that the Pilot should call and give sign that all things were ready to set Sail which sign given thou wouldest presently make hast to the ship Soe thou art to doe in this life Fix thy mind alwaies on God and use the things of this world so as not to tye thy hart unto them nor to suffer them to withdraw thee from thy last End which is God All the riches and creatures of this world serve thee that thou maist serve God The neglect of this necessary care of thy salvavation is the cause that thou permittest thy thougts to wander after many unnecessary Objects so that t is true to say thou adorest as many Idols as thou louest Creatures with a disordinate love These are thy Gods unto whom thou offerest sacrifice not of an Oxe or Buck but thy self thy whole salvation It is not permitted in the law of divine Love to love any thing else besides God unles it be in him and for him There can be no greater misery then to abandon the soveraign Good to place our affection on creatures 4. That which the Prince of Phisitians sayes of sick bodies the same may be said of vicious souls to wit the more they are fed the worse they are For those who intend to passe from a bad life to a better ought first to vomit up all the Poyson of their past sins before they begin to receive the solid nourishments of vertue This purgation of thy soul must be done so as not only to expiate thy past sins but also to extirpate all affection unto them to root out all thy vicious habits to master all thy disordered appetites and make them subject unto reason to subdue thy body senses particularly that of the tongue and to avoid all that may hinder thee from arriuing to the state of perfection Why dost thou fear and imagine the way that leads to eternall Felicity to be hard and difficile It lies in thy own power to make thyself happy assisted with his grace who is the beginning end of all things But thou must first goe out of thyself before thou canst come unto him and the more thou leavest thyself the nigher thou wilt come unto him 5. Wherefore thou shouldest first consider with thyself what thou desirest to enjoy and whither thou art going then examine the means thou art to use for arriving to that happy state Which done thou will easily perceive what progresse thou dost make every day Be very carefull in examining thy Conscience and taking a serious view of thyself consider what thou oughtest to be whilst thou hast time to amend It will be too late to discover the deceit when thou canst not avoid it Learn how to moderate the violence of thy passions and desires how to appease the frights and fears of thy mind Learn to contemn all earthly things and willingly forsake those things which cannot remain long in thy power Leave all things before they leave thee that soe when Death comes it may find nothing to rob thee of Let thy cheifest care be to provide for thy soul for considering it is first in dignity it is not fit it should be the last in thy care What will it avail a man to have gained the whole world if he looseth his soul in the end we cannot esteem it any profit if the soul perisheth CHAP. II. That he who desires to live well must choose a good Spirituall Directour The qualities of such a Directour and the duties of such as desire to learn Vertue 1. NOthing is more necessary for one that begins to serve God then to permit himself to be guided and instructed by a good Maister And indeed what wise man would undertake to perform a long Journey where he knows not the way without a sure Guide who would goe about to learn any difficile Art without a Teacher We shall find but very few who have advanced in perfection rendered themselves vertuous without the help of others It is an easy matter to instruct in generall terms those who are absent and also to leave in writing for those that shall come after us what is to be done But no man at a distance can tell of persuade when and how this to be done We must be present in time place to deliberate aright of that A Physitian can never prescribe by letter the just time of taking some Medicine or dyet he must be present and feel the pulse of the sick person Soe in curing the maladies of the Soul there are some things which cannot be so well expressed and declared without being present S. Paul whom God had designed to be the Apostle of the Gentils after he had bine converted by Christ himself was sent to Ananias that he might learn of him the way of Salvation Thou hast a hard task to overcome the corruptnes of thy Nature to wrestle with the euill Spirits thy invisible Enemyes and to arrive to the height of Perfection amidst so many obstacles and Impediments Wherefore thou hast need to call for help and that from one who will lend thee his hand who will shew thee the dangers and discover unto thee all the Ambushes of Satan and in fine who will teach thee how to come of with victory in all thy spirituall combats But thou wilt tell me whom shall I call to help me I answer It must be a wise and trusty man who shal be able and willing to doe all for thy spirituall Good one that shall strike respect and not fear into thee when thou meetest him one that is more ready to teach thee how to rise and amend after thy fall then to cry out against thee when thou fallest one who