most pleasant refreshing 3 The third thing which I proposed to bee considered in this first part of the true ruele and art of seruing God after the instructions and exercises for the reparation of the slaughter which sinne hath made in the soule is the loue of God which being the fire which God would haue euer burning vpon the Altar of our hearts all that we haue yet spoken of the reparation of the soule is onely directed vnto it And if any will know of what dignity this loue of God is hee shall see that whatsoeuer hath beene spoken of the reparation and clensing of the soule is but little to the acting of so worthy and sublime an enterprise For of so great excellency is the loue of God that none of those blessed Spirits nor any other created thing or which can be created is able to doe a more soueraigne worke For which cause the Son of God calls this the great first commandement Nay say that all the labours and powers of Angels and Men together were in any one Angell or Man yet were they not all able to doe a worke more excellent then to loue God Nor can any creature sufficiently so loue this our GOD as his goodnesse and worthinesse requireth Now as this tract of the loue of God followeth that of the reparatiō of the soule because those things are very fit to the obtaining of this loue so this of the loue of God is placed before that of the loue of our neighbours and the loue of our selues because from this loue of God onely proceeds the loue of our neighbours and the loue of our selues 1. Therefore of the loue of God 2. Of our Neighbours And 3. of our selues 1 This loue of God being so glorious and ioy ous a thing when it is expressed in words what ioy I and glory shall it bee to seele it and how much more to doe it This is the holy worke of God I say the holy and whole worke and labour of God for whatsoeuer God worketh withall his infinit powers is onely to loue himselfe so much as his Maiesty deserueth and is worthy that is infinitly For out of his owne infinit goodnesse and excellency he is infinitly to be beloued nor is there any excellency in heauen or earth which is not much more his then it is his that possesseth it and from them all hee hath infinit glory and loues it and reioyceth and glorieth in it and would also that wee should loue it thinke vpon it and reioyce in it seeing nothing is so consonant to equity as that with all our powers we should loue him from the louing of whom we must neuer cease albeit wee had infinit powers so to doe Therefore are we to giue God thankes that in louing himselfe infinitly he supplies by his owne powers what is defectiue in euery one of vs. Let vs euer reioyce in louing him who is so great dignity that neuer ceasing to glory at his excellencies yet that which we doe is nothing if it bee compared to that hee deserueth For of so great glory and Maiesty is God that he stands in no need of our seruice but onely requires it because it is profitable of vs. This onely hee desireth that we loue him and reloyce at his good things for this is his owne holy worke Therefore he would haue all men with all their strength to doe that which hee doth with all his strength And for that which remaines he stands no neede it no nor of this neither but that it is good and iust and vnto vs glorious and therefore hee so much desireth it that hee laide downe his life for it that so by dying he might prouoke vs to loue him Besides that there are other things found in the Scriptures which are by him commanded to bee desired that is for this end because they are helps to this loue and to omit them would bee a great hinderance to it For neither are the vices which are prohibited any other thing then the inordinate loue of vaine things which doe occupie that place which is diputed onely to the loue of GOD. Not doe vertuaes serue to any other purpose but to despose the soule to this loue yet are they so necessary therunto that it were great presumption to thinke to obtaine it without the mighty exercise of such vertues That therefore wee may fitly speake of this pretious loue wee will first declare the various manner of louers but withall iudging that best which is most sublime and high To which purpose wee may vse this example Therefore touching the variety of louers we must obserue that which by the experience of many was a testimony vnto them when they had attained a greater knowledge of truth namely that they had a long time loued God as a most sweete Lord who had communicated himselfe to them as a liberall benefactor in whose seruice they were delighted and often had asked of him many benefits with great delectation in the contemptation of his bounty and of the knowledge of his excellent graces which they asked of him and that often they came vnto him as to the fountaine in which they found so great sweetnesse as that they thought there was nothing a wanting to their loue of God For they thought that the greatnesse of that sweetnesse which they felt in the sensitiue appetite was nothing else but the greatnesse of that loue And would to GOD that all men who doe not loue God did so loue him Yet God forbid that those who loue God should bee content with this loue although it be very good and so good as that it sufficeth thus far that for certaine daies beginners doe exercise themselues therein for they may so easily come to that more excellent manner of louing God which followeth It an argument that this loue I haue spoken of is fraile seeing that hee who so loueth assoone as that sweetnesse is a wanting or gone goes on with an abiect minde in the things of God and is so ouercome of the frailties of his minde as if he neuer had had any such loue For hee doth so much procure vnto himselfe corporall delights as to feede on delicate viands to drinke the most pleasant licours to weare most gorgeous clothes and such other vanities pleasing to his appetite sensuall friendships honours fauours euen as he doth that hath neuer begun to taste the things that are of God Nay oft times at such time as hee is visited with such an apprehension of sweetnesse hee is taken vp with many vaine affections and very sensuall being drawne thereunto by the beauty and pleasures of some persons Againe hee desires to be seene and to be accounted deuoute and grieues if hee bee not reputed for such nor doth hee reioyce when he vnderstands that others are accounted more feruent in deuotion and such other blemishes hee casts vpon himselfe all which are so abiect that they suffer not the society of that excellent
then other workes but much more glorious and pretious Yet doth such coldnesse bring no small benefit to such as are fraile for neither doth the greatnesse of the worke inuite them seeing they perceiue it not nor yet the taste of the thing adde any strength vnto them and from the one and the other of these it commeth to passe that in their labours their strength is defectiue Therefore it is 2. fit that we indeauour to apply some remedies to this soare hauing already seene the causes of this coldnesse The first remedy and most common to cure this malady is to prouide that the corrupt appetite as in the 4. Instruction may be healed and by and by those who before felt that coldnesse shall perceiue their former workes which they iudged to be admirable to bee indeed very abiect if they bee compared to the loue of God This doth the Apostle whose palate was most sound teach vs saving If I speake with the tongue of men and Angels 1. Cor 13. it I giue all my goods to the poore if I giue my body to be burned and haue not loue it profits mee nothing and yet must not these bee iudged to bee of small moment But besides after all these speaking of sublime workes hee affirmes them all to be of lesse value then loue The same hath the Sonne of GOD himselfe taught as wee haue already said Therefore it is manifest that loue is the chiefest of all workes and duties seeing without it all other things are nothing And without any further proofe this ought to suffice vs that the eternall wisdome of God which cannot lie hath willed chosen and commanded vs to doe this before all other things that can bee done in heauen or earth Nothwithstanding 2. There is another remedy more singular which will make vs something feele the inexplicable greatnesse of this worke of the loue of God and the meanes hereof is that wee vnite and most strongly glue our wills to that will which is of infinit excellency and that we ioyne them in that manner that it be caried to nothing else but vnto that which that infinit will would haue it for then shal our wills be of much value when our owne will being abandoned they haue the wills of that infinit will which is God himselfe for he euermore willleth loueth and reioiceth for the infinit good which he himselfe hath Besides for many causes God would haue vs to desire that which hee so greatly desireth 1 For his onely goodnesse whereby hee vouchsafeth to sublimate our wills vnto so great nobility that they should be in his sight of great worth 2 Seeing he hath created vs to so great a good it is iust that wee doe him some seruice but what duty can we doe him seeing his Maiesty hath no need of our seruice although it were the greatest that can bee imagined Wee say therefore that least wee should be idle seeing God hath no neede of any thing nor can haue more good then now hee hath it is very iust that we as the obsequious and dutifull seruants of so great a Lord all our liues long be herein imploied to reioyce at the good and glory of God himselfe and indeed euery one may easily see that it is most iust and of great weight that all things as well in heauen as earth omitting all other things should euermore be herein exercised to reioyce at the good and glory wherwith God is infinitly filled 3 That for which God would aboue all other things haue our wills vnited vnto him is for that being yet on the earth we should begin to seeke that infinit will from the fulfilling wherof all the blessednesse which wee haue or hope for in the heauens is deriued vnto him that is lead with this loue For it is true that learned Diuines do say that gloria nihil aliud est quam gratia consummata glorie is nothing die but grace consummate to possesse charitie here in a measure is to bee glorified there in abundance and so it is begun here but perfected hereafter But it is to our purpose to shew how this glory which is heauenly may be perfected by this loue wherein the excellency of this loue will appeare Therefore wee must consider which is also againe and againe to be read and pondered that all our ioy proceeds from the fulfilling of our owne wiss and by how much more our will desireth any thing and by how much more perfectly it fulfils that which it desireth by so much doth it obtaine a greater ioy To these things let vs consider that the blessednesse or perfect ioy in heauen proceeds from the vision beholding of God who in the same moment wherein he is seene infuseth into all that see him a most perfect knowledge that he is most worthy to haue all the good and infinit glory which he hath For assoone as they see him they become all prudent and wise so that euery one may see what is conuenient for him to which knowledge of God is ioyned the loue of God aboue all created things together with an ineffable desire that hee may possesse all the good and glory which he is worthy of which desire and most intense and inlarged will of euery man this cleere vision of God doth succeed whereby they know and see apparantly that the same their desire is farre more perfectly fulfilled then they are able to comprehend For they see and vnderstand God himselfe whom they so much loue beautified with so great good and glory that for the infinities of it they are not able perfectly to vnderstand nor yet are able to come to die defects or increase of the glory And againe that so much is euery ones ioy the greater by how much his desire is greater and more perfectly fulfilled And here is opened the largenesse of the glory of the blessed seeing their desire in such a sublime manner is fulfilled as that nothing can bee more excellent besides that desire is of the infinit good of GOD himselfe whom they doe more loue and desire then they doe the glorie which properly belongs to themselues Blessed is the man who on earth shall with an intimous will loue and contemplate the being glory of God seeing he shall thereby obtaine that hee may see his owne desire in as high a manner to bee fulfilled in heauen Who is he that can imagine how much of his glory the Lord without any diminution of glory in himselfe shall giue vnto him who dwelling on earth wisheth nothing else but the glory and greatnesse which that Maiesty possesseth all these things doc those words of Paul well declare Eye hath not seene 1. Cor. 2. nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man which God hath prepared for them that loue him And this hee saith because no man can conceiue how intimously those that loue GOD here doe wish and will in heauen that good which God possesseth and in what
hauing first obtained that holy and pretious hatred of our selues or die affection to some earthly thing remayning or some other thing that may bring delight not ordered actually or at the least virtually towards GOD â—hen with a beetle or mall to bee willing to cleane those things which doe require a rasour or a most sharpe knife Surely it behoueth the will that would bring fourth the acts of true and sincere loue to be so sharpe that it may penetrate whatsoeuer opposeth it vntill it doe come vnto God And such a will euen in peace and without my labour will produce a thousand acts of loue and many more in one day whereof the least sufficeth to aduance a man to a great degree of heauenly glory And on the other side he that indeauours to lift vp himselfe to produce the acts of loue by a â—ill dulled and blunted with a â—mall inordinate loue it is so difficult for this man to loue as it is to â—deuide the heauens with a mall For the sublimity of perfect loue suffers not together with it a thing so vile and abiect Nor ought any to admire that to the obtayning of this loue such circuÌ„spection is here aduised saying that many haue obtained it without vsing so many cautions and without this methode and course To which I answere that albeit many haue obtained this loue long before the writing hereof yet who will rightly weigh what our Redeemer meant when hee said that all the law hanged vpon loue shall plainly perceiue that no man obtained it the common way without these courses here prescribed which are no other but such as are drawne from the Sacred Scripture according the declaration of the fathers which methode and meanes our LORD GOD of his infinit bounty and goodnesse doth manifest to all his elect both small and great whose goodnesse is also pleased to graunt that now at the last these things gathered together for the common instruction might bee published vnto all that our frailty and misery euery day increasing there might euer abound the facility of knowing that which is so necessary for vs. And if they vrge further affirming that they haue attained vnto this loue without these courses and meanes I dare presume to intreat them to take heed least happily this their loue bee that cold and weake loue whereof I spake in the beginning of this treatise which seeing it suffers many blemishes and blurs to bee in it there is no wonder if without either methode or labour it bee obteined 2 From this view of the loue of God wee come a little to suruey the loue of our neighbours as a glimpse of that bright Son and a little brooke of that Ocean of the loue of God Therefore as concerning the things which are to bee spoken of this loue of our neighbours there is 〈◊〉 rule to be obserued which may be applied to euery worke namely that whosoeuer desires euer to please God must obserue two things 1 What he would haue vs do 2 How he would haue vs doe it For he should doe very little that should doe what God would haue him doe except withall hee should doe it in that manner he would haue him doe it The most excellent worke which God would haue vs doe is to loue him and thinke vpon him yet if wee doe not this in such manner as hee would haue vs as in the former tract is deliuered it would not bee acceptable to him nor worth the doing There is another worke like vnto this which God would haue vs to doe that is to loue our neghbours but yet albeit God would haue vs to doe it except we loue him in that manner as GOD would haue it done wee shall not attaine those sublime and heauenly rewards which GOD hath prepared for those that loue him aright Greg. For albeit the sacred Scriptures doe not contradict this manner of louing as if they iudged it a sinne yet is it not so done as GOD by them would haue it done This is my commandements saith that great Maiesty that yee loue one another as I haue loued you Therefore it is fit that wee discourse a little hereof how he hath loued vs that wee may vnderstand in what manner hee would haue vs loue our neighbours This our great God loued vs reducing vs to the sublime loue of himselfe hee loued vs inducing to suffer the aduersities and afflictions of the world neuer letting loose the raines of our affections to the vaine pleasures of this world beyond that which should be necessary to the sustentation of the body hee loued vs dying for vs that hee might giue vnto vs grace and glory And in this manner of louing was hee most of all giuen to loue the greatest enemy that could bee of all vaine loue wherewith louers doe loue one another and whereof they make outward shew which kind of loue is very slippery deceitfull And therefore God is earnestly to be praied vnto that this loue may not infect the will which was created to be the temple of God Sure it is if this loue had not infected the will the Son of God would neuer haue said hee that hateth not his father and mother brethren and sisters cannot bee my disciple Therefore wee ought to loue one another and in that manner which our Master Iesus Christ hath taught vs casting away all other vanities which are wont to mixe themselues with loue whereof this that followeth is one It commeth to passe that thou seest one in respect of the soule much giueÌ„ to vertue in respect of his corporal presence and conuersation very acceptable and pleasant with this person many are so cordiatly affected that they become captiued with the loue of him and it is grieuous vnto them not to see him not to speake with him not to acknowledge in him a reciprocal loue towards them this is a vaine loue Whence with many it falleth out that they take great paines but profit very little and do vnto God very small seruice But let vs make the vanity of it appeare by a familiar example Thou hast a friend happily who hath a seruant the loue of this seruant of thy friends doth so captiuate thy heart that it pleaseth thee much more to conuerse and talke with him then with thy friend If thou shalt say that the loue wherewith thou louest this seruant is for thy friend who will not laugh at it For although it may be that this loue was begun in that hee was thy friends seruant yet that from whence this loue so increased that thou delightedst more in his conuersation then thy friends doth shew that now thou louest him not for thy friends sake but because his conuersation it pleasant and acceptable vnto thee in like manner wee may say that it is worthy of laughter that thou shouldest say the loue whereof wee spake before was for Gods sake although happily it might haue some part of spirituall loue in
doe heare the Gospell and accordingly doe liue mooued with threatnings and promises therein contained yet without the losse of the excellent motiue of which we haue spoken Wherof if any man doubt and thinke these not to be compatible or can stād together namely the threats of hell and glory of heauen with the motiue of Gods will let him consider that when our Sauiour saith except ye also repent ye shall all likewise perish in this threatning are two things to be noted First the punishment threatned Secondly the will of God wherewith God threatens and this is his will that we should serue him arid not perish The true seruant of God ought to obey this precept not that he may auoide the punishment but because God who threatens would haue vs to repent and not to fall into that punishment So being mindfull that Gods desire is wee should serue him and not fal into so great an euill as once forgetting the punishmēt we repent turne to God With this perfection therefore do we work yet mooued by the cōminations of the Scripture And so the Scripture conteining that most high and perfect seruing of God albeit withall it hath that which seemes to be of frailty and infirmity whereby to stoope to our frailty and to moue vs to doe as our frailty requires And that promises and threatnings in Scripture are thus to be vnderstood may appeare by that first and great couenant of seruing God with all the heart c. which he doth not sufficiently perform Mat. 21. who towards God doth not bestow all his powers to serue him and both to desire celestiall glory and abhorre the paines of hell as well desiring that as detesting this in the same manner as we haue spoken namely that the last and chiefe end of both be the fulfilling of Gods will and his obedience and glory 3 Instruction That it be commeth all men but chiefly those who are sacred persons to serue God according to this more sublime and heauenly manner There is no doubt but that God being in the highest heauens is also iustly esteemed for the most high God but the seruice and obedience due vnto him must be performed in a most sublime and exact manner That which our Sauiour said to one hee meant of al Math. 19. if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandements it was not the young mans raske alone if thou wilt be perfect sell all thou hast and giue vnto the poore but euery mans part is in that seruice This was well patternd out vnto vs by the sonne of Maiesty it selfe the Sonne of God who forsook all things on earth whose sacred life was exercised with many grieuous labours not that that most holy and princely person stood need of them but because it much concerned vs to imitate those sacred steps he wold become a seruant that he might teach vs to serue In all things he serued that we might vnderstand what a laboursome and exact soule in all vertue that must be that rightly desires to serue and loue him No man is exempt from that great commandement of louing God with all the heart with all the soule with all the minde with all the strength with all the heart with all the affections all the soule with all the life all the minde with all the vnderstanding all the strength with all the externall things of the body It is the part of the heart to know of the soule to will of the minde to be able of the strength from the heart soule and will to know will and be able nor only with the good health of the body with strength beauty agility and other gifts but also with our riches dignity and authority to glorifie God and do him due and meet obedience So that whatsoeuer good thing we can doe in heart soule minde and strength God requires of euery one vnder the necessity of a commandement Yea when all is done that was commanded vs we may say we are vnprofitable seruants If he bee worthy of reprehension who going about to doe some necessary and profitable thing shall slightly cast it off and put himselfe into some base and abiect businesse How much more is he to bee blamed who being borne to this end that with all his heart soule minde strength he should serue the Lord who is most worthy thereof and from whom there is most benefit to be expected yet omits this and betakes himselfe to the seruice of the creatures vanities of the world which doe suddenly vanish and bring much harme with them As if all be to be blamed who serue not God in this exact manner how much more are they suable to a seuere penalty who haue dedicated themselues by a speciall function to his seruice as are in some sort his familiars in house and table How exactly ought they to follow the steps of him that hath called them Math. 19. saying follow me Which being spoken to all sorts of men we cannot but gather thus much of euery mans duty out of it that it is not enough that we doe the thing we do with loue but of loue and for loue For these are the footsteps which he commandeth vs to follow So wee must not fulfill something of that is writtē but the whole Nor is it sufficient in his seruice that we do our duty with loue or loue accompanying it but it behoueth vs to doe it of loue and for loue We see the seruant serues his Master with loue who loues his Lord and Master but yet doth it not for loue seeing hee would not serue him except he expected a reward from him But he should indeed serue him with loue and for loue if he serued him only for this that his Lord desired it and held his seruice gratefull and because he loues the goodnesse and society of his Lord without any other respect And such obedience it is that wee learne of our master Christ saying follow mee Which signifies that wee must do whatsoeuer we are commanded to doe with loue and for loue For to follow Christ is to do that which he did for our instruction and in the same manner that hee did it But vndoubtedly he did all things with loue and for loue seeing that is the most sublime manner of working therefore so must we do albeit we cannot do it with such perfection as he did therefore wee must not thinke that God commands vs to follow him in doing onely and not in the manner of doing too seeing it is to no purpose to doe if the manner of doing aright be absent namely to do with loue and for loue For wee cannot suspect that so excellent magnificent and liberall a Lord as this would teach vs a doctrine of smal vse and profit but of singuler moment so that we obserue therin as well the manner as matter 4 Instruction That the cruell slaughter which sin hath made in mans soule is the cause of such
consults with reason and finding that the thing is conueniēt for it it is then freely mooued to will and desire it Therefore the Philosopher said that nothing was desired that was not foreknowne Whence we collect that the knowledge of the soule which wee haue in our vnderstanding is like a light whereby the will may see what it ought to desire This therefore being presupposed we must chiefely regard that to doe well and perfectly the vnderstanding doe not erre in knowledge which bceing had presently the will is mooued to desire that which is so knowne but if the vnderstanding doe erre which often comes to passe by the malice which blindeth vs or happily it erreth not but the will through the liberty it hath to euill will not follow that it knowes to be good then man falls into all kind of mischiefe therefore omitting many things which may serue for this purpose this is chiefely to be obserued that we be most attentiue euer when we will vse the vnderstanding that when we would desire to do any good worke or to get a disposition thereunto namely to be despised of men to flee all delights of the world which godly men euer abandoned in these and the like which seeme to be grieuous vnto vs to doe or desire by and by wee must vse the helpe of the vnderstanding whereby wee consider and apprehend these things as most pretious and acceptable to God and such as doe accompany the godly men to heauen without which he is euer out of his way to that happinesse Which assoone as it knoweth to be such then the will takes courage to will and imbrace that thing and also to practise it For albeit the will as it is assisted by Gods Spirt worketh sweetly yet often the difficulty and sharpenesse of the thing so deters it that it fayleth to worke omitting the duty it is bound vnto but as we indeuour to make way vnto it by the vnderstanding as I haue said it will assume such courage and strength that the excellency of the worke being knowne albeit most painfull it will desire to do it and almost with as great facility will doe it as that thing which it naturally desireth Hee that workes after this manner shall easily become a man of singuler vertue and shall make a wonderfull repaire in his soule of the slaughter and ruine which sinne hath there made and shall also with great facility doe that which maketh men happy both in earth and heauen namely know in a great measure the wonderfull things of God and knowing to loue them and louing to reioyce in them contemning all earthly ioyes and pleasures for them 6 Instruction That God is pleased to giue to all his Saints and such as from the heart seeke to serue him such a strength of will whereby they may both desire loue refuse detest euery thing in a great measure which either helps forwards or hinders their saluation This is surely to be knowen of all as the chiefe foundation of all this discourse and of all holinesse of life conteyning a memorable Cannon of the freedome strength of will which God by his Holy Spirit hath renewed and repayred in the soules of his faithful seruants and so rowsing vp the soule from a dead sleepe and spiritual lethargie and benummednesse But here let no man deceiue himselfe as though this freedome of will were naturall and in his owne power for without the goodnesse of God 2. Cor. 3. wee cannot thinke a good thought as of our selues How much lesse can wee will or worke it But presupposing this wee say it is in mans power to desire or not to desire any thing which hee iudgeth to be desired or refused and that to this or that end as often as hee listeth as for the purpose There is no man but he may desire to be dis-reputed and dis-esteemest of men albeit thing to some men be difficult to incline vnto he may also to diuerse ends desire it and make choice of these ends as he listeth For a man may desire it thereby to obtaine the modesty of the minde which is a good end he may also affect it to the end that in something he may be like the Sonne of God which is yet a better end and he may wish it that by abiection contept he may be so disposed to God-wards that God may find in him an acceptable obedience by perfect loue charity this is the best end of all the rest Now to giue an example of refusing to will and desire a thing a man may omit and refuse and not desire to be esteemed or to be he loued before other men and that to the same ends which wee haue spoken albeit by corruption of nature he be inclined hereunto greatly to desire to be esteemed and reputed in like manner as it is in euery mans power in some degree whom Gods spirit hath sanctified to desire or not to desire any thing so is it to doe the same as often as he will bend his will and vse the holy meanes thereunto Yea euery houre as by how much oftner hee inclines and inforces his will to desire or not to desire so much sooner shall he extinguish in the soule all vitious habits and ingender those vertuous For better declaration whereof let it be remarkeable that to produce the act of willing the thing which we abhor we must consider that God is hereby serued in that we doe desire this thing and incline ourwils vnto it and as it were vse violence to the will to effect it euen as the sicke desires the bitter potion because it brings health with it which yet he naturally hateth because it is bitter But the act of not desiring that which naturally wee wish and effect is whilst considering that the thing is not acceptable◠to God nor profitable for vs we incline and in some sort inforce the will that it should not effect and desire it And this shall be truly not to desire when wee inforce the will albeit there remain a certaine repugnancy of sensuality as we see it fall out in the sick man who will not eat the meat albeit hee haue an appetite to it because it is hurtfull to him and it is something profitable for him to be vnwilling to eat it albeit the inordinate appetite hee hath to that meat be not taken away So we see that we may produce the acts of vertue as often as wee will being assisted by the mighty working of Gods holy spirit But we must consider that besides the continuall care we ought to haue of exercising the will to desire the good things that are to be desired and to omit and refuse the euill whereby the euill habits being rooted vp we may plant those that are good it concernes vs much most often to vse this present instruction whereby to restraine those first motions which do much confront and impugne euen men much giuen to vertue or
or feares or dares or is angry but for the euill which hinders the good he loueth Therefore wee may thus describe loue that it is the first motion which good brings vnto the appetite or more plainely the first impression whereby the appetite out of the knowledge of some good is affected whilest the good thing it knoweth doth please it This similitude from nature will illustrate the thing well fos as euery thing which doth ingender confers first forme to the things ingendred and afterwards a motion agreeable to that forme as when the fire inflames the ayer it first imprints in it the fiery forme and then a fiery motion to tend vpwards so euery good doth not only imprint a certain form in the sence which conceiueth the image of good but also in the appetite the image of the sence mediating it selfe that is to say loue which is as the forme of the loued and by loue stirs vp the motion of desire whereby the appetite returnes againe to the good it selfe the circle being ended Hence it is euident what is concupisence which when it accompanieth reason is called desire for it is a certaine extension or progression of loue or rather that motion or steppe whereby the appetite affected with good beginnes to incline to that good it selfe For after that good which is the motion of loue hath pleased the appetite the appetite inlarged it selfe to receiue that good which is the motion of concupiscence or desire by which motion it is said to be drawne of the good it selfe It is violently caried because drawne by pleasure Therefore the desire is wont to wax strong if it bee not graunted to enioy pleasure euen vntill a certaine ardour which is called feruour and is the effect of loue the which thing Lauguor being another effect of loue is wont to accompany which is a most grieuous sadnesse of such fury it is often wont to kill men but if the good desired fall out as we would haue it then followes delectation which if it bee with the worke of reason is called ioy and it is a motion of the soule placed in the good that pleaseth it or more clearely that motion whereby the appetite perceiueth the good which it desireth in whose enioyment or possession the appetite is placed is called delectation or fruition which is all one This passion is one of the chiefest and seemeth to bee the most effectuall of them all for it fulfils the motion of loue and in it loue seemeth to exercise all his powers for seeing there are many effects of loue as besides feruour and languor before named extasie liquefaction vnion mutuall inhaesion penetration zeale in imbracing of the present good almost all of them do waxe strong and multiply Extasie which signifieth the going out of the appetite from it selfe that it may exist in that is good which it affects whilest good is present acquireth strēgth Liquefaction which is a certaine emollition rarefaction or softning of the heart that as it were the poores being opened good may easily and quickly enter albeit that it doe keepe his strength good being absent yet is it filled with the drinking in of that which is good Vnion which is as it were a cotouching of louers Mutuall inhaesion which is the binding together of things that touch one another Penetration which is a certaine sliding into the inwards of the heart doe not fall out but when good is present Zeale which is nothing else but the impatience of a conceit if any would interpell the inioyer would fight and contend most fiercely Therefore it is plaine that the passion of delight is compassed with many circumstances which doe easily demonstrate his power But euen the thing it selfe is so prooued by experience that without any other witnesses if any be asked what is the thing most attractiue whosoeuer hee be hee will answere Trahit sua quemque voluptas euery mans pleasure is his adamant For as yet those other two kindes of good so honest and pofitable good if wee take away pleasure would not draw any mans heart after them which is a thing most worthy to bee knowne and is conuinced by this reason For wee shall see many borne in the country whom if the King would draw into the City and inrich them with honours and commodities they would vpon no other ground refuse then for that they would not forgoe the countrey pleasures to which they arc accustomed and which they despaire to find elsewhere Seeing then that mans heart is sicke with the loue and desire of pleasure as of a grieuous feuer let vs seeke for some remedie for these three passions 2 The remedy of loue concupiscence or desire delight or ioy That a fit remedy may bee prepared to the nature and sicknesse of the diseased we must praemise to the things that are to be spoken of the cure of passions that mans heart most greedy of good things present can neuer be pulled from the loue of them but by exchange of better good things for it cannot bee that honourable profitable and delectable things should not please the appetite seeing it cannot put off his natiue and inbred pronity and readinesse to entertaine them Therefore that manner of curing is of all other most prudent which better good things being proposed whereof the appetite is capable doth attempt to draw the heart of man from affection of present things to the loue of eternall things For if wee will search out the worke of GODS wisdome in the creation of man wee shall finde that our most mercifull LORD God would not take away food and nutriment from these eleauen passions but transferre it vnto better good things that the sence together with the superiour part of man First his reason might instruct both the appetite and also the flesh it selfe according to their capacity to thirst after God and to lift vp themselues towards God For that thing which passions wrought in Adam before his fall euen vnto that do the seruants of God and despisers of the world aspire and oft times as much as the diuine grace vouchsafeth to graunt in this corruption of our natures are they made partakers of their desires amongst whom he was one who said my heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing GOd and in another place my Soule thirsteth after thee yea my flesh how often according to this doctrine therefore of weaning our passions from the forbidden good things wee will giue these examples Let the examples bee thus thou happily seest some thing which doth greatly please the appetite with a sudden motion which is the motion of loue presently thy heart extends it selfe to that thing which is the motion of Concupiscence for it coueteth that thing if this thing bee graunted then succeeds a certaine delight of perceiuing of ioye touching the thing which seemes to agree to the appetite drawne on by the loue Concupiscence aforesaid which is the motion of delight and in this manner doth
