.7 We all desire to be honourable and the way so be most truly and highly honourable is to seeke for this immortall glory of heaven which is indeed the poore and despised mans only hope and life and ought to be the well reputed and noble mans onely ambition and this hope this desire if divine and heavenly enough and the acquisition thereof is by Gods grace sufficient to ennoble even the most despised man on earth with honor and happinesse far more worth then this world can give or imagine What now if the dishonourable slaves of sinne and wickednesse those whom God himselfe hath branded with the ignoble names of swine Mat. 7.6 and dogs Rev. 22.15 who neither see nor know those heavenly dignities honours and glories of the Saints of God should trample those divine pearles of grace and barke at those heavenly honoured men yet let us be contented we know 't is the nature of the beasts and curs so let them wallow in their filth and snarle at us still it matters not while we are so happy as to know these truths oh would they were so happy also that we are so honorable as to be the servants of God yea his sonnes and heires of the kingdome of heaven as hath been shewed And yet further now lately searching those heavenly Oracles I find that God is pleased so to honour us as to call us so farre as we are good and happy his owne image Gen. 1.27 Col. 3.10 yea the very divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 the temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 6.16 wherein God himselfe dwels Isa 57.15 1 Iohn 4.12 13 15 16. the beloved of God Cant. 1. c. the glory of God and of Iesus Christ Rom. 3.23 2 Cor. 8.22 With divers other honorable glorious and heavenly excellencies enough to make us exceeding joyfull and very gloriously high and heavenly minded even in the midst of all the reproaches and abuses that the devill and all his imps can imagine against piety and pious men and so to contemne the same even as we would the barking of a bitelesse cur or rather as hath bin said before to esteem the same as heavenly musicke and blessings since it doth serve but to increase this our heavenly honour and glory Mat. 6. 1 Pet. 4.13 14. Now then let us raise up our thoughts and desires from this terrestriall to the heavenly glory let it be our onely ambition to rest in Gods favour on earth and to be crowned with eternall glory in heaven And in the meane time let us often pray with Moses O Lord we beseech thee shew us thy glory Exod. 33.18 and often endeavour already to soare aloft upon the wings of faith and divine contemplation unto this heavenly glory those everlasting heavenly glorious crownes and thrones which wee shall hereafter possesse Let this earthly glory and honour be an help to direct our soules thither and to learne the excellency of that infinitely transcendent eternall glory of heaven from which this earthly as a little bright reflection doth proceed And as children by the use and view of toyes and trifles such as they apprehend are encouraged to learn and doe thereby espy the way to greater excellencies and after seeing the vanity of those toyes
Nymphes be present in this Imaginary Paradise Let them search within the compasse of Nature all the choysest Pleasures which it hath produced in the word hitherto to charme our Senses and to ravish our Spirits In summe let them assemble in one Subject all whatsoever is and hath beene most beautifull and delitious in the World Yet are all these but meere Chimera's and as a vaine Idea a meere shadow of a body of pleasure in comparison of these divine thoughts and pleasures which the Saints may and shall enjoy in the Contemplation of God and of his infinite Beauty Glory Love and of the Felicities which hee hath prepared for them that love him Their thoughts and Contemplations even in this life may be composed of unutterable Glories Crownes Kingdomes Divine Visions heavenly exultations of Spirit of extreame marveilous Joyes Pleasures and Felicities It is impossible to expresse the pleasures of a heavenly soule The Contentments thereof are not to be so called It 's Extasies and Ravishments cannot bee uttered Saint Paul himselfe could not expresse the same He could not tell whether he were in his body or no. So as the heart that feeles them cannot comprehend them Well and truely therefore doth Saint Paul say That such pleasures have not entred into the heart of man as God hath prepared for them that love him Not entred into the heart of Man This seemes to be a Riddle how can man enjoy it then Indeed hee must be above a naturall man above himselfe that enjoyes such pleasures he must be a Partaker of the Divine Nature of a super-humane and heavenly temper for all grace is above Nature And if by reason of our Frailties and Infirmities we cannot attaine to such a height of Love to and Joy in God in this life yet if wee endeavour truely to love him hee who alwayes accepts the Will for the Deed and whose power is made perfect in our weaknesse and infirmities as Saint Paul saith will lovingly accept of our good Wishes Wils and Endeavours And then there shall come a time when we shall see God as he is know him as wee are knowne love him beyond expression and enjoy in him infinite pleasures and felicities for ever And then wee shall bee made like him as Saint Iohn saith 1 Iohn 3.2 In such sort as fire by uniting it selfe to Iron in an exceeding extreame heate doth purifie the Iron and convert the same into fire In like manner but above all degrees of comparison doth God purifie and reduce us to a being supernaturall and deified unites and takes the soule into his owne divine Nature And this fire which shall so unite us to God is Divine Love And then shall we have a new being we shall bee like him 1 Iohn 3.2 Phil. 3.21 One with him as his members and as a wife to her husband Rev. 21. Wee shall dwell in him and he in us 1 Iohn 4.16 And then wee shall also have a new name that is of our Spouse of our Beloved of God himselfe for saith our Saviour I will write upon him the Name of my God Revel 3.12 So as hereby the soule becomes a part of God and as it seemes may be said to bee no more a soule but God himselfe and with him and in him enjoyes all happinesse Oh then let us fervently wish and long for this time which shall be at the marriage of the Kings Sonne to which the Angels shall invite us Then shall we celebrate an everlasting wedding feast our soules shall be the Bride and Love shall be the banner over us And then shall wee enjoy infinite pleasures and felicities for ever How may the thoughts of this heavenly happinesse delight and possesse us with divine Love and Joy before hand also while we live on earth To come towards a Conclusion If we could truly say with King Davids heart I love the Lord and with Saint Peter Lord thou knowest that I love thee if all our streame could runne in that Torrent to love only him and all other things but only for him and so farre as they tend to his love and glory Oh then what peace what delight what a heaven upon earth should we enjoy If we were capable truly to love and know God it were impossible but wee should be infinitely pleased with what hee pleases and with nothing else Oh Lord if thou wouldest make me so love thee as I should and as I desire which is infinitely I should certainely enjoy such delights in thy love as would transport me to an heaven of joy immediatly Keepe me I pray thee with all my soule still in this minde to wish no other happinesse then what I enjoy in thy love of thy goodnesse to thy glory and which may encrease my love to thee Me thinkes I can desire nor wish no greater happinesse than I now enjoy in knowing that God whom I would love infinitely above my selfe is infinitely happy I doe esteeme it more happinesse to mee then heaven already to know that my Love my God is in heaven THE FOURTH PARTITION Of Eating SECTION I. The benefits of eating in generall also the abuses of eating and the extent thereof BEhold that which I have seene saith the Preacher Eccles 5.18 it is good and comely for a man to eate and to drinke and â—o take comfort in his labours for this is his portion And againe There is nothing better saith hee than to eate and drinke Eccles 2.24 The same is the gift of God chap. 3.13 and 5.19 Iob. 36.31 It is the blessing of God Psalm 128.2 Behold sayth God by his Prophet Esay my servants shall eate and rejoyce Esay 65.13 They shall eate and praise the Lord Chap. 62.9 By eating we sustaine Nature repaire infirmities of the body satisfie hunger please our appetites and preserve life it selfe Without this happinesse of Eating we should become on earth wholy miserable enjoy nothing and must of necessity die and perish For the most solid parts of the body are sustained strengthened and repaired by eating as the humid parts are by drinking and the aierie or spirituall parts are by pleasant and comfortable savours and wholsome aire Bread strengtheneth the heart of man saith the Prophet Psal 104.15 Eating also serves to glad and rejoyce the heart And especially Gods children and servants should eate with joy and gladnesse To such speaketh the wise Preacher saying Goe thy way eate thy bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God accepteth thy workes Eccles 9.7 See also as before Esay 65.13.14 and 1 Tim. 4.3 And so also for good society one with another as those ancient Christians mentioned in Acts 2.46 who eate their bread together with gladnesse singlenesse of heart The moderate naturall convenient and pleasant use of eating makes the body a fit and apt instrument for the Soule yea it preserves and maintaines the whole body and soule in due temper and good disposition Though it be true indeed that
Treasure of divine Grace without the same all other riches are worth nothing with it even a poore small estate is sufficient to make a man truely rich contented and happy Hee that gaines Heaven though earth should allow him nothing shall â—et have plenty abundance and that fâ—r better then the earth can produce or man imagine Heaven is an object of consolation to the poorest and most miserable And certainly the more grace here the more happinesse there And since many poore men servants and others are more gracious and more pious then some rich men they shall be also crowned with coelestiall glory when the other richer ones shal perchance be excluded or in a lesse degree glorious Poore Lazarus though miserable and despised on earth is now in heaven triumphing enjoying infinite eternall treasures Poore men if you have grace learn then to be sweetly contented Doe not murmur at the abundant riches and prosperities of some vitious men Do but consider as King David did how they perish and come to a fearefull end and you will have no cause of the least repining envy Me thinks even in pity you should thinke they have need of some happinesse here that shall have nothing but woe hereafter And since you are heires to an heaven of eternall riches and happinesse O be you sweetly contented with this your owne happinesse and rather pitty then envy theirs God himself seemeth to have an especiall care of poore men aswell as rich if they be his servants As appeares in divers places of the sacred Scriptures As for example The Lord heareth the poore Psal 69.34 Hee is favourable unto them and preserveth their souls He will deliver them and their bloud is deare in his sight Psa 72.12 13 c. Hee avengeth and maintaineth their cause Psal 140.12 The Gospell is appointed to be preached to them Luke 4.18 They are blessed and intituled to the kingdome of heaven Luk. 6.20 And in this kingdome surely the Prophet intendeth when he saith That God raiseth up the poore that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people Psal 113.7 8. O then deare soules Though you be as poore as ever Iob was yet lift up and so lace here your dejected spirtts Here is cause enough if you bee capable thereof to make you exceeding merry and rejoyce for ever You see that God himselfe taketh an especiall care of you and that all his graces and blessings all the eternall treasures and felicities of heaven are exposed to your aswell as to the rich mans aime That infinite fountain of all riches and happinesse God himselfe gives and offers himselfe and his heavenly blessings to bee possessed and enjoyed of the poorest soule that will by a divine lively faith apply this happinesse to himselfe Insomueh that you cannot wish greater riches or happinesse then you may enjoy in God in heavenly Treasures Be ye therefore contented and rejoyce even in poverty and let no man too much feare the losse or grieve for the want of riches since there is or may be such blessednesse in a poore estate This discourse of Contentment I thinke so necessary as I am yet unwilling to leave the same My meditations extend themselves yet further Why should we feare the losse or grieve too much for the want of riches which are so weake and worthlesse as they cannot so much as mitigate the least paine much lesse deliver us from death or by infinite degrees satisfie our divine soules which are as farre beyond them as heaven is above earth They are even capable to eie desire infinite and eternall happines heaven and God himselfe But riches are altogether insufficient to bestow upon us true and lasting happinesse They have wings and fly away as the wise man saith Prov. 23.5 One day saw Iob the richest and the poorest man of all the East And millions of men have found the truth of this by experience that riches are most uncertain undurable And although it be true that in themselves they be something both in respect of time and worth and much to be esteemed in their good use even as the gifts and blessings of God and from which doth spring many good and