gives more Edification by his vertuous life then by his eloquent words He is little fit to govern who commands others to doe well but doth no good himself 2. Choose such a Helper or Director who flatters no body who doth not haunt much company who doth not goe to great banquets nor intrude himself into the houses of great persons choose one if possible who hath the spirit of discretion and can discern betwixt vertue and vice betwixt good and bad as a skillfull Goldsmith discerneth betwixt true and false money who like a shilfull Phisitian can judge of all thy spirituall diseases prescribe fit remedies to every one of them Choose one that shall be free from all interest and seeketh nothing but thy spirituall profit One that shall instruct thee in the spirit of mildnes and charity one that shall tell thee of thy faults one that shall be able to discover and teach thee how to ouercome all the subtileties stratagems of thy spirituall enemy the Devill one in whom thou maist have a particular confidence unto whom thou maist have no difficulty to reveal thy most hidden thoughts If thou canst find such an one thou are happy is this world 3. Speak frequently unto him of thy spirituall affairs let him
the next place learn to doe and speak little for if thou cuttest of in thy words and actions all that is not necessary thou wilt have lesse trouble of mind Doe not say this is a thing of no great importance or concern Whatsoever is the beginning of vertue and perfection although it seem of little consequence is notwithstanding a matter of great concern 5. The originall and sinfull man which is derived from Adam if we consider him as bearing the ressemblance of a Tree hath for his root selflove for his trunk a propension unto evill for his boughs his disordered passions for his leaves vitious habits for his fruit thoughts words and deeds which are contrary to Gods law Wherefore that the boughs of evill affections may not bud forth into leaves and fruit put the Axe to the root and cut down all self-love When thou hast once taken away this thou hast cut of with one blow all the vicious ofspring of thy sensitive appetite The means to root it out is to contemn thyself to esteem thyself the least amongst men and that thou hast no preeminence before others either in learning vertue or other prerogatives not to be afraid to displease men and be contemned by them to be willing to want all comfort and temporall commodities Thou wild save thyself if thou canst hate thyself thou wilt damn thyself if thou hast too much love for thyself CHAP. XIII Of Love The nature Causes Effects of it Of the Remedies against it Of Hatred 1. LOve is a compleasance of Good or the first impression which is made upon our desires when the knowledge of Good begins to make us like it T is this which rules all the world which if once subdued and brought to obey it will be an easy matter to overcome all our other passions True love ever tends unto that from whence it had its beginning it still inclineth to Good because it is derived from the Soveraign Good Examine thy life and weigh thy hart in the balance of a strict consideration observe what sort of love prevaileth in it for that which weighs heaviest in the balance of love that is thy God that is the Idol which thou adorest God hath commanded thee to love him with all thy hart to this end that he might keep thy mind and affections employed because it is certain that that which thou louest with all thy hart is the thing which thou adorest as thy God 2. T is not only goodnes and beauty which makes us love any person but also a certain sympathy and proportion of mind and manners as also an exterior modesty industry noble birth learning quicknes of wit and such like other endowments of body and mind Love itself is the loadstone of love which if accompanied with any curtesy or civility he is now forced to return love who before would not begin to love In fine some have more naturall inclination to love then others For example those who are of a lively spirit a tender hart a delicate blood a sweet facile nature 3. The power of Love is very great it transformeth him that loveth into the thing loved Love is a kind of sally wandering out of ourselves a kind of voluntary death He that loveth is absent from himself thinks nothing of himself takes care of nothing does nothing and unles he is received by the person loved he seems to himself to be setled no where Oh how unhappy is that love which is not directed to God For he that loveth the objects of this world cannot dwell in them nor find any solid contentment in them because they are limited subject to vanity and death But he that loveth God is in God and ceasing to live in himself lives in him in whom all things live who is our center and immutable Souveraign Good Human love is violent and bitter divine love is alwaies humble and peaceable human love is tormented with jealousy but we need not fear any Rivall in divine love The one fears least another should love the same object the other wisheth all may love the same he loveth Wherefore if thou lovest thyself love God for this love profiteth thee not him Any human object may change or perish but God is never lost unles we wilfully dismisse him from our harts 4. That