that thing beare rule in his heart that was so taken with the loue of it and with a certaine kinde of fruition hee delights in it which is the end of delectation and to conclude doth complete the motion of loue He therefore that is so tempted let him first discerne the fault from the temptation for in such sudden motions of loue and concupiscence often their followes no fault because in men of riper yeares they preuent the consent of reason but if any sinne lie hid by the negligence of reason it is a very small one which I would haue to be obserued in all kindes of temptations that I need not repeate the same thing againe 1 Assoone therefore as any shall perceiue these sudden motions of loue and concupiscence raised in him Hee may many waies represse the appetite that it goe no further for hee may forthwith by reason thus commaund his appetite Let goe this hurtfull concupiscence for it becomes not a man indued with reason and much more excellent in minde then all these bodily things and borne to the studie of wisdome and beauty of vertues to desire this thing whereby the minde is turned away from better goods things But this restrayning of the appetite was in vse amongst heathen Philosephers for it hath nothing in it aboue reason 2 There is therefore yet a more excellent way worthy of a Christian and out of faith which worketh by loue is more effectuall as thus absteine from this noisome concupiscence for it is not lawfull that a man who shall enioy eternall good things and be cloathed with glory as with a garment should by these vile and base things be diuerted from the care of better things 3 But yet there is a way more sublime as thus Let goe thy desire and absteine from this hurtfull concupiscence for it is not conuenient for mee who haue made a couenant with my GOD to keepe his lawes to couet and desire any thing that is anothers And thus may wee doe in all kinde of things bee they honourable profitable or delectable The first of these kinds of repressing the appetite is humaine The second is Christian But the third is diuine But if the appetite doe not giue place yet for all that doe wee not labour in vaine For albeit the appetite doe not obey reason at a becke as the other members doe but after a certaine politike manner and often doe most strongly resist reason Yet wee finde that by thus doing wee are prepared vnto a Christian mortification and by custome of fighting reason at length gets the dominion ouer appetite To end therefore this point with a short but sweet admonition hee that much desres to kill his passions so as that they may not kill his soule must know that if hee shall know to moderate well his loue from whence all passions doe arise hee surely shall carrie awaie the victorie Nor shall he only ouercome but by a wonderfull short cut sooner then others hee shall ouercome and with greater delight contentment And the manner of doing it is this hee must bee very circumspect in the exercise of euery thing that he set not his heart vpō the apparant shew of things but assoone as hee seeth any thing that is pleasant to turne away his heart make hast to breathe after heauenly things For it is altogether impossible that the other passions should wax heauy or hurt vs if the rootes of loue be cut vp Let this bee the example a man sees some profitable good thing and forthwith assoone as he sees it whilest his loue is stirred vp he lifts vp his heart to heauen saying Oh how much more profitable things are prouided for me there He sees something that delights him and whilst his appetite growes in loue of it his heart is instantly lift vp to heauen saying how much sweeter shall my banquet be in heauen where my meate shall be Manna Angels food and my drinke the fountaine of life Hee sees some honourable good thing namely other mens estimation conceiued of his wittie learning dexterity c. And whilst the appetite beginnes to be carried to the loue of honour he runnes and lifts vp his heart saying how much greater estimation and honour shall be conceiued of me in that most ample Court of heauen then if I had the honour of the whole world 2 Of the passions of Hate Flight or abhomination and of sorrow and griefe where also are two things as before 1 The definition of Hate As good so soone as it is seene ingenders the loue of it so euill by and by as it acknowledged begets the hatred of it Now hate is a certaine motion of the concupiscible dissonant from euill or more cleerely it is the motion of auersion wherewith the appetite is affected when any thing dissonant or contrary and repugnant to it is represented for as betwixt the appetite and good there is consent so betwixt the appetite and euill there is dissent Hence comes flight and abhomination of the euill which is the motion of retraction whereby the appetite departs from euill as if we said that that recession or declining whereby the appetite retracts it selfe from euill which displeaseth it were slight or abhomination of the euill which is the intention of flight for after that euill is by the imagination represented the appetite doth not onely disagree and become dissonant which is hatred but also goes backe which is slight Sadnesse or sorrow succeeds when the euill is present sorrow comes from euill ioyned vnto the body with the apprehension of sence but sadnesse is for the euils conceiued by inward apprehension which may also therefore be past and to come which arc inwardly conceiued seeing sorrow onely for the present time continues whilest the body is oppressed Therefore sadnesse or sorrow is a certaine motion whereby the appetite is vexed by the present euill as if I said that it is the motion whereby the appetite is oppressed with the burden of a present euill These passions are of contrarie motion to those we handled in the 9. Chap. for hate is auersion from euill loue the conuersion to good flight is the departing from euill desire is the progresse to good sadnesse is the oppression of euill delectation is the expansion to good But as loue with the two other passions is carried towards the honest profitable and delectable good so hate with the 2. passions arising from it inclines to the 3. fold euill vnhonest vnprofitable vnpleasant Now by good and euill wee vnderstand either the true or the apparant good for whatsoeuer pleaseth the appetite is good and whatsoeuer is repugnant in this kinde is euill But amongst all other things in this place this is most attentiuely to be obserued that sadnesse one of the principall passions which as delight complets the motion of loue so it of hate is a capitall enemy to true vertue for besides the hurt it brings to the body this amongst all passions
loue of God of which anone although it haue not that sweetnesse Therefore wee may conclude that such loue is but fraile seeing it is the loue of him that loues for his owne benefit and comfort Yet let vs expresse the excellences of this sensitiue loue For albeit such loue is fraile yet is it profitable for 2. things First he that hath it may easily cast from him the said blemishes and loue of vaine things Secondly such a one shall be in a verie neere disposition to bring fourth many acts of that more sublime and excellen◠loue when hee shall come to the knowledge of it There is therefore a more high and heauenly loue then that former vnto which many had vndoubtedly attained if they had knowne it and the more of this loue that the soule acquires of the greater perfection shall it be This loue we will describe with words rather declaring what we ought to doe to obtaine it and being had to keepe it then such as for a small time may worke some liking of it Not for that I would expresse this loue in grosse termes but for that he who can attaine that loue which is expressed in plaine words is to bee lifted vp of that sweete louer to the height of that loue which mans power cannot expresse Therefore now wee will deliuer some parcels of this loue 1 What it is wee say it is a certaine worke or acte which the will produceth strongly and sometimes with sweetnesse in louing or desiring that God may be that which he is may possesse so great glory so great dominion and power as in truth he possesseth ouer vs and ouer all things and so much as he hath himselfe And againe that whatsoeuer thing is or can be may loue him serue and glorifie him for his onely infinit goodnesse and worth and so farre as the excellency of his Maiesty requires that withall our powers wee should doe it These are profound words and such as daily hee must meditate which truely loues that he may recogitate what God is and may reioyce in it againe that he may recogitate and bethinke himselfe how great glory he hath hauing an vniuersall dominion ouer al vs all other things and to ioy hereat more then we are wont to doe at the preferment and honour of our best friends Besides wee must desire that whatsoeuer is in the world may obey him loue him desiring it a thousand waies and ten thousand waies procuring it And further in the discourse of the minde meditating a thousand waies of glory greatnesse and seruice which are due vnto God that wee may wish them all for him and that because he is God and for his onely goodnesse For all equity requires that we loue so great a LORD by all the meanes that can bee thought on Seeing then there is no higher end then GOD himselfe who is the beginning and end of all it followes that he ought to bee loued not for that chiefely wee receiue from him or for that wee expect but for himselfe who is infinitly amiable This is that which I say and would haue obserued that wee should so accustome our wills which our selues also may feele that they may bee mooued to loue and that they may be delighted in the glory and riches of our God not for the sweetnesse they perceiue to be in his loue not for the gifts which either they haue receiued or hope to receiue but that these being forgotten they may loue him as the most worthy to haue all the wils of Angels and men herein exercised that they may desire and be delighted that his Maiesty hath all that good which it hath albeit it nothing should thence redound to them although indeed so much more will returne vnto vs by how much wee loue him without any reflexion to our selues 2 This holy loue hath his beginning progresse perfection and albeit at the beginning it giues no great tokens of it selfe which may be felt in the soule yet it is then of greatest worth and shall after a fewe daies shew some signes of it selfe when it shall haue begun to increase The true experiment and certaine signe of this loue is when as the louer loueth God as well when he shewes himselfe fierce against him as when he is more milde as well when he chastiseth in iustice as when he cherisheth in mercy He that is such loues not for that God is sweete and good yet loues that sweetnesse and goodnesse because God giues it and giues him a minde more diligently to serue him Hee is not affraide at his chastisements but takes it with that loue which the pious and princely hand of him that laies in on him requires Hee doth not supplicate and petition drawne on with desire or sweetnesse of the benefit desired but that his soule inriched with vertues may bee increased in strength that he may more diligently and feruently serue the Lord who bestowed those benefits Hee is not in any indignation that sometimes hee sees himselfe voide of consolations yet grieues if any thing be in him that may offend the eyes of so great a Maiesty and so separate him from it Hee desires not therefore to bee pardoned that he may escape the punishment or may recouer the lost grace and vertues or right vnto the Kingdome of glory but that his soule hauing receiued pardon may bee to GOD more acceptable may loue him and purely serue his most high God and Creator He that is such hath no affection that drawes his heart any other way Hee remembers not nor markes whether men thinke of him He grieues not when he perceiues himselfe be held of no worth He flees and is sad at the honours done him fearing least they may be a hinderance to his humility Hee reioyceth at the good and honours of others supposing that euen honours may be to them as being more strong a furtherance mote feruently to serue GOD desiring without all fiction of vanity that other men may take an example of good workes at him Hee that is such hath all things and yet hath no thing hee submits himselfe to all men and all doe serue him He flees all sweetenesse contentmēt yet feeles nothing but that which is pleasing vnto him In that great God which hee loueth hee knoweth whatsoeuer hee ought to doe say or thinke and that hee both saith doth and thinketh for him alone Happy is the man which so loueth it is not he that liueth but Christ liueth in him Gal. 2. giuing vnto him grace to liue a diuine life This man in louing himselfe loueth not himselfe but the most high for whose loue he desireth euery good thing Let vs giue one example whereby as much as may be we may behold when we doe thus loue God Say there were a sonne whose father were a verie honest man but verie poore from whom the sonne expected nothing nor needed it and yet should so serue this father as that he placed all
a high manner this their desire it fulfilled and how much ioy they haue of the one and the other Therefore it is manifest of what great excellency this worke of the loue of GOD is seeing neither tongue nor pen is able to expresse it 3 Now hauing seene the remedite for this coldnesse of the loue of God what this loue of God is what is the beginning progresse and end of it It is fit that wee know how much and how often we must be imploied in this loue And surely so farre as briefly can be gathered wee must know that wee must euer or at the least by infinit turnes euen in the same houre if it bee possible exercise our selues in this loue yet that wee may bee able the more liuely to feele how wee ought continually thus to loue wee must obserue that if the exchange be commendable whereby one takes vpon him the labour of one houre or giues some small mony for the redemption of a thousand men captined by the Moores without all companion he shall and ought to thinke his time better bestowed that himselfe or any other man should sustaine death yea manie deaths that some other man for a most small time may loue God if that loue cannot be had without suffring of the same death or deathes euen for that small space of time and that is so true that it not onely hath place when he who for that smal space of time loueth God by that loue obtayning heauens glory but also if we were certaine that hee might by diuerse other seruices towards God in that small space of time obtaine the said glory which hence is manifest For that short loue hath in it greater good then the euill of of him that is suffred with much griefe who doth also wish death a thousand times Besides it shall yet incomparably be a greater good if we shal consider that for this short time of loue shall be rendered an increase of grace and further also an augmentation of perpetuall loue together with Celestiall glory And how great a good that is hee shall know who vnderstands what is the greatnesse of diuine loue And this being knowne it will yet more cleerely appeace that wee ought euermore or by inumerable vicissitudes to performe this so sublime a duty of loue that doing here that which is our duety wee may increase in strength to doe the same in heauen where those that â—aue obtained glorie doe so much more excellently loue by how much more they haue loued when they were on earth But if we ought by these inumerable turnes wee ought to loue this our most glorious God because the act of this loue is of inestimable goodnesse then let vs turne our selues to consider our owne negligence and malliceâ— and behold how bitterly wee ought to lament euery moment of our liues which hath passed without this loue Againe how much more grieuously wee ought to bewaile al those things which haue disioyned vs from this loue and such are all our sinnes by which we become capitall enemies and most contrarious to this loue and at the best brings a shiuering coldnesse and sluggishnesse ouer our hearts to so great a good and withall let vs consider of what great reprehension he is worthy that doth not intimously from the heart reioyce at euery thing which may promote vs to so great a good such as iniuries contempts persecutions and the like are And on the other side if wee doe not mightily lament as often as wee finde any impediment to so great a good such as humaine fauours and all other complacency and temporall delectations are Surely so reprooueable is it that we do not ioy or grieue at the things wee haue spoken by how much it is more better to suffer death a thousand times then the iniuries and persecutions which mans malice was wont to inferre or the sorrowes which wee can feele whilest wee flee the fauours of men and other things which were wont to be delight-some to vs. Againe that in so excellent a iouruey nothing may hinder vs wee must obserue that if sometimes for the debility of bodie or because wee haue not attained so great vertue in the soule as is necessarie to the suffring of aduersities it is necessary then that wee flee persecutions and the societies of such as affect vs with iniuries or to procure I some delicate and sauory things that wee may doe that with an actuall intention of greater euils and often lamenting for that in fleeing from aduersities we should depart froÌ„ that which is good which may promote vs to so great a good as is the loue of God and that taking vp these pleasant things wee should omit those bitter things vnto which by the malice of our negligence we are obliged And wee must doe this with an humble Prayer vnto GOD supplicating his goodnesse to strengthen verthe both in body and soule whereby hauing receiued power to resist our frailty for which by the defect of our power it was necessary for vs to flee persecutions or to take vp things pleasant vnto vs wee may bee without any impediment disposed to that same heauenly loue of him and his glory And that wee may the more cleerely know how worthy these our negligences are of reprehension whereby wee fall from this pretious loue it will be to good purpose to obserue that which wee haue written before of the hatred of our selues which is the foundation and primary disposition to this loue of God And because wee haue no balances on earth wherewith continually to weigh the same wee must aske of God that he would prouide vs from heauen and God graunt that our liues may neuer bee weary of the consideration hereof From all these is to be obserued what great madnesse it is not to procure that great glory in heauen seeing the sublimity of that glory doth necessarily follow low the seriousnesse of that loue and although the greatnesse of that glory were not much to bee regarded which is ordained for vs yet are wee much obliged to regarde that we may obtaine the greatnesse of the loue that being made glorious we may euer loue him who is most worthy of all to bee most highly loued But that we may see how we may be able often to loue chiefely when the taste in sweetnesse forsakes vs which of it selfe was wont to stir vs vp we must take a helpe from the sixth Instruction seeing God giues grace to the will to incline to this or that as often as the seruant of God shall prepare himself therunto froÌ„ al which the seruant of Christ may obserue what an infinit and irrecouerable losse we receiue when wee omit to loue God in euery moment of time wherein wee may loue him And if it bee to bee lamented whilest by neglecting of great dignities or earthly riches one receiues a great losse How much more lamentable is it seeing the losse is farre greater to omit euen for a
it but it sufficeth not him that is truely addicted vnto God to giue part vnto God but the whole so that the whole affection must be imploied in God or in that which is wholy directed to him Therefore whatsoeuer is vaine in this loue must bee cast away seeing it is certaine that nothing can bee ordered and directed towards God which is more loued in the creature then in God the Creator Our loue towards al persons ought to bee carried with so great affection as can proceed from that affection which wee haue towards God all other affections being cast off that that affection may haue place which wee owe vnto God And to the casting away of these things it shall not profit a little to remember what wee haue spoken before of vaine ioy together with the sixth Instruction Now therefore seeing in part we haue spokeÌ„ what kind of loue ours ought to be and that wee must cast away the loue that is not such wee will adde an example to open this manner of louing to which purpose wee neede but call to minde the example of that good Sonne of whose loue toward his Father wee spake in the former Chapter by whose imitation wee collected it is fit to loue our Heauenly Father So now let vs see in the imitation of him how wee ought to loue the seruants of our Father namely all that are in the world friends and enemies Therefore wee must adde in that example that the father so beloued of his son who yet expected no benefit froÌ„ his father had a seruant whom he onely loued but yet wanted all kinde of necessaries as well for himselfe as for his seruant sauing what his sonne did giue vnto him Now this seruant is odious and hatefull to this sonne and in nothing profitable to him or to his minde and if the sonne should onely seeke himselfe and his owne benefit and pleasure he would cast off this seruant yet vnwilling to doe any thing that may displease his father but rather seeking by all meanes to doe the things that may please his father induced thereunto by no other respect hee maintaines this serâ—ant in his house as one of his â—onnes or most dearely beloued seruants and so speakes vnto him â—nd intreates him that if at any time he would seeme to leaue the house the sonne would be grieâ—â—ed and would intreat him to tarry fearing least his father should bee grieued for his absence Such loue must that be which wee ought to carry towards our neighbours namely that considering they are so much beloued of God that hee gaue himselfe to death for them when as yet all of them were his enemies we also should loue them al so much helping them in all that is good and necessary for them as well in body as in soule euen so much I say as we are wont to loue them who do much please and delight vs and that also albeit their conuersation were odious and gâ—ieuous vnto vs so to speake vnto them and prouide for them in all necessaries euen as for those who are much beloued of that our Father and Lord who both would it should bee so and hath also so commanded it to be done And all these things wee must doe with as great and feruent a will as wee are able because this is most acceptable vnto God and he would haue vs doe it and this he his infinit will that it should bee so done of vs. Let them who desire to serue God chiefly obserue that whosoeuer doe affect vs with any iniury giues vs great occasion to increase in the seruice of God for after this occasion of so great good which comes vnto vs ioyned with the commandement of God who would haue it so what excuse can we haue if wee doe not with intimous and ardent bowels loue then that load vs with euils chiefly whilst wee consider that God himselfe will happily afterwards take from such our perse cut ours all excellent and high duties as it often befalleth many other sinners Therefore the good seruant of God he must neuer be accounted who reioiceth not at the afflictions and iniuries which are cast vpon him for his Lord. If therfore hee shall esteeme himselfe happy when he is set vpon with iniuries and aduersities the onely will of seruing God makes him no lesse stable in louing him whom his inordinate affection made odious then him whom the abundance of benefits compelled to loue Yet it must be obserued that although loue must bee equally borne vnto all yet first it must bee shewed both in affection and good workes towards them that are giuen to vertue and holinesse of life 3 The last thing which I reserued for this place is the loue of our selues how he must loue himselfe that would truely loue himselfe To loue our selues is a thing so naturall that whosoeuer would hereof write may wel do it without feare of prouoking any to anger seeing our appetite doth increase in our loue towards our selues that albeit we be inriched with great riches yet doe wee iudge them but small because we loue our selues labour aduancement to greater matters For this cause our excellent Master the Sonne of God desiring that wee should loue our neighbours very much as those for whom hee laid down his life that he might shew in few words how much hee would haue vs to loue them he gaue this rule Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Math. 22. But seeing the blindnesse of sinne hath so inuaded vs that it hath taken from vs the iudgement and knowledge how wee ought to loue our selues it is fit by the direction of the Gospell wee prouide for this euill Therefore we will say that he truely loues himselfe who obserues these three rules 1 That with all his strengh hee procure euery thing whence hee vnderstands any good may come vnto him 2 That hee shun euery thing which may bring any harme damage or euill vnto him 3 That albeit many difficulties and rubs to the attayning of that which is good do offer themselues yet hee shall not refuse to oppose himselfe against them Of these three seeing wee haue often spoken in this discourse we will onely touch some few things which are more necessary to bee knowne that wee may learne aright to loue our selues 1 As concerning the first of these wee will obserue that this Cannon is euery moment very necessary hereunto that the thing which is good may bee made very good namely that in euery thing I repeate it againe in euery thing speaking generally which wee shall desire or obtaine two points may be considered 1 Is the good which from this thing commeth vnto vs or may come vnto vs. 2 That it is acceptable vnto God that this good thing should come vnto vs. Therefore hee that loueth himselfe and desireth great good things to himselfe must little esteeme the good that may befall him from any thing hee doth or desireth I say
hee must little esteeme that as it is his owne good if it bee compared to the second namely that it is the seruice of God and the fulsilling of his holy will flowing from thence and to this point the second Instruction serueth well Let vs obserue that euery one whilst hee loueth himselfe doth greatly desire to better either his ornaments or else all his houshold furniture and all things else that he hath if it be not such as he would haue it and so must he do who spiritually loueth himselfe For our Lord God hath giuen vs a pretious ornament or pearle wherewith at all times to inrich our selues This pearle wee haue but couered with brasse or copper whilst wee desire any thing to our owne good or profit nor must wee euer rest vntill by the right hand of the highest there bee such a change made that our appetite which is euer agitated and tossed vp and downe in vs wishing our owne profit may now onely regarde those things wherewith GOD is delighted chiefely that thing being such as that not onely GOD would that wee should haue it but also that we our selues shold be more inriched with it For the more wee doe forget our owne proper benefit that wee may record it call to minde the glory of God the more care hath hee of inriching vs with al good things this forgetfulnesse is worthy of eternall memory this remembrance worthy of eternall glory What a most pretious loue is this which maketh men Gods For of this loue is that to bee vnderstood which a good father spake Si Deum amas Deus es if thou louest GOD August thou art God for I haue said yee are Gods Psal 81. that therefore wee might obtaine this so excellent loue of our selues our GOD would haue vs to hate our selues in that thing wherein wordly men doe loue themselues and this hee willeth whilst in the Gospell hee commaunds Luk. 14. That we should hate our selues as before is spoken Besides all these things I forewarne him that will truely loue himselfe that the sweetnesse hee findes in the seruice of GOD doe not suffice him for the glory expected For albeit this sweetnesse bee good yet GOD giues it not to this end that we should rest in it alone but that by it wee might come to take a taste in the consideration of the good glorie and dominion which God himselfe possesseth and that with a great minde wee should praise him For the beautifull praise of God is nothing else then that should reâ—oyce to declare the wonderfull things of God to the whole world as in the psalmes and euery where in Scripture is to bee seene and in all created things Of which and or euery other thing which we shall relate speak or heare wee must feele a new motion of ioy such as worldly men doe feele whilst they see themselues or those whom they most loue to be commended Seeing then that they doe vainely reioyce at the commendations which are not due vnto them it is very iust that the seruant of God should mightily reioyce at his praise whom heauen and earth suffice not sufficiently to praise Besides hee who truely loues himselfe when he shall haue vnderstood that hee hath receiued any benefit from God ought from his most intimous bowels to giue him thankes not for that he findes himselfe more iuriched but that he findes himselfe the more inabled to serue God Euen as if some of the Kings chiefe seruants should reioyed that they had receiued some great benefit from the King that from those greater riches they might doe him greater and more acceptable seruices without respect of other benefits or gifts Nor is it any other thing to giue God thankes which thing many know not then an inward act of the soule whereby hee who hath receiued the gift or benefit from him acknowledging that God is an infinit Lord from whom comes cuery good thing reioyceth at all the glory of God and that by such gift hee sees himselfe more apt the more to loue and serue him and by how much that which is said is inlarged seeing it is a thing of great moment wee may obserue that besides this recognition and ioy spoken of at the receipt of euery benefit from God wee ought to offer vnto God all that wee are in our owne wills annihilating our selues whereby we may giue our selues wholy in body and soule to his seruice producing then mosâ— great acts wherwith for the great power goodnes of God we may reioice froÌ„ whence that benefit comes for which we now giue him thankes And that wee may more clearely vnderstand that which I now speake of annihilating our selues I would hereby signifie that seeing wee may euer increase in the diminution and despising of our selues we ought as oft as we giue thaÌ„ks vnto God after a singular maner to dis-esteeme of our selues in respect of his benefits whereby we may the better giue our selues to his Maiesty Therefore the seruant of God must be very present to himselfe that as often as he giues thanks to God for any benefit that motion of the mind that will wherby he reioiceth at the benefit receiued do actually proceede as before is said that he may loue God the more serue him reiecting all confideration froÌ„ this that hence it coÌ„meth vnto him whereby hee may of good from him that he knoweth may come vnto him thence so be made more strong in the loue of GOD alone and more acceptable thankes may bee rendred vnto him and he must also haue the eyes of his soule open for sometimes these things will fall out not without some defects and we will thinke that al things are rightly done But the ground-worke of that which hitherto is spoken is taken from that which Diuines Prophets are wont to say that he who would be thankful must returne to the benefactour a worke of as great a value or greater then that which bee hath receiued Seeing thou that all our good things are receiued from God whatsoeuer wee can performe in his seruice is of little worth in respect of the least of his benefits Therefore at the least wee ought to giue him thankes for them in this manner as we haue spoken and that with as much affection and indeauour as we are able By this very motion of our vnderstanding and will and by all the foresaid preparation of our annihilation we must euery day giue thankes for so great a benefit bestowed on vs namely that he that great Maiesty hath receiued to himself so great good as he hath In the same manner must wee giue like dayly thankes vnto him for the benefit of his Incarnation our Redemption and the Redemption of the whole world For the benefits conferred vpon all the company of that blessed Court of heauen and for all the benefits bestowed vpon his Saints in earth but chiefly on those that doe affect vs with iniuries and
a hearty sorrow for them and humbly begge pardon of him 4 Loue him with thy whole heart namely so as that thou haue a firme desire and purpose that thou wilt doe nothing that is contrary to him that thou wilt doe nothing that is contrary to him that thou wilt loue nothing but what in act or vertue tends to him and that thou wilt preferre him before thy selfe and all other things 5 At the last aske of God seauen gifts which some do conceiue the blessed Virgin did dayly begge of God 1. An effectuall helpe that thou maist in some measure performe the commandement of the loue of God 2. That thou maist constantly loue thy neighbour euery holy thing which he loueth 3. That whatsoeuer euill he hateth thou also maist hate the same 4. That thou maist be adorned with humility chastity contempt of the world and al other necessary graces 5. That he would make thy minde thy body a worthy tēple and habitation for himselfe 6. That at length after this mortality being don away thou maist for euer enioy his most blessed presence maist with the eies of thy flesh clearely see his most holy humanity and with the eies of thy minde behold and possesse his diuinity 7. That in this temple and in all other temples and places throughout the whole world he may receiue all due worthy reuerence acknowledgement honour and praise 2 Meditation 1. Behold Christ thy Sauiour in the midst of thine heart as thy Lord who redeemed thee with the price of his bloud and thy selfe as his seruant who by a new conceiued feruour wouldst returne vnto him desirous in all things to please him 2 Giue him immense thanks 1. That he wold be present at the Sacrament as a Master would gouern the habitatiō of thy hart compose with the gift of mortification the multitude of thy affections 2. That with such meekenes receiued the petitions of his runnagate seruant 3. That being King of kings whom the heauens cānot receiue yet vouchsafeth in admirable manner to dwell in the base cottage of his vnworthy seruant 3 Desire that at the presence of thy Lord the house of thy heart may be quiet and in peace And resolue with thy selfe that thou wilt mortifie thy iudgement will affections and fences and cast away whatsoeuer shall displease him 4 Loue him with all thy soule which thou shalt doe if thou doest submit thy life vnto him if onely thou wouldest haue life and wouldest keepe it that it might obey him if thou dost direct all thy cogitations desires words and workes to his good pleasure 5 Thou shalt aske of him those seauen things in the first Meditation 3 Meditation 1 Behold Christ thy Sauiour in the midst of thy heart as thy Master which teacheth thee the way of saluation and giues grace to performe what he teacheth and thy selfe as his disciple who for thy great negligence hast learned little or nothing of him 2 Giue him infinit thankes 1 Because he would be present at the Sacrament that as a most wise Doctor he might teach thee the way of perfection and instruct thee in things to be done and omitted 2 Because with so great mercie hee hath heard the petitions of his Disciple crauing heauenly knowledge 3 Because the Master of Angels and Men hath deigned to remaine in the lowest ranke of thy polluted heart to teach thee 3 Blush before him because thou art so estranged from his Doctrine and art so filly a scholler in the imitation of him Resolue also with thy selfe that thou wilt forsake all created things both in thy vnderstanding and affection and wilt wholy cut off all inordinate loue of the creatures from thee 4 Loue him with thy whole minde Which thou shalt doe if thou resolue to clense thy spirit from euery thing that may displease him if thou purpose to adorne it with vertues if thou doe continually adhere vnto him in thy memory vnderstanding and will if thou dost labour for ttanquillity of the minde that Christ himselfe may dwell in thy heart 5 Aske of God those seauen things before remembred 4 Meditation 1. Behold Christ thy Sauiour in thy heart as thy most faithfull friend who hath aduanced thee his owne workemanship and his owne vassall to his familiarity and friendship and thy selfe as a friend at the table or rather an hireling who when thou receiuest comfort then louest him but being beaten for thy amendement waxest cold in loue 2 Giue him imnense thankes 1. Because hee would bee present at the Sacrament that hee might visit thee being made his friend by grace and that hee might talke with thee words sweeter then hony 2. Because with so louing eares hee heard the petitions of his friend begging perseuerance in friendship 3. Because as a most rich friend hath determined to dwell by grace in the conclaue of his most poore friends heart 3 Conceiue shame and griefe of thy owne nakednesse who art spoiled of vertues and couered with sordid rags of vices kindle the desires of vertue especially such as thou most needest aske them instantly and exercise some of them with internall acts as time and place will suffer 4 Loue the Lord thy God with all thy strength And that thou shalt doe if thou doest offer vnto God the powers of thy soule and also the sences and instruments of thy bodie in the vnion of his powers and sences and determinest to vse them euer to his seruice 5 Begge of God the seauen graces aforesaid 5 Meditation 1. Behold Christ thy Sauiour in thy heart as thy elder brother and the first borne of many brethren who hath reconciled the enemies of his eternall Father vnto him and made them his brethren and thy selfe as a little brother worthily the least or rather vnworthy of such a name because thou art both in life and manners most vnlike vnto him 2 Giue thankes 1. Because he would please to be present at the Sacrament that he might not call thee an enemie but might acknowledge thee for a brother might deuide with thee his fathers inheritance 2. Because hee would heare with so great loue the petitions of his brother so vnlike him in manners and by the coldnesse of conuersation affecting him with tediousnesse 3. Because the first borne Sonne of our heauenly Father reigning now in heauen did not abhorre the base and obscure dwelling of his brother remayning in exile but was pleased to dwell in it 3 Obserue thy selfe to bee distanced from so louing a brother and complaine of thy misery wish ardently by praier his intimous familiarity and propose to thy selfe that all things necessary to obtaine this guift are to be performed of thee 4 Loue him with all thy power which thou shalt doe if thou doest effectually propose and faithfully performe it that with all thy indeauour thou wilt be aduersant to all euill and performe all that is good 5 Thou must aske those seauen things before named 6 Meditation 1.
