as unduly inconsideratly and rashly neglect and refuse so great good which God lovingly and freely offers to our acceptance Wherefore Monks Anchorites Carthusian Fryers and others of the rigid and Stoicall sort of people are in a great error who superstitiously refuse and neglect Riches Honours Mariage Flesh Wine moderate and lawfull Recreations â—n their good use It seems they think themselves wiser in refusing then their Creator is in offering â—o great benefits This superstitious opinion is most commonly found in discontented brain-sicke men Surely they are injurious to reason unjustly depriving themselves of the good enjoyance of much happinesse yea to Religion and God himselfe very much detracting from his goodnesse and most free love and kindnesse From whence should this opinion and beliefe spring that God taketh pleasure in the refusall neglect of the good use and enjoyance of his creatures which hee freely commends exhorts and offers to our acceptance But the wiser Philosophers and Christians have beene and are of another opinion as Saint Paul was Rom. 14. 1 Tim. 4. The practice also of our Saviour Who saith of himselfe The Sonne of man came eating and drinking c. Matth 11. Of the Christians in the Primitive Church Who did eat their meat together with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart Acts 2.46 Of those which resorted to the feasts of Charity mentioned Iude 12. which are recorded to be certain Banquets which the Christians kept altogether and of divers other in all ages Do shew that this opinion of the free and cheerfull enjoyance of earthly happinesse in the moderate and good use therof ought to be embraced The objections to the contrary I shall endevour to answer in the following Sections So that if we will be ruled by Nature Reason Religion by God himself if wee will follow the opinion of the wiser Christians The practice of our Saviour and of those Christians in the Primitive Church and others in all Ages if we can use these earthly Felicities with Temperance to the glory of God wee may surely enjoy them in such good use freely and cheerfully Let us then enjoy God in all things and all things in him and to his glory The abstract of the fourth SECTION THat we in Earths delights free joy may finde Le ts banish Superstition from our minde Most certainly if we could truly see Religious excellencie we should be Enamour'd with its beauty presently However some do think that rigidly The same doth hinder earths felicity And therfore too too superstitiously Refuse the same so making others feare To tread these divine paths conceiting there Is nought but rigid solitarinesse Debarring them from earthly happinesse Wheras indeed the same doth much increase Terrestriall joys externall happinesse These men would seeme to be exceeding wise In studying altogether to despise All earthly pleasures insomuch they feare To see or taste therof as if they were Infectious in their good and harmlesse use And so because of dangers in abuse They weakly fear to enjoy them Thus they finde The world a grief a burthen to their minde Wheras in truth we ought without abuse To enjoy earth happinesse in its good use Freely to which Nature greatly excites us And reason also liberally invites us Justice and Temperance dâ— aswell condemne Stupidity and fayling in extreme As the other way intemperance in excesse Both hindering true delight and happinesse Religion also doth commend the joy Which in the temperate use therof we may Receive therin it bids us freely take Those pleasures which were onely for our sake Created and which God doth freely give For our necessities while here we live And moderate delectation Let us then Freely enjoy the same surely such men As will refuse such joy so great a blisse As heaven doth offer greatly do amisse But Lord do thou our mindes so guide so raise That we all things in thee and to thy praise May still enjoy and also that we may Thy self in all things evermore enjoy The fifth Section Wee may enjoy earthly Felicities notwithstanding their vanities c. THe reasons why many men do so much condemne the free and cheerfull enjoyance of earthly happinesses are because of their vanities dangers impediments and the like But I shall now endevour to shew that wee may and ought to enjoy them freely and cheerfully notwithstanding these And first in this Section Notwithstanding their vanities Those that would mayntain the contrary do worthily and truly tell us That earthly Riches Honours and Pleasures are vain short uncertain and transitory And that in comparison of eternall an heavenly Felicities they are not worthy to bâ— esteemed but rather to be despised It is most certaine indeed that those soulâ— which do often contemplate the heavenly glorâ— and are truly raised to the knowledge of divinâ— things are elevated above all pleasures and Felicities of the earth in as much as Eternity is abovâ— time and infinite Felicities above vanities Anâ— in these thoughts they are often so raised abovâ— themselves that if they were capable of vanitiâ— they woud not know