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
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
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
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
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