excellent benefits as hath been declared in the first Section yet in comparison of the eternall riches of heaven in God himselfe they are even as nothing not to be regarded but altogether vaine variable undurable and fugitive unconstant as the moon brittle as the glasse frayle as Ice momentary as thought in such comparison The possessors of them are also vaine fading and undurable The mighty Craessus of whom it is said the Mines seemed to serve for a coffer the Indies for a cabinet and the Ocean for a new river of Pactalus is dead What is now become of Cyrus of Alexander of rich Gobrias Pollicrates Lucullus and the rest of those who are registred in the catalogue of rich men and of their riches Death hath taken them all away Be contented then fret not envy not and as King David saith Bee not afraid when one is made rich for when he dyes he shall carry nothing away Psal 49.16 He is even as vaine as fraile as undurable as his riches But rather let us lift up our soules since the riches of the earth can no way satisfie them to those infinite and eternall riches of heaven to God himselfe And when our souls solace themselves in those divine exhillerations which do and should often cheere and elevate a Christian heavenly minde Oh how poorely may we think of such drossy toyes as are earthly riches in comparison of these heavenly It is certaine also that no men can take greater pleasure and felicity even in earthly riches then such who are able when they please to contemne them even as vanity in comparison of heavenly treasures This divine contempt of them puts away all feare of the losse of them all distraction about them and so makes us enjoy the same more freely Besides it is a most excellent pleasure to our soules to know themselves so high so heavenly as even when they please upon good occasion to contemne the world in such heavenly respects Let me yet goe on further in this happy discourse of Contentment There is saith King Solomon that maketh himselfe rich yet hath nothing Prov. 13.7 And who is that thinke you Surely it is the contented pious man Saint Paul saith Godlinesse with contentment is great gain For we brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewâ—th content 1 Tim. 6.6 7 8. What remaines then but that we seeke these true and permanent riches which are contentment and divine graces whereby wee shall possesse heaven and God himselfe That saying of Philosophers is most true That he is most rich who is most contented and therefore it is strange that some have put this apparant truth into a Paradoxe when nothing is
thence may stirre up our mindes to their fountaine and so to enjoy God in them and them through him And the same also may stirre us up to many other good and divine duties and graces as first to thankfulnesse and love of God who gives them To speake ingeniously and my soule is very lively toucht with what I speake every time when I consider how God hath bestowed many inestimable gratious favours upon me both concerning my body and soule Among very many others to name onely these That he hath elevated me above the temptations of poverty want and misery to which the greatest part of the world is reduced and hath given me what I thinke is necessary and very largely sufficient for me and also hath very often cheared elevated and enriched my soul too with his divine Riches of heavenly joyes consolations and illuminations Oh I cannot but ever greatly love his divine goodnesse ever blesse his gracious providence and loving favours for the same yet confesse that I have no way deserved the least part thereof but rarher the contrary The poorest most disconsolate and most miserable man in the world wherein did I differ from him before time was when we were both nothing and yet God hath bestowed such blessings on me rather then on him whereof to reach the reason were to finde the bottomes of infinite mercies to which I must remain for ever infinitely obliged Oh God that thou wouldst make me as I desire if it might be infinite thankfull infinitely to love thee Also Riches should excite us to and encourage us in all other duties of piety That since God hath given them to us we also should also serve him the more freely willingly cheerefully and diligently Let us then by all meanes expresse our thankfulnesse in our diligent and willing endeavours to serve and please him And parsicularly Riches should stirre us up to charity towards the poore the rather since God might justly have made them rich and us the poorest and most miserable creatures in the world Oh let us in the midst of our plenty remember pitty and relieve the necessities and grievous miseries of poore miserable men according to our abilities and good opportunities God hath the rather given us Riches that we should doe so Let us take old Tobits counsell who saith Give almes and turn not thy face from the poore and then the face of the Lord shall not be turned away from thee If thou hast much give plenteously if thou hast little give according to that little for so thou layest up for thy selfe a good reward c. Tob. 4.7 8 9 10. Oh see what gratious promises and encouragements are to this purpose He that hath mercy on the poore happy is he Prov. 14.21 He shall be blessed 22.9 He shall not lacke 28.27 Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble c. Psal 41.12 God loveth a cheerfull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 With such sacrifices hee is well pleased Heb. 13.6 He that hath pitty on the poore lendeth unto the Lord and he will pay him againe Prov. 19.17 It seemes with infinite and eternall Interest even with heavenly treasures Mat. 19.21 Luke 12.33 1 Tim. 6.19 O then let us take our Saviours counsell Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven c. Mat. 16.20 But that which I have chiefly intended to discourse of in this Section concerning the divine use of Riches is That the same may stirre us up to search after and enjoy in some measure even on earth those infinitely more excellent and permanent Riches of God himselfe of heaven The Riches and felicities of the earth are but reflections from the divine beames of heavenly treasures and happinesse whereby noble soules are divinely directed and illuminated by the help of these small rivolets to search out that true source and fountaine of all happinesse God himselfe and his heavenly Treasures that is his divine graces and felicities That treasure those bright pearles mentioned 2 Cor. 4.6 7. which shineth out of darknesse and lightneth the earthly vessels of our hearts which is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 7. How divinely doth Saint Paul wish to see and enjoy these Riches O that the eyes of our understanding were enlightened that we might know what is the Riches of Gods inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1.18 Let therefore these externall treasures of the earth stirre up our soules to the desire and acquist of the eternall and heavenly Riches which are infinitely more excellent and of which these of the earth are but as shadowes and little forecasts It is the poore mans onely hope to be rich in the world to come and this hope if divine and heavenly enough is sufficient to possesse the poorest man with Riches farre more worth then all the huge amazements of earthly treasures The rich man also doth or may with reason imagine that if externall transitory terrestriall Riches affoord him some happinesse he shall be much more happy in the enjoying of the eternall and heavenly Insomuch that even by reason wee may as it were by these earthly in some sort learne and espy those infinitely more excellent Riches of heaven so as children at first by learning a few letters doe afterwards spell reade and so in time attaine to much knowledge and wisedome and then being good schollers they doe in comparison of the more excellent things they have learned even contemne the reading of their A B C and spelling bookes yet still scorne not to use these letters and rudiments of learning but so as they can be above them and use them as they please for their owne advantage So we being at first but as children in the knowledge of heavenly things may yet even by the Riches of the earth in their good use and enjoyance learne to spel and spye therefrom in some measure the Riches of heaven And so having from these transitory and earthly felicities learned eternall heavenly happinesse we may be able to be above and even to despise these earthly in comparison of the heavenly Treasures which are infinitely more excellent yet so as that without such comparison and in respect of their Authour of our nature and necessities and of their good use we stâ—ll estâ—eme them well accordingly still use them for our advantage and so in all respects to increase our happinesse still endeavouring by these as by letters to read learn further into those more excellent treasures and felicities of heaven And they are so much more excellent as that all the Riches in the world are not comparable to the least degree of divine grace since by the price thereof we may buy the eternall Riches of God himselfe The Lord is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10.12 And these Riches are indeed infinitely beyond mans weake expression or shallow earthly apprehension Saint Paul himselfe it seems could
and looking above them doe even contemne them in comparison of the more excellent things which then they know So let us as children in Gods family make a good use of this earthly honour and be thereby encouraged and excited to learne and search the way to the eternall glory of heaven of which this is but a shadow And when we are grown wise and skilfull men in rhe knowledge of divine things Let us then in comparison endeavour to be above and even contemne these toyes and trifles of the world for such is earthly honour even in it's greatest excellency in comparison of the heavenly honour and glory and then let us untye our selves from the overmuch and vitious desire of terrestriall honor which can never satisfie us and with a desire full of sprightfulnesse love and joy elevate our thoughts to heaven to eternity for certaine it is that those souls which doe often contemplate the heavenly glory and doe well know the excellency thereof are often raised farre above all the greatnesse of the earth inasmuch as eternity is above time and infinite glory above a shadow thereof And in these contemplations they are often so transported and raised beyond and above themselves as if they were then capable of terrestriall and humane vanities they would not know themselves while their souls doe thus direct their lookes desires affections and contemplations wholly to God himselfe to heaven Insomuch that while their spirits are so raysed in such divine thoughts and illuminations they doe seeme very gloriously then to despise all the honour and greatnesse of the earth and with unexpressable delight to marke out the thrones of their honour in the kingdome of heaven where they know that a crowne of immortall glory shall for ever environ their heads And in these divine thoughts and elevations they are often even astonisht with such wonderfull delights and happinesse as they can finde neither measure nor limits in these divine glorious amuzements heavenly irradiations and elevations of spirit So not being able to find any thing on earth worthy of their greatnesse they have designed the crowne and set up the throne of their honour and glory in the empyrean heaven To conclude Let it alwaies be our glory to glorifie our fathet which is in heaven Mat. 5.16 Ier. 9.23 They that honour me I will honour saith God 1 Sam. 2.30 Psal 9.14 15 16. O how honourable how happy is he whom God is pleased to honour Teach oh Lord this secret divine language to my heart to desire onely thy honour thy glory and that I may glory onely in thee who art mans soveraigne glory yea onely true happines Let me esteeme this honour this glory this happinesse as heaven already The third PARTITION Of Conjugall Love SECTION I. Of the excellency of such Conjugall or Marriage Love in generall and the miseries of the losse and want thereof KIng Solomon saith a prudent wife is from the Lord Prov. 19.4 From the beginning of the creation saith our Saviour God made them male and female for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they two shall be one flesh Mar. 10.7 Mat. 19. So it appeares God himselfe is the Author of this lawfull conjugall or marriage-love And therfore in respect of him the Authour to be very well esteemed accordingly Therefore in his sacred word by King Solomon he saith Rejoyce in the wife of thy youth c. See Prov. 18.2 Eccl. 9.9 and by Saint Paul Husbands love your wives as Christ loved his Church So ought men to love their wives as their owne bodies for he that loveth his wife loveth himselfe Eph. 5.25 28. Let me here againe make a short though perchance very necessary digression Since God himselfe as hath been shewed is the Authour of this Conjugall true Love and commends the same unto us I doe intend God willing to write on of this Subject though all the severe Grandsires and Stoickes of the world should frowne and the more nice then wise people turâ—e aside their heads and though envious malitious people should pine and grieve exceedingly at such loving felicities though over-doting sottish and brain-sicke Lovers should be toucht to the quick in this ensuing discourse and therefore kicke and though whoremasters should be gall'd and lash though Momus or jeering Coxecombes should carp and scoffe at this subject of Conjugall Love and though meere earthly sensuall fooles should not see or conceive the good and divine use thereof which is principally heavenly Love of God