they are cruel who unbraid and deride them or expose them to the derision of others by discovering their sins to whom they should be as merciful and charitable in concealing as if they were their own not forgetting the severe sentence of S. James Judgement without mercy be unto him that doth no mercy Consider how God is so pleased with mercy shewed to our Neighbour that to such only as do it he hath promised mercy And withall hath commanded us to beg for pardon and remission of our sins as we remit and fully forgive them who trepass against us And that so freely and absolutely as not to retain the least rancor or malice in our hearts Which to accomplish when any enmity or uncharitable thought is slily creeping into thy heart reflect thine eye on Christ crucified who as saith S. Bernard to heap mercies on mercies gave his life and out of his wounded side brought forth the price of satisfaction whereby he fully pacified his Father according to the words of David With our Lord is mercy and plentiful redemption Hereupon thou mayst infer that whosoever seek for mercy and security in Christs wounded side must come like Noe's Dove to the window of the Ark that brought an Olive-branch in his Beak which is the type of mercy and peace To signifie they must be merciful and charitable to others who expect to find mercy there O my soul arise and shake off those dull cogitations of enmity that surcharge thy heart that thou mayst nimbly fly and be like the Dove nestling in the hole of the Rock the pierc'd and patient side of thy Saviour That when thou art pursued by the Enemy like a Dove by the Hawk that shrowds himself in the hole of a rock here thou mayst find succour and secure thy self Here is the gate of mercy and pity which always stands wide-open where at all times thou mayst find habour in the secure calm of mercy To be merciful is to have a grievous and pitiful heart Ah! how pitiful was that wounded heart of thy Saviour which for thy sake was pierc'd through with a Spear Compassionate and have with him a heart wounded with grief and pity Commiserate the distressed members of his mystical Body in him and then thou canst not but be merciful to thy self and find mercy for thy self being one of his O merciful Redeemer I behold blood and water streaming from thy heart and issuing out of thy wounded side By that precious blood I was redeemed and made one of thine And by the water of Baptism I was purified and made one of thine To persevere still and continue one of thine still may that door of mercy thy wounded side be open unto me May I be dead to the world and sin that wounded as with a Spear with true love and charity I may never by sin cause this gate of mercy to be shut against me Thou O Lord didst vouchsafe to give freely the last drops of blood which were in thy heart for a more compleat Redemption Grant I beseech thee that I may spend the remnant of my days in thy holy service in works of mercy spiritual and corporal that finally I may obtain mercy through thee my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen O my soul consider what it is to find mercy through Jesus Christ to which thou so often sayst Amen or So be it It is to find mercy by the vertue and merits of his bitter Passion Yet this will not suffice if thou beest not merciful to him likewise in his So great is the vertue of Mercy saith S. Leo that without it all other vertues will not profit thee No though a man be faithful chaste and sober and endued with singular ornaments yet if he be not merciful he deserves not mercy And remember that thy works of mercy must be done through Christ our Lord to be dignified by vertue of his Passion and for his sake otherwise they shall have no reward The right hand must not know what the lest hand doth No sinister or by-intention must intrude A charitable work must be a work of justice when we render to God the glory only due to him and to our selves reserve the reward which promised we expect Nay more an Alms hath the honour to be call'd Justice it self For our Saviour adviseth us to beware that we do not our Justice before men that we may be seen by them and have the applause and praise of men In fine Who would not in this manner be merciful that knows in the old Law no Sacrifice Ox or Sheep might be offered in the Temple that had not a tail which in a mystical sense might prefigure that even in the Law of Grace no work of mercy which is a kind of Sacrifice to God can be acceptable which hath not an end that is a right intention tending to Gods honour and for his sake If we cry out with Zachaeus Ecce Behold when he gave so great an Alms as the moity of his Goods it may seem to savour of ostentation till we add farther with him Domine Behold O Lord I give to thee what is thine as to Caesar what is his in respect of his figure stamp'd in it So in my Alms I behold thee and contribute thine for thy sake