is to be receiued by vsing it let them mortifie themselues and know that not sensible deuotion but the purity of the soule is to be sought as the chiefe end in this Sacrament but if it proceede from an impatient desire and violent loue that contents not it selfe in any but in the Lord if there be purity of life the gift of prayer an euident profit by the Communion the edification of others and no scandall giuen to others which doe perswade vs that these desires proceede from God he may then very well vse it more often so that hee liue in such sort as he may be an example to others But howsoeuer either of these sorts receiue it let them euer haue that of Chrysostome in minde whom shal we make most account of those who once or those who often or those who seldome receiue it neither those who once nor those who often nor those who seldome but those that take it with a cleane heart a cleane conscience and a life vnreproueable Now there are two sorts of disposition and preparation to bee vsed in receiuing the Sacrament The first is as it were a farre off and that is no other but a holy life free from vices distractions and foule crimes which doe defile a man and make him odious in GODS sight For the more humble in heart pure in minde feruent in loue and holy in life thou art the more worthily shalt thou receiue this Sacrament 2. Tim. 2. Therefore are wee aduised to clense our selues from all sinnes that we may bee vessels sanctified vnto honour and ready vnto euery good worke our liues must bee euer so holy as that with comforts and profit wee may receiue the Sacrament euery day if neede were The other kinde of preparation is to bee performed for a weeke or some such fit time before our receiuing of it in which time a full suruey without partiality beeing taken of a mans life wee may so giue our selues to Prayer Fasting Repentance and other Holy duties that wee ridde from vs the burden of our accusing sinnes and bee furnished with Faith Hope Loue and all the troupe of sauing graces to the ende wee may in some competent measure approach that Heauenly banquet And to conclude with the same or more diligence which when thou seest a woman painte and trimme her selfe that shee may appeare to bee beautifull to men must thou deeke wash purifie and painte thy selfe and thy Soule with inward graces that thou maist bee truely beautifull in the eyes of thy louing God And if after thou hast liued a holy life and for some time before the communion also prepared thy selfe and that day wherein thou receiuedst the communion exercised thy selfe in repentance and holy desires and shalt for all this find no sensible deuotiō but rather a drynes yet cast not down thy selfe nor withdraw thy selfe from the Sacrament for the wisdome of God worketh diuersly in those that serue him the effects of his graces nor must any man search out the secrets of God for they are vnsearchable and past finding out Therefore the indeuoute ought not to bee driuen from the Sacrament whilst hee liues holily acknowledgeth himselfe humbly and comes reuerently nay whilst hee tells me hee is sory for his sinnes and purposeth amendement and craues the helpe of that blessed Sacrament he is not to be kept from it For it is the hid Manna and conteines abundance of all spirituall delights Now for some good time after the receiuing of the Communion thou shalt doe well to recollect thy selfe to giue thankes for so great a benefit for not only the defect of preparation but euen the defect of giuing of thankes may much hinder the fruite thereof For shall we receiue all those infinit benefits of his passion and passe by him vnsaluted He comes to heare our petitions and helpe our miseries and shall wee aske nothing of him He enters most louingly into the Inner chamber of our hearts and shall we giue him no thankes Least wee fall into so great ingratitude and loose such an opportunity of profiting sit like good Magdalene at the feete of thy Lord and Sauiour Heare diligently his word hee will vouchsafe to teach thee something speake to him be confounded at thy owne vility and nakednesse and begge pardon for thy small and remisse disposition offer vp to him thy body and all that belongs vnto thee a holy lyuing and acceptable Sacrifice lay open thy miseries and necessities desire his grace and all the good meanes that may further thee thereunto and exercise thy selfe in all the affections of loue If thus thou shalt doe the Lord will not suffer thee to depart from his presence without a blessing 2 Things to bee done euery weeke is the hearing the word preached THis is very necessary to bee heard at the least once a weeke for as it is the true and onely meanes in that kinde to heale our spirituall leprosies so is it to conserue and keepe vs in sanctitie of life and spirituall health Two things amongst many other benefits wee receiue from the word Ber. saith that deuoute father it heales vitious soules and it admonisheth vertuous soules One calls it a bread and a sword a trumpet for it sounds in our eares bread for it feeds the hungry soule a sword for it penetrates the very secrets of the heart If then thou wilt profit by hearing come prepared as in the first part of this treatise thou art taught Come with preparation praier and great desire to learne Heare not negligently and for fashion but let the words of wisdome sinke into thy heart For they inquire at the mouth of the wise man in the congregation Syr. 21. and they shall ponder his words in their heart They will not heare perfunctoriously and negligently but thinke on his words in their heart and wisely ponder them to the end to worke out their saluation thereby And thou shalt stirre vp this holy desire much if thou shalt obserue well that thou standest neede of heauenly doctrine Yea with so much more care and attention is it to be heard by how much as experience hath taught thee that by frequent hearing of it negligently thou hast receiued from it no benefit or very little benefit at all The similitude of that learned man is very fit to expresse this businesse as saith he The fish which are bred in the salt water Clem. Alex. doe yet for all that stand neede of salt to season them so euen those that are much exercised in Religion and are bred and brought vp in hearing the word doe stand neede to heare it diligentlie that they may bee preserued from the corruption and putrefaction of sinnes Heare therefore the Preacher no otherwise then thou wouldest heare Christ himselfe speaking and teaching thee For it is hee that speakes vnto thee by his Ministers it is he that by their mouthes instills the wordes of life into thy heart That belongs vnto all
then the carcasse Why then should we not often or at least once in a yeare bestow a new suite vpon the soule or else patch vp the old one But take heed of patching for God loues a new creature Hee will haue all new or none at all Ambr. In a word he is rightly renewed that is changed from the darkenesse of his sinnes into the light and grace of vertues that being before more stinking then a dunghill is now become more white then snow 2 Because continuall labour euen in profitable things and worthy of all our loue is a werisoâ—nnesse to the spirit makes it lesse able to performe the duties required Therefore ease thy selfe for some time and dis-burthen thy minde of those serious things that thou maist rest and resume strength The minde must haue some remission that it may rise vp the more sharpe As wee must not incessantly commaund fruitfull fields for their fertility will soone be exhausted if they rest not so the daily labour of the minde breaks the strength of it A little remission and relaxation will recouer strength But dulnesse of minde ariseth from assiduity of labours Of purpose men vse to vnbend their bowes that in their time they may with profit be bent againe which if they haue no relaxation will by being continually bent loose the strength of hitting the marke So in the exercise of the minde vertue is sometime reserued when by discretion it is pretermitted that afterwards it may the more strongly hit vices by how much in the meane time it wisely ceased from smiting A key if it bee turned one way shuts the locke but turn'd another way opens it so the minde intending outward things disposeth and keepeth them but turned vnto God and inward things opens the doore of Gods mercy to fetch out the treasures of heauenly guifts except thou shalt moue thy selfe towards this side and except thou shalt receiue from GOD that which thou gauest thou shalt not haue any thing at all to giue Wisely therefore did that good father speake Ber. to waite vpon God is not to be idle nay of all bâ—siâ—esse is the greatâ—â— besiâ—eâ—se beâ—aâ—â—e from this idlenesse doe forces proceed to worke and he that knowes wisely for a time to rest shall after know strongly and profitably to labour God himselfe inuiting vs to rest by his example and resting the seauenth day 6 The things which are euer more to be done THere is no question but that euermore vices are to bee shunned vertues imbraced euer we must insist in doing good fighting against Satan all his deceits But more particularly for our purpose we will reduce them into these three ranks 1. Our duty toward God 2. To wards our selues 3. Towards our neighbors 1 To wards Gods these points following must euer be obserued 1. The presence of God thinke euer thou dost heare him saying Do not I fill heaâ—e a and earth And behold him as a witnesse of thy though desires and a beholder of â—er 23. thy words workes He compasseth the on euery hand if thou wert in the bottome of the sea he conteines with his Deity all aboue thee below thee on the right hand and left before and behind and that Great Lord and wise Iudge lies had euen within thy selfe This cogitation that God is present that hee sees all thy inwards and outwards let it neuer depart from thee and so dispose thy life compose thy conuersation that as much as mans frailty will suffer thou needest not blush that God should behold thee In the beginning of euery worke offer it to him in the continuance behold him in the end resolue to please him for his sake to end it If thou shalt attaine this guift whether thou be idle or in businesse whether alone or with others thou knowest to contemplate God standing by thee thou shalt sooner then thou thinkest attaine to a great increase of graces 2. The loue of God Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy heart all thy soule all thy minde Loue him with the heart directing all thy thoughts and desires to him Loue him with thy worke keeping his commandements loue him onely turning thy will from all created things loue him diligently performing all things that belongs to his obedience with diligence loue him purely in nothing seeking thy selfe loue him freely constantly casting away all things that oppose his loue Loue him gratis looking from his loue nothing but his good pleasure Loue him strongly suffering â—all things for him patiently Loue him perseuerantly neuer pulling thy self from his desire and obedience These thou shalt doe if thou dost contemplate him as the chiefe good as goodnesse it solfe as the fountaine of all good things If also thou shalt daily with earuest praiers beg this loue if thou labour by all good meanes to keepe thy selfe cleane from all leprous pollution and filthinesse 3 The feare of God Feare the Lord thy God because he is thy Lord and requireth it if I bee your Lord where is my feare Feare him because after he hath slaine the body he can also kill the soule and send it into hâ—l fire Feare him because his iudgements are incomprehensible and his wayes past finding out and thou knowest not what shall become of thee Feare him not as a seruant for feare of punishment but as a most louing and faithfull childe least thou shouldest incur his displeasure Feare him least thou shouldest bee separate from him in whom is all good and from whom if thou be separate thou drawest to thy selfe all euill and misery Feare great sinnes because they separate from God feare small ones for they set open the gates vnto greate lastly feare the Lord for his feare is the beginning of all good for nothing shall bee wanting to them that feare the Lord and those that secke him by chaste and holy fear shal not be destitute of any good From this fear proceeds intimous reucrence whereby thou learnest to adore him in spirit 4. Zeale of Gods glory Be inkindled wilh the zeale of the glory of thy God which may eat vp thy heart and consume thy soule with forrow Consider that the Lord is thy husband whom heretiques contemne the Iewes doe mocke Idolaters and infidels know not all manner of sinners doe with infinit iniuries affect him most part euen of the best men and his deare children doe but coldly and negligently serue him and wilt not thou that seest this labour to put away these iniuries gaine thy husbands honor and for so great iniurses wilt not thou intimoufly grieue therfore let this be thy care euer to seeke the glory of God and saluation of soules and both by prayer holy example and all other good meanes to helpe to promote the glory of God Forget thy owne profit and quiet contemne thy owne honor and spare not to meete with any difficulty that thou maist promote the glory of the Lord. 5. The prayse of God
For one sinner destroieth much good Eccles 9.18 nay the breath of a wicked person is euen bainfull to the company Nor let them euer thinke that such a companion or such a seruant as is not the true seruant of God Suidas can euer bee faithfull to them For as the Historian reports when one changed his religion to please the King hee was iudged to loose his head and one appointed to cry at his execution He that keepes not faith towards God what sound conscience can he haue towards men therefore in euery great house there would bee prouision of besoms and wings to sweep downe the Spiders webs so by leauing them no place nor meanes to hurt the harmlesse slies the Spider it selfe might at last be quite swept our too Nor let them thinke that because they are great they may vse what customs companions and seruants they please For as Alexander to a City of Asia that offered him halfe their riches to desist from war answered I came not into Asia with a purpose to take what you would giue me but that you should retain what I would leaue you so faith God to them I came not into your houses or kingdomes or soules that you should condition with me what I should suffer you to doe and to liue as you list and to take such conditions of you as you would giue me at your pleasure but that what conditions I haue thought fit to require of you you should accept them and thinke them best and most happy For God is our summum bonum wee must not rest below him not yet reach aboue him below him is dangerous neglect aboue him is damnable presumption Therefore must wee not loue God forour owne profit or pleasure which is the soule-killing custome of most in the world for such a one is like a child that faith his prayers that he may haue his break-fast But we must loue him how-soeuer it fare with vs with-out any respect of our owne good because he only is worthy of our loue and nothing is worthy of it but he and in his loue consists all our happinesse I say there is great need therefore of the practise of this art of seruing God as this short pro-gresse sets it out seeing it brings vs not only within the view of the heauenly Canaan but euen into the bosome and communion of his loue And seeing also we liue in the dregs of time wherein it is come to passe that as the waters couered the whole earth so pride and other monstrous impieties hath couered it againe and not suffered eight persons to escape For doe we not see the City of God the holy profession of Iesus Christ to bee destitute of walls gates and guards and the repaire of it either hindered by sects of men madly furious or else oppugned by the craft and cunning violent assaults of men either meerely epicures or sottedly superstitious on the one side Christ Iesus is vtterly cast off by the lust of these most impure hogs that are euer wallowing in the myre on the other side the riches estateâ— of the meaner sort nay often of the greater sort is exhausted and vtterly rained by the greedy auarice of most cruell and barbarous vâ—â—oâ—s and other time-sellers here shall we see bodies by drunkennesse and gluttony consumed there by lust surquedry and pride and other intemperancies both bodies soules and ostates ouer-throwne and all places and persons with extreme filthinesse and fopperies slurred and defiled to say nothing of whole Prouinces and Kingdomes by intollerable bribery extortion symony sacriledge craft and cruelty miserably expiled and robbed and none to be found for all this which dare or can meete with these mischiefes and the most part of men hauing so cast off all hope of amendment of these great euils as that they thinke they may bee numbred amongst those diseases which are so desperate as either by no aâ—t can be cured or else whose cure is as dangerous as the disease For though Nebuchadnezzar bee dead yet his pride is come amongst vs though Sodom be burnt to dust and ashes yet are her sinnes remaining if not raigning with vs though Symon Magus be gone yet hath he left the staine of symony in the highest degree to vs though Iezabel be dead yet doe bribes liue and thriue and beare away the bell in all businesse and men begin to take courage to commit any sinne by example For when the pillars sinke the Temple falls when a great tree is hewen downe which is a shade to the beasts and a rest to the birds many leaues boughs and twigs nay the shrubs and lesser trees are borne downe and crushed with it so many doe fall with them whose lampes should giue light to others and thinke it no sinne to sinne by example and for company This being so it is not only necessary that some stand vp in the gappe to turne away the wrath-full dis-pleasure of God from vs but also is fully confest that froÌ„ this Pro-gresse of the soule most apt and necessary helps instructions may be drawne to the vse of all sorts of men of our times For if we call to mind those heauenly secret and wonderfull mysteries of our saluation also those things by which all mankind is either much furthered or greatly hindered in the way to heauen to conclude if we call to minde those things which aswell the Church of God as kingdomes states stand as much need of vs as the world doth of fire and water wee must needs confesse that in this Pro-gresse are proposed most excellent necessary and profitable things of all men to bee knowne and obserued How great a benefit the diligent reading thereof may bring to all sorts accommodating and directing all things therein to the vse of true religion and increase of holy life the due consideration of the parts and true practise of the passages thereof will sufficiently declare For here are shortly and plainely deliuered the true and onely means faculties and helps to raise man to the highest step of perfectioÌ„ in glory Now for as much as the world is postered with a kind of people resembling seruants and men of low condition who expecting in the lobbies and out-rooms their masters comming and being idle and brainlesse how to bestow their time well do take a coale and with fond and filthy phrases be-sincare the faire plastered wâ—ls I assure my self to meet with some such enuious idlebies or ignoraÌ„ts as most men doe that put themselues vpon the worlds stage by publicke writings who with the blacke coale of a blistered tongue will not sticke to bespawle and depraue both the worke and the worke-man Therefore as those that for some time haue bin exercised in some craggy difficult and dangerous place desire much to come into some safe and wished hauen wherein they may take their rest and with true pleasure and delight call to mind their former labours and losses so I
and regardfull of Sacred Spirituall and Diuine things remembring euer that of our Sauiour Math. 6. Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things shall bee ministred vnto you From which things euery good Hearer may receiue helpes vnto hearing for then none of those things whereof we spake last shall befall him but the quite contrary But aboue all let him consider well the fourth Commandement what that meanes and what is the scope of the Lords Saboth 1 Then let the care of Fields Farmes and all carthly things be on that day set aside 2 Let all men leaue their labors on the euen of the Sabaoth in a fit and seasonable time that they may repose themselues to sleepe at a conuenient houre 3 Let them bee mindefull of fasting to bring to the house of God a body and minde not cloyed with eating and drinking 4 It will be very sitting that all marriages birth-feasts drinkings and other such feast-full meetings be forborne 5 And that nothing may hinder any of the family from taking the chiefe blessing of the Lords day it were not amisse that all or the most of our prouision for the Sabaoth were prepared the day before least the women should beare the checke of our Sauiour vnto Martha Luk. 10.41 42. Martha Martha thou câ—â—est and art troubled about many things but one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not bee taken from her 3 Men may not lie lurking at home on the Sabaoth as many vse to doe least the like befall them that besell Thomas when our Sauiour entred into the house where the Disciples were and breathed on them saying Iohn 20. Receiue the holy Ghost but Thomas not being amongst them sayled of the blessing But let all men desire to frequent the holy Assemblies after the example of Dauid who wished rather to be a doore-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the Palaces of Kings 4 Aboue all things the hearer first must not come alone for not onely the father of the family is to bee saued vnto him alone was not the fourth Commandement giuen the promise is not onely made to the father of the family secondly much lesse must hee come like a scoffing deriding Lucian to mocke and floute at at the Word or Minister thirdly nor with a minde to iudge as a rigide proud curious busy censuâ—er fourthly nor must hee come of custome as many doe who are like vnto the high-waies which are so troden that no seed can fall into it fructifie fiftly nor must hee come with a loathing as if hee cared not or needed not to receiue any further instruction sixtly nor must hee come as to Stage-plaies seuenthly nor yet with his eares stopt like the dease Adder or with a purpose not to assent to the doctrine But first hee must come accompanied with his family his wife children and seruants and those must hee bring well prepared and admonished of their duty knowing that vnto them the fourth Commandement was as well giuen â—s vnto himselfe and that vnto their godly and holy profession of Gods name there is a blessing promised as on the contrary to their impiety there is denounced a grieuous curse they also are such as God hath a care ouer and offers vnto them the holy meanes of their saluation Secondly hee must come with an honest and good heart endued with the reuerence of God and his sacred Word euen as the Israelites who being by Moses commanded to prepare themselues for the sacrifice of the Passe-ouer Ex. 12.27 bowed themselues and worshipped Thirdly with the minde of a learner godly holy and not curiously searching out all things Fourthly with a resolution to heare vnderstand and practise the words of holy instruction remembring that sweet inuitation of the Prophet Come let vs go vp to the Mountaine of the Lord Esay 2.3 to the house of the God of Iacob hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes Fiftly with hunger thirst and reioicing euen as the zealous King whose soule panted for the Lord Psal 42.1 â— as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water whose soule thirsted for God for the liuing God that hee might appeare before the presence of God Sixthly let him come as vnto the Theater of a great King Seuenthly and with his eares open hauing this onely scope before him to heare and giue place to the truth 5 The hatred and contempt of all men must be cast off first of the Minister a thing which many wicked parents plant in the hearts of their children A maine block to all holy preparation This is the most crafty stratageme that Satan caâ—â—se for the hatred and contempt of the Minister brings with it the hatred and contempt of the doctrine and the whole fruite thereof both in this life and that to come The hatred and contempt of the Minister is a meanes to with-draw the hearer from the Church or if he come moues him not to like of his doctrine or at least to enterprete euery thing vnto the worst sense Secondly there must be no hatred or contempt in him of any other of the hearers least that be truely verified of him 1. Ioh. 4.10 How can hee who loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene loue God whom hee hath not seene What shall wee thinke of him that giuing sentence of death vpon a murtherer shall himselfe kill a man in the face of the open Court And what father will suffer the hatreds and brawlings of his children at his owne Table Then let him bring with him to the Church loue and honour first of the Minister of God remembring well the fatherly and sonnely relation that ought to be betwixt the Minister and Hearer the holy and painefull worke of the Minister for his saluation his owne manifold imperfections and the labour to amend them the variety of gifts and graces for the loue and honour of the Minister will bring with it the loue and honour of God and his sacted Word and other singular fruites of piety Secondly the loue and honour of the other hearers Psal 133.3 For how good and ioyfull a thing is it for brethren to dwell together in vnity Behold the vnspeakable graces of loue dilated and enlarged in three whole chapters to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 12.13.14 chap. Then when the hearers stand thus affected amongst themselues with what alacrity and comfort will the word of God bee heard and without any offence With what fruite will prayers be powred out to God Let euery hearer bee mindefull of that sweete admonition to bee reconciled to his brother Mat. 5.23.24.25.26 before the offering of his gift 6 The hearer must not cast off the care of his neighbour as if it were no matter whether hee come prepared with him or no for except his neighbour come also sanctified the whole lumpe is corrupted and so
euen euery hearer This is a great ignominy to God by it the wrath of God is kindled and prouoked against the whole Assembly and we our selues are offended and hindred withall Therefore let vs haue great care to testifie our brotherly affection towards our neighbours euen as our hands do one of them helpe another so let the hearers one stirre vp another first by their holy examples secondly by their sweete and well seasoned exhortations thirdly by the iudgements of God fourthly the mourning one for another fiftly the censure of exeommunication 1. Cor. 5. which are proper vnto the Minister of God for wee ought to haue a speciall regard of the saluation of our brethren honour of the Church and glory of God 7 The neglect of prayer is a great hinderance to this preparation or if prayer bee not rightly ordered Therefore euery hearer must haue a singular regard to inuocate the name of God for a blessing where first hee must giue hearty and humble thankes to God for his infinite benefites but chiefly for the inestimable benefite of his Word to vs reuealed which is either altogether denyed vnto others or else impurely Preached also he must be thankfull to God for that in part his holy Spirit hath purged out the old leauen and some part of the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse out of his heart secondly it behoues him to acknowledge to pray earnestly against his owne impurities and defilements as well naturall as actuall by the example of Dauid often falling into the consideration of his sinnes Psal 51. euen from the wombe Psal 25.32 and of vnknowne sinnes of his youth Thirdly hee must pray for his Minister that hee may so meditate on the Word that hee may haue the knowledge and vtterance of such things as belongs to the edification and saluation of the hearers Let him also pray for himselfe and all the hearers that they may haue holy and learned eares to apply to their owne soules the instructions deliuered for there is no good thing either in the Teacher or Hearer without the free gift of God in Iesus Christ from whose fountaine of mercies it is that we must draw it with sighes and teares 2 The publicke Preparation of the Hearer before Sermons In few words the publicke preparation of the hearer in the Church before Sermon may stand in these obseruations first to sing some Psalme containing either thankfulnesse to God for his benefites or petitions vnto God for things necessary pertaining to the Preaching of the Word for such singing in which there is a wonderfull sweetnesse of things and of concord the holy Spirit working by them do stirre vp the motions of the minde and driue away the idle wandring and wicked cogitations as also the perturbations and sorrowes of the heart that the hearer may with a more setled and appeased minde bee present at the Sermon Secondly by reading of some Chapter of the Bible vntill the Company be assembled noting therein first the summe and principall points of the Chapter secondly the distribution and parts of it thirdly the chiefe doctrine that is to bee drawne out of it with the vse and application Thirdly by exhorting and stirring vp one another to the apprehension and practise of some necessary point of doctrine either before Preached or at that time conceiued Fourthly by praying with the Minister that forasmuch as they doe now talke with God himselfe being gathered together for that purpose in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost that they may beare God and God may heare them In which prayer it is necessary that their chiefe aime bee at the scope and end of all Sermons which because few or none doe truely vnderstand either how necessary it is or wherein the end of all Sermons consists it shall bee fit in this place that I open the point First the chiefest and highest end of Preaching and Hearing Sermons is that all glory and honour may bee attributed from men vnto God both in this world and in the world to come which glory consists in the true and right knowledge of God and in the true inward and outward worship of God so truely knowne Secondly the meane scope and end leading and directing to this high end are these First the eternall saluation of mans soule and body with which is ioyned this temporary life both in prosperity and aduersity for that God may of vs bee glorified and not as it commeth to passe in this world by Sathan and his members bee affected with contumely and ignominy by infidelity and impiety it is necessary that it be well with vs and that wee bee assured of eternall life and that from God the Father by the deliuerance of Iesus Christ and the working of the holy Spirit For who in the graue will praise thee saith the Prophet Secondly that man may obtaine eternall saluation and so glorify God both heere and for euer it is needfull that in him bee destroyed the kingdome of Satan which he got by the fall of man in what state office or condition soeuer he bee and that the Kingdome of Christ which hee obtained by the deliuerance wrought by his death vnto the elect bee built vp and re-edified Thirdly that the Kingdome of Satan may bee destroyed and the Kingdome of Christ which is the Kingdome of eternall Life and the glory of God may bee truely built vp it is required that there bee an vtter ruining and slaying of all incredulitie and vices and on the contrary an edifying and practising of faith and all vertues Fourthly that wee may flee incredulity and vices and giue our selues to the study of faith and vertues it is required that we hate and detest them and loue and embrace these and therefore the drift of all Sermons is that the minde and heart and conscience of the hearer may bee inflamed to them both Fiftly that the minde and soule of the hearer may bee inflamed to the hatred and eschewing of sin and wickednesse and to the loue application and practise of goodnesse it is necessarily required that the euill of incredulity and vices and also the good of faith and vertues be soundly knowne for as there is no desire of the good things which are vnknowne So of the euill things vnknowne there is no hatred and eschewing Thirdly the lowest drist of hearing Sermons directing by these meanes vnto the highest end is that the vnderstanding of the hearer by the grace of Gods holy Spirit may bee by Sermons informed in the faith and errours about the same in vertues and the vices destroying them These are the chiefe ends which euery man ought diligently to propose vnto himselfe in hearing of the word of GOD Preached But now if such as ought to heare this word be cold and negligent in this preparation and eyther refuse to come at all or else refuse to come sanctified and prepared Then 1. let their consciences bee admonished and compelled both by the
