all things mightst see him This is the Good of GOD his Vertue is this to appear and be seen in all Things This is the bottom of all other Greatnesses whatsoever GOD is infinitely communicative infinitely prone to reveal himself infinitely Wise and able to do it He hath made the Soul on purpose that it might see him And if the Eye that was made for the World being so little a ball of Earth and Water can take in all and see all that is visible if the sight of the Eye be present with all it beholdeth much more is the Soul both able to see and to be present with all that is Divine and Eternal I know very well that a Man divided from GOD is a weak inconsiderable Creature as the Eye is if divided from the Body and without the Soul but united to GOD a Man is a transcendent and Celestial thing GOD is his Life his Greatness his Power his Blessedness and Perfection And as the Apostle saith He that is joyned to the Lord is one SPIRIT His Omnipresence and Eternity fill the Soul and make it able to contain all Heights and Depths and Lengths and Breadths whatsoever And it is the desire of the Soul to be filled with all the fulness of GOD. Magnanimous desires are the natural results of a Magnanimous Capacity The desire of being like Gods knowing Good and Evil was the destruction of the World Not as if it were unlawful to desire to be Like GOD but to aspire to the Perfection in a forbidden way was unlawful By Disobedience and by following our own Inventions by seeking to the Creature to the stock of a Tree to make us Like GOD that is erroneous and poor and despicable but to know our selves and in the strait and divine Way to come immediately to GOD to contemplate him in his Eternity and Glory is a right and safe Way for the Soul will by that means be the Sphere of is Omnipresence and the Temple of the God-head It will become ETERNITY as Trismegistus speaketh or ONE SPIRIT with God as the Apostle And then it must needs be present with all things in Heaven and in the Earth and in the Sea as GOD is for all things will be in it as it were by Thoughts and Intellections A Magnanimous Soul then if we respect its Capacity is an immovable sphere of Power and Knowledge far greater than all Worlds by its Vertue and Power passing through all things through the Centre of the Earth and through all Existencies And shall such a Creature as this be contented with Vanities and Trlfles Straws and Feathers painted Butterflies Hobby-horses and Rattles These are the Treasures of little Children but you will say a Man delighteth in Purses of Gold and Cabinets of Jewels in Houses and Palaces in Crowns and Scepters Add Kingly Delights and say he delighteth in Armies and Victories and Triumphs and Coronations These are great in respect of Play-things But all these are feeble and pusillanimous to a great Soul As Scipio was going up to Heaven the Earth it self seemed but a Nutshel and he was ashamed of all his Victories and Triumhs amazed at his madness in Quarrelling and fighting about Territories and Kingdoms contracted to a Star and lost into nothing the whole Earth is but one invisible Point when a man foareth to the height of Immensity and beholdeth and compasseth its everlasting Circumference which is infinite every way beyond the Heavens It is the true and proper Immensity of the Soul Which can no more be contented with the narrow confinement of this World no more rest in the Childishness of all the noise of the Interests of Men be no more satisfied with its Earthly Glories than the SUN can be shut up in a Dark-Lanthorn It is true indeed it would desire to see as the Angels do the least and lowest of all the Creatures full of the Glory and Blessedness of GOD all Wisdom and Goodness in every thing and is apt to complain for want of some eternal and Celestial Light wherein to behold them but if all the expansions of Time and Eternity should be void and all the extents and out-goings of Infinity empty round about them though things upon Earth nay and things in the Heavens should be never so Rich and divine and beautiful yet such is the Magnanimity of a Great Soul that it would hugely be displeased its loss and its distaste would be alike Infinite Infinite Honours infinite Treasures infinite Enjoyments things endless in number value and excellency are the Objects of its Care and Desire the greatness of its Spirit leads it to consider and enquire whether all the spaces above the Heavens and all the parts of GOD's everlasting Kingdom be full of Joyes whether there be any end or bound of his Kingdom whether ther there be any defect or miscarriage any blemish or disorder in it any vile and common thing any remissness or neglect any cause of complaint or deformity As also whether all the Ages of the World are Divine and Sacred whether after they are gone they abide in their places whether there be anything in them to entertain the Powers of the Soul with delight and feed them with satisfaction What end what use what excellency there is in Men Whether all the waies of GOD are full of beauty and perfection all Wisdom Justice Holiness Goodness Love and Power What Regions eternal Blessedness is seated in What Glory what Reason what Agreeableness and Harmony is in all his Counsels Whether those durations of Eternity before the World is made are full or empty full of bright and amiable Objects or dark and obscure Whether the government of the World be perfect whether the Soul be Divine in it self whether it be conducive to its own felicity or to the happiness of all those in whom it is concerned Whether the World shall end If it shall after what manner whether by Design or Accident Whether All Ages and Nations shall rise from the Dead Whether there shall be a general Doom or a day of Judgment Whether I am concerned in all the transactions and passages at that day Whether all Mankind shall be united into one to make up one compleat and perfect Body whereof they all are the fellow-Members What shall be after the End of the VVorld Whether we shall live for ever Whether we shall see GOD and know one another Whether we shall reign in eternal Glory Whether in the Confusions of Hell there be any Beauty and whether in the Torments of the damned we shall find any joy or satisfaction Whether all the Riches Customs and Pleasures of this World shall be seen Whether in the World to come any fruit shall appear and arise from them for which they shall be esteemed to have been not in vain but profitable in relation to all Eternity What kind of Life we shall lead and what kind of Communion and fellowship Angels and Men shall have with each other
they are freely given are not to be despised THAT which I desire to teach a man is How to make a Good use of all the Advantages of his Birth and Breeding How in the Increase of Riches and Honors to be Happy in their Enjoyment How to secure himself in the temptations of Affluence and to make a man glorious in himself and delightful to others in Abundance Or else if Affliction should arise and the State of Affairs change how to triumph over adverse Fortune and to be Happy notwithstanding his Calamities How to govern himself in all Estates so as to turn them to his own advantage FOR tho felicitie be not absolutely perfect in this World nor so compleat in Poverty as in a great and plentiful Estate you are not to believe that wealth is absolutely necessary because sometimes it is requisite to forfeit all for the sake of Felicity Nothing is absolutely necessary to Bliss but Grace and vertue tho to perfect Bliss Ease and Honour be absolutely necessary THERE are many degrees of Blessedness beneath the most Supream that are transcendently Sweet and delightful And it sometimes happens that what is most bitter to Sence is pleasant to Reason RATHER then make Shipwrack of a good Conscience we must do as Mariners in a storm cast our riches over board for our own Preservation It is better losing them then our selves VERTUE is Desirable and Glorious because it teacheth us through many Difficulties in this Tempestuous World to Sail Smoothly and attain the Haven CHAP. II. Of the Nature of Felicity its Excellence and Perfection THE Peripateticks so far forth as they contemplated the Nature and Estate of man in this World were Wise in defining the Goods of the Body Soul and Fortune to concur to Mans perfect Happiness For Difficulties and Conflicts are not Essential to the Nature of Bliss nor confistent with the fruition of its fulness and Perfection THERE is the Way and the journeyes end IN the Way to Felicity many things are to be endured that are not to be desired And therefore is it necessary to make a Distinction between the way to Felicity and the Rest which we attain in the end of our Journey THE Goods of the Soul are absolutely necessary in the Way to Happiness the Goods of the Body are very convenient and those of Fortune Commodious enough But the latter of these are not with too much eagerness to be pursued THE Goods of the soul are wisdom Knowledg Courage all the Virtues all the Passions Affections Powers and faculties And these you know are absolutely necessary THE Goods of the Body are Health Agility Beauty Vivacity Strength and Libertie and these shall in Heaven it self together with those of the Soul he enjoyed By which you may discern that the Goods of the Body are real Parts and Ingredients of Happiness THE Goods of Fortune are food and Rayment Houses and Lands Riches Honours Relations and Friends with all those convenient Circumstances without the Body that are subject to chance By which vertue is assisted and of which a noble use may be made in Works of Justice Hospitality Courtesie and Charity which may redound to our greater Felicity here and in heaven THE more Honor and pleasure we enjoy the Greater and more Perfect is our present Happiness Tho many times in the Way to Felicity we are forced to quit all these for the Preservation of our Innocence GALLANT Behavior in flighting all Transitory things for the Preservation of our Virtue is more conducive to our future Perfection then the greatest ease imaginable in our present condition IT is incumbent upon us as a special part of our Care to take heed that we be not ensnared by the easiness of Prosperity and that we do not set up our Rest in the Way to Happiness nor deceive our selves in thinking the Goods of Fortune Essential nor discourage our selves by thinking it impossiable to be Happy without them Our Thoughts and Affections must be always disentangled that we may run with Alacritie the Race set before us and close with the Sublimest Perfection of Bliss as our only portion and Desire FELICITY is rightly defined to be the Perfect fruition of a Perfect Soul acting in perfect Life by Perfect Virtue For the Attainment of which Perfection we must in the Way to Felicity endure all Afflictions that can befall us For tho they are not Parts of Felicity themselves yet we may acknowledge them great Advantages for the Exercise of Virtue and reckon our Calamities among our Joys when we bear and overcome them in a virtuous Manner because they add to our Honor and contribute much to our Perfection both here and hereafter FOR this purpose we are to remember that our present Estate is not that of Reward but Labour It is an Estate of Trial not of Fruition A Condition wherein we are to Toyl and Sweat and travail hard for the promised Wages an Appointed Seed Time for a future Harvest a real Warfare in order to a Glorious Victory In which we must expect some Blows and delight in the Hazzards and Encounters we meet with because they will be crowned with a Glorious and joyful Triumph and attended with ornaments and trophies fa r surpassing the bare Tranquillity of idle peace WHEN we can cheerfully look on an Army of Misfortunes without Amazement we may then freely and Delightfully contemplate the Nature of the Highest Felicity ARISTOTLE never heard of our Ascension into Heaven nor of sitting down in the Throne of GOD yet by a lucky Hit if I may so say fell in point blanck upon the Nature of Blessedness For a perfect fruition by perfect virtue is all that can be thought of It implies our Objective and our formal Happiness OBJECTIVE Happiness is all the Goodness that is fit to be enjoyed either in GOD or in his Creatures while Formal Happiness is an active Enjoyment of all Objects by Contemplation and Love attended with full Complacency in all their Perfections PERFECT Fruition implies the Perfection of all its Objects Among which GOD himself is one Angels and Saints are next the World also with all the variety of Creatures in it the Laws of GOD and his wayes in all Ages his Eternal Counsels and Divine Attributes are other Objects of our Content and Pleasure Unless all these be perfect in their Nature Variety Number Extent Relation Use and Value our fruition cannot be simply perfect because a Greater and more perfect fruition might upon the production of better Objects be contrived and no fruition can be truly perfect that is not conversant about the highest things The more Beautiful the Object is the more pleasant is the enjoyment But where Delight may be increased the Fruition is imperfect A Perfect Soul is a Transcendent Mystery As GOD could not be Perfect were it possible there could be any Better Essence then he so neither would the Soul be perfect could any more Perfect Soul be created IT is a Soul
naked another when attired and capable of being modified with several Habits so are the Powers and Faculties of the Soul As they are in the Nature of Man without Exercise they are void and Naked But by many acts of Vice or Vertue they put on a Habit which seems chiefly to consist in an Inclination and Tendency to such Actions a Facility of Working an Aquaintance with them a Love to them and a Delight in them For by long Custome it turns to a second Nature and becomes at last as Necessary as Life it self a confirmed Habit being taken in and incorporated with the Powers of the Soul by frequent exercise 2. IN the second Definition we add that Vertue is a right and well ordered Habit. A Habit is something added to that which wears it and every Power of the Soul is naked without the Quality wherewith long Custom cloaths it Much of the Formal Reason of Vertue is shut up in those Words Right and well ordered For confused irregular and careless Habits will be alwayes erroneous and Deformed and must consequently end in Dishonor and Miseries He must aim at the Mark that hits it for only those actions that are well guided produce right and well order'd Habits which right and well orderd Habits alone can carry us to our Sovereign end A Mind in Frame is a Soul clothed with Right Apprehensions Thoughts and affections well ordered Principles and Contrivances well proposed Means and Ends rationaly consulted all considered and the Best chosen Long Custom in uring us to the Benefit and Excellence of these disposes the Soul into a right and well ordered Habit or Frame of spirit which regards that Glorious End for which we were created BY force of which we attain our Happiness Idleness and vertue are as Destructive to each other as fire and water In all vertue there is some force and in all Force much action A vertuous Habit ceaseth to be virtuous unless it actually incline us to virtuous Operations As the Powers of the Soul when they are well exerted turn into Vertues so is it by that Exertion that we attain our Happiness Vertue is that right and well ordered Habit by force of which we attain our Happiness IT S force is never expressed but in exercise and operation Yet even when we are asleep it may tacitely incline us and make us ready when we awake to be Vertuous Perhaps the Habit Sleeps and awakes with the Body But if the Habit and its Energie be the same thing it still sleepeth when its energie ceaseth if they be Divers the Habit may continue for some time without the force of its Operation BUT not to Divert into Blind and Obscure Corners Whether the Soul of a man a sleep may be stiled Vertuous â—r no Whether the Habits continue in him at that time without their Acts is nothing to our purpose It is Sufficient that when he is awake he that hath a Vertuous Habit is in all his Actions inclined and Carried to his own Felicity unless he falls into an oblivion worse than Sleep because without some such Damnable and vicious Lethargy he is always mindful of his Last End and tends towards it in a Direct Line ALL his Actions derive a Tincture from the first Principle that Habit of Soul by which he is carried toward his own Felicity All those Actions that Spring from that Habit tend to Bliss and by force of that Habit are made Vertuous and with facility performed ALL the Difficulty is in the Begnining Vertues in the beginning are like green fruits four and imperfect but their Maturity is accompanied with sweetness and delight It is hard to acquire a vertuous Habit at first but when it is once gotten it makes all Virtue exceeding Easie nor Easie alone but Happy and delightful For a virtuous Habit as certainly acts according to its own nature as the Sun shines which is light by Constitution It acts freely yet when it does Act it must needs act Vertuous and can do nothing else For it is no vertuous Habit but some other Principle that exerteth vicious and bad Operations HAPPINESSE is with so much Necessity the end of Vertue that we cannot take a Due Estimate of the Excellence of Vertue without considering the tendency which it has to Felicity For as the Means are extravagant and indeed no means that have no Relation nor Proportion to their End so would all the Vertues be inept and Worthless no Vertues if they did not in some Sort conduce to our Happiness For Happiness is the adequate End which by nature we seek Wether it be Glory or pleasure or He nor that we design or wealth or Learning all that is Delightful and Grateful to our reason is comprehended in our Happiness If we desire to glorifie GOD or to please the Angels or be grateful to men it is because we love our selves and delight in our own Happiness and conceit all those action whereby we so do either a Means or a part of it So that in the Partition and Distribution of Vertues we must take another Course to display their Glory by exhibiting them in such a prospect as that is wherein their Place and office will appear in their Tendency towards mans last End his Blessedness and Glory CHAP. IV. Of the Powers and Affections of the Soul What virtues pertain to the Estate of Innocency what to the Estate of Grace what to the estate of Glory TWO things in Felicity are apparent to the Eye Glory and Treasure and the Faculties of the soul do in a several manner affect both The Understanding was made to see the value of our Treasure and the freedome of Will to atcheive Glory to our actions Anger to stir us up against all Difficulty and opposition that might stand in our way Appetite to pursue the Pleasure in either Fear to heighten our concernment that we might more dread the danger of losing that Happiness wherein no less then Glory and Treasure are infinitely united Reason it self to compare Felicities and weigh which is the most perfect Desire to covet it Hope to encourage us in the pursuit of it Aversion for the avoiding of all Temptations and Impediments Love to the goodness of it Joy for its fruition Hatred to keep us from the Misery which is contrary thereunto Boldness to attempt it Sorrow and Despair to punish and torment us if we fail to attain it For these two being unpleasant affections serve to engage us in the pursuit of Happiness because we are loath to experience the Sence of such Troublesome passions AMBITION and Covetousness are Inclinations of the Soul by the one of which we are carried to Glory by the other to Treasure And as all the rest so may these be made either Vertues or Vices Vertues when they are Means conducive to the Highest end Vices when they distract and entangle us with inferior Objects THE Inclinations and affections of the Soul may be Defective or excessive in
their exercise towards Objects In relation to the Highest Object there is no danger of excess We can never too violently either love or desire our Supream Happiness our Hope can never exceed its greatness we can never too much rejoyce in the fruition of it Nor can we exceed in Anger or Hatred against those Things that would bereave us of it or too much fear the Misery of that Life which will be ever without it or be affected with too much Sorrow and Despair at the Losse of it But if we look upon inferior Things which are meerly Accidental to the nature of Feâ—icity such as the Favour of men Injuries Crosses Temporal successes the Beauty of the Body the goods of Fortune and such like our affections and passions may be too excessive because â—he good or evil of these is but finite whereas the Good of Sovereign Bliss is altogether infinite and so is the evil of Eternal Misery WHEN our own Actions are Reguâ—ar there is nothing in the World but may be made conducive to our highest Happiness Nor is there any value in any Object or Creature in the World but â—s it is Subservient to our Bliss No member of the Body no sence or endowment of any Member no Inclination or Faculty of the Soul no passion or affection no Vertue no Grace no Spiritual Gift no Assistance no Means of Grace nothing how great or Precious soever can be of any Value but in order to Felicity In real truth nothing without this can be Great or Estimable Every Vertue therefore must have this in common with all the Laws and Ordinances and Works of GOD they must all directly or Obliquely tend to our supreme Happiness upon this dependeth all their Excellency SOME Vertues are necessary in the Estate of Innocency some in the Estate of Grace some in the Estate of Glory WITHOUT seeing it is impossible to enjoy our Happiness or find out the Way unto it therefore is Knowledge necessary in all estates without Loving it is impossible to Delight in its Goodness The Office of Righteousness is to render to every Thing a Due esteem And without this it is apparent that no Treasure can be to us tho in it self never so great of any value Holiness is the conscience that we make of discharging our duty and the Zeal wherewith we avoid the Prophaness of its Contrary Goodness is necessary because we our selves cannot without that be Amiable nor unless we be Delightful to others enjoy our selves or acquire Glory The office of Wisdom is to chuse and pursue the Highest end by the Best of all means that can be chosen THESE are Transcendent Vertues whereby even GOD himself doth enjoy his Felicity They are incumbent on us by the Law of nature and so essentially united to our Formal Happiness that no Blessedness or Glory can be enjoyed without them Therefore are we to look upon them as the Life and Soul of Religion as Eternal Duties in all Estates for ever to be exercised They are all Exercised in the very fruition it selfe as will more apparently be seen when we come to every one of these Vertues in particular They were enjoyned in the Estate of Innocency without any need of a positive Law by the very nature of GOD and the Soul and of things themselves and must be exercised in the state of Grace and will abide for ever in the State of Glory THAT Vertues might be ours in being wrought by our selves and be Vertues indeed in being wrought with Difficulty that we might be so much the more Laudable and Glorious in our eternal Condition GOD gave us Liberty in the beginning that we might chuse what we would and placed us in such an Estate that having in us only the Seeds and Principles of all Vertue we might exercise our natural Powers of our own Accord for the Attainment of that actual Knowledge Wisdom and Righteousness wherein the Perfection of our soul consisteth and by which the Perfection of our Bliss is to be enjoyed That being Naked by Nature tho Pure and clean we might cloath our selves with our own Habits attain the Glory of those Ornaments in our own Acts for which we were created And work our own Righteousness in such a Way as GOD had appointed FOR the Glory which we were to attain is that Goodness which we are to shew in our own voluntary Care and obedience and that Goodness is chiefly expressed in the kind and Genuine Exercise of our own Liberty while we are tender of Displeasing him to whom we are Obliged and so Good as to gratifie his Desires tho we had no restraint upon us TO make our selves amiable and beautiful by the Exercise of our own Power produces another kind of Beauty and Glory than if we were compelled to be good by all his preventing Power All Goodness is spoiled by Compulsion Our own Actions springing from an interiour Fountain deep within the Soul when voluntarily and freely exerted are more acceptable and the Will whence they spring is more excellent and perfect This I would have you to note well for the intrinsick Goodness and Glory of the Soul consists in the Perfection of an excellent Will and without this it might be a piece of Dirt surrounded with Gold but no imputed or annexed value could make it a Jewel THE Actions of GOD or of the Angels or of other men towards it add no value to the Soul if it will do nothing of it self If it be Idle or unactive the more excellent the Actions of GOD and of all other Creatures are towards it so much the more deformed and perverse is the Soul nor will all the Glory of its Powers and Inclinations excuse it but the more Great and Divine they are the more abominable will it make it self by abusing them in frustrating their Inclinations FOR the removing of all Constraint and the infusing of greater Excellency and Beauty into these holy Actions which he required from them it pleased GOD to make Men obnoxious to Temptations that having obstacles to overcome and disadvantages to strugle with Mans Righteousness might be more full of Vertue and himself made capable of Victory and Triumph For this End he seated him in a low Estate even in an Estate of Trial wherein was the Occasion of Exercising Faith and Hope because his Felicity was distant from him Faith in believing the Promises of God and Hope in waiting for the Accomplishment of his Bliss He had Occasions for Fear also in in relation to Gods Power and Justice who was able to remove his Happiness upon the least offence and to bring upon him that Misery that was denounced for his Transgression In this Estate of Trial Prudence which is conversant in nice Affairs was to watch and consider and direct his Behaviour in the midst of those Dangers and Temptations that might possibly be expected His Temperance was to be exercised in the Government of his Appetite so that all inferiour
to Love without Obligation or Reward to be the Sole Author of all Felicity and to over-flow with Goodness of himself freely without any Motive to prevent the Beauty and Existence of his Object and to Love from all Eternity in an immutable manner And this is the nature of Divine Love Howbeit even here are infinite Ends and Causes of his Love tho they are all in Himself For he Loves that he may Love and begets that Love which is his Essence His Love is the foundation of all his Treasures the Cause and End of the whole Creation and that alone by which he proceeds from himself to all his Creatures and by those to himself again for ever All his Kingdome and Greatness and Pleasure all his Wisdome and Goodness all his Life and Perfection is seated in Love which is his Beauty and his Holiness his Bounty and his Godhead He Loves therefore that he may be all Beauty and Goodness and Holiness and that he may enjoy himself and the Eternal Pleasure of his Essence in Glory and Blessedness for ever IT is GOD alone that Loves by his Essence Angels and Men may Love by Inclination but their Affection is Accidental to their nature begins in time may alter and cease It is subject to Chance Obligation and Reward and ought to be guided according to the Pleasure of an Higher Agent In this it differs from the Love of God but in many things there is a great Agreement and proportion between them For GOD has made the love of Angels and men so like his own by extending their Knowledge to all objects that infinite Perfections are contained in their love It is as GODLIKE as any Thing created is capable of being for Almighty Power and infinite Wisdome are employed in the production of it FOR the better understanding of this Love we will consider it in the power of Loving in the inclination to Love in its act and Perfection It may seem a surprizing verity but the Power of Loving is as necessary to Blessedness and Glory as life it selfe an inclination to love as necessary as the Power and the act of Love as necessary as the Inclination The world is useless without Life and Life without Love the Body without the Soul the Soul without the Power of Loving the Power of Loving without the Inclination the Inclination without the Act. IN the Power of Loving I shall note nothing at present but its Extent and Capacity In Beasts it is confined but in Men it is Endless As a Beast is unable to examine what spaces are above the Heavens so is it unable to extend its Affections beyond the memory of things perceived for a Beast cannot represent to it self the Idea's of its Progenitors nor see into Ages that are before its birth nor contemplate Objects that will be after it is Dead But man can see and know and love any object in any Age or Kingdom in the World He can look into any Region tho it be never so far removed and be as familiary conversant with any Person or Transaction there when represented once in a clear Light as with any Object in his own country He can look into Eden consider Adams Dust in its first Creation survey the Procedure of God in his Six Dayes Works pass out of Time into Eternity it self run up to the Original and fountain Head of all existence ponder the nature of GOD search in his Bosom for his Eternal Counsels pierce into the Centre of the Earth and survey the Circumference of all Immensity His Love can follow his Knowledg in all its flights while in spirit he can be present with all the Angels He is able to Love not only his Family and Relations but all the City and Country where he liveth all the Kingdom all the Cities and Kingdoms in the world all the Generations in all Kingdoms all the Spirits of Just men made perfect all the Cherubims and Seraphins and GOD blessed for ever This is the extent The capacity of Love is so alsufficient that his Affection is not diminished but the more he loves one the more he is able and the more inclined to love all that are united to him As in ordinary friendship the more we love the Father the more we love his Wife and all his children For the more we love any Person the more we love all that love him or are beloved by him As the reasons of our Love increase so may our Love it selfe the capacity of Love being so indeficient that it never can be exceeded or surmounted by its Object THE Capacity of Love being so exceeding vast multiplies and heightens in the Soul of man that is apt to overflow of its own Accord For nothing is so prone to communicate it self as that Active Principle of Love that Soul which is Generous and Divine being disposed to the exercise of Love because therein it findeth its Proper Element The very Sun is not more inclined to communicate its Beams then the Soul to love For the Soul being made in the Image of GOD who is Love by his Essence must needs be like him in Power and Inclination and is made for nothing else but the Attainment of its perfection so that it can never rest till it actually love after his similitude Some Operation it must of Necessity have For as all Life so all pleasure is founded in Action IF Love in its Perfection be considered all that is lovely is Beloved by the soul all the Capacity of Love is filled with its objects and all the Goodness of the Creator and his Creatures at once enjoyed It is the Life and pleasure and enlargment of the Soul it is the Wisdom and Goodness and Glory of the Soul I confess there be many Errors and Diseases in Love and that Love is alwayes miserable in its Effects that is vicious yet it so bewitches the Sences that the Soul being captivated by the Force of present Delight is violently carried in an irresistible appetite to those Things which Reason condemnes and advises to shun as Evil. Medea's faction most prevails in the World Video meliora proboque Deteriora Sequor LOVE is then a vice when it is irrational and illegal rebellious and Sensual Blind Defective Unjust Absurd When Evil things are beloved when Good things are preferred above the Better and the Best neglected VERTUOUS Love is that which proceedeth from a well governed understanding and is seated in a Will that is guided by Reason It renders to all things their just Due and is the Powerful Parent of all Kind of Vertues This Love may be considered either in its Properties or Effects the last of which relate to the Soul it self to the Conversation of the whole man to all its Objects when it is well understood it will be found the proper and immediate Means by which we attain our Perfection and Felicity CHAP. VII What Benefit GOD himself does receive by his Eternal Love That when our
whom Fear Honour to whom Honour One no man any thing but to Love one another for the he that Loveth another hath fulfilled Law Kings and Magistrates and Ministers and Parents and Children must have all their Due and so must GOD Blessed for ever Adoration to whom Adoration is due and Obedience to whom Obedience In strict Justice we must render Hatred to whom Hatred is Due and Love to whom Love Hope is due to certain Grounds of Encouragemeut and Sorrow to certain sorrowful Objects But all our Passions must still be guided by the Rule of the Law and all our Actions as Honour and Equity require PARTICULAR Justice is conversant in the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments or else it observes the Rules of Equity and Reason in Buying and Selling. It is called particular because the Excercise of it is not allotted to all the Power of rendring Rewards and Punishments being committed to a few namely to the Magistrates and among Private persons many not at all accustomed to Buying and Selling. This Vertue being to be exercised by some particular men is particular Justice However it has occasioned a Distinction in the Thing whereby Justice is divided into Distributive and Commutative the one being used in Courts of Judicature the other in the Market IT was a notable Observation of Plato that by reason of our Dim Eyes we are not able to see immediately what Vertue does in Secret in the Soul And therefore he sayes that as an Old man that is blear-ey'd if he hath something given him to read in little Characters finds it necessary first to see the same in Capital Letters so to observe first what Vertue doth in a Commonwealth is expedient to him that would understand what it doth in his own Soul The Throne is upholden by Justice the Majesty of Kings and the Glory of Kingdomes is preserved by Justice When Vertue is rewarded and Vice supprest the City flourisheth as the Laws are the Rampart of Mens Estates Justice is the Rampart of the Law the Guardian Angels of every family State and Kingdome Kings and Counsellors and Priests and Soldiers and Tradesmen have all their several Office and proper Duty in a Kingdome and that Nation is blessed with order and Beauty where every one contains himself in his proper Duty But where Tradesmen invade the Priests office and defile the Altar the Soldiers turn Counsellors and every Consellor deposes the King nothing but Confusion can follow in such a State The Senses and Members of the Body are like Tradesmen they traffick with sensible Objects the Irascible passions of the Soul are Soldiers and very apt to rebel and Mutiny the Conscience is the Priest in the Temple of the Mind Right Reason is the King and the Concupiscible Affections or smoother Passions especially Avarice and Ambition may pass for Counsellors They may do well to put a man in mind of his Interest but when they depose Right Reason and usurp the Throne Ruine must follow in the Soul the Passions will turn Consellors the Trades-men invade the Temple and all Rights Sacred and Profane be blended together To sell offices of Trust and Places of Judicature is for a King to do that himself which Rebels attempt in violence to put unworthy men in places of Trust promiscuously that will sell Justice by Retail as they bought it by Whole Sale Justice is a a Severe Vertue and will keep up all the Faculties of the Soul upon hard Duty For otherwise it would not pay to Felicity its Due But where its Care is remiss in taking an Account and solid Goods are barterd away to counterfeit false Commodities the Soul will grow loose and poor in a moment All its Powers subordinate and Superior will forget their Duty and the Healthy Estate of the Mind fall into Anarchy and Confusion All its Hopes and Felicities will be lost for want of that Justice which Distributes to every Power its proper office THERE are two passages that I mightily desire to be imprinted in the Memory of all the World and they are both of our Saviour The one is He that is faithful in a little shall be Ruler over much The other is this Who then is that faithful and Wise Servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his Houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing He that is faithful in a little is faithful also in much To be Just in a little Silver and Gold and accurate in deciding Causes between a Man and his Neighbour are Actions that in their own Nature seem to have little tendency to Bliss and Glory But when we consider that we are Servants for a time entrusted by a Lord that will come and examine what we have done we are not to measure our Hopes by those little Acts as they determine in a Moment but in relation to the Recompences which our Lord will give when he cometh For our Saviour hath added Blessed is that Servant c. Verily I say unto you that he shall make him Ruler over all his Goods But and if that evil Servant shall say in his Heart my Lord delayeth his Coming and shall begin to smite his fellow Servants and to eat and drink with the Drunken the Lord of that Servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not ware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with Hypocrites there shall be Weeping and gnashing of Teeth IF GOD should be loose and careless in his Kingdome as it is infinitely Greater then all other Dominions so would it quickly be more full of confusions Especially Since the King would then himself be so loose and Careless For Licence and profaness are of a spreading Nature and such as the King is such is the people The vices of Kings do always punish themselves in the Imitation of their subjects especially where the Distinction between Profane and Holy is lost and there is no Hope and Fear of Punishments or Rewards If GOD should declare it by any Act of his to be a Thing indifferent whether men did well or ill it would mightily abate the Rectitude of his nature and Eclipse his Majesty His Sovereignty would be slighted and his Will despised which ought infinitely to be dreaded While Justice is infinite and there is an infinite difference put between Good and Evil his Creatures we see are apt to abuse their Liberty and Rebel and become Apostates tho they have an infinite pleasure to aspire after and an infinite destruction or Wrath to fear What would they do if the Divine Will were feeble and remiss and exacted no reverence to its Law and Pleasure It is the Height and Glory of GOD that he sets an infinite Rate upon Excellent Deeds and infinitely detests and abhors the Wicked Their last ends are not more distant then their first Beginnings in his Esteem