like Zachaeus little considering my poor ability yet present a work like the Widow with her Mite great in regard of a free and willing heart Should I give it to be magnified by others What could I behold therein but mine own shape like a Narcissus enamored with himself court the shadow and lose the substance An Alms is a work of Redemption Redeem thy sins by Alms works of mercy It is an entire Expiation Give Alms and all shall be pure unto you The Sixth BEATITUDE Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God EMBLEME VI. The Fig-Tree Nec Cornisi punctum 6. So pierc'd and pierc'd with sorrow's dart Compunction from a sinners heart And eyes extracteth tears while grace The opposite to sin takes place OF this Tree there are several kinds differing according to the several Countries wherein they grow the name being generally attributed to all those Trees which bear a fruit that hath some resemblance to the Fig. But that which is the subject of the present Emblem grows commonly in Spain and Italy though possibly brought thither at first from some other parts of the World It bears a Fig without the production of any precedent Blossom which as it should seem hath in it during the time of its greenness a raw humour whose crudity is such that it ripeneth not till a certain Fly or Gnat gives it a prick or wound Soon after the Fig hath receiv'd that wound there distills from it a kind of tear which falls to the earth After which the Sun entring in at that narrow passage made by the Fly the Fig by degrees comes to maturity Behold here the Emblem of a Heart truly contrite wounded by
compunction and pierc'd with sorrow which before while it was green was not in a capacity to receive the influences of the Sun of Righteousness and consequently could not be ripned till a passage was made for the evacuation of the peccant humour that so the beams of grace might efficaciously work upon it Let us then consider that if this delicate fruit does upon its piercing or wounding distil tears and that in order to its attainment of maturity it is much more requisite that the devout Christian should endure the stings of remorse and compunction in order to his being advanc'd to that perfection which is requir'd in the pure of Heart To this end is it that a Man ought sometimes as Saint Augustine sayes to make his appearance at the Tribunal of his own Soul where his own Thoughts will be his Accusers his Conscience the Witness and Grief the Executioner to wound the sinful Heart Then saith he let the blood as it were of the Soul fâ—w and issue forth by tears Notwithstanding all this Who saith Solomon will glory that he hath a clean Heart True it is no Man should glory herein but give the Glory onely to God Yet since the pure of Heart shall onely see God such purity of Heart is required as is produc'd by the expulsion of sin and infusion of Grace Therefore David humbly desired that his sin might be blotted out and that within him might be created a clean Heart Not a new Heart created but purity therein which being produc'd without any precedent merit of the finners part may be term'd a Creation Therefore Saint Paul tells us That Charity which is the same spiritual quality with Grace is transfus'd into our Souls which gives life and vigour in some sort as the Soul created and infus'd informs and gives life and motion to the body Me-thinks a Fig when but green pierc'd and wounded as it were by the Gnat lies expos'd to the bright and hot beams of the Sun as the Heart of a sinner doth to the Sun of Justice when 't is plerc'd by compunction Ah! what Light of Faith and heat of Love enters through those new â—ade passages of the Contrite Heart by which it becomes as it were a new Heart ripened by Virtue and embellished by Grace Now elevate thine Eyes to behold the wounded Heart of our Lord not with the sting of a Gnat but with a sharp Spear not to receive any light or heat of Consolation but to lay out the entire summ of that infinite treasure of his precious blood besides water to purifie thy impure Soul that thou mayst be blessed and see God thereby to enjoy eternal Beatitude CONSIDERATIONS ON THE VI. BEATITUDE On our Blessed Saviour's wounded Heart HAving in the Fifth Beatitude like a Dove nestling in the hole of a Rock as at the Gate of Mercy entred by Contemplation into Christ's wounded side now make a step farther or rather with reverence stay and view his wounded Heart most pure and clean where sin could never find entrance and say with the Patriarch Jacob Verily here is no other than the House of God and the Gate of Heaven This is the Blessed One pure of Heart who ever had the happy sight of God Consider what it is to be clean of Heart It is to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost To be in the state of Grace that is not guilty of any mortal sin And since the Heart is the Source and Fountain whence our