by the examples of wicked men and the horrible discommodites ensuing adding heereunto most penetrating and mouing words Rhetoricall figures pronunciation and gestures the more to moue the affections Secondly if the hearer by the motion of the same Spirit doe follow the conduct of the Teacher by a spirituall kinde of transmutation putting on the same affections and that in respect of the couenants and promises of God and for the most excellent benefites that follow As also mortifying and casting off the naturall malice of his will and inclination to vanity and euill not regarding the false apparance and shadow of things good and euill shaking off all hypocrisie and dissimulation being driuen thereunto by the consideration of the most grieuous interdicts comminations and iudgements of God thirdly seeing that aswell to the opening of our eares to attentiue hearing and illumination of the vnderstanding as to aduance the hearts both of the Preachers and hearers to stand rightly affected the good hand and worke of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit is chiefly necessary therefore in this respect that the hearers heart may bee well affected God is to bee called vpon with prayers and sighes in the beginning midst and end of Sermons to giue them this right affection of heart towards the loue of the knowne truth and vertues and the hatred of known falshood and vices 4 The last duety required in a hearer that hee may come to the full scope and drift of hearing Sermons which is the glory of God good of his Church and his owne eternall saluation is a resolued purpose of the practise of such things as hee hath heard vnderstood and is affected withall and that in the course of his whole life And surely it is a most weighty exhortation which the holy Spirit vseth to stirre vp men to the hearing of the Word Iam. 1.22.23.24.25.26 Bee yee doers of the Word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues c. Where he admonisheth that it is not sufficient to heare and vnderstand Sermons and to be affected towards them with a changeable and temporary affection except there bee added withall a firme and fast purpose of the practise of them in our whole liues therefore as wee haue in the former dueties so heere wee will briefly shew first the nature of this setled purpose of practise secondly the impediments of it thirdly the aduancements and helpes of it 1 This serious purpose of the practise of good things heard knowne and approued is a grace giuen whereby the hearer doth not onely resolue with a faithfull heart that hee will apply vnto himselfe and the vse and edification of others in euery Sermon and in the whole course of his life euery profitable doctrine heard knowne and approued in euery state as well prosperity as aduersity before in and after all his actions but chiefly in perplexed and intricate questions and obiections most of all in the stratagems and temptations of Satan so that it appeareth this part of the hearers duty belongs to the information of life and practise and hath his originall from the other three duties And not without cause is it called a serious and resolute purpose of practise seeing so many vices do mainely oppose it As first our inbred hypocrisie secondly transitory and temporary application in time of prosperity thirdly vaine boasting of our Christian profession without amendment of life fourthly too much loue of our corrupt nature fiftly rash breaking into the handling of businesse sixthly carnall security and such other euils as doe controll our purpose of holinesse whereof there will follow a plentifull remembrance heereafter when wee shall discourse of the hinderances of application 2. 3. The impediments and aduancements of the holy practise of things heard vnderstood and approued are the same which hinder or aduance the attentiue hearing sound knowing and affectionate approuing of Sermons and may fitly bee referred to either But because this resolute purpose of practise and care of application in the whole life of man as it is of all others the difficultest part of the hearers duty so it is the chiefest and most proper vnto a Christian therefore the greater care is to bee had about them both for which cause it will bee very fitting to set the same before our eyes more particularly that euery hearer may know what is the necessity of this application and wherein it consists It is a thing most vndoubted that the vse and application of the doctrines wee heere deliuer are of singular benefite to the hearer For without due vse and application the best Sermons that euer were are but dead bodies Seeing these two Vse and Application are the very life and motion of Sermons for more full declaration thereof let vs briefly obserue that Doctrines Vses and Application are as the tree the fruite and the gathering of the fruite as the medicine the vertue of it and the application as money the value of it and the vse as Christ his benefites and faith by which they are applyed Now as there is no benefite comes by the Tree without fruit no benefite of fruit if not gathered as no good comes by Physick if it haue no power nor vertue nor helpe comes by the vertue of a medicine if not applyed as there is no good comes by money if wee know not the value of it nor doth the value of it auaile vs if wee vse it not as Christ profites vs not without his benefites nor his benefites without faith to apply them So Doctrine profites nothing except wee know the vse of it and the Vse is to small purpose if wee doe not apply it All that can be heard if a man bee neuer so wise without application is but a dead letter and the very letter of death That therefore this most necessary point of application of Sermōs without which there is no practise of holines may the better bee knowne vnto the hearers these points are to bee considered First of whom this application is to bee made and when it is to be made Secondly by what meanes and how it is to bee made Thirdly the impediments of application Fourthly the aduancements of it 1 Who they are that make this application of doctrines where we shall finde a three-fold hand employed in this great and difficult worke 1 The hand of God himselfe without whom it is most certaine that as there can bee no knowledge of any wholesome doctrine so neither can there bee any application and vse of it without him for to vnderstand to will and to performe is from him Ioh. 6.44 and him alone No man can come to mee except the Father draw him saith our Sauiour and of himselfe hee saith Without mee you can doe nothing Ioh. 15.5 Nay the Apostle saith concerning the holy Ghost No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 1.2.3 From all which places it is euident that it is
Therefore whosoeuer will profite in GODS Schoole hee must wholy addict himselfe to the reading of the booke of the creatures of this great and most beautifull world which booke is opened to euery eye and the Lecture is reade obuious to the meanest capacity therefore out of this booke euery man is frequently to meditate on what hee reades there The manner of his meditation must bee either first on all the creatures of this world together or secondly on some one creature and therein to consider the power wisedome and goodnes of God And hee shall doe well euery houre necessity not taking him away whilst hee beholds any creature as Horse Flower and the like to lift vp his heart vnto God and consider with himselfe who made it and how many foot-steps of the power wisedome and goodnesse of God doe appeare in it 1 Then in meditating on the creatures in generall hee shall consider first that the greatnesse of this world doth demonstrate the greatnesse of the Creatour of it secondly the multitude and variety of things the infinite perfections that are in God thirdly the beautifull frame and order of this world the vnsearchable wisedome of God fourthly the benefites and profites wee reape by the creatures the goodnesse of God fifthly the beauty of this world sets forth the admirable beauty comlinesse glory of God sixtly the roundnesse of the world wanting beginning and end the Eternity and Euerlastingnesse of God seuenthly the vnity of the world in that but one world demonstrates the vnity of God eighthly the aboundance of the good things wee receiue from the creatures the liberality of God ninthly the sâ—â—nenesse and constancy of the world in that still remaining in one state the immutability of God 2 But in meditating on the creatures seuerally by themselues let him consider first the Beginning and Authour of that creature which is God secondly the end why hee made it namely to his owne glory and mans seruice thirdly whence and how it was made fourthly the qualities and effects of that creature fifthly how often and much wee haue abused this creature 14 How to meditate on the Perfections and Attributes of God This meditation as it is of all other the most fit for the learned so of all others it is the most excellent some therefore of his Diuine Attributes are these his infinite Essence his Power Goodnesse Wisedome Loue Mercy Iustice Prouidence Liberality Patience Gentlenesse In all and euery of which it behoues vs to know and consider the workes and effects which God hath shewen concerning these to which purpose wee must call to minde the examples and sentences of the holy Scripture which indeed do bring no small help hereunto As for example to the knowledge of the Essence of God this sentence of the Prophet doth much further vs I fill heauen and earth Ier. 2. Act. 3. and that of Paul In him wee liue moue and haue our being to set forth his Power that in the Psalme helpes much Hee spake the word Psal 32. and they were made and so of the rest 1 If wee would meditate of the infinite bounty of God to man we may consider First that hee giues innumerable benefites to man not for that hee is bound to do it or expects any benefite from it secondly his liberality to them that are liberall with him hearing their prayers remembring them in the things they forgot to aske giuing them store of spirituall consolations and infinite gifts of grace thirdly how niggardly I haue dealt with God who hath beene so liberall to mee and therefore I doe binde Gods hands from being any more so liberall 2 If we would meditate of the immensitie and presence of God in euery place first consider that he fills heauen and earth Ier. 23. and is euery where present Heb. 11. and therefore doe thou euer thinke thou seest him that is inuisible by thee secondly how hee is present in euery place namely by his essence presence and power by his essence that is his Diuinitie so that euery where is his infinite goodnes mercy iustice his residence omnipotencie and all his excellencies by his presence seeing and knowing all things in euery place by his power giuing a being to euery thing and helping euery thing to do that which they doe thirdly how in a speciall manner he is within me and how I liue and am and mooue within him He incloseth me on euery side as the water doth the fish and as the apple is within the eye so am I within him hee carries mee in his wombe as the woman doth the infant to whom she is a house a bed a wall nourishment and all it stands neede of Esay 46. and he is within me more intiâ—â—ously ioyned then the soule is within the body after a more excellent manner so that his infinite goodnesse within me giues me the being and life I haue his wisedome the light and knowledge I haue and his omnipotencie the power I haue to doe anie thing and so I ought to behold God within me most present euen as if I were his house and habitation where he is and doth whatsoeuer I am haue or doe without whose presence I shold presently cease to be and turne to nothing from which I may conceiue affections of ioy admiration trust and loue seeing my selfe thus ioyned vnto GOD. Hence must I accustome my selfe to search for GOD within my selfe for if within me why should I weary my selfe to seeke for him onely without my selfe 3 If I would meditate of his infinite wisedome and knowledge first I consider that by it he knoweth himselfe his essence all his infinite perfections also all his owne Actes Intentions Decrees Dispositions and all things that hee can doe so that nothing can escape his knowledge Secondly that hee hath this Wisedome by his owne Essence and by it as in a most cleere Chrystall hee sees and comprehends all things which by himselfe hee disposeth and ordereth so that hee receiueth it not from any other or hath any Maister or Counsellour or any other booke to teach him Thirdly that this Diuine Wisedome alone without any other helpe is the first Inuentor of all things in the world from which all Sciences Arts and Inuentions in heauen and earth proceedes as namely the inuention of mans creation of the beings of grace which hee communicates to man and the wisedome that hee poures out ouer all his creatures Fourthly that this Wisedome of God hath put all things in the world in number weight and measure comprehending the number of all things which were are or shall bee and of all their parts members offices and workes the weight of euery one of them in quantity or weight of their propensions and affections naturall and supernaturall the measure of euery one of them length bredth thicknesse and depth and the very measure of their perfection talenesse and faculties of them Fifthly that this Wisedome is eternall
giue both corporall and spirituall blessings and no creature else ninthly that as it is giuen vs and so we aske it to admonish vs of our duetie to our brother for wee ought not onely to seeke our owne safetie and preseruation but euen the safety and preseruation of al men tenthly that wee aske it but for the day to take from vs all carefulnesse for the time to come that our desires may not exceede the measure of our necessitie eleauenthly that albeit the rich and mighty haue neuer so much yet must they also beg this because this is true in them as well as in the poore that nothing they haue shall profite them but so farre foorth as God shall graunt them the vse of it and by his grace make the vse of it fruitfull and effectuall 5 And forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs In this meditate first that these trespasses are all the sinnes of our liues whereof wee desire remission whence wee haue great confidence and consolation in the remission of our sinnes for seeing he commands to pray for it out of doubt hee will giue it secondly that wee first begge remission of our sins presently after the demaund of daily bread lest any should think himselfe vnworthy of his daily bread which is due to the children and not to dogges and should therefore pray more slowly and doubtfully thirdly that by this remission of our sinnes we haue this benefite to be accepted of God as iust and innocent that wee may bee thought worthy of the bread of God and of trust in his fatherly goodnesse whereat a sure and certaine saluation is confirmed in our conscience fourthly that there is on our behalfe required in this matter of the remission of sins first that wee know our selues to bee sinners for none is so iust that needeth not this pardon the reliques of sinne remayning in the most Holie secondly to deplore and lament our sinnes thirdly to confesse and accuse our selues before God to be sinners fourthly with great desire of heart to aske remission fiftly to beleeue that onely forgiuenesse of sinnes is to be sought of God sixtly that we know first that there is no entrance vnto the throne of grace but by Christ secondly that onely by the grace of GOD wee can escape the tribunall of God and that remission of sins is gratuitous of mercie thirdly that all our sinnes together are remitted fourthly not sinne onely but the punishment also wherewith the diuine iustice was to be satisfied is remitted fiftly remitted to the penitent sixthly that the meanes in whom is Christ by which it is offered is the word of grace by which it is receiued is faith seuenthly the conditions by which acquired are true and constant repentance reconciliation and forgiuenesse seuenthly that wee must forgiue others first because in for getting iniuries done vs whilest we imitate the goodnesse of God we shew our selues to be his sons secondly because GOD would haue vs admonished of our dutie and the care of charitie that if any ancient enmity cleaue to our mindes we should cast it off for except wee be easie to forgiue others we can expect nothing but the inexorable rigour of seuerity thirdly because we haue no hope of saluation except we also forgiue others fourthly that wee might know we must euery day forgiue others as wee doe daily sinne 6 Leade vs not into temptation c. Meditate first that temptations are nothing else but Sathans sleights and deceipts wherwith hee still sets vpon vs and would circumuent vs without Gods helpe so that wee begge first that God would not suffer vs to fall secondly that hee suffer vs not to bee ouercome of Sathan and the desires of our owne flesh which daily warre with vs thirdly that hee would helpe vs with his power and sustaine vs with his hand that vnder his custody wee may bee safe fourthly that his Spirit gouerning vs wee may bee so inflamed with the loue of rightenesse that wee ouercome sinne flesh Sathan and liue in holinesse fifthly that hee would giue vs wholesome things and take from vs hurtfull and that hee assureth vs of the conquest seeing hee hath commanded vs to pray for it and of that also that God will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength 16 How to prepare our selues to meditate But because this labour of meditation is one of the greatest and most difficult workes of a Christian before I shut vp this Lecture I must first leaue you certaine necessarie instructions without which you can neuer come to the perfection of this duety nor come to the practise and vse of this methode And I will heerein obserue these three points first the things which ought to goe before our meditaons secondly that accompany them thirdly that follow them For as much as euery man may perswade himselfe that how much more diligently hee obserues these instructions so much more happy successe hee shall finde in his meditations they must the more carefully bee heeded and obserued The first thing then is that there bee a diligent preparation made to meditation For if wee will not presume to speake to a King without many aduisements taken with our selues how to frame our tales much lesse may wee dare to addresse our selues to so great a Maiesty without due regard had of our proceeding This preparation then consists in these following points First we must know the History or Mysterie of our saluation vpon which wee purpose to meditate together with the circumstances place time persons and other appurtenances for the knowledge of the fact is the foundation of meditation Ergo good it is to reade the Text or to bring it to fresh memory Secondly the matter of meditation thus had it must bee distinguisht into certaine considerations that euery thing may come in his order and that done wee must prepare certaine pre-passages and colloquies conformable to the meditation of which heereafter Thirdly wee must beware that wee come not to meditate when the body is wearied or the spirit is heauy as it oft fals out after too much reading or writing but a good while before meditation to leaue all that with more strength of body and spirit wee may come to it Fourthly a good while before the meditation if the time will giue leaue either in the morning or euening before we go to bed the points of our meditation are diligently to be looked ouer and committed to memory and one may take a paper containing the points to bee meditated and lay before him for memories sake Fifthly going to bed hee must briefly call to minde the same points and in the morning of the day following consecrate his first thoughts to God and whilst hee is dressing himselfe either with heart or mouth offer vnto God prayer and prayses that hee may amongst the first exercises of his deuotion call to minde the points of the meditation which hee is that day to make
sinnes of one man and no more who can bee so ignorant meditating this but easily will arise from the dungeon of despaire and in the midst of his heart conceiue vn-repellable hope This reason is able not onely to giue health to the sicke but life to the dead 3 Reason Besides the most vnspeakeable loue of God exhibited to vs in Christ who is the foundation of our hope Christ himselfe hath spoken in the Gospell many things to stirre vp our hope Aske and you shall receiue c. But aboue all that I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske beleeue that you shall receiue it and it shall be done vnto you These words to stirre vp our minds and beget hope are most forcible I say vnto you As if Christ had giuen his Obligation for the truth of it to bind himselfe to vnworthy man requiring onely this condition of vs that wee hold a good opinion and faith of his goodnesse that hee will giue vs what wee aske And how consonant to reason is this Is there any Prince that promising faithfully hee will giue to some that aske him a peece of siluer so they aske faithfully that performes no this promise Or doe any doubt of it that are wise If then that most high Potentate of heauen and earth that cannot loofe any of his riches nay who the more hee giues tho richer hee is do promise to giue to them that aske faithfully being able to do what hee list with a beck Who is so mad that doth not vndoubtedly hope and aske nay which doth aske and doth not obtaine Now then if God who is most propense to doe good as the first reason prooues and of his owne accord sent his Son his onely begotten Son deliuering him to most bitter death that I might by him obtaine what I aske as appeares in the second reason And to conclude the Son of God himselfe both God and Man my Redeemer haue bound himselfe by promise most ample and most worthy of himselfe to giue vnto mee what I faithfully aske as in the third reason it must needs follow that I must not onely swerue from all Christianity but euen from the right vse of reason or else most constantly hope for the eternall good things of saluation which I pray for The Fourth Daies Iourney of the Soule to Heauen is Holinesse of Life THIS indeed is the full complement of all the rest to heare the word with iudgement to meditate vpon Diuine Mysteries with diligence and to pray vnto God with deuotion are to small purpose except there follow practise and application of all these in the life Our labour then must bee in this discourse first to giue some generall precepts how to acquire those vertues that helpe to the sanctification of life and to roote vp the vices which hinder the increase of godlinesse in our hearts Secondly to propose a daily methode of practising such holy duties as being performed will make our whole liues a sweete smelling Sacrifice to God 1 The ignorance of a sure methode and meanes to beget the seeds of vertues in mans heart is the cause that so few do arriue at the Hauen of Perfection in any measure Insomuch that hardly shall one finde one man in all his life that hath attained to any competent habite of any one vertue All vertues as the learned doe well obserue are either infused into the soule by the onely grace of God which giueth all good things or else are acquired by the industry and labour of man being helped therevnto by the grace of Gods holy Spirit for the obtaining of which let him consider these points following 1 Hee that will attaine to any vertue as humility or the like must know these fiue things to be very necessary 1 An earnest and great desire of that vertue which is ingendred first by pondering the glorious beauty nobility excellency and necessity of that vertue secondly how it pleaseth God that a man be adorned with that vertue thirdly what examples and admonitions Christ left of that vertue fourthly how displeasing and detestable to God the contrary vice is fifthly how farre I am yet from that vertue and what is the cause of it 2 Prayer whereby with most earnest supplications he must beg that vertue of God 3 Frequent meditations vpon that vertue in which hee must reuolue with himselfe these foure points first how pleasing this vertue is to God secondly how excellent in it selfe thirdly how necessary to mans saluation fourthly what worthy benefites and fruites it briugeth with it 4 A continuall exercise and vse as well of the inward as outward acts of that vertue 5 Examination whereby to discusse himselfe daily touching his defects against this vertue 2 Albeit all vertues are desireable yet the more easily to gaine the habite of them wee must take some one by the space of a month or as shall bee needfull wherein to exercise our selues and so long to frequent the actes thereof vntill wee haue gained some habite therein else wee shall hardly euer come to a wished end 3 Before all things those vertues are most to bee loued and laboured for which are of most moment and which euery one knowes to bee most necessary for him the rest by little and little are to bee sought for And surely to speake generally two vertues seeme to bee chiefest and most necessary for all men Humility and Charity 4 It is profitable in acquiring of vertues to reade some booke or chapter writing of that vertue we propose to our selues and of the contrary vice 5 And it will bring no small furtherance to gather some choice sentences from Scriptures and Fathers and prophane Writers to be committed to memory and and often to bee repeated 6 Lastly it is most profitable to propose the example of some Saints of God who haue excelled in that vertue but chiefly the example of Iesus Christ to bee imitated But before I depart from these instructions how to acquire necessary vertues for sanctification of life let mee reueale vnto you the rules of two deuout and learned men which they aduise to bee obserued in this affaire The one is Saint Bernard who giues two rules very profitable for the attaining vnto perfection Ber. libel de formula Hon. vitae If saith hee thou wilt fully obtaine what thou entendest two things are necessary First that thou with-draw thy selfe from all transitory and earthly things that thou regard them no more then if they were not Secondly that thou so giue vp thy selfe to God as that thou neither say nor doe any thing but that which thou constantly beleeuest is pleasing vnto God 1 The first thou shalt by this meanes attaine vnto 1 By all meanes which thou art able to doe thou shalt vilifie thy selfe reputing thy selfe to be nothing and beleeuing all other men to bee good better then thy selfe and more pleasing vnto God 2 Whatsoeuer thou shalt heare or see in men professing Religion except it bee
vpon this course of godlinesse because it is profitable for vs to saluation yet let them for this cause inlarge themselues to the highest extent of seruing God because they know it is the will of God that in all things wee might bee magnified as the sonnes of such an eternall Father who is in heauen and admonisheth vs saying Leu. 19. Beâ— yee holy because I the Lord your God and Father am holy Hauing promised thus much concerning the harmes which ensue the ignorance of a certaine methode in seruing of God I will now descend to the first part which is the generall instructions directing vs in all our actions wherein wee must obserue these seuen seuerall instructions and helpes 1. Instruction That knowing our selues to bee naked miserable and of all good things indigent wee should labour euer by all meanes to procure the grace and helpe of God that there may bee such a change made in our soules whereby wee may seele that our will insists vpon this not to seeke the things that are our owne as our owne but to seeke God and whatsoeuer good thing is in him and our selues as the thing that is of God and whorewith of his infinite goodnesse and mercy hee wisheth himselfe to bee serued so that wee hold euermore his most excellent graces and infinite glory as our owne goods nay farre more excellent then our owne and that wee praise him and reioyce in him more then in any good thing which either wee haue or hope for or can happen vnto vs accounting it a perfect happinesse that the Maiesty of God may possesse infinite good things and now it doth possesse and as not hauing any care or regard of our owne selues yet labouring by all meanes that wee may be receiued into heauen where wee may behold him and more perfectly enioy him not for our owne ioy and comfort alone but for that the Diuine Maiesty being of infinite glory of his infinite goodnesse would haue vs to bee so magnified with the sublime inheritance and riches which himselfe possesseth and with him all those which for their last rest and good doe desire that the Diuine Maiesty may haue so great glory as it hath and this is to bee one Spirit with God and is the summe of all Christian perfection For it is a doctrine cleere by the sacred Scriptures and holy Fathers that wee were all brought forth into this world not to rest and settle vpon the brittle good things of this life and in them to solace our selues seeing they are the least lowest and vilest of the good things of God but that vsing them so farre forth as they serue for our necessity according to Gods ordinance wee spend our whole liues in the sublime and high workes of our great God who to this end created vs that hee might make vs blessed and the enioyers of his owne selfe who is an infinite good in whom wee shall farre more eminently and aboundantly possesse all good things then wee are able to magine Againe wee may obserue that albeit God haue not tyed vs vnder the commination of eternall death that wee should perpetually intend nothing else but his obseruance but onely then when any of his commandements are to bee obserued yet by the law of equity whereby wee ought to obserue our selues as the sonnes of so great a Father not onely men of a Religious Profession but euen all Christians are bound to procure vnto themselues a more sublime and heauenly degree of sanctity and euermore to serue that so mighty a Lord and Father For it was not of some few but of all in generall that the Lord pronounced those words Let vs make man according to our owne Image and Smilitude And then is man wholly found according to the image of God when hee exerciseth himselfe heerein to know and loue the wonderfull things of God taking exceeding great ioy thereat And in the Gospell hee saith Bee yee perfect Math. 5. as your heauenly Father is also perfect Surely it is most meete that hee bee holy who is the sonne of him whom Seraphines incessantly call Holy Holy Holy that neuer forgetting whose sonnes wee are we should not thinke it sufficient to be holy in a low degree but as our frailty will suffer vs to striue for the goale of all perfection abstracting our hearts from the loue of all earthly things and reflecting them vpon our Father who is of infinite goodnesse and with great affection illuminateth and sanctified all that come to his Maiesty as to the Father of infinite dignities and excellencies Knowing then our Obligation whereby wee are all bound to this duety of holinesse and chiefly such as haue taken vpon them the office of Guides and Shepheards Let vs withall remarke that as in this world the greatest neerenesse and friendship which a mortall man can obtaine with a King is that hee bee of one will desire and affection with him so true sanctity heerein consists that a man bee of one spirit and will with God But to come to this sublimity and heighth of honour it behoueth him to trauaile through the passages of all vertues which the holy Scripture euery where describes and the Sonne of God with so much labour hath taught vs. Thus hauing seene as through a casement wherein consists our change from men naked miserable and destitute of graces to diuine and heauenly seruers of God scil by seeking nothing but the good will of our good God in all our actions wee proceed to the instructions following 2 Instruction That wee euer haue an eye to the end and scope by which wee ought to bee admonished to doe those things that serue for the reparation and remedy of our wounded soules yea whatsoeuer wee determine to doe before all other things the eye of our obseruation must bee vpon the end that moues vs to the action This is most necessary to bee knowne and euery moment to bee looked on for there is no worke that hath in it more goodnesse then it receiues from the end for which the work is done which end if it bee euill the worke also must needs be so although of it selfe otherwise it were good Seeing then God is an infinite Good that must needs bee the greater good worke which is more purely performed in his sight For declaration whereof it is to bee noted that it behoueth the seruant of God who would please his Lord to plant in his soule a very puissant will or habite of willing ingendred of strong and frequent actes of willing it which will or habite so ingraffed in him may moue him and make him thinke that whatsoeuer hee doth in body or soule whatsoeuer hee shall thinke or speake nay all the vertues hee shall acquire together with this same remedy of his soule and all his deuotion I say that all these things are done because God would haue it so doth euer require them of vs and is for his infinite goodnesse most worthy of