him a Madman that should say the Sea were not greater then a trifling Brook and certainly it no less folly to suppose that the Goodness of GOD doth not as much nay infinitely more exceed that of all the Creatures The Sun is a lively Mirror of that Eternal Act of Love which is the Glory of his Essence but it is infinitely less prone to communicate its Beams and doth less Good to it self and infinitely less to all other Creatures It shines for their sakes nevertheless and clothes it self with Glory by the splendor of its Beams and is an Emblem of GOD who exerteth his Power with infinite Pleasure and by communicating his Essence in an infinite Manner propagates his Felicity and Glory to the utmost Height and Perfection By proceeding from himself to all Objects throughout all Worlds he begets and dwelleth in himself he inhabits Eternity in a Blessed and more vigorous Manner by establishing the Felicity of all his Creatures and become theirs infinite and Eternal Glory Wherein his particular Kindness and Love to us appeareth because he hath fitted us with Qualities and Powers adapted for so great an End and as particularly appropriated all to us as the Sun to the Eye of every Spectator For our Bodies and our Souls are made to enjoy the Benefit of all and his Desire is that we should attain the End for which we are created On his side all is prepared on ours nothing is wanting but Love to embrace and take pleasure in his Goodness which shineth in all these Things and created them on purpose that being manifested by them we might delight in it for ever HE that loveth not GOD with all his Heart liveth a Life most contrary to Nature For to Love is as natural for the Soul as to shine for the Sun and the more Lovely any thing is the more prone we are to Delight in it if any thing be infinitly Amiable weare prone to Love it in an infinite measure we prefer the Better above the worse cannot rest but in the best of all Reason is the Essence of the Soul and tends always to the utmost Perfection The more Divine and Glorious any Thing is the more high and Noble is the Love that we bear it No Beauty less then the most Perfect no Pleasure no Wisdome no Empire no Learning no Greatness Wealth or Honour less then the most sublime can be our full Satisfaction no little degree of Love nothing less then the most Supreme and violent can content us So that GOD being most truely perfect in all these is the Adequate Object of all our Desires and the only Person sit to be esteemed in an infinite manner It is as natural for Man to Love him as to desire and delight in any being which supplies the ordinary and daily necessities of his Life TO Love him as we ought implies two things that are agreable to the Nature of Love yet very rarely to be found among the Sons of Men a desire to please him and a Desire to enjoy him The Desire of Pleasing is a constant fruit and effect of Love For he that Loves is very desirous to approve himself and to do whatsoever he thinks will be grateful to his Beloved According to the Decree of Love the desire is more or less Where we Love Earnestly we are extreamly Earnest and Careful to please Where Love is remiss there is little need or Regard of any thing But infinite Love It is impossible to declare what favour and Zeal it will produce If we Love GOD we shall keep his Commandements with a Tenderness and Desire so extreme that no Joy will be so great as the Observation of his Laws It will be with us as it was with our Lord Jesus Christ it will be our Meat and Drink to do the Will of our Father which is in Heaven The measure of our Love will not infuse some slight and faint Endeavours of Pleasing but put us on the most painful and costly Duties make us willing to forsake our own Ease Goods Friends yea Life it self when we cannot keep them without offending our Creator THE desire of Enjoying is constantly seen in our Love to one another If any man hath a friend whom he intirely loveth he desires his Conversation Wishes to be always in his Company and thinketh the Time long till he and his friend be together And thus will it be in our Love to GOD if as great and Hearty as it ought to be In this Life our Enjoyment of GOD is more imperfect more compleat and perfect in the Life to come Here upon Earth we desire to converse with him in his Ordinances in Prayer Meditation hearing his Word in receiving the Sacrament which are intended all for this purpose to bring us into a neerer Intimacy and familiarity with GOD by speaking so to him hearing him speak and shew himself to us If we love him indeed we shall highly Value these Ways of Conversing with him it is all here upon Earth whereby we can enjoy him It will make us with David esteem one Day in his Courts better than a thousand We shall delight in all the Means of approaching to him as often as possible and use them diligently to the End of uniting us more and more unto him who is the Object of our Desire and the Life of our Souls And for as much as there is another Enjoyment of GOD which is more compleat and perfect we shall groan earnestly desired to be dissolved and be with Christ where we may see no more in a Glass but Face to Face and Know as we are Known For Love is strong as Death many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the floods drown it Affliction Persecution Sickness any thing that will bring us to Heaven will be acceptable and Delightful IF you would know more fully why GOD desires to be Beloved you may consider that Love is not onely the Motive and Incentive to Vertue the Cause of Obedience but the form and Essence of every Grace and the fufilling of the Law We shall chuse him for our GOD and have no other GODS but him no Delights no Sovereign Enjoyment but him alone We shall honour him with all our Souls and adore him with every Power of our Will and Understanding We shall not regard Images and shadows but worship him immediately in Spirit and in Truth We shall not take his Name in vain nor contentedly stand by when others abuse it But shall praise his Name and desire to see it glorified throughout the World For Love desires the Honour and delights in the Glory and Advancement of its Beloved We shall reverence his Sanctuary and keep his Sabbaths desiring Rest from other Avocations that we may contemplate his Glory in all his Works For his sake we shall observe the Laws of the second Table and Love our Neighbour as our self For to Love him is no Impediment but a Strong Engagement and incentive to the Love
VVhether the VVorks of GOD were unworthy of his Choice or the best of all that were possible What his Laws are as to their nature and excellency Whether his Love be really sincere and infinite Whether there be any such thing as infinite Wisdom Goodness and Bounty Blessedness and Glory Such things as these are the Concerns and Inquiries of a Magnanimous Soul And if its expectations and desires are absolutely satisfied it will easily appear and break forth upon all Occasions into the most high and Magnanimous Actions Trismegistus or whoever else was the Author of that Book saw the deep Capacity of his own Soul but if a Conjecture may be made by the residue of the discourse did not understand the end at least not clearly for which it was implanted Some knowledge he had that all the things in Eternity were the Objects of that Power by reason of which he calls them Fair and Good but that they were to be the Treasures and Enjoyments of the Soul I do not find him affirming He that knows this must needs be of our Saviours mind who when all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them were shewed him by Satan in a moment of time despised them all For the divine and Celestial Kingdom is infinitely greater and in a far more perfect manner to be enjoyed HE that knoweth the Honour which cometh from above will despise the Honour which men can pay and in comparison of that Honour which cometh from GOD only esteem all the Honour of this World but false and feeble Not as if Men were in the truth of Nature vile and despicable Creatures a Magnanimous man knows all others to be by Nature like himself and is apt to reverence all of his kind as sublime and Celestial Creatures But he is a Man of a clear and discerning Spirit and the Corruption of Nature makes him to slight all that is defiled He sees that Men are generally Evil deformed and blind erroneous perverse and foolish poor and miserable And that all the Honour which they generally give is irrational and feigned A little colour in the face a gay Coat a fine Horse a Palace and a Coach an Exchequer full of Gold or some such light and superficial Causes are all the grounds of the respect that they pay us And if the Glory and Esteem I have Be nothing else than what my Silver gave If for no other ground I am with Love or Praises crown'd 'T is such a shame such vile such base Repute 'T is is better starve than eat such empty Fruit. IF a King be dejected from his Throne it is but a poor comfort that he is admired by Persons condemned to die and praised by Beggars The dignity and power of the Persons that admire us is of great consideration in the love and delight which they take in us They all must vanish and perish as a Dream no Honour is truly great but that which is continual and endless too A great and mighty Soul can care for no Honour but that which comes from wise and amiable Persons that are themselves great and honourable most rich and powerful holy just blessed and glorious Honour from GOD and his holy Angels from the eternal Son of GOD and all his Saints is marvellous and substantial That Honour which is paid upon great and solid causes because a Man is well-pleasing to GOD and exalted to his Throne because he is the very true Image of GOD and has dominion over all the Creatures because he is infinitely beloved of GOD and all Angels and Men are commanded to love him because he is redeemed by the Blood of Christ and made a Temple of the Holy Ghost because he is a Priest and King to his eternal Creatour because he is full of Goodness and Wisdom adorned with all kind of Vertue and made an Heir of eternal Glory because he is Faithful and True and Just and Holy because he hath conquered Death and Hell and Sin and the Grave and triumpheth over them this is being paid by such Persons Honour indeed and to desire this Honour is the Property and the Vertue of a Magnanimous Soul An Eagle cannot stoop at Flies An Alexander or a Caesar cannot debase or confine their Souls to the pleasures of a Cottage in a Wilderness Infinite Hopes and infinite Desires infinite Fears and Despairs and Sorrows infinite Joyes and Delights and Glories infinite Adorations Praises and Thanksgivings infinite and eternal Objects are the only fit and proper Concerns for the Affections of a Great and Magnanimous Soul The very signification of the word is Greatness of Soul or if you please of Mind For a distinction may be made between the Soul and Mind The Soul of Man is the immutable essence or form of his Nature unimployed His power of Reasoning is alive even then when it is quiet and unactive and this is his Soul It is one and the same in all men and of it self equally inclined to all great and transcendent things but in the most it is misguided baffled and suppressed and though it be never so great it is to no purpose This greatness implanted by Nature is not Magnanimity It is a Natural disposition not an acquired habit as all Vertue is A Man is then said to be of such a Mind when he determines or thinks in such a manner His mind is Good that intendeth well his mind is Evil that designeth mischief So that the Mind is the Soul exerting its power in such an act and the greatest Soul in all the World is but Pusillanimous that mindeth little things A great Soul is Magnanimous in Effect a Mind applyed to mighty Objects Some men have a Magnanimity infused by the power of Education and are led by Custome to Great things and in a manner by Necessity for such is their Place and Calling that they are frequently led to greater Objects than other men Of this sort are the most eminent rank of Grandees and Princes Kingdoms and Thrones and Privy Councils and Queens and Armies are their natural Dialect This is no Vertue for though it be not innate by Nature yet they are born to it and it is given by Fortune Others consider what they have to do and make an election and though they are born in a poor and despicable estate are not Magnanimous by Nature or Fortune but by Choice and voluntary Election Not to satisfie the humour of a high Blood choler and fire nor to answer the necessities of a higher Calling but to discharge the office of Vertue and Wisdom And this is the Off-spring of the Will the true and genuine Vertue Which as it is far more worthy than any of the rest is guided to far better and more glorious Objects and more diffusively given by the Bounty of GOD to all kind of Men in all Conditions In the Poor it is more marvellous than in the Great and Rich It has such an undaunted property in its Nature
that though the disproportion between them and their Assurance or Hope or Desire seem infinite and the end which they aim at by their Magnanimity is judged impossible though their attempt appear a ridiculous madness to them to whom the Verities of Religion appear incredible yet they are no whit discouraged or disheartened at the matter but stoutly march on being animated by the alarum of such a Trumpet such a Drum as Magnanimity is His Faith is more Divine by conquering the discouragements of the World than if he met with no censure or opposition IF you would have the Character of a Magnanimous Soul he is the Son of eternal Power and the Friend of infinite Goodness a Temple of divine and heavenly Wisdom that is not imposed upon by the foul and ragged disguises of Nature but acquainted with her great Capacities and Principles more than commonly sensible of her interests and depths and desires He is one that has gone in unto Felicity and enjoyed her beauties and comes out again her perfect Lover and Champion a Man whose inward stature is miraculous and his Complexion so divine that he is King of as many Kingdoms as he will look on One that scorns the smutty way of enjoying things like a Slave because he delights in the Celestial way and the Image of GOD. He knows that all the World lies in Wickedness and admires not at all that things palpable and near and natural are unseen though most powerful and glorious because men are blind and stupid He pities poor vicious Kings that are oppressed with heavy Crowns of Vanity and Gold and admires how they can content themselves with such narrow Territories yet delights in their Regiment of the World and paies them the Honour that is due unto them The glorious Exaltation of good Kings he more abundantly extols because so many thousand Magnanimous Creatures are committed to their Trust and they that govern them understand their Value But he sees well enough that the Kings glory and true repose consists in the Catholick and eternal Kingdom As for himself he is come unto Mount Sion and to the City of the living GOD the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and to GOD the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect and to JESUS the Mediatour of the New Covenant And therefore receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved he desires to serve GOD acceptably with reverence and godly fear And the truth is he can fear nothing else for GOD alone is a consuming fire He very well understands what the Apostle saith and dares believe him I cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my Prayers that the GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your Understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the HOPE of his Calling and what the RICHES of the GLORY of his INHERITANCE in the Saints And what is the EXCEEDING GREATNESS of his POWER to us-ward who believe according to the WORKING of his Mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own RIGHT HAND in the HEAVENLY places far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not only in this WORLD but in that also which is to come And hath put ALL THINGS under his feet and he gave him to be HEAD over all Things to the CHURCH which is his BODY THE FULNESS OF HIM THAT FILLETH ALL IN ALL. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the Power that WORKETH in us Unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all AGES World without end Amen A great and a clear Soul knoweth that all these intimations must needs be true for it is an amazing Miracle that they should be otherwise Infinite Love and Eternal Blessedness are near allyed and that these should cease is contrary to all Nature in GOD in the Soul of Man in Heaven in Earth in the order of the Universe and contrary to all that VISIBLE GLORY which in the World appeareth CHAP. XXIX Of Modesty It s Nature It s Original Its Effects and Consequences MODESTY is a comely Grace in the Behaviour of a Man by which he piously dissembleth his own Perfections and blusheth at his Praises It springeth from a certain fear and sence of his Imperfection 'T is the shadow of Guilt and a beautiful cover of Original Corruption It is sometimes Natural and which is contrary to all other Vertues more truly vertuous for being so For then it is Simple Genuine and Real but studied Modesty is affected and artificial yet where Nature has not been so obliging as to give the endowment 't is not altogether to be condemned since it is agreeable to the best of our conditions in this World and supplies a defect in his Nature that is born without it IT is akin to Shame yet increases the honour of him that wears it it is the shade of Vertue yet makes it brighter It is a tincture of Humility visible in a vermilion and deeper die and the more natural and easie the more sweet and delightful IT charms the Envy of those that admire us and by seeming to extinguish our worth gives it a double beauty It reconciles a man to the Enemies of his Grace and Vertue and by a softness irresistible wins a Compassion in all Spectators It is a Vertue which by refusing the honour that is due unto it acquireth more a real Counterfeit and the only honest and true dissimulation It is an effeminate yet a laudable quality a spice of Cowardice more prevalent than Courage a Vertue by which we despise all meaner Honours while we are ambitiously carried to the highest Glory It seemeth inconsistent with Magnanimity yet is her youngest Sister IT hath not many Objects nor are its Aims apparent nor its Ends conspicuous It is the Mother of fine and delicate Resentments its strength consisteth in tenderness and fear He that is Magnanimous in one respect may be modest in another Praises and Commendations are the fuel of its Nature it feedeth upon them while it grows by rejecting them It delights in what it feareth and is full of discords but more full of harmonies It is pleased in its displeasure and alwaies fighteth with its own Repugnancies It is a Vertue mixt of Sence and Reason its region is in the Body more than in the Soul and in all its Spiritual motions it is attended with Corporeal impressions The Blood and Spirits dance in the Veins as if Nature were delighted with its own Confusions By captivating the favour of Men upon Earth it affecteth the very Angels in Heaven with much of pleasure It
the welfare of his Subjects were there nothing else in the Duty but that consideration is an infinite encouragement He that receiveth you receiveth me is such an obligation that as it is all Goodness in it self so is it all Motive unto us Eternity will scarce be sufficient to fathom its depth Do we feed GOD himself in feeding the Poor and his eternal Son Jesus Christ Are these Needy persons the Representatives of the GODHEAD in whom we are to shew all our affection love and gratitude to the fountain of all Life and Happiness How infinite ought our Liberality to be when we consider the excellency of our Bliss and Benefactour Are they beloved are they all his Sons the very express image of himself all disguised and concealed Kings all Temples of eternal Glory What measure can confine or shut up our bowels Are the Spectators so innumerable so divine so blessed so nearly allyed to our selves so rich and great and beautiful are they so deeply concerned in the welfare of others and does every act of Charity extend to all shall we appear in the very act it self eternally before them What a vast ambition of pleasing all these glorious Persons should be exprest in every operation of the Soul As every Thought is seen throughout all eternity and every Word that is spoken here on Earth heard in the utmost extents of immensity so is there a kind of Omnipresent greatness in the smallest action for it is vertually extended through all the omnipresence of Almighty GOD even as every Centre wherein it can be done is eternally near nay and within him in the remotest part of his omnipresence 'T is dilated in a moment and fills the immensity of GOD with its nature According to its kind it affecteth all his Essence in all spaces whatsoever YET is there a Rule for the bounding of all external acts of Charity and another for improving it Intelligence is the light wherein Alms-deeds ought to shine and attain their glory Love is the soul of Compassion and Zeal the fervour of Perfection without which though a man bestow all his Goods to feed the Poor and give his Body to be burned it profiteth nothing Where this great abyss of goodness is Prudence may dispence it as it seeth occasion All other Vertues attending upon it it is impossible to destroy it self here on earth unless the case be so urgent that it is better die than to live in the World For a good man sheweth favour and lendeth but it is added He will guide his affairs with discretion The first Rule is to secure the life and growth of the tree by causing it so to bear one year that it may bring forth fruit another It is no good husbandry to cut it down nor any charity to make it wither and expire And on this very account a Charitable man must preserve himself that he may do more good by continuing longer able to do it HE that will examine the proportions and measures of his Liberality may take this Rule for the second Let thy Superfluities give place to other mens Conveniencies thy Conveniencies to their Necessities thy Necessities to their Extremities A third Rule is this Our Riches must be expended according to the several Circumstances and occasions of our lives A Liberal man will not pinch and starve his Servants For it is contrary to the nature of Bounty to oppress any to hurt any to trample upon any He will be good to all and to those most that are near unto him GOD hateth robbery for burnt Offering or that Strangers should eat the Childrens meat or that Beggars or Riotous persons should devour the right of a mans Servants He that does brave acts abroad but is a Niggard within doors has a glorious train spread abroad like a Peacock but stands upon black feet and may bear that unlucky bird for his Crest which is the emblem of Pride and Vain-glory. So is it with young Prodigals that oppress poor Tradesmen by defrauding them of their Debts yet are lavish enough to the Poor and Needy This is a defect with which Goodness is inconsistent and it blasteth their Charity It is better take off 100 pound a year from ones benevolence to the poor than wrong a Servant or Creditour of a shilling The Rule therefore is this First secure the works of Necessity have food and rayment for thy self keep out of debt Next render to every man his due in point of Justice and employ no man thou canst not pay rather perish thy self than oppress another If thou art able and hast any thing to spare then let the miseries of the Needy be supplied in the works of Compassion and Charity but let not all be swallowed up here thy Neighbours and Acquaintance and Friends and Kindred claim a share and thou must secure something for the works of Courtesie and Hospitality So order all both in thy Estate and Life that the kindness of GOD may shine in all So doing thy Stewardship shall be acceptable to the whole World and thy Memory blessed among men and Angels Our Saviour when he wrought his Miracles as he opened the eyes of the blind healed the sick cast out Devils raised the dead gave food to the hungry tongues to the dumb ears to the deaf and legs to the lame so did he give advice to the ignorant and interpret all his design by those Parables and Sermons which attended his Cures Good Counsel is oftentimes a greater gift than a Trunk of Mony While the Iron is hot it is time to strike Good Counsel is like a bitter Pill that must be gilded with Liberality If the Word of GOD be like good seed the heart in which it is sown is softened by Sorrow and ploughed up by affliction and prepared to receive it by the husbandry of Providence And the properest Season that can be chosen for Instruction is the time of Obliging He that intendeth the welfare of the Soul by all the good works he doth to the Body is deep and perfect in Charity A wise man will improve his advantages and enrich his Gifts with pious discourses A Benefactour has authority to talk what he listeth and bribes his Auditor to patience by his Bounty Since He that winneth Souls is wise a profound Liberality will not let slip a golden Opportunity nor suffer his Gift to be dark and insignificant He will make mention of the glory of GOD and the Love of Christ the guilt of Sin the danger of Hell and the hope of Heaven and alwaies endeavour to make his Love apparent to that GOD for whose sake he pities the Poor and is kind towards all For as much as man hath two parts and his Body is without the Soul but a putrid Carkass he will put life into his Mony and inspire his Munificence with all his Reasons that his Bounty may consist of two parts in like manner and have a Soul for its Interpreter Liberality to the Soul is
The fall from so great a height would fill the Soul with a cruel remembrance and the want of its former glory and bliss be an infinite torment Now if it loved nothing but it self it could endure all this rather than forsake it self or lose or be bereaved of its essence it would endure any misery whatsoever Or to speak more correct and accurate sence it would be incapable of any Passion Patience or Misery but only that which flow'd from its abolition Nothing could prejudice it but the change of its Being THAT is not likely to love it self after the way which some conceive proper to Self-love which is willing to forsake it self upon any Misery and apt to forget it self upon any great felicity It loves it self that it might enjoy such a pleasure but loves that pleasure so much beyond it self that it is ready to go out of it self and is almost beside it self for the fruition of it Loving it self only for that end and that chiefly and for its own sake it loves that far more than it loves it self And there is no limit nor bound when it once begins to love any thing more than it self it may proceed eternally and provided its Object be infinitely more excellent it will easily and greedily love it infinitely more than it can it self and value the continuance of its own life only for the sake of that which it so infinitely esteems and delights in It is true indeed it presupposes its Capacity but what would that capacity be worth were it not for Objects WERE there no SUN it were impossible for so fair an Idea to be conceived in a Mirror as is sometimes in a Glass when it is exposed to the skie The Mirror is in it self a dark piece of Glass and how so much fire and flame and splendor should come from it while it is a cold Flint or piece of Steel how it should be advanced by any Art whatsoever to so much beauty and glory as to have a Sun within it self and to dart out such bright and celestial beams no man could devise Yet now there is a Sun the Matter is easie 't is but to apply it to the face of the Sun and the Glass is transformed And if GOD dwelleth in the Soul as the Sun in a Mirror while it looketh upon him the love of GOD must needs issue from that Soul for GOD is love and his love is in it The impression of all his Beauty swallows up the Being of the Soul and changes it wholly into another nature The Eye is far more sensible of the Day and of the beauty of the Universe than it is of it self and is more affected with that light it beholds than with its own essence Even so the Soul when it sees GOD is sensible only of the glory of that eternal Object All it sees is GOD it is unmindful of it self It infinitely feels him but forgets it self in the Rapture of its Pleasure BUT we leave Illustrations and come to the reason of the thing in particular The Soul loving it self is naturally concerned in its own happiness and readily confesseth it oweth as much love to any Benefactour as its bounty deserveth And if the value of the Benefit be the true reason of the esteem and Reason it self the ground of the return A little Kindness deserveth a little love and much deserveth more Reason it self is adapted to the measure of the good it receiveth and for a shilling-worth of Service a shilling-worth of Gratitude is naturally paid For a Crown or a Kingdom the Soul is enflamed with a degree of affection that is not usual Now GOD created and gave me my self for my Soul and my Body therefore I owe him as much as my Soul and Body are worth and at the first dash am to love him as much as my self Heaven and Earth being the gifts of his Love superadded to the former I am to Love him upon that account as much more as the World is worth and so much more than I love my self If he hath given all Angels and Men to my fruition every one of these is as great as my self and for every one of those I am to love him as much as that Angel or Man is worth But he has given me his Eternity his Almighty Power his Omnipresence his Wisdom his Goodness his Blessedness his Glory Where am I Am I not lost and swallow'd up as a Centre in all these Abysses While I love him as much as all these are worth to which my Reason which is the essence of my Soul does naturally carry me I love him infinitely more than my self unless perhaps the possibility of enjoying all these things makes me more to esteem my self and increases my Self-love for their sake more than for my own Thus when I see my self infinitely beloved I conceive a Gratitude as infinite in me as all its Causes Self-preservation is made so natural and close a Principle by all the hopes and possibilities to which I am created Those Hopes and Possibilities are my tender concern and I live for the sake of my infinite Blessedness Now that is GOD And for his sake it is that I love my self and for the glory and joy of delighting in him I desire my continuance and the more I delight in him my Continuance is so much the more dear and precious to my self Thus is GOD infinitely preferred by Nature above my self and my Love to my self being thoroughly satisfied turns into the Love of GOD and dies like a grain of Corn in the Earth to spring up in a new and better form more glorious and honourable more great and verdant more fair and delightful more free and generous and noble more grateful and perfect The Love of GOD is the sole and immediate Principle upon which I am to act in all my Operations NOW if you enquire what Advantages accrue by this Love to the Soul of the Lover we are lost again in Oceans of infinite Abundance The strength and brightness and glory of the Soul all its Wisdom Goodness and Pleasure are acquired by it founded in it derived and spring from it as we have before declared upon the Nature of Love The solution of that one Question will open the mystery Whether we gain more by his Love or our own All that we gain by his Love amounts to the Power of Loving the Act of Loving we gain by our own and all that depends upon it BY his Love he existeth eternally for our Enjoyment as the Father of GLORY which is begotten by it self but we do not gain all this by his Love but by our own Some man would say We gain our Souls and Bodies by the Love of GOD all Ages and Kingdoms Heaven and Earth Angels and Men infinite and eternal Joyes because all these were without our care or power prepared by him and his love alone They were prepared indeed by his Love but are not acquired or enjoyed by
blessed is it self the more joyful and the more contented It s Nature is to shine and burn and admire to offer and to sacrifice up it self to its Joyes And GOD is its soveraign Joy its perfect happiness To suspend its beams were to act against Nature All overtures of Pleasure Beauty Glory Power Exaltation and Honour it would have added to its happiness The more Great the more Good the Wiser GOD is the greater is its Happiness The more he is admired and praised the greater is its Happiness The more he is magnified and pleased the greater is its Happiness All the Excellencies and Perfections in its Objective bliss though they are not locally removed are removed into the Soul of him that enjoyes it and there express themselves far more powerfully and effectually than if they were there alone No joy can be like that of seeing its Creatour adored no Service like that of magnifying its Beloved no pleasure like that of delighting its Beloved no melody like that of praising its Benefactor no honour like that of obeying its Preserver All Worlds are its Treasures because they manifest his Power and Glory all Angels and Men its Delights because they see and acknowledge the beauty of its Soveraign and eternal Perfection all Creatures the Instruments of its Joy that celebrate his Praises In him it enjoyes the glory of all Eternity the infinite beauty of all Immensity the innumerable riches of all Worlds the pleasures and adorations of all the Angels the state and magnificence of all Empires the splendour and perfection of all Ages all which it has in it self by his infinite Bounty as its own immediate and proper Possessions but far more divinely and sweetly enjoyes them by vertue of its Gratitude and Love to him whose they originally are and from whom they proceeded For the very true reason why it enjoyes it self and all its own Treasures is because it loves it self And the more it loves him the more it will be delighted with his fruitions It is more concerned it feels more it sees more it tastes more it possesses more it rejoyces more in its Object than it self The imagination and fancy that is in Love frames all the thoughts of its Beloved in it self it has an exquisite and tender sence of every change and motion in the mind of its Beloved Stir not up nor awake my Love till he please is the song of a feeling and affectionate Soul Every prick with a Needles point in its Object is a stab with a Dagger to it self It s heart bleeds in every drop of its Objects finger It loves his Beloved ten thousand times more than it self and is infinitely more pleased with its exaltation than its own The happiness of its Object is most its own True Gratitude is crowned in its Benefactor enthroned in its benefactor admired in its benefactor adored in its benefactor Nothing in all the World is so easily ravished as Love nothing is so lively as Love nothing so lovely Nothing so violent in its grief or joy nothing so capable of pain or pleasure All the Victories and Triumphs of its Saviour are its own My Joy my Life my Crown my Glory my exceeding great Reward my Love my Soul my Idol nay the GOD of my Soul my All in all This is the language of Love in its Rapture Seraphick Love It is Altar Heart and Sacrifice Angelical Love It is Priest and Temple All Service Freedom Duty Reward Desire Enjoyment Honour Praise Adoration Thanksgiving Extasie Pleasure Bliss and Happiness It is all Goodness and Beauty Paradice Heaven the life and Soul of Heaven All that is incommunicable in GOD Eternity almighty Power supream Dominion independent Majesty infinite Immensity with all the adorations and praises of all the Creatures are by such a Love and Gratitude enjoyed Loving GOD more than it self it is more happy in GOD than if it were a GOD. Could Is Deity be taken away and seated in it self the Soul of a Grateful Creature would be grieved at the exchange Even GOD in his place is perfectly enjoyed All Envy is by perfect Gratitude removed All Discontentment at any thing in its Object especially at its Objects Blessedness is abolished It is carried above all Thrones Dominions and Powers and still ascends eternally higher the higher its Object is exalted Could it be miserable in it self it would be happy in its Object but the higher it is exalted the more is its Creatour delighted If the resentment be wholly Spiritual the Soul perhaps may be transformed to Gratitude as Gratitude is to Contentment and Praise and Thanksgiving But it will have no Body no frail and corruptible Flesh no bones or members to look after All its operations are of one kind all its works and concernments are the same It has no Fear or Care to divert it no impediment or danger or distraction Pure Gratitude is so divine a thing that the Soul may safely wish to be turned all into Gratitude It s Employment and Nature are all one acknowledgment and benevolence united together It sacrifices all Worlds to the Deity and with infinite delight desires to offer all Honour and Glory to him It is very sensible that it can never pay so much Honour to GOD as is his due unless it be assisted with all the Tongues of Men and Angels It goes along with their Joyes and consents to their Praises In them it adores and by them it admires with them it conspires and takes in all their powers and divine affections It fees with all their Eyes hears with all their Ears speaks with all their Mouths and useth all their Hearts in loving and adoring All the tendencies and operations of Universal Nature are subservient to its desires It surmounts the Songs of David and yet we know how earnestly he exhorted all Creatures to praise him Praise ye the Lord Praise him in the Sanctuary Praise him in the Firmament of his Power Praise him in his mighty Acts Praise him according to his excellent Greatness Praise him in the Heights Praise him all ye Angels Praise him all his Hosts Praise him Sun and Moon Praise him all ye Stars of light Praise him ye Heaven of Heavens And when all is done it still confesseth that his Name is exalted far above all Blessing and Praise HE that praiseth GOD only for his Health and Food and Rayment and for his blessing on his Calling as too many only do either is very ignorant or upon a strict scrutiny will be detected for upbraiding GOD for the meanest of his bounty For his Love must infinitely be defective that is able to bestow Gifts infinitely more yet giveth us none but these He that sees not more Causes of Joy than these is blind and cannot see afar off The very truth or Religion is obscure to him and the cause of Adoration unknown He wanteth ten thousand demonstrations of the Love of GOD and as many Incentives to coflame his Soul in the Return