thoughts perpetually flow to suppress all impure cogitations as they are rising is to have a clean Heart when it is accompanied with a pure intention directing all our actions to the Honor and Glory of God And as Saint Augustine saith Whatsoever we do whatsoever we laudably desire must tend to obtain the Vision of God beyond which nothing can be desired Think of the Question propounded by King David O Lord Who shall dwell in thy Tabernaele or who shall rest in thy holy hill And then attend to the Answer which is this He that liveth uprightly and worketh righteousness c. This is a hard saying Must the Heart be so clean as not to have one spot The Child but a day old is not free and in his Angels God found iniquity Who then shall be justified in his sight Or who can be clean of Heart while the All-seeing Eye of Heaven beholds it Appeal then to the pure Heart of thy Saviour rely on his Innocence not on thine own on his merits not on thine Seeing that Vessel of Election said he was guilty of nothing and yet in that he was not justified yet doubted not to say A Crown of righteousness was due unto him which the just Judge would give him I will therefore say with David O Lord turn away thy face of thy severe Justice from my sins And with him add further Shew me thy face that is to say of thy mercy and I shall be saved According to thy great mercy and multitude of thy mercies cancell my iniquity wash me again from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin that I may be clean of Heart to enjoy thy sight O my Soul Keep thy Heart as the Wise man adviseth thee with all kind of custody for out of it saith he proceeds life Keep it pure let not in one mortal sin to defile it for then from the Heart would proceed Death destruction of Grace and loss of the sight of God for Grace is the seed of Glory Let thy Heart be ploughed by Contrition harrow'd and cleans'd from the weeds of sin that this divine seed may be sowen in thy Heart which springs up by holy desires and is ripened by virtuous exercises O my God thou hast commanded me to love thee with an entire pure and sincere Heart Give me I beseech thee what thou commandest by creating in me a clean Heart and renewing a right Spirit in my bowels that I may love thee with all my Soul that my Will may be resign'd to thine without any contradiction with all my Mind and Memory alwayes to think of thee and with all my powers that I may employ them in thy service To perform all these things I must observe four things First Seeing all I am and have Body and Soul spiritual and temporal blessings I have from God I must be alwayes mindfull of his benefits Serve honour and thank him for all love him above all and for him my Neighbour Secondly I must consider the excellency of God And seeing he is infinitely greater than our Heart though we serve him with all our Heart and powers of our Soul yet are we defective and insufficient and must therefore think we never do enough Thirdly We must not suffer the world to usurp the least corner of our Heart by disordinate Love for that were injurious to God as was the placing of the Idol Dagon by the Ark. He is too covetous saith Saint Jerom whom God cannot satiate And he loves God less
unmindful amidst the jollity of a life spent in delights and vanities that they are blessed who mourn 4. Can I fix mine eye on his sacred Mouth crying out I thirst and not be presented with a remembrance of that true happiness which he pronounc'd to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness as he himself did while he conceiv'd himself streightned and thought the time tedious till his hour was come to suffer and satisfie for us in all rigor of justice 5. As for his wounded Side streaming forth bloud and water how can it but revive and rub up the memory of the dullest and most unmerciful man How can he behold that side pierc'd and not be wounded with pity and commiseration towards the necessitous How can he see that side exhausted of its last treasure of precious bloud for his redemption and yet forget the poor and not relieve the miserable 6. But when he passeth further and by the rift comes to behold his Saviour's wounded Heart O what a copious and fertile place is there for a devout Art of Memory Who reads not there Blessed are the pure of heart Who finds not there the Urim and Thummim words which were inserted in the High Priest's Brest-plate but now in a more perfect manner enclos'd within the pure heart of our High Priest Christ Jesus What illuminations what ardors which Urim signifie what perfections what integrities expressed by Thummim were confin'd within the narrow limits of that divine heart which still open still invites the sinner to cleanse with that sacred water and purifie with that precious bloud his spotted and defiled heart which must be by receiving a wound of true compunction in his own for the cleansing whereof the