And I protest I shall in this discourse principally endeavour to please God the Authour of this Love that is to doe good for I know all goodnesse pleaseth him and what better and more necessary endeavour then to increase this so good and necessary happinesse of Conjugall or Marriage-Love in the world from which springeth so many good and happy effects therein as in this the next the fourth and fifth Sections of this Partitioâ— I intend to shew more largely And in the next place I would gladly also please all vertuous pious men and of them especially true-lovers which I hope I shall the rather since I have formerly been much encouraged by such and since I have followed and learned the substance of this Partition of many wise and worthy Authours who have formerly written of this subject done much good thereby and are deservingly commended for the same And lastly I write this to please and recreate my selfe also amidst more serious studies and occasions Now therefore let the said severe Grandsires Stoicks over-nice people envious malitious men over-doting sottish brain-sicke Lovers carping scoffing geering coxcombs meere sensualists or any other vitious men for such onely I thinke will frowne looke aside pine grieve be angry barke stir kick lash carp scoffe soulely detract or remain still meere sensuall fooles I care not since I have endeavoured and shall endeavour to doe this good hereby It matters not to me what such men say While I please God good men my self enjoy And since God the Authour of this Conjugall Love hath commended the same unto us in such a sweet amiable and pleasant manner as is said Prov. 5.18 c. Eccles 9.9 Ephes 5. and divers other places and also in the Canticles and elsewhere even in a misterious and divine way therefore if I or any man endeavour to shew and increase this happinesse and to do this so necessary good in a pleasing â—â—d harmelesse manner what wise well disposed man who but some rugged discontented envious carping maligne spirited men will be displeased therewith I wonder why any should be so maligne as to dislike grudge or envy the felicities of lovers I protest I wish that all the true-lovers and married men in the world might enjoy as much pleasure and felicity in their loves and wives as they can wish and thinke of though it were upon this condition that my selfe should lose all my joyes hopes and
enough to reade them But in good earnest againe Marriage is said to be a Rocke on which many men cast themselves away also a Yoke and a bondage a multitude of hinderances charges cares crosses and annoiances are incident to married people What wise man would marry Some men are Cornuted and father Children which are none of their owne To many men their children prove undutifull disobedient arrogant prodigall and become bitter Crosses to their Parents as Ham to Noah Absolon to David Hophni and Phineas to old Eli. Of moderne Examples to this purpose there are innumerable If I should reckon up all the troubles vexations cares charges hinderances and miseries belonging to marriage I should be very much too long and tedious Besides I might for this purpose tell how happily Batchelours live without wives how freely securely merrily pleasantly and without controule There are yet further more generous and sublime remedies considerations and consolations to ease and cheare the soule of a discontented and pining Lover As to consider that S. Paul and very many wise men learned Divines Philosophers and others prefer a single life before marriage I hope you will beleeve them And also that marriage corrupts many great and good spirits hinders many good and worthy actions and enterprises I have married a wife saith one and therefore I cannot come Luke 14.20 Also to consider that it is fittest for such to marry who are of lower minds such as have the most grosse spirits more of earth than heaven in them tye such men to women to the flesh to mundane troubles cares distâ—actions c. Let the other be free and happy Also to contemne and even scoffe at Cupid and all his wooden darts like that young man who could merrily sing Sir Cupid is blinde I say Though some have thought he seeth And though he hit my heart one day A T in Cupids teeth So to endeavour to be Cupids Masters to use him as we list and if we chance to play with him a little sometimes for recreation as wise men doe with a foole or Ladies with a little dog yet let us also scoffe at contemn and despise him when we please and see good occasion But now concerning that which is the best and most glorious remedy and consolation not onely against pining Love but against all other mundane desires wants losses and crosses which is to endeavour so to be possessed and inflamed with divine love of God and heavenly joy in him and so to trust in his never fayling providence as to be most sweetly contented and pleased at heavens will and pleasure to rejoice even in losses and crosses and thinke them divine love-tokens as certainely they are to them who love him Rom. 8.28 He that loves God better than himselfe cannot but be sweetly pleased with his will in all things So let us endeavour to love him above our selves and so to be pleased with his pleasure as to say yea Vow to God men to this purpose if there be occasion as I doe now That since 't is Gods will I wish no other happinesse then what I doe enjoy but all things to be as they are since he thinks good Me thinks I neither dare nor can wish greater happinesse then to know that God whom I would love infinitely above my selfe is infinitely happy Let us then endeavour to be of such an heavenly temper so enlightened with divine Love and Joyes as to have little or no roome left in our soules for carnall grosser love and joyes while we are elevated in heavenly thoughts and contemplations for certainly those spirits which are truly raised to the knowledge of divine things and doe well know the Art of heavenly contemplations are elevated above all the love and pleasures of the earth inasmuch as eternall heavenly felicities are above humane temporary earthly vanities and not finding any thing on earth worthy of their love and desires they doe note and set out their desires their pleasures and felicities in heaven So as they doe in part beforehand taste of the sweetnesse of those delights which they pretend to receive at the end of their life which makes them very graciously to set under their feet all the Love and pleasures of the earth while their soules are in such contemplations directing their aimes to heaven And while they are in these divine extasies their spirits are so strong as they doe overcome their carnall desires so heavenly as they doe then esteeme the greatest pleasures of the body as this of carnall Love but as dung and drosse in comparison of the heavenly Love and pleasures which they enjoy in their soules And in such contemplations and comparison they rejoyce more inâ—contemning this earthly love and pleasures then in enjoying the same What need wee care for farthings who may have gold enough for earthly that may have heavenly happinesse But as Saint Paul signifies Marriage hinders this divine Love and heavenly pleasures He that is married saith he careth for the things of the world how he may please his wife But he that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord c. 1 Cor. 7.32 c. One doubted not to say that if men could live without desiring women and other superfluous things of the world they would be visited and very familiarly accompanied with Angels And certainely there bee many married men in the world if they did but truly know the excellency of such a contemplative heavenly life and did seriously consider how freely and joyfully Batchelors may live they would even runne through fire and water to be so happy But now lest married men should be too much displeased with what I have written Let me tell them I write this chiefly to comfort ease and cheere the hearts of discontented melancholy pining languishing Lovers And herein I thinke I have endeavoured to doe a very good deed and to shew very good causes and reason enough to cheere comfort and rejoice the most sad drooping languishing and discontented Lover if he be not gone out of his senses or without reason And let those displeased married men if any be so know or thinke that when we speake against Marriage wee meane onely of unfit and evill marriages Such as that of Spungius and Philtra They would quarrell sweare curse fight c. Let such be alwayes scoft at and remaine miserable till they mend their manners And least Batchelours should bee too averse from Marriage and such as lose their first Love should forbeare a second choyce which alwayes drowns the love of the former in oblivion and is one of the best Remedies against Loves losse for heere they finde it againe in another Let us still say as Saint Paul saith That marriage is honourable in all men and that it is good to marry though better to live single And that a Consonant equall and fit marriage when both parties bee loving kinde wise constant and of good conditions is even a
bee received with thanksgiving c. vers 4.5 I have written formerly against Popish superstitious refusall of the good use of meates and therefore not now to write thereof onely methinkes that the first five verses of this chapter 1. Tim. 4. is sufficient in this respect to give any reasonable Christian good satisfaction Therefore let not us superstitiously despise and refuse the good use of such gifts and blessings of God but rather in a good and temperate manner use them to the health and welfare both of our bodies and minds as hath beene shewed and as here Saint Paul adviseth us to the praise and glory of God And since our Country and condition affords plenty and variety for our entertaine Oh let us bee very thankfull to our most gratious Creator for the liberall use of these his creatures and acknowledge this unexpresseable mercie that we have not yet according to our demerits endured that grievous and insupportable misery of hunger and famine which other Nations Kingdomes Countries and Families have suffered but have foode both corporall and spirituall even Gods plenty And in the midst of our dainties and varieties let us sometimes remember the misery wherewith poore hungry people are tortured Heaven might have given them plenty and us want Oh then let us especially at seasonable times bestow some part of our plenty on their miserable wants Blessed are such as give of their bread and meate to the poore Prov. 22.9 Ezek. 10.7 Luke 14.13 Yea Jesus Christ himself takes this as done unto himselfe and will reward the same of his free grace with a heavenly Kingdome Matth. 25. Then shall the King say come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you for I was an hungry and yee gave me meate c. vers 34.35 Oh blessed soules that releeve Jesus Christ in his poore members And let the sweetenesse pleasantnesse and benefits of these terrestriall externall felicities excite us to seeke for and taste of that heavenly Manna of divine grace which is so excellent that many Saints of God even in this life have and doe enjoy a continuall feast within them which is the tranquillity of a good conscience And indeed these pleasures of eating and other the like enjoyances which are but little rayes glimpses and reflexions of eternall heavenly delights doe principally serve to this purpose to enlighten and guide us to the search and acquisition of that fountaine that ocean of all true delights and sweetnesse that bread of life God himselfe and of his heavenly pleasures and felicities which wee may already taste of in some degree for in the Church of God in his divine service love and goodnesse there is plenty of spirituall dainties He allowes more to his family then ever Solomon allowed daily to his Every day is to them a continuall feast a Christmas day a feast above that of Ahasuerus that of the Roman Galba or of Lucullus a feast in his holy Mountaine of Syon a feast of fat things full of marrow c. Esay 25.6 Wisedome hath killed her Oxen already hath mingled her Wine hath furnished her table and most lovingly invites us to come to eate of her bread c. Prov. 9.2.5 There is the milke of the word the bread of the Sacrament the Oyle of the spirit that heavenly unction which cheeres the countenance and divinely glads the hearts of the Israel of God There the faithfull espoused soule the Bride of the Kings sonne is invited and led into his faire banquetting house and into his pleasant garden of Myrrhe and spices eates Honey with the Honey-combe drinkes wine with milke yea eates and drinkes abundantly of these heavenly dainties Cant. 5. Oh if wee were but truely capable to relish the sweetnesse hereof we should bee extasied with divine joy Yea our beloved Saviour Jesus Christ himselfe offers knocks cals and if we will open unto him he will come into us and will sup with us and we with him Rev. 3.20 Oh what heavenly cates viands and dainties can they want whom God himselfe pleaseth to come in unto to dwell with and to feast withall What happinesse may they enjoy with whom the God of all happinesse is present yea who may enjoy God himselfe for I am the bread of life saith our Saviour Iohn 6.48 which came downe from Heaven vers 51. And he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever vers 58. yea hath eternall life vers 54. It seemes we begin eternall life already enjoy Heaven on Earth in some degree yea God himselfe within us vers 56. Oh happy thrice happy infinitely Eternally happy are such men then who can taste of and enjoy this bread of life this heavenly bread of eternall life Oh sweete Saviour give us daily this bread Let us especially endeavour to taste and feede on this