Quality contains within it either Natural Dispositions or Habits Habits may be either Vertuous or Vicious Virtuous Habits are either Theological Intellectual Moral or Divine And these are branched into so many Kinds of Vertue as followeth THE Theological Vertues are generally divided into Three Faith Hope and Charity which are called Theological because they have GOD for their Principal Object and are in a peculiar manner taught by his Word among the Mysteries of Religion To which we may add Repentance forasmuch as this Virtue tho it be occasioned by sin is chiefly taught by the Word of GOD and respects GOD as its Principal Object For which reason we shall account the Theological Virtues to be four Faith Hope Charity and Repentance to which if we making them more we may add Obedience Devotion Godliness THE Intellectual Vertues are generally reckoned to be five Intelligence Wisdome Science Prudence Art Which forasmuch as the Distinction between them is over-nice and curious at least too obscure for vulgar Apprehensions we shall reduce them perhaps to a fewer number INTELLIGENCE is the Knowledg of Principles Science the Knowledg of Conclusions Wisdom that knowledg which results from the Union of both Prudence and Art have been more darkly explained The Objects of Wisdom are alwayes Stable Prudence is that knowledge by which we guide our selves in Thorny and uncertain Affairs Art is that Habit by which we are assisted in composing Tracts and Systems rather then in regulating our Lives and more frequently appears in Fiddling and Dancing then in noble Deeds were it not useful in Teachers for the Instruction of others we should scarce reckon it in the number of Vertues ALL these are called Intellectual Vertues because they are Seated in the Understanding and chiefly exercised in Contemplation The Vertues that are brought down into action are called Practical and at other times Moral Because they help us in perfecting our Manners as they relate to our Conversation with Men. THE Moral Vertues are either Principal or less Principal The Principal are four Prudence Justice Temperance and Fortitude Which because they are the Hinges upon which our whole Lives do turn are called * Cardinal and are commonly known by the name of The four Cardinal Vertues They are called Principal not onely because they are the chief of all Moral Virtues but because they enter into every Vertue as the four Elements of which it is compounded THE less Principal Vertues are Magnificence and Liberality Modesty and Magnanimity Gentleness of behaviour Affability Courtesie Truth and Urbanitie all these are called less Principal not because they are indifferent or may be accounted useless for then they would not be Vertues but because tho their Practice be of extraordinary Importance in their places they are more remote and less Avail in the Way to Felicity and are more confined in their Operations DIVINE Vertues which we put instead of the Heathenish Heroical are such as have not only GOD for their Object and End but their Pattern and Example They are Vertues which are seen in his eternal Life by Practicing which we also are changed into the same Image and are made partakers of the Di Knowledge and Truth in the Sublimest Height we confess to be Three but we shall Chiefly insist upon Goodness and Righteousness and Holiness All which will appear in Divine Love in more peculiar manner to be handled BESIDES all these there are some Vertues which may more properly be called Christian because they are no where Else taught but in the Christian Religion are founded on the Love of Christ and the only Vertues distinguishing a Christian from the rest of the World of which sort are Love to Enemies Meekness and Humility ALL these Virtues are shut up under one common Head because they meet in one common Nature which bears the name of Vertue The Essence of which being well understood will conduce much to the clear Knowledge of every one in particular VERTUE in General is that habit of Soul by force of which we attain our Happiness Or if you please it is a Right and well order'd Habit of mind which Facilitates the Soul in all its operations in order to its Blessedness These Terms are to be unfolded 1. VERTUE is a Habit All Habits are either Acquired or Infused By calling it a Habit we distinguish it from a Natural Disposition or Power of the Soul For a Natural disposition is an inbred Inclination which attended our Birth and began with our beings not chosen by our Wills nor acquired by Industrie These Dispositions because they do not flow from our Choise and industry cannot be accounted Virtues T is true indeed that vertuous Habits are sometimes infused in a Miraculous Manner but then they are rather called Graces then Vertues and are ours only as they are Consented to by our Wills not ours by choise and acquisition but only by Improvement and exercise Tho they agree with Virtues in their Matter and their end yet they differ in their Original and form For as all Humane Actions flow from the Will and the Understanding so do all Vertues when they are rightly understood whereas we are Passive in the reception of these and they flow immediately from Heaven AND it is far more conducive to our Felicity that we should conquer Difficulties in the attainment of Vertue study chuse desire pursue and labour after it acquire it finally by our own Care and Industry with Gods Blessing upon it then that we should be Dead and Idle while virtue is given us in our Sleep For which cause GOD ordered our state and Condition so that by our own Labour we should seek after it that we might be as well pleasing in his Eys and as Honorable and Admirable in the Acquisition of vertue as in the Exercise and Practice of it And for these reasons GOD does not so often infuse it and is more desirous that we should by many repeated Actions of our own attain it GOD does sometimes upon the General Sloth of mankind inspire it raising up some persons thereby to be like salt among corrupted men least all should putrifie and perish Yet is there little reason why he should delight in that way without some such uncouth and Ungrateful necessity to compell him thereunto FOR any man to expect that GOD should break the General Order and Course of Nature to make him Vertuous without his own Endeavours is to Tempt GOD by a presumptuous Carelesseness and by a Slothful abuse of his Faculties to fulfil the parable of the unprofitable Servant THE Powers of the Soul are not vertues themselves but when they are clothed with vertuous Operations they are transformed into Vertues For Powers are in the Soul just as Limbs and Members in the Body which may indifferently be applied to Vertues and Vices alike be busied and exercised in either AS the Members are capable of Various Motions either comely or Deformed and are one thing when they are
when we see all these Virtues in their several Places and Offices their Objects and their Uses the Ends for which and the occasions on which they were introduced all are Delightful to the Reason of mans Soul and highly Eligible while GOD is adored and admired for the depth of his Wisdom and Goodness and beloved for the Equity and Excellency of his Proceedings For all these Occasional Vertues are but Temporary when our Life and this present World are past and gone as a Dream Love and Joy and Gratitude will be all that will continue for ever in which Estate Wisdom and Knowledge Goodness and Righteousness and True Holiness shall abide as the Life and Glory into which the Souls of all that are Blessed will be transformed Repentance shall be gone and Patience cease Faith and Hope be swallowed up in fruition Right Reason be extended to all Objects in all Worlds and Eternity in all its Beauties and Treasures seen desired esteemed enjoyed Let it be your Care to dive to the Bottom of true Religion and not suffer your Eyes to be Dazled with its Superficial Appearance Rest not in the Helps and Remedies that it bringeth but search for the Hidden Manna the substantial Food underneath the Satisfaction of all Wishes and Desires the true and Coelestial Pleasures the Causes of Love and Praise and Thanksgiving founded in the Manifestations of Gods Eternal favour especially in the Ends for the sake of which all Helps and Remedies are prepared For it is exceeding true that his Laws are Sweeter then the Hony and the Hony Comb and far more precious then thousands of Gold and Silver CHAP. V. Of the Necessity Excellency and Use of Knowledge its Depths and Extents its Objects and its End KNOWLEDGE and Love are so necessary to Felicity that there can be no Enjoyment or Delight without them Heaven and Earth would be Dark and obscure Angels and Men vain and unprofitable all the Creatures base and unserviceable Felicity impossible were there no Knowledge Nay GOD himself without Knowledge and Love could not well exist for his very Essence is seated in infinite Knowledge GOD is Light and in him is no Darkness at all He is Love by nature and there is no hatred in his Essence His very Godhead is all Perfection by the infinite Knowledge and Love in his Nature THE Original of our Knowledge is his Godhead His Essence and his will are the Fountain of it and the stream so excellent that in all Estates it is for ever to be continued as the Light and Glory of the whole Creation THE understanding Power which is seated in Soul is the Matter of that Act wherein the Essence of Knowledge consisteth Its form is the Act it self whereby that Power of knowing apprehendeth its Object IT S nature is invisible like that of all other Spirits so simple and uncompounded that its form and matter are the same For all Powers when transformed into Act are Acts themselves And the faculty of understanding in a Compleat and Perfect Act of Knowledge attains its Perfection and is Power exerted or an Act in its Exercise For every Act is Power exerted THE Power of Knowing is vain if not reduced into Act and the Soul a melancholly and Dreadful Cave or Dungeon of Darkness if void of Knowledge Had GOD himself a Power of Knowing Distinct from its Operation if he never exercised that Power it would be useless to him His Glory and Blessedness are seated in the Light of that Knowledge whichto us upon Earth appeaeth Inaccessible IF we would be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect our Power of knowing must be transformed into Act and all Objects appear in the interior Light of our own understanding For tho all Eternity were full of Treasures and the Whole World and all the Creatures in it transformed into Joys and our Interest to all never so perfect yet if we are Ignorant of them we shall continue as poor and Empty as if there were nothing but Vacuity and Space For not to be and not to appear are the same thing to the understanding WERE a Man a Seraphim by his Essence or something by nature more Glorious and Divine then the Highest Order of the most Blessed Angels nay the greatest Creature that Almighty power was able to produce his Soul and Body would signifie nothing if he were unknown to himself and were not aware of his Excellence IF you would have a solid Prospect of any Vertue you must understand that Vertues are Powers transformed into right wise and regular Acts avoiding all extremes of remissness on the one hand and excess on the other The Extreams of Knowledge are Ignorance and Error FOR ought you know Heaven and Earth are as full of Treasures as Almighty Power was able to create them and you by Nature the best and highest of all possible Creatures made like GOD for the highest and best of all possible Ends and called to live in Communion with him in all his fruitions but being vilely corruptted you have lost the sence of all these Realities and are ignorant of the Excellences of your own Estate and Nature I am sure that GOD is infinite in Wisedom Goodness and Power and nothing is wanting on his Part to perfect your Desires But yet you may be blind and idle and ignorant and dead in a manner while you are wanting to your self and have need of nothing but clear and perfect apprehensions but because they are Sottish and Erroneous at present they may make you miserable and Poor and Blind and Naked IF Sin had been like Circe's Cup and changed the shape of Mans Body to that of a Swine or Dragon the Depravation of his Nature had been plain and visible yet without knowing what kind of Form he had before it would not appear because we should be unsensible of his first Form and unable to compare the one with the other But Sin is a Moral Obliquity and the change it produceth in the Soul is Spiritual It makes a man to differ far more from himself than any alteration of Body can do but withal so blinds his Understanding that he does not remember what he was in his first Parent Tho the first Man who had experience of both Estates was able to compare them because in his Corruption he might possibly retain a Sence of that Nature and Life which he enjoyed in his integrity Yet all his Posterity that are born Sinners never were sensible of the Light and Glory of an Innocent Estate and for that cause may be wholy ignorant both of GOD and themselves utterly unable to conceive the Glory of the World or of that Relation wherein they should by Nature have stood towards all the Creatures IT is impossible to conceive how great a change a slight Action may produce It is but pressing the Wick a little with ones Finger and a Lamp is extinguished and Darkness immediately made to overspread the Room The Glory and
Splendor of the whole World would vanish upon the Extinction of the Sun And one Instants Cessation from the Emission of its Beams would be its Extinction A Soul is a more Glorious Thing than the Sun The Sphear of its Activity is far Greater and its Light more Precious All the World may be filled with the splendor of its Beams Eternity it self was prepared for it Were there but one Soul to see and enjoy all the Creatures upon the suspension of its Light all the Creation would be rendred vain Light it self is but Darkness without the Understanding THE Existence of many Souls is so far from abating the value of one that it is by reason of their multitude more useful and Excellent For the value of the Objects imputes a Lustre and Higher value to the Light wherein they are enjoyed And if Souls themselves are more excellent than all other Creatures and arewith and above all other to be enjoyed that Power whereby this Soul is able to enjoy them is more to be esteemed upon the account of those Souls than for all the other Creatures which are made for the same GOD himself and his holy Angels are Objects of the Understanding Those Felicities and Glories which the Sun cannot extend to the Soul can comprehend All which since their Fruition depends upon that Act of the Understanding by which they are considered reflect a Lustre and add a value to that Knowledge by which the Soul does attain them Whereupon it follows that the infinite value of all these is seated in the intellect and as the Power so the Act of Knowledg on which their Fruition dependeth is of infinite use and Excellency As the loss is infinite when the Soul is bereaved of them so is the mage which it suffers by failing of its Light whether that Defect be voluntary or imposed by some outward Impediment AS for the Use of Knowledge it is apparent enough For the Relation between the Use and Excellency of things is so near and intimate that as nothing Useless can be at all excellent so is every Excellence in every Being founded in its usefulness The use of Souls is as great as their Excellency The use of Knowledge as endless in Variety as in Extent and Value KNOWLEDGE is that which does illuminate the Soul enkindle Love excite our Care inspire the mind with Joy inform the Will enlarge the Heart regulate the Passions unite all the Powers of the Soul to their Objects see their Beauty understand their Goodness discern our Interest in them form our Apprehensions of them consider and enjoy their Excellences All Contentments Raptures and Extafies are conceived in the Soul and begotten by Knowledge all Laws Obligations and Rewards are understood by Knowledg All Vertues and Graces of the Mind are framed by Knowledge all Advantages are by it improved all Temptations discerned all Dangers avoided all Affairs ordered all Endowments acquired all the Ornaments of Life all the Beauties of the inward Man all the Works of Piety are affected by Knowledge In the Light of knowledge all Pleasures arise and as Fruits and Flowers are begotten in the Earth by the Beams of the Sun so do all kinds of Joy spring from the Creatures and are made ours by the help of that Knowledge that shineth on them its last Off spring are Eternal Thanksgivings and Praises The Divine Image and the Perfection of Bliss are sounded in Knowledge GOD himself dwelleth in the Soul with all his Attributes and Perfections by Knowledge By it we are made Temples of the Holy Ghost and Partakers of the Divine Nature And for this cause it is that St. Paul prayeth That we might be filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisedome and Spiritual Understanding that we might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every Good Work and increasing in the Knowledge of GOD strengthened with all Might according to his glorious Power unto all Patience and long-suffering with Joyfulness giving Thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his Dear Son THE Sun is a glorious Creature and its Beams extend to the utmost Stars by shining on them it cloaths them with light and by its Rayes exciteth all their influences It enlightens the Eyes of all the Creatures It shineth on forty Kingdomes at the same time on Seas and Continents in a general manner yet so particularly regardeth all that every Mote in the Air every Grain of Dust every Sand every Spire of Grass is wholly illuminated thereby as if it did entirely shine upon that alone Nor does it onely illuminate all these Objects in an idle manner its Beams are Operative enter in sill the Pores of Things with Spirits and impregnate them with Powers cause all their Emanations Odors Vertues and Operations Springs Rivers Minerals and Vegetables are all perfected by the Sun all the Motion Life and sense of Birds Beasts and Fishes dependeth on the same Yet the Sun is but a little spark among all the Creatures that are made for the Soul the Soul being the most High and Noble of all is capable of far higher Perfections far more full of Life and Vigour in its uses The Sphere of its Activity is illimited its Energy is endless upon all its Objects It can exceed the Heavens in its Operations and run out into infinite spaces Such is the extent of Knowledge that it seemeth to be the Light of all Eternity All Objects are equally near to the splendor of its Beams As innumerable millions may be conceived in its Light with a ready capacity for millions more so can it penetrate all Abysles reach to the Centre of all Nature converse with all Beings visible and invisible Corporeal and Spiritual Temporal and Eternal Created and Increated Finite and Infinite Substantial and Accidental Actual and Possible Imaginary and Real All the Mysteries of Bliss and Misery all the Secrets of Heaven and Hell are Objects of the Souls Capacity here and shall be actually seen and known hereafter WERE Almighty Power Magnified by filling Eternity with created objects and were all the Omnipresence of God full of Joys it is able when assisted by his Divine Knowledge to look upon all and tho every one of them should have an infinite Depth within an Endless variety of Uses a Relation to all the rest of the World the Soul as if it were able to contract all its strengths from all the expansions of Eternity and space and fix them upon this Moment or on this Centre intirely beholding this alone in all its fulness can see its Original its End its Operations Effects and Properties as if it had nothing to consider but this alone in a most exquisite and perfect manner IT is not to be denied that every Being in all Worlds is an Object of the Understanding
nor can that of the Psalmist be doubted In his Presence there is fulness of Joy and at his right hand there are Pleasures for evermore that is his Omnipresence is full of Joys and his Eternity of Riches and Pleasures nor is it to be denied that the Soul is by its Creation intended for the Throne of GOD. For it is made capable of his Omnipresence and Eternity and as the Apostle speaketh may be filled with all the fulness of GOD which fulness is adequate to the Immensity of his Eternal Power of which you will see more in the Vertues of Love Wisdom Righteousness and Holiness This only is here to be noted that Nature never made any Power in vain but ever intendeth the Perfection of what it produceth and prepareth objects for the understanding the Perfection of which Power is the actual attainment of that Knowledge of which it is capable THE principal objects of our Knowledge are GOD and a Mans self The Kingdom of GOD his Laws and Works his Ways in all Ages his Counsels and his Attributes Mans Interest and Duty Transactions of the World the Thoughts and Actions of Angels and Men are considerable which tho they may be stiled less material Objects of the understanding yet in relation to GOD and a Mans felf are of great Importance GOD as he is the Life and fountain of all Felicity the End of all Perfection and the Creator of our Being Almighty in Power infinite in Wisdom and Goodness Author of the universe and Lord of all the Creatures is most fit to be Known Plato makes him the very Light of the understanding and affirms that as three Things are necessary to Vision the Eye rightly prepared the object conveniently seated and Light to convey the Idea to the Eye so there are three things required to compleat and perfect Intelligence an understanding Eye an Intelligible Object and a Light intelligible in which to conceive it Which last is GOD. Nor is the Royal Psalmist and Divine Philosopher David far from the Notion while he saith In thy Light we shall see Light For GOD is the Light of the understanding His Nature is the Light of all the Creation Therefore it is said by Christ himself that the Knowledge of GOD is Life Eternal For his Light is the Life of men and without him we can do nothing Till we Know his Nature we cannot apprehend the Excellency of his Works For all their Goodness is derived from him and ends in him His Love moved him to create the World and the principal End for which it was made is the Glory of the Creator in the Felicity of his Creatures The Glory of the Creatures is seen in his By his Wisdom and Goodness we are guided to the Hope and Investigation of their Excellence His infinite bounty made them all our Treasures that for the Perfection of their Beauty and Worth we might celebrate his Praises HE that would not be a stranger to the Universe an Alien to Felicity and a foreiner to himself must Know GOD to be an infinite Benefactor all Eternity full of Treasures the World it self the Beginning of Gifts and his own Soul the Possessor of all in Communion with the Deity That the Business of Religion is Complacency in GOD and that GOD never laid aside his Wisdom in any Operation of his Power never forgot to make the least of his Works agreeable to his Goodness Nay rather he is so perfect that his infinite Goodness Wisdom and Power are exerted wholy and wholy Conspicuous in every Operation It is the Beauty of Truth that maketh Knowledge of such infinite Value For if all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowing be ordained for a Wise and Knowing Man if all Objects in the clear Light of Heaven and Eternity be laudable and Glorious if Divine Wisdome hath so far obtained that the number and Value of GODS Gifts is accurate and exactly answerable to the nature of its causes if every Soul that will live in his Image may be the friend of GOD and acquire the Empire of the World and be Beloved of Angels and admired of Men if fruition be the End of Knowledge and all Things made that they may be enjoyed Knowledge is the only Thing that enriches the Soul and the Knowing Man is the friend of GOD. The Exercise and Pleasure of this Divine Amity is the End of the Creation and the Perfection of the Soul The Knowledge of a Mans-self is highly conducive to his Happiness not only as it gives him Power to rejoyce in his Excellencies but as it shews him his End for which he was created For by Knowing what Inclinations and Powers are in his Soul he discerns what is agreeable with and fit for his Essence what objects and what Operations are couducive to his Welfare what means he is to use for the Attainment of his End and what that is wherein his Perfection consisteth If the Powers of his Soul are illimited his Desire infinite and his Reach Eternal if he be able to see and enjoy all Worlds and all that is above all Worlds in the Image of GOD. If his Ambition carry him to be Pleasing to all Angels and Men and to be Glorious in the Eyes of all Kingdoms and Ages if his Abilities are indeficient for the fruition of all that is Excellent in eternity it self it is a token that he is ordained for GOD and the enjoyment of his Kingdom and a wicked folly to restrain himself to the miserable Contentment of a Cell or Cottage and to delight in nothing but some fragments of the Creation that in Comparison of the whole are infinitely Defective OF all other things I would have this most deeply engraven in the mind that GOD hath exceeded all Imagination in the Works of his Hands that he that overcometh shall be the Son of GOD and inherit all Things that there is an infinite end why the secrets of all hearts shall at last be revealed that in Heaven all Thoughts and Things shall be Known that the Kingdome of Heaven is so Glorious that all the blessed are Perfect Sovereigns every one the Possessor and End of it all that all Things proceeding immediately from GOD are the Best that are possible that the best and the worst things as ordered by him are perfectly amiable and subservient to Felicity that he himself alone hath a Proper Right to all that is excellent and that GOD is in every Thing to be enjoyed that he is enjoyed only when his essence and his Works satisfie the Desires of perfect reason and exceed all Wishes in filling and delighting the soul That having filled the soul with infinite Wisdome he has laid infinite Obligations upon us and set infinite Rewards before us made Laws in finitely amiable and given us Duties infinitely Desirable for which he deserves eternal Adorations and Thanksgivings CHAP. VI. Of Love and Hatred The necessity and sweetness of Love It s General use and efficacy The several
kinds of love Of the Power Inclination and act of Love Its extent and capacity BECAUSE Love is the most Desirable Employment of the Soul the Power of Loving is to be accounted the most High and Noble of the Faculties It is not seated by it self in the mind but attended with a mighty Proneness and Inclination THERE is no Creature so unsociable and furious but it is capable of loving something or other Wolves and Tygres live at peace among themselves Lions have an Inclination to their Grim Mistresses and Deformed Bears a natural Affection to their Whelps expressed in their Rage when they are bereaved of them Things must either be absolutely Dead or live in misery that are void of love Whatsoever is endued with Life and sence delights in easie and grateful Operations Love is a necessary Affection of their Souls because it is impossible to apprehend any thing Delightful but it must be pleasing and what is Pleasing must be Lovely For to be Pleased and to love are the same thing If there be any difference the pleasure we take in any Object is the root of that Desire which we call Love and the affection whereby we pursue the pleasure that is apprehended in it is part of the Love that we bear unto it the end of which is the Completion of that pleasure which it first perceives All is Love variously modified according to the Circumstances wherein the Object is represented AS Love is the only Easie and Delightful Operation so is Hatred of all other the most troublesom and tormenting Displeasure and Enmity are the Ingredients of its nature and the fruits of it allyed to their Root as Bitter as Gall and Wormwood Murder and Vexation and Grief are the off-spring of the one with Separation Contention and Horror Peace and Embraces are the Fruit of the other with Praises and Complacencies Honors Services Benefits and Pleasures These are the little Cupids that flie about this coelestial Venus when it is what it ought to be the Mother of Felicity and the Daughter of GOD. ALL Creatures that are sensible of Pain or pleasure must of necessity be addicted to Love and Hatred to the Love of what is pleasing to the Hatred of what is Painful And if any Question be made which of these Twins is the First born the answer is that they may seem Twins in respect of Time but in nature Love is the first born and the Mother of Hatred For where nothing to be hated does at all appear pleasant Things are Beloved for their own sake whereas if there were no pleasant thing to be beloved nothing could be hated because nothing could be Hurtful which appeareth by this because where there is no Love there is no Interest and where there is no concernment there can be no Affection no Fear or Hope or Joy or sorrow AS Fire begets Water by melting Ice so does Love beget contrary passions in the soul of a living creature Anger Malice Envy Grief and Jealousie not by its own nature but by the accidental Interposure of some Obstacle that hinders or endangers the fruition of its Object Were there no Love of Ease and Pleasure there could be no Anger or Quarrel between Competitors no Emulation or Desire no Aversion or Endeavour All Enmity and Hostility Springs from a Contention who shall enjoy what is Desirable or from some other Principle of Envy or Revenge in relation to what is Good as is Obvious to Daily Experience LIFE and Love are so individualy united that to live without Loving something is impossible Even in Hell where their whole Life seemeth to be spent in Detestation and Hatred and actual Love is like fire under those Embers covered and continued Could they put off self Love all Love of Felicity and Interest their Torments would be gone Punishments and Rewards are things impossible where there is not selfLove For without Love to something Pains and Joys are equally Grateful AS Love is the Root of Endeavor so is it the Spring of all the Passions They all depend upon Love alone We are Angry at that which stands in our Way between our Love and its object We Desire an absent Good because we Love it We Hope for it when we conceive its Attainment feasible We rejoyce in it when we have it We fear to lose it we grieve when it is gone we despair if we cannot get or recover it We hate all that is opposite to it And for this Cause is our Love when well regulated the greatest Vertue because upon the right Choise of its Object and true Goverment of it self all the Powers and Affections of the Soul are well employed and when we Love all that we ought as we ought to do we fulfil all Laws Hope and Fear and Hate and Grieve and Desire and Rejoyce and do every thing in a regular Manner THERE is a Sensual and Brutish Love there is a Humane and Divine Brutish Love is of two sorts the one Springs from a Harmony of Complexions and a Sympathy of Bodies the other from the Consideration of Pleasure abstracted The First of these is occasioned by a secret and unexpressible Agreement of Tempers by which upon the presence of each other the Senses are delighted we know not why it being a mystery in nature and perhaps founded in a grateful Transpiration of Spirits from one to the other THE Consideration of Beauty seemeth peculiar to the Love of Men because no Beast is observed to make any Distinction between Lineaments and Features nor upon any account of shape and Colours to be delighted with each other Wherein Man exceeds the Capacity of Beasts in being able to note and admire the Workmanship of GOD in the decent Order of Symmetry and Proportion HUMANE Affection and Divine Love are near allyed yet of several Kinds If you take the Love of Reason in its utmost Height it is always Divine For it is comformable to the Love of GOD in its measures and Degrees in its Effects and Causes For the Love of GOD is it self the Love of perfect Reason And as the Reason of his Love is Infinite and Eternal so is its Operation But in a lower Acceptation Humane Love differs from Divine it being founded upon Temporal Causes Vivacity Wit Learning Beauty Behaviour Moral Honesty Fidelity Kindness Goodness Power Majesty Wealth Nobility Worth Vertue and the like But all these may be exalted when they are Sanctified and made Divine by the superadded concurrence of Coelestial Causes For when a Man loves another because he is made in the Image of GOD and by the Beauty of his Soul is something more than Humane this Love is made Sacred and receives a Grace from the Influences of Religion DIVINE Love strictly so called is founded on Eternal Causes agreeable to the Life of Heaven Delightful to GOD and Pleasing to the Angels IF Divine Love be taken in the highest Sense there is none but in GOD. For it is his Peculiar Prerogative