them or else because that by these duties hee should performe something acceptable vnto him Once the Diuine Maiesty said to his Disciples Ioh. 15. That for this cause hee spake vnto them that his ioy might bee in them But this is the ioy of God which is in vs as one saith whereby hee vouchsafeth to reioyce concerning vs Aug. namely when wee are obedient to his will But no manner of seruice is so acceptable to him as that the seruant of God should so will that which hee willeth so desire what hee desireth that whatsoeuer himselfe is or can be may with all his force bee powred out to the obedience of God as hee that in euery worke conceiued no other end which might moue him to worke then to bee willing to please God and to do a worke acceptable to him This I say is the thing I meane that he should in some sort forger the good and glory which may befall himselfe from the practise of vertue being onely mindefull of God which requires it and for this cause onely would doe it because God willeth it and commandeth it and not without great cause of his goodnesse requires it To make this plaine by example Conceiue a sicke man who for the recouery of his health desires some meate or medicine and not onely desires it but procures it in the meane time it fals out that some deere friend of his fals sicke of a more dangerous disease and stands much more need of that meate or Physicke heere hee that was first sicke being vnmindfull of his sickenesse how great soeuer and of that desire hee had to it for his owne sake beginnes now to desire the same and to procure it not to himselfe but to his friend so that the loue to his friend makes him desire and procure that which is needfull for himselfe not to satisfie his owne necessity but the necessity of his friend so that after hee hath by sundry wayes busying himselfe found it hee perceiues in his minde a certaine boyling desire to get it for his friend as forgetting that hee needs it himselfe and hauing gotten it reioyceth greatly that the will and necessity of his friend is satisfyed The like ought it to be to him that should moue the seruant of God to euery desire and worke euen the like by all meanes namely that in his soule hee feele an instinct whereby to desire and do that is good but that desire must be because God willeth that the thing bee done and by that leades a man to performe obedience to him as if it were very necessary to him and euer forgetting that by these vertues which hee sought desired or wrought hee should attaine glory and saluation For it is a farre more necessary end that wee therefore worke because God would haue vs to doe it and for his goodnesse which moues vs to loue and serue him then that wee our selues should possesse glory For wee ought to desire that wee may enioy glory and good things chiefly for that cause because God would haue vs to desire and haue them and that in hauing them wee might loue him and after an excellent manner serue him and not for our owne profite ioy or glory And so great is the magnificence and goodnesse of GOD that by how much as wee doe in this manner the more desire or do any good thing so much more shall be our glory in heauen This instruction I confesse may seeme vnto many to be full of difficulty but surely the beginnings of all things doe appeare to be such to all beginners for they iudge they shall neuer attaine to that they haue begunne but yet so long doe they exercise themselues in those things that by continuall exercise they become Maisters where at first they durst not call themselues Schollers And obserue it for trueth that if any man haue a will inflamed with deuotion hee shall doe all these things with such facilitie that in a sinall space of time hee may seeme to haue done wonderfull things But vnto him who is not enkindled with so great a flame of deuotion this must be a rule which wee now lay downe wherein shall distinctly bee touched the manner and reason which hee must obserue in attaining vnto it Let a man on the one side propose God as his chiefest friend and himselfe on the other side when the will is moued to desire any vertue or profitable thing let a man consider with what end hee it moued and hee shall perceiue for the most part that hee is moued either with feare of punishment or loue of glory and vertue Now this motiue ought not to satisfie vs although it bee not euill but seeing mans will preuented and assisted by the grace of God hath so much freedome and power in some measure as to forsake the one and chuse the other and seeing we know the will of God to be much more excellent and more woorthie to moue vs then our owne will wee must now forbeare to bee moued after that manner as wee haue beene and turne all our will to desire the same thing after the best manner namely because he would haue it so who is worthy of all obedience Surely he should of right account himselfe vile and wretched who desires or doth any thing moued thereunto with a naturall desire albeit the thing be good and holy seeing hee hath euer the will of GOD present before him which should mooue him euer to will and desire but chiefly seeing GOD giues euer such strength as that one may forsake his owne will as it is stirred vp with a naturall desire albeit a good desire and be moued with a heauenly desire And so much difference there is betwixt these two scopes and motiues that nothing in this world differs more from another then these two doe the one from the other so that the one of these is incomparably more excellent then another as the Sunne exceeds the brightnesse of a candle the Sea a drop of water infinite talents of Gold a peece of Lead Therefore let vs euer endeuour to desire and worke being moued with so happy an end and motiue seeing the Diuine Goodnesse most desirous of our aduancement and glory doth binde vn to do all our workes corporall and spirituall great and small proceeding from the body or the soule euen such as are done according to our naturall disposition to do them I say onely because it is the will of God wee should doe them For all our actions from the least to the greatest serue for the conseruation of this naturall life and as wee cannot forsake them so in vsing them for the loue of God they much further to the increase of a holy and happy life and so the least and meanest worke wee doe is in the sight of God of more worth then the best and highest action performed of him that hath not the same scope And indeed it is a thing wonderfull and worthy of
those motions in which we are longer captiued to which we do sometimes consent though in smaller sinnes as to be delighted that our words or actions should be had in some estimation or other mens to whom in some carnal and worldly respect we stood affected or to be sory and lament for the contrary namely for their iniuries or for the auersnes of others from vs. In all which albeit sinne may seeme but to haue a little share and that to consent and belong holden in these seemes not to be deadly yet so great dammage is hereby brought vnto the soule as he well knoweth it who seckes God from the heart For from hence it is that the soule is blinded and dulled and made heauy and lumpish to all good things Therefore he that would be euermore the Lord and Master of his actes and a potent man in Gods fauour so that he may easily doe the will of God must by and by resist the first motions of his will desiring and affecting iniuries labours sorrowes contempt and euery kinde of contradiction which offers it selfe resisting such appetite of sorrow and griefe which in the first motion offers it selfe for such iniuries and the like And on the other side considering honors mens fauours and all such things as are sweete and delightfull to the flesh which mooue in vs any complacency or liking we must be ready that in our will we may bring fourth the act of not desiring such things as we naturally couet for so doing we shal first shū the sin vanity by often doing obtaine most excellent habit all wicked habits being expulsed And albeit that often our euill habits and customes makes it difficult to desire that which is good or not to affect the euill yet being in our power as I haue said albeit at the beginning weake acts are produced yet must wee not bee slacke to bring fourth such acts for by little and little they will gather strength and bring no small benefit to the soule For euer as he that giues himselfe to the study of grammer if he at first learne but to decline a nowne he thinkes he hath done no great thing but as he goes on and learne to decline diuerse at the end of the yeare hee will both vnderstand and speake almost all things and so much the better the second and third yeares and so at length will become a perfect grammarian especially if euery day with all diligence and care of memory and vnderstanding he apply himselfe to the study all which care and indeuour is very needfull to become perfect so in this most soueraigne art of seruing God how much more necessary is it to imploy all our wits and time vnto which knowledge not one onely habit but many are required as the habit of the loue of God and man chiefely our enemies the habit of humility Patience and abstinence euery one of which requires more time to learne then grammer seeing in our soules are rooted sundry other habits contrary to these which neuer falleth out in him that learneth grammer or any other science Yet obserue that by how much as the acts which the will produceth are more vehement and frequent by so much sooner are habits acquired as it falls out betwixt two of vnequall wit that the one profits more in a yeere then the other in two applies his study with al his power the other labours but little therein And we call that a vehement act as when one is iniuried or despised without any precogitation or pre-conceiued imagination therof If then wee incline the will strongly so much to desire this as that wee should reioyce at it whereby through such ioy the soule might he tamed against that which it first loued against the will of God this we call a vehement act On the other side honor and fauour of men being offered vs if then we puissantly incline the will to turne away from these things because such fauour and honour might be impediments to contempt and direction which is the way to humility which God so much loueth Such acts are of so great efficacy that a few such would produce an excellent habit of humility and patience and so may we say of other vertues But aboue all our frailty requires that we labour with great sorrow we roote vp vices out of the soule And we doe not onely kill the roote of vices that great one of sinne brought foorth and practised but euery small inclination which wee feele in our selues to sinne is the roote of sin moouing vs to doe so against that which the Gospell commandeth vs. Therefore we must striue to strangle these inclinations as the children of the most high God with all our power For albeit such rootes are deeply planted in the soule yet by frequent acts at length we shall so extirpate them from the land of out flesh euen as we are wont daily to roote vp out of the earth the roots of corporall plants For such rootes are not eradicated and vnrooted at one two or three blowes but by many and frequent strong atchieuements and labours but by many more labours is one vicious habit to be displanted for it hath laide his roots much lower and more fixedly both in the body and minde This instruction may seeme to conteine nothing but dry and barren words but such doe the grounds of all acts and sciences seeme to be yet of such great benefit is this instruction that this alone sufficeth to teach vs the manner and reason of doing well albeit all other meanes were vnknowne And it is so necessary withall to be knowne and fully vnderstood as it is necessary for him that would make a strong and stable building to know and haue a sure foundation And it should bee in vaine to hope for vertue in an eminent degree by the ordinary way this way being neglected For want whereof many haue laboured but without fruit as it falleth out in many affayres of the worlde whilst a due and direct order is not obserued which is the life of euery action 7 Instruction That there is a way of planting good habites in the soule and rooting out the euil and that by the foresaide instruments and withall that it is the office of humility to bee ignorant whether wee haue obtained these good habites and withall the grace and fauour of God Hee that would rightlie serue so great a Lord as GOD is presupposing that the slaughter and ruine of the soule consists in euill habits and the reparation in good which regularly are produced by many acts or a few but those vehement strong must consider that seeing all habits are placed in the soule the acts also by which they are therein produced are principallie done by the instruments of the soule albeit sometimes they receiue helpe from that which is corporall As for the point a man desires to build a house that might giue him contentment money he hath yea and also materials
deceiued and blind in that he loueth it As great madnesse to nourish that seruant that will betray thee and to cherish that theefe that brings thee to the gallowes The loue of our selues will affoord vs no more fauour and therefore it is wisdome to hate our selues seeing it is no better then the worme that destroies the wood it is bred in and the Moth that frets the cloth that feeds it Plato Heathen men found this to be the most grieuous euill that could be in man to loue himselfe because hee could not bee a iust iudge of himselfe 1 Loue built two cities the loue of GOD Aug. the City of God euen to the contempt of a mans selfe but the loue of a mans selfe built the city of the deuill euen to the contempt of God 2 We must hate our selues because that seeing we haue by our sinnes become Traitors against God it is but iust that wee giue him all possible satisfaction wee can But seeing an infinit satisfaction is due according to the measure and mallice of our sinnes and wee poore wretches of our selues can performe so small as the least for this cause we ought to hate our selues and to desire that all men should hate vs as much as without sinne and the offence of God may be because when wee being so vnable to satisfie one for a thousand yet we should presume to sinne against him with a high hand and therefore by this hatred of our selues to render vnto him all the satisfaction that lieth in vs. And if you aske me what treason the sinner hath committed I answere the greatest of all other treasons it is no other but to kill his Lord and take his life from him And that the sinner doth this is plaine Heb. 6. for he crucifieth to himselfe the son of God The vnderstanding whereof if thou desirest the same Saint Paul giues in saying Gal. 4. Christ liueth in me namely by a spitituall kind of life quickning of soules and working in them the works of life as it is written thou hast wrought al our works for vs. Isa 26. In this manner doth God liue in euery righteous and godly man Therefore seeing God doth not liue so in the sinner it is plaine that by sinne hee hath killed him But what a wickednesse this is and what a treason and how many euils it includes in it let him well consider that will iudge rightly of things 3. Let the third reason for which we must hate our selues be this as the most eminent namely that our soules being emptied of the loue of our selues so farre is it acceptable vnto God as that it may he filled with the loue of God whose goodnesse will not suffer vs to bee emptied of the loue of our selues but that he will fill vs with the loue of himselfe and euen in that measure and no further shall we be replenished with the loue of God then we shall be emptied of the loue of our selues For nothing can so rightly bee done as to hate all our sensuall delires that so the moll sublime will of God which is God himselfe may raigne in our will Which is the highest pitch of holinesse that heere we can haue Therefore I beseech you by the mercies of God and that infinit desire wherewith of his goodnes he desireth our aduancement and againe for that naturall desire that all men haue to wish and desire the chiefe good euen God himselfe that you will not be negligent in this but search out the innumerable cranies holds and subtle manners of hauing our selues in this hatred whereby we may obtaine such and so perpetual riches and glory But seeing the coldnesse of our minds doth not suffer vs to handle our selues any thing sharply as we ought at the least let vs desire and with great desire consent that we may be prouoked and may sustaine persecutions disgraces and contempt from others For persecution contempt and the like are no other but as a shop and hammer wherewith to take from vs the rust and drosse of our soules or as the searing iron of the soule whereby to take from it the poison of selfe-loue wherewith we are exulcerated and abstracted from all good that this exulceration beeing taken away we may performe that admirable worke of God which is the loue of him Therfore we should much reioyce When we are ill intreated of others when we are affected with calumniations and iniuries and with great loue to God and him that persecutes vs cry out whence haue I this happinesse in this world to haue the exulceration and infection of my soule taken from me and that it should be the occasion to â—nrich mee with my God with most excellent riches and graces We may consider that it is holden for a great happinesse to light vpon a Chirurgian who can cure the wounds and vlcers of the body albeit that hee doe it not without sharpe prickings and lancings which mightily crucifie euen the marrow of the soule But sure it is much more happinesse to fall into his society who beyond all reason seemes to vse vs ill and withall to take from vs euen those things we stand in need of for so he cureth otherwise the most incurable wounds and stinking vlcers of the soule For if we willingly embrace this we shall bee made sound from that deadly poison of self-selfe-loue Happy is that man who shall feele and desire this and shall with continuall and effectual care procure it but more happy he who seeing himselfe in the middest of the conflicts of persecution and worldly disasters and misfortunes shall yet swallow those bitter draughts that hee may possesse this loue of God and that hatred of himselfe but most happy is he who through long exercise is so directed towards the greatnesse of this most sweet hatred that albeit for his naturall inclination it brings great paine with it yet the ardent desire of increasing in the loue of God doth change it into so great sweetnesse as that was wont to doe which with a most earnest longing he before desired Of the manner in respect of our duety whereby to obtaine this shal be spoken in the sixth exercise of humility which is the primary foundation hereof Yet this place requires that wee should deliuer the most effectuall manner of obtayning this hatred of our selues because the thing is so out of all practise and vse Therefore we must obserue that it is very expedient we be attentiue that at what time the will is inclined to desire or accept persecution it is not fit to bring into sight the persecution it selfe compelling our selues to accept it for it is something difficult voluntarily to accept persecution being present or but lately laide on vs except wee haue a great measure of the annointing of the holy Spirit therefore we must doe thus vsing a holy caution It falleth out often that we are iniuried and that without all reason much griefe accompanying
it Behold now we are at the point of death For at that time sensuality hath no life but is wholy subiected the miserable reason â—is not then mistresse as it ought but compassionats sensuality as her sister albeit aduersant the deuill who is neuer a sleepe indeauours by all his michinations to inflame vs that we might the more feele the persecucion yet God who is faithfull 1 Cor. 10. will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength Now it behoueth vs to see what on our behalse we can and ought to doe with Gods assistance in such a danger Namely that the iniury being so present nere vnto vs as much as is in vs for some short time we forget the same and for this time to lift vp the eyes of our consideration to thinke on those innumerable riches contained in the loue of God towards vs and with this consideration we incline the will to loue and desire the infinit good of this loue so as now louing and desiring so great riches we turne our selues and incline our wills to the present persecution before as it were forgotten and reputing it to bee so necessary as wee haue said to obteine the riches of Gods loue we desire the same with all our might inforcing the will with all our power to desire it Thus no doubt the will being mollified and strenghthned with the reward of the loue of God and future glory will bee most ready to be inclined and drawne to accept such persecution which before was so terrible in our eyes and if wee exercise this often wee shal be so accustomed to that which is good that what before seemed aboue nature wee shall now with great delight performe And this would be againe and againe considered because it is of great moment aswell to the whole Chapter as that of Humility Patience Affections of the soule as also that of the loue of our selues and againe to any difficulty or labour inward or outward to conclude to the whole method of seruing God If I should adde more reasons why wee should hate our selues I might tell you 4 That consideration of shortnesse of life were very effectuall hereto For seeing so small time to tarry why should wee fall in loue with our selues 5 The consideration of the euills of this life in the world wee shall haue pressiue and trouble and all things that may iustly make vs hate our selues 6 Consideration of our daunger 7 The consideration of them that haue perished by too much loue of themselues 8 The consideration of our seruitude whilst wee are heere 9 The consideration of the worlds ingratiude And lastly the consideration of the forgetfulnesse of our selues and of God All which might be strong motiues against all selfe loue which is the best of all graces moue vs to this holy hatred as the goale of goodnesse 3 How true charity hatred of our selues do stand together I briefly shew thus They not only stand together but so stand together as we shall neuer be able to climb to the top of charity except we hate our selues For assoone as one doth hate himselfe as wee haue said and not before he then hath all the loue which he ought to haue towards himselfe and which is most profitable for him as also which God would that he should haue that is to say he then hath the loue of God and of vertues and celestiall glory and all things that doe conduce vnto it And this loue suffers not the co-partnership of any vice albeit we are inclined to it and so denying our selues and hating our selues and taking from our selues the euill that we desire we are filled with the true diuine loue which otherwise we could neuer inioy 3 Exercise is to adorne our soules with vertues necessary to the beauty of the soule He is said to haue a beautifull soule that hath his naturall appetites conforme with sanctified reason and the lawes of God And this conformity is nothing else but a certaine troope of vertues whilst euery one being placed in his due ranke in the soule makes it beautifull and directs it as is conuenient for the great dignity thereof mitigating the false and euill concupiscences which cleaue vnto it by sinne and disposing it to serue him and without contradiction obey his will that created it It is not amisse then that wee know what course must be taken to come to these vertues As much therfore as maybe gathered from the sacred word it selfe and writings of the godly belonging hereunto we will reduce all those things wherein it is necessary that he be imploied who would acquire so great beauty of soule vnto three 1 That hee beg helpe of one more potent then himselfe seeing all our powers arc too weake to reach such high things and to this serues prayer 2 That with many acts as with the matter he build these habits of vertues 3 That as with a bridle he may restraine or warily lead and guide the naturall affections which are found in euery man called of diuines and Philosophers ioy sorrow hope and feare 1 Of prayer Our most high and omnipotent God would haue vs stand in need of his supernaturall helpe seeing the good things vnto which he hath created vs are supernaturall And he would also that we should call vpon him for them not but that he more desireth to giue vs them then wee to aske them of him but that we might possesse that with greater glory which we obtaine with greater labour of desire Besides he would haue vs aske that as importunate suiters we should more frequently present our selues before him and so by often presenting our selues in his presence might the better come into the knowledge of him For by how much we haue the thing present before vs by so much the knowledge of it maketh the greater impression and the better we know his greatnesse and super-eminent qualities we shall the more reioice in him and the more we shal reioice in him and know him the more we shall loue him and by how much as we shall know him and loue him more by so much more will the beames of truth shine in our soules and to conclude by how much as this light together with his loue shall shine in vs by so much more whatsoeuer is not good or tending to God shall be nothing reputed in our eyes and by so much more shall we hate that is euill imbrace all vertue and come neere vnto God From whence it is cleere by many reasons that prayer is a sure iourney to obtaine whatsoeuer is necessary for vs and that it leades vs to the height of loue to which we were borne Therefore we must esteeme this prayer or that necessitie of prayer as a pledge which God hath taken of vs whereby to retaine vs with him For hee knowes well how much good comes vnto vs by his presence and how assuredly we would forget him if wee had no need
of him Now we must know that the excellency of praier that it may bee imperious and commaund a blessing doth not onely consist herein that wee demaund some excellent thing but with all and much more that wee haue a sublimated and high motiue and scope And the motiue that should set vs to pray must bee to beleeue that our Lord GOD would that we should haue what wee aske and he would haue vs to aske that wee might thereby bee disposed to his seruice For blessed is the bread which hee eates who eateth to this end that hee might liue and liuing might be imploied in increasing in the loue of the glory of his God For so the asking of bread and whatsoeuer else with a such motiue is much esteemed in the sight of God Besides of such a minde we must bee that if wee thinke it not acceptable vnto GOD that we obtaine that which wee most desire forthwith as much as is in vs wee must neither desire nor aske it The hungry soule for the most part by the famine that oppresseth him is mooued to aske bread but so is not hee who rightly praies vnto GOD hee must aske meat and necessary grace and glory not chiefely for that he hath need of these but for that the Lord God would that wee should haue them expecting onely our prayer that hee might giue them vnto vs so that the will of GOD desirous that wee should haue these things must more mooue vs to aske and desire our owne good then the ioy and glorie which wee hope may accrue vnto vs thereby Therefore the manner of praying ought to bee that our soule hauing attained to a habit of asking that which God desires aboue any other things and exercised by many acts of so asking it not chiefly for our owne good but for that his most Holy will is most worthy to bee desired aboue all desireables whatsoeuer we shall aske let it be immixt and interwouen with such a habit and all the words of our prayers let them bee ioyned to the actes of willing and desiring whatsoeuer we shall aske for this cause that God desireth that wee should haue it whereby wee might thus become his more acceptable seruants and haue the greater loue towards him Happy are they that can thus pray for in few daies they shall grow to bee potent men in the Lord. To performe all the foresaid things are necessary the 2. and 6. instructions I will hereof giue this example For many doe pray with the some motiue yet speed not for the purpose some man asketh vertue â—â—d grant to some good end knowing that GOD hath commanded vs to aske of him necessaries Hee askes instantly acknowledging his owne vnworthinesse perseuers in this mannes of asking and feeles in his prayer some â—â—dste of sweetnesse and diuine loue Now some thinke this prayer to proceede from a perfect motiue and scope but it is not so albeit the prayer bee deuout and good But if you aske what it wants I answere there is this wanting that hee asked not of loue albeit with loue Therefore I say it sufficeth not that the motiue be perfect that hee loue and haue all other things but he must also be moued to aske of loue and not for the loue of the thing desired albeit yet euen the loue of the thing may be kept with much perfection so that in act it be resired to this that therefore it may be loued because God will that wee should loue that thing which now is not so in the former kind and therefore exceeds the bounds of prayer Therefore many considering this haue come to know that the loue of themselues was hid vnder the shadow of the loue of God and that it was true that albeit they loued GOD yet were they not mooued with this loue in act whilest they prayed but with the loue of themselues albeit not with an ill loue whereby they were mooued to aske that which they did because it was good This will be more easily vnderstood by that which often falls out amongst such as loue one another that one askes something of another and that with the loue wherewith hee loueth him yet not of or for the loue which hee hath towards him of whom hee asketh but for the loue of himselfe and his owne benefit Therefore as before is said wee must not aske so of God but we must aske with and for his loue that is we must actually perceiue a desire of obtayning that we aske whereby God by that may receiue from vs an acceptable obedience surely great and necessary is the attention that we may know the difference of these loues For it is a thing necessary to bee knowen and many thinke they haue gone aright in this businesse but looking neerer into the thing they haue found it to bee onely the imagination of the true loue of GOD and themselues to be far from it indeed Hee therefore beleeues and knowes himselfe to bee in the right way who continually builds as vpon his guide in the way vpon an actuall desire of obteyning by prayer these or these graces that God may reioyce to see him so beautified and that hee may grow in his loue And although at the beginning of this exercise many shall not only feele that they do not increase in deuotion but rather to haue made ship-wracke of that which they had before for which they shall be much grieued in their soules yet let them goe on cheerefully in this great worke And let them not admire that they feele this diminution of deuotioÌ„ for in that he finds in himselfe this coldnesse and indeuotion hee shall performe a farre more worthie duety then before whilest he seemed to taste a greater sweetnesse and contentment For this contentment was wont to arise from the loue of himselfe albeit not euill which yet is to be abandoned that one may bee wholly addicted to the loue of God which is best of all For when it arose from the loue of our selues which was very great we found great sweetnesse and pleasure in it but that loue being discarded the loue of God aboue entertained which at the beginning is but small little sweetnesse and deuotion is felt but this loue increasing the pleasure and deuotion will also increase For illustration whereof our owne experience will serue Wee see that two stickes doe burne together the one being drier and easily fiered the other not so yet the firing of the one makes the other being greene and not so apt to burne to flame and as it selfe doth but if you remooue them asunder you shall finde that sticke which was not so drie to loose both his flame and heate too and to keepe it from going quite out hee must be inforced either to vse the bellowes or else re-match it with the former which first set it on fire In like manner our loue of God being not so hot and inflamed of it selfe if yet it be ioyned to the loue
of our selues which is like drie wood it will as tinder set on fire all our workes but being diuorced from this loue of our selues the loue of GOD will stand in need of the bellowes of many strong labours and actions to keepe it in For scarcely shall wee find any flame of this loue but rather seeme in our selues to bee key cold and therefore by many strong acts must wee succour it by the consideration of those things which according to the loue of our selues seemed sweete vnto vs namely by the consideration of the great good of glory and comforts which wee hope for in time to come and againe that so wee shall escape those great euills which wee doe naturally abhorre and hate And by such breathings blasts of the loue of our selues we may beleeue that some little flame of the loue of God may bee inkindled and by little and little gather strength increase according to the proportion of our indeauour being helped thereunto by the loue of God Yet it is very expedient that wee indeauour earnestly to haue strong acts in all the things afforesaid whereby that so vehement a loue of GOD may bee produced in vs as that was wont to bee which we had before as a loue compounded of the loue of our selues which was great vehement and contentfull together with the loue of God which was but small and very weake And this wee must labour to doe till wee finde so great sweetnesse in being deliuered frō our streights and miseries onely to the end that wee may the better serue God as we were wont to feele whilest wee desired the same being induced thereunto onely that wee might be deliuered from the anguish that did so tire vs. He that shall dot thus may worthily conceiue that hee hath the true and sincere loue of God which we ought euer to seeke begge This is I confesse a great alteration and the change of the right hand of the highest happy is he that tastes it in the earth for now he begins to dwell amongst those fresh pastures which hee shall more plentifully enioy in eternall glorie But it is very needfull herein that whilest wee pray wee be very attentiue in this vntill wee bee habituated and accustomed to such kinde of praying whereby we may feele in all our postulations and demaunds whether the loue of God or the loue of the thing which we aske haue mooued vs to aske it of God nor by any meanes to passe from one demaund vntill we haue inclined the will to accept it on that condition because God would haue vs to aske and in the same to serue him And if herein we bee negligent there is no hope of growing in any good habit of praying As for the point we say Our Father which art in Heauen hallowed be thy name in this first petition we aske that the name of GOD in vs might be had in estimation and loue without any mixture of earthly things to be loued with it This is so high and soueraigne a petition that whosoeuer obtaines it is blessed euen on the earth Therefore if any doe vnderstand it and loue himselfe vndoubtedly he will desire and seeke so great a good to himselfe and with great affection he will desire it and it is a good postulation and desire Yet must not we content our selues herewith but going further must incline and induce the will to another more perfect motiue namely that we desire this thing because God is most worthy onely to be esteemed and beloued in our hearts without all commixtion of our loue or of any other earthly thing and because hee hath created vs to this thing Nor let vs by any meanes passe to any other petition or demaund vntill wee haue obetined this motiue And with all let vs remember what the Sonne of God said Luk. 18. Wee must pray alwaies 2 In this third exercise wee must besides prayer labour to build vp these habits of vertues in vs by many acts of vertues which vertues can no other where be had but from the most pretious mines and veines of the passion of Christ It is true that many excellent things touching the soueraignty of vertues are written in many bookes but happy is hee that reads and learnes them in the booke of life which is Iesus Christ the fountaine of all wisdome in Heauen and Earth Learne of me Matth. 11. saith that wisdome as of the most learned Booke And what shall we learne But a few things as well least they should be forgotten as for that they are such that being learned we need no more learning we are full of true wisdome Learne therefore of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart Let no man then thinke he can be inriched with vertues except hee learne them from the Sonne of God made man and chieftly from his most sacred passion for this is the golden mine giuen vnto the world of our most mercifull Father that thence we may fill our hands and hearts of all things needfull It is great presumption to thinke being seuered from this plentifull mine to gather any vertues or graces but he is happy that is admitted to the inwards of this mine by continuall meditation thereof for there shall he finde most sweete veines of all diuine riches to aduance him to the seats of the Angels seeing in him are all the Treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge the fulnesse of the God-head dwelling in him bodily Of this Master therefore we are to learne two lessons of Humility and Patiēce as in his former inuitation we soe learne of me c. 1 Of humility A vertue that climbes so high and diues so low that the learned haue made sundry ladders to come vnto it Not let any thinke to come to this Heauen of Humility without these ladders But these being so plentifully handled by others Heaue them and passe on to the businesse it selfe In my opinion whosoeuer shall ascend by these degrees shall soone come to the knowledge of all things and sal cleerely see that hee is nothing of himselfe saue nothing indeed and that all whatsoeuer is any thing is GOD himselfe and that seeing it is so he doth worthily exact of vs vnlesse we will commit these or some worse crime to bestow all our thoughts and all our powers by all meanes to magnifie him whose that all is that is any thing Besides Humility being such a vertue as wisheth nothing that is not its owne requires that the whole world should handle and esteeme it for that it is i. a◠nothing and that mens hearts should not for the least space of time that is be imploied in esteeming that for something which indeed is nothing or which is a vessell of all iniquities worse then nothing and such is euery sinfull man That therefore this may bee firme and fixed in euery mans heart by many acts of good consideration in that consists the key of humility in desiring that
those which iniury vs and such as see vs so iniuried may thinke that we doe not suffer this out of humility but because wee cannot auoide it For we cannot esteeme it any great thing when we desire to bee ill intreated with despight if wee thinke that those who see it doe iudge that wee suffer it out of humility not offended nor feeling the iniury For he that would please GOD must indeauour to be accounted vile and abiect not of an humble and modest minde This is that which I say that we should so desire to be accounted vile of others and to be handled as abiects that we should also wish that they should altogether thinke wee were so handled against our will and that we take it very hardly and are much offended that we are so esteemed and so dealt withall when in truth wee reioyce for the holy hatred of our selues which wee finde to be in vs. Yet we must obserue that if any man were of so great vertue that vsing no violence to himselfe he could wish that other men esteemed him vile and not humble such a man for the edification of his neighbours might wish that they did iudge that he suffered such iniuries with ioy and not against his will but for the loue of God and humility and that should be very heroicall humility and such as the sonne of God would haue vs learne of him But seeing this humility is to be learned of our redeemer let vs set it before our eyes as the rude and vnskilfull in painting vse to put the example which in learning they desire to imitate This humility of the sonne of God is inexplicable yet will we according to our grosse conceit endeauour to know it considering that when he was God infinite and man most perfect he would and with great ioy did chuse to bee esteemed and intreated for the most abiect thing in the world for thy sake suffring all kinde of iniuries and contumelies from the day of his birth vntill he suffred most ignominious death and all these things not for that they were necessary for him but that wee who had so great necessity might learne the manner of humbling our selues which consists in these said things Whence wee may see how reprehensible he is who doth not learne this humility which so great a Master doth teach and which hee exercised in himselfe albeit not for himselfe but that we might learne of him Therefore the humility of our Lord being knowne euery one ought to frame in his heart another humility to the imitation and likenesse hereof not that hee is commaunded to come to the equality thereof for albeit all the creatures did desire and reioyce to be accounted vile and to bee most vnworthily intreated out of the meane conceit they had of themselues from the true knowledge of their owne abiectnesse and basenesse and if all the humility of all these were in one man Yet this humility were nothing compared with our Redeemers humility For many waies there is infinit difference betwixt his Maiestie and our nullity euery of which puts infinit difference betwixt the excellency of his humility and all the humility of all the Saints of God in one therefore I said that wee must frame our humility of the imitation and likenesse of his Some may happily admire that God exacts of vs so great contempt of our selues and humility and which cost him so deare whilest by his example hee taught it vs. Therefore wee may obserue that it was his will so to doe because indeed it was good for vs and because wee haue no good thing of our selues but all from his bountifull hand whom wee ought to glorifie for it and not our selues And it is not onely good for vs but most necessary for such humility is a perfect medicine for our deadly infirmity which proceeds from pride nor shall euer any man be perfectly cured of it but by humility So much as shall want of the perfect cure of it so much shall want of the clensing of the soule and how much we want of the clensing of the soule so much shall we want of the benefits and grace of God and so much also shall we be lesse his And if any aske how one may reioyce to bee agitated and turmoyled with contempts and wrongs seeing it is a thing difficult to desire it I answere that it may be done out of the great consideration of this humility of the Sonne of God and the benefit arising vnto vs by it and chiefly because we are so made able that GOD may haue ioy in vs and an acceptable seruice of vs. But there is no disceete man will cast that from him whereby the will of GOD may be fufilled together with a mans own honour and inestimable and perpetuall profit to himselfe and that with the labour of a most short time But that we may in reason answere this obiection wee must note that to frame so worthy an humility it is necessary as in the sixth Instruction that we often incline our will and againe that wee often nay daily desire with ioy this so pretious an abiection and contempt For how worthily ought he to bee despised who so often is found a Traitor against his eternall Lord and Sauiour by sinne betraying his soule to Sathan and taking it from him who of his onely goodnesse would die for it Surely if seriously we thought on these things with much griefe should wee take honours if they were offered to vs seeing wee cleerely know that hence it may fall out that it may bee a hinderance to vs of most excellent good things which by the contempt of our selues and true humility is the way to the Kingdome of heauen doe vndoutedly remaine for vs. Yet notwithstanding in some cases a man may wish to bee honoured and esteemed namely if hee haue the eye of his intention to some seruice of God which he beleeues or sees may by such honor bee performed but euen in that case also he must desire with great caution feare and some griefe to be honored Now there is a certaine euill fruit and venemous hear be which growes plentifully in the world ouer-growing and indeed ouerthrowing all vertues but chiefly hindering the increase growth of humility namely vaine glory the mother of all euill which infects all that is good in the whole man And little or no vaine glory at all will offer it selfe to him that hath denied himselfe and hates himselfe in such sort as wee haue said For vaine glory is nothing but a complacency and ioy that one takes from that which he ought not to take it or in that maner he ought not to take it Rightly may one reioyce of the good things he receiues of the hand of God so farre fourth as he sees or hopes that any seruice of God or benefit of his soule for both are one if rightly vnderstood may arise therby Else it is vaine ioy and vaine glory
from the helpe of God what hast thou that thou hast not receiued and if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou Therefore he that considering this in himselfe shall boast himselfe is surely most madde and vaine and voide of all good so as much as he list let him boast himselfe and glorie in such his madnesse 2 Patience I said that out of Christs schoole wee must learne two lessons Humility and Patience Of the first wee haue heard now of the second how it is to be had and preserued This vertue of Patience is such a cossen germaine as I may say to Humility that almost they are euer found together and by the same meanes that the one is to be had the other also is to be obtained For as to obteine humility it is necessary that wee set before our eyes the humility of the Sonne of God so must we doe to gaine Patience For who will complaine of iniuries and afflictions hauing deserued them as we all haue when he considers with what meekenesse and patience the Sonne of God suffered so many and great acerbities persecutions afflions torments and most bitter death it selfe who besides that he was true God and Lord of all was also of a more noble and delicate complexion aboue all other men and more sensible of afflictions Who will not patiently suffer in remedy of his owne offences all occurrent afflictions and iniuries if he consider his God to haue suffred farre greater for oothers namely for a remedy to our euills The manner of obteyning this Patience see in the 7. Instruction But seeing wee are entred into the field of Patience we will set fourth the great riches which we must digge for to the appeasing of the minde vpon al occasions of impatience to which purpose we will propose some odious thing that may befall vs. Thou conceiuest vpon a small occasion of some one hath spoken euil of thee which thou neuer committedst Through this suspition three sorts of weapons are drawne against thy minde First the sword of wicked iudgement Secondly of painefull impatience Thirdly of hatred against him thou suspectest hath spoken it Now an industrious and skilfull seruant of the heauenly King must so take these so daungerous weapons on his buckler and defend himselfe from them that being wounded by none of them hee may from euery one of them receiue a singular benefit and beautie to his soule to the great glory of the King in whose seruice hee fights and that may thus be don First from the first weapon and dart he must withdraw his body by stepping aside inclyning his will least hee should receiue the blow consenting to such a iudgement and considering wee are prohibited by the chiefe Iudge to whom onely it belongs who saith iudge not Therefore wee must leaue that with great ioy and not vsurpe his office Secondly hee must receiue the second Dart with all his forces reioycing at the iniury and griefe that proceeds from it and by how much the more as he shall seeme to reioyce at it by so much lesse shall the deuill assault him by im patience least he should giue him the occasion of so great a good And that it may thus fall out in this second point haue recourse to that which is written touching the hatred of our selues Thirdly wee must meete this third weapon namely of hatred against him of whom wee haue suspition or happily certaine knowledge that hee spoke this by inclining the will to produce some singular act of loue towards him seeing God assisting vs we may incline the will to desire what it will and to giue what end to our labours it will And as wee ought to prouide our selues against these foresaid three darts arising from this small occasion so ought wee to carry our selues towards all the fiery darts of men and diuells which in all our liues doe occurre in any kinde of aduersity whereby wee may in all things so looke to our selues that patience may euer remaine in our selues vnhurt and that we may euer remember that saying of Christs Luk. 21. By your patience possesse your soules Be sure that when hee shall haue determined that patience shall haue possession in it if that patience faile the soule is left as it were destroied and forsaken for neither shall it obtaine from God another possessor if it suffer this to be taken from it nor of it selfe can it haue any other that is good Therefore is it in the greatest daunger that can be least it should be taken captiue of euery one seeing that roaring Lion neuer sleepes but euer goes about seeking whom hee may deuoure From whose iawes onely such possessors or those that are possessed of patience are secure Blessed therefore are the meeke and peacemakers as that giuer of happinesse hath pronounced 3 The third thing which wee noted to bee necessity for the beautifying of the soule was that the affections resident in euery man might bee brideled and restrained These wee will reduce chiefly to these foure ioy sorrow hope and feare Yet not omitting to discourse some thing of the rest For these are the naturall affections which are found in euery of vs. For it is naturall for euery man to reioyce at present good things to bee sorrowfull for the euill to hope for good to come and feare the euill Therefore here our labour must bee in speaking of these affections and some others very considerable to shew how they may warily be bridled and guided to the seruice of God For much euill ariseth from them if they be suffred to goe vnreined and at liberty because they neuer cease rouing and running hither and thither in the soule sometimes this affection sometimes that so that hence it is that all the euills which befalls vs doe spting in that Wee suffer them without any check or snub to take their range yea euen in men very deuout they doe much harme albeit they are much confined But this is to be noted that if any one doe all his workes both inword and outward for the loue of God as in the 2. Instruction and be led by a hated of himselfe as in the 2. Exercise is spoken he shall with great moderation restraine and gouerne these affections Therefore here we will briesly proceed obseruing that then are these affections said to bee rightly moderated when we giue our assent to none of their motions in the minde but such as wee know doe please God and from which he may receiue an acceptable seruice otherwise they ought euer to be banished from his minde that would safely trauaile vnto God as a learned man hath sweetly resolued Boâ—tius Tu quoque sivis luminâ— claro cernere verum gaudia pelle pesse timorem spemque fâ—gato nâ—c dolor adsit If thou wilt see cleerely the thing that is true Then banish ioy and feare expell hope and let no griefe seaze on thee And it is to be vnderstood that then are these affections to
order our passions so as by them the enemy get no aduantage of vs. And the rather because it is a resolued truth as well by assertion of the sacred Scriptures as holy fathers that impugnation of our sences and passions is of all other the most cruell and brings the greatest dangers with it The cruelty thereof is sufficiently expressed by that exclamation of the Apostle Rom. 7. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death and the grieous daungers thereof by that other of the same Apostle 1. Cor. 9. I beate downe my body and bring it into subiection least by any meanes when I haue preached vnto others I my selfe should be a reprobate And the reason is good for the enemies are borne at home and in our owne bosomes which seeing they cannot be expelled those whom they cannot with cruelty prostrate they will by their improbity and incessant labour tire and weary out And this we find by the vnlooked for and manifold casualties of men very famous for holinesse of life From whence it is euident that this doctrine of the passions is most necessary to those that haue not tamed them besides that it is also wonderfull profitable to the vnderstanding of diuine affections Passion therefore that we may define it for the purpose in hand is nothing else but the motion of that sensitiue appetite at the imagination of good or euill with some kinde of change of the body to speake more cleerely it is an impression whereby the appetite is stirred vp by the image of good or euill conceiued by the inward sences This resides onely in the sensitiue appetite which is composed of two parts the concupiscible which is in the liuer and the Irascible which is in the heart And the acts of the will which are called by the names of passions are not properly simple passions but in act Therefore there are of proper passions in number 11. of which 6. which doe absolutely respect good or euill and are in the concupiscible part but those 5. which doe respect the difficult good or euill arise in the irascible but all the 11. are perfected in the heart which is vrged and mooued with all these motions Those 6. passions of the concupiscible are Loue towards the good first conceiued Desire or Concupiscence towards the good not present Ioy or Delectation towards the good present Hate first conceiued from euill Flight or Abomination from euill not yet present Sadnesse or Griefe from the present euill Those other fiue which haue their seate and being in the Irascible are Hope towards the difficult good Boldnesse against the difficult euill Desperation from the difficult good Feare from the difficult euill and Anger against the difficult euill All these 11. passions are exercised about such things as are perceiued by the outward senses and doe prosecute those three most pleasant good things in the world by name Honest Profitable Delectable good and doe abhorre the contrarie euils but Honest here is not taken for that which is graceful proceeding from true vertues but for estimation and honour of the world And this is the nature of the Concupiscible to weigh and ponder those three good things and and their contraries according to their proper natures and so stands either well or ill affected But because it is often vnable to enioy the good things by reason of the many difficulties wherewith they are besieged it belongs to the worke of nature that the Irascible should be present which might ouercome the difficulties of obstacles and hinderances and place the concupiscible in quiet possession of the good But these good things seeming vnworthy of our minde and by the imitation and inticement of the present delight doe vehemently mooue the whole man the passions being drawne and made wilde and fierce doe make head against the tower of the superiour part and doe either cast it downe being weakened or disturbe it being resistant Therefore euen from these things which wee haue spoken may well be gathered what kinde of intestine and ciuill warre hangs ouer their heads and of how many enemies they shal be beleagred who desire to withdraw themselues from the pleasures of the world to serue God To this purpose we may aptly consider the stryuing of Iacob and Esau in Rebeceaes wombe which so tormented the mother that shee little lesse than repented her of that conception But consulting GOD hee answered two nations are in thy wombe and two people shall issue out of thy bowells the one people shall ouercome the other and the elder shall serue the younger So surely euen as ic were in one wombe those that will religiously serue God haue two people within them which whilest they minde earthly things doe well accord but man is no sooner come to the threshold of Gods house but presently hee findes them rebelling and strugling the one against the other because he hath begunne to take part with the one and oppose the other but let them bee of good courage because it is the diuine oracle that the one shall serue the other but not as then the elder shall serue the yonger but the inferiour man shall ferue the superiour the flesh the spirit and sensuality reason Now hauing generally thus spoken of the passions as much as may seeme necessary to bee knowne Let vs come to examine them apart But this is here to be premonished that wee must read againe and againe more seriously and seeingly these generall points then the other because euery line almost of these cōteines so many wholesom assertions which except they be fully perceiued we can neuer come to the knowledge of the inward mā 1 Therfore of Loue concupiscence or desre delight or ioy wherein as of the rest obserue 1 The description of the passision 2 The remedy 1 It is the generall consent as well of Philosophers as Diuines that the concupiscible is before the Irascible and therefore the passions thereof in the first place to bee stirred vp and that the same are the beginning and end of passions of the Irascible And the reason is good for no man hopes or despaires which are passions of the Irascible except it bee for that which before he loued and desired which are the passions of the Concupiscible nor by the Irascible dare hee attempt against that is euill or feare euill except by the Concupiscible hee first hated it and hee cannot hate any thing but that which diffents from the good first loued From this it commeth to passe that not onely the Concupiscible is before the Irascible but also that all passions take their beginning and rise from loue the first passion of the Concupiscible vnto which all the rest are fast tied For no man desireth or is delighted saue with that which hee loueth or hateth fleeth or is sorrowfull but for euill which is opposite to the good which hee loueth or hopeth or despaireth but for that good which hee loueth
is the greatest for it hath the motion of contraction contrary to the vitall motion comming from the heart dilated it most grieuously hurts the minde as by this reason appears For the minde is kept downe by the weight of the euill present the actions are made more seeble a certaine cold vapour and sluggishnesse runnes thorow the whole man and almost dissolues the ioints whereby it is hardly mooued or else altogether slacks to the workes of vertue which being difficult stand need of extēsion to vndertake difficult things which by this reason is euident It is a thing well tried that any sorrow of the body long raging in short time the whole man must needes be dissolued nor can the imagination diuerte from thence to any other worke for sorrow is the bond of the minde Now if sadnesse be properly taken as differing from sorrow it much needes worse torment the minde then sorrow for the anxieties of the minde are much more grieuous then those of the body which is thus from the contrary prooued it is the generall opinion both of Diuines and Philosophers that the delectations of the Spirit are greater then those of the body for seeing delectation is a motion proceeding from the coniunction of good by how much as the good is greater the coniunction straighter the appetite more inacted to perceiue pleasure so much the greater shall the delectation be but the goods of the minde are greater then of the body as being Spirituall more narrowly ioyned as being without any body betwixt more liuely perceiued as hauing the vnderstanding to penetrate the essence of good Therefore by the same reasons the euills of the minde inwardly apprehended arc greater because they belong to the minde their coniunction is greater for euill inwardly conceiued is most nerely conioyned and repugnes the appetite but outwardly apprehended doth neerely repugne the body but if it should onely hurt the body the appetite not resisting it should bee more light yea and sometimes it should delight for many with delight of the appetite euen for foule causes doe suffer hunger blowes and stripes To conclude euill is more intensly perceiued but the inward sence is more able Hence may we collect how diligently wee ought to cut off the beginnings of sadnesse and of what weight it is prudently to cure these diseases For the learned know that these passions but especially the third do often put the vnexperienced worshippers of Christ out of the way of saluation that not without cause the Apostle was instant reioyce in the Lord euermore againe I say reioyce for it behooued him to speake it againe because it was of infinit weight 2 The remedies of these passions 1. A man sees something that is incommodious and hurtfull as he supposeth to him say that it bee some parts of the exercise of God-linesse which seeme difficult and and harsh to him by and by ariseth an auersion of the minde which is hate and with a most swift motion as much as belongs to it the appetite flees from it which is slight and being commanded or constreined to performe it he is cast downe with the burden of heauinesse and griefe Then therefore hee that hath care of himselfe assoone as the motion of hate ariseth may thus commaund himselfe absteine from thy auersion for it is not worthy of hate if I will heare reason speake for many more incommodious things must wee suffer for the loue of vertues and expediting of the minde from the fetters of the body for the liberty of man is by these motions hurt whilest hee hates the things which are not truely euill and will make him languish from the study of reason This manner of commanding the passion as I said of loue is common to heathen men 2. There is another very Christian manner which is to propose to the appetite true euills which by the instruction of faith it may abhorre and this comes from the superiour part of man thus abstaine from hate for here is nothing worthy of hate seeing sinne is a wanting which only is worthy of detestation for that as concerning the incommodity if it be without fault certainely it pleaseth God well 3. But there is a thing more diuine than this and that is taken from the imitation of Christ thus absteine from hate for how much more incommodious was the crosse of Christ on which for thy sake he suffred willingly is this the imitation of Christ Iesus crucified who when the foxes had holes the fowles of heauen nests yet had not where to hide his head and yet was most worthy of eternall rest By such exhortations is the superiour part wont so to preuaile that by his command and effectuall motions the appetite is weakened nay sometimes by a sudden conuersion it begins to loue what before it hated But oft-times these kinds of repressing the passions doe not profit because the appetite cannot receiue these reasons of the honest good or else it will not bee instructed by reason in respect of the violence and heate of the passion and then it will be to purpose to represent to it other more grieuous euills which by the experiment of lesser euills it hath cause to feare to shunne which euills if not willingly yet patiently he will not hate the present euill which he beganne to detest and this may thus be done desist from hatred nay loue and imbrace this incommodity for art not thou mercifully dealt withall who hast deserued the torments of hell ought not the fiery flames of hell to be changed for this incommodity These and such like present remedies are to be sought out before sadnesse and griefe haue taken too deepe rootes for if the griefe doe grow not from a light cause but proceed from some grieuous causes of the soule such as are woont to befall to men of a scrupulous conscience or vehemently vexed for the sins of their life past there are some more effectuall remedies to bee sought out For the written counsailes and as it were dead letters haue not so much power to heale these diseases which creepe into mans inwards and doe extenuate the powers both of body and soule putting on diuers formes as the Oracles of a liuing voice of some sweete singer in Israell who according to the nature of the euill can minister a word to the wearied in due season Such as the Psalmist deliuers Eduxit me de lacumiseriae de luto faecis statuit supra petram pedes meos Hee brought mee out of the pit of miserie and from the claie of dregges and set my feete vpon a rocke How many causes of ioy are heere Hee fetcht mee out of all my miseries and that I should not fall into them againe set mee vpon the rocke Christ Iesus from whom I shall neuer fall To conclude we may obserue that these three passions may not only be encountred with the said reasons whereby the superiour part maybe able to keepe them downe but also
the true louers of Christ both may and ought often to stirre them vp as in the next Chapter appeares that as loue desire delectation are stirred vp tor prosecute the goods of the minde so hate flight and griefe must be rowsed vp to detest the euills of the soule which may thus bee done the superiour part instructing the inferiour The superiour part doth finde the appetite to be deterred from labours contempt and austerity of life and doth thus vrge it if thou wilt hate doe not hate those things which are not fowle but rather hate the deformity of sin if thou wilt flee then flee from sine as from the face of a serpent if sadnesse and griefe creepe vpon thee let it not grow vpon thee for punishment but for sinne that it may bee turned into wholesome repentance But yet if for all this it doe not so abborre the turpitude of sinne seeing it doth not so cleerely perceiue it let it hate flee and grieue for the punishments of hell and terrour of that great iudgement which the imagination can more easily represent But let vs come now to the Irascible 3 Of the passions of hope and audacity and their remedies and 1. what it is The Irascible part as wee haue said is the setter of the concupiscible at liberty for when as manifold difficulties doe encompasse the good things which are desired then the Irascible as if armed with power combats with this difficultie and driues it away and so brings the concupiscible into a francke fruition and enioyment of them But amongst the fiue passions of the Irascible Hope holds the first place which is nothing else but a motion towards the difficult good which it beleeues may be obtained or to say more cleerely it is a motion wherby the appetite is stirred vp to acquire that good which is hardly acquired which the concupiscible loueth and which is thought may be obtained Boldnesse and Audacity succeeds this Hope which Audacity we call a motion of the appetite prosecuting an imminent difficult thing as if I â—hould say it were a motion whereby the appetite goeth forewards against an euill at hand That as desire is a certaine pregression of loue so boldnesse is a progression of hope But when I call audacity a motion towards euill wee vnderstand by the name of euill the difficulty it selfe which it indeauours to ouercome and which doth circumstance the good which hope properly respecteth although audacity also doe respect the difficulty of the difficult euill to ouercome which Hope succeeds Touching these two passions we must obserue that those who are giuen to loue are more inabled both to Hope and to dare then others for seeing both the passions are motions of progression and heate which is the property of loue by his dilatation and opening conferres much to the motion of progession it commeth to passe that Louers are more prompt and ready to hope and to dare especially such as stand well affected to Heauenly things for the Conscience of Righteousnesse inioyning the diuine assistance begets a certaine security which doth chiefly conduce both to Hope and Audacity Happy are those who finde themselues called to such an assurance as from the affection of diuine loue and heauenly things and the testimony of a good conscience may beget in them hope and audacity so that with much profit they may haue the vse of these passions But here we haue need to know fruits from falshood seeing these passions may impose vpon the vnwary whilest they are ill placed for those things which are vnworthy the followers of Christ must not be hoped for nor must wee dare and bee bold sharply to driue away the things which are not euill as shall appeare by this example 2 The remedies of these passions It commeth to passe often that either a man is checkt or frownd on by his Prince or some great man vnder whose check he liues or the wife of the husband or sonne of his father or seruant of his master is so vsed as that hee coniectures he is not beloued yet loues to be beloued But it seemes a difficult thing vnto him to obtaine it for it behoues him to excogitate some meanes to reconcile his minde vnto him and so fit himselfe to auoide his checks and frownes which would require both time and discourse and some other duties not without labour yet it seemeth possible Therefore albeit all other duties be neglected hee determines to deale seriously in this thing hee is raysed by hope and goes forewards with boldnesse but these passions he may check thus What is it that thou doest thou vnbrideled appetites it is vnworthy the minde of a man to hope for things which are not true good things but to desire so to be beloued as not to bee checkt is dissonant to reason and therefore cannot bee any true good therefore God forbid that I should bestow my time and labour to winne the fauour of men and not rather in gayning the fauour of God God forbid that I should boldly goe forewards to shake off the things which are molestfull to the body and should happily procure greater indulgence of the body but more grieuous losses of vertue But this first kinde is such as a naturall man may vse Yet from this example it appeares that the passion of hope shewes it selfe through a false opinion at the apparant good of indulgent loue but indeed true euill but on the other side audacity against the circumstant difficulty as against euill and therefore the superiour part ought thus to instruct the appetite If it helpe any thing to Hope amendment which is a true good is to bee hoped for by correction and checke if thou wilt bee bold goe foreward against those things which hinder thy amendment dare something against the motions of sorrow combat with them and carry a cheerefull countenance that those who seemed to be offended with thee seeing the fruit of their checks and controules may goe on to check more for it is written let the righteous rather smite me but let not their pretious balmes breake my head Oyles i. the faire dissimulations of sinners not breake my head i. affect my minde with any delectation 2 But this is more worthy of a Christian which the superiour part may vse thus Desist from this Hope of seeking for the fauour of men hope rather in the Lord and be doing good dwell in the Land and thou shalt be fed How much more honest profitable and delightfull shall the beneuolent minde of the most mercifull God be to thee then that of men which doubtlesse thou shalt enioye if despising the fauour of men thou doe thy indeauour that thy Hope and portion may bee in the Land or the liuing Therefore dare something against the difficulties which would retarde and withdraw thee from the sweeter imbracing of Iesus Christ and thou shalt be happy 3 But the third is most worthy of the follower of Christ thus did Christ hope in man