divine food by faith in our hearts when we repaire to the Sacrament thereof even with sweetest heavenly joy and thanksgiving Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for he satisfieth the longing soule and filleth the hungry soule with his goodnesse Psal 107.8.9 Oh taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 The young Lions doe lacke and suffer hunger but they that seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing vers 10. To proceede let this happinesse of eating make us often mindfull of that celestiall eternall love-feast the Lambs Supper Rev. 19.9 where Heaven shall bee our banqueting-house the Angels our attendants and Jesus Christ our Bridegroome and where we shall enjoy millions of pleasures for ever Then shall we be abundantly satisfied with the pleasures of Gods owne house Psal 36.8 Then shall we everlastingly feede on that most delitious Manna the foode of Heaven the sweetnesse of eternall joy and happinesse which if we could but truely thinke of even in this life it were sufficient to charme our spirits with sweetest divinest heavenly pleasures The sweetest delights are divine and heavenly and the way to relish them beyond all sweets is often to muse and taste of them for having our soules often contemplating and tasting such delitious heavenly dainties the same extracteth from thence this vertue to bring us into a ravishment of delights How many men have been so transported in the divine contemplation of the sweetnesse of God and of his heavenly excellencies as they have seemed already to feast on the joies of eternity O my sweet Lord let me also I pray thee often feast of thy heavenly joyes thou knowest my soule desires to taste of no delights but thee in thee and for thy glory and since all goodnesse all sweetnesse and the fulnesse of all delights is only in thee for what is Heaven oh Lord without thee let my soul I desire thee be filled with thy sweetnesse and then surely I shall enjoy the delights of Heaven within me THE FIFTH PARTITION Of Drinking SECTION I. The benefits of Drinking in generall also the abuses and extent thereof in this drinking Age. MY
namely Covetousnesse Let us if we meane to be happy in our Riches take heed that we plunge not our selves into this unsatiable sordid and miserable vice lest that with Shemei while we seeke our servant we lose our selves How many men are there now in the world that doe quite and cleane lose the felicity of a quiet life for to set up their happinesse though meerly imaginary in the amassement of Riches And if heaven heare their covetous desires with designe to punish them and give them some favourable successe to their Cares they become then even Idolaters indeed of those treasures which before they adored but in hope And so become miserable by too ardently desiring that which otherwise might doe them good It is now in our Age almost as it was in the Prophet Ieremies time Even from the meanest to the greatest men are given to covetousnesse and to deale falsely Ier. 6.10 Let us therefore view this vice and the effects thereof But first to prevent mistakes and Cavils let me say that in the ensuing discourse against Covetousnesse I doe not meane that honest and necessary desire of Riches and endevours to gaine the same which every man ought to have for the good of himselfe family and others which may be called honest frugality and is commendable in all men insomuch as no men are more praise-worthy and happy in this respect then such as frugally desire Riches and provide for themselves and theirs But now to define what I intend by Covetousnesse and proceed Covetousnesse is an over-greedy unsatiable niggardly sottish and ravenous desire of Riches from which springeth abundance of evils and miseries The due consideration wherof is remedy sufficient to flight our disorderly affections from the same Let us therfore view them Covetousnesse is the root of all evill Saint Paul saith from thence often springs deceit contentions lying Simony Vsury thefts quarrels suites strifes treasons and murders Insomuch that if a mans heart be very deepely set on Couetousnesse he will commit any vice or wickednesse to effect his ravenous desires Like that Italian Monke who being corrupted with money poyson'd the Emperour Henry the seventh Or as that Citizens sonne of Venice whose father having committed a crime and hid himselfe a reward was appointed by the State to him that should bring his head Whereupon his sonne slew him and brought his head to the Duke Or as Iudas for money betrayed our Saviour The Riches of the world if too much beloved do attract and draw the eie of the soule from it selfe or at least so blindes the same as it cannot performe such good actions as it ought either to the glory of God the good of others or it selfe for Covetousnesse banisheth out of the soule the most sublime and heavenly graces noblenesse of spirit humanity courtesie love kindnesse mutuall entertainments naturall affection and reason It turnes the soule into a low earthy dunghill temper and disposition and causeth men to become very muckwormes and slaves to money It draweth away the minde from all more excellent pleasures and so blindeth it that it cannot see them Tell the covetous man of the choysest delights on Earth yea of Heaven it selfe yet hee is so blinde and brutish as to thinke all a kinde of madnesse and folly that is above his low sordid temper and disposition So as Covetousnesse bereaveth a man or at least hindereth him in all the pleasures of the earth and of heaven also and which is most strange of that which he so much desires even the pleasures of Riches themselves for he regardeth not what felicity hee may derive from the substance which he doth possesse but ever thinketh how well he should be if he had some great matter which he hath not and the want thereof almost continually grieves him even like children and fooles who will pule and whine for a toy they want or long for of which they are more sensible then of all the present good or future hope they have or may enjoy So that according to the Proverbe The covetous man sels his horse to get Hay which when he hath t doth him little or no good He doth even contemne and neglect himselfe and all other good pleasures and felicities to gain this of Riches which when he hath he neither uses well nor enjoyes but still remaines discontentedly unsatisfied The more he hath the more he desires even his Riches are to him but as drinke in a dropsie for as those increase so his desires are still the more enlarged even as the grave the wombe the earth the fire which are never satisfied Prov. 30.15 16. His heart may be compared to those leane Kine which Pharaoh saw in his dreame who devoured the fat Kine and were never the fuller That which hee hath is not regarded for want of that which he hath not although he possesse abundance So Covetousnesse is an unsatiable desire which continually as with hunger gnawes and discontents the minde Though Covetous men have Houses Lands Riches Revenues Orchards Vineyards Fields enough yea abundance as Ahab King of Israel had yet as Ahabs did at Naboths Vineyard their eyes will envie and looke obliquely at their neighbours goods houses lands c. and especially their teeth will water at that which their nose most drops over that which lies most pat in their way very neere and fit for them They are even as he was sicke in the suddes and sullens for want therof and lack some politick Iezabel to make them a caudle though of the blood of the Vinetor and Grape of the Vineyard some wise Lawyer cunning snap or politicke pate of their owne to devise a way to get the same either by hooke or by crooke as they say though the Devill be in the Councell either by oppression extortion or couzening circumvention So envie also pines the covetous man Also cares plots and ravenous desires to get Riches doe alwayes possesse him And what base offices paines therein and reproaches thereby as also what sordid and niggardly pinching of himselfe will he not endure to save and gaine a little money Feares also of loosing what he possesses grieves him He is alwayes suspitious grudging complaining and discontented Sorrow and griefe also in parting from Riches doth greatly vex him He can scarce afford himself and family necessaries without brawling pining and grieving The often remembrance of losses and expences past doth also much trouble him In a bad yeere or at some great losse hee could even affoord to make himselfe away As old Hermon who dreaming he had spent a summe of money for griefe hang'd himselfe Or as that covetous Phidon who being faln into desparation for a great losse went to buy a haltar to hang himselfe withall but finding the price too dear leapt into a River It is reported of another who being sicke was told hee must take Physicke or die and being demanded of the Physitian ten shillings to recover him answered the same might better
Our Saviour himselfe was poore on earth Many of the Saints of God have beene willingly poore How patient and contented was Iob at the losse of his riches in his poverty Saint Peter and Saint Iohn could say Silver and gold have we none The Devill saith All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me How foolish are their conceits then who esteeme a man the better and happier for riches without grace and grace wee see is sufficient to make a man so happy and heavenly as to be a Saint without riches as well as with it and so to make poore men herres of heaven Many Phi osophers and wise men have beene voluntarily poore Crates threw his Riches into the sea because he saw the same hindered his quietnesse .. Marcus Curius Phocian Philopemen Cinon Anaxarchus Anacreon Xenocrates and all the Stoikes Zeno Diogines Cleanthes and divers others have esteemed poverty a happy condition and preferred the same before much riches And the rather because riches to many men become snares and baites to vice and wickenesse and hinder men ofttimes in goodnesse and he that is free from the cares belonging to riches hath the more liberty to attend the divine and waightier affaires of the soule Therefore many both Christians and Philosophers out of the greatnesse of their courage have endevoured to despise riches and forsaken them though perchance unwarrantably to discharge themselves of the good use and exercise of many good duties and vertues that might be performed there by But to goe on Although it be more praise-worthy to mount up to heaven through many difficulties and temptations then otherwise yet as it seemes poverty is an easier way to heaven which our Saviour implyes saying it is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven Marke 10. Yet true it is that as it is more hard and difficult so it is more commendable and glorious for a rich man to be pious vertuous But indeed it is even rare to see rich men religious for while the earth allowes them such pleasures they make it their heaven and looke for no other who wonders to see them neglect the better when they dote upon the worse And riches oftentimes also are occasions of vice and wickâ—dnesse and by our ill using of them become even as snares of Satan to make us neglect God and goodnesse and hecome more evill and vitious And hereby many rich men doe like Envie exttract evill out of good their riches encrease their misery How dangerous riches are to many men in this kinde See Psal 52.7 Eccles 5.13 Ezek. 28.5 Matth. 13.22 and 19.23 Marke 10.23 24. c. 1 Tim. 6.9 10 Iam. 5. and many other places in the sacred Scriptures So that it seemes 't is a greater danger to be very rich then very poore for Riches oft times make men lose good wayes but poverty keepes them in the right pathes Poore men are commonly more free from idlenesse luxury and intemperance then rich men and consequently from such Aches Paines Infirmities and loathsome diseases as are incident and often caused thereby to many rich men and also from pride vaine glory insolency ambition suspition feares cares complaints contentions peevishnesse discontents disturbances and all such vexations as many rich men are usually possest with who like Haman Esther 3.5 and 5.9.13 are commonly vext at every triflle whereas poore men are usually more contented with all things more vertuous more meeke fearelesse free and happy men and seldome troubled with any more important thoughts then how to finde meanes to passe their time in the austerities whereunto they are already habituated and which are by custome made easie yea even pleasant to them They seldome envie or repine after others fortunes as being equally estranged both from their knowledge and reach in which respects also they may be stiled happy men They remaine safe and at quiet as it were in a harbor while great rich men are exposed to danger as it were in a tempest floating on the maine Ocean The health of the body and the contentment of the minde are the only reall riches in the world and we see that poore men are commonly more healthy then idle intemperate rich men and have better stomacks their course fare tastes as well to them as the rich mans dainties Their cloth suite becomes them as well and keeps their healthy bodies as warme as the gallants bravery and they are as well pleased therewith The poore man and woman laughes at the gallants slasht sute with gold lace and new odde fashions at the Madams strange attires at her naked breasts and armes at the spots in her face thinks them proud foolish wilde and phantastick He is really the richest man that is most contented and most rejoyceth in that which he hath though it be but competency but a little Hee that hath a minde contentedly good enjoyes in it boundlesse possessions And to view the world Who whistles out more content and sings more merrily then the low-fortun'd Countreyman the painefull Labourer and the honest Plowman and who say they are better Common-wealthes men then we yea even the Cobler under his stall will merrily chant away his time and his worke So it appeares that many poore men sing whistle laugh are merry and rejoyce at their worke while many rich men are sullen melancholly and droope in idlenesse Who enjoyes more sweetnesse in pleasure than they which gaine it by industry and paines Those fowles and fishes taste best which we kill our selves when wee travell a birding or fishing That bread tastes best which men labour for themselves And how doe many poore labouring men eate their bread with joy and their healthy stomackes doe well digest the same while many rich mens stomacks w ch are corrupted by idlenesse and intemperance doe even loath their owne dainties Yea even the very sleepe of him that laboureth and travelleth is sweet saith the wise man but saith he the satiety and abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe Eccles 5.12 How happy then is the contented man yea though he be poore And me thinkes Crato shew'd a braver spirit when hee danc'd and laught in his thredbare Cloâ—ke and his Wallet at his backe then Alexander when hee wept that he had not such a huge beast as the Empire of this world to govern and a richer world to conquer and possesse So Crato wisely seem'd to contemne what Alexander cry'd for So it appeares that many poore men are commonly more Pious more vertuous more healthy and more contented then many rich men and though many rich men are wise in their owne conceits Prov 28.11 yet wealth without wit and without modest worth and honesty is but as a rich saddle to ride a foole or a knave in and a poore man that hath understanding searches him out Prov. 28.11 he laughes at him in his sleeve contemnes him King David saith God shall destroy the wicked man he