most innocent and pure heart of his Lord and Saviour was so pierced 7. Now for as much as there is a secret sympathy and correspondence between the heart and the hand who can elevate his eyes to Christ's right hand nail'd to the Cross and not call to minde that Blessed are the peace-makers and among them that great Peace-maker who being our Mediator interpos'd himself between God and us and received the wounds and heavy chastisement which our heinous sins deserved Who can behold both his hands lifted up to heaven and not call to mind our innocent Abel whose bloud cries to heaven for mercy to reconcile us to his Father Who can see those sacred hands fasten'd to the Cross and not reflect that he ought to be so far from inciting others to dissention that it should be his main endeavour to fasten their hands by an amicable composure of their differences and a charitable mediation between them 8. Lastly inasmuch as Persecution belongs to the Feet either to fly or stay and suffer descend from thy Saviour's sacred Hands to his Feet in like manner transfix'd with nails Who is it that can humbly kiss the right foot with a kind of hope to be plac'd on Christ's right hand and forbear to do the like to the left with a compliant heart ready to suffer persecution for righteousness sake Can our memory so far fail us as when we fix our eyes on these tender feet to be forgetful how they were blister'd with long journies in the search of lost souls and at last how with weary and feeble steps they ascended Mount Calvary to that extream persecution thereby to enfranchise us and make us capable of admission into the Kingdom of Heaven Thus may we behold our second Adam naked yet encompassed with Beatitudes that he might cloath the sinful naked Adam who was environed with miseries If to remember the last things be not to sin certainly to be vers'd in this Art of Memory will be not only to eschew evil but also to do good and to acquire that Beatitude which makes a man eternally happy And whereas I have so often mentioned this Art of Memory I now come to bestow some few lines by way of direction to satisfie their curiosity who are lovers of it in order to the advantage they may make thereof LOCAL MEMORY depends on several places dispos'd at a certain distance one from the other purposely consign'd to quicken the Memorative power And this is wrought by presenting one thing to it by the representation of some other accompany'd with a reason why that other was there placed this means Remembrance or Reminiscence which is an attendant to Reason presents us with that which we had otherwise forgotten Nay to use S. Augustine's words We had forgotten it in some sort yet by that part of the thing which we remembred which was the reason why we seek the other part which we remember not For the Memory being at a loss for want of a full notion desireth what is wanting may be added which is the Reason left in the place and the thing which I left there that at my return I might find it by Reminiscence To render what hath been said the more easily comprehensible by example My place which like the first matter stands in an indifferency as to all forms or as soft Wax susceptible of all impressions shall be Jonas swallowed up by the Whale which I seem really to behold Now if I am for instance to commit Vsury to this place I give my reason to my self to wit because it devours men in their Estates Again if the word or matter of Obedience occur I place it on the Whale which commanded by the power of Heaven was ready to receive Jonas cast over-board by the Mariners If afterwards at some other time Innocence either in word or matter is to be placed on or about the Whale I dispose it in the jaws of that Monster with my reason because they did not crush or so much as hurt Jonas in the reception of him Nay to be short what is there but may be according this Art placed on the Whale swallowing Jonas For instance If solemn vows or promises if prayers and repentance I place them on Jonas If I would remember Pride I place it on the Nostrils of the Whale spoutiâ—â— out water into the air If Humility I place it on Musculus a little fish which as some affirm always goes before the Whale If Arrogance occur or Ambition I lay it on the Mountain of Water which its vast back raises up If Strength and Impetuosity I place them on the tail In fine if Combination of little ones to confront the greater I place it on a shole of Herrings attempting to encounter the Whale The like Method is to be us'd as to other heads And this is a summary account of Local or Artisicial Memory Now if the Prophet David doubted not to say to God himself Why dost thou turn away thy face Why hast thou forgotten to be gracious And Lord remember David and all his troubles Why may not I and that I hope without offence affirm that a kind of Local Memory may be attributed to God Nay why not much rather remembrance then forgetfulness