themselves while theiâ— souls are thus contemplating on the treasures thâ— glory and the delights of heaven So as they do in part taste before hand of the sweetnesse of those Felicities which they hope to receive at the end of their life which makes them very generously to tread under foot all the pleasures and greatnesses of the earth while their souls are in such contemplations directing their aymes to heaven And it is also most true that the Felicities of the earth are not worthy to be compared with those of heaven either in worth or duration of time they are altogether vain even as nothing in such comparison Yet notwithstanding in respect of our nature infirmities weaknesses and necessities And in â—â—spect of themselves also without such compaâ—â—on They are to be well esteemed both in reâ—â—ect of time worth even as the gifts and blessings of God commended yea commanded to be joyed in their good use rather then neglected refused As serving also to many excellent uses â—â—d purposes even to increase in us divine and â—â—avenly joys and happines of all which I shall â—re also discourse of somewhat more particuâ—rly And first in respect of our selves In that they â—â—e naturall and necessary to us Which appears 〈◊〉 their pleasantnesse and variety of curious coâ—urs harmonious sounds pleasant tasts and fraâ—rant smels which God hath particularly approâ—riated to every kinde of creature affording raâ—her delight then necessity But if wee consider â—ow necessary they are also As that wee cannot mayntain our selves not live without them we â—hall know That they are to us of much worth â—nd therfore to be well esteemed and freely enâ—oyed in their good use Necessity and pleasure is an excellent Marriâ—ge in Nature And it is good reason that those actions which are necessary should also be delightfull to which as hath bin said both Nature and Reason invites us And therefore such as goe
men aswell as of Angels they somtimes proceed to conceive and maintaine prodigious Paradoxes and erroneous fancies But wee are to know that while wee are in this life It is very fair good lawfull and commendable for us to learn well to play the parts of a Man yea it is a divine knowledge in a religious and vertuous manner rightly and duly to governe use and enjoy both the pleasures of the minde and of the body also and not to renounce the meanest of them but in their good use freely to enjoy them to which Nature provokes us Reason also excites us yea Religion and God himself exhorts us All which I shall endevour to shew as plainly as I may We must consider wee have bodies aswell as souls which require due refreshments recreations and pleasures to which every man findeth in himself a naturall appetite and desire yea necessity compels us therunto wee could not subsist nor live without these And Nature willeth very wisely that these actions which it hath enjoyned us for our necessity be also delightfull inviting us therunto not onely by appetite but by reason What greater folly is there and more against reason aswell as nature to account our actions vitious because they are naturall unworthy because necessary and pleasant It is indeed contrary to Iustice to be too defective stoicall and rigid on the one side As to be too excessive and superfluous on the other So that as wee ought not to take such pleasure in earthly things as to prejudice the health and safety of our bodies and mindes by excesse and abuses so wee ought not also to take so little pleasure therin as to hinder the welfare therof through defect In such sort as wee must not disallow and reprove naturall and convenient pleasures as wee do those which are impious vitious and superfluous but rather greatly commend the same for as much as that reasonable meane may be observed therin which is good and commendable in all things And so without question that delectation which proceedeth from the temperate and good use of pleasures is to be enjoy'd freely and â—heerfully And it is also reason that the minde should partake with the body of such naturall pleasures which are just good and convenient These two the body and the minde are as it were married together it is against reason not well done to divide and separate this naturall conjunction but rather wee should renew the same by mutuall offices The Spirit ought to quicken and revive the dull heavy body The body also should stay and allay that strange unnaturall prodigious proud extravagant lightnesse of the spirit The Spirit should assist and favour the body as the husband the wife And not reject it nor hate it It should not abandon the body and refuse the naturall pleasures therof which are due convenient just lawfull and moderate such as befits the Marriage that is between them It seemeth unnaturall Presumption Pride and Folly so to do contrary to right and reason It should aâ—her in all cases assist the body to mayntaine it alwayes in due order And as Nature and Reason so also Religion commendeth yea willeth and commandeth the enjoyment of earthly happinesse within the bounds of Temperance and Vertue