exhorted in Gods sacred Word to forsake hate and overcome the World and wee may also truly answer That surely it is not ment therin by forsaking and hating the World that wee should goe live in a Monastery forsweare Marriage Vow wilfull Poverty refuse lawfull meats moderate and expedient Recreations and the like But rather in the same sense as wee are exhorted to forsake hate father mother wife children c. That is for Christs sake and the Gospels rather then forsake him and goodnesse By forsaking hating and overcomming the World is meant the dangers abuses and evils therof certainly not the good things therin in a superstitious manner These as hath bin said may be enjoyed notwithstanding their vanities and dangers in their good use freely and cheerefully To contemne overcome and be above the World is indeed a brave proposition and many there be who glory to discourse therof Though perchance they scarce know what it is much lesse practice it The world is often dangerous and wanton in a corner in solitarines in idlenes and in those places and actions where some men make profession of flying from it and trampling it underfoot which is meant of Hypocrites who have so much degenerated from their beginning That there remayneth almost nothing but the habit And that also serveth to puffe them up to make them proud and impudent which is quite contrary to their Institutions But to contemne the use the service the commodity and therin the enjoyance and pleasures of the World what accusation is it against Nature that invites us against Reason that wils us therunto yea against the Author that made them to these ends What ingratitude is it to refuse that which God lovingly offers To sequester our selves from the company of the World and from the enjoying of earthly things because of their dangers proceeds as a Reverend Divine saith from a weak base and distrustfull minde as if we would so force goodnesse upon our selves That therfore onely wee would be good because we cannot be ill but for a man to know the highest of worldly contentments To live in the throng of the World and yet to be above it to use it enjoy it contemne it as he pleases to compell it to his service without infection well becomes the noble courage of a Christian No man indeed can serve two masters we cannot serve God and Mammon Let us then make the World our slave onely God our master It is true indeed then to be servants to the World It is better to goe out of it but to use it as a Master compelling it to our service in all good ways without abuses as it is more difficult then to sequester our selves from it so is it also more victorious and shall be an occasion of greater triumphs and brighter Crowns in Heaven The abstract of the sixt SECTION ALthough 't is certain that terrestriall treasures Honour and greatnesse also earthly pleasures Do greatly tempt us unto covetousnesse Ambition all intemperate vitiousnesse Yet in good use therof we freely may The greatest pleasures therof still enjoy When our affections unto ill incline We ought with reason and with grace divine Such ill desires to conquer and to quell It is more prayse and glory to do well In midst of great temâ—tations then to be Otherwise good for meer necessity And as the danger 's greater we shall be The more rewarded for such victory Wheras to sequester our selves for fear Into a Monastery or forbear Things lawfull as expeâ—ient recreation Which may and ought with moderate delectation Be us'd because of dangers doth proceed Out of a weak distrustfull minde indeed But for a man to know the highest joy The world affords and yet without annoy To live therin and as a Master use The same in all respects without abuse And can even as he list the world compell Vnto his service and even then do well In midst of great temptations surely he In heaven with brightest glory crown'd shall be The seventh Section Wee may enjoy earthly Felicities notwithstanding their impements c. SVch men as object against the free and cheerfull enjoyance of earthly Felicities do truly tell us That the enjoyance and use of earthly happinesse doth often hinder us in the attainment and also enjoyment of supernaturall and heavenly things But we may also truly answer are to know That it is indeed onely the abuses of these Pleasures and Felicities that hinder us therin otherwise in their good vse They may serve as spectacles to seeth by the more cleerly into heaven and may further us in all good heavenly ways They may stirre us up to thankfulnesse and to all duties of pietie encrease our love to God and joy in him They may be notable encouragements to do more worthily and to go on more cheerfully in the ways of God and in such good use they may be sweet and pleasant additions to our hope of heaven And by viewing and enjoying these wee may look higher to their Fountain contemplating the excellency sweetnesse and beauty of the Creator who is infinitely more excelling and so in some measure espie and enjoy the Felicities of heaven also while we are on earth but of this more at large in the next Section And therfore in their good use wee may enjoy them freely and