The Rain-bow shall be in the clouds saith the Text as spoken by God himself And I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant Here we may say the place consign'd was the Rain-bow on which the Covenant to be remembred was placed and by that Rain-bow was prefigured Christ on the Cross whom his Father beholding is moved to mercy and compassion towards sinners And why should not we wretched sinners whenever we behold or represent to our selves this Rain-bow to wit Christ crucifi'd and fasten'd to the Cross diversifi'd with the several colours of red and white and black and blew c. immediately call to mind what he suffred and for whom he suffred And why may we not upon that representation according to the foresaid Art assign eight several places at certain distances for our better remembrance and practice of the Eight Beatitudes And whereas the Lord said that the Rain-bow should be seen in the Clouds why may not the representation of our Saviours bitter Passion be our Remembrancer how that he was encompassed not only with a cloud but with a total eclipse of heaviness and grief In fine if God said that he would look upon the Rain-bow that he might remember his Covenant ought not we frequently to imagine to selves a sight of him who is the Angel of the Covenant the Prince of Peace and the Mirrour and great Exemplar of patience and meekness When we reflect on his nakedness on the Cross shall we not thence derive a certain memento how poor he was in spirit and so of the rest with a reason why each Beatitude is consign'd to its proper place It will not be impertinent in this place to bring in what S. Augustine says in his Boook of Confessions lib. 10. as having reference both to our subject Beatitude and what we have deliver'd concerning our Art of Memory All of us saith he would fain be happy which if we did not apprehend with a certain kind of notice we could not all desire it with so resolute a will which certain kind of notice may be understood of the Memory wherein the knowledge of Beatitude is renewed AN INVITATION To the Grove of BEATITUDES Emblematically represented by Eight Trees HEre no Sylvanus haunts our Grove Here no prophane wild Satyrs rove Nor in our glades And blissful shades Diana and her Nymphs resort To chase the nimble Deer and sport A fairer wight More pure and bright Than rosie morn that sweetly breathes Appears crown'd with immortal wreathes The Starrie skies With radiant Eyes Are not so beauteous clear and fair Nor for the night and day a pair That glorious shine Shee 's so divine I Beatitude whom you may see Or 〈◊〉 with a Cornel Treâ— Which forward Springs And blossoms brings Ere levie erests to shrowd appear To wanton with the winds for here Vnknown before In spirit poor Beatitude in her retreat Poor in desire hath sixt her feat In Heaven whose store Lasts evermore II. Hence pass along that you may be Blest by your sight when you shall see This fair one sit Whom never yet Blind mortals found Then for her seek A Lady humble gentle meek Whose powerful Hand Doth seize the Land Like is this Arched Tree which sends A thousand shoots for so she bends Down to the Earth Blest by the birth Of humble thoughts which deeply take Firm root in Heaven and happy make For ever blest When shee 's possess'd III. The weeping Myrrh-Tree next in fight Is shading this sad mourning wight for as this Tree Distills so she Drops Orient Pearls which shining are Then Indian Gems more precious far Which never soil Sad Grief 's the foil IV. Move farther yet into our Grove And view the Tree which bears the Clove Bloom'd like a nail You shall not fail To find her where upon the ground She thirsting sits encompass'd round Midst such a plot As yet could not Admit a nanghty weed to grow The sap of Grace shee 's thirsting so Which doth impart Life to the Heart V. Shee 's gone from thence fly fly make bastes To follow her and find her plac'd Vnder the shade A Tree hath made Bears Adam's Apples No time 's lost To split them and behold how crost Is every fruit Which well doth suit With her who wounded deep with Grief Feeles others wants and gives relief And when you see Vpon this Tree Large spreading leaves know she is blest Findes Mercy cause she joyes to vest The naked poore Tangment her store VI. Yet fâ—â—ther chase this glorious wight Be sure to keep her still in sight Whom if you lose Your Hearts repose In bliss is gone See where retir'd Shee 〈◊〉 fits by Heaven inspird With Silver Breast To take her resh Where Figgs upon the Tree were green And hard until a Gnat was seen To be so kind As wound the rind Whose 〈◊〉 drop descends 〈◊〉 were In Aemulation of a Tear Fallne from her Eyes Which you may prize By blessings which each doth impart To wash and cleanse an ordur'd Heart And purifie Th' affected Eye VII Shee 's risen thence pursue her still You shall you must yâ—◠〈◊〉 nill