shall take him from his riches he shall plucke him from his dwelling and root him out of the Land of the living The righteous man also shall see this and feare and shall laugh him to scorne and say Loe this is the man that tooke not God for his strength but trusted unto the multitude of his riches and strengthened himselfe in his wickednesse but as for me I am a greene Olive in the house of God c. Psal 52.6 7 8 9 c. Thus the poore man may comfort himselfe and rejoyce I am the longer in this Section because I thinke it a very good deed to endevour to comfort poore men who have most need thereof Blessed is hee that considereth the poor needy c. Psal 41. v. 2 3. And indeed there are no men that can enjoy riches more freely fearelesly and happily then such as know how to be contented and happy in a poore estate This knowledge frees them from all the fears unnecessary distempers which many men take about their riches And mee thinks there are no men more foolish as miserable then discontented men And so no men more wise as happy then such as can be contented in all estates and conditions Therefore to proceed yet further in this so good and necessary discourse The poore and the rich are in this life equally travellers both pretending to heaven Now if the rich passe through the fairerway yet they re-encounter in the end a thorne instead of every flower which they have past upon every pleasure is a griefe in parting from and past happinesse is an irksome remembrance so that if rich men should laugh for joy in the presence of a thousands delights is it not to prepare in their breast the matter of as many griefes since every pleasure is a disposition to a kinde of martyrdome by the necessary and infallible privation of it's sweets whereof while we taste it menaceth us So that in the end especially at death rich men seeme to be more miserable then poore men in their greater losses And since we must all passe through the necessary privations losses and miseries of this world is it not better to suffer those evils which we cannot avoid sooner then later The richest of the world is at last found as poore as the poorest companion and very likely more miserable 'T is nor to be wondred at if rich men be more affraid of dangers and of death then poore men since their greater losses and also their accustomed delicacy makes the same to them more dreadfull whereas many poore men seem to embrace death and rejoyce thereat as if some good Angel were come to free theÌ„ out of the miseries of this life carry theÌ„ to heaven So as losses crosses dangers sicknesse and death are nothing so grievous to the poore as to the rich covetous ambitious and voluptuous man 't is like if he can make a good use of his poverty being the more vertuous and pious thereby that heaven will be so much the more pleasant to him eternally as he was here more miserable for a time a moment in comparison for joy after misery past is the sweeter There are yet further meditations come into my mind concerning this blessed subject I hope there will bee no Reader so maligne spirited as to envie and grudge the happinesse of poore men but rather let us greatly rejoyce thereat Oh blessed be God that giveth such and so much happinesse to many of those poore people whom the stony evill hearted insolent rich men of the world doe oppresse abuse scorne contemne and trample upon A truely good soule will desire and rejoyce to see every man good and happy as wel the poore as the rich The Prophet King David saith A little that the righteous man hath is better then great riches of the wicked Let therefore a poore man be religious then though his estate be never so little yet is he richer happier the the richest impenitent wicked man in the world This little is a blessing to the righteous but to a wicked man riches are but usurped and being not used well to the glory of God but rather to ill ends and in vitious courses they do but encrease of his misery and ruâ—â—e It may be said that rich men may doe more good then poore men having more meanes It is true and blessed indeed are those rich men that live well and doe good with their riches Yet why may not poore men doe as much good especially to themselves as the rich If Christ may be judge in this case he saith the poore widdow gave more then all the rich ones though she gave but two mites out of her poverty when they gave abundance out of their superfluity and consequently 't is like she is more rewarded in heaven Yea even the good will of the poore man and his wishes to doe good with his riches if he had it is as acceptable to God as the rich mans almes For God accepteth the will for the deed when ability to performe the deed is wanting How much more easie is it then for poore men to be charitable and so to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven then rich men since onely his good will is required wâ—en the rich mans money also is requisite as in due and necessary collections for the poore and otherwise which ofttimes comes even as hard and heavily from some covetous rich mens purses as drops of their blood And in truth many rich men are so farre from doing good with their riches as they do ofttimes much hurt thereby They become thereby the more insolent dissolute and vitious and with their riches they countenance and maintaine ill courses And their riches as hath been said are to them even as snares and baites of wickednesse To the poore man therefore wee may truely say Hadst thou beene rich 't is like thou wouldst have beene proud insolent ambitious covetous an oppressor or an intemperate licentious luxurious idle miserable man Perhaps thy want of riches hath beene an occasion of thy conversion and encrease of goodnesse If so thou art a most happy man thou art infinitely more blessed then a wicked impenitent unconverted man though he be the richest the greatest Monarch on earth Poore men how happy are you if you bee Gods servants even those eternall riches of the kingdome of heaven belong to you as well as to any other Luke 6.20 Rich men how miserable are you if you be impious and vitious Then weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come upon you c. Iam 5.1 c. How is your estate worthy of pitty rather then envie if you have no other Paradise then your riches What if you bee the worlds favourites and she endow you with her choysest treasures yet since you want grace your riches shall turn but to your greater misery Both rich and poore let us bend our choysest designes and endevours to gaine this inestimable
more certaine then it the minde having no more proper nor effectuall riches then this of Contentment A contented joyfull minde is the chiefest riches in the world He that covets no more riches then what he hath is as if he possâ—ssed all the riches in the world To him that desires but a little a little seemes much and we know that a little is enough to suffice nature and to live well If we desire and live according to nature and reason as we should we shall alwaies find that which is sufficient but if we live according to common opinion while wee live wee shall never finde it A man that hath but any Art or Science yea that hath but his hands at will how can he justly complaine of want or poverty since in nature and reason so little and so few things are necessary and sufficient those few to bee found almost every where in such plenty as being moderately used may suffice the condition of every man How happily and how healthfully doe those creatures live which follow harmelesse nature and reason How well are they pleased with conveniencies care not for curiosities nor superfluities It is a notable folly not to be contented with so much as is naturall and necessary Sufficiency is a large Seigniory a Kingdome if wee could as in nature and reason wee should be contented therewith If we have much yet let us not much regard the superfluity but in our minds rather set it apart for losses and crosses We may take as much felicity in sufficiency as if we possessed all the world which if we did we could enjoy the rest onely by looking on and contemplation So may we while it is others How reasonable how easie how happy is it for a man to be contented with a reasonable meane estate and having so to thinke himselfe right blessed therein to live a life full of joy and happinesse to live and raigne as a Vice-Roy over his owne affections to be so farre from grumbling and being discontented as to bee rather very thankfull and joyfull that his lot is fallen into so faire a ground as to have sufficient and not to want what is naturall and necessary If we have not abundance yet since we have that which is needfull convenient decent and sufficient in all respects why should we not be most pleasingly contented therewith as an estate that heaven seems to smile upon with a gracious aspect and promise of blessing if we can but enjoy it bee thankfull and live well therewith If we can doe this then may we be assured the estate that God gives us is best for us whether it be little or much he was ever so carefull of his children as to give them that which is most for their good Vnworthy men they are who can thinke God will suffer such to want that which is good for them who with a dutiful endeavour do depend on him Let us truly love serve him beleeve and upon my soule he will never faile us in what is best for us either he will give us that which we desire or better if not in this life yet most certainly in that which is infinitely better in heaven eternally yea in both if it be good for us Let me be so dutifull and depend on him and I have ground enough to be contented and heartily joyfull .. Henceforth then it shall be my resolution to bee contented and sweetly pleased onely with what God pleases I shall enjoy Further concerning Gods love care and providence towards his children Read Psal 34 10.37.3 c. 84.11 Matth. 6.25 Luke 12 23. And to this purpose Saint Paul adviseth us Be content saith he with such things as ye have For God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 Some men would perswade us that it is impossible to finde any firme quiet and contentment in this world without wishing or desiring any other thing or condition then wee now enjoy whether little or much But if we will be guided by divine reason and wisedome what is more easie what impossibility can there be to regulate our wils to Gods What reason is there to the contrary but that wee should even with good grace and sweetest contentment obey our Soveraigns our heavenly fathers decrees and live upon earth onely of the pure gifts and blessings of heaven without wishing any other then what he wils and pleases If we could truly love and know God it were impossible but we should be infinitely pleased with all that hee pleases and with nothing else Oh how rich how happy are they who are able to undergoe what heaven hath decreed without complaint without desiring any other without arguing or distrusting divine providence still endeavoring to doe the best they may and still being sweetly contented and pleased with what heaven wils What greater riches then this can a man wish or desire To conclude then let us therefore above all rely on the divine providence of God and trust him in all things So may we assuredly know that what estate soever we possesse is most good most fit for us This is the way to be contented so may wee rejoyce in the riches which we do possesse and not feare the losse or want thereof SECTION V. Of the good and divine use of Riches IF God please to give us Riches let us use them well Though Riches be often abused by evil vitious men to their great prejudice and sometimes ruine yet prudent religious men can use the same as also the benefits which spring from thence to many good ends and purposes as to the glory of God and good of his Church And although poverty may be a blessed estate also to such as can use the same well as hath been shewed in the fourth Section So likewise is Riches an happy estate to such as can use them well as hath been also shewed in the first Section as being the gifts and blessings of God From which also spring many blessed and happy effects in their good use and imployment And it seemes more praise-worthy and a greater vertue to command and use Riches well then to contemne and neglect them unlesse in some cases as in comparison of heavenly Treasures divine Happinesse They who otherwise contemne and neglect them seeme to doe the same out of pride and presumption contemning nnd neglecting even the gifts and blessings of God as if they were wiser in refusing then God in offering the enjoyance of such blessings for so they are in their good use And also they doe unworthily discharge themselves of many good duties exercises and vertues which are required in the good and honest government of Riches in their acquisition and attainment in their conservation distribution good use and imployment Not to desire search conserve use well and so enjoy Riches in a good and vertuous manner is rather weaknesse of mind then wisedome The lawfull enjoying of Riches and the benefits springing from