Love is made compleat and Perfect it will be like his and the Benefit of it will be Eternal BEFORE we can fully discern the Benefit of Love or see the Glory of it in all its high and admirable Effects we must consider what Love is and doth in GOD. For as we have said The Life of GOD is Love nay the Apostle saith GOD is Love By Loving he begot his Love And if his Love be his Godhead his Essence is an infinite and Eternal Act of Love by extending which through all infinity and by Loving Eternally he begot his infinite and Eternal Essence which is the Love that filleth all Worlds with Beauty and Glory When you consider it well An Act of Love is begotten by Loving And if his Wisdome and Goodness and Blessedness and Glory be seated in Love his Love is his Wisdome which is the Son of GOD and his Goodness and his Glory and his Blessedness For all these tho we conceive them diversly are the same Thing and of the Son of GOD it is said that he is the Wisdom of the Father and the Brightness of his Fathers Glory He is the Life of the Father by whom also he made the Worlds and the Love of the Father for whom all Things were created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all Things were created by him and for him For GOD enjoyeth all Things by his Love which is his Eternal Son and made them as perfect and delightful as it was possible for things created to be that he might take Pleasure in them As he himself is made Glorious and Delightful in the Eyes of all Angels and Men by Love so doth his whole Kingdom arise and Spring from Love the Beauty and felicity of all his Creatures their Joys and Praises their Uses and Perfections are founded in his Love ' by his Love he begetteth all his pleasures in himself by his Love he made his Treasures infinite and by that alone doth he take infinite Pleasure and Delight in himself and his Kingdome Thus useful is the Love of GOD. Had not GOD from all Eternity Loved had he never desired nor delighted in any thing he had never exerted his Almighty Power never communicated his Goodness or begot his Wisdom never enjoyed Himself never applyed himself to the Production of his Works never appeared in his Glory to any eie whatsoever Removing his Love we remove all the Properties and Effects of his Essence and are utterly unable to conceive any Idea of his Godhead For his Power tho it be Almighty yet if it be Dead and idle is fruitless and Deformed Idle Power is not the Essence of the Deity but a meer Privation and Vacuity or at least a positive Being as ignoble as it is unactive The Reason of his Works is founded in Love so are all the Obligations that are laid upon his Creatures to adore him All their Rewards are founded in Love and by Love prepared All his Laws are the Laws of Love all his Attributes and Counsels are Love in several formes acting upon several occasions When his Love communicates it self in Joys to innocent Creatures it is Goodness when it attains the most perfect End by the most perfect means it is Wisdome when it rescues guilty Creatures from Hell it is Mercy when it punishes the Rebellious it is Justice when it inspires Obedience into any obstinate Person it is Grace when it delights in the Beauty of all its Works it is Blessedness when it appears in the perfection of its works it is glory For Glory is the perfection of Beauty that ariseth from and is seated in the lustre of excellent Actions discovering the internal Properties of an excellent Agent which is by those his Properties and Actions made Delightful to all Judicious Spectators NOR is it onely in GOD but in us also that the fruits and Benefits of Love are ineffable For by loving as it ought to do the Soul acquires its own Perfection and is united to all its Objects By loving as it ought to do it is made Holy and Wise and Good and Amiable Onely by Loving does it embraces the Delights of which it is capable Love is the root and Soul of those Actions for which a Creature is desired and praised by others IT is an infinite Advantage that we are able to live in GODS Image if we please For if GOD alone be infinitely Glorious and Blessed there is no way for us to become Glorious and Blessed but by being made either by our selves or some other like unto him BY nature he hath implanted the Similitude of his power which we are to improve by Grace turning it into Act after his Similitude To be able to Love is neither Grace nor vertue but a meer Gift of GOD a natural Endowment which may be Blasted or compleated Actually to love is the Work of vertue for by that Act we enjoy our Felicity HAD GOD limited and confined our understanding our power of Loving had been shut up in Bounds Had he made it infinite but not prepared objects for the same our Love had been deluded and had lost its force Had he made some Objects but not so many as it was capable of Loving it had been Superfluous and dissatisfied Had he prepared Objects innumerable and Endless but made them evil our Love had been irrational had he commanded us to Love them Had he made more Objects then we were able to love we had been discontented But having made all Objects infinitely Amiable and Glorious and filled his Immensity and Eternity with himselfe and with the Lustre of his Actions Love is an infinite Vertue because nothing is wanting but an Act of Love to enjoy them IF they are all Amiable in all Respects they are all according to our Hearts desire in their Natures Places Durations Ends Occasions Causes Uses Service Relations Properties Operations c. All things as they immediatly proceed from him are in all respects most perfectly pleasing And if we have an Eye to see and discern this and a Soul able to resent the Benefit if our nature be so vast and perfect as to see and take pleasure in all their Circumstances it is the most unreasonable and bruitish thing in the world to withdraw our Affection from them nay it is worse then Diabolical For we Kill our selves we blast our Felicity we offend GOD we slight the Beauty of all his Creatures we break his Laws we act against nature we darken the Light and Splendor of our Souls we deface his Image we grieve his Love we do the most vicious and abominable thing that is imaginable But if we excite and a waken our Power we take in the Glory of all objects we live unto them we are sensible of them we delight in them we transform our souls into Acts of Love and Knowledge we proceed out of our selves into all Immensities
other mens Souls shining in the Acts of their Understanding throughout all Eternity and extending themselves in the Beams of Love through all Immensity and thereby transformed every one of them into a Sphear of Light comprehending the Heavens every Angel and every Spirit being a Temple of GODS Omnipresence and Perfection this alone will be a ravishing Spectacle to that Goodness which delights to see innumerable Possessors of the Same Kingdome Much more will the Perfection of the Kingdome it self which by infinite Wisdome is so constituted that every one is the Sovereign Object the First born and Sole heir and End of the Kingdome Every one the Bride of GOD every one there a King yet without Confusion or Diminution every one distinctly enjoying all and adding to each others fruition TO understand all this and not to delight in it is more miserable then not to understand it To see it without being able to enjoy it is to pine away in a prison from whence we see the Glory of a Palace and repine in our misery at the Pleasures of those that are about it To delight in these Things without being affected with them is impossible Nor is there any Affection but that of Love whereby we can enjoy them THE Angels see the Glory of GODS Kingdom and delight in it the Damned see the Joys of the Blessed and are tortured by them the Wicked upon Earth neither see nor are affected with them the Saints on Earth apprehend them in part and believe them desire and endeavour after them they wait with Expectation for the whole and by certain degrees as it were in a Glass enjoy the Image and Reflection of them As many as they comprehend they actually delight in for their love is awakened and extended to the goodness of all they understand which it feeds upon by meditation and turnes into Nourishment for the Beneffit of their Souls which are made more Great and Strong and Vigorous by their Fruitions But without Love it is easie to see that no Goodness can be at all enjoyed GOD does desire Love from us because his Wisdom very well knows that without Love the World would be in vain and the End of the Creation frustrated his Goodness is diffusive and infinitly desires to communicate it self which it cannot do unless it be Beloved To receive it is the highest service we can do unto it nothing being more agreeable to the Nature of his Goodness then that it should be enjoyed His Blessedness consisteth in the pleasure he taketh in the Felicity of others and brancheth it self out into two Parts the Pleasure of Communicating all to others and the pleasure of receiving all from others in the satisfaction which he taketh to see others Blessed in the Returns of those joys and Praises which are offered up to his Goodness and Glory His Glory desires to be seen and delighted in To be esteemed and beloved to be honored and admired is natural to Glory the Brightness of whose splendor is more Sensibly Pleasant in the Reflection of its face and in the Joy that it makes in anothers Soul His Holiness takes Pleasure in pure and upright Actions of all which Love is the fountain There is an Objective fitness and Excellency in Love for which it is infinitely valued by him It is one of the first and immediate Properties of Love to desire to be beloved to make its object most Amiable and Beautiful as well as Blessed to be united to it to have its own Goodness acknowledged its Essence approved its excellency desired admired and delighted in to see all its Actions Appearances Gifts and Tokens esteemed and to feel its own Efficacy in the Grateful Acceptance it finds in the Raptures it occasions in the flames it enkindles in anothers Soul Now Love is the fountain of all Honour Gratitude Praise and Esteem By Love the Soul is transformed into the Similitude of GOD by love made Bright and Beautiful all its Blessedness and Glory are founded in its Love it is by Love it self made Communicative and Diffusive and Great and Rich and as the Scripture speaketh fit for Delights All Obedience and service are founded in Love And if a Creature that is Beloved must freely give up it self to anothers Pleasure before it can shew its Love or intirely be enjoyed Love is of all other things in the World most fit to answer Love because the very heart and Soul is given thereby to the Person that desires it LOVE is the Fountain of all Benefits and Pleasures House Estate and Lands Authority Wealth and Power Life it self is consecrated and Devoted by a Lover to his Object So that on our side all is given to GOD by Love as well as by Love it is received from him The Heavens and the Earth and all the Creatures are Gifts and Tokens of his Love Men and Angels are a Present of his Love which he hath infinitely adorned and made endlessly serviceable to every Soul that is Beloved All these his Love would have us to receive with a due Esteem and therefore is it than of his Love he will have us to exercise our reason aright and Love them as much as their Goodness deserveth When we see and understand their Excellence and Esteem them according to the transcendent value that appeareth in them we adorn our selves with their fair Ideas we enlarge and beautifie our Souls with Bright and clear Apprehensions and which is much more with regular and well ordered Affections we enrich our selves and increase our Greatness in the fruition of his Gifts we are lively and pleasant and vigorous Creatures full of Knowledge and Wisdome and Goodness and fit to offer up all these things unto him again while we empty them as Helps and Advantages in that Service which we pay unto him For our Love to himself is enkindled by these Incentives and while we sacrifice our selves and them unto him we delight in nothing more then to see him that is so Great in Love and Bounty the Author and Possessor of all his Glories CHAP. VIII Of the Excellency of Truth as it is the Object and Cause of Vertue The Matter and form of Vertuous Actions That their form is infinitely more Excellent then their Matter and the Heathen Morality infinitely defective and short of the Christian. I do not see that Aristotle made the End of Vertue any other then a finite and temporal Felicity which is infinitely short of that felicity which is here begun and enjoyed for ever He did not make GOD the Object and End of the Soul and if all Acts are distinguished into their Kinds by their Objects and their Ends those Vertues must be infinitely base that have no other Objects or Ends but Creatures and those only Divine and Noble that flow from an infinite and Eternal Original respect an infinite and Eternal Object rest in an Infinite and Eternal End His Difinition of Felicity importeth all this but his Behavior makes me to
fear he did not understand it As Seneca luckily hit upon that saying Deus me solum dedit toti mundo totum Mundum mibi soli GOD gave me alone to all the World and all the World to me alone yet could not understand it For had he Known what it was he said he would have made a better use of it and been more copious and explicite in the Illustration An actual Respect had to infinite Obligations and Rewards a Desire in every action to please an infinite and eternal Lover to Glorifie a Divine and Endless Benefactor to bring forth the fruits of infinite Benefits and to be truely Grateful for all the Advantages of a mans Creation that is made to have Dominion over all the World these are higher and better Qualifications of those Vertuous Actions which Christians perform than Heathens understood And yet if nature were divested of its Corruption the Natural Man that is no Christian might by the Light of Nature be fitted to understand them And the Truth is I wonder much the World being so Beautiful and Glorious in every Eye so really deep and valuable in Worth so peculiarly applied to the use and service of every person that the Heathens did miss the fruition of it and fail to measure themselves and their Felicity by the Greatness of its Beauty and the Joy which all the Creatures ought to produce in the mind of Man by their real Services For the Earth is really better than if all its Globe were of beaten Gold the Seas are better than if all their Abysses were full of Diamonds the Air is better than if all the space between us and the Skys were full of Scepters and the Sun alone a greater Treasure then all the wealthy Mines in the Indies every man is surrounded with all the Light of their Advantages and so much served by them as if no man but himself were alive in the World So that it is a natural and easie Investigation even for Heathens themselves to discern the mystery of Bliss and to discover the misery of Humane Nature to be founded in some Disease of the Will or Understanding And to return from Inadvertency and Sloth to Truth and Righ Reason which was the ready Way to true Felicity For they Knew not the Arcanum or Hidden mystery of Divine Laws nor the Excellency and Perfection of immortal Souls which make every one a Soveraign and Transcendent Creature yet they might easily observe the miserable Effects of Eternal Solitude and in external Services how useful and comfortable men were ordained by Nature to be to one another EVERY man Loves to have many Eys fixt on his Beauty and to have many Delightful Objects and Transactions for his own Be the Theatre never so Magnificent the Actions and the Actors are more Delightful to the Spectators than the Gildings and Dead Engravings Were all other men removed out of the World to make room for one the empty Theatre would remain but the Spectacle be lost all the Cities and Kingdoms and Ages would be removed with all that was lively and rare and Miraculous in all their Occurrences Palaces and Temples had been prevented Houses and Villages Fields and Vineyards The World had been a Wilderness overgrown with Thorns and Wild Beasts and Serpents Which now by the Labor of many hands is reduced to the Beauty and Order of Eden It is by Trades and Occupations that a man gets him Corn and Wine and Oyl c. all which he would have been without had he never seen any Company but himself condemned to Idleness and melancholly Vertues and Praises had been things unknown Admiration and Honor Love and Knowledge the mysteries of Religion and Piety all the speculations of Wisdom for want of Education had been lost at least the Sence and Exercise of these Bright and Glorious Things for wont of Conversation Corrupted Nature being prone to afford no other fruits but Barbarism and Ignorance in that Solitary Condition For the Powers of the Soul are improved by Tradition and it is by the Information of others that our minds are awakened to perceive the Dignity of our own Nature the Value of all the Creatures and our Interest unto them But Religion teaches us far more the Beginning and the End of the World how highly we are honored and beloved of GOD the Manner wherein we are to converse with him the transcendent Excellency of Souls and the Divine Perfections of the Deity What his Omnipresence and Eternity is how we are to be enlarged in our Apprehensions and Desires and prepared for infinite and Eternal fruitions in what Quality and Capacity we are to live in the world and Exercise Vertue how we are to spend our Time and employ our Powers on all Objects every one as Lord of the Creation and the friend of GOD How all Angels and Men are commanded to Love us as themselves and by that Love to serve and delight us more than by all other Actions and Offices whatsoever That every Soul is a more excellent Being than the visible World more nearly allyed to God and more precious in it self than any Treasure whatsoever That it is endued with Powers Inclinations and Principles so fitly subservient and conducive to Blessedness that any one of these is more Delightful then all inanimate Things in the Contemplation and Enjoyment of which we may justly be lost in Wonder and Extasie All this by the Light of Nature is asserted but covered with so Gross a vail that we discern it not till it is newly revealed by the Ministery of Men. And upon all these Accounts are Men themselves which are generally mistaken to be Impediments Means Assistances of our Happy living BUT however familiar and near and easie these Great and evident Truths appear it so happened that the Heathen Philosophers were Blind unto them and in the midst of their Searches after Felicity failed of the Discovery they became vain in their Imaginations placing felicity in a meer Apathy or conceited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-sufficiency or in a brave Contempt of all misfortunes in a forced Contentment Dark and empty or in Sensual Pleasures or in the Goods of fortune either alone or conjoyned with those of the Soul and Body which they lamely enumerated and knew not how to imploy as if the Discovery of the highest and best Truths in nature had been reserved for him that redeemed Nature and the Plainest Truths had been appointed to honor and attend that Religion which brought supernatural My steries to Light by the Preaching of the Gospel BY this last the Qualifications of an humble and pious Soul a Penitent and Grateful Person sensible at once of his infinite Guilt and Grandure were introduced Another foundation laid upon the Meritorious Death and Passion of GOD the Son of GOD a Second Love continued in the Deity to the miserable after an infinite forfeiture all the Oracles and Visions and Miracles by which the Nature of Man
your Power and to neglect his Treasures but it is infinite VVisdome by the best of all possible Means to embrace and enjoy them Because an infinite End is thereby attained even GOD himself who is thereby made the portion of the Soul and its Reward forever THE best of all possible Means whereby we can acquire his Eternal Treasures is to imitate GOD in our Thoughts and Actions to exert our Powers after his Similitude and to attain his Image which is after GOD in Knowledg Righteousness and true Holiness For by Knowing all Things as GOD Knoweth them we transform our Souls into an Act of Knowledge most Bright and Glorious By Loving all Things as GOD Loveth them we transform our VVills into an Act of Love which is most Sweet and Blessed VVe enrich and Beautifie our selves with the Image of his Goodness while we communicate our Souls in our Powers to all Objects in his whole Eternity VVe magnifie our selves by magnifying Him in all his Works We do right to our selves by doing right to GOD and all other Things VVhich for as much as we must here on Earth learn by Degrees and can never perfectly accomplish the VVork till it is given us in Heaven it is VVisdome to walk in the Paths of Righteousness as far as we are able and to do those Things here tho small and defective which he will recompence with a Reward so perfect hereafter IF ever we be so happy as to come to Heaven his VVisdome shall be our VVisdom his Greatness our Greatness his Blessedness our Blessedness his Glory our Glory All his Joys and Treasures shall be ours his Life and Love ours and Himself ours for evermore HIS VVisdome is made ours because it is the Light in which we shall see Light and learn thereby to inherit all Things the Exemplar and Original of our VVisdome the Fountain and Patern of all our Joys the Author and Inventor of all our Delights the End and Sum of all our Desires the Means of all our Felicity our very Blessedness and Glory CHAP. X. Of Righteousness How Wisdome Justice and Right Reason are shut up in its Nature What GOD doth and what we acquire by the Exercise of this Vertue RIGHTEOUSNESS and VVisdome are neer allyed For to be Just towards all Objects is to render them their spiritual Due their Due Esteem It is VVisdome because thereby we attain our End and enjoy their Excellency It is Right Reason because to value all Things just as they are tendering to them neither more nor less then they deserve is to do Right to our selves and them it is a Vertue because by force thereof we attain our Happiness For the better understanding of this Vertue we must Know that there is a Righteousness of Apprehension a Rightteousness of Esteem a Righteousness of Choise and a Righteousness of Action Righteousness of Thought is that Habit by Vertue of which we think aright forming and framing within our selves aright Apprehensions of all Objects whatsoever This tho it be the First and smallest Part of Righteousness is of Great importance because no man can use that aright the Nature of which he does not apprehend He that mistakes his Hand for his Meat will rise hungry from Table He that mistakes a Fiddle for an Axe will neither cut Wood well nor make good Musick The Misapprehension of Great and Transcendent Objects whether visible or Spiritual is not perhaps so Gross but more pernicious and Destructive He that apprehends GOD to be a Tyrant can neither honour GOD nor Love him nor enjoy him He that takes Vertues to be vices and apprehends all the Actions of Religion unpleasant will loath and avoid them He that conceits Nothing in the World to be his own but his low Cottage and course diet will think it needless to praise his Maker and will deny himself to be happy in those narrow and Mean enjoyments He that thinks all the wealth is shut up in a Trunk of Gold will little regard the Magnificence of the Heavens the Light of the Sun or the Beauty of the Universe RIGHTEOUSNESS in esteem is that Habit by Vertue of which we value all things according as their Worth and Merit requires It presupposes a right Apprehension of their Goodness a clear Knowledge of all their excellencies It is a Virtue by which we give to every thing that place in our Soul which they hold in Nature It is wonderful both for its extent and Value For there is Room enough for all Objects in the esteem of the Soul and it is by esteem that they are honored perfected and enjoyed A wise man will actually Extend his Thoughts to all Objects in Heaven and Earth for fear of losing the Pleasure they afford him which must necessarily spring from his esteem of their excellency HONOUR and Esteem are neer a kin How the Creatures are honoured by esteem needeth not to be unfolded but how they are perfected by it is a little Misterious A thing is then perfected when it attains its End Now the End for which all things were made is that they may be seen and enjoyed They are seen that they may be esteemed and by an intelligent and right esteem are all enjoyed In our esteem therefore they find and attain their end and by attaining that are consequently perfected The Application of Actives to Passives is a mystery in Nature of very great and General Importance In all Pleasures Cures and Productions All satisfactions Joys and Praises are the happy off-spring of Powers and Objects well united Both the one and the other would lie void and barren if they never met together and when they meet their Union must be regular wise and holy GOD is an Object of Mans Esteem Which unless it were able to render him his Due and Quadrat with his Excellencies a man could never be Righteous towards GOD. For that Esteem is void of Righteousness that either exceeds or falles short of its Object If it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness it becometh GOD to endue us with the Power of Esteeming all that is Good and Excellent according to the Worth and Value thereof For which cause he enables us to Esteem all that we can see in Heaven and Earth and in the Heaven of Heavens For this Esteem is the Foundation of that choise which is the Original Spring of all excellent Actions Even GOD himself meeteth his Honour in the esteem of our Souls He is injured by the Sacrilegious Impiety that robs him of his Esteem being infinitely Quick and Tender in apprehending he is more jealous of his Honour and more grieved when he loseth it then any other His Wisdom and his Love are infinitly offended when they are slighted and profaned but pleased extreamly when they are sanctified and honored and that they are by a just Esteem And for this cause he hath made us able to attend him in all his Works and in all his ways and to have Communion with him in
Imperfection of ours NOR is the reason of his Love to the utmost Perfection less then infinite You Know that all impure Things upon Earth are dull and Obscure as Vile in Esteem as Base and faint in their Operations Neither will a Lump of Dirt shine like the Sun nor a Mudwall be Resplendent like polisht Marble All Glorious Things have a Height of Intensness in them and owe most of their Beauty to the Motion of their Strength and Activity But GOD is a more High and Necessary Thing than these Perfection is his Essence and he could not be himself upon any Abatement It is a great Wonder I But the smallest Thing in the world may spare somewhat of it self rather than that which is infinite Upon the least substraction that which is infinite is made finite and the Loss is infinite We cannot be at all Beloved by Almighty GOD unless we are infinitely Beloved For to Love and neglect us at the same time is impossible and to be able to do infinite Things for us and yet to do but some of them is to Love and neglect us at the same time T is Love in what it does neglect in what it leaveth undone The Reason why it is our duty to Love him infinitely is because he infinitely Loved us Did he not exert all his Power himself he would never command us to exert ours The Love of all Perfection is his Essence and must be infinite for its own Perfection The least flaw in a Diamond abates its Price one Tooth awry or wanting in a Clock doth make it useless Dead flies corrupt the Apothecaries Oyntment so doth a little folly him that is in Reputation for Wisdome and Honour The Greater his Reputation and Wisdome is the more Grievious a Disparagement is any Srain Nor is GOD above these Rules for his Essence it self is the Ruled of ours and the Higher his Divinity is the more Exquisite is its Care of its own Perfection There is no Danger of being Severe in our Expectations for GOD does infinitely hate any Defect in himself more then we tho we infinitely hate it and enjoys himself only as he is an Object Worthy of his own infinite Love and Honour FROM GODS Love of Righteous Action it proceedeth that he made ours so compleatly capable of becoming Righteous and that he adventured a Power into our Hands of offending It is a strange thing that the Excess of the Hatred of all Sin should make Sin possible and that the most perfect Righteousness should be the Accidental Cause of Unrighteousness But yet it is so an infinite Love to the Best of all possible Things made the worst of all things that could be possible excepting those that are impossible which yet we need not except TO read these Riddles aright you must vnderstand that even Impossibles themselves are conceiveable Things and may be compared with Possible and Actual That the Highest and Best of all that are Possible are the most Easie with GOD and most near to his Nature that inforior Possibles are more remote and only thought on in the second place that Things Impossible are the worst of Evils and Things Actual the Best of GOODS For nothing is impossible but that GOD should lye or Dishonour or displease or deny himself or abuse his Power or suspend his Goodness or injure his Creatures or do some such thing which is contrary to his Nature yet very conceiveable because he is a free Agent and has a kind of Power were it not prevented by his Eternal Act whereby he is able to do these Impossible things Nothing is Eternally Actual but the Goodness and Wisdome and Holiness of GOD or some such Thing as his Righteousness and Blessedness and Perfection All which spring from his Will and are Eternally his pleasure as well as his Essence In the idle Power of being and doing all Excellent Things there is much Hazzard and danger but he freely and voluntarily became all these from all Eternity He wrought all Righteousness and Wisdom and Goodness from everlasting and by so doing became the fountain of all that is Glorious from all Eternity The Worst of all Possible Evils are the Sins of Men Which have an infinite Demerit and Vileness in them yet are truely possible And the reason of their Possibility is thus accounted Impossible which are worst of all are Sins in GOD. TO make Creatures infinitely free and leave them to their Liberty is one of the Best of all Possible Things and so necessary that no Kingdome of Righteousness could be without it For in every Kingdome there are subjects capable of Laws and Rewards and Punishments And these must be free Agents There is no Kingdome of Stones nor of Trees nor of Stars only a Kingdome of Men and Angels Who were they divested of their Liberty would be reduced to the Estate of Stones and Trees neither capable of Righteous Actions nor able to Honor or to Love or praise without which Operations all inferior Creatures and meer Natural Agents would be totally Useless So that all the Glory of the World depends on the Liberty of Men and Angels and therefore GOD gave it to them because he delighted in the Perfection of his Creatures tho he very well knew there would be the Hazzard of their abusing it and of Sin in that abuse when they had received it The abuse of it he infinitely hated yet could not prevent it without being Guilty of a Greater Evil. He infinitely hated it because those Actions of Love and Honor which should spring from the right use of it were the onely fair off-spring for the sake of which the whole World was made and without the right right use of their Liberty all Creatures Angels and Souls would be in vain he could not Prevent it without being himself Guilty of what in them he abhorred FOR himself to be Guilty was the worst of Evils and absolutely impossible T was better let them make their Power vain themselves then do so himself For the Author of that vanity be it who it will is the Author of the Sin If they would make it vain He could not help it for him to divest them of the use of Liberty after he had given it was as inconsistent with himself as it was with their Beauty to abuse it the Act of giving it by taking it away being made vain He infinitely hated that the Liberty should be frustrated which he gave unto men for their more perfect Glory he laid all Obligations upon them to use it well and deterred them as much as was possible from abusing it but would not transfer their fault upon himself because he fore saw they were about to do it which he certainly had done had he made their Power vain himself after he had given it Either to refuse to give the Power or Having given it to interpose and determine it without their Consent was alike detrimental to the whole Creation For indeed it is
and Displeasure Because he is infinitely Offended and displeased at Evil Deeds he guards and fortifies his Law deterres men from displeasing him by the fear of infinite Punishments Encourages men to please him by proposing infinite Rewards and the Truth is the infinite Approbation and Esteem which he hath for Wise and Holy Deeds produceth a Delight and Complacency in them which is the principal Part of the Reward Nothing is more honourable then to be Praised and honoured by the King of Kings The infinite Hatred of Evil Deeds is the very Torment it self that afflicts the Wicked T is but to see how much we are hated of GOD and how base the Action is no other fire is needful to Hell The Devils chiefest Hell is in the Conscience They are obdurate and feared that cannot discern and feel The Wound which they inflict on themselves who grieve and offend their Creator It is easie to see the Necessity of that Justice which springs from Holiness and that GOD could not be infinitely Holy were he not infinitely Just in like manner THAT his Punitive Justice springs from his Goodness is next to be observed He punishes them that are hurtfull to others He is most severe in pleading the Cause of the Fatherless and the Widow Himself is persecuted when his Saints are molested and he faults for which the untoward servant was punished are particularly those of beating his fellow Seruants A good man by how much the more tender and compassionate he is by so much the more is he provoked at any gross Affront or abuse of the Innocent Every soul is the Bride of GOD and his own infinite Goodness which deserves infinite Love is infinitely Beloved by him He infinitely tenders it and avoids its least Displeasure but its Displeasure is infinite at every Sin and consequently his Anger when such a Sovereign Beauty as his infinite Goodness is offended by it THE foundation of his Righteous Kingdome and of the Room prepared for his Eternal Justice to act in is infinitely deeper and must in other Discourses more full and copious on that Theme be shewn And to those we refer you All we shall observe here is that this Punitive Justice being GODS infinite Zeal whereby he vindicates his abused Goodness His Goodness must of necessity proceed it and be abused before he can be Angry and before his Anger can be accounted Justice His Dominion is infinite but cannot be Arbitrary in a loose Construction because it is infinitely Divine and Glorious CHAP. XIV Of Mercy The indelible Stain and Guilt of Sin Of the Kingdom which GOD recovered by Mercy The transcendent Nature of that Duty with its Effects and Benefits SUCH is the infinite Justice of God and the Severity of his Displeasure at Sin his Holiness so Pure and his Nature so irreconcilable his Hatred so real and infinite against it that when a Sin is committed his Soul is alienated from the Author of the Crime and his infinite Displeasure will ever see the Obliquity and ever loath the Deformity therein THE Person of a man is concerned in and always represented in the Glass of his Action Union between him and his Deeds is Marvellous T is so close that his Soul it self is hated or Beloved in his Actions As long as it appeareth in that deed which is Odious and Deformed he can never be Beloved HOW slight soever our Thoughts of Sin are the least Sin is of infinite Demerit because it breaketh the Union between God and the Soul bereaveth him of his Desire blasteth his Image corrupteth the Nature of the Soul is committed against infinite Goodness and Majesty being as the Scripture speaketh Exceeding sinful because it is committed against infinite Obligations and Rewards displeasing to all the Glorious Angels abominable to all the Wise and Holy utterly against all the Rules of Reason and infinitely Opposite to the Holiness God who is of purer Eys then to behold the least Iniquity So that unless there be some way found out to deliver the Soul from the Guilt of Sin to blot out the Act and to purifie it from the Stain there can be no Reconciliation between GOD and a Sinner That an offence so infinite should be Eternally punished is the most reasonable thing in the World NOTHING but infinite power and Wisdome is able to wash away Leprosie of guilt and to restore the Soul to its former Beauty and Perfection Without which all Pardon is vain and the Soul dishonourable and sick unto Death as long as the shame and Confusion of its Guilt does lie upon it Which cannot be removed by feeble Tears nor by Acts of Indignation against our selves nor by any Penitence or Sorrow of ours For if these could prevail the Divels might repent and be cleared of their Trespasses long agoe THAT no Law of Works can justifie Sinners is evident enough from that of the Apostle For if there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law GOD was not so prodigal as without an infinite Cause to expend the Blood of his Son And the principal Cause for which he came was that he might be made a Curse and Sin for us that we might be delivered from the Curse of the Law and be made the Righteousness of GOD in him THE reason why the Devils cannot he saved is because the Son of GOD took not upon him the Nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham And there is no other name given under Heaven among men whereby we may be saved but only the name of Jesus who offered up himself a sacrifice for us that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people Zealous of Good Work He pacified the Wrath of God by his Death and satisfied his Justice in our nature and washed us in his Blood and made us Kings and Priests unto GOD. To him be Glory and Dominion forever Amen IT was the Design of Christ and it became the Mercy of GOD in our redemption to take away all the filth and Deformity of Guilt in which the Perfection of his Love and Power appeareth Even as Christ also Loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word That he might present it to himself a Glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be holy and without Blemish For the Church of GOD being his Bride and we Members of his Body and of his Flesh and of his Bones it was meet that we should be restored to the Perfection of Beauty and if not recover the same enjoy a Better Righteousness than we had before THE Light of Nature could discover nothing of all this and therefore it was taught by Revelations and Miracles and Oracles from Heaven AS all things before his fall were subservient to mans Glory and blessedness so all things after his fall became opposite to him