Nor covet less Than happiness Behold this active Virgin sits Where the sweet amorous Wood-Bind knits With clasping Arms And powerful Charmes A neighbouring pair of Stands which fought Blown by the winds till round about It guirdes and bindes And clings and windes Like her who never doth surcease Beatitude to link make peace Vnite with bands Both Hearts and Hands VIII In fine This Lady yet removes Vnto a streading Vine which loves That it may bear In time of year To have her branches prun'd and gyves To bind her Arms for so she thrives Fixt to a wall But seeming thrall Is Persecution which who takes And patient hears be muck forsakes And leaves his hold Of dross for Gold What then is he so gross and rude That covets not Beatitude 1. In Spirit poor T' abound with store 2. Meek to possess True happiness 3. Mourn midst annoy To reap with joy 4. Thirst Hunger still To have his fill 5. Pittiful-kind Mercy to find 6. Pure-hearted see And Blesled be 7. Peaceful in Life Composing strife 8. Suffer and take Affliction make A Crown on Earth in Heaven of Light When fair Beatitude more bright Shall be compleat in God th' Abyss Of joy and everlasting Bliss ASHREA OR The Grove OF BEATITUDES Represented in EMBLEMES THE Eight BEATITUDES Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the
then he should do who loves any thing besides him according to Saint Augustine's opinion Fourthly He that is in mortal sin hath an impure Heart and loves not God Therefore to be clean of Heart and thereby blessed and by Grace in the way to see God I must imitate the pure white Ermine a little beast which rather chooseth to fall into the hands of the Hunter than make an escape through a dirty place and defile it self Me-thinks Christ our Saviour stretch'd and nail'd to the Cross resembles a Cross-bow which while I behold his Heart darting forth fiery Arrows of Love a clean and pure Heart seems like the White plac'd in the midst of a Butt at which it is aimed upon which representation I shall here insert a short Descant I long since made in Verse Tender Arms for our offence Drawn and stretch'd with violence Like a Bow-string now I see While upon the bloody Tree Cruel nails both long and rough Sacred Hands are piercing through Thus while tender Arms extend The string 's fastned at each end Jesus Heart is like the Nutt Of the Cross-bow where are put Nimble shafts with vigour sent Thus the Bow stands ready bent Sinners then prepare your Hearts From this bow flie wounding darts Stand his Butt th' Arrows glow As th' are flying from this bow Midst the Butt to place the White Stand his mark and let him smite Let him pierce and wound thy Heart With his torments pain and smart Shafts of sorrow grief and pain For thy sins return again So thy Soul being cleans'd from sin And by Grace made pure within Stand Christ's Butt that when contrite A clean Heart may be the White Such is a Heart disengaged and disenteressed from all inordinate desires that may soil or streighten that habitacle design'd and resign'd to God In such an absolute manner is this to be imagin'd that one may confidently say with King David Tuus sum ego Lord I am totally thine not mine own nor the worlds nor of the flesh nor of sin but entirely thine by a full resignation submission and oblation of my self To thee I dedicate an entire Heart with all my senses and cogitations all my words and works And restore unto thee what I had from thee a Soul washt and purified by Baptism and a Heart contrite with Grief and cleans'd again by true Repentance Yet still again and again to be wash'd and more and more purified If by the least mote the corporal Eye be obscur'd much more that of the Soul If I never cease till I have cleans'd and clear'd the one that I may have a perfect sight of each object which occurrs shall I not alwayes be cleansing and purifying that inward Eye which is capable when clear of the sight of God The Seventh BEATITUDE Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God EMBLEME VII The Wood-Bind Pacis conjunctio firma Thus while two foster deadly hate A third steps in to end debate Makes Peace unites both Hearts and Hands How blest is he who makes such bands TO make a better comprehension of this Beatitude the Devout Christian is to imagine that he sees two limber Stands or young shoots hardly able to support themselves on their tender roots and in perpetual agitation by reason of the violence of the wind which causes them to assault and injure each other till the Peace-making Wood-Bind gently twining it self about them takes away that opposition and disposes them to a certain reconciliation and friendship According to this representation the Wood-Bind which bears the Honey-Suckle a name derived from sweetness may well be the Emblem of the blessed Peace-maker who by the sweetness of his Couversation and Amicable Interposure in the Differences of his Neighbours