resolved often to trace therein though all malitious vitious men should continually reproach and scandalize the same and me Yet once more I will imagine Momus telling the honest man that the world is already too full of books even cloyed pestered annoyed therewith and that therefore new ones are superfluous and the honest man telling Momus that there are not too many good bookes and that men especially schollers may easily enquire and know which are the best and use only them That there are as many and divers minds as men and therefore 't is good that there be many and divers kinds of good bookes That most men are but of plaine and common understanding and therefore many plaine and easie bookes are necessary That new things are most lookt upon and noted and therefore it is not amisse that there be often new good bookes published and the like But admit it be so that the world is cloyed with too many bookes therefore it is the more requisite that men should endeavour to collect refine and epitomize the same and to publish that only which is good necessary and well pleasing to vertuous pious men and in this respect concerning my selfe also if I have failed therein though I hope not much yet I have endeavoured to doe as well as I could yet truly my owne meditations contemplations and so additions in the studying and writing hereof have extended the book especially in some necessary places thereof where I thought good much longer then I intended I should perhaps have pleased some men to have cited abundance of authours to shew much reading and intermixed a multitude of Latine phrases and sentences c. especially to please such who thinke all learning is comprized therein All which indeed may be performed by a weake scholler in this age insomuch as a man may easily collect even out of moderne English Authours such matter enough to make a booke swel in Folio to a great volume but in this compendious discourse I thought better to neglect the same and so to be as briefe as conveniently I could In this booke I have endeavoured to use such a severall stile and language as according to my weake skil and judgement becomes the severall matters discoursed of in the Treatise And since I have been very much encouraged in this way by many worthy friends aswell Divines as others as I can shew and 't is well knowne under some of their hands I am the more freely willing to commit the same to publique view and censure notwithstanding the common and pernitious slanders and reproaches of Momus Zoylus and their followers But if I have digressed to returne Let us further consider that some enemies and reproaches are even good and necessary for us to purifie to try to quicken and enliven all vertue and divine graces in us Let us endeavour to mâ—ke a good use even of reproches by beiâ—g the better more circumspect and diligent in all goodnesse more wise resolute and contagious therein and then happy are we wee may rejoyce rather then sorrow at such reproach that occasioneth such good effects And againe concerning my selfe I confesse that if I had not had some very strange eager enemies and been reproached 't is very like I had not had the leisure to have been happy I protest me thinkes I do very plainly perceive that the same hath occasioned my greatest joy and felicity yea that all the enemies reproaches and crosses of my life have turned to the increase of my good and happines and that the remembrance of them doth now but serve to enliven quicken my present joyes But to proceed It is common to all men to be evill spoken of and reviled especially religious and pious men most undeservingly The Apostles Martyrs and all the Saints have bin so abused those men of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 12.36 38. We doe but follow our leâ—ders yea our Captaine and Saviour himselfe hath led this way and he will crowne such with eternall triumphant honour and glory who patiently follow him in suffering 'T is a comfort to have such a leader such companions Hath God our Saviour most loving-suffered so much to make us happy and shall not we even willingly and joyfully suffer so little for his sake as the reproach of envious and malitious tongues Let us be ashamed to goe to heaven without suffering somthing for our Saviours sake When ill men hate and revile us it is a signe of goodnesse in us Such men would love us if we did use and allow their courses If we doe well they will hate and reproach us Let us then as the Apostles did rejoyce that wee are worthy to suffer for goodnes sake Such reproach is a blessing our Saviour saith it Blessed are you saith hee when man shall revile c. for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Matt. 6. What a weake conceit have we of heaven if we cannot willingly suffer even death it selfe for the least of it's rewards If we were truly capable thereof how joyfully should we suffer the greatest torments on earth to gaine such a reward and glory to thinke at what an easie rate in comparison we should gaine the same Puny Christians are we not worthy the name if we be dishartened at the airy reproach of dissolute people when our Saviour saith Great is your reward in heaven Let it then be as heavenly musicke to our eares to heare such vitious men so revile and reproach us We shall be rewarded with eternall honour and glory in heaven I reckon saith Saint Paul that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 And our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Of this glory let us contemplate let us lift up our minds to those crownes and thrones of heavenly honour and glory from thence let us looke downe on those barking bitelesse vitious men of the world and so being above their malice and reproaches let us contemne the same and pity them But say admit we be justly spoken evill of that we have plunged our selves into ill courses and actions whereby we have justly deserved to be so for no man lives without faults yet let us be contented let us make a good use of our disgraces so may they be an occasion of our rejoycing Let them make us see our ill deservings repent and amend seeke and returne to goodnesse Oh blessed is such disgrace that bringeth forth so good effects And although there be many impudent brazen-faced people in the world who can scoffe at and out-beard all modest shame and honesty and shamelesly maintaine all vice and wickednesse yet a generous modest man will grieve and be ashamed of ill-doing It is a signe of modest grace and goodnesse to be ashamed of and grieved for our
thought themselves happy without then with it insomuch as many Kings and Princes have voluntarily forsaken and refused it Dioclesian Sylla Carolus Martellus Ottanes King of Persia Pope Celestinus Edward the Confessor and eight crowned Kings of England while it was held of the Saxons and many others though it hath been thought superstition and unwarrantable for men so to forsake their dignities offices and callings have changed their Scepters for books knowing there was lesse trouble and perchance more peace joy and felicity in a study then in a kingdome He that is guided by reason and loves himselfe is contented with an indifferent fortune Likewise divers of the saints in all ages even the Apostles have voluntarily refused outward honour and our Saviour himselfe setting before him the glory of heaven as 't is said willingly endured the crosse and despised the shame For in such comparison of eternal and heavenly glory this externall terrestriall honour is not worthy to be esteemed but as altogether vain as meere aire breath clouds mists vapours shadowes dreames yea lesse even as nothing It doth not so much as touch a man onely his name which is nothing of his substance a thing separated in the aire from him very uncertaine fugitive and undurable So that if an ambitious man were but awaked out of his vaine-glorious dreame restored to his wits brought out of fooles paradise he would plainly see how in the prosecution of this vanity he did but run paths very vain devious and dangerous onely to build castles in the aire or according to a better phrase to sow the winds and reap the whirlwinds Then would hee remaine even most sweetly contented with a meane condition So uncertaine and undurable is honour that one day hath seene Haman honoured and hanged So Nebuchadnezzar a King and a beast Bajazet an Emperour and a caged prisoner I might instance in many more But if the renowne of a man doth make a longer noyse in the world a life time or more yet to what a small purpose is it since 't is but a noyse that passeth away with a thought and since the man himselfe also passeth away to nothing or worse to death the grave and corruption Where is now great Alexander whose valour could admit no comparison whose victories have spread through the Vniverse as likewise Cyrus his predecessour who upon his golden chariot was attended with that magnificent pomp as made men idolatrize in admiration of it So also Caesar Marke Antony Pompey Hanniball Scipio and all the rest who have bin registred in the world for famous They are dead and parted from their glory And to what a small purpose is all their conquests their honour and glory come to since even the very wormes have conquered them all and reduced them to nothing but corruption I am even astonisht when I consider that so great a number of Emperors Kings Princes Prelates Nobles who have commanded the world should now be conquered by so poore and contemptible things as death and the wormes and be imprisoned for ever in a narrow darksome grave and there to become onely a lump of filth a box of pallid putrifaction a nest of crawlers so full of gastlinesse and horrour as you would be even afraid to looke upon them Let us be contented then and not be ambitious or envy any mans honour and glory No not if an unworthy vitious impious man should grow great and honourable in the world Be not afraid saith King David when the glory of his house increaseth for he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth neither shall his pomp follow him Psal 49.16 What difference is there between the most honourable and the most despised man in the grave The poore despised mans comfort is his excesse to heaven is as free and 't is like freer with lesse impediments then the other and his departure from the earth not so grievous since he hath no pomp and glory but rather infamy disgrace and misery to depart from and if hee be a pious Christian he expects a crown of glory in heaven Why then should wee too much feare the losse or grieve for the want of externall honour and glory since as hath been shewed in respect of the eternall and heavenly which wee expect to possesse it is not worth our thoughts but in such comparison appeares altogether vaine fading and undurable as also the possessors thereof And it is most worthy consideration that such spirits as are divine enough to contemne earthly in respect of the heavenly honour and glory which they looke for and in some sort already view by a heavenly light in their soules are the most happy men The renowne of a vertuous pious man is much greater and more glorious then that of Caesar or Alexander And this honour onely lasteth eternally If we have this honour it matters not for any other we need not care which way we goe whether thtough honour or dishonour on earth so wee come to that glory in heaven Let us trust and relye on God and we are however blessed God makes us to be borne and live in what degree he pleases If we live in a mean low and despised condition among men till death God hath so ordained So it must be And if we can as if we were divinely wise we may even willingly and with sweetest contentment obey his heavenly decrees and relye on his divine providence without distrust we are certainly happy It should and why should it not be an heaven of joy to us to thinke that God whom wee should love Infinitely above our selves is in heaven that his name is glorified and his will is done on earth as in heaven To conclude then let us in respect of worldly honor rely on Gods providence what ever befals us knowing that if we trust in him we shall have that which is most good most fit for for us Let us make a good use both of honour and dishonour And so we may and let us endeavour to be contented and rejoyce in this respect and so in all things SECTION V. The good and divine use of Honour ALthough the vaine immoderate ambitious desire of praise and honour bee not good yet the moderate and vertuous desire thereof is certainly very commendable and also profitable aswell for private as publick good for it containes men in their duty awakens stirs up and inflames them to worthy and honourable actions and may serve to many good and divine uses Such honour therefore and good estimation as we have let us use the same well and in the good use thereof enjoy it freely However many vitious men use this treasure of Honour to many ill purposes to the countenance and furtherance of vice and impiety and so perhaps to their owne ruine and doe desire and seeke the same in a vain and vitious way onely to satisfie their pride arrogancy covetousnesse and other ill desires yet vertuous pious men can desire and use