all creatures up braided him with his Guilt every thing aggravated his Sin and increased his Damnation The glory and Blessedness which he lost was his Torment the Honour which he had before was turned into shame the Love of GOD which he had offended increased his Guilt Eternity was a Horror to him his Conscience a Tormentor and his Life a Burden Nothing but shame and Despair could follow his Sin the Light of nature it selfe condemned him and all that he could see was that he was deformed and hated of God For that of the Psalmist is an Eternal verity Thou art not a GOD that hath pleasure in Wickedness neither shall Evil dwell with thee The Foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all Workers of iniquity Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing The Lord will abhor the Bloody and Deceitful man THE Express Declaration of GOD assured Adam that his Recovery was impossible In the Day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Death For not being able to dive into the Secret Reservation which depended absolutely upon Gods holy Will and pleasure as an Act of Sovereignty above the Tenor of the Law all that he could see was that he must die the Death because the Veracity of GOD as well as his nature obliged him to fulfil the Denunciation of the Sentence at least as Adam conceived IN the midst of this Black and Horrid Condition the Mercy of GOD appeared like a Morning Star and the Redeeming Love of GOD was that alone which was able by its Discovery to dispell the Mystes of Darkness that were round about him AS all things were before turned into Evil by the force of Sin and conspired to sink him lower into the Bottomless Pit so all the Evils of his present condition were by this infinite Mercy turned to his Advantage and his Condition in many Respects far better than before IT is fit to see how Sin enfeebled his Soul and made him unable to serve GOD that we might the better understand the Manner of his Recovery and how his Spiritual Life and Power is restored in the new strength which he received in his Saviour THE Atcount of it is this By his self Love he was prone to desire all that was Profitable and Delightful to him While therefore GOD infinitely Loved him being apparently the fountain of all his Happiness he could not chuse as long as he considered it but Love GOD and Delight in him it was natural and Easie to celebrate his Praises But when he was hated of GOD tho he could not chuse but acknowledge that hatred Just yet his Self Love made him to look upon GOD in a Malevolent manner as his Greatest Enemy and his Eternal Tormentor All that was in GOD was a Terror to him His power his Eternity his Justice his Holiness his Goodness his Wisdome his Unalterable Blessedness all was a grief and Terror to his Soul as long as the Hatred of GOD continued against him it made him desperate to think it would continue forever and reduced him to the miserable slavery of hating GOD even to all Eternity BUT when the Love of GOD towards Man appeared the Joy wherewith he was surprized was in all Likelyhood so far beyond his Expectation and his Redemption so far above the Powers of Nature that his very Guilt and Despair enflamed him with Love GOD appeared now so Welcome to him and so Lovely above all that was before that it was impossible for him to look upon GOD and not to Love him with Greater Emazement and Ardor then ever Self Love that Before compelled him to hate GOD carried him now most violently to the Love of GOD and the Truth is the Love of GOD in the Eye of the Understanding is the influence of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father by the Son into the Soul of the Spectator For GOD is Love and we therefore Love him because he first Loved us A faln man is Still a reasonable Creature and having more reason to Love GOD then he had before is by the pure Nature of his Essence infinitely more prone to Love GOD and delight in him and praise him for ever because he is so mercifully and so Strangely restored Thus are we in Christ restored to the Exercise of that Power which we lost by Sin But without him we can do Nothing WHEN all the Kingdom of GOD was at an End by the fall of man and all the Labor of the Creation lost by the Perversness of him for whom the whole World was made GOD by his Mercy recovered it and raised it out of the Rubbish of its Ruines more Glorious than before Which is the chief reason for the sake for which we introduce the Mercy of GOD as our best pattern For when a man has injured us by Nature there is an End of all the Lovely Exercises of Peace and Amity If natural Justice should be strictly observed but then the Season of Grace arrives and the Excellencie of Mercy shews it self in the Lustre of its Wisdome and so our Empire is continued our loss retrived For by shewing Mercy we often recover the Love of an Enemy and restore a Criminal to the Joy of our freindship We lengthenout our Goodness and Heighten its measure we make it victorious and cloath it with a Glory above the course of Nature And all this we are enabled to do by Coming of Jesus Christ who hath restored us to the Hope of Salvation and taught us a Way to increase our own Goodness by other mens Evils to turn the vices of others into our own Vertues and to Live a Miraculous Life of Worth and Excellency in the midst of Enemies Dealing with men better than they deserve adornig our selves with Trophies by the Advantages of their vileness making our selves more Honourable by the Ignominy they cast upon us more Lovely and Desirable by the Hatred which they bear towards us THE foundations upon which we Exercise this Vertue are wholy Supernatural To be kind to the innocent is but Justice and Goodness but to be Kind to the Malevolent is Grace and Mercy And this we must do because our Father which is in Heaven Causeth his Sun to rise on the Just and the unjust and his Rain to descend on the Righteous and the Wicked Because Mercy is the Head Spring of all our Felicities therefore should we shew Mercy as we have obtained Mercy As the Blood was sprinkled upon the Tabernacle and all its Utensils so is the Blood of Christ upon the Heathens and the Earth and all our Enjoyments They are Daily Monitors of Mercy to us because they are purchased by the Blood of Christ. For of him it is that the Heavens declare the Glory of GOD and the firmament sheweth his Handy work to us sinners at this day The Salvation of Sinners being the only End for the sake of which we can be permitted now to enjoy them THE Incarnation of our Lord Jesus
Christ is an incredible mystery to them that do not consider the Love of GOD towards Men in the Creation of the World But they that measure it by his Laws and works and see it in the value of their own Souls would think it very Strange if that Love which appeareth so infinite in all other things should be defective only in its Ways of Providence They easily believe it may express it self in the Incarnation Especially Since all Ages are Beautified with the Effects and Demonstrations of this verity that GOD so Loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life For Love is apt to transform it self into all shapes that the necessity of its Object requires and as prone to suffer as rejoyce with it as apt to suffer for it as with it Many fathers have died for their Children many for their Country but the Love of GOD exceedeth them all To be beloved in our Guilt is exceeding Wonderful but this also is in the Nature of Love it may be provoked with the Guilt or moved with Compassion at the misery of a Sinner WHERE the Love is extreamly violent and the weak Estate of the Object fit for Compassion it is more inclined to Pity than Revenge Tho where the Object is strong and endued with all advantages it is more offended at the Outrage of its Rebellion WHETHER we consider the Nature of Man or his Estate before the Fall we have some reason to believe that he was more Beloved then the Holy Angels for there was more exquisite Care and Art manifested in the Creation of his Person and his Condition was fitted for a more curious Tenderness and Compassion if he offended IF you look into the Nature of Angels and Men you will find this mighty Difference between them Angels are more Simple Spirits Men are Images of GOD carefully put into a Beautiful Case Their Souls would seem equal to the Angels were they not to live in Humane Bodies and those Bodies are Superadded certainly for unspeakable and most Glorious Ends the visible World was made for the sake of these Bodies and without such persons as men are it would be utterly useless The Hypostatical Union of two Natures so unspeakable different as the Soul and Body are is of all things in the World most mysterious and Miraculous Man seems to be the Head of all Things visible and invisible and the Golden clasp whereby Things Material and Spiritual are United He alone is able to beget the Divine Image and to multiply himself into Millions His Body may be the Temple of GOD and when it pleased GOD to become a Creature he assumed the Nature of Man Angels are made Ministring Spirits for the sake of Man and by him alone GOD and his works are United IF you respect his Condition he was made a little lower than the Angels that he might be crowned with Glory and Honour Lower for a Time that he might be Higher for ever The Angels were placed in such an Estate that if they fell it would be with more shame yet if they stood it would be with less Glory For having the Advantages of Greater Light and strength to Sin against them was more Odious and to stand in them less Wonderful While man being more remote from GOD was more Obnoxious to Dangers and more Weak to resist them His Want of Clear Light if he fell would lessen his offence And the Difficulties wherewith he was surrounded if he stood would increase his Vertue which by consequence would make his Obedience more pleasing and much augment his Eternal Glory All which put together when Angels and Men both fell fitted Man rather to be chosen and redeemed he being the Greater Object of Compassion and Mercy THE Degrees and measures of that Mercy which was shewn to Man in his Redemption are very considerable When he was Weak and unable to help himself when he was Guilty when he was an Enemy when he was Leprous and deformed when he was Miserable and Dead before he desired or Thought of such a Thing God freely gave his Son to die for his Salvation and condescended to propose a reconciliation Which should teach us tho higher then the Cherubims and more pure then the Light tho our Enemies are never so base and injurious and ingrateful nay Obstinate and Rebellious to seek a reconciliation by the most Laborious and Expensive Endeavors to manifest all our Care and kindness toward them pursuing their Amendment and Recovery For the same Mind ought to be in us that was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of GOD thought it no Robbery to be Equal with GOD yet took upon him the Form of a Servant and being found in fashion as a man humbled himself to the Death of the Cross Wherefore GOD also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every Knee might bow The very reason why we so infinitely adore him being the incomparable Height and Perfection of his Mercy expressed in his Humiliation and Abasement for us If we would enter into his Glory we must walk in the Way which he hath trod before us for that only will lead us into it THO GOD hath in his infinite Mercy redeemed us from the unavoidable Necessity of being Damned yet hath he with infinite Prudence ordered the Way and Manner of our Redemption in such sort that we are not immediately translated into Heaven but restored to a new Estate of Trial and endued with Power to do new Duties as pleasing to him as those which he required from us in Eden For he Loved a Righteous Kingdome from the Beginning wherein his Laws were to be obeyed Rewards and Punishments expected and administred in a Righteous manner THE Great and necessary Duties in this second Kingdome are Faith and Repentance introduced by his Wisdom and occasioned by Sin necessary for our Justification and Sanctification and Superadded to the former THIS Kingdome of Evangelical Righteousness being founded on the Blood of Christ is by Death and Sin and by the Supernatural Secrets of Love and Mercy made infinitely more Deep and mysterious than the former CHAP. XV. Of Faith The Faculty of Believing implanted in the Soul Of what Nature its Objects are The Necessity of Faith Its End Its Use and Excellency It is the Mother and Fountain of all the Vertues FAITH and Repentance are the Principal Vertues which we ought to exercise in the Kingdome of Evangelical Righteousness because by them alone a Sinner is restored to the Capacity and Power of living in the Similitude of GOD in the Practice of his Divine and Eternal Vertues For without Faith it is impossible to please GOD because we can never believe that he is the Rewarder of all those that diligently seek him without that Credit which is necessary to be given to the Discovery of his Love to them that are
defiled by the Guilt of Sin For as long as we think GOD to be an infinite and Eternal Enemy to all Offenders we cannot use any Endeavor to please him because we Know there is no Hope of Reconciliation and the vanity of the Attempt appears like a Ghost that always haunts us and stands in our Way to oppose and discourage us in the Archievment we would undertake For to Fight with Impossibility is so Foolish a thing that Nature it self keeps us back from doing it Till therefore we believe our Reconciliation possible we have no Strength at all to endeavour our Salvation Our Despair oppresseth and frustrates our Desires with the inevitable Necessity of our Eternal shame and Guilt and misery TO believe that GOD will be so Gracious as to pardon our horrible Apostacy and Rebellion is a Work so Great that GOD accepteth it instead of all other Works of Innocence and Piety to believe that he hath given his Eternal Son to dy for us and that he so Loved us as to come down from Heaven to suffer the wrath of GOD in our stead is so much against the Dictates of Nature and reason that GOD imputeth this Faith alone for Righteousness not as if there were no Good Works necessary beside but by this alone we are justified in his Sight and out Justification cannot be ascribed to any other Work of ours whatsoever Howbeit that which maketh Faith it self so Great a Vertue is that we thereby receive a Power and an Inclination with all to do those Works of Love and Piety the Performance and the Reward of which was the very End of our Saviours Coming THAT there is implanted in Man a Faculty of believing is as certain as that his Eys are endued with the Faculty of seeing or his Soul with Knowledge or any other Faculty And that this Power implanted is of some Use in Nature is as sure as any Thing in the World For nature never gave to any thing a Power in vain this therefore being one of the Powers of the Soul must have a certain End ordained for it And its use is the Excercise of Faith in order to that End OBJECTS of Faith are those Things which cannot be discovered but by the Testimony of others For some things are known by Sence some by Reason and some by Testimony Things that are Known by Sence are present some time or other to the Senses themselves Those Things which Reason discovers are Known as Effects are by Causes or as Causes by Effects a Good and rational Demonstration being made by the Concatenation of Causes and Effects depending upon each other whereby Things remote from Sence are evident to Reason because the one is necessarily implied by the existence of the other But some Things there are which have no such necessary Dependance at all such are the fortuitous Occurences that have been in the World with all those Actions of free Agents that flow meerly from their Will and pleasure For of these there can be no certain Knowledge when they are past but by History and Tradition That the World was made so many years ago that Man was created in an estate of Innocency that he fell into Sin that GOD appeared and promised the seed of the Woman to break the Serpents Head that there was a Flood that Sodom and Gomorrah was burnt by fire that all the World spake one Language till the Confusion at Babel that there were such men as Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great or such as Abraham and Moses and David that the children of Israel were in Egypt and were delivered from thence by Miracles that they received the Law in the Wilderness and were afterwards setled in the Land of Canaan that they had such and such Prophets and Priests and Kings that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary that he was GOD and Man that he died and rose again that he ascended into Heaven and sent the Holy Ghost down upon his Apostles Nay that there is such a City as Jerusalem all these things can no other Way be understood but only by Faith for no Light of Nature nor principle of Reason can declare such verities as these among which we may reckon these that all the Nations in the World except that of the Jews were Pagans and Idolatrous till the Gospel began to come forth from Jury that by the Miracles and Perswasions and Faith and Patience and Persecutions and Deaths of the Martyrs they were converted and forsook their Dumb Idols and erected Temples to the GOD of Heaven that his Eternal Son was crucified in Judea that such Emperors made such Laws that such Councils were held in such Ages that such and such Fathers sprung up in the Church that there is such a Place as Rome and Constantinople these and many Millions of the like Objects to them that live in this Age and never stirred any further then the English Coast are revealed only by the Light of History and received upon Trust from the Testimony of others Nevertheless there is as great a Certainty of these Things as if they had been made out by Mathematical Demonstration or had been seen with our Eys FOR tho there are some false and some Doubtful Testimonies yet there are also some that are True and Certain And least all Faith should be utterly blind and vain and uncertain there are External Circumstances and inward Properties by which those Testimonies which are true and infallible are distinguished from others ALL those Things that are absolutely necessary to the Welfare of Mankind the Knowledge of which is of general Importance that are unanimously attested by all that mention them and universally believed throughout all the World being as firm and certain as the Earth or the Sun or the Skye it self We are not more Sure that we have Eys in our Heads then that there are Stars in the Heavens tho the Distance of those Stars are many Millions of Leagues from our Bodily Organs THE Objects and Transactions which in former Ages occur to our Eys I mean the Spiritual Eys of the intelligible Soul that are seated within are by Faith received and brought to the understanding When they are transmitted to our Knowledge their Nature is apprehended immediately by the Soul and their existence examined by Reason There being certain clear and infallible Rules by which their Truth or falshood may be discerned And for this Cause is it that we are commanded to Try all Things and bold fast that which is Good It is our Duty to be ready always to give a reason of the Hope that is in us For Reason is a transcendent faculty which extendeth to all Objects and penetrates into all misteries so far as to enquire what probability may be in them what Agreement or repugnance there is in the Nature of the Things revealed what Harmony or Contradiction there is in the Things themselves what Correspondence in all the Circumstances what consistence between those
Things which we certainly Know and those which we are perswaded to believe what Authority the Relation is of what is the Design and integrity of the Relators what is the Use and End of the things revealed whether they are important or frivolous absolutely necessary meerly convenient or wholy Superfluous things to be abhorred or things to be desired Absurd or Amiable what Preparations went before what Causes preceded their Existence what Effects followed what Concomitants they had what Monuments of them are now left in the world How the Wise and Learned judge of them what Consent and Unity there is in all the Relations and Histories and Traditions of the Things reported WHERE there is no Repugnance between the Objects offered to our Faith and the Things we already know no Inconsistance in the Things themselvs no difference no Contention between the Relators no fraud in promoting nor folly discernable in the first Embracing of the Things that are published no Want of Care in Sifting and examining their Reality nor any want in the Hearers of Industry Skill and Power to detect the Imposture there is a fair Way laid open to the Credible of such Objects attested and revealed with such Circumstances But if the Things attested were openly transacted in the face of the World and had Millions of Spectators at the first if they were so publick as to be taken notice of in all Kind of Histories of those times and places if they were founded on great and weighty causes if they were pursued by a constant Series and succession of affairs for many Ages if they produced great and publick alterations in the World if they overcame all suspicious oppositions obstacles and impediments if they changed the state of Kingdoms and Empires if old Records and Monuments and Magnificent Buildings are left behind which those Occurrences occasioned our Reason it self assists our Belief and our Faith is founded upon Grounds that cannot be removed Much more if the Things be agreeable to the Nature of GOD and tend to the Perfection of Created Nature if many Prophesies and long Expectations have preceded their Accomplishment if the misteries revealed are attested by Miracles and painted out many Ages before by Types and Ceremonies that can bear no other Explication in Nature nor have any Rational use besides if all the Beauty of former Ages is founded in and compounded by their Harmony if they fitly answer the Exigencies of Humane Nature and unfold the True Originals of all the Disorder and Corruption in the world if the Greatest and Best Part of Learning it self consists in the Knowledge of such affairs if the Doctrines on which they attend be the most pure and Holy and Divine and Heavenly if the most of them are rooted in Nature it self when they are examined and considered but were not discerned nor Known before if they supply the Defects of our Understanding and lead us directly to felicity if they take off our Guilt and are proper Remedies to heal the Distempers and Maladies of our Corruption if they direct and quiet the passions of Men and purifie their Hearts and make men Blessings to one another if they exterminate their vices and Naturally tend to the Perfection of their Manners if they lead them to Communion with GOD and raise up their Souls to the fruition of Eternity enlarge their Minds with a Delightful Contemplation of his Omnipresence enrichâ—â— them with infinite varieties of Glorious Objects fit to be enjoyed if they perfect all the Powers of the Soul and Crown it with the End for which it was was prepared Where all these Things meet together they make a Foundation like that of the Great Mountains which can never be moved But if there be any flaw or Defect in these Things if any of them be wanting our Faith will be so far forth lame and uncertain as our Reason shall discern its Cause to be failing NOW of all the Thingsthat the World doth afford the Christian Religion is that alone wherein all these Causes of Faith perfectly concur Insomuch that no Object of Faith in all the World is for Certainty Comparable to that of Religion Never had any Truth so many Witnesses never any Faith so many Evidences they that first taught and published it despised all the Grandeurs and Pleasures in the World designed nothing but their Eternal Felicity and the Benefit of men trampled all Honours and Riches under feet attested the Truths they taught and revealed by Miracles wrought not in obscure Corners but in the Eye of the Sun many Nations far distant from each other were in a Moment reduced and changed at a time Millions of Martyrs were so certain of the Truth of these Things that they laught at Persecutions and Flames and Torments The Jews that are the great enemies of Christianity confess those Histories and Prophesies and Miracles and Types and Figures upon which it is founded They reverence the Book wherein they are recorded above all the Writings in the World confess that they had it before our Saviour was born and glory that it was theirs before it was ours Their whole Faith and Religion is made up of Such Materials which being granted it is impossible the Christian Religion should be false Turks acknowledge the Historical Part. The Artifices of Corruptors have been all detected and must of necessity so be as long as there are inquisitive Men in the World All Schismaticks and Hereticks have cavilled and disputed about the true Interpretation of certain Texts but never so much as Doubted much less shaken the foundation Nay when you look into Matters well the very Certainty of the one was the occasion of the other The great Moment of what they took for granted made the strife the more Eager THIS Advantage our Faith has above all it is suspected only by Lazy and Profane half witted men that are as Empty as self conceited as rash as Wanton and as much Enemies to Felicity and Vertue as to Truth and Godliness But the more you search into it the more Light and Beauty you shall discern in the Christian Religion the Evidences of it will appear still more deep and abundant as endless in Number force and Value as they are unexpected AMONG other Objects of Felicity to be enjoyed the Ways of GOD in all Ages are not the least considerable and Illustrious Eternity is as much Beautified with them as his Omnipresence is with the Works of the Creation For Time is in Eternity as the World is in Immensity Reason expects that the one should be Beautiful as well as the other For Since all Time may be Objected to the Eye of Knowledge altogether and Faith is prepared in the Soul on purpose that all the Things in Time may be admitted into the Eye of the Soul it is very Displeasing to Humane Reason that Time should be horrid and Dark and empty or that he that has expressed so much Love in the Creation of the World should
be Unmindful of our Concerns in the Dispensations of his Providence Especially Since the World how Glorious soever it is is but the Theatre of more Glorious Actions and the Capacity of Time as Great and Large as that of the Universe Ages are as long and as Wide as Kingdoms Now if GOD have altogether neglected the Government of the World all Time will be Dark and vain and innumerable Bright and Delighful Objects which were possible to be desired denied to the Soul and the better half of GODS Love be removed But if GODS Will and Pleasure be Uniform in his Operations and Time it self Beautified by this Wisdome Goodness and Power as well as the World our Faith will have a peculiar Excellency because it is that by which all the Beauties in Time and Providence are enjoyed Especially if it be able to see and feel them in clear Light and in as lively a manner as the Reason of the Soul can do when most fully informed It is evident that without this Faith the Greater half of our Felicity can never be enjoyed TO Know that we are Men encompassed with the Skies and that the Sun and Moon and Stars are about us with all the Elements and Terrestrial Creatures is matter of Sence and Reason as it is also that we have the Dominion and use of them and that such Excellencies and Degrees of Goodness are Connatural to them But their utmost Perfection is discovered only by the Truth of Religion that alone discloses their first Cause and their last End without which all their Intermediate uses are Extremely Defective It is for more Pleasant to see the Infinite and Eternal GODHEAD from the incomprehensible Height of his Glory shooping down to the abyss of Nothing and actually making all these Transcenent Things out of Nothing for our sakes then to see our selves at present surrounded with them This is the first Act of all the Ornaments of Time and Nature Which tho it be founded on clear Reason yet is it an Object of our Highest Faith as it is revealed by the Word of GOD and therefore it is said Through faith we understand that the Worlds were made For Faith and Reason are not so divided but that the formally Distinct they may enter into each others Nature and Materially be the same The very same Object I mean that is Known to Reason may by Faith be believed Reason not destroying but confirming Faith while it is Known upon one account and believed on another For there is a Mutual Convenience between these two Faith is by Reason confirmed and Reason is by Faith Perfected TO see GOD stooping down to Create the World and Nothing follow is not so Beautiful as to see him afterward in the Act of making Man and Giving him Dominion over all the Creatures It is more pleasant to see Man made in GODS Image then to see the World made for the use of Man For the End of the Creation is that upon which all the Perfection of its Glory does depend and the more Noble Man is for whose use the World was made the more sublime and Glorious its End is To see him placed in the Estate of Innocency Light and Glory wherein he was secure from Death and Sin and Sickness and Infelicity if himself pleased is very Delightful so it is to see that Nature never intended any of those Abortive Errors that now so confound us But to see the End why man was placed in such an Estate to be his Trial and the End of that his freindship with GOD whose Exercise consisteth in voluntary Acts of Gratitude and Amity and the End of those the Beauty of his Life and his fuller Exaltation to Bliss and Glory this is far more Pleasant then the other To see him fall is infinitely Displeasing but the fault is intirely charged on himself And had GOD Eternally destroyed him tho we perhaps had never lived to see it yet we confess it would have been just in it self and the Justice Adorable But to see GOD exalting his mercy in pardoning the offence and for all our sakes redeeming Man by the Death of his Son is sweet still as it is also to see his infinite Justice and Holiness in the Manner of our Redemption To see him lay the foundation of our Hope on a certain Promise seconded with his Long-suffering yet defer the Accomplishment of it for our greater Benefit wisely forbearing to send his Son till the fulness of Time is very transporting but the Reason of it is very Difficult to understand His foresight of our Obstinate Blindness and Incredulity was the Cause of His Dealy That he might gain Time before our Saviour came to speak of him to paint him forth to make him the expectation of the World and the Hope of all Nations To see him for that End reveal himself to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and bringing down their Posterity into the Land of Egypt that he might make that Nation out of which our Saviour was to spring Famous by Miracles and by his Conduct and Government of them more Glorious then all Nations to appear himself among them and give his Oracles unto them and to make them conspicuous to the Eye of all the World by mighty Signes and Wonders and Judgments punishing them for their offences yet Graciously continuing a Seed among them that christ might be raised up according to the Prophesies that went before concerning him To see all the Mysteries of the Gospel painted out in so Lively a Manner in all the Types and Figures of the Ceremonial Law and that Service with so much splendor and Glory continued before he came by the Space of two thousand years wherein all the mysteries of his Kingdome are exhibited to see the Volumen of the Book in which it was written of him so highly magnified and exalted by them that crucified him after it was written and that now continue so much to oppose him as the Jews do To see the Prophets at various Times and in Divers manners so clearly to describe all the particulars of his Life and Doctrine his Eternity his Godhead the Hypostatical Union his Incarnation in the Virgins Womb his Poverty his Meekness his Miraculous Life his Death and Passion his Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven the Sudden and Miraculous Conversion of the Gentiles compared to a Nation 's being born at once the very Town where he should be born and the City from whence the Law should go forth into all the World and the Temple in which the Gospel should begin to be preached To see the Accomplishment of all these Things attended with so many Glorious and Transcendent Wonders and the utter subversion of that Nation for their Incredulity when they had slain him To see Kings and Queens become the Nursing Fathers and Mothers of the Church and so many Glorious Empires receive his Law that was hanged on a Tree To see Temples erected over all the World to a Crucified GOD
and Nations upon Earth adoring his Glory in the Highest Heavens Especially to see the manner of his satisfaction by way of Sacrifice in our stead the laying of our Sins upon his Head the sprinkling of his Blood upon all Nations so lively represented the Necessity of such a Saviour exhibited by the Rigor and Severity of the Law his Person and his Office being pointed out in so particular a Manner all this as it is sweet Heavenly so does it enrich the Contemplation of the Soul make it meet to walk in Communion with GOD in all Ages adoring his Wisdome and Goodness and Power admiring delighting in the fulness of his Love And all these most Great Transporting Things we receive into our souls by Faith alone BUT that which above all other Things is most satisfactory is to see Jesus Christ the end of the Law and the centre of time the main Business of all the Dispensations of GODS Providence and the only Hinge upon which all mysteries both of the Law and Gospel Principally turn HAD he come in the Beginning of the World there had been no Room nor Place for all these Prophesies and Figures and Expectations and Miracles Precedeing his Birth we had had nothing but a bare and naked Tradition that he had been in the world which by the carelesness of men had passed away like a Dream and died unprofitably As we may plainly see by their Backwardness to believe these Things notwithstanding their strength and Beauty and the reiterated Appearances of GOD to excite and awaken Man-kind notwithstanding his care to erect a Ministery among us for this very end that Jesus Christ might be Known HAD he not been GOD and MAN in one Person had no satisfaction been necessary for our sins had he not made satisfaction for us there had been no Necessity of believing on his name The light of nature had been sufficient to guid us to sorrow and Obedience all this trouble and care might have been spared all this Oeconomy might have been changed into a Government of less expence and the most of these proceedings had been impertinent and superfluous For they all receive their Attainment and Perfection in Jesus Christ who is the fulness and substance and Glory of them NOR is it the excellency of Faith alone that it looks back upon Ages past it takes in the Influences of all these that it may bring forth fruit in our Lives for the time to come For what is it but the Faith of these things attended with the Glory which is intimated by them that made so many Divine and Heavenly persons so many Wise and Holy Heroes so many Saints and Martyrs What can enflame us with the love of GOD inspire us with Courage or fill us with Joy but the Sence of them A true and lively Faith is among Sinners the only Root of Grace and Virtue the only Foundation of Hope the only Fountain of excellent Actions And there fore it is observed by the Apostle Paul that by Faith Abel offered a more Excellent sacrifice than Cain by Faith Enoch walked with GOD by Faith Noah prepared an Ark in which being warned of GOD he saved himself from the general Deluge by Faith Abraham did such Things as made his Seed to multiply above the Stars of Heaven by Faith Moses despised the Honours and Treasures of Egypt and endured as seeing him that was invisible What should I say more saith the Apostle For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Sampson and of Jeptha of David also and of Samuel and of the Prophets who through Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises Stopped the mouths of Lions Quenched the violence of fire escaped the Edge of the Sword out of Weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Women received their Dead raised to Life again and others were tortured not accepting Deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection and others had tryal of cruel Mocking and Scourges yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the World was not worthy they wandered in Deserts and Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the earth All these things were done through Faith while yet there were but a few Things seen to encourage them But the whole Accomplishment of mysteries and myracles is far more fair and vigorous and enflaming the Beauty of the whole Body of GODS Dispensations fitly united in all its Parts being an eternal Monument of his Wisdom and Power declaring the Glory of his Love and Kingdom in a more Eminent manner and making us more then conquerors in and thorrow Jesus Christ who loved us and gave himself for us CHAP. XVI Of Hope It s foundation its Distinction from Faith its Extents and Dimensions its Life and Vigor its Several Kinds its Sweetness and Excellency JANUS with his two Faces looking backward and forward seems to be a fit Emblem of the Soul which is able to look on all Objects in the Eternity past and in all Objects before in Eternity to come Faith and Hope are the two Faces of this Soul By its Faith it beholdeth Things that are past and by its Hope regardeth Things that are to come Or if you please to take Faith in a more large and Comprehensive Sence Faith hath both these Faces being that Vertue by which we give Credit to all Testimonies which we believe to be true concerning Things past present and to come Hope is a Vertue mixt of Belief and Desire by which we conceive the Possibility of attaining the Ends we would enjoy and are stirred up to endeavour after them Faith respects the Credibility of Things believed to be True Hope the Possibility and Goodness of their Enjoyment The Simple Reality of Things believed is the Object of the one the facility of their attainment and our Interest united are the Object of the other HOPE presupposes a Belief of the Certainty of what we desire It is an Affection of the Soul of very general Importance Which forasmuch as it is founded on Faith and derives its strength from the Sure Belief of what we hope to attain and there can be no fruition of that which is not really existent to lay the foundation of our Hope more firmly we will again consider the Objects of Faith in the best Light wherein their apparent certainty may be discerned THE Objects of Divine Faith revealed in the holy Scripture may fitly be ranked into three Orders For the Matter of the Bible being partly Historical and partly Prophetical and partly Doctrinal the Objects of Divine Faith fall under these three Heads of Doctrine History and Prophesie THE Doctrine of the Scripture is of two sorts for some Doctrines are Natural some are Supernatural The Natural are