It is true indeed Religion exhorts and commands us to avoid intemperance and abuses herein and to use them well But herein it doth greatly increase our happinesse even on earth for as hath been shewed a multitude of restlesse desires cares feares distempers anguish and miseries proceed from all vice and impiety even in this World And no men on earth live more pleasantly healthfully prosperously and happily then the contented temperate vertuous gracious man So that Religion greatly addes to our free enjoyance of Terrestriall happinesse in directing us to avoid the abuses therof and to use the same well And in such good use it commendeth willeth and commandeth the enjoyance therof freely and cheerfully And greatly blameth such as forbid and teach the contrary To instance in some places of the sacred Scriptures Thou shalt rejoyce in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given thee Thou and the Levite and the stranger that is among you Deut. 26.11 Because the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy increase and in all the work of thy hands therfore thou shalt surely rejoyce Deut. 16.5 Behold that which I have seene saith the Preacher It is good and comely for a man to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the Sun all the days of his life which God giveth him for it is his portion Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eate thereof and to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour This is the gift of God He shall not much remember the days of his life because God answereth him in the joy of his heart Eccles. 5.18 19 20. Rejoyce in the wife of thy youth Let her be unto thee as the pleasant Hind loving Roe rejoyce in her love continually saith Solomon Pro. 5.17 Now the Spirit speaketh expresly saith Saint Paul That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their consciences feared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth for every creature if God is good and nothing to be refused of it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.2 3 4 5. By these few instances amongst divers others which might be added it appeares that we may freely and cheerfully enjoy these earthly happinesses and that such as forbid or deny the same are greatly to be blamed The rather because as Saint Paul signifieth in the forenamed place to Timothy That God hath created them to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth God himself is the Author of these Riches and honour come from God saith King Solomon and the blessing of the Lord maketh rich He created saith Moses the Paradise of pleasure wherin hee planted man They are Gods gifts saith the Wife man and ordained of him which appears also by their variety and pleasantnesse not only for necessitie but for lawful and moderate delight Eccles 5.18 19. And therfore if well used are to be esteemed as his gifts and blessings Also they may serve to many excellent uses as hath been said in the former Section even to increase in us heavenly joy and happinesse also of which I intend to write in the last Section And therfore in all these respects it appeares That such as use these terrestriall Felicities with moderate delectation to the glory of God and so to good ends are better to be reputed then such
gladnesse and singlenesse of heart And those who resorted to those ancient Feasts and Banquets of Charity of whom I have written before and others since in all ages vertuous and religious Christians of all degrees who have not disdained to enjoy these gifts and blessings of God in their good use are much better to be reputed then such as refuse so much good which God lovingly and freely offers to our acceptance good use enjoyance Such therfore who can live in the World and yet be so spirituall and heavenly minded That they can use it as if they used it not how when they please for their owne advantage Who caâ— be temperate like our Saviour amongst Publicans and sinners or as Lot be a good man in Sodome Such as know these earthly Felicities in their highest excellency and pleasures And yet can avoid their evils dangers and impediments and in all good ways use them or contemne them as they will themselves Such men indeed are most worthy of prayse and to be esteemed most deserving And this to do is a greater glory and shews much more and stronger sanctity and grace inwardly then utterly to abandon the World by retyring to a Monastery or to neglect Gods gifts and blessings and consequently shall be more gloriously rewarded in Heaven Wheras it is also further objected That our Saviour saith It is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven And Saint Paul Not many noble not many mightie are called c. 1 Cor. 1. The Reason is because riches and greatnesse are great dangers and impediments And therfore the former answers may serve to this objection also Not many mighty not many noble are called after the flesh saith the Text. If a mighty and noble man can be spirituall and heavenly notwithstanding the temptations of the flesh and the â—llurements of Riches and