as for example The pleasure of love may bee likened to fire an ardent flaming Joy To water a fountaine of pleasure Gold Pearles Amber Honey the Rose and sweetest gayest flowers Muske Nectar Ambrosia is not so precious so sweet so delightfull as the pleasures of love That the Elizian fields or Turkes Paradise is not more pleasant All these and whatsoever is most pleasant he compares and likens to Love for sweetnesse pleasures delight c. Yea and more seriously if good occasion be he can tell that this Conjugall or Mariage love is often used as a similitude or resemblance betweene Christ and his Church that the Canticles is wholly a Love-song to this purpose And that therefore it is to be thought no humane earthly joy represents that of heaven more than this of true love though there bee no comparison or likenesse between Terrestriall and Celestiall happinesse either in purity brightnesse worth or duration of time these earthly being as nothing or as drosse in respect of the heavenly yet in respect of our earthly and weak apprehension such comparisons and similitudes since we finde such in sacred Scriptures often are and may be made So some have thought that love is even A Ioy divine a taste of heaven Or by the Effects of love To instance among many and divers in a few That Love causes a man to carry himselfe fairely courteously honourably and vertuously to all men It quickens and raises a mans spirits fancy wit and makes him become pleasant neate spruce lively a Poet a Musitian a Dancer a man of fine behaviour It makes us enjoy all things in the world with a sweeter pleasure than otherwise for why it possesses the heart with joy and a joyfull heart takes pleasure in all things Thus Love doth alwaies fill Our mindes with blisse that still What ere we thinke or doe It will delight us So Whether we study work or play True love will turne all into joy Further concerning the Effects of Love he can tell her that a Million of other joyfull effects spring from true love which will now be too long to discourse of Therefore now only that true love hath such a vertue in it as it will saith one even turne water into wine I had rather saith he drinke water with thee than wine with another live meanly with thee than richly with another Yea hee tells her that true love will turne even sorrow it selfe to the encrease of its joyes saying further All the crosses that ever thee and I have had I hope we shall hereafter quite bury or drown them in the fountaine of our Love-delights or rather make them serve as fuell to encrease the flame of our love and happinesse for love and joy after crosses past is the sweeter and livelier as having been purified enlightned and quickned by the same And so for future time When crosses happen in our way Wee le turne them in our love and joy And make them serve but to enflame Enlighten and encrease the same Or by Additions Appendances and Circumstances as for example That Love is more splendent and excellent when it is seated in its Throne and attended with riches honours and other pleasures which seeme to be Loves handmaids who as a Queene graces all the rest and addes glory sweetnesse and delight to them all And as a Circumstance he can discourse almost of any thing and set forth the excellency thereof as hath been shewed by the attendants riches honour and pleasures by the object Women by the Parts and Parties affected which are the most excellent parts of man and commonly the bravest noblest most generous and ingenuous men Also by the author which is God himselfe for Love is a daughter of heaven yea as some say a little heaven upon earth by which also as is to bee shewed in the last Section hereof we may spie and spell glimpses of heaven and be the more enflamed with divine and heavenly love to seeke and possesse it So as it seemes we may enjoy two heavens In sweetest joyes that be My dearest Love then we May passe our time away All times by night and day What pleasure is on earth I pray Or heaven that we may not enjoy Thus have I given a taste of Loves excellency by way of instance in this Art of discourse But I pray remember it is but by way of discourse and then I hope you will pardon what is amisse for you know that men will talke somewhat largely to please their Lovers and yet say they have given but a taste when they have done Now I proceed and shew further the use of this Art of discourse By this Order or Art we may discourse of any other particular whatsoever as for example of the contrary to that which hath been dilated namely the miseries of Loves losse which may even readily be dilated and expressed by this Art in this manner likewise Either by the Number of miseries the misery of each Particular of that Number with Observations in respect of Matter Time Place and other occasions and each Particular demonstrated by divers Examples Reasons Arguments Comparisons Contrarieties Similitudes Effects Appendances Circumstances or otherwise and set forth by apt expressions and particularly applyed and passionately enforced and uttered according to the nature of the Subject In this manner also we may discourse of any other subject upon occasion whether of riches of honour of health of prudence temperance fortitude or of any vertue or of poverty disgrace sicknesse of covetousnesse ambition intemperance or of any other vice or misery yea or of Religion and divine matters and in truth there cannot be a better way even of Love discoursing than a religious way however seldome practised but rather despised by many of Blades and gallant Dames of the world as well as of the foolish and blockish sort of people who thinke and esteeme all things above their vaine and phantasticke humours to be folly and madnesse But indeed what better way of Love discoursing can be than a laudable and pious insinuation into the minde of such as we discourse with whether Friend or Lover by heavenly discourses which also may be done by some such like Art as hath been dilated insomuch that if both parties be of a divine temper their hearts may bee filled possessed and united with heavenly and glorious thoughts joy and love But these things I know will seeme folly mysticall strange and as very riddles to such whose meere naturall mindes are not raised to the knowledge of supernaturall and heavenly things But such lovers and friends whose minds are elevated to a supernaturall and divine temper their hearts can be filled with heavenly joy in such discourses and by the eye of Contemplation they can see one another in respect of their heavenly mindes like Angels divine creatures and so love one another with an heavenly as well as earthly love Both which being united doe binde their hearts together with an indissoluble
dish most pleasing to our Palate is more delightfull than abundance which cloyes our eyes and stomacke I shall now endeavour briefly to perswade such as may conveniently though a single life be otherwise to be preferr'd before it to this honourable and blessed estate of Marriage Marriage saith one filleth the world with men and heaven with Saints It hath alwayes beene confest by all reasonable men That a Consonant Marriage such as when both parties be equally matcht in respect of yeres birth constitution and fortunes and especially of loving kinde wise constant and good conditions such as live together like Abraham and Sarah Isaack and Rebecca Petus and Aria Seneca and Paulina Cato and Portia Rubenus Celar and his Ennea and the rest of those who are recorded as true and happy Lovers is even an earthly Paradise of Happinesse And no man can justly blame such marriages unto which the Lawes both divine and humane exhort Nature provoketh Honesty draweth all Nations approve of aboundance of felicity inviteth and necessity of continuing mankind constraineth If all men should live unmarried an hundred yeeres the world would be unpeopled and this alone may excuse and commend such men who like of Marriage better then single life since the one turnes to desolation and the other to encreasing of Mankinde The Grecians the Romans did and the Spaniards do in honour of Marriage give priviledges thereunto Marriage is honourable among all men Saint Paul saith Among Christians Iewes Turkes Pagans and why not among Fryers and Jesuites too if they be men in praise of which ordnance of God and men the pennes of many Authors in all Ages have beene exercised yea of the Papists themselves who make it a Sacrament and yet forbid the same to their Priests The best most learned Philosophers have praised and used the same as Socrates Plato Aristotle Seneca Plutarch and divers others Though there be many enemies to the name of marriage yet few to the use of it He was made imperfect that is not tending to propagation He that is perfect and marries not is said to be guilty of a contempt against Nature and Justice And why should any man thinke that God is pleased with that rigid inhibition of Marriage among the Papists which crosseth the current of Nature and his owne ordination It is the doctrine of Devils to forbid marriage 1 Tim 4.1 3. Some thinke the best chastity is Matrimoniall or Conjugall Chastity when Paires keep themselves in a moderate intermutuall enjoyance one constant to the other And though as hath beene said a contemplative divine spirit can overcome Nature and contemne the greatest earthly joy and pleasure in comparison of heavenly delights and take great pleasure in such contempt Yet all men have not this divine grace of Continency And looking downewards againe we may consider that we have bodies as well as soules which require due and convenient recreations And though as Saint Paul well observed Marriage hindereth a heavenly contemplative life in respect of care and other disturbances yet in respect of all these forenamed considerations and many other it is good to marry though better to live single if we burne not and if we have divine grace enough to live continent Whoso findeth a Wife saith King Solomon surely he meaneth a good Wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord Prov. 18.22 And since this Conjugall or Marriage society is ordained and blessed of God in Paradise in the state of perfection approved of and commended by Christ when he was on earth and since by his Apostles and Saints and is said to be honourable among all men A remedy against fornication and unlawfull Lusts a resemblance and figure betweene Christ and his Church An uniting of two into one flesh and as some affirme into one spirit also saying that the spirits of true Lovers doe passe one into another so as Saint Peter adviseth them and us they may be of one mind 1 Pet. 3.8 and since it is the sweetest and nearest relation of Love friendship and society the occasion and encrease of children families and all Mankinde it cannot be deni'd but it is good to marry especially for such whose bodies and mindes doe sympathize and who are both of loving and good conditions From such a marriage as hath beene dilated springeth the best and pleasantest delights and felicities of this life To conclude then let us wish all joy to such happy Lovers Let all the Muses sing the most delightful strains and all the Graces dance the choysest Rounde layes at their Wedding Let all pleasantnesse Love and Joy dwell in their hearts And as their yeares so may their love and joy increase that in after times they may say This is the twentieth or thirtieth yeare of our joy And let them still take King Solomons counsell Rejoyce with the Wife of thy youth let her be unto thee as the loving Hinde and pleasant Roe c. Pro. 5.19 SECTION V. The good use of Conjugall Love and so concluding with a briefe Discourse of Divine Love SVch men who use these externall Felicities of the World as this of Conjugall or Marriage Love to the glory of God and to good ends with moderate delectation are better to be reputed then they who unduly inconsiderately rashly inconveniently and superstitiously as some Monks and others doe neglect and refuse such a good which God himselfe freely offers and commends to our acceptance and the rather since these externall Pleasures and earthly blessings may serve to many excellent uses stirring us up to all duties of Piety to the Love of God to joy in him to thankfulnesse and so in all respects to his praise and glory But the principall good use of this Conjugall or Marriage Love and the felicities thereof which I shall now insist upon is That by viewing and enjoying such pleasures and felicities of the Earth we may looke higher to their fountaine contemplating the Love Lovelinesse Beauty sweetnesse and excellency of the Creator and giver of these who is infinitely more excelling And so to conclude this division with this Section of Divine Love a Subject requiring our purest and most Angelicall attention and affection True it is that all other excellencies are but dung and drosse in respect of God yet by and through these lower Loves delights and felicities of the Earth these little glimmering Rayes proceeding from that Sunne of Glory God himselfe wee may espie some light of him and of that eternall Love Beauty Glory and happinesse which we pretend hereafter to enjoy and so in some measure spell and spie Heaven from the Earth Neither ought wee to disdaine to make such comparisons between corporeal spiritual things between Earth y and Heavenly though in respect of the excellency of the spirituall and heavenly there is no comparison yet as children have need at first to be allured to the acquist of great and excellent matters by such toyes and trifles as they apprehend so