clear Monuments concurring together without any Dissonancy in the Things themselves or Contention of Parties How dost thou know that there was such a man as King James or William the Conqueror Is he not a mad man that will doubt or Dispute it All that thou hast to confirm thee in the certainty of these and infinitely more conspires together to confirm thee in the certainty of the other The History of the Bible is confest by Turks and Jews and Infidels and which is far more by the Testimony of the Church which deserves to be believed above them all And if the History be true there were such Persons as Adam Enoch Noah Abraham Joseph Moses Samuel David Solomon Elias Elisha Josiah Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel and the rest of the Prophets such persons as Jesus Christ and his Apostles in such Ages such Prophesies and such Accomplishments at vast Distances such Acts and such Miracles and such Doctrines upon such occasions And if all this Matter of fact be true t is impossible but these Doctrines must be Divine which the Devil and wicked men so much Oppose and Blaspheme in the World And if these Doctrines are true then all the Promises of GOD are true and there is a large foundation of Eternal Hope prepared for the Soul because if all these Preparations be not Eternally disgraced by the feebleness of their End the Glory and Felicity which is designed by them is infinite and Eternal THAT all these Things are intended for thy Benefit thou mayst clearly see by thy very Power to see them and by the Natural Influence which they have upon thy Estate and condition For tho it may happen by some succeeding Accident that thy Power to see and enjoy all may be bereaved of its Objects when thine Interest is Eclipsed and forfeited by thy Rebellion and the Influence of all may at last through thine own Default be ineffectual and Malevolent to Thee yet thou art assured by the Nature of GOD and of thy own Soul that it could not be intended Evil from the Beginning nay the very Order and disposition of the Things themselves importeth the Design to be Felicity and Glory For all these Things were written for our Admonition upon whom the Ends of the world are come And the Apostle expresly saith that whatsoever Things were written aforetime were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope This Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of GOD is shed abroad in our Hearts We Delight in Beauty and by that very Inclination that we have unto it are apt to Delight in any Thing that is Amiable We delight to see the Order and Perfection of GODS Ways and GOD himself taketh Pleasure in manifesting his Wisdome and Goodness for the Behoof of our Souls because he is Great in Bounty and infinite in Love by his very Essence Nay further we are every one Capable of all the Benefit that accrueth thereby and by Nature fitted to celebrate his Praises for all the Advantages that by any of his Dispensations are imparted to us and have Liberty to improve them all for the Acquisition of that Glorious End to which we are ordained The Nature of GOD which is hereby manifested to be Love to his Creatures is that which enableth thee by this very means to honour and adore him and by so doing to enter into his Kingdome where he that did all these Things for a farther End will appear in Glory and shew thee a Perfection of Life and Bliss that is worthy of all this Care and Providence being as great as thy Heart can Wish or desire HOPE is for its Extent and Dimensions vast and wonderful All the Honour Advancement Exaltation Glory Treasure and Delight that is concievable in Time or Eternity may be hoped for all that the Length and Breadth and Depth and Height of the Love of GOD which passeth Knowledge is able to perform All that Ambition or Avarice can desire all that Appetite and Self-Love can pursue all that Fancy can imagine Possibles and Delightful Nay more then we are able to ask or think we are able to desire and aspire after if it be promised to us the very throne of GOD and all the Joys of his Eternal Kingdom And the more Sublime its Objects are the more Eagerly violently does our Hope pursue them because there is more Goodness in them to ravish our Desire TO fall from the Height of ones Hopes where the Kingdome and Glory was infinite to which we aspire is to fall from the Height of Heaven into the Depth of Hell it produceth a misery and Anxiety in the Soul an Indignation and Sorrow answerable to all the Greatness of our Objects and the expectancies of our Hopes Especially where the Hope is Lively and Tender and Strong and Sensible of all it conceiveth FOR it is the property of a true and lively Hope to Elevate the Soul to the Height of its Object tho dull and drowzy Hopes make no Impression or Alteration in the Mind The Soul extends it self with a kind of Pleasure in its Wishes and in touching The Possibility of such Goodnesses as it proposes to its self in its own Imagination Love and Beauty even in Romances are Delightful the very Dreams and Ideas of the Perfections of Bliss have a Pleasure as well as their Reallity The Desires of it are something more Rich and Sacred then the fancy or Imagination but to Hope for such a Thing with a clear and joyful expectation is to grasp at its fruition with a faint Kind of Promise that it shall at last be ours Had our Hopes in Spiritual Things as much Sence as they have in Temporal those Beams of Assurance that enlighten our Hope and fill it with Glory would infuse a solid Strength into our Desire and our pleasures would be so Great that we should not exchange them for all the Empires in the World Especially if it ascended so high as to be founded on infinite and Eternal Causes and the only fears that did chequer our Hope sprung from Nothing but the Danger of being Wanting to our selves For who would think That when our Lives and Liberties are at stake we should be false to our selves that infinite Love and Power should be tendered to us infinite Beauty and Goodness be before us infinite Honour and Pleasure be offered us Eternal Delights inestimable Riches Ever flourishing Joys an infinite Empire be without fraud attainable and we be so Treacherous and false to our selves as to fleight it all It is an Absurdity so incredible that we should lose all these Enjoyments by our own Default and bare Remissness that we shall hate our selves Eternally if we lose so fair an Advantage Yet this is our Case we daily do that which in point of Reason is impossible to be done and for doing which we judge our selves Guilty of Eternal Tortures All the Misery that is lodged in infinite
Despair has comfort and refreshment answerable to it in infinite Hope 'T is the present food and Support of our Lives 't is the Anchor of our Souls in the midst of all the Storms and Tempests in the World 't is the foretaste of Bliss and Coelestial Glory a Glympse and Appearence of the Beatifick Vision without which to Live is to Dye and to Dye is to perish for evermore THE Great Reason for which a right Hope is accounted so Great a Vertue is because its Objects do really surpass all Imagination The fulness of the GODHEAD in the Soul of Man the Perfection of the Divine Image a Transformation for Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord Communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost infinite Love and Bounty the Estate of a Bride in Communion with GOD the Possession of his Throne with another Kind of sweetness then the Bridegroom himself enjoys the Resurrection of the Body and Life Eternal in a Kingdome where all Occasions of Tears and Fears shall ever be removed Where all Regions and Ages and Spaces and Times and Eterternities shall be before our Eys and all Objects in all Worlds at once Visible and infinitely Rich and Beautiful and Ours Our very Appetites also being ravished with Sensible Pleasures in all our Members not inconsistent with but springing from these high and Supeperior Delights not distracting or confounding our Spiritual Joys but purely Superadded and increasing the same while our Bodies are made like to his most Glorious Body by that Almighty Power whereby he is able to subdue All Things to himself all these infuse their Value and the Hope that is exercised about these Things is a Vertue so great that all inferior Hopes which this doth Sanctifie are made Vertues by it but without this all other Hopes are Debasements and Abuses of the Soul meer Distractions and delusions and therefore Vices I Know very well that Presumption and Despair are generally accounted the Extreams of Hope and the only vices that are Opposite thereunto But I Know as well that there may be many Kinds and Degrees of Hope of which so me may be vicious and some Vertuous and that some sorts of Hope themselves are Vices When ever we make an inferior Desire the Sovereign Object of our Hope our Hope is abominable Idolatrous and Atheistical We forget GOD and magnifie an inferior Object above all that is Divine To Sacrifice all our Hopes to Things unworthy of them or to be Remiss and sluggish in Hoping for Things of infinite Importance is apparently Vicious But to be just to all our Encouragements and to lift up our Eys to the Eternal GOD with an humble Expectation to wait upon him and to hope for all that from his Bounty which his Goodness has promised to desire the most high and perfect Proofs of his Love is the Property of a most Great and Noble Soul by which it is carried above all the World and fitted for the Life of the most high and perfect Vertue CHAP. XVII Of Repentance It s Original its Nature it is a Purgative Vertue It s necessity its Excellencies The measure of that sorrow which is due to Sin is intollerable to Sense confessed by Reason and dispensed with by mercy REPENTANCE is a Sowre and austere Kind of Vertue that was not created nor intended by GOD but introduced by Sin made fair by Mercy in remitting the offence and pardoning the Sin It is a Strange Kind of off-spring which flows from Parents so infinitely different and has a mixture in its Nature answerable to either an Evil which it derives from Sin and a Goodness which flows from Mercy It s Evil is that of Sorrow Indignation and Shame Its Goodness is the usefulness and necessity of the thing considering the Condition we are now in It is highly ingrateful to Sence but transcendently convenient and amiable to Reason for it is impossible for him that has once been defiled with sin ever to be cleansed or to live after in a Vertuous manner unless he be so ingenious as to lament his Crime as to loath acknowledge and detest his Error THE Union of the Soul and Body is mysterious but that Sin and Mercy should be united as Causes so infinitely different for the production of a Child so Black and so Beautiful is the Greattest Wonder which the Soul can contemplate on this side Heaven and will continue to be remembred for ever and appear more Wonderful than before when the perfect Disparity and Opposition between them is clearly seen in the Light of Glory THE Efficient Cause of Repentance is either Remote or Immediate It s immediate Efficient Cause is the Gracious Inclination or the Will of the Penitent its remote Efficient is GOD the Father of Lights from which every Good and Perfect Gift descended It s Material Cause is Sorrow It s Formal Cause which makes it a Vertue is the Reason and Manner of that Sorrow the Equity and Piety wherewith it is attended containing many ingredients in its Nature too long a particular to be described here It s Final Cause is either immediate or ultimate the first is Amendment the last Salvation BEING thus bounded by its Causes its Definition is Easie Repentance is a Grace or Christian Vertue wherein a man confesses hates and forsakes his Sin with Grief that he hath been Guilty of it and purposes of Amendment of Life in Order to His Peace and Reconciliation with GOD that he may answer the Obligations that lye upon him discharge his Duty lay hold on the Advantages of GODS Mercy escape everlasting Damnation and be made a Partaker of Eternal Glory AMONG the Vertues some are Purgative and some are Perfective The Purgative Vertues are all Preparatory to Bliss and are occasioned only by the Disorder of the Soul the perfective are Essential to our formal Happiness and Eternally necessary by the Law of Nature Repentance is not in its own Nature If Simply and absolutely considered necessary to Bliss But in Relation to Sinners it is as necessary as Physick to the Recovery of Health or as the Change it self is by which we pass from the Distemper we are Sick of to the right and Sound Estate which we had lost by the Disease As the malady is accidental so is the Cure For the Nature of Man may be well and perfect without either this or the other He that is originally pure has no need of a Purgative Vertue but he that is faln defiled musts needs rise and wash away the filth before he can be clean FOR this Cause even among the Heathens themselves the more Knowing and Learned have a Conscience of Sin their Priests and Philosophers devised several Rites and Manners of Purgation which they taught and imposed on their Disciples with much Circumstance and Ceremony in order to their Reception Nor was there any Temple or Religion in the World that pretended not something to Diviner Mysteries Which were graced beautified
Riddles in the midst of all which to think so well of GOD as he deserveth is the most acceptable thing in the World for it argues a great confidence of his Worth and a Love that is founded on Substantial Causes never to be removed It feedeth the Soul with a lively hope and fair Expectation of great Things from him by which alone we do right to His GODHEAD in acknowledging the Perfection of his Love and Goodness and by which alone we are made able to adore him and to live in Union and Communion with him THERE is great Talk of Friendship it is accounted the only Pleasure in the World Its Offices are highly magnified of all Kindness of Behaviour a through and clear communication of Souls a secure Reliance upon each others Fidelity a perfect Discovery of all our Thoughts Intentions and Resentments an ardent willingness to impart Lives and Estate for the Benefit of our Friend the Reposing of all our Secrets in each others Bosomes to do all services and suffer all afflictions for each others sakes to prefer the Concerns of our Friend upon all Occasions above our own these are the Magnalia Amicitiae Arcana mutuae Benevolentiae the Great and mighty Effects for which Friendship is admired But all these without a good Opinion of our Friend are nothing worth they are but Externals of Friendship the greatest Secret in its Nature is the mutual agreement of Souls and Spirits the Delight which either taketh in the other the honour and esteem they give and receive the Approbation and Love of each others Dispositions the Sence and Admiration of each others Vertues the continual Desire of being alwayes together peculiar Extasie which the Beauty of either occasioneth in the other when of all other Treasures in the World their Persons are the greatest to one another Either is the proper Element and Refrigerium of the others Soul Their Bosomes are the mutual Receptacles and Temples of each others accomplishments whereinto they are received in all their Desert and have Justice done to every degree and Perfection in their Nature their Hearts are the Thrones where they are exalted and magnified and live at Ease are honoured and worshipped extolled and reign as absolute in each others Souls There are some slight aims and Adumbrations of this Friendship on Earth but the best and highest Degree of it here beneath is but a rude and imperfect shadow only GOD is the Sovereign friend all Adoration paid to any one beside is meer Idolatry Our Hearts can be absolutely Sacrificed to none but him because he alone is immutable in Goodness We cannot infinitely honour and delight in any but Him it is he alone that can infinitely honour and delight in us All our Lives Estates and Services are Due to him his Will alone is to be wholly ours because no other Will is infallibly Right Wise Holy but his alone THE Union of our Wills is a Perfection of Love but that at which he aimeth by all his Labours and Gifts and Benefits is our Right and Good Opinion of his Excellencies and Perfections That we should see and discern his interior Properties admire his Graces adore his Perfections adore and magnifie his Beauty and Glory this is the End for which he communicates himself in all his Works and Ways unto us it is the End of the Whole Creation and of all the Excellent Things in the universe for by this he establisheth his Empire in our souls and makes us Pleasing to himself in all our Operations And for this Cause it is that the Apostle plainly tells us that tho we give our Body to be burned and all our Goods to feed the poor without Charity it profiteth nothing To render to GOD the Honour that is due to his Name to receive and admire all his Bounties to rejoyce in all his Operations to adore him in all his Ways to take pleasure in all his Works to fill Heaven and Earth with our Joys and Praises is a Work which cannot but be agreeable by its Nature to his Eternal Essence And if this be the Work of Love it is that which is most Excellent because he is therein both pleased and enjoyed GOD and all his Creatures are united together by Love alone and in the Eternal Exercise of pure and perfect Love all Blessedness and Glory consisteth IF you require what it is to love GOD you will find it worthy of his Highest desire because thereby all our souls nay all his Creatures and his whole Kingdome are perfected for to Love GOD as we ought to do is to Honour him as our Father Benefactor Bridegroom and King to contemplate him as our Cause with Complacency and to rest in him as our End to delight in him as our Creator Preserver Lawgiver and Redeemer to dedicate our selves wholly to that Service whatever it be wherein he is chiefly pleased and delighted It is to love him in himself in all his Works in all his Ways in all his Laws in all his Attributes in all his Thoughts and Counsels in all his Perfections It implies the Knowledge of all Objects the Use of all Means the Attainment of all Ends all Wisdome and Goodness all Obedience and Gratitude all Righteousness and Holiness all Joy and Praise all Honour and Esteem all Blessedness and Glory For it is to Love him with all our Heart and with all our Soul with all our Strength and with all our Might with all our Understanding with all our Will with all our Affection with all the Powers of our soul with all our Inclinations and Faculties in all his Creatures in all his Appearances in Heaven and Earth in Angels and Men in all Kingdoms and Ages It is to see and desire to Esteem and delight in his Omnipresence and Eternity and in every Thing by which he manifesteth himself in either of these so that all Enlargement and Greatness and Light and Perfection and Beauty and Pleasure are founded in it and to Love him to Perfection implies all Learning and Attainment because we must necessarily be acquainted with all Things in all Worlds before we can thorowly and compleatly do it Which here upon Earth to do by Inclination and Endeavour to the utmost of our Power is all that is required of us And if we do it to our utmost it shall be rewarded in the Beatifick Vision with a full and Blessed Pefection with an actual Love exactly resembling his and fully answerable to it in the Highest Heavens THERE are two common Motives of Love among Men the one the Goodness and Excellency of the Person the other his particular Kindness and Love to us And both these are in the Highest Degree in GOD. He is of infinite Goodness and and Excellency in himself for there is nothing Good in the world but what hath received all its Goodness from Him His Goodness is the Ocean and all the Goodnesses of Creatures little Streams flowing from that Ocean Now you would think
of the Soul and its Honour founded in the freedom of its Desire Whatsoever it does not desire and delight in tho the matter of the performance be never so excellent the Manner is spoiled and totally Blasted Now can we compel another to desire or delight in any Thing The Soul in it self hath an Inclnation to or an a version from every object The Ingennity and Worth of the Soul is expressed in the Kindness of its own Intention in the freedom of its Desire to do what is Excellent in the delight it taketh to love its Goodness is founded Now tho GOD infinitely hated Sin yet he gave us an irrevocable Power to do what we pleased and adventured the Hazzard of that which he infinitely hated that being free to do what we would we might be Honourable and delightful in doing freely and of our own Accord what is Great and Excellent For without this Liberty there can be no Love since Love is an active and free affection that must spring from the Desire and pleasure of the Soul It is the Pleasure of a Lover to promote the Felicity of his object Whatsoever Services he is compelled to do he is either meerly passive in them or Cross unto them they are all void of the Principal Grace and Beauty that should adorn them and make them pleasant and satisfactory men may be Dead and moved like stones but in such causes there is no Love neither do they act of themselves when they are over-ruled and forced by another For this cause hath it pleased God in order to our Perfection to make the most Sublime and Sovereign Creatures all Free wherein he hath expressed the greatest Love in the World As we may see by all the Displeasures and Pains it hath cost him through our Abuse of so illimited and great a perfection But where his Love is most Highly and Transcendently expressed there are we most prone to suspect it Nature is so Cross and disorderly There can be no Wisdom without a voluntary Act for in all Wisdome there is Counsel and design Where no consultation nor Election precedes the best operation in all the World is Blind and Casual Fortune and chance must have no hand in that which wisdom Effecteth no more then Force and necessity must have in that Goodness where all the kindness ought to be in the Intention of the Benefactor There is something in it which I cannot explain It is easily conceived but will never I think in Words be expressed The Will has a mighty hand in all the Divinity of perfect Goodness It is the Mind of the Doer that is the principal object of all our Desire and Expectation HAVING for these Causes made his Creatures free he has forfeited their Choise and secured their Determination as far as was possible He hath done all that can be devised to make them Love us and left nothing undone but only that which was absolutely necessary that they might Love They could not Love us if they were not left to themselves to do it freely And their Ability being provided for nay an Inclination given to make them willing he has strictly commanded enjoyned them to Love by Nature allured them ordered us so that we might be fit to be Beloved he hath made it sweet and rational to Love given them his own Example and solemnly protested that he will accept of no Love to himself but what is accompanied with Love to his friends and servants engaged them to Love or be Eternally miserable And if for all this they will not Love the fault is none of his All that he has done to let secure then Love to himself he has done to secure then Love to us and is as much or more concerned in their Love to us then in that which himself requireth and Expecteth Nay he hath made it impossible for them truly to Love themselves without doing of it And if they will neither Love GOD nor themselves we may well be despised for Company He infinitely desires their Love and would take infinite Pleasure in the Operation There is no Way to make themselves Honourable and Delightful to GOD but only by Loving us as his soul requireth And by all these Inducements and Causes are we our selves stirred up to Love freely to exert the Power of Love to others in like manner THAT which yet further commendeth this Vertue of Love unto us is that it is the only Soul of all Pleasure and Felicity in all Estates It is like the Light of the Sun in all the Kingdomes and Houses and Eyes and Ages in Heaven in Earth in the Sea in Shops and Temples in Schooles and Markets in Labours and Recreations in Theatres and Fable It is the Great Daemon of the World and the Sole Cause of all Operations It is evidently impossible for any Fancy or Play or Romance or Fable to be composed well and made Delightful without a Mixture of Love in the Composure In all Theatres and Feasts and Weddings and Triumphs and Coronations Love is the Soul and Perfection of all in all Persons in all Occupations in all Diversions in all Labours in all Vertues in all Vices in all Occasions in all Families in all Cities and Empires in all our Devotions and Religious Actions Love is all in all All the Sweetness of Society is seated in Love the Life of Musick and Dancing is Love the Happiness of Houses the Enjoyment of Friends the Amity of Relations the Providence of Kings the Allegiance of Subjects the Glory of Empires the Security Peace and Welfare of the World is seated in Love Without Love all is Discord and Confusion All Blessings come upon us by Love and by Love alone all Delights and Blessings are enjoyed All happiness is established by Love and by Love alone is all Glory attained GOD Knoweth that Love uniteth Souls maketh men of one Heart in a House filles them with Liberallity and Kindness to each other makes them Delightfull in presence faithful in Absence Tender of the Honour and Welfare of their Beloved Apt to obey ready to please Constant in Trials Patient in sufferings Couragious is Assaults Prudent in Difficulties Victorious and Triumphant All that I shall need to observe further is that it compleated the Joys of Heaven Well therefore may Wisdome desire Love well may the Goodness of GOD delight in Love It is the form and the Glory of his Eternal Kingdome And therefore it is that the Apostle saith Charity never faileth but whether there be Prophesies they shall fail whether there be Tongues They shall cease whether there be Knowledge it shall vanish away For we know in part and we Prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away For now we see through a Glass darkly but then Face to Face now I Know in part but when shall I know as also I am Known And now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three
in force and Extent but the fewer in Number Their perfect sufficiency is to be measured by the ends for which they are prepared and their Beauty Consists like that of an Army with Banners in the Proportion and Symmetry of the entire Body the mutual Supplies and Succors they afford to one another the Unity of such a Great Variety of things in order to the Attainment of the same great and ultimate end the full and compleat Number of Offices and inferior Ends and the Extream Providence wherewith they are reducible to one supream End which is most High and Excellent It is enough for the Ear if it can hear well tho it is no more able to See or Taste than a Stone it is enough for the eye to see well tho it is no more sensible of Noise then a Rock or a Tree The Office of the Tongue is to Tast well of the Nostril to smell well c. and there is no Defect in any of these because they are every one sufficient for its own immediate end and also tempered and united together that the rest are Supplies to make up the Defect of every single Sence and Organ and altogether perfectly subservient to the whole Man for whose sake they were prepared that he might enjoy the benefit of them all The eye sees for the Ear and the Tongue and all the rest of the Members of the Body the foot supports and carries the eye the hand defends and feeds the Eye the Ear instructs and Counsels the Eye the Nostrils smell for the eye and the Tongue tasts and talks for the Eye which the eye cannot do for it self because it was made to need the assistance of the rest the eye directs all these in Liew of their Services and is of far greater Value then if a man had no other Member but an eye alone For the Eye is the Light of all the members and Great in its Relation to the whole man It sees for the Ear and the Hand and for all and is to all these after some manner Beneficial but without these would be to no purpose There is an infinite Excellency in every Vertue but it is to be sought in its Relation to all the Rest. It is Good for nothing in its Place but for that Particular End to which it is assigned in attaining that end it is subservient to all other Vertues and while it serves all is aided by all The other Virtues remedie the inconveniences to which this doth expose us and being all joyned together earry us safely and securely to our Last end Because the Influence of every one passeth thorow all every single Vertue is Pleasing to God and a means in its place of our whole Felicity The Beauty of all the Vertues is to be sought in Prudence for there they meet in an intire Body their Correspondence and convenience their Symmetry and proportion their Unity and Variety their ful and perfect Harmony makes up the features of the Soul and compleats its Graces just as the Diversity of Members perfects the Body Knowledge gives Light to Love but Love gives Warmth and Feeling to Knowledge Love may perhaps like a Separate Soul dwell in Heaven alone and yet even then it must include all Knowledge and Righteousness and Wisdome and Holiness for if Love know not how to guide it self it will never attain its End nor be a perfect Vertue But here upon Earth t is like the Soul in the Body it must Eat and Drink and see and hear as a thousand Works to do and therefore standeth in need of many Vertues Love without Goodness is perhaps a Thing impossible because it always designs well But Love without Wisdome is a Common Thing for such is all that mistakes its End Love without Discretion is a mischievious Thing Love without Prudence an Helpless Thing Love without Courage a feeble and Cowardly Thing Love without Modesty an impudent and Troublesome Thing Love without the Fear of GOD is Lust and Wantonness and if the most Great and Glorious of all the Vertues stands in need of all its Companions The less and inferior must needs be lame and maimed without the residue especially without the Superior UPON this account it is that so much Care and Study goes to the making up of a Vertuous man All kind of Vertues must concur to Compleat his Perfection The Want of any one Denominates a Vice and makes him Vicious Nay the Want of any one destroys the form and Essence of the rest Vertue is not Vertue but in order to felicity If it hath lost its force it hath lost its Nature As a little Poyson turnes the best Meat from Nourishment into Poyson so doth one Vice cherished and allowed corrupt and viciate all the Vertues in the whole World Hence it is that the Phylosophers say all the Vertues are linked together in the golden Chain of Prudence And that a Thing is made Good by all its Causes Evil by the least Defect For as one Tooth wanting in a Clock makes all the other wheels and Materials Useless tho the frame be never so Elaberate and Curious so doth the abscence of the smallest Vertue make void and frustrate all the residue A man of a Kind and Bountiful Disposition that is loose and intemperate may ruine his Estate and dye like a Prodigal and vain-glorions fool A stout Couragious person that is proud and debauched will be little better then a Souldierly Russian and Live if not like a Thief for Want of Honesty yet like a Swaggering Hector for Want of Discreetion A Man endued with all Kind of Learnning may be Morose and Covetous and by one Vice lose all the Benefit of his Education A Religious Votary that is Splenetick and Revengeful brings a Disgrace upon his whole Profession But he that is Wise and Learned and Holy and Just and Temperate and Couragious and Kind and Liberal and Meek and Humble and Affable and Cheerful and Prudent and Industrious shall be serviceable and Honourable and delightful to others profitable to himself and alwayes Triumphant Especially if he be so discreet and Prudent as to make all these Vertues move like the Stars in their Courses and knows how to apply and manage their Excellencies in their due and proper places upon all occasions for they are so many different in nature that some of their Influences will hit every business and all of them together pass a Grace and Lustre upon each other so Divine and Heavenly that they will make their owner Venerable in the Eys of the World and correct the Malignity of the most injurious and Censorious Which moved our Saviour to exhort us to be Wise as Serpents Innocent as Doves to joyn many Vertues together And occasioned that of the Apostle He that will love Life and see good Days let him refrain his Tongue from Evil and his Lips that they speak no Guile let him eschew Evil and do Good let him seek Peace and
the World are regulated they are as our Savour calleth them Good or Evil Treasures out of which proceeds Murders Adulteries Thefts Slanders c. Or Praises Honours Preferments Riches Pleasures all kind of Gifts and Benefits And the prudent mans main Business is to make himself intirely beloved by all the World which can never be without great Fidelity Courage Goodness Prudence and Dexterity Flattery and Base compliances makes a man Odious THE Last End of prudence is Eternal Happiness and Glory to which it moveth by crooked Meanders and windings out as occasion requireth It is a strange Vertue for its Conversant amongst Terrene and inferior Objects and yet a far more Difficult Vertue then Wisdom it self Wisdome is a more High and Heavenly Vertue but its Rules are always fixed and its objects Stable where as Prudence hath no set and Stated Rules but in all occasions is to mould and shape it selfe it knows not which way till it comes to Action Its Paths are in the Deep and mighty Waters among Storms and tempests CHAP. XXI Encouragements to Courage It s Nature cause and End Its Greatness and Renown Its Ornaments and Companions Its objects Circumstances Effects and Disadvantages how Difficulties increase its vertue It s Verand Triumphs How subservient it is to Blessedness and Glory LOVE and Prudence are the parents of Courage A Feeble Hen a Timerous Mother will Sacrifice their Lives for their young ones And he that forgetteth all his own Interests divests himself together with them of his Fears and despising Death first easily slighteth all other Things Even a Coward by Nature is made more Bold and confident by Skill at his weapon And he that is always assured of the Victory can never be afraid of the Encounter or the Enemy He that is Dexterâ—ous at the use of all Vertues and knows how to apply them so as ever to come off more honourably will laugh at the Trial of his own Innocence and make a Game of Difficulties and Terrors VALOUR is a right and strong Resolution of the Soul whereby it dare encounter with any Difficulty and Trouble for Vertues sake It is the Armour of the Soul against all Impressions of Fear its Effect is an Equal and uniform stayedness of Mind against all Dangerous and Terrible Accidents It containeth Magnanimitie Patience Constancy Invincible Resolution Boldness and Industry in its Nature It s cause is the Love of Vertue and the sence of Honour Indignation against any thing that is Base and vile a High Ambition and desire of Glory It s End is the preservation of a Mans person and Honesty the Conquest of all Opposition in the Way to Bliss the Destruction or Subjection of Enemies Triumph and Conquest the Establishment of Peace the Attainment of Liberty and Glory Its Attendants are Prudence Justice and Temperance the principal Ornament and Grace of valour is Worth and Goodness its Aids and Encouragements are insinite it groweth Great and High by making use of all the Causes of Hope and Confidence Conflicts and Dangers are the Element in which it lives It owns its whole being to them for without Causes of Fear there could be no courage in all Nature The Knowledge of GOD is the root of Divine Valour and Fidelity to his Laws its Commendation The Assurance of his Love and all those Things that serve to beget and confirm it are subservient to it It draws in strength and Encouragements form all Obligations and Rewards from all Great and Holy examples from the Knowledge of its own Sublimity from the Greatness of Felicity from the Omnipotence and Omnipresence and Providence of the Deity from his Truth and Goodness and from all those Things wherein he has manifested his Love above the Heavens OF all the Vertues in greatest Estimation this is most renowned For its Prerogative is so great that it is simply called VERTUE Vertue being the Word to express and signifie Valour among the Latines because the Force and Efficacy that is in it is most visible and Apparent and by that all other Vertues are secured vindicated Exercised and made Useful It is stiled Manhood among the English with a peculiar Emphasis As is the Essence of a man was founded in Courage because his Vigor is emasculated and his Dignity lost that is Effeminate and Timerous for he is scarce a Man that is a Coward WHAT a Glorious and incomparable Vertue this is appeareth from the Baseness and Ineptitude of its Contrary A Coward and an Honest Man can never be the same a Coward and a constant Lover can never be the same a Coward and a Brave Man can never be the same Cowardice and Wisdome are as incompatible forever as Love and Wisdom were thought toâ— be of Old A Coward is always despicable and Wretched because he dares not expose himself to any Hazzards nor adventure upon any Great Attempt for fear of some little Pain and Damage that is between him and an Excellent Atchievment He is baffled from the Acquisition of the most Great and Beautiful Things and non plust with every Impediment He is conquered before he begins to fight The very sight of Danger makes him a Slave He is undone when he sees his Enemy a far off and wounded before the Point of the Sword can touch his shadow He is all wayes a Terror and Burden to himself a Dangerous Knave and an useless Creature STRANGE is the Vigour in aâ— Brave Mans Soul The Strength of his Spirit and his irresistible Power the Greatness of his Heart and the Height of his Condition his mighty Confiedence and Contempt of Dangers his true Security and Repose in himself his Liberty to dare and do what he pleaseth his Alacrity in the midst of Fears his invincible Temper are advantages which make him Master of Fortune His Courage fits him for all Attempts renders him serviceable to GOD and MAN and makes him the Bulwark and Defence of his King and Country LET those Debauched and unreasonable men that deny the Existence of Vertue contemplate the Reality of its Excellency here and be confounded with shame at their Prodigious Blindness Their Impiety designs the Abolishment of Religion and the utter Extirpation of all Faith and Piety while they pretend the Distinction between Vertue and Vice to be meerly feigned for the Awing of the World and that their Names have no foundation in Nature but the Craft of Politicians and the Tradition of their Nurses Are there no Base fellows nor Brave Men in the World Is there no difference between a Lion and a Hare a faint hearted Coward and a Glorious Heroe It s there Nothing Brave nor vile in the world What is become of these Rodomontadoes wits Where is the boasted Glory of their Personal Valour if there be no Defference but Courage and Cowardize be the same thing HOW empty these Self but shallow conceited Ranters are is evident by their short and narrow measures They place all Gallantry and Worth in Valour all the