endeavours to reconcile them In the Latine Tongue the Wood-Bind is called Mater Sylvae viz. The Mother of the Woods And peradventure it is for this reason That as a loving and indulgent Mother huggs and embraces her Child so this Plant clasps and twines it self about every other Tree that it can fasten on In like manner is it the endeavour of the blessed Peace-maker to dispose all those between whom he heareth there are any differences to Unity Peace and Concord making all other interests and concernments subservient to that grand one of bringing all things to composure and quiet And this is that whereto the Apostle writing to the Ephesians exhorts them viz. to walk with all lowliness and meekness long-suffering and forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For Peace is the Hand-maid of Charity whose property it is to unite and take away all animosities jealousies distrusts and heart-burnings Justly therefore hath our Blessed Saviour pronounc'd him Blessed and the Child of God who like the Hony-Suckle by a sweet insinuation and affability endeavours to compose the Minds of the litigious and like the Wood-Bind is as ready to unite the contentious and dissatisfi'd into Amity as he is to make Peace within himself as in Charity he is bound And to this is it that the Apostle exhorts us when he sayes Have Peace and the God of Peace and Love will be with you But how comes it that the Peace-maker hath this particular prerogative and advantage to be called the Child of God We may imagine it proceeds hence that as God our Father is the God of Peace so we may pretend to the title of his Children if we are like him and look on it as our concernment to make Peace between Men. We may also upon this further consideration be called the Children of God that he who came into the world to reconcile it and to bring us that Peace which passeth all understanding hath vouchsafed to call us Brethren Nay that great Saviour and Peace may seem to have their birth at the same instant for then was it that there was a Proclamation made by Celestial Heralds to wit the Angels that Peace should be on Earth and good will towards Men. Then like the chearful break of day appear'd that beauteous Peace fore-told by the Prophet Esay whereof there should be no end inasmuch as it came with that Son whose other titles are clos'd with this that he was to be the Prince of Peace It is no other then our Blessed Saviour Christ himself who is the great Peace-maker and came like the Wood-Bind to unite a pair of shoots as I may term them to wit Justice and Mercy which were opposite while the wrath of God like a violent wind incited Justice to Revenge which Mercy oppos'd What a conflict was between these two till our Lord on the Cross like a Wood-Bind united them in one As David by a prophetique spirit said Mercy and Truth that is to say Justice have met together Justice and Peace or Mercy have kissed each other like two branching shoots surrounded by a Wood-Bind which onely Christ could do the great
Peace-maker and Son of God who fully pacified Justice by suffering death for Man by which redeem'd Mercy likewise had her desire embrac'd with Justice then pacified when she beheld from Heaven our sins severely punish'd in Christ Never could Man have fully conceiv'd the wrath and hate of God against sin had he not expiated the same by the death of his onely begotten Son Nor could we have apprehended his infinite Mercy had he not given this his onely Son for our Redemption Behold his Hands nailed and thereby know how the Hand of Justice being fastned Mercy and she embrac'd and kissing were united by Christ our Wood-Bind whose design was to make our Peace saying I leave you my Peace I give you my Peace not as the world gives I give you Peace For the world charmes and enchants a Soul slumbering in the conceipt of a sweet repose even when she is amidst the harsh discords of impiety yet hears them not nor sees her present danger Which made David cry out Englighten mine Eyes O Lord that they may not at any time sleep in death CONSIDERATIONS ON THE VII BEATITUDE On Christ's Hands pierc'd with nails FRom his Heart ascend to his Hands tran fixt with Nails that he might thereby fasten and stay the Hand of Justice ready to chastise us for our sins while he himself suffered in his Body what our enormous crimes deserv'd Imagine you see a King enrag'd against his Vassal for some heinous offence with his sword brandish'd and ready to kill him Which the Prince his Son seeing notwithstanding the injury as neere concern'd himself comes in and to save the Delinquent receives the thrust in his own Body pacifies his Father begs his pardon and restores the Criminal to the King 's gracious Favour How infinitely oblig'd you will say was this Subject to the Prince Thus did God the Son incarnate interpose himself betwixt his Father and sinful Man And on the Cross wounded by the Hand of Justice for our manifold iniquities pacified his Heavenly Father and thereby was our Peace-maker Consider now if this Subject reconciled to the King should by the Princes means be made a Vice-Roy of some petty Kingdom with charge given him to govern and preserve Peace with Subordination to his Majesty Notwithstanding should this Vice-Roy forgetting all favours and former Clemency rebelliously conspire against both King and Prince What punishment would you think too great for such a Traytor Is not every Man a kind of Vice-Roy to manage a petty Kingdom which is within him What his Passions Are they not at least should be his Subjects Together with his Appetites and Concupiscences which rebell against Reason And as often as Man sins mortally is he not guilty of High Treason against the Majesty of God his Dread Sovereign Who being every way infinite it follows the punishment due is infinite Hence I will conceive a great hatred and detestation against sin and ingratitude to the great Peace-maker my King and Saviour under whom as a Vice-Roy I must govern and be a Peace-maker And that I may the better preserve Peace withâ—n me I will set a Guard over my outward Senses over mines Eyes that they may not behold vain and curious impertinencies nor curiously prie and search into other Mens Actions Over my Tongue that it may not intrench upon my Neighbours Reputation Over mine Ears shutting them against Detractors c. Thus being outwardly guarded I may the better preserve inward Peace by suppressing inordinate thoughts and desires In such sort that having within me a peaceful Kingdom subordinate to Reason God may quietly inhabit in my Soul whose place as David saith and residence is in a peaceful Heart not disturbed with worldly cares nor embroyled with the Passions of fear and wrath which ordinarily raise a tumult in our little Kingdom But to be a perfect Peace-maker indeed one should be so totally united to God in his affections as not to desire any thing with out him and onely repose in him the onely centre and support of the Soul And remember what Saint Augustine sayes That they are Peace-makers in themselves and for themselves who subject all the tumultuous motions of the Soul to Reason that is to the Mind and Spirit For by subduing and suppressing carnal Concupiscences they become the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth Where being Peace-Makers they are likewise the Children of God and resemble their Heavenly Father to whom it is proper to enjoy himself who is Peace and tranquillity it self extending from end to end strongly and disposing all things sweetly O my soul thou feest what thou shouldst be Now consider what thou art How soon is the little Kingdom within thee disturb'd How suddenly anger disquiets it What perturbations of mind are caus'd when but a lighter cross or slight affliction lights upon thee Yea even an unkind word from a friend breeds a great discontent and trouble within thee And when all succeeds not according to thy expectation thou art so far from being a peace-maker that distracted in thy thoughts thou art vex'd and perplex'd within thy self How then art thou the Child of God in whom he desires to repose Art thou not rather like a whining Babe that for every trifle is crying and thereby disquieting the whole house O blessed Saviour though I dayly say Thy Kingdom come I am yet like that Regulus that little King little in the knowledg of my self and like his Son I lye infirm and weak and subject to my disordinate passions I can do all in thee who strengthen'st me Enable me therefore I beseech thee by thy powerful grace that thy Kingdom may come that thou mayst reign in me and over me the true Solomon and peaceful King that I with all the powers of my soul may rest in peace and be wholly resign'd to thy will Therefore I daily say Thy will be done What is it then can disturb my peace of mind If affliction if sickness or whatever else hapneth be according to thy will or permission it must be done Nay I daily pray it may be done And should I otherwise desire yet if it be thy holy will and pleasure it must be so Why then should not I be a peace-maker and qualifie all passions and disordinate desires which when I have perform'd internally I may and not before make peace amongst others externally O Jesu it was the Will of thy Father which thou didst punctually observe And that which thou didst teach was humility in conversation stability in faith modesty in words justice in deeds mercy in works discipline in manners and not to do but to suffer injuries This is to be a peace-maker and the Child of God This is the peace proclaim'd by the Angels at thy birth-day This is the peace thou didst leave us and with this peace we desire to depart and rest in thee that our peace and Kingdom begun here by grace may by thee be perfected in glory Amen O what a happiness it