the love wherewith thou louest thy neighbor may be sincere be sure to exclude from it all human causes of wit compleasance and similitude and regard only those causes which consist in piety and vertue That sort of Love which is called Platonick and by which some fancy that the Soul is raised from the sight of a corporall beauty to contemplate the eternall beauty of God is very dangerous The sight of a beautifull face raiseth a desire of touching it and whatsoever it is that proceedeth from the eyes of a beautifull person whither it be a light or some subtile spirit or humor it bewitcheth a mans hart and is often the occasion of his ruine It is better and more safe that our feet should occasion our fall to the ground then our eyes be the occasion of our falling into sin But the remedies of love are very hard because whilst we seek to overcome it the more it torments us and unles we resist it in the beginning it so creepeth by little and little that we find ourselves much entangled in love before me thought of louing But if we resist it in the first beginning t is easy to be cured T is not amisse likewise to keep our mind employed in other things which bring some care with them and may blot out the memory of the object we love Then we ought to avoid all things that may bring it again into our mind as seeing and speaking of it for nothing is sooner renewed then love which if it once invade thee and take possession of thy hart it wil soe vexe thee that nothing but the slow remedy of time and absence will be able to cure thee of it to wit when tyred with long sufferings it will expire of itself Many have bine cured by shame to wit when they have perceived they were noted talkt of pointed at by all that knew them as also by considering the shamefulnes of it being a thing full of disgrace full of danger and subject to much sorrow in the end Others have found help by seeking into and considering attentively the defects and imperfections of the object they had loved for by this means the beauty and lovelynes of it is much lessened Lastly it is a good remedy to change our love into the love of God into the love of vertue and eternall rewards things which truly deserve to be loved that soe good love may drive out our bad love and our mind which was created for more noble objects blush to soil and defile itself with terrene objects Evill and dishonest loves cannot but infect good manners 5. Nature seems to have tyed all things together with
bid adieu to all wordly things and can live within himself as in a strong castle well guarded against all enemies To such a man the world seems a prison and solitude a paradise 4. T is no great matter to have quitted the company of men unles thou art attentive to thyself and to the practise of vertue There can be no good where vertue is wanting no quiet no happines unles it proceed from vertue There are three things which correspond with one another in the whole universe Amongst all things above all things God amongst sensible things light and amongst the affections of the mind Vertue God is the light and vertue of all things light is the Vertue of the world and the image of God Vertue is the light of the mind through which we are named become the children of God Thou must approach it with a clean hart and purifyed mind if thou desirest to arrive to the height of perfection For vertue is the perfection of man restoreth innocency is full of all spirituall sweetnes It supplyeth the defect of nature which of itself is not capable of supernaturall felicity It consisteth in a facility to doe good by means of which we live as we ought are enlightned in our understanding resist sin and merit eternall life In pursuance of this thou must first learn the nature and acts of those vertues thou pretendest unto because no man loves what he doth not understand Then when thou hast once begun endeavor not to intermit or cease from the practise of it although occasion should be wanting we must imitate souldiers who in the midst of Peace are still exercising themselves and by fighting with one another only in jest prepare themselves for reall combats Imagine thou were accused of the greatest crimes fancy thyself calumniated or that all thy riches were suddenly taken away from thee and by this mean thou maist exercise thy patience as much as if such things were really soe Thou wilt not be dismayed when the thing happens if thou canst thus exercise thyself before it comes He that hath bine often wounded in the war fights with a good courage when the battle comes 5. The habits of Vertue are not got but by long exercise To know if thou hast learnt any vertue take these marks To wit if thou findest that the vices which are opposite to the vertue thou desirest to practise are quite extinguished in thee or at least very much suppressed If thou hast overcome the motions of evill affections and brought them to obey reason If thou findest not only facility but also an inward delight in the practise of vertue If thou canst contemn the murmurs reproaches of tepid spirits and use a full liberty of will in the exercise of those vertues which displease such imperfect Christians If thou beginnest to detest and abhor those evill practises unto which formerly thou hadst a strong