Greatnesse which naâ—urally draw our desires downwards He is a noâ—le and worthy man indeed Thrice blessed are those rich mighty and noble men who can overâ—ome such great temptations to evill as great honour and riches allure unto It is a greater glory to mount up to heaven through impediments through great temptations and difficulties then otherwise Wheras it is also objected That the Mourners the meek and dejected spirits are rather pronounced blessed in Gods Word then voluptuous men It is true indeed our Saviour saith Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meeke in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of God But these are indeed words of blessednesse of comfort and of exultation To such as are truly penitent and meek in spirit exciting them to faith to hope to joy and cheerfulnesse It is an error to think and mayntain that Religion dejects us wee see the same is sufficient to cheer quicken and comfort the mourners the lowly and dejected spirits and to rayse their joys as high as a Kingdome as Heaven For most sweetly and happily doth it teach us That such men are blessed They shall be comforted to them belongeth the Kingdome of God Religion indeed tels us wee ought to mourn and be dejected for our sins and frailties ratheâ— then always to enjoy the Pleasures Felicitie of the World But this also is to be done in duâ— order and at convenient times as hath bin said There is a time to mourne and a time to rejoyce Eccles. 3. And indeed even true repentance and humiliation in its deepest sorrows ought incontinently to worke in us a sound and joyfull assurance of reconciliation to God in consideration of his infinite mercy in IESVS CHRIST to his penitent believing creatures and so to open unto us the sweet Fountaines of joy and cheefulnesse rather then dejectus causing in us a happy and blessed tranquillity and exalting our joys even to the Heavens And although it be most true that Religion ought to make us deny our selves And to see our selves like the Laodiceans poore miserable blinde wretched and naked yet of Christ Iesus who counsels us therunto Revel 3.18 Wee may buy fine gold white rayment eye-salve in him therfore we may be and ought to think our selves rich blessed happy the beloved of God himself and heirs of Heaven This heavenly joy and exultation of Spirit within us may also adde to the free and cheerfull enjoyance of earthly Felicities in as much as we â—ay enjoy the same with a more happy free and â—eerfull minde for why a gracious high spiriâ—d joyfull heavenly minde enjoys all things â—ore sweetly pleasantly nobly and excellently â—en a low dejected minde which onely creeps â—n the earth and can raise it self no higher Doth not then Religion most sweetly and diâ—inely teach us to be contented pleased and hapâ—y in all estates and conditions so that whether â—ee be afflicted mourn dejected loose want â—ave sufficiency or abundance wee may thinke â—ur selves happy in all things Having first sought â—he kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof wee may now freely enjoy earthly happinesses â—lso as little additions to that great hope which we may and ought to have of those infinite and eternall felicities of Heaven It is an errour therfore to mayntaine as some â—ave done that men though Gods servants should not enjoy earth and heaven also What a grosse absurdity is it to think that the felicities of the earth which many wicked men enjoy should not be possest and enjoyed by Gods servants in their good use freely and cheerfully since he lovingly offers the same and for whose good use and enjoyance they were created 1 Tim. 4.4 Being reconciled to God in Christ what good what happinesse is in Earth or Heaven That we may not enjoy for now all things are ours and we are Christs and Christ is GODS The abstract of the fourth SECTION ALthough that many hinderances be In earthly riches honours pleasures We In their good use without abuses may Them notwithstanding cheerfully enjoy 'T is not their use but onely their abuses That hinder us in goodnesse their good uses May further us in all good happy ways And be occasions to direct our joyes To God himself to heaven from whence they spring And so whilst we are sweetly solacing Our selves in thoughts of God of Heaven we may In some degree pleasures of heaven enjoy 'T is true indeed that moderate abstinence So as the same be with convenience Disburthens Our grosse mindes and makes them lightfull Perspicuous free most quick and very sprightfull Apt to receive all heavenly inspirations And to retain divine illuminations But too much abstinence beyond due measure And over-nice restraint of lawfull pleasure Doth much perplex the minde and so annoyes The same in all good Actions heavenly joys And herein order time occasion is To be observed lest we do amisse But usually a temperate customes best And such as use the same are surely blest No men do live more free and healthfully More joyfull cheerfull and more happily More apt in minde to all good actions
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