Vertue of a man they think seated in this They forget that Policy and Learning and Prudence and Gratitude and Fidelity and Temperance and Industry and compassion and Bounty and Affability and Courtesie and Modesty and Justice and Honesty are Vertues and that in every one of these there is something fitting a Man for the Benefit of the World Nay they have lost the Notion of Vertue and know not what it is Those things by which a man is made serviceable to himself and the World they think not to be Vertues but imagineâ— Chimeraes which they cannot see then deny they have any Existence A Man is capable of far more Glorious Qualities then one of them And his Courage it self may be raised to far higher Ends and purposes then Buffoons and Thrasonical Heroes can dream of IT is to be noted here that any one of those Things that are called Vertue being alone is not a Vertue It is so far from aiding and setting us forward in the Way to Happiness that oftentimes it proveth a Great and intollerable Mischief and is never safe but when it is corrected and guided by the rest of its Companions To stir no further then Courage alone What is Courage in a Thief or a Tyrant or a Traytor but like Zeal and Learning in a pernicious Heretick YOU may note further that Goodness is a principal Ingredient in the excellency of this Vertue tho it be distinct in its Nature from the Being of Courage A brave man will expose his Life in an Honest cause for the Benefit and preservation of others tho not for the Dammage or Destruction of any He will slight his own safety and despise his Repose to make himself a Saviour and a Benefactor A true Courage holdeth Vertuous Actions at such a Price that Death Imprisonment Famine Dishonour Poverty Shame Indignation all Allurements and Temptations are nothing compared to the Performance of Heroick Deeds He exceedeth all constraint and walketh in the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of GOD. THE last note which I shall offer to your Observation on this Occasion is this for the Illustration of the Reason and excellency of GODS Dispensations The Great End for which GOD was pleased not to seat us immediately in the Throne but to place us first in an estate of Trial was the Multiplication of our Vertues For had we been seated in the Glory of Heaven at the first there had no such Vertues as Patience and Courage and Fidelity been seen no Faith or Hope or Meekness no Temparance or Prudence or self Denial in the World Which Vertues are the very clothes and Habits of the Soul in Glory The Graces and Beauties of the Soul are founded in the exercise of them Actions pass not away but are fixed by the permanent Continuance of all Eternity and tho done never so long ago shall appear before the Eye of the Soul for ever in their places be the Glory of their Author the Lineaments and Colours of his Beauty seen by GOD and his holy Angels and Delightful to all that love and delight in worthy things Our Life upon Earth being so diversified like a Sphere of Beauty so variously adorned with all sorts of Excellent Actions shall wholly and at once be seen as an intire Object rarely and curiously wrought a Lively Mirror of the Nature of the Soul and all the Elements of which it is compounded all the Parts that conspire in its Symetry all the Qualities Operations and Perfections that contribute to its Glory shall afford wonder and pleasure to all Spectators While every Soul shall be concerned more in its Actions then in its Essence indeed its Essence how ever considerable is of little or no Value in Comparison of its Operations Every Vertue being the Natural Off-spring and production of the Soul in which its Vigor principally appeareth an effect discovering the Nature of the cause and the sole occasion of its shame or Glory For if the Essence of the Soul be all Power and its power exerted in its operation the Soul must needs enter into its Actions and consequently be affected with all that befalls its Operation All Acts are Immortal in their places being enbalmed as it were by Eternity till the Soul revive and be united to them Then shall it appear in its own Age and in eternity too in its last life enjoying the Benefit of its first And in that sence is that voice from Heaven to be understood which commanded the Divine to write Blessed are they that die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them For the Glory of the place is nothing to us if we are not endued with those Glorious Habits which will make our Souls all Glorious within We must be Glorious and Illustrious our selves and appear in Actions that will Beautifie the Throne to which we are exalted THAT these Actions may be Great and Amiable manifold and Excellent is the desire of every soul the natural Wish and Expectation both of Reason it self and of self Love HOW Glorious the Counsel and Design of GOD is for the Archieving of this Great End for the making of all Vertues more compleat and Excellent and for the Heightening of their Beauty and Perfection we will exemplifie here in the Perfection of Courage For the Hieght and depth and Splendor of every Vertue is of great Concernment to the Perfection of the Soul since the Glory of its Life is seated in the Accomplishment of its essence in the Fruit it yeildeth in its Operations Take it in Verse made long ago upon this occasion For Man to Act as if his Soul did see The very Brightness of Eternity For Man to Act as if his Love did burn Above the Spheres even while its in its Urne For Man to Act even in the Wilderness As if he did those Sovereign Joys possess Which do at once confirm stir up enflame And perfect Angels having not the same It doth increase the Value of his Deeds In this a Man a Seraphim exceeds To Act on Obligations yet unknown To Act upon Rewards as yet unshewn To keep Commands whose Beauty 's yet unseen To cherish and retain a Zeal between Sleeping and Waking shews a constant care And that a deeper Love a Love so Rare That no Eye Service may with it compare The Angels who are faithful while they view His Glory know not what themselves would do Were they in our Estate A Dimmer Light Perhaps would make them erre as well as We And in the Coldness of a darker Night Forgetful and Lukewarm Themselves might be Our very Rust shall cover us with Gold Our Dust shall sprinkle while their Eyes behold The Glory Springing from a feeble State Where meer Belief doth if not conquer Fate Surmount and pass what it doth Antedate THE Beatifick Vision is so sweet and Strong a Light that it is impossible for any thing that Loves it self
or too dull or too feeble and impertinent but all its faults are avoided by a fit Temperance of Words and Materials Temperance every where yields the Pleasure And Excess is as destructive as Defect in any Accomplishment whatsoever Vertue being seated in the Golden Mean It is by an Artificial limiting of Power that every Thing is made as it ought to be Compleat and Perfect All kind of Excellence in every sort of Operation springs from Temperance A curious Picture a melodious Song a delicious Harmony by little invisible motions of the Pen or Pencil or by Ductures scarce perceivable in the throat or fingers finisheth the Work where Art is the only power of performing WE know that upon Mens Actions far more does depend than upon Dancing and Painting their Wisdom and Vertue their Honour Life and Happiness And therefore more Care ought to be exhibited in the Actions of which their Conversation is made up and accomplished In their Meats and Drinks and Recreations it is apparent that without Temperance there can be no Success or Order The best Wine in the World makes him that is lavish in the use of it a Sot The most wholsom and delicious Meat upon Earth by excess in eating may turn to a Surfeit If Sports and Recreations take up all a mans Time his Life is unprofitable their End is lost and their Nature changed for instead of recruiting they consume ones Strength and instead of sitting a Man for it devour his Calling AN exact hand over all our Passions and a diligent Eye to extravagant Actions tend much to our Welfare Repose and Honour Loose and impertinent Laughter excessive Cost in Apparel a Lascivious wandering of the Eyes an ungoverned Boldness which turns into Impudence an extremity of Fear which degenerates into Baseness a Morose and sour Disposition Anxiety and needless Care immodest and violent strivings after Things we too eagerly desire inordinate Love too keen and bitter Resentments a fierce and raging Anger a blockish Stupidity a predominant Humour of Melancholy too much Sloth and too much Activity too much Talk and too much Silence all these are diligently to be ordered and avoided for upon the right Temperament of these we are made Acceptable and Amiable and being so are full of Authority and can do within the compass of Vertue and Reason all that we desire among our Friends and Companions for our own good or the benefit of others And by this means also we shall be admitted to the society and friendship of Great men where a Nod or a Word is able to prevail more than the strength of Oxen and Horses among the dregs of the People But for lack of tempering these Ingredients aright and as we ought we become odious and insupportable lose all Esteem and Interest are rejected and trampled under feet as vicious and deformed HERE you may observe that all the qualities and dispositions in Nature are ingredients and materials in our Lives and Conversations and for the most part it is their Excess or Defect that makes the miscarriage when we erre in the Measure There is a certain mixture of Gravity and Chearfulness Remisness and Severity Fear and Boldness Anger and Complacency Kindness and Displeasure Care and Carelesness Activity and Idleness Joy and Sorrow Forwardness and Reservedness nay of Envy Pride and Revenge in every Mans life as well as of Selfishness and flowing Courtesie Plainness and Policy at least the grounds of these things which are neither Vertues nor Vices in themselves yet make Conversation transcendently Vertuous when they are wisely tempered and united together I do not look upon Ambition and Avarice nay nor upon Envy and Revenge as things that are evil in their root and fountain If they be Temperance has a strange vertue in its Nature for as Chymists make Antidotes of Poysons so doth this vertue turn the Matter of all these into a Quintessential perfection Nay Selfishness and Pride it self escape not its influence A little touch of something like Pride is seated in the true sence of a mans own Greatness without which his Humility and Modesty would be contemptible Vertues In all baseness of Mind there is a kind of folly and Cowardice apparent and more veneration follows an humble Man that is sensible of his Excellency An aiery Humor without something of the Melancholy to ballast it a little would be light and trifling And a melancholy Humor without something of Air and Jovialness in it too sour and disobliging Anger without Softness is like untemper'd Steel brittle and destructive and a plyant Humor without some degree of stiffness too near to Flattery and Servility Anger is the matter and fuel of Courage and its appearance afar off puts a Majesty into Meekness that makes it redoubted A sorrowful Humor neatly allayed with a mixture of sweetness begets a tenderness and compassion in the Spectator that turns into a deeper and more serious Love A little Selfishness puts our Companions in mind of our own Interest and makes them perceive that we understand it which adds a lustre to our Self-denial and renders our Liberality more safe and precious Plainness without Policy is downright Simplicity and Policy without Plainness void of Honesty The one makes us Crafty and renders us suspected the other exposes us and makes us Ridiculous but both united are venerable and prudent By the appearance of Revenge in its shady Possibility a man that never does other than Actually forgive does oblige for what is past yet threaten and discourage from the like Offences All these are the Subjects of Temperance A little spice of Jealousie and Emulation are advantagious in the midst of our Security and Resignation They give a relish to our Confidence in and Prelation of others and make our Security and Civility taste of our Love to the Person we prefer and of our Love to Vertue There is not one Humor nor Inclination nor Passion nor Power in the Soul that may not be admitted to act its part when directed by Temperance NOR is it unlawful to alter the Natural Complexion by Care and Study I know very well that the Complexion of the Body can hardly be changed by the strongest Physick and that Choler and Phlegm and abundance of Blood will where they are have their Natural Course without any remedy But the Humors of the Soul are more tractable things they are all subject to the Will in their operations and though they incline yet they cannot act but by consent and permission I know furthermore that Custom and Habit is a Second Nature what was difficult at first becomes at last as easie in its Exercise as if it were innate and that the Soul of a Vertuous man does in process of time act by a new Disposition I know further that all vertuous Operations are free and voluntary and that the office of Vertue is to correct and amend an Evil Nature Let no man therefore be disgusted because a Made-up man is
Space is an infinite Object in his understanding But for the Glory of his Moderation it is evident that he hath attained a far greater and more perfect End HAD he made an Infinite Object of a Spiritual Nature it must be a Spirit endued with illimited Power to see his Omnipresence and Eternity And had he made no more but only this it is to be feared that the Spectator would be displeased for want of Objects in preparing which the Love of GOD should have glorified his Wisdom and Goodness for its fruition IF you say the Omnipresence and Eternity of GOD had been filled with that Creature it is evident that Spirits fill no Room though they see all things and that it had been much better if Objects had been prepared for its Enjoyment HAD he prepared any one Corporeal Object for the fruition of that Creature any Corporeal Object if infinite in Dimensions would be wholly useless nay pernicious and destructive for it would exclude all other Beings to which it might be serviceable out of place and have nothing whereto to be beneficial IF you say it would be Beneficial to GOD or to that Spectator or that Intelligible Power that Spirit for whom it was made It is apparent that no Corporeal Being can be serviceable to a Spirit but only by the Beauty of those Services it performeth to other Corporeals that are capable of receiving them and that therefore all Corporeals must be limited and bounded for each others sake And for this Cause it is that a Philosophical Poet said As in a Clock 't is hinder'd-Force doth bring The Wheels to order'd Motion by a spring Which order'd Motion guides a steddy Hand In useful sort at Figures just to stand Which were it not by Counter-ballance staid The Fabrick quickly would aside be laid As wholly useless So a Might too Great But well proportion'd makes the World compleat Power well-bounded is more Great in Might Than if let loose 't were wholly Infinite He could have made an endless Sea by this But then it had not been a Sea of Bliss A Sea that 's bounded in a finite shore Is better far because it is no more Should Waters endlesly exceed the skies They 'd drown the World and all whate're we prize Had the bright Sun been Infinite its Flame Had burnt the World and quite consum'd the same That Flame would yield no splendor to the Sight 'T would be but Darkness though 't were Infinite One Star made Infinite would all exclude An Farth made Infinite could ne're be view'd But all being bounded for each others sake He bounding all did all most useful make And which is best in Profit and Delight Though not in Bulk he made all Infinite He in his Wisdom did their use extend By all to all the World from End to End In all Things all Things service do to all And thus a Sand is Endless though most small And every Thing is truly Infinite In its Relation deep and exquisite THIS is the best way of accommodating things to the Service of each other for the fruition of all Spectators MODERATION is not so called from Limiting and Restraining but from Moderating and Ruling If Reason require that a Thing should be Great it is the part of Temperance to make it so Where Reason requires it is a point of Moderation to enlarge and extend Power Nay to stretch it out to the utmost of its Capacity if Wisdom order it is but equal To moderate Almighty Power is to limit or extend it as Reason requires Reason requires that it should be so limited and extended as most tends to the perfection of the Universe IF it be more Wise and more tends to the perfection of the Universe that Millions of intelligible Spirits should be Created and every one of them be made in finite in Understanding it shall be done If not Temperance forbears If Sands and Atoms tend more to the perfection of the World than Angels there where they do so Sands and Atoms shall be made and Angels there where they tend more to the perfection of the World So that every thing is best in its proper place Were there no Sands or Atoms there would be no Universe For the Earth the Sea the Skie the Air all Bodies consist of these either united or divided If they had been lest unmade and Angels had been created in their Places there had been no visible World at all TO make Visible Objects useful it was necessary to enshrine some Spirits in Corporeal Bodies and therefore to make such Creatures as Men that might see and feel and smell and taste and hear and eat and drink by their Bodies and enjoy all the Pleasures of the World by their Souls And by their Souls moreover know the Original and End of all understand the design of all and be able to celebrate the Praises of the Creator For by this means pure Essences abstracted from all Corporeity might enjoy the World while they delight in the glory of its Uses and especially in those compleat and amiable Creatures for whom it was prepared IT was expedient also to make their Bodies finite that they might converse together but their inward Intelligences of endless reach that they might see the holy Angels delight in them and by their Love be delightful to them that they might also be able to search into the depth of all Things and enjoy Eternity Nay that they might be fit Recipients for the infinite Bounty and Goodness of GOD which is infinite in its Communications THAT they should be subject to his Laws and depend upon him was necessary in like manner For by that distinction an infinite difference was between him and them that disparity being laid in the foundation though the benefits they receive are altogether infinite the distance is still the more infinite between them for the greater the Bounty is the deeper is the Obligation The Love and Service they owe is infinite and so is the Gratitude TO see all his Glory is to be able to admire it and to adore it with infinite amazement and joy which is to be compleatly just unto it and perfectly blessed There is but one thing more wherein Almighty Power was by Wisdom infinite to restrain it self for the perfection of his Kingdom And that is to create them free that were made to enjoy it Not to determine their Wills by a fatal Necessity but to make their esteem and fruition of GOD and his Works their duty and to leave them to themselves for the more free and voluntary discharge of their duty For by that means it would make them capable of Rewards and Punishments in the Righteous distribution of which the nature and the glory of a Righteous Kingdom consisteth THUS did GOD by infinite Moderation and by a sublime and transcendent Temperance prepare his Kingdom and make every Thing exquisite in his whole Dominion to the praise of his Glory and the satisfaction of his infinite
its own Light the felicity of the Enjoyment becomes its own fortress and security For he that is throughly Happy has so much work to do in Contemplation and Thanksgiving that he cannot have while to be concerned with other mens disorders he loves his Employment too well to be disturbed and will not allow himself the thoughts of Revenge or Anger IN two things Meekness is greatly profitable to a Mans self Possession and Triumph He that permits the Tumult of the World to enter into his Soul and suffers the Temple of the Holy Ghost to be defiled with Rage and Anger makes it an unfit habitation for the Blessed Spirit Doves will not dwell in Pigeon-Houses disturbed or haunted with Vermin nor can Felicity be enjoyed but by serene and quiet Thoughts that are full of tranquillity For where Envying and Strife is there is Confusion and every evil Work But the Wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of Mercy and good Fruits And the fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace of them that make Peace Which must of necessity precede fruition as Triumph followeth WERE I for my life to interpret that Text of our Saviour The Meek shall inherit the Earth I should in the first place say that every Knowing man may enjoy the beauty and glory of the whole World and by sweet Contemplations delight in all the abundance of Treasures and pleasant Varieties that are here upon Earth especially since by the Ordinance of Nature all men are to be his peculiar Treasures This he might do I say did all men love him and fill the World with Glory and Vertue But since all is confounded by their perverseness and disorder his Fruition is utterly lost unless he will forgive all Injuries and by the vertue of Meekness maintain the quiet of his own Soul in the midst of their distempers The Meek man is not fretted nor disturbed but may enjoy all Still and the unspeakable Joy which all the Glories of Gods Kingdom do afford him shall make him more meek and able also to pacifie and rule and heal the minds of his Enemies and even by the love of Sinners to recover his Right and ancient Fruitions TO be able to live at quiet and enjoy the felicity of Heaven and Earth notwithstanding all the attempts of our Enemies makes them mad when they see they cannot fret us and so by Consequence a greater Revenge is seated in Meekness than in Revenge it self For our Repose is their punishment and torment that hate us Their vexation falleth on their own head when they see they miss of their aim and cannot molest us but it is a joy to see our selves seated in a throne of Repose clean out of their reach it breeds a kind of triumph and ovation in the Soul The secret Conscience of its own Power is a glory and satisfaction unimaginable HE that masters his own Passion is master of anothers mans and seldom falls into those Broils and Inconveniencies that are the destruction of ungoverned and hasty Spirits Which made Solomon to say He that is slow to Anger is better than the Mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City HE that troubleth his own house shall inherit the Wind he that is nice and exquisite in exacting all Faults shall never be beloved They are disobliging angry testy men that are hated and the Revengful that do frequently fall into mischief But to be kind to the Unthankful and the Evil and to deal with all men better than they deserve is the way to be beloved by the worst of men and admired by the best MEEKNESS is the retreat of Goodness and the only force in the rear of Liberality He that does one Injury after forty Kindnesses blots out the memory of all his Courtesies and he that revenges an Injury seems to do one For he that did the Wrong seems innocent to himself because he felt it not and seeming innocent takes the Revenge as an undeserved Injury and is lost for ever Now some Injuries we must expect from our best Friends which are alwaies lost for want of Meekness So are all the Benefits we do unless we will forgive as well as give But an Injury forgiven is forgotten by him that did it and the Friendship continues at the expence and to the honour and comfort of the Pardoner as if no Offence had ever been committed Nay if afterwards he comes to see the Candor of his abused Friend he that did the Injury loves him better than before because he pardoned the Wrong MEEKNESS as it preserves Friendship between two makes Goodness invincible and unalterable in one He shall not be good long whose Goodness dependeth on others Merits He is a miserable weak man that is of an Exceptious humor he is a trouble to his own flesh and subject to the power of every Wasp whether he shall be good or no. He is quickly stopt in his Careir of Vertue and easily turned out of the way that is apt to be infected with anothers Malice He carries no Antidotes about him and for want of a Preservative is in danger of the Contagion Meekness is a means of the health of the Soul a Passionate man being all over sore is covered with hot and angry Boils which cannot be touched IT preventeth much mischief in Families An occasion of Anger is like a spark of Fire it is of great Consequence where it falleth If it falls into barrels of Gunpowder it blows up the World if into green Wood or watery places it does no harm Penitent Tears and the verdure of Humility prevent such flames and extinguish the quarrel If Wild-fire be thrown I will put it out with my foot and not by throwing it back give my Enemy the advantage of retorting it upon me A soft Answer pacifieth much Wrath but virulent Speeches are a fire-ball tossed to and fro of them that love Death BY Revenge a man at best can but preserve himself by killing his Enemy but Meekness well managed destroys the Enmity preserves the Person and turns the Enemy into an excellent Friend MEEKNESS is not the way to Peace and Repose and Victory only but to Honour and Glory As it is the strength it is the Glory of a man to pass over a Transgression He that is lightly angered is quickly lost and a fickle Friend is not worth a farthing A straw and a feather shall forfeit all the Obligations in the World in some Tempers Nay he that is Revengful is a dangerous Person and with an Angry man thou shalt not go He has the Plague upon him and is prohibited Company All this is dishonourable But a man that is a resolved and stable Friend that cannot be alter'd that will not change though he be wronged but forgive and pity and continue to serve and love his Friend though he shews him some dirty Tricks he that will surmount all by invincible
extream disgrace before all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth that look upon it and behold its Unworthiness No Toad has so much deformity or poyson or malignity as Pride in its nature It is the ruine of all that is great and turns the brightest of the Seraphims into the most abominable of Devils NOW if Pride be so pernicious and be by nature though a meer Phantasie so destructive what shall Humility be which is full of truth and reality How forcible how divine how amiable how full of truth how bright and glorious how solid and real how agreeable to all Objects how void of errour and disparity how just and reasonable how wise and holy how deep how righteous how good and profitable how mightily prone to exalt us in the esteem of GOD and Man How agreeable to all its Causes and Ends how fit and suitable to all the circumstances of Mans Condition I need not say more It bears its own evidence and carries Causes in it that will justifie our Saviours words He that humbleth himself shall be exalted He that is puffed up has but a counterfeit glory but Humility is full of solid glory It s beauty is so amiable that there is no end of counting its proportions and excellencies The Wise man that saw into the nature of all things very clearly said long before our Saviour was born Pride goeth before a fall but before Honour is Humility He that exalteth himself must needs be humbled because the Colours are envenomed wherewith he painteth his face which in a little time is discerned and at the very first instant the Painting begins to turn into a Canker THE Amiableness of Humility appeareth by its Excellency on these two the greatness of its beauty and success is founded It is so agreeable to all the principles of Nature and Grace and Glory to all the desires of Angels and Men to all the designs of GOD himself and to all the interests and concerns of the Soul that it cannot but be the most advantagious Vertue in the vvhole World It is strange that a man should look with the same Eye upon two Objects so infinitely distant and different from each other But at the same time he seeth GOD and Nothing Heaven and Earth eternal Love and Dust to be his Original Self-love and Justice Wisdom and Goodness Joy and Gratitude have the same Objects but look upon them in a several manner and are very differently affected with them Humility regards all Objects high and low Good and Evil but with a peculiar remark and notice of its own It takes them in in another light and discerns them all with another kind of sence It is in some manner the taste of the Soul Their Truth appeareth to the eye of Knowledge their Goodness is apprehended by the â—â—fe of Love the perfection of their serviceableness to the most perfect End is discerned by Wisdom the benefit which all Spectators receive is the delight of Goodness the incomprehensible depth and mysterious intricacy of their frame and nature is the peculiar Object of our Wonder and Curiosity they help our Faith as they shew a Deity and the truth of all Religion and Blessedness As they are the gifts of GOD they are the provocations of Gratitude and as they are aggravations of Sin they are respected by Repentance As they are the means of our Glory and our proper Treasures they are the Objects of Contentment but Humility looks upon them in relation to its Unworthiness compares them with it self and its own deserts and admires the disproportion that is between them It useth them all as grounds of a deeper and profounder Lowness in the esteem which it ought to have of it self and as the incentives to Love and Gratitude which it paies in the depth of a more profound Acknowledgment and Adoration THIS habit or affection of the Soul is not inconsistent with its Joy and Glory as by some foolish people that are by Ignorance and Errors far from GOD is generally supposed but highly conducive and subservient to its perfection It gives us the tenderest and greatest sence it passeth thorow all things embraceth the Poles and toucheth all Extreams together The Centre it self is but the middle of its profundity it hath a Nadir beneath it a lower point in another Heaven on the other side opposite to its Zenith In its own depth it containeth all the height of Felicity and Glory and doubles all by a mystery in Nature It is like a Mirror lying on the ground with its face upwards All the height above increaseth the depth of its Beauty within nay turneth into a new depth an inferiour Heaven is in the glass it self at the bottom of which we see the Skie though it be not transplanted removed thither Humility is the fittest Glass of the Divine Greatness and the fittest Womb for the conception of all Felicity for it hath a double Heaven It is the way to full and perfect Sublimity A man would little think that by sinking into the Earth he should come to Heaven He doth not but is buried that fixeth and abideth there But if he pierceth through all the Rocks and Minerals of the inferiour World and passeth on to the end of his Journey in a strait line downward in the middle of his way he will find the Centre of Nature and by going downward still begin to ascend when he is past the Centre through many Obstacles full of gross and subterraneous Darkness which seem to affright and stifle the Soul he will arrive at last to a new Light and Glory room and liberty breathing-place and fresh-air among the Antipodes and by passing on still through those inferiour Regions that are under his feet but over the head of those that are beneath him finally come to another Skie penetrate that and leaving it behind him sink down into the depth of all Immensity This he cannot do in his Body because it is gross and dull and heavy and confined but by a Thought in his Soul he may because it is subtile quick aiery free and infinite Nothing can stop or exclude it oppress or stifle it This local descent through all the inferiour Space and Immensity though it brings us to GOD and his Throne and another Heaven full of Joyes and Angels on the other side the World yet is it but a real Emblem of the more spiritual and mysterious flight of Humility in the mind We all know that the way to Heaven is through Death and the Grave beyond which we come to another Life in Eternity but how to accommodate this to the business of Humility few understand By this Vertue we are inclined to despise our selves and to leave all the garish Ornaments of Earthly bliss to divest our selves of the splendors of Temporal prosperity and to submit to all Afflictions Contempts and Miseries that a good Cause can bring upon us In the eyes of other men we are beneath their feet and so