cheerefully But such as would mayntaine the contrary do further object to this purpose more particularly The most materiall Objections I shall endevour to collect briefly and so to answere them They truly tell us First that Abstinence and forbearance of pleasures doth best fit and prepare the minde for the well performance of all divine Exercises and Contemplations Secondly that many ill men possesse and enjoy these e rthly Felicities and many good men want them which shews say they the same are hinderances in goodnesse Thirdly that our Saviour saith It is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven And Saint Paul Not many mighty not many noble are called and that the mourners the meek and dejected spirits are rather pronounced blessed in Gods Word then voluptuous men All which I shall endevour to answer briefly Concerning the first That fasting and forbearance of pleasures fits and prepares the minde for divine Exercises It is most true and it is very requisite and good that we fast pray repent be abstemious and exercise our selves in all Christian duties so far as we may conveniently without superstition as wee are exhorted therunto And God forbid that I should be guilty of speaking against due and convenient fasting abstinence and therin retirednesse from pleasures of the World to divine Contemplations which at due and convenient times is certainly most pleasing to God And very beneficiall both to body and minde disburthening the same of many grosse humours vapours and spirits and so taking away sloth dulnes many distempers making our minds as farre as is possible in this World like Angels most free quick and sprightly in
happinesse As for example The azur'd Heaven so richly deckt and counterpointed with Stars and rowling Torches never ceasing over our heads enjoying the same by contemplation he mounteth higher and is carried with admiration feare love and reverence of the Authour and soveraigne Lord of all So that we can even by our corporall eys from the Earth look to the Moon the Sun the starry Heaven and therein sweetly please our selves in the view and contemplation of their glorious aspect Their bright lovely twinkling silver heavenly rays from thence by the eye of reason wee can see further to the Christalline Heaven yea to the Emperiall above the Spheres and there contemplate farre more excellent glory delights and happinesse So as even by reason in and through these earthly Felicities our dim eyes as through spectacles may espy some light of God himselfe and of his infinite beauty pleâ—santnesse sweetnesse and excellency But if wee adde the eie of Faith also to our Reason wee may view farther and see more plainly This Author of all happinesse God himselfe and his Celestiall glory And taste of the ocean of his infinite sweetnesse and heavenly pleasures And as Reason so faith also in the view and contemplation of heaven may make a very good use of earthly comparisons similitudes delights and happinesse Wee often finde in the sacred Scriptures that earthly comparisons are used to expresse heavenly excellencies to our apprehension So as by the Riches Honour Kingdomes Crowns Glory Delights and Pleasures of the Earth wee may looke infinitely higher by the light of Reason and of Faith and therby contemplate those infinitely more excellent Treasures Crowns Kingdomes Glory and Delights of Heaven Faith goes before time and makes things future present in such sort as therby we may even in this life in some degree possesse the happinesse of Heaven in so much as by faithfull and heavenly contemplation we may even set our souls in Heaven before-hand tasting already of future happinesse entertayning our selves with God himself and with Angels And so enjoying in our thoughts and contemplations a Paradise of heavenly Pleasures and Felicities on earth Let us therfore often in contemplation by the light of Reason and of Faith which are the best Opticks view and contemplate those glorious Crowns Treasures Delights Felicities which wee expect hereafter to possesse in the Heavens and as in a mirrour behold his glory who is the fountain Perfection of al pleasure happines It is the poore despised and miserable mans onely hope and joy on earth To be rich honorable and happy in Heaven The rich honorarable and prosperous man also with reason imagines That if Terrestriall Prosperity afford him some Felicities and Pleasures Hee shall be much more happy when he shall possesse those eternall Riches Honours and Pleasures of Heaven Let our souls then often soare aloft upon the wings of Reason and of Faith unto the Empirean Heaven where our desires shall be accomplished with all manner of Felicities Would we have Thrones This Imperiall Heaven shall be our Footstool Would wee have Crownes Glory and Immortality shall environ our heads Do we desire Treasures Inestimable riches are in this house of our God Would we have Pleasures Rivers of pleasures are at his right hand for evermore Let us then untie our selves from the covetous ambitious intemperate and vitious desire of these earthly Felicities and with a Pitch full of desire and love elevate our Thoughts to those most glorious Riches Kingdomes and Pleasures of Heaven The riches of the World so much as wee do possesse In the good use therof let us still enjoy freely and cheerfully onely let us convert our covetous base sordid and vitious desire therof To the love desire and enjoyance of a contented minde and of the riches of divine grace Those eternall Treasures of Heaven yea even to possesse God himselfe In such desires let us greatly rejoyce So also Honour and good repute may we still enjoy And instead of that ravenous and unsatiable thirst of ayry and vain honour composed of Pride Vain-glory Hypocrisie and sundry vices Let every one of us aspire by the assistance of the Divine Power to be Lord of himself The Worlds Master To triumph over all infernall Powers To be a Sonne of God an heire to the Kingdome of Heaven And in such desires and aspirations Let us take marvellous joy and Pleasure All lawfull and good pleasures also in such good use let us freely enjoy onely let us convert our vain vitious unlawfull intemperate desire therof To desire and wish for those most sweet pleasures which proceed from a happy tranquillity of the soule and joy in God and to taste in some measure before hand of that divine Manna that celestiall Nectar those fountaines of Pleasures which wee hope and expect to enjoy with God himself for ever in the Heavens Let us then freely and cheerfully walke into this terrestriall Paradise the vast Palace of the World and enjoy the felicities thereof for to this end they were created that we should use them well and so enjoy them Even the meanest delights therof were ordained for this purpose and may be of excellent use As for example The chirping of Birds who learn to sing of Nature to charme our eares through the sweet harmony of their warbling when these please our eares then may we think of the sweet Musick of Saints and Angels which shall ravish our spirits And the Fountaines though insensible yet strive with the sweet murmurs of their prety purlings to afford us delectation When this delights our thoughts Then may we contemplate those heavenly Fountains of Life which shall fill us with extreme delectation for ever In this Terrestriall Palace the Spring the Summer and Autumne are incessantly busied in producing our happinesse for a season but let us think in the Celestiall Paradise an Eternitie shall accomplish us with more felicity then we can imagine Here we see the Sun Moon Stars The Skies Fire Torches Pearles Gold and divers other glorious sights and beauties Let us then think of that Glory of which if wee could with Saint Peter espie but one ray wee should like him be so dazeled at the glittering thereof as wee should for ever desire to dwell there and to build Tabernacles When we see and taste of sweet and pleasant Cates Banquetting Festivall and dainty meats of all sorts of sparkling and delicious wines and other pleasing liquors Let us then think of that Celestiall Manna the food of Heaven of that divine Nectar the sweetnesse of eternall joy and happinesse That everlasting Lovefeast to which the Angels shall invite us and where wee shall enjoy infinite pleasures and happinesse for ever This divine Manna this heavenly Nectar if we could but taste therof but truly think therof indeed it were sufficient to charme our spirits and sweetly to bring them into a most pleasing extasie In so much that in such heavenly thoughts and contemplations wee may already in
than He that is usually a temperate man In such a man all earthly pleasures may Best serve to excite good actions heavenly joy Such men indeed are worthy of most praise Who can their minds to such a temper raise To know and see the highest sweetest joy The World affords and yet without annoy To live therin and as a Master use The same in all respects without abuse As if he us'd it not Even how and when He will himself enjoying now and then Its choisest pleasures when he please again Contemning them even with a great disdain For 's own advantage when his soule aspires To Heaven comparing them with such desires He then contemplates surely such a man Who thin doth use all earthly joys and can Be good as Lot in Sodome or as Christ Be temperate even at the Sinners Feast And surely such heroick noble hearts As can be good amongst a showre of darts As also such as not withstanding Quires Of Syrens tempting unto ill desires Can yet be chast and temperate shall be Rewarded greatly for such victory In Heaven with inestimable treasures With Crowns of glory with eternall pleasures Most certainly indeed thrice blessed then Are such great mighty rich and noble men Who notwithstanding many strong temptation Alluring and inchanting provocations Can yet contemning evils mount the Skies To heaven through al these charming difficultie O how such men in heaven eternally Shall sweetly triumph for such victory It is an error to maintain and say Religion doth deject us truly nay Religion sure doth comfort quicken cheare It doth encourage elevate up reare Mourning dejected Spirits very high Even to a kingdome far above the skie To Heaven it self and sweetly doth possesse Them with true peace true joy true happinesse It also makes earth's happinesse farre sweeter So as we may enjoy the same much better For when such raised heavenly joys we finde We may enjoy the earth with heavenly minde So having sought Gods Kingdome now we may The Pleasures of the earth freely enjoy In such sort as we may esteem them even Little additions to our hope of Heaven Since we are Christs and Ghrist is Gods we may The sweetest joyes on earth in Heaven enjoy The eighth Section Wee may enjoy earthly happinesse with a heavenly mind insomuch as by the good use and enjoyance therof we may learn and enjoy in some measure the felicities of heaven on earth I Have in the former Sections insisted somewhat largely upon the free and cheerfull enjoyance of earthly happinesse in their good use answering the objections to the contrary The rather because certainly If men were well perswaded of this truth That externall happinesse is not contrary but rather in the good use therof may be a furtherance both to internall and eternall happinesse They would with more swift desires run the ways that lead them both to the felicities of earth and heaven And also because the too rigid and stoicall severity of many men both in their carriage and writings is a great occasion That multitudes of people in the World especially such as are young and of a pleasant nature will not follow the divine Precepts of verue and Religion thinking the same too severe Monkish and solitary Wheras indeed the ways of religion and vertue are most lovely pleasant and beneficiall Her ways are ways of Pleasantnesse and her paths are peace Proverb 3.17 The same is sufficient to guerdon the followers therof even in this life with perfect pleasure and a multitude of benefits It is no way deficient but in all respects amiable and excellent Adding to the pleasantnesse and delights of earthly pleasures felicities and recreations and making these also serve to encrease heavenly joys and consolations And when our mindes are raised to the knowledge of heavenly pleasures wee may then also enjoy the felicities of the earth with a heavenly mind Let us therfore endevour by and through these lower delights and happinesses of the earth These little glimmering rays proceeding from that Sun of Glory God himself to espie some light of his havenly Glory and Happinesse and so in some measure to spell learn and enjoy the felicities of heaven on earth Wee are not to disdain to make use of these earthly in the acquist of heavenly things nor to make earthly comparisons and similitudes herein For although there be no comparison between them either in Time or Excellency Yet as children have need at first to be allured to the acquisition of great and excellent matters by such toyes and trifles as they apprehend so in respect of our weake apprehension such comparisons and similitudes often are and may be used in a convenient manner So as we may make a very good use of earthly felicities in this respect as of a prospective Glasse for by and through these earthly our weak sight may see more plainly into heavenly happinesses and consequently be excited to seek and enjoy the same Let us then by reasons light through these terrestriall endevour to learn espie and contemplate higher more excellent heavenly happines Reason is of such force as that it can passe from things known to things unknown It can abstract from visible things things invisible from corporall incorporall generals from particulars and high mysticall and heavenly things from low apparant terrestriall things So as hereby we may in some measure contemplate God himself and his heavenly Glory It is a common doctrine the World is made for man and man for God and that there is no happinesse in the World from which wee may not draw some instruction to know God our selves and our dutie If therfore first in generall we consider all the Felicities in the World in their greatest worth beauty sweetnesse and pleasantnesse reason will tell us That if there be so much excellency in the creatures the Creator is in all respects much more excellent and that if we may enjoy such and so many pleasures and felicities in creatures Much more and better may and shall we enjoy in God himself taste and see how good the Lord is saith King David The Felicities of the Earth in their greatest worth and excellency Are but as drops proceeding from the ocean of his infinite sweetnesse If we may enjoy so much pleasure so much happines in these little drops foretasts how much more may shal we in those rivers of pleasures in that sea of happinesse which is in God in the heavēs Reason also tels us If there be so much so many such excellent treasures glory delights and felicities on earth the place of our mortality of our pilgrimage possessed also by Gods enemies There is abundantly more happinesse in Heaven the place of our Eternity our Kingdom and possessed onely by God himselfe and his Friends And besides the instruction which man draweth in generall from earthly Felicities hee may likewise in particulars even by reason spie and learn some knowledge of God himself and his heavenly glory and