inclination If thou art afraid even in sleep to consent to or take delight in any dishonest action or to approve any unjust proceeding If thou striuest to imitate what thou praisest and admirest in others and abstainest from those things which thou reprehendest in them If thou esteemest no fault little but art carefull to avoid all sort of imperfections however soe little If when thou seest hearest that those who are no better than thyself abound in riches and are raised to great honours thou canst look upon them without envy or emulation If thou hast no difficulty to acknowledge thy faults desiring that all men would reprehend correct thee If content with the testimony of thy own conscience thou hidest and concealest thy good works For vertue is a reward to itself and desires no other recompense for doing well but the satisfaction of having done it Finally if thou applyest thyself without cease to the practise of vertue for true vertue never droopâ— but is alwaies in action CHAP. XXI Of the three Theologicall Vertues Faith is to be shewn by the exercise of good works Our hope must be in God alone Motives of divine Love The love of our neighbors is shewed by helping them and doing them good An Exhortation to Almsgiving 1. FAith is the ground of all other vertues and foundation of the life of a Christian without which it is impossible to please God This was the wisâ—dome by which the whole world was subdued we must stick close to it laying aside all curiosity or searching into the misteries of it Beleeue then and doe good works withall because Faith without good works is but a dead faith In thy speech profession thou endeavorest to passe for a faithfull Believer take heed thy life and manners doe not speak thee an Infidell Thou beleevest the Gospell why then dost thou not obey it Thou beleevest there is a life everlasting why then dost thou prefer a short time in this world before Eternity which shall have no end What doth it avail thee to beleeve Truth and goodnes if thou art false thyself and workest iniquity It is impossible that he who beleeveth well can live ill for no man can be said to beleeve well but he that practiseth what he beleeves 2. Since it is certain that all things are disposed and governed by the providence of God so as not so much as a bird falls out of the ayr nor a leaf from any Tree without his will and knowledge thou oughtest to commit thyself wholly to his protection and to have a strong confidence in his help not doubting but that he will alwaies be ready to help thee in all occasion Know that all human Counsells are deceitfull and uncertain therefore thou oughtest to permit thyself to be wholly guided and governed by God without the least trouble or anxiety And though some unexpected misfortune should happen which may seem to confound spoyl all thy actions and designs whither it be sicknes calumnies false accusations or some other greater afflictions doe not loose courage for all this but confiding in his divine assistance commit thyself wholly to his will for God hath decreed perhaps from all Eternity to make these chances afflictions a means for working thy Salvation He that hath a strong hope of the future joyes and riches of paradise doth not feel the present miseries of this life As much as thou hopest believest so much thou maist be said to possesse 3. Charity which is the Queen and soul of all other Vertues regardeth God and our neighbour As for God we are bound to love him above things with all our hart with all our Soul and with all our strength we must love him purely for himself and for the love of his goodnes That thou art that thou livest that thou hast motion and sense that thou understandest all this is the grace and gift of God It is he that hath redeemed thee from the slavery of the Devill it is he that hath endowed thy Soul with innumerable prerogatives it
thyself by seeking to profit others In fine thou oughtest to consider whither thy nature be proper for such employments and endeavor still to apply it to those things which thou hast a naturall inclination to T is but lost labour to strive against nature 3. A wise and prudent man undertaketh nothing as long as his thoughts are any way troubled for a troubled mind that is deluded with the fancies of some inordinate passion cannot discern Truth and honesty from their Contraries Precipitation also is very much contrary to prudence and leadeth many into great and inextricable troubles Wherefore a prudent man doth nothing rashly but submitteth his own judgment to the counsell of a friend Mens thoughts are full of fear their forecasts very uncertain the event of things alwaies dubious experiences deceitfull Where many advise there is most certainty It concerneth also a prudent man to consider things in themselves and to look upon them devested of all painting and disguise which are wont to deceive the unwary Lay aside the consideration of money fame dignity Search the matter in itself ask what it is and not what it is called T is a great folly to permit ourselves to be deceived with figures and shadows Then look upon the whole busines and behold all that can happen as out of a high watch-Tower that thou maist not be forced to say in the end like a foolish man I did not