befall him more grieuous then it seemed hee was able to beare presently the appetite apprehending some feare beginnes to be daunted and to step backe as at some vehement tempest or sudden and fearefull ruine of a house for it loues the commodity of good things from whence it is that this feare of suffring any thing ariseth Then doth reason worke in this manner namely the second of those three waies of taming the passions The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shal I feare The Lord is the protector of my life of whom then shall I bee affraid Surely I will not onely not feare by Gods grace to vnder goe this burden it hath pleased him to lay vpon me but also albeit euen Castles and Fortresses should â—tand vp against me my heart should not be affraide But if for all this the sence make any reluctation then that third way of taming those passions which consists in the Imitation of Christ is here fitly to bee vsed For when the inferiour part of Christ feared the acerbity of his passion euen to the sweating of bloud hee stirred vp by deliberate act of reason the passion of audacity that hee might conflict with feare and preuaile against it and so rising hee admonished his Disciples Arise let vs goe hence behold hee that betraieth me is at hand Behold let vs arise saith our Champion Christ and as feare possessing vs wee laboured to flee from an instant daunger so let vs couragiously by a stirred vp audacity meete the daunger comming Thus did Christ and shall he be worthy of Christ that will neuer striue to accompany him in agony 3 The remedy of the passion of anger It often falleth out that a man either by words or gestures findes himselfe to be little esteemed and contemned of some either his inferiour or not much aboue him by and by anger is inflamed and hee desires seekes in the same manner to render at least a like kinde of reuenge for the appetite will begin to complaine saying hee ought not to haue made so small account of me he might haue risen vnto me hee might haue put off his hat he should not so lightly haue improoued the things I spake Hee ought not so to haue contradicted me he ought not to haue controuled mee in that manner hee might haue answered mee more mildly seeing I am no way inferiour to him as many things will the loue of a mans owne excellency obiect But now the superiour part will herein doe thus to mitigate this passion Thou fierce disordered passion be quieted For it becomes not man endued with reason like a beast to waxe fierce and angry and by a certaine drunkennesse of fury to become mad for the turpitude and vilenesse of this passion doth euen in the countenance bewray it selfe whilest the eyes doe sparkle the lips tremble the speech is hindred and the whole man is alienated from that meekenesse which being a sociable creature is naturall to him This manner albeit but naturall yet is it very effectuall to the subduing of anger But the second kinde of subduing the passions is more worthy the true Christian and that is thus blessed are the meeke for they shall possesse the Land of the liuing and shall I for this beastly and brutish passion despoile my selfe of the right of this inheritance which faith shewes vnto me The third kinde of taming this passion may bee this and most apt for such as will follow Christ For as a Lambe before the shearer hee opened not his mouth and as a sheepe vnto the slaughter he was led when hee was cursed hee cursed not againe when hee suffred hee complained not hee deliuered himselfe into the hands of him that iudged vniustly and shall not I be meeke and milde Many other reasons might be vsed to restraine these passions but here I desire may bee obserued as also in other passions that these passions may profitably bee exercised if they bee transferred to diuine things and surely the vse of desperation albeit not so proper as of other passions for it hath not any spiritiall good which for the hardnesse of it is to be despaired may be this according to the counsell of the Kingly Prophet trust not in Princes nor in the sonnes of men in whom is no saluation q. d. hope not nay despaire of saluation from men who altogether are voide of it for that saluation which the world by an impudent lie doth promise is to bee despaired of Feare hath a most large field for what is it that iustly can bee feared in this life not sudden death nor the torments of hell nor the seuerity of the last iudgement nay nothing albeit the most terrible euills of this life ought to put vs in feare for Christ hath said feare not them that can kill the body but feare him who hauing killed the body is able to send the soule into hell fire In like manner anger may bee exercised many waies there are sinnes there arc enemies of the soule and amongst others most cruell are the passions which doe continually disturbe and oppugne the reason of man but against these enemies our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs that anger may wholesomely be stirred vp in vs whilest being most meeke yet did hee waxe hote against desilers and abusers of the Temple Thus haue wee briefely been taught to master our passions which are the greatest enemies to the reparation of our soules But yet before wee conclude this point let vs take this obseruation with vs to consider diligently the originall increase and declyning of our owne proper passions for besides the former things we shal finde many things of much profit if wee shall diligently marke that sometimes this passioÌ„ sometimes that as if they were borne of diuers parents doe produce sundry effects as by the example following may appeare There is nothing doubtlesse seemes lesse consonant to anger then delectation and yet it often growes vp with anger as when a man in his fury reuengeth himselfe but griefe and heauinesse doth more directly disagree with delectation then anger and yet griefe in the very motion of sorrow conceiued of the absence of the thing is cause of delectation whilst it begets the memory of the thing beloued But the other are more plaine that namely out of the loue of good the hatred of euill which is repugnant to it ariseth out of concupiscence and desire of the good deferred doth sorrow grow by reason of deferring it and this duell of the 2. passions thus conflicting together is very well knowne seeing towards one and the same thing as namely fasting the appetite both dares do it because it hopes for victory feares also because terrified with the difficulty which do serue for this purpose that both the various commixtions of passions may bee knowne and also that their sundry remedies may succeed But this must euery man most carefully labour to know namely of what passion hee is most grieuously
his ioye and delight in him rather then in himselfe and reioyced more to bee delighted in his father then in himselfe and all things which bring any honour or ioy which hee doth or are offred vnto him hee so much reioyceth that they are offered as hee thinketh his father will reioyce for them and on the other side is more afflicted by any occurring calamity for the griefe that his father will thence conceiue then for his owne punishment So that when this sonne is sicke hee suffers more paine for the affliction and sorrow which hee sees his father suffer seeing his sonne sicke then for his owne griefe and when hee growes sound is more ioyed of the ioy his father doth thence conceiue then of his own health In like maner in things which in the world bring honour as egregrious stratagems and pollicies of warre or exercises of learning he desires to doe them with commendations because his father lookes vpon them and reioyceth at them more then for his owne honour and one the other side if hee doe not these things aright would thence take more griefe then for his owne dispraise All this loue and will hath this sonne towards his father prouiding for him all things which are necessary for him by no other reflexe then for the great loue which from his infancy he beareth towards his father This example must he that will serue God from day to day often reuolue in his minde at the least for two or three monthes For herein is declared so much as may serue for our purpose to set fourth the manner of the true loue of God not hunting after our owne profit which course we ought to obserue Our eternall Father is God and wee his sonnes out of his magnificent gift and grace Hee stands no need of our goods but we cannot want his good in a farre different manner from this father that I haue spoken of with his sonne For there the father was rich and the sonne his Protector and therefore so much the more is the loue of the sonne towards his father to be esteemed Let vs therefore reioyce that the Maiesty of our eternall Father is so great that he stands no neede of vs knowing that our obligation is greater vnto him then of that sonne to his father Let therefore our loue at the least be like that of this sonne and our soules so farre subiected vntill they finde and feele no ioy of all the good they doe and expect but so far as we shall know that by this we doe God seruice And whatsoeuer we shall doe must be done with great ioy because we beleeue and so it is indeed that the diuine Maiesty is wel pleased with it al the grief which we feele by the infirmity of sin must be for that it is against the wil of God And the Prophet doth witnesse that God reioiceth at our seruice God is well pleased with his people Psal 149. the praises of God are in their mouthes And that by our sins he seemes as if he were grieued God himself testifieth it repenteth me that I haue made man Gen. 6. Now it is to be obserued that if the aduersary of mankinde do much impugne the seruants of God in euery vertue wherein he seeth they desire to profit he will much more set vpon them when he seeth thē hunt after this most high kind of loue Amongst al his diuerse impugnations assaults there is one as very secret so no lesse hurtfull wherewith he oppugneth and opposeth many and that is tepidity and coldnesse of minde which many doe feele whilest they thinke on read or heare the chiefe point wherin consists this heauenly loue namely that the being glory and all the good things of God should be desired for God himselfe Concerning which we must consider two things 1. what it is that causeth so excellent a thing to wax cold to come to such an aguish fit seeing it is that diuine heate it selfe 2. What remedy is to bee applied to this disease For the 1. we will expresse it by this comparison If being induced to behold something which is of great value it come to passe by the defect of our knowledge that the same thing doe seeme vnto vs to be of small estimation and worth vndoubtedly wee finde that our appetite growes cold whereby wee desired to see it albeit in truth the thing bee of as much worth as it was first commended for The same thing befalleth many in this same loue of God whilst they both slenderly behold the thing they loue and the aduersary besides sets vpon them which thing chiefely chanceth vnto them who are preuented with that sweetnesse and contentment which this loue vsually bringeth with it who hearing that this loue consists herein that we doe desire and inwardly feele in our selues a complacency and pleasure from all the good and glory which is in God waxe very cold thinking that this worke is not so high and excellent and iudging that there are other things as well corporall as spiriturall which may be had more sublime and worthy imagining many things which they iudge to be of more price and that it becomes the seruants of so great a Lord to doe them as workes of great corporall fortitude as for the point with one shock to cast down some mighty tower with one blow of a sword to cut in sunder ten squadrons of souldiers Againe to shew some great signe of knowledge as to the purpose if one should make all the Heathens vsing all the Science and knowledge they haue to be speechlesse or some other great wonders which are of great admiration in the world as continuall contemplation the working of miracles prophecying and such things which are thought by those that are thus tempted to be of much more excellency then to lift vp the soule to God that it may reioyce that in God is all good and glory which he hath and therefore they waxe cold in directing all that they are to doe in this life to this onely end to attaine to that loue which in their eyes seemes not so excellent a thing albeit they beleeue it to bee such because the sacred Scripture affirmes it and they do almost admire that God will prefer this loue before all other things that can be done But it is to bee considered that as the appetite and desire of hurfull and loathsome things for the most part proceeds vnto the sicke from one and the same roote namely from the infection and corruption of the palate so it commeth to passe in him who doth value these signes of great corporall fortitude to be of much worth and this loue of GOD not to bee of any such esteeme for this proceeds from the infected pallate of the soule as hath beene said in the fourth instruction and from the assaults and temptation of Sathan Yet is not good meate more vile then euill meate nor the loue of God lesse excellent
moment to loue God albeit no sinne concurre with it Wee may consider that the most skilfull workeman makes no gaine but whilest hee labours in his faculty so neither is the seruant of GOD inriched in loue but whilest hee produceth speciall acts of this loue Now hauing this considered this most Heauenly loue it followeth 4. To shew what course is to bee holden for the obtayning of it But before wee open that way let vs know that many haue erred herein thinking that the businesse may compendiously bee done and will presently at the very beginning bee fully exereâ—sed in the loue of God not sufficiently preparing themselves to â—he worke For looking vpon 〈◊〉 or in some sort smelling some thing concerning the greatnes of it it seemed vnto them a garden of such pleasure that not considering nor entring the iourney which the holy Gospell prescibes vnto such loue whereof wee speake they would not enter in at the doore but breake in another way and whilst they prouided not for theÌ„selues they found theÌ„selues wandring quite out of the way Surely God is so potent that he can at one leape place a man in the highest roome of the world yet he that leapes is to feare because sometimes he shall thinke himselfe to be lead of God when indeed he is lead by his own presumption And so may wee thinke of him who leauing the way of the Gospell will by by leape vp to the highest bounds of this loue Nor yet would wee haue such as prepare themselues to this excellent loue in the beginning quite to forsake it but least in the beginning they should cast theÌ„selues wholy vpon it they should forget the preparation and way of the Gospell which the Sonne of God hath deliuered vnto vs. For so much more certaine shall the preparation bee by how much one doth more highly place himselfe in the loue of God by such exercises as the Gospell deliuereth vnto vs and as is said are necessary to that loue Therefore the humble seruant of God who indeauours to receiue into his soule so pretious a liquor that through the sweetenesse of glory he may glorifie his most high God must 4. For many daies exercise himselfe in the things before spoken and aboue all things that he extricate and acquite himselfe from himselfe But when he shall see himselfe rightly or sufficiently at least exercised herein if the Lord be pleased to helpe him with the blessings of sweetnesse they shall bee a great helpe vnto him to loue with facility But if this sweetnesse be a wanting or else whilst this sweetnesse offers it selfe hee must of purpose worke on this manner Let him briefly call to minde how great that good and glory is which God hath considering him as the best and most worthy that all men should ioy at his good and presently let him incline his will to desire the same thing and to reioyce at that so great good of God let him persist in that will as long as he can And if hee be a little distracted or cooled herein let him turne himselfe by and by in the same manner of doing and so as much as is possible let him not omit to produce the acts whereby hee may desire or loue that good which God hath and in minde let him often leape for ioy considering God to bee most infinitly replenished with infinit good From the long continuance of this exercise hee must needs be lifted vp to that most high loue Nor is it any other thing to bring fourth the frequent acts of loue then if one heare and that in an houres space related many stratagems of some singular friends or some great honours done vnto him and reioyce at euery one of them euery one of these ioyes proceeding from affection towards him is called the act of loue Seeing then the glory and honor of God are infinit and of infinit excellency and in like manner whatsoeuer hee doth or createth and euery one of these shew his singular dignity and honour nor doe all the moments of our liues suffice to heare or consider them it is our part at the least to cast them vp vnder the name of infinit good and glory and to produce the acts of our will inclining it to desire it and reioice at it all the daies of our liues seeing wee owe this vnto him more then wee doe to any other friend in that of his great bounty so great a part of his glory doth result and rebound vpon vs. And one may so exercise himselues in these acts albeit that sweetnesse which they call deuotion be a wanting that in euery businesse and in euery place hee may loue God not needing hereunto any secret place or any other sequestration of himself as it daily falleth out that a friend reioyceth whilst he heares that of late some good thing hath befallen his friend so suddenly ioyeth at it without seeking any other time place or sequestration Vnto the producing of these acts it helps much to consider the second and sixth Instructions and also that in the Chapter of the hating of ones selfe Whence we collect how these acts ought to bee produced and that it all must bee done for that GOD is most worthy that wee should doe it for him Nor ought it to seeme a labour or staying of vs for these things to haue recourse to the foresaid instructions for when as for a few daies this thing shal be done one may then easily worke yea without returning to them any more Happily it may seeme to some to bee a more easie way to come to this loue if they doe feruently aske it of GOD by praier as wee haue spoken in the tract of Praier together with the exercises of vertues whereof wee haue spoken and if they bee rightly examined they are almost the same but yet he shall more briefly and more diuinely attaine vnto it who together with prayer shall know now to helpe himselfe with the acts of the sixth Instruction and that in that tract of the affections of the minde For in euery of the acts of them is found a new seruice and increase And seeing sometimes it falleth out that those who indeauour to produce these acts of louing and desiring the good and glory of God doe yet finde the will very dull hereunto Therefore to giue remedy to this disease wee beleeue that this commeth so to passe because there wanteth the holy hatred of our selues which our Redeemer taught vs as in the sixth Instruction or else some of our affections cleaue to some earthly thing as the loue of some delight not necessary or an affection to some person not rightly ordered He therefore that shall finde himselfe so dull ought diligently to search out in himselfe such defect or affection and to take it away with contrary acts Nor is it any other thing to bee willing to incline the will to bring fourth the acts of the loue of God aboue all things not
reioyeing at all these things to giue GOD singular thankes from whom all good things doe proceed Oh how truely doth he loue himselfe who is euer imployed in this giuing of thankes For assuming as his owne euery good thing which is done to all others after an inestimable manner it causeth his own proper good to increase yea it makes the good of all others to bee his owne proper good and by so much more doth his owne good increase by how much hee doth more reioyce in the onely loue of God and giues him thankes for all without all respect of such increase In these last words consists the summe of that which is required to make thankes acceptable to God and that we assuredâ— so do it is expedient that we be much accustomed to doe all that wee doe because God would haue vs so doe as is expressed in the second Instruction 2 Touching the second thing namely that he who loueth himselfe should shew and auoide all that is euil and damageable vnto him I neede say no more but God forbid that he who rightly loueth himself should think that any thing can do him harme and dammage saue sinne and the occasions thereof all which are to bee auoided of him that loueth himselfe For euery sinne murdereth the soule 3 The last Cannon and rule to bee obserued in louing our selues was that hee oppose himselfe to all kinde of labour and difficulty for the obteyning hereof and that is that he altogether exercise himselfe in all the foresaid things but chiefely in the hatred of himselfe in patience and in gouerning and subduing the foure graund passions of the minde and all other passions as is formerly discoursed Yet besides those things which are there handled it is not vnnecessary in this place to ioyne in manner of an example a thing which is somewhat grieuous which although it often offer it self yet is it very necessary for the obtayning of this true loue It falleth out daily that we doe or say somewhat whence wee may seeme to be confounded and ashamed and that those who heare or see vs doe contemne vs for it whether it fall out by any naturall defect as suppose that wee haue not well composed our Sermons or that we haue not so aptly spoken or so cunningly sung or some such other thing or whether it fall out vpon some of our vnbrideled motions as intemperancy in the gesture of the countenance or in angry words or the like Hee that loueth himselfe must in euery one of such contingents and chances consider two points 1 The confusion and shame it self which in case is this offered to him 2 The euill example of iudging ill of him or of imitating the same which others happily will draw from thence 1 For the first namely confusion in such cases there is wont to be a common refuge whereby they comfort animate themselues considering that others happily did not so much obserue that word or deed of theirs as he that did or said it doth thinke or if they did so obserue it yet that themselues as well as others haue fallen often into such like defects or else that now they haue forgotten it Thus doe they who coldly loue themselues But those who soundly loue themselues doe quite contrary namely imbracing that confusion with great loue considering that others will despise them according to the common custome of the world and will thinke them to bee men of small vertue and worth and profitable for nothing all which doe make vp a vehement act of patience and humility whereof as is before said few men suffice to produce excellent habits albeit we which yet is true will not say that in euery of such acts which are referred vnto God there were great seruice done vnto him And if we be attentiue there is daily an occasion offred vnto vs either of operation or cogitation whereby wee may doe these things all which things they doe loose that without methode and negligently lead their liues albeit they thinke themselues deuout But how much hee who truely loues himselfe ought to esteeme euery of these acts the seruant of God will very well obserue turning himselfe as well to this place as to the things before discoursed in which there is mention made of these acts of the will 2 The other rule which I set downe to bee considered in such cases as breede confusion and shame is the ill example that others may draw from thence And as to the consideration of this the seruant of GOD must presently produce the act of griefe for that happily hee hath beene the occasion of euill or of the lesse or worse seruing of God then was fit And hee that shall so know to loue himselfe shall make benefit both of the one and the other therefore hee that shall haue all these things I say that he loueth himselfe For referring all his loue towards God and drawing it from himselfe and from all other things that it may bee more capable of Gods loue hee shall both liue in this life more comfortably and in heauen shal haue the greater glory albeit he must not doe this for any other respect but for the Lord alone whose wee more are then our owne and to whom we are more debtours then to our selues and also who hath more care for the things that are fit for vs then wee haue for our selues and who hath more laboured and sweat that he might giue vs life then we haue don that we might haue it Thus concluding this first part of the third generall requisition in seruing of God I will shut it vp thu namely that happy is the man who doth all that euer hee doth onely for GOD and happy againe is hee who hath strongly determined in his soule to produce the multiplicity of the acts described in this booke which hee must exactly know that will serue God aright and most frequently bring them into action Therefore let all men read this booke let them who know how to serue God read it that they may more easily remember in what manner the most high will be serued Let them that know not read it that they may attaine that excellent knowledge without which there is no comming neere vnto GOD neither here nor here after Surely I dare affirme that it shall most clearely appeare if men will iudge aright that hee who shall vse this way of seruing God shall in one yeare doe more and more perfect and excellent seruices vnto God of those things which are much to be esteemed for the singular help which he shall by their instruction receiue then hee shall doe in tenne yeares who is not helped by this methode or the like if the Lord God will giue in vnto him This is proued from the great necessity which all men confesse there is of godly bookes teaching this excellent and compendious course seeing that to this purpose the holy Gospell is written and whatsoeuer is good in the world But
in this methode is most singularly proposed by what meanes one may come to the sublime and perfect practise of all that is written in all the bookes of God and godly men Besides this is shewed by the confession of many who thought themselues before to haue had a sufficient loue of God according to the frailty of man and that they serued him according to his will but yet hauing read some such direction and methode as this is they affirmed that almost they had not serued him at all and that now they serued him more in one day then in ten before And the same shal be also fully manifested by experience of theÌ„ who reading these things againe and againe will euer doe according to this forme or such like euer doing all they doe to the praise and glory of our most potent LORD God shall grow mighty and powerfull seruants of his for euer 2 The 2. point which in this 4. iourney of the soule to heuen I proposed was a daily short methode of practising such holy duties as wold make our whole liues a sweet smelling sacrifice to God This I will dispose into these sixe considerasitions 1 The duties which are to be done the former part of the day 2 Those to be don in the euening 3 Such as are to be don euery weeke 4 The duties to be don euery month 5 The duties to be don euery yeare Lastly the duties which at all times are to be done 1 The first worke of the day is is leauing of our beds and applying of our mindes to watch labour Wherin we must preuent the sun and euer thinke we heare the voice of the Angell arise quickly Act. 12. This timely rising is of great moment for vpon it dependeth the whole sensible deuotion of the whole day and the diuine visitation Assoone therefore as thou art vp turne thy heart and minde vnto God and labour in that first moment of day to bind him vnto thee with the affections of thy loue For it is iust thou shouldest consecrate vnto GOD the first fruits of the day and first receiue him into the closet of thy heart as that guest who to this end turneth in vnto thee and bringeth with him a troupe of vnspeakable graces to season thy heart and sanctifie all the actions of that day To this end therefore thou must cast from thy heart al thy cogitations wherwith Satan laboureth to exercise thee offer vnto God the first fruits of thy cogitations either in thought or some holy meditation vpon thy knees vntill thou hast coÌ„ceiued some affect feeling of deuotion labouring to cast froÌ„ thee al vaine cogitations which then doe chifely infest thy minde for hereby thou shalt be more deuout to euery good worke and more expedite al that day This is of great moment because if thou openest the gate of thy heart to any vaine cogitation or care it will make thee vnquiet and lesse apt to pray It is in the power of thy will Gods grace assisting it to admit this cogitation but not to reiect it after it is admitted because after it hath gotten the possession and dominion of the heart it will be very difficult to cast it out Whilst thou art it cloathing thy selfe inuocate the blessed Trinity and pray with heart and deuotion for the obtayning of zeale to pray of holinesse and diligence in performing the duties of thy calling For this purpose thou must haue in memory some such short praiers as may stirre vp thy affection This done and thy selfe being fully made ready cast downe thy selfe before God and with as great affection of minde as thou canst giue him thankes that hee hath giuen thee as quiet night and wholesome sleepe that hee hath graunted thee a new day and longer time to acquire thy eternall saluation and that hee hath deliuered thee from many daungers both of body and mind from all the iullusions of Sathan and thou shalt instantly begge of him grace to shunne all kinde of sinnes to performe worthily the duties of thy calling and in all things so to seeke his most holy will that thou maist be acceptable vnto him offer vp vnto him thy body and soule thy cogitations desires words and workes in the vnion and merit of Iesus Christ that from it and it onely they may become acceptable to him Lastly put on a full resolution of shunning some particular defect and sinne and of exercising some particular vertue and aske of GOD a speciall faour and helpe to the performance of this holy worke 2 After we are thus risen from our beds wee are to prepare our selues after a little while to pray For he that comes to pray vnprepared is like vnto him that teÌ„pts God because hee doth not so much please God and obtaine any thing of him as he doth prouoke his indignation against him Now the preparation which then is to bee made is of two sorts 1 If a man bee not of a good memory or much exercised in matters of deuotion hee must from some booke or paper appointed to that vse read againe the points of meditation which he reade the night before as wee shall after shew that the mind bee not in the time of praier wandring to seeke matter and so bee distracted The 2. is conteined in those words of Abrham beginning his praier to God Gen. 18. I haue begunne to speake vnto my Lord and I am but dust and asâ—es In which words are three things which this excellent preparatioÌ„ consists 1 That thou thinke thou must pray because thou art but dust and ashes 2 That thou consider him to whom thou speakest that hee is thy Lord God 3 That thou meditate the things thou art to speake A holy father interpreting these words saith thus Thinke not O Lord Chrys that I am ignoraÌ„t of my self and do exceed my bouÌ„ds vse too much confidence For I know that I am but dust ashes but as I know this and know it clearely so neither am I ignorant of this that the greatnesse of thy mercy is plentifull that thou art rich in goodnes wouldst haue all men to be saued Think therefore whom thou art to wit a most vile man a most ingrate sinner for thou art indeed dust and ashes dunge and stinch it selfe and with this cogitation humble thy selfe Thinke also to whom thou doest pray namely to the most wise mercifull and potent God the louer of Angels nature the repairer of mans nature the framer and maker of all things Admire his dinine Maiesty inâ—â—mously present which susteines thee loue his infinit goodnesse which is ready to heare thee and graciously to fauour thee be rooted in hope in that thou canst neuer depart out of the presence of so great a King either empty or forsaken Lastly thinke what good affect thou wilt drawne from thy meditation that thou maist direct thy considerations vnto it and what thou wilt pray for that so thou maist obserue