Unbelief Enmity against GOD Fear and Cowardice Barrenness in good and praise-worthy Employments Weariness and Complaint hatred of Retirement Spiritual Idleness and Ignorance are its Companions followed by Debaucheries and all the sorts of vile and wicked Diversions For Man is an unwelcome Creature to himself till he can delight in his Condition and while he hates to be alone exposeth himself to all kind of Mischiefs and Temptations because he is an active Creature and must be doing something either Good or Evil TRUE Contentment is the full satisfaction of a Knowing Mind It is not a vain and empty Contentment which is falsely so called springing from some one particular little satisfaction that however Momentany it be does for the present delight our Humour but a long habit of solid Repose after much study and serious Consideration It is not the slavish and forced Contentment which the Philosophers among the Heathen did force upon themselves but a free and easie Mind attended with pleasure and naturally rising from ones present Condition It is not a morose and sullen Contempt of all that is Good That Negative Contentment which past of Old for so great a Vertue is not at all conducive to Felicity but is a real Vice for to be Content without cause is to sit down in our Imperfection and to seek all ones Blis in ones self alone is to scorn all other Objects even GOD himself and all the Creation It is a high piece of Pride and stiffness in a man that renders him good for nothing but makes him Arrogant and Presumptuous in the midst of his blindness his own slave and his own Idol a Tyrant over himself and yet his only Deity It makes a man to live without GOD in the World and cuts him off from the Universe It makes him incapable either of Obligation or Gratitude his own Prison and his own Tormâ—ntour It shuts up the Soul in a Grave and makes it to lead a living Death and robs it of all its Objects It mingles Nature and Vice in a confusion and makes a man fight against Appetite and Reason Certainly that Philosopher has a hard task that must fight against Reason and trample under foot the essence of his Soul to establish his Felicity Contentment is a sleepy thing If it in Death alone must die A quiet Mind is worse than Poverty Unless it from Enjoyment spring That 's Blessedness alone that makes a King Wherein the Joyes and Treasures are so great They all the powers of the Soul employ And fill it with a Work compleat While it doth all enjoy True Joyes alone Contentment do inspire Enrich Content and make our Courage higher Content alone 's a dead and silent Stone The real life of Bliss Is Glory reigning in a Throne Where all Enjoyment is The Soul of Man is so inclin'd to see Without his Treasures no mans Soul can be Nor rest content Uncrown'd Desire and Love Must in the height of all their Rapture move Where there is true Felicity Employment is the very life and ground Of Life it self whose pleasant Motion is The form of Bliss All Blessedness a life with Glory Crown'd Life Life is all in its most full extent Stretcht out to all things and with all Content The only reason why a Wise and Holy man is satisfied with Food and Rayment is because he sees himself made possessour of all Felicity the image of the Deity the great Object of his eternal Love and in another way far more Divine and perfect the Heir of the World and of all Eternity He knows very well that if his honour be so great as to live in Communion with GOD in the fruition of all his Joyes he may very well spare the foul and feeble Delights of men And though the Law be not so severe as to command him to be Content without Food and Rayment yet if for GOD's sake he should by the wickedness of Men be bereaved of both he may well be Patient nay and die with glory And this indeed is that which maketh Contentment so great a Vertue It hath a powerful influence upon us in all Estates to take off our Perplexity Sollicitude and Care and to adorn our lives with Liberty and Chearfulness by which we become acceptable and admirable to the Sons of Men. It makes us prone to be Kind and Liberal whereby we become Obliging and full of good Works For it delivers us from all servile Fear and gives us Courage and Confidence in GOD. For well may we dare to trust him in such little Matters who has manifested his Friendship and Bounty in such infinite good things and made it impossible for us to be Miserable if we are pleasing to him An intelligent and full Contentment elevates the Soul above all the World and makes it Angelical it instills a Divine and Heavenly Nature enflames the Soul with the love of GOD and moves it to delight in Devotion and Prayer The sweetness of his Thoughts and the beauty of his Object draws a Lover often into Solitudes And a Royal Man in a strange Country especially when he has heard tidings of his Fathers Death and the devolving of his Crown and Throne on himself desires to be alone that he may digest these Affairs in his Thoughts a little He delights in being retired because he can find nothing worthy of himself in Company Magnanimous Souls are above Garlands and Shepherds And there is no greatness of Soul like that which perfect Contentment inspires BUT that which above all other things makes me to note the Vertue of Contentment is its great influence efficacy and power in confirming our Faith For when I see the Beauty of Religion I know it to be true For such is its excellency that if you remove it out of the World all the things in Heaven and Earth will be to no purpose The business of Religion is the Love of GOD the Love of Angels and Men and the due esteem we owe to inferiour Creatures Remove this Love this Charity this Due Esteem this delight that we should take in all amiable Objects Life and Pleasure are extinguished I see Nature it self teaching me Religion And by the admirable Contexture of the Powers of my Soul and their fitness for all Objects and Ends by the incomparable Excellency of the Laws prescribed and the worthiness and Beauty of all the Objects for which my power are prepared see plainly that I am infinitely Beloved and that all the cross and disorderly things that are now upon Earth are meer Corruptions and depravations of Nature which free Agents have let in upon themselves All which since they are reducible to the Government of Reason and may be Wisdom be improved to my higher happiness I am sure I am redeemed and that there is some eternal Power that governs the World with so much Goodness for my felicity since I my self was not able to do it That all Ages are beautified by his Wisdom for my
putteth us in mind of Guilt and Innocency at the same time and by confession of the one adds lustre to the other By making way for the acceptance of a mans Person it giveth more esteem success and efficacy to his other Vertues And by this means it hath much of excellency in a little HE that hath it not must needs acquire something like it and if he be elaborate in expressing it must hide his Art under the vail of Nature Though it be remote from the highest End it may be guided to it and when so directed is alwaies innocent It is very just for while other Vertues make it a Vertue it is a Grace unto them all You may look upon it as a tangible flame and see it in others but must feel it in your self before you can understand it It is old in Children young in middle Aged men at last an Infant It is greatest in the beginning of our life it decayeth in Youth in Old Age it vanisheth at least changeth its dwelling for it ceaseth to be in the Body of an Aged man and turneth into Courtesie or Civility in the Conversation When it dieth it is buried in Humility and liveth in its Tomb being empaled in as it were with Meekness and waiting daily for its Resurrection Much cannot be said of it precisely but it is best commended when left to your Practice It is the only tender Infant of all the Vertues like Cupid among the gods it appeareth frequently and is much exercised in the School of Venus but is capable of more high and more noble uses MODESTY in Apparel is commended in the Scriptures It implies Moderation and Chastity together It is sometimes opposed to Lasciviousness sometimes to Excess sometimes to Impudence And is a great Vertue if for nothing else but the exclusion of these abominable Vices THE other Vertues seem to be the Members and substantial parts of the Body of worth Modesty like the Air and Meen of them all It is the guard of the Soul against Loosness and Pride a Vertue repressing the sumes of self-conceit and a kind of silent restraint of all that Arrogance that delights in pomps and superfluities THOUGH it be a little Vertue its Reality is apparent for unless it be made up with some other supplies the want of Modesty is pernicious and destructive IT is exercised in small things but is of long extent in the vertue of its influence and because of the multiplicity of its uses and occasions amounts to a considerable degree of Goodness It hath something like Love in its nature for it preferreth another above it self and in that its magnetical and obliging quality much consisteth In honour preferring one another It fulfils that Law wherein our most near and tender Interest is concerned In preferring one another there is a lovely 〈◊〉 more sweet and happy than the best Agreement It is of all other the most 〈◊〉 strife and 〈◊〉 Contâ—â—â—â—â—â— CHAP. XXX The excellent Nature of Liberality Rules to be observed in the practice of it Regard to our Servants Relations friends and Neighbours must be had in our Liberality as well as to the Poor and Needy How our external acts of Charity ought to be improved for the benefit of mens Souls Liberality maketh Religion real and substantial LIBERALITY in the common use and acceptation of the Word differs from Magnificence as Modesty from Magnanimity There is much of liberty and freedom in its Nature For Avarice is a strict and sour Vice and they that are guilty of it are called Misers but a Bountiful man hath a good eye and is as free from Anxiety as he is free in disbursing His Communicative humor is much his enlargement he knows little of Confinement Care or Bondage THERE are two Vertues that endanger a Mans welfare in this World and they have all the Temporal Promises Meekness seems to encourage our Enemies to trample us under feet because it promiseth Impunity And it is directly said The Meek shall inherit the Earth may he so far from having Enemies that the Meek shall inherit the abundance of Peace And concerning Liberality which makes a man a Beggar at least threatens to make him so by wasting his Estate the Scripture saith The Liberal Soul shall be made fat The Liberal Heart deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall be stand MEN are almost in all things contrary in GOD. For since they tumbled out of Eden they have lost their wits and their heads are downwards They think it wisdom to keep their Mony against a rainy day and to lay it up for fear of Poverty But Solomon adviseth them to the direct contrary and maketh it an Argument why they should be Liberal Becaus they know not what evil may come upon the Earth We cannot put our Treasures into safer hands than into GOD Almighty's Nor can we make any use of Gold and Silver comparable to that of Charitable uses By this it is that we lay up a good foundation against the time to come and oblige others to receive us into Mansions here into everlasting habitations hereafter MY Lord Bridgeman late Lord Keeper confessed himself in his Will to be but a Steward of his Estate and prayed GOD to forgive him all his offences in Getting Mispending or not Spending it as he ought to do And that after many Charitable and Pious works perhaps surmounting his Estate though concealed from the notice and knowledge of the World I have heard of a smart obliging Calumny fastned on a Great Man of France by one that had largely tasted of his Bounty for having been in his House honourably entertained for some space of time and observing how much the Palace was frequented by all kind of Learned Men and how Liberal the Master of it was especially to men of Worth and Vertue he charges the Man with the greatest Covetousnes in the World because he turned all his Riches into Obligations As if he had put all his Estate and Monies to Use But to covet affections and be rich in hearts is no deformity THE truth is when the waies whereby Love is begotten in the Soul are well examined and the happiness of being truly beloved and delighted in is known no man is so wise as the Liberal man He is his own end while he thinks not of it For nothing is more conducive to his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 than the bounty of Munificence which enriches his Soul There are three things which beget Love Beauty Benefits and Praises They are all three shut up in Goodness which is the fountain of Liberality The beauty of the face is a silent Oratory a high stile of Commendation without an Epistle yet by doing Benefits it prevaileth more than by any of its Charms and maketh it self great by enriching others Love inspires it with an amiable Soul and if others are delighted with their own Praises he that is liberal in the acknowledgment of mâ—ns Vertues and giveth Honour to the Worthy
implies Greatness and Bounty united THE Creation of the Universe was a great and Magnificent work because the lustre and beauty of the WORLD is a sublime and wonderful Gift imparted to millions The bounty of GOD in adorning all ages with Cities and Empires for the benefit and enjoyment of all the World is another piece of his Royal Magnificence The infusion of a Soul so divine and everlasting into the Body of a Man is an act of love transcendently greater than all the Aquaeducts and Trophies in the World For such a Celestial presence such a sublime and illimited power such a vast and noble Workmanship as that is which can see and comprehend all Eternity and Time together extend to all Objects in all Worlds and fill Immensity with life and joy and love and knowledge with light and beauty and glory with adorations and praises though its essence be invisible and all its splendour within is next under GOD the highest Object of all the admiration of Men and Angels It is a being as publick as the Sun the great occasion of all the extasies of the Seraphims the wonder and the rapture of all the Cherubims the glory of GOD communicated to the World in so divine a Creature a miraculous effect of his eternal Power and the resemblance of his Godhead among all the Creatures THE Incarnation of his Eternal Son and the giving of the Holy Ghost was another Magnificent effect of his almighty Power so was the preparation of his Word with the Gifts he gave unto Men in the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles adorned with all the varieties of their Labours and Vertues Wisdom Courage and Patience Lives and Examples Deaths and Sufferings Oppositions and Successes Miracles and Revelations The Jewish Nation alone is a Magnificent gift to the whole World The Apostle phraseth the Regiment of it as a matter of Bounty Now if the Fall of them be the Riches of the World and the diminishing of them the Riches of the Gentiles how much more their Fulness And again When he ascended up on high and led Captivity captive he gave Gifts unto Men some Apostles and some Prophets c. When he presented all Nations and Kingdoms as a token of his love to the Angels when he gave all those glorious Hosts in the Heavens to the vision service and pleasure of Men much more when he gave all these in their marvellous order and amity united to every Soul When he filled the Heaven of Heavens with Joyes and gave all the glory of his Kingdom to one and that one to every one he manifested the glory of his Magnificent power in that of his great and transcendent goodness And in relation to this we may cry out with the Apostle more than for the mysterious Regiment of a little Nation as he doth upon the account of GODS dealing with the Jews O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of GOD How unsearchable are his judgments and his waies past finding out For all things are yours Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are CHRISTS and CHRIST is GODS Wherefore he saith My Thoughts are not your Thoughts nor your Waies my Waies For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my Waies higher than your Waies and my Thoughts than your Thoughts You give triflles and give them but to one I give Worlds and give them to every one You divide and disperse your Gifts and lessen by dispersing them I communicate and unite my Gifts and augment by giving them You think it impossible for one man to enjoy all things I think it possible for innumerable Millions You think your interest is abated and your fruition endangered by the communication of your Treasures to many I know they are increased and multiplied by the number of the Enjoyers You think Gold and Silver to be the greatest Gifts and that nothing is yours but what is shut up within such Shores and Walls and Hedges I know that Men are the greatest Treasures and that your interest is extended through all Worlds and your Possessions illimited For according to the tenour of these words and a little before he saith Thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate Cities to be inhabited Fear not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither be thou confounded for thou shalt not be put to shame for thou shalt forget the shame of thy Youth and shalt not remember the reproach of thy Widowhood any more For thy Maker is thy husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name c. And a little after he saith Thou shalt also be a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal DIADEM in the hand of thy GOD. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken neither shall thy land any more termed Desolate but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah for the Lord deligheth in thee and thy Land shall be married For as a young Man marrieth a Virgin so shall thy Sons marry thee and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy GOD rejoyce over thee For a Son to marry with his Mother is Incest it is Confusion also for a Child to go in unto his Fathers Wife And yet the Church of GOD shall be the lawful Bride of every one of all her Sons Here is Magnificence GOD giveth himself and his eternal Son and his Holy Spirit and his Bride and his Apostles and Prophets and all the Universe to every Soul Which justifieth that saying of St. Chrysostome GOD loveth every one with all the Love wherewith he loveth the whole World His Magnificence exceedeth all Limits Laws Imaginations Wishes Possibilities and he maketh every one Heir of the World Coheir with Christ to inherit all things every one more than the sole end of all his Kingdom For all the Ornaments and Riches of a Bride are given with her Person her Palace and Attendants are her Lovers upon the Marriage as well as she and all things that magnifie or make her amiable are subservient to his enjoyment and really his that is her Husband So that GOD giving us his Church to be our Mother and our Bride hath intended us in all the things whereby he benefited her in all kingdoms and ages and hath loved us in all the Love which he hath exercised towards her and all the fruit of all his Love to the whole World resteth in our Exaltation This is the Magnificence of Almighty GOD to every Soul in his Kingdom And for this it is that the Church is called The Assembly of the First-born because all her Children are the perfect Heirs and Kings and Bridegrooms every one compleatly and more to his satisfaction than if he were so alone For as GOD is wholly every
which is taken in the communication of our Bounties And in this there is founded a certain sympathy of Delight which carries us to feel and be affected with anothers Joy and makes it an Object and a Caufe of ours nay almost the very Form aud Essence of ours when we are the Authors of it A Grateful Soul holds Intelligence with GOD as it receives his Bounties it delights in his Complacencies THE great effect of Obligation and Gratitude is Amity and Communion A Grateful Soul is deeply concerned in the Honour of his Benefactor in his Benefactors Pleasure Life and Safety in all his Successes Prosperities Advancements in all his Felicity and Glory He is afflicted in all his Afflictions he is delighted in all his Enjoyments he is crowned in all his Promotions he is wronged and injured in all his Affronts he is touched with the least Displeasure that can befal him Nay he is more tender of his Benefactors Repose than his own The apple of his Eye is the tenderest part in himself yet he had rather have it touched than the Person of his Benefactor No wounds can wound him more than those which his Benefactor receiveth and he in him His own wounds may kill his Body but these destroy his Contentment A thousand Injuries and Calumnics against himself he can forgive and is never provoked but when his Friend is offended He slights himself and prefers his Benefactor He would make his Face a Stepping stone to his Benefactors Glory He exposes his body to Swords and Spears and Arrows for his Benefactors safety He would rather be torn to pieces and suffer a thousand Deaths than permit his Benefactor to be slain or dishonoured Now all this in time of Trial and distress would seem disadvantagious But besides the Obligation there is Sence of Honour that compâ—â—â— a man thereunto and a certain beauty in the act of Gratitude distinct from the goodness of the Benefit that is so naturally sweet to the goodness of the Soul that it is better to die than renounce it And a certain Baseness on the other side an odiousoess in Ingratitude in the very act so abominable that it blasts any Safety and Repose that can be gotten by it WHERE the Benefits are small the Vertue of Gratitude is less powerful and perfect for its strength depends upon its food and nourishment A thin and spare diet is not very healthful for it Though all the benefits that are done upon the Earth by Men to Men are infinitely mean if compared to those which the Godhead does to the least of his Creatures yet the World is full of the praise of this Vertue and an Ingrateful man is the most hateful Object living Former Ages afford us many rare and glorious Examples of the power of Gratitude and its sacred Zeal for and tenderness of its Object The union between the Body and the Soul is nothing comparable to the union of Love and its Beloved though the Causes are but slight upon which it is founded The Soul will often forsake its mansion to dwell with its beloved It esteems all its beauties and Members only for its Beloloveds sake Yet Colours and Features a little red and white a sparkling Eye a brisk Conversation and a delectable Humor are all that breed it all that produce this mighty effect this prodigy of Nature There is something more where the Life and Honour of a man has been saved by the kindness of a Benefactor especially if he be rich and amiable that has delivered us If he be great and honourable that was the Author of the benefit the obligation is the greater For the Worth of the Person enters into the nature of the act and enhances its value Yet all this put together is exceeded by the Gratitude of a worthy Soul because his own Worth inclines him to be more Generous than the Cause requires and to magnifie the benefit by the mighty addition of his own goodness It is the natural property of Goodness to communicate it self any occasion of doing it is instead of a Cause But when there is a Cause it is like a spark to Powder it enkindles a flame in his Inclination All acts of Gratitude have a great deal of sweetness in their own nature and for the sake of that beauty which is seated in themselves will not be rigorous and exact in their proportions since it is a beautiful thing to exceed in Goodness It s own disposition prompts it to do more than is deserved by the Kindness it receives and if not to conceive it self more obliged than it is yet to be more honourable in its Returns than the meer goodness of its Benefactor can exact because it conceives it self by its own Vertue obliged to be Noble and Munificent in all its acknowledgments BUT however slow Gratitude may be in the Returns which it maketh for smaller benefits it is infinitely prone to exceed all measure when it is infinitely obliged Praises are not fed by mean Contentments but by sublime ones The acknowledgment is cool where the benefits are small and the Contentments imperfect where they are limited and restrained Full Satisfaction hath another kind of influence on the Soul of Man than single Kindnesses or some few particular Supplies An infinite Bliss produces more vigorous and joyful efforts than bare Acknowledgments Here upon Earth there are disquiets and destres and expectations and Complaints and defects and imperfections fears and interests to be still secured that lame and darken our Contentment and Gratitude But in Heaven all these admixtures of alloy are remov'd The glory of the light in which our Gratitude appeareth adds lustre and beauty to the increase of its Perfection In the utmost height of our Satisfaction there is such an infinite and eternal force that our Gratitude breaks out in exulting and triumphing Effusions all our Capacities Inclinations and Desires being fully satisfied we have nothing else to do but to Love and be Grateful An infinite and eternal Kingdom given to him that was taken out of Nothing by a King that is infinite in greatness and beauty all his Joyes and all his Treasures it makes the Soul a fountain of Delights whole nature is to receive no more but overflow for ever When the Soul cometh once to love GOD so infinitely above it self as the cause requireth its only delight is to magnifie him and to see him blessed The beauty and sweetness of its own Gratitude is as rich and divine as all his Gifts It is tempted here infinitely more to exceed its Causes than ever before Amazements Admirations Affections Praises Hallelujahs Raptures Extasies and Blessings are all its delights The pleasure of Loving is its only business it is turned all into flame and brightness and transportation and excess It infinitely passes Light and Fire in quickness and motion all Impediments are devoured and GOD alone is its Life and Glory The more Great the more high the more excellent he is the more
of Love that is unacquainted with these high and mighty bounties No man can return more Blessings than he receiveth nor can his Praises exceed the number and greatness of his Joyes A House is too little a Kingdom is too narrow for a Soul to move in The World is a confinement to the power that is able to see Eternity and conceive the Immensity of Almighty GOD He that can look into infinite Spaces must see them all full of delights or be infinitely displeased How like an Angel doth he soar aloft how divine is his life how glorious and heavenly that doth converse with infinite and eternal Wisdom intermeddle with all the delights of GOD assume the similitude of his knowledge and goodness make all his Works his Riches his Laws his Delights his Counsels his Contemplations his Wayes his Joyes and his Attributes his Perfections He that appropriates all the World and makes it his own peculiar is like unto GOD meet to be his Son and fit to live in Communion with him The Kingdom of GOD is made visible to him to whom all Kingdoms are so many Mansions of Joy and all Ages but the streets of his own City The man that sees all Angels and Men his Fellow-members and the whole Family of GOD in Heaven and Earth his own Domesticks is fit for Heaven As he hath more encouragements to believe in GOD and to delight in him so hath he more concerns to engage his fear more allurements to provoke his desire more incentives to enflame his love and more obligations to compel his obedience More arguments to strengthen his Hope more materials to feed his Praises more Causes to make him Humble more fuel for Charity to others more grounds of Contentment in himself more helps to inspire him with Fortitude more rewards to quicken his Industry more engagements to Circumspection and Prudence more ballast to make him Stable more lights to assist his Knowledge more sails to forward his Motion more employments in which to spend his Time more attractives to Meditation and more entertainments to enrich his Solitude He hath more aids to confirm his Patience more avocations from Injuries to Meekness more wings to carry him above the World and more Gates to let him into Heaven He hath more With-holders to keep him from Sin more aggravations to increase his Guilt more odious deformities in every Vice more waters to augment his Tears more motives to Repentance and more Consolations upon his Reconciliation More hopes to relieve his Prayer more bounds to secure his Prosperity more comforts in Adversity and more Hallelujah's in all Estates More delights to entertain his Friends more sweetness in his Conversation more arts to conquer his Enemies more Feasts in abstemious Fasts more and better sawce than other at his Feasts innumerable Companions night and day in Health in Sickness in Death in Prison at his Table in his Bed in his Grove in his Garden in the City in the Field in his Journy in his Walk at all times and in all places He hath more antidotes against Temptation more weapons in his Spiritual Warfare more balsom for his Wounds and more preservatives against the contagion of Worldly Customs From this Spring of Universal Fruition all the streams of Living Waters flow that refresh the Soul Upon this Hing all a mans Interests turn and in this Centre all his Spiritual Occasions meet It is the great Mystery of Blessedness and Glory the Sphere of all Wisdom Holiness and Piety the great and ineffable Circumstance of all Grace and Vertue the Magazine and Store-house of all Perfection An APPENDIX Of Enmity and Triumph Of Schism and Heresie Fidelity Devotion Godliness Wherein is declared how Gratitude and Felicity inspire and perfect all the Vertues I Should here have ended all my discourse on Vertue had it not been necessary to speak something of our Enemies Since there was never any man so Wise but he had some it is not to be expected that the most Vertuous Man living should be altogether without them Moses and David and Elijah and Daniel had Enemies so had our Lord Jesus Christ himself Joseph had some in his younger daies and Solomon some in his Old age Of all the Prophets I find Samuel the most clear and exempted from them But this I observe that Men of great and transcendent Principles of staid and well-govern'd Passions of meek and condescending Behaviours highly kind and serviceable in their Age free from the spots and blemishes of the World have frequently arrived to an universal Applause and Honour and moved in a sphere so high above the Nation in which they lived that as if they had been Creatures of another World they have enjoyed a Veneration above their Degree and been surrounded with a repose that makes them look like Angels in a kind of Heaven that that Heaven which they enjoyed upon Earth was the Work and the Reward and the Crown of Vertue Thus Moses after his long Meekness and invincible Fidelity to the Jewish Nation was in the close of his life most exceedingly honour'd by all the People and lamented after his death by a million of Persons that felt the disastre of so great a loss Joseph suffered much by the Envy of his Brethren in the beginning and the Lust and Slander of his Mistress But after he had once been the Saviour of the Land of Egypt and of his Fathers Family his Vertue being known he enjoyed a long life of Glory and Honour and of the abundance of his own peace and tranquility communicated a repose and prosperity to his Nation Joshua did run the hazard of being stoned for crossing the perverse humour of the Jews when he returned from searching the Land of Canaan but from Moses's death throughout all his life afterwards was an absolute Prince among his own People and a glorious Victor over all their Enemies Samuel was from his Infancy chosen of GOD and from Dan even to Beersheba they knew he was established to be a Prophet of the Lord. The honour of his Communion with Heaven joyned with his great Integrity and Gravity on Earth gave him a Reputation that made him Greater than all the Elders in the Land And it is very apparent that the eminent Holiness and Goodness and great Wisdom of these Men made them to prevail with GODS blessing on their Vertues and to reign like Benefactors and magnificent Patriots of their Country Solomon was by his Wisdom exceeding glorious till he revolted from GOD and those Mischiefs which befel David after he came to the Throne did spring from his Fall in the matter of Urias These things I note to encourage Men to Vertue For though our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles were persecuted to the Death yet two things are very considerable First that their Glory surmounted the Rage of all their Enemies and continues immortally shining throughout all Kingdoms and Ages Next That they were born to troublesome Times and were to break
in which no Defect or Blemish can be discerned perfect in the variety and Number of its Powers in the fitness and Measure of every power in the use and value of every Endowment A perfect Soul is that whereunto nothing can be added to please our Deâ—â—re As all its Objects are perfect so 〈◊〉 it self It is able to see all that is to be seen to love all that is Lovely to hate all that is Hateful to desire all that is Desirable to honour all that is Honorable to esteem all that can be valued to delight in all that is Delightful and to enjoy all that is Good and fit to be enjoyed If its Power did fall short of any one Object or of any one Perfection in any Object or of any Degree in any Perfection it would be imperfect it would not be the Master piece of Eternal Power PERFECT life is the full exertion of perfect power It implies two things Perfection of Vigour and perfection of intelligence an activity of life reaching through all Immensity to all Objects whatsoever and a freedome from all Dulness in apprehending An exquisite Tenderness of perception in feeling the least Object and a Sphere of activity that runs parallel with the Omnipresence of the Godhead For if any Soul lives so imperfectly as to see and know but some Objects or to love them remisly and less then they deserve its Life is imperfect because either it is remisse or if never so fervent confined PERFECT Fruition as it implieâ— the Perfection of all objects more nearly imports the intrinsick Perfection oâ— it s own Operations For if its Object be never so many and perfect in themselves a Blemish lies upon the Enjoyment if it does not reach unto all their Excellence If the Enjoyment of one Object be lost or one Degree of the enjoyment abated it is imperfect PERFECT Vertue may best be understood by a consideration of its Particulars Perfect Knowledg is a thorow compleat understanding of all that may be Known Perfect Righteousness is a full and adequate Esteem of all the value that is in Things It is a Kind of Spiritual Justice whereby we do Right to our selves and to all other Beings If we render to any Object less than it deserves we are not Just thereunto Perfect Wisdome is that whereby we chuse a most perfect end actualy pursue it by most perfect Means acquire and enjoy it in most perfect manner If we pitch upon an inferiour end our Wisdom is imperfect and so it is if we pursue it by feeble and inferior Means or neglect any one of those Advantages whereby we may attain it And the same may be said of all the Vertues NOW if all Objects be infinitely Glorious and all Worlds fit to be enjoyed if GOD has filled Heaven and earth and all the Spaces above the Heavens with innumerable pleasures if his infinite Wisdome Goodness and Power be fully Glorified in every Being and the Soul be created to enjoy all these in most perfect Manner we may well conclude with the Holy Apostle that we are the children of GOD and if Children then Heirs Heirs of GOD and joynt heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together That our light Affliction that is but for a Moment worketh out for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory That beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord we shall at last be transformed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. For all his Works of which the Psalmist saith They are worthy to be had in remembrance and are sought out of all them that have pleasure therein are like a Mirror wherein his Glory appeareth as the face of the Sun doth in a clear fountain We may conclude further that Vertue by force of which we attain so great a Kingdome is infinitely better then Rubies all the Things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her So that with unspeakable comfort we may take Courage to go on not only in the study but the Practice of all kind of Vertues concerning which we are to treat in the ensuing Pages For as the Apostle Peter telleth us He hath given to us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness through the Knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through List. And besides this saith he giving all diligence adde to your Faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness Charity For so an Entrance shall be Ministred to you abundantly into 〈◊〉 everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Which Kingdom being so Divine and Glorious as it is we have need to bow our Knees to the GOD and father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named that he would grant us according to the Riches of his Glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward Man that Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith that we being rooted and grounded in Love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Length and Depth and Height and to know the love of Christ which passeth Knowledg that we may be filled with all the fulness of GOD. TO be Partaker of the Divine nature to be filled with all the Fulness of GOD to enter into his Kingdom and Glory to be transformed into his Image and made an Heir of GOD and a joynt Heir with Christ to live in Union and Communion with GOD and to be made a Temple of the Holy Ghost these are Divine and transcendent things that accompany our Souls in the Perfection of their Bliss and Happiness the Hope and Belief of all which is justified and made apparent by the explanation of the very nature of the Soul its Inclinations and Capacities the reality and greatness of those Vertues of which we are capable and all those objects which the Univers affordeth to our Contemplation CHAP. III. Of Vertue in General The Distribution of it into its several Kinds its Definition BEfore we come to treat of particular Vertues it is very fit that we speak something of VERTUE in General VERTUE is a comprehensive Word by explaining which we shall make the way more easy to the right Understanding of all those particular Vertues into which it is divided Forasmuch as the Nature of Vertue enters into knowledge Faith Hope Charity Prudence Courage Meekness Humility Temperance Justice Liberality c. Every one of these hath its essence opened in part by the explication of that which entreth its Nature which is VERTUE in General THE Predicament of