in respect of our weak apprehension such comparisons and similitudes are and ought to be used in a convenient manner So as wee may make a very good use of earthly felicities in this respect as men doe of Spectacles for by and through the good use of these our dimme eies may see the cleerer into heavenly Excellencies and consequently be the more enamour'd of them and so stirred up to seeke and enjoy them And in this respect of Conjugall Love the sacred Scripture gives us many and faire examples As in divers places thereof Christ and his Church are compared to Lovers betrothed and to be married together And the Church is called the Bride the Lambes wife Rev. 21.9 and the end of the world is called their Marriage day Rev. 19.17 S. Iohn Baptist calleth Christ the Bridegroom his Chur the bride Ioh. 3.29 And Christ calleth himself the Bridegroome Marke 3. That song of songs betweene two Lovers betrothed each to other is by the consent of all Divines a most pleasant Love-song between Christ and his Church I might instance in many other places What remaines then but that from this earthly we looke up seeke and enjoy that fountaine and essence of all love lovelinesse beauty sweetnesse and excellency which is infinitely more loving lovely sweet excellent and permanent than all the other beauties delights and excellencies of the world if they were all united together If we could truly thinke what God is how lovely beautifull glorious and in all respects infinitely excellent our hearts would presently be filled with love and admiration of him insomuch as then we should settle our dearest thoughts on him and in his love we should be filled with sweetest flames of joy and pleasures One thing have I desired saith King David and I will still desire to behold the beauty of the Lord. His beauty infinitely excels the beauty and glory of the Sun Moone Stars Angels heaven or what is most excellent when therefore we see the most inchanting beauty and lovelinesse the world can shew us let us thinke there is yet infinitely more beauty and lovelinesse in God the Creator and fountaine of this Let us endeavour to see a kinde of infinitely higher purer amiable divine and heavenly perfection even through the frailty of a face Who would not gaze himselfe into admiration when he shall see so rich a treasure as Vertue and divine Grace dwell in so pure a Cabinet as a lovely beauty or countenance If such beauty and glory can dwell with corruption what excellencies are in the Saints above Oh if there be such beauty lovelinesse and pleasure in a creature as that it hath such power to draw thereunto the eyes eares and affections of such as behold and consider it how much more beautifull and lovely is God himselfe who is the Ocean from which these and all other excellencies spring How should this divine beauty of God attract our desires and inflame us with love and joy Me thinkes I cannot leave this so pleasing lovely divine subject therefore yet againe If we so much endeavour and be so much affected with the comelinesse of creatures how should we be rapt at the admirable glorious beauty and lustre of God himselfe Even the brightest loveliest beauty on earth what is it but a very little derivative from that infinitely perfect and primitive beauty which is God but a sparke from that infinite fire A glimpse from that sun And if this little image and Idea of beauty which is but corporall and externall so delight us Oh could we view and contemplate that infinitely pure and perfect beauty in God How sweetly and necessarily should we as the Angels love him and be delighted therewith Yea if with S. Peter we could truly espie but one Ray thereof We should indeed say It is good for us to be here and greatly desire to build Tabernacles and dwell where we might ever behold such beauty such glory such happinesse Also when we consider how our selves and all true lovers freely and gladly offer love to one another though we be but earthly creatures Oh let us thinke how freely God himselfe offers love to us and how gladly we should embrace his love and as far as we can love him againe He offers his love most freely indeed to such as will accept the same For Wisedome cries out in the streets c. Prov. 8. How lovingly doth he invite us to come into his faire Garden to eate and drinke with him to be merry and to enjoy his presence for ever Cant. 5. c. Oh what love is this The infinitely glorious King of heaven most freely offers infinite love to infinitely sinfull and miserable beggars on earth so God offers love to man Oh let not us be so infinitely blinde foolish and wretched as to refuse the same but let us embrace it with most eager swift flaming desires and affections and let us wholly dedicate our loves and our selves to him Let us love nothing else but so as it may encrease our thankfulnesse and love to him our joy and glory in him and as it may please and glorifie him Let us deny our selves and already endeavour to goe out of our selves to live above our selves with him even a life heavenly on earth Let us so poure forth our soules into God and insoul our selves into him as that his divine love and joy yea himselfe may wholly possesse us and the rather since he loves us so freely Hos 14.4 and with an everlasting love Ier. 31.3 When a foule is once thus possest with the beauty lovelinesse and free love of God to it it will be often thinking of him often mounting up to heaven as a vapour exhaled by that Sun of Glory often gliding after its love being so attracted by the allurements of his most amiable faire divine beauty and lovelinesse and also the most free love and assistance of God himselfe Insomuch as it will be enlightened with glorious thoughts high apprehensions ardent affections and heavenly joyes in him For hee drawes us with the bands of love Hos 11.4 Yet further of this most excellent and heavenly subject which we may the rather remember and contemplate when we have considered the great love of true lovers and what they will suffer for one anothers sakes But then oh to thinke of the infinite love of God to us which infinitely transcends that of humane lovers to consider that this infinite glorious God should send his only Son a part of himselfe to redeeme and glorifie us who have so offended him that this part of himselfe this very God our Saviour Jesus Christ should unvaile himselfe of all his glory come to live on earth and suffer so much such a death for such miserable wretches as we are when we were his enemies to deliver us from death hell and all misery and to merit for us heaven and all felicity it is sufficient to make us overcome and with S. Ignatius even to weep
with love and joy to think that our Love was crucified for us See what a Vertue is in the Passion of our Saviour that if our soules in Contemplation of his wounds should resent the smart yet knowing that he suffered all this most willingly to make us happy it is enough to make us even swoune with love and joy and be extasied with a thousand sorts of pleasures insomuch as to be willing even with sweetest joy to die of love for his sake Oh Lord what are we that thou shouldst daigne to accept our love but that thou shouldest so desire it at such a rate as thy heart blood is a miracle of mercy far beyond all humane and angelicall apprehension who unlesse a devill or a blinde ignorant worldling will not greatly thanke thee and love thee who hast and doest so infinitely merit the same and the rather also since who truly loves thee shall for thy sake and by thy sufferings and merits enjoy infinite heavenly happinesse and may in some degree taste thereof even on earth Lord teach us a language wholly divine and heavenly to thank thee for such Love O love the Lord all ye his Saints Moreover when we thinke how lovers sweet discourses please one another let us then also contemplate our soules sweet conversation discourses and soliloquies with our beloved God and Saviour Oh how our soules may be inflamed with divine love and joy when wee contemplate these most sweet and pleasant words of our beloved calling us his Sister his Spouse his Love his Dove c. and saying thou art all faire my Love there is no spot in thee Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes c. Cant. 4. And my beloved is the fairest among women the chiefest among ten thousand looking forth as the morning faire as the Moone pure as the Sun c. Cant. 5. That she is a Kings daughter As a Queene in a vesture of Gold of Ophir embroidered raiment of needle worke that the King might take pleasure in her beauty Psal 45. Clothed with the white raiment the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ crowned and enriched with his tryed and purified Gold his heavenly graces Rev. 3. O how the sweet harmonious accents of these words do ravish the spirits and powerfully attract the hearts of all those thereunto who are able truly but to heare the Eccho of them and to perceive the sweetness thereof Insomuch as they are ready to borrow wings on all sides and to flie out of themselves that they may be wholly possest with the love and joy of their Saviour Let us then feelingly speake to our beloved in the same language that he speakes to us then which indeed can be no better no sweeter Come then my beloved Kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth for thy love is better then wine Draw me and I will runne after thee Shew me Oh thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest and where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon Can. 1.2 4 7. Stay me with thy Flagons and comfort me with Apples for I am sicke of Love Cant. 2.5 Come my Beloved let us goe forth into the fields let us lodge in the villages let us get up early to the vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appeare and the Pomegranate bud forth There will I give thee my Love Cant. 7.11 12. Set me as a Seale on thine heart and as a Signet on thine arme for Love is as strong as death it is a fire a vehement flame many waters cannot quench Love and the floods cannot drowne it c. Cant. 8.6 7. Let us also endevour to be perswaded with Saint Paul that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come c. shall ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is in CHRIST Romans chap. 8. verse 38. True Love suffers not for the subject which it loves It hath a power in it to change the nature of things From the time that a soule is chastly taken with this passion even the pains torments thereof are changing the name and quality within the heart They are Roses rather then Thornes for if it sigh it is of Joy and not of paine If it be necessary to die for the glory of this lovely cause of it's life it is no death to it but a meere Rap't of Contentment which severs it selfe from it selfe in favour of another selfe whom it loves more then it selfe So that if we were truely capable of the Love Beauty Glory and Excellency of our Saviour though with Saint Lawrence wee should broyle upon devouring flames yet our hearts which would burne more hot with the fire of his love then that of our punishment would quite extinguish the same for our hearts being all a flame already and our soules a fire how could we expire amidst those heates though our bodies were burned to ashes since the stronger must needs prevaile Insomuch as we should fee e the delights of heaven in the fire whereof wee should make our selves a crowne of glory It seemes also Policarpus Master Glover Master Sanders and others both Primitive and Queene Maryan Martyrs were so warmed with those truely Promethean fires of divine Love as exhilarated their soules with heavenly delights at the stake in the fire So let us endevour to be baptized with the baptisme of the fire of Heavenly Love and Joy And then how willingly and delightfully shall we suffer all the tribulations we meet with for his sake whom our soules so divinely love and rejoyce in Jesus Christ Me thinkes I could gladly dwell in this Discourse of Divine Love The more to enflame our Loves to God see how he wooes us unto his Love by very many and gracious Promises of Happinesse in his divine Word to such as Love him Insomuch as all things shall worke to their good Rom. 2.28 But I shall onely mention and conclude with that of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man those things which God hath prepared for them that love him Thinke then you soules of the World what felicity this is We know the eye hath seene most beautifull lovely and glorious things the eare hath heard rare consorts of Musick Voices The heart of man can imagine worlds of Diamonds more glorious then the Sunne and millions of extreame Pleasures Delights and Felicities What sweet Joy and Pleasure hath the heart of Man imagined of the Orchards of Adonis the Gardens of Hesperides the Delights of the fortunate Islands of the Elizian Fields and Turkes Paradise but let humane Imagination thinke of all these at once And let them imagine also a Quire of Syrens Let them joyne therunto in consort both the Harpe of Orpheus and Voyce of Amphian Let Apollo and all the Muses bee there to beare a part Let all the Graces all the