ingrate as to passe by such and so greate a benefite without thanks who is so colde as that hauing tasted meat so reeking hoate with loue doth not also himselfe waxe hoate surely that were a signe either of spirituall death or of stupidity disposing vnto death After the holy communion if thou doest not feele some spirituall refection it is a signe of spirituall infirmity or death Doest thou put fire in thy bosome and feelest no heate or hony into thy mouth and feelest no sweetnesse how then canst thou eate and drinke at this heauenly Table and not be drunke with the plesures of Gods house therefore let vs learne of others who haue receiued small fauours with thankfull hearts to take this great benefite with no lesse thankfulnesse When Boos perswaded Ruth to gleane the cares after his seruants he said vnto her hearest thou my daughter goe to none other field to gather neither goe from hence but abide with my maydens let thine eyes be vpon the field that they doe reape and goe thou after the maydens haue not I charged the seruants that they touch thee not besides when thou art a thirst goe vnto the vessels and drinke of that which the seruants haue drawne This benefit with what thankfulnesse doth she repay it she fell on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground and said how haue I found fauour in thy sight that thou shouldest know me seeing I am a stranger but thou art called not by a rich man but by God not to gather cares but to eate the bread of life not to drinke water of no value but to drinke the pretious bloud of the Lord art thou inuited with what great humility what great zeale what great affections of loue oughtest thou to giue thankes for this benefit Ester inuiting her Lord Ahashuerosh to a banquet hee so esteemed it that he said vnto her What is thy petition Ester that it may bee giuen thee Est 7. And what wouldest thou haue to bee done Albeit thou askest the one halfe of my Kingdome it shall bee giuen thee Out of doubt here is greater cause without all comparison of thankefulnesse for there the handmaide inuites the King but here the King inuites his vnprositable seruant there are earthly cates here are heauenly viands from the banquet proceeded the death of an enemy and temporall safety but from this ariseth the destruction of sinnes and spirituall saluation Who thē is it that admitted to so magnificēt a feast doth not offer vnto God so inuiting him not onely a part of his heart but the whole heart and whatsoeuer he is or hath Who is it that doth him not all duties of loue and praise 2. Sam. 9. What did Dauid with Mephibosheth that he might shew towards Ionathan his father did not hee promise him all fauour Did he not restore vnto him the things that were Saules and commanded him to eate meate at the Kings table And what answered Mephibosheth Who am I thy seruant that thou shouldest looke vpon such a dead dogge as I am Behold what God hath done for thee euen wonderfull things he hath giuen thee many benefits hee hath left thee a dispensatory and most rich reconditory of all graces the blessed Sacrament hee hath giuen that his flesh to eate and his bloud to drinke And what wilt thou do vnto him Wilt thou bee vnmindefull of so many and great benefits contained in one Sacrament Wilt thou forget the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing Wilt thou goe from this table by and by to thy worldly imploiments the Lord complains of those ten leapers whereof but one returned to giue thankes Luk. 17. where are the nine and that worthily for nothing is more damnable then vnthankfulnesse And what complaint will hee take vp of thee if thou receiuing not a corporall but a spirituall health shall either returne no thanks or very cold ones and so great a guest being left alone and vnsaluted shalt betake thy selfe presently to the cares of the world It is the duty of all holy men as soone as they haue tasted this heauenly feast to recognize the great benefit of it and to giue God immense thanks for it Holy Dauid may seem to haue prophesied the same all such as are fat haue eaten and worshipped all they that goe down into the dust shal kneele before him And who are these fat ones of the earth are they not the righteous and holy men which in this world possesse the true riches and are fatted with celestiall cogitations and enioy the most pure pleasures of the spirit Who are those that go down into the dust Is it not the humble in heart who in contempt of themselues fall downe vpon the earth and make themselues inferiour vnto all These doe first eate that is take the misteries of the body and bloud of Christ presently praise the Lord and adore him with thankefull hearts I doe no wrong vnto this place of the Psalms in expounding it thus for two worthy learned men long since haue so vsed it Bas Theod. Thou therefore that couetest to imitate these fat ones of the earth and wilt be partaker of their good things doe not thou separate the things which the Spirit of GOD hath ioyned together eate and adore receiue the benefit and at the least returne though not sufficient yet such slender thankes as thou art able Say with the same Prophet Psal 56. vnto thee will I pay my vowes vnto thee will I giue thanks Where wee read thy vowes are vpon mee O God I render praises vnto thee Thy vowes my God and thy desires or those which thou desirest from this thy creature are not farre off I can easily haue them they are ready without mee I haue them within my selfe which are praises and thankefulnesse which for so great a benefit I will answere thee Being with such cogitations as this stirred vp thou must for some halfe houre or as thou shalt thinke fit get thee into some priuate place and bestow thy self in giuing of thanks And if thou hast not better of thine owne or be one of them who being acted and lead by the Spiof God need no preuention of meditations thou maist vse these seauen meditations which may be assigned to euery day of the weeke 1 Meditation 1. Behold Christ Iesus thy Sauiour in thy heart by faith as a most potent King and thy selfe as one guilty of many sinnes standing before him and desiring mercy 2 Giue him infinit thankes 1. That he hath beene pleased to leaue thee so great a pledge of his loue as to be present at this holy Sacrament not as a Iudge punishing thy sinnes but as a most louing Father and King pardoning thy offences 2. That with so great fauour hee hath heard thy praiers put vp with such a polluted heart and lips 3. That hee would condiscend to dwell in that fowle and vnprepared house of thy heart 3 Detest all thy sinnes before him conceiue
wee repent for our sinnes when wee desire and purpose to shun them when in the discussion of the conscience wee shall vnderstand that they are euill and displeasing vnto God For the euils which either out of ignorance or infirmity or yet or mallice wee haue committed this discussion and this examination doth detect sets them before the eies of the minde that they may bee lamented and blotted out Therefore the things which we haue committed with more precipitancy then prudence and feare to be euil we must diligently discusse and by a wise retractation inquire whether they be iust or vniust profitable or vnprofitable Hence wee may collect that who doe not often examine themselues can seldome or neuer haue a right and sanctified life For euen as a line is not thought to bee exorbitant and swaruing from straightnesse when it is look't on without the helpe of the rule but assoone as the rule is laide to it the obliquity and crookednesse of the line is discouered so the defects of our liues do passe by and out of our knowledge whilest that the Rule of Examination doth not ponder all our workes For this discussion of the Conscience is the rule which directs our actions and shewes what is crooked and what is streight what is acceptable and what is odious to God in them If therefore the rule be necessarie to Artificers to the doing of their workes according to arte surely then is the examination of our thoughts and workes necessary to vs to the end that wee may liue well and frame our liues according to the rule of vertue When wee doe purpose to clense a house wee first gather and sweepe all the filth in one place that wee may afterwards cast it our So is the house of our conscience to bee clensed examination gathers our sinnes together and repentance after that casts them out But if by this exercise we doe not see our sins and defects and gather them into some corner of our memory euen to our confusion and teares for them how shall we euer cast them out One doth very aptly compare the examination of the conscience to the moouing of the humours in the body by physicke for as the art of physicke doth first by the benefit of some medecine mooue and collect the humours and afterwards by some potion driues them out so the art of holy liuing doth first by examination mooue our sinnes and as it were pull them out of their residence and after by true repentance castes them out This to bee the true fruite of examinatiō the Prophet shewes Let vs search and trie our waies Lam 3. turne againe to the Lord. For what other thing is it to search our waies but to discusse our manners affections words workes and thoughts What is this inquisition but to trie by examination whether these same things bee good or euill acceptable or odious vnto God And what will hence follow Surely that wee may returne vnto the Lord and by true repentance put away his indignation and obtaine his mercy and fauour Therfore the discussion of Conscience is auailcable hereunto that wee may detest and lament our sinnes Thus holy Dauid stirred vp himselfe to the destruction of his sinnes Psal 6. I am wearie of my groning euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares Hee had said before Turne mee O LORD and deliuer my soule O saue mee for thy mercies sake In which words hee praies that the Lord would pardon his former sinnes But that I may obtaine pardon saith hee I will weary my selfe with mounrning I will in the place of my rest call to minde my sinnes and will sill my bowels with sorrow and griefe For this is the way O Lord to bend and incline thy mercy and allure thee to spare and forgiue my sinnes But now let vs briefly lay downe the necessities of this discussion 1 It detects our sinnes and giues light and wisdome to know them For whilst wee accustome our selues to looke into our selues and to separate the euill frō the good we are instructed of the Lord who is faithfull how to doe that is good shun that is euill When Gedeon was threshing wheate by the wine-presse to hide it frō the Midianits Iud. 6. the Angell of the Lord appeared vnto him who taught him the will of God and made him captaine to ouercome the Midianits And what is this to thresh wheat and hide it from the Midianits but to examine thy life by a wise consideration to auoid the snares of the diuell Doth not GOD looking vpon this thy labour send his messenger to make thee captaine against thy enemies whilst thou feelest a light sent frō heauen to make thee know thy sins and stirre thee vp by teares and repentance to cast them out What is it to thresh wheate saith a holy father but by streightnesse of iudgement to separate the graines of vertues Greg. 3. Mor. from the chaffe of vices Therefore those that by iudgement and examination separato their good deeds either from wicked workes or affections doe prepare themselues to receiue the beames of diuine light At the last day when God shal iudge the world he wil first examine the consciences 1. Cor. 4. and by the examination manifest them that after hee may giue vnto the Godly most ample rewards and to the wicked most bitter torments because euen nature doth teach that no man is to bee iudged good or euill till his cause bee knowne of the Iudge God will set before man his sinnes Psal 49. hee will write them in his sight with the pencill of his wisdome that hee may know himselfe guilty and GOD iustly punishing him and the same order if wee will doe aright must wee obserue namely first by a prudent examination ponder all our thoughts and workes before either wee arraigne our selues as guilty or acquite our selues as innocents For neuer whilst wee here liue will there bee awanting in our hearts sufficient matter to humble vs and to prouoke vs to a holy repentance except our liues lie hid vnder the vaile of selfe loue 2 Another reason of the necessity hereof is for that no man can without it sufficiently conceiue a detestation of his sinnes For who euer was mooued to detest the misery hee knowes not Who euer grieues for the stripes hee feeles not Or the infamy hee knowes not such is he who is vtterly ignorant of his defects and miseries who doubtlesse will neuer grieue for them nor by any censure of amendement will cast them out And how shall hee not be ignorant of his defects who neuer lookes into himselfe Who doth not examine and discusse himselfe And who neuer obserues what hee caries either in his hands or in his heart Therefore discussion of the consciēce is the beginning of all soueraigne sorrow and repentance whereby when wee behold our owne cases and estates wee are stirred vp to sorrow and detestation for
affections words and actions turne the eyes of thy minde vnto that vice which thou impugnest or that vertue which particularly thou exercisest and looke diligently in which thou hast failed or profited and so shalt thou easilie twice euery day fall vpon this profitable exercise of discussing thy selfe From which thou shalt gather these two principall benefits first thou shalt purge thy selfe from thy sinnes by true repentance and prouoke thy selfe to a purpose of amendment secondly thou shalt know thy selfe within and without euen to a haire which is the mother of all other graces For if thou shalt search not onely into the boughs but also into the rootes not into the imperfections but the originalls of them thou shalt see thy selfe plainly to bee full of filthinesse and empty of all goodnesse neither shalt thou any thing esteeme thy selfe but rather euen from the bottome of the heart despise the best things thou canst see in thy selfe 3. Things to be done is how to compose thy selfe to sleepe After thou art laide downe in thy bed recite some Psalme or Prayer or meditate some holy thing And consider with thy selfe of what moment the grace and loue of God is vntill that sleepe came vpon thee So shalt thou be made apt and strong to repell all temptations and euen in thy sleepes shalt be able to resist Satan tempting thee and from the custome of well doing thou shalt feele thy selfe stirred vp to prayer and all holy desires Herein take the deuout mans counsell when thou goest to bed euermore carry something with thee in thy memory or thought in which thou maist quietly sleepe which will also sometimes helpe thee to sleepe and which following thee waking may restore thee into the state of yesterdayes intention So shall the night as the day bee alike light vnto thee thou shalt quietly sleepe and when thou risest thou shalt bee the more nimble and ready to returne vnto that which thou diddest not wholy forsake and leaue If any temptation or passion take thee returne to prayer and take vnto thee all the complete armor of the Apostle and adde vnto it the consideration of eternall fire the torments of the Saints the constancy of Martyrs the trophees and glories of such as witnessed a good confession Consider diligently the stones where with Stephen was stoned the broyle yron of Laurence the clubs the hooues the thornes the flames the wheeles the sharpe flints the scalding waters and leads the teares contrition and repentance the teeth of beasts the horrid prisons the streight giues of the Saints and so God assisting thee thou resisting it thou shalt ouercome fire with fire thou shalt confound the diuell and shalt sleepe and rest in the peace of Christ 3. The things which are to bee done euery weeks 1 Albeit I know the custome of our Church hath otherwise ordered the matter yet if fitlie it might bee done euery weeke I should thinke it very full of comforts and profit if thou diddest receiue the holy Communion For the frequent vse of receiuing this Sacrament is of so great moment if it be taken not out of custome but of loue and deuotion that it would minister great helpe to the aduancement of true pietie For what shall the Sunne of righteousnesse doe receiued in the hart but enlighten the receiuer what shall the fountaine of loue doe receiued in the minde but comfort the receiuer what shall the true life doe admitted into the bosom of the heart but increase the life of the soule and bring it vnto all perfection a man by much traffique and merchandize often gaineth much but if hee chance to light of some pearle of great value out of doubt he shall be much richer For this may suddenly make him a rich man So a man may grow rich by the practise of many vertues but if he often fall vpon such inestimable Pearles as that of the Lords supper where is the true myne of all rich and heauenly Diamonds how quicklie may he become a Christian of infinit worth For all other vertues giue vs but to sippe vpon the litle riuers whereas this giues vs to drinke our fill out of the fountaine it selfe Yet great care is to bee taken that wee come well prepared hereunto least we should eat and drinke our owne damnation He that comes coldly and of custome gets no benefit by it but rather much hurt because he discerneth not the Lords body But if hee come with such deuotion and disposition of heart as becommeth a man to doe to so heauenly a feast he shall finde in himselfe the wonderfull effects and power of it and a maruellous change in his whole life Herein are two extreames to bee auoided First of them that would not come so often to the Communion but yet doe come to auoide the penalty of the Law or suspition that they are not so found as they should be Secondly of them that would receiue far oftner if they might then other men doe The first of these are sicke either of sloath or ignorance because either they neglect duly to prepare themselues to the Lords Supper or out of some seruile feare and tendernesse of conscience they thinke themselues not worthy of it If sloath and coldnesse of deuotion be cause hereof then is he to be cured of this coldnesse with such things as may inflame him as before in this Treatise and with considerations of the greatnesse of this mystery and the fruits of it What good Sonne will neglect to come to his most louing Father what brother will refuse to come to his elder brother on whom he wholy depends what wise doth not willingly entertaine her louing husband and why should any flie from the entertainement of the author of his iustification sanctification and remission of his sins and the giuer of all graces In this banquet is the sweetnesse of the soule and the fruit of all vertues Here shall hee eat the bread that comforts mans heart heere shall he taste the hony that is sweete vnto his throat here shall hee drinke his wine and milke For he that eates shall eat to satiety and he that drinkes shall haue riuers of the water of life slowe out of his belly What and how great profit is in this feast where sinnes are cleansed vices extinguished passions doe acquire a measure vertues an increase and heauenly gifts their perfections how great is the sweetnesse of this table where is water cooling wine inebriating milke refreshing him hony sweetning and the bread of life eternizing Desire euermore to be partaker of the grace of it and if thou doest feele no hunger of it know thou art sicke and labour to be cured Those other that desire to communicate oftner then others let them take heede it proceede not from emulation because others doe often receiue it and they would gladly be accounted deuout let them cheeke themselues of too much pride and hypocrisie and if it proceed of some sensible deuotion which they thinke
anothers burthen Our defects are great burdens by which we sometimes become intollerable to others Therfore the defects churlish manners of our brethren must be born withall that so we may fulfill the Law of charity Measure others by thy selfe I know thou seeft in thy owne conuersation many defects which thou wouldest haue other men to beare So must thou doe with others except thou wilt with diuerse weights and diuerse measures measures other mens and thy owne which is abhominable Therefore beare that thou maist bee born with all dissemble others light defects that thy great ones may be dissembled be thou silent that thy miscries may be silenced 6 Helpe one another Bee profitable to all and by thy industry helpe them for the loue of God Helpe by thy Prayers imploring Gods mercy for them Helpe with holy desires coueting the fruite of their labours with the Lord be they corporall or spirituall helpe with thy speech when thy wisdome findeth opportunity exhorting to all things fitting and honest helpe by thy example of life and helpe by all the meanes which GOD hath giuen thee For to this end hast thou receiued them to bee Gods Steward 7 Liue circumspectly Loue all but be familiar only with the godly For he that toucheth pitch shal be defiled with it Syr. 13. and he that is familiar with the proud will be like vnto him Nor be too familiar with any for out of doubt it spends and consumes the time distracts the heart and makes two men offend at once 3 Our duty towards our selues where consider 1. The care of modesty In all thy actions be mindefull of modesty and so behaue thy selfe that thou no lesse respect thy selfe then others beholding thee Modesty is not onely a vertue but the ornament of all vertues It it that which with men gaines estimation because by the aspect of the face and those things which they see outwardly they are wont to measure our inward parts And as it is a Iudge of inward serenity and fairenesse so is it wont to keepe the same amongst all occasions of trouble Therefore thou shalt shew thy selfe modest as well in the cleerenesse of thy countenance as gracefulnesse of thy gate and in the moderation of all outward actions so that these outward things may shew the inward tranquillity to edifie all and may shew some image as it were of Christ whose modesty was so admirable that Paul besought the Corinthians by the meekenesse gentlenesse of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 2 The contempt of ones selfe Learne to discusse thy selfe to Iudge blame and contemne thy self It is a knowledge more profitable to know to dispise ones selfe then to know the amplitude of heauen and earth This Science of the knowledge of our selues doth euer cast in wholesome and profitable counsailes tending to the humble despising of our selues Therefore turne thy eies from those things which thou thinkest are good and excellent in thy selfe for they are not thine but Gods who gaue them gratis without thy desert and behold in thy selfe the things that are abiect and despicable for these are thy owne proceeding from thy corrupt nature and for these argue and despise thy selfe Let thy words sauour of the contempt of thy selfe and desire to heare the same from others concerning thee and let not the baulme of flattery breake thy heade Flee applauses flee the world and hearken to such willingly who sincerely speake truth and doe reprehend in thee what is worthy of reproofe If thou shalt thus contemne thy selfe and loue thy contemners God shall loue thee as the apple of his eye and shall adorne thee with great blessings of the spirit for this holy hatred wherewith one hates himselfe God doth abundantly recompence with his loue 3 A generall abnegation of our selues This is Christs rule If any will bee my Disciple Math. 16.24 let him deny himselfe take vp the Crosse and follow mee This word himselfe doth not designe one part of the man but the whole man to bee denied Therefore if any will insist in Christs steps he must take vp this generall denying of himselfe mortifie thy sences inward and outward commaund thy appetites restraine thy iudgement and will Chiefely bridle the two tongues of body and soule the tongue of the body that it speake not hurtfull and vnprofitable things The tongue of the soule that is thy thought that it doe not harbour and vtter vaine impure vnfruitful things if thou shalt tame these two beasts the tongue of thy selfe and thy cogitation thou shalt wonderfully dispose thy selfe to the familiarity of God For God vouchsafeth to speake to them whom he sees absteine from vaine words and as much as they can doe recall their thoughts to one that is to God himselfe 4 To beate downe the body This rebell flesh is euer in armes against the spirit Therefore that it may not ouercome let the spirit take armes against the flesh by watching fasting prayer and such holy helpes labour to bring it in subiection Beasts are not perswaded with reasons or arguments to obey men The flesh is a beast which thou shalt neuer tame by consideration alone without some castigation or subtraction of food as men vse to doe that tame beasts 5 Tranquillity of heart Thinke thou hast done nothing vntill thou hast obtained this Let not thy owne defects disquiet thee but presently assoone as thou fallest into any sinne out of the loue of God detest it returne to peace and commit thy selfe and all thine to Christ Let not aduersities trouble thee think they will not tarry nor that they came without the good wil and prouidence of God The tranquillity of the heart depends vpon the purity of it For small sinnes teare the heart but for inordinate affectiōs excruciate tormēt it Prophane businesse doe gripe the heart and such as belong not to our calling infect it If therefore thou wilt haue a quiet heart shunne euen the least sinnes those thou shunnest not presently repent thee of them moderate thy affections flee prophane businesse and withdraw thy selfe from all that belongs not to thy calling 6 Is discretion In these things hitherto treated of and in all others there is great neede of discretion whereby thou shouldest consider the times places the persons thy selfe and such with whom thou dealest thy state and manner of conuersation and according as reason circumstances and the qualities of things persons shall dictate direct thee so thou shouldest carry thy self in things that do occur offer thēselues Many things there are which do displease God trouble thy neighbour hurt thy self because not seasoned with the salt of discretion the same things if they were discreetely don would be of great acceptance both with God and man but the discretion which thou hast not let it be supplied with prayer recourse vnto God with the counsailes of prudent and wise men For hee that in doubtfull thing resorts to GOD and the counsailes
of the wise shall neuer erre If therefore thou shalt obserue these duties vnto God thy neighbour and thy selfe thou shalt wonderfully profit in sanctification of life 7 Prayer O Lord God whose all that is that is best of all who cōmandest thy seruants to shine with vertues the true ensignes of thy house and sendest into their hearts the desire of such excellent beauty kindle I beseech thee in our hearts the flaming desires of all vertues teach vs with prayers and groanes to seeke and obtaine them at thy hands that our vnworthinesse for the worthinesse of thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ may obtaine of thee who art a most bountifull giuer these true and euer enduring treasures Teach vs the nature of vertues that wee take not vices for vertues stirre vp in vs the loue of them that we may loue them and thee the author of them strengthen our armes by the helpe of thy grace that wee by holy liues setting vpon the City of glory may through the merits of Christ be possessors of it let our life be the life of the righteous that wee may die in Christ and liue in thee for euer Amen The conclusion of the Booke IF shall be obiected that this manner of seruing of God is most troublesome and withall most impossible in repect of our many frailties miseries and also our necessary and alloweable imployments in our vocations I answere that hauing fully acquainted our selues with the seuerall rules and instructions conteined in this booke the greatest part of bodily labour in the seruice of God will easily be cut off and we shall lay for a foundation that of the Apostles that bodily exercise profiting but little 1. Tim. 4. our chiefe care must be to reuerence and loue God in our mindes holy cogitations and good desires albeit yet those duties of our bodies may not as time and place will giue leaue be vtterly neglected For it is godlinesse onely that is profitable vnto all things But besides seeing we are to giue an account vnto God for the expence of our times as the most pretious guift of God it is very necessary that euery man haue a knowledge of some profitable forme of seruing GOD that hee may thereby labour so to spend the foure and twenty houres of the day and so consequently all the daies of his life that he may assure his owne conscience this his life hath beene life indeed and not death and so may obtaine the glory of eternall life and auoide eternall death in which all they doe euer die that liue in these insinit streights of the world and doe not make vse of their most deare and pretious time to that end for which it was leut them namely to know loue feare and reuerence God to delight onely in him and the things directed vnto him Therefore experience teacheth vs that there are three considerations which do not only inuit but ought also to enforce euery man but especially great persōs who thinke thēselues most exēpted frō this kind of seruing God duly in such a streight exact manner as this is to serue God The 1. is the nobility of him which serueth The 2. is his greatnesse and goodnes whō we serue The 3. is hope of reward These 3. if we do rightly cōsider thē with many other motiues very effectuall hereunto wil casily so cōmand our affectiōs that we shal neuer omit to serue the high God in this sort 1 The nobility of him that serueth ought to mooue him to serue well For a generous minde in some sort compels a generous man to perform the taske he hath vndertakē after the most sublime excellent maner that possibly he can that especially when he hath to doe with great noble and generous persons Therefore euery man as much as is belonging to this businesse must consider what himselfe is of how great nobility and worth And thus doing wee shall finde our selues to bee of much more excellency then the heauens nay the whole frame of the world seeing wee are created after the image and similitude of God and are his Sonnes if wee serue him a right and shal be heires of his eternall Kingdome This nobility of ours ought much to incite vs rightly and duly to serue God For albeit we may omit that it is iust that the generous should vse his generosity through his fidelity to serue duly nothing else doth so much effect that generous noble persons may come nere to that most high and true nobility which they wish as to serue the most high God For thus Psal 82.1 of men they become Gods and so become farre more noble then if they were borne of the kings line For that is true liberty and nobility and that onely in which the seruice of Christ is found to bee If the Sonne doe make vs free then are wee free indeede Io. 8.36 if hee inoble vs then are wee truely inobled And surely this is not without great reason Matth. 24.47 for onely those shall be kings of heauen and rulers ouer all their Masters goods As the holy Gospell telleth vs Yea in earth shall be more eminent and high then the kings of the earth For in commanding themselues they doe also command whatsoeuer things else But al those that serue not Christ are not onely the sonnes of Satan but euen at length are made his most vile slaues in eternall darkenesse Therefore if there be any whom the former cause namely that he may obtaine most excellent liberty dominion and nobility doth not inuite to serue God surely that man ought to be terrified with the great euill which in the second place is noted namely that so hee becomes the sonne and slaue of the deuill and for this cause should striue with al his powers to serue God 2 Wee must also ponder the greatnesse and dominion and the bounty goodnesse of him for whose seruice we were created And we shall finde that the dominion which God hath ouer euery one of vs also ouer all the Kings and great Potentates and States both in heauen and earth is without al comparison greater then the dominion that all the Kings great ones of the world hath aboue one base basket of earth nor are they indeed the true Lords of so much but God is so the Lord of all them that with one only blast he can turne them vnto nothing and plunge them all into the deepe dungeon of hell except they shall serue him but if they will serue him he shall so exalt them in another life that they shall truely acknowledge that whatsoeuer they possessed here was nothing else but a base basket of earth compared vnto those worthy things which there they shall enioy There is no cause that wee should in many words extoll the greatnesse of this Lord for albeit wee should neuer cease yet should it be nothing that we had said in respect of that which the