think this would happen To this purpose thou hast need of long consultation mature judgment and a strict examination least that some bad circumstance should spoyl the action least that prudence should degenerate into craft and in fine least that true and apparent good having so much similitude thou shouldst embrace vice for vertue Having thus at length resolved upon the election of what thou art to doe break of all delay and presently put in execution what thou hast resolved No delay is to be admitted where good Counsell is once taken which cannot be praised untill it is put in effect CHAP. XXIII Of Iustice and Religion What Penance is and in what it consisteth 1. JVstice being a supreme vertue and born for others not for itself transmitteth all that it hath unto her neighbors seeking nothing for itself but to be put in practise This is the vertue which keepeth men from mutuall injuries and keeps the whole world in peace It is this which makes a secret agreement of all things in nature and is the bond of all human society and nothing can be right without it The just man offendeth no body challengeth nothing which is not his own does good to all thinks and speaks well of all his neighbors gives every one his own never hinders the good of another If he is in Authority he commands what is just he deals openly and preferreth the good of those who are under him before his own private Interest he punisheth vice rewardeth vertue and so keeps all in good order If he is subject to others he is quiet and peaceable obeyes the law command of his superiors and being content with his own state he doth not ambitiously aspire to any dignity or office neither doth he intrude himself into affairs which doe not concern him He exerciseth Justice gratis because he knows there can be no greater reward of just actions then to have occasion to shew ourselves just 2. Religion which is the most excellent of all vertues which can be practised in this life regardeth God immediately in himself as he deserves to be worshiped and hounoured The first worship we owe him is to believe in him and to know him and next to adore his majesty and admire his goodnes It avayleth little to know God the Devills who hate him know him as well as men he exacteth our Love and worship which consist of things which are better known then practised Thou knowest he is that God who governeth the world hath care of all human kind moderateth all things thou confessest he is all power all goodnes all majesty and thou hopest to find eternall Beatitude in him as thy soveraign good and last end Why then dost thou not adore him as thou oughtest Why dost thou not give him supreme worship why dost thou prefer earthly things before him All thy Religion is vain unles thou shewest it by thy actions Dost thou desire to be truly religious walk in the presence of God and thou wilt be perfect He may be truly said to worship God who imitateth his Attributes True religion tyeth thee to God and God to thee Let thy religion be free from negligence error and sins T is a great folly to talk much of religion and faith to live like an Infidell A learned heathen-Philosopher in the primitive times speaking of such men scoffingly said Nothing is more glorious then your Christians when they speak and nothing more miserable when they come to action 3. Penance is vertue by which we make reparation of honour to Gods law which we had transgressed by this we are inclined to detest and expiate all our sins and to make resolution of never consenting to them again The pleasures of this life passe away in a moment but that which disquiets and torments the conscience still remaineth What doth it avail thee to hide the shamefulnes of thy past sins no man guilty of sin thinks himself absolved even in his own judgment Nature hath framed a Tribunal in every mans brest wherein every one is his own Accuser his own witnes and his own Judge Call thy mind and thy senses every day to render an account before this Tribunall Plead thy own cause against thyself and accuse thyself as much as thou canst Examine how thou hast spent the whole day recall to mind all thy words all thy actions and if possible all thy thoughts hiding nothing omitting nothing If thou acknowledgest thy sin God will pardon it if thou confessest it thou curest thy own Soul Doe not think thyself secure in that no body but thyself knows thy wickednes Dost thou think it better to be condemned in secret then to be absolved openly Wheresoever thou hidest thyself thy own conscience is still with thee and thou canst never fly from it Thou art in a miserable state if thou contemnest what it suggesteth to thee 4. Our life is divided into three sorts of Times present past and future The present is but a moment is gone before it comes the future is not yet come as for that which is past it is in thy power to recall it at least to mind and to examine it as often as thou wilt Doe not fear thy memory will fayl thee nor be not ashamed to look back on thy life past nor to reproach to thyself thy own errors The oftner thou dost this the sooner thou wilt mend Resolve to be revenged on thyself and never to commit those faults which now thou art sorry to have once committed Those who have escaped a shipwrack bid adieu