wherein this infinite Wisedome Power might dwell which puritie chiefly excelleth in a Spirit and to such a Spirit can agree no other but the highest Name of God Thus the things sealed bearing the Image of the seale teach vs the seale euen these visible Creatures bearing the impression of the Deitie represent to vs the same Deitie as their Cause and Beginning and in their dumb language they preach vnto vs their originall The world thus trimmed vp with the varietie of innumerable things both for vse and ornament as a royall Palace for some great Prince man though now a contemptible wretched thing was then thought a fit Owner and Commander of so glorious a Creation And this not without order for though by his body he was of kin to the Earth yet his soule was of kin to the Deitie being a Spirit breathed into man by the Father of Spirits So Glorie and Humilitie were married together in man at his first Creation the issues wherof should still be continued euen apprehensions of an excellent soule to keepe vs from sinking into the basenesse of sensualitie and earthinesse and considerations of a clay body to stay vs from mounting vp in pride and ascending into the place of the most High And now euen at the first beginning God did make man know both what was the basenesse of man and what was the happines of man hee shewed man that his seruice was the businesse of man yea hee shewed him how he would bee serued For God planted in man a reasonable soule in which was written an Image counter-pawne of the Deitie although not equall in degrees yet like in resemblance Now the reason of this soule could finde that a Creator creates things for himselfe by whom things are they are also for him Therefore man hauing his being from God he is to returne his being vnto God And if Man would know the manner how to please and serue God this very manner of his creation will teach him For the Creator was a Spirit himselfe and he gaue to man a Spirit resembling him both in substance and facultie The substance was spirituall the facultie an vnderstanding and wil. In the vnderstanding was a light which could shew vnto man the will of God and informe Man what was right in Gods vnderstanding So was it a created reuelation of the Law of God the sparkes and pieces whereof serue at this day both to informe and accuse the naturall man Now vpon the vnderstanding thus informed the will was readie to attend and vpon the will the affections yea all the members to execute and performe the will of God certified to them by the vnderstanding Now there being such an aptnesse and abilitie of conformitie betweene God and Man and all things being delighted with harmonie and conformitie especially that purest Essence which is vanitie it selfe surely it cannot bee imagined but the chiefest pleasure and seruice most acceptable to the Creator was when these lower and lesser spirits did cary themselues the bodies which they ruled in a perpetuall consent and conformitie to that great Spirit which made them And as Mans workmāship did thus shew him his worke so did it also his happinesse Towards the discouerie hereof let vs set downe these rules First the most excellent happines of Man must be the happinesse of Mans most excellent part Secondly Mans chiefest part being a Spirit the obiect of his happines must be a Spirit Spirits enioying Spirits as Bodies do Bodies chiefly the chiefest Thirdly this chiefest Spirit is not to bee found among the Creatures but must only bee the Creator for the Creator must needs exceede all the Spirits that issue from him as the highest cause doth his inferiour effects And to this also conspireth this conception euen of humane reason that in him must bee the chiefest exaltation of Mans being from whom the being it selfe did first proceede Yet neither doth our mercifull Father leaue this Truth without a witnesse but by that great reuerend mysterie of the Sabbath he telleth vs outwardly what before he inwardly taught vs euen that God is our blessednesse and that holinesse is the way to him For God is said to haue created the world in sixe dayes and to haue rested blessed and hallowed the seuenth Now God needed not sixe dayes to create a world which he can equally doe in a moment Neither needed he to rest the seuenth day for any wearinesse gotten by Creation But these things are of an higher meaning and include Doctrines more excellent and so more agreeable to the nature and dignitie of God God chose to make his worke distinctly in sixe seuerall dayes and in euery day distinctly considered the worke which that day hee had made and vpon this distinct and seuerall consideration hee pronounced this sentence vpon each dayes worke that the worke of that day was good Yet hee saith onely that it was good hee saith not that it was goodnesse it was good enough in his kind for seruice but not for happinesse But the seuenth day hee ceaseth both from Creation and this consideration of the good Creatures and with-draweth himselfe into himselfe Hee returneth from without to the enioying of himselfe his owne rest and to the contemplation of this rest inioyed and there onely hee findeth pronounceth to be perfect holinesse and perfect blessednesse To make this knowne vnto Man God takes this Seuenth day wherein hee retyred to his rest and imprints on it the qualities of his rest holinesse and blessednesse that the holinesse and blessednesse of that day might bee a patterne to vs of the holinesse and blessednesse which is in God that we reading therein the blessednesse of God might set our whole hearts desires thereon and reading therin the holinesse of God might fit our selues by holinesse to his Holinesse which as it is inseparable from happinesse in God so must it be also in all that wil see Good for nothing contrary or vnlike to God may approch vnto him Thus the Seuenth day crowned by the employment of that day the other sixe daies left vnblessed by the works of those dayes by a manifest differēce point vnto vs that the end and happinesse of Man are not to be sought in the workes of the sixe dayes but in the blessed Holinesse and holy Blessednesse of the Seuenth And to the same truth the order of Creation doth likewise inuite vs. For all Creatures being first made Man was made after Creatures and so set before them as their end to whom they should looke whom they should serue But Man being thus placed as the end of the Creatures in this great mysterie of the Sabbath solemnized after Mans creation God and his blessed Rest is set before Man as the end and happinesse of Man So as Man is set before the face of the Creatures so is God in the Sabbath set before the face of Man The Creatures should looke to Man and Man
man God lets it alone and suffers it to runne on in the course of miserie purposing to blot it out wholly by a last fire and reseruing perfection for the life to come Another that the wretchednesse of Man falne being continually felt may bee a continuall document and reacher of the weaknes of Man without God of the odiousnesse of sinne in the sight of God and the pointing of a finger to turn our eies from this wretched world to the happinesse which is aboue For present griefe is a sharpe spurre to the heart of Man prouokes him to runne hastily from these remnants of miserie vnto perfect felicitie Againe miserie sweetneth ioy and the sorrowes of this life shall like a darke vaile giue a lustre to the glorie of the next As for the strong remnant of corruption and the small portion of grace which is the second question wee must know that both by it and by the remnants of miserie God is mightily glorified and Mans glorie in the presence of GOD greatly increased For Gods glorie must needes be great when by a little seed of the Spirit he manageth steereth and guideth Man through a masse of corruption and a throng of outward euils into a Port of blessednesse The lesser the meanes and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth ouercome a great opposition yea it is greater glorie to God to turne euils into good by ouer-mastering them then wholly to take them away And for our part our glorie shall be increased because wee haue serued Gods glorie in a bitter conflict and a difficult combat The more is the present labour the more shall be the future ioy the hardnesse of the Victorie shall increase the glorie of the triumph and opposition it selfe shall become our aduancement Accordingly the greatest seekers which commonly are the greatest finders of happinesse are vsually placed in the forefront of the battaile against the thickest presse of remayning euils and the push of most fierce and fierie temptations And surely while they suffer present euils for future glorie while they fight fearfull conflicts against remayning corruption and the king thereof that they may not impaire their future ioyes as thereby they preserue and increase these ioyes so bee they Heralds and Proclaymers of the exceeding happinesse of the presence of God they are the witnesses of God to the world that this world is nothing comparable to the next and that neither the miseries nor felicities of it are any way equal to that transcendent ioy which is to come Finally when corruption ouer-masters vs the sufficience of Gods grace doth releeue vs forgiuenesse supplying or couering the defects of infirmitie But yet Man is not quiet hee is not in good liking with this kind of happines for hee complayneth it is thin and ayrie and his fleshly palate hath more sauour in the taste of flesh then in the taste of a spirituall happinesse Againe he saith it is long in comming and a Man may bee wearie with looking for it before it comes To the first I grant indeede that the fleshly taste rellisheth not spiritual ioyes but yet are they not therefore the worse but the better For the grosnesse of the one and the puritie of the other are the causes of this dislike So doth the stomake of the country Swain despise the delicate and nice dyet of the finer Dames not that hee can finde any ill in it but because it is too slight to satisfie his grosse and mightie appetite This was truly patterned in the Israelites whose strong stomakes desired the Onions and Melons of Egypt but lothed the pure and excellent Bread of heauen Therefore this must be the rule in this matter euery appetite pleaseth it selfe most in an obiect fitting proportionable to it selfe and it is not the excellency of the obiect but the agreeablenesse that makes it delightfull According to this is that of the Poet the Lyonesse hunteth the Wolfe the Wolfe seeketh the Kid and the Kid delighteth in the greene grasse Wherefore I expect not that grosse flesh should find extraordinarie comfort in a most pure and spirituall glorie But a spirituall Man onely rellisheth spirituall things because they are onely agreeable to such a man Accordingly as farre as a man is spirituall so farre takes hee comfort in a spirituall happinesse which indeede is here but in part so that we do but looke as through some crany into the glorie of Heauen and we do loue this glorie but with a part of our affection yet in some Saints hath it beene so feruent that they haue sent challenges to Death in strong desires to bee dissolued and would haue built Tabernacles in this spirituall blessednes But when the Spirit of God in the great Day shall haue fully purged our soules and bodies with that diuine fire and refined our grosnesse corruption and drosse then to vs made fully spirituall shal the most high soueraigne Spirit bee the chiefe and soueraigne good for Man being made spirituall shall delight in Spirits chiefly in the chiefest And then these grosse pleasures desired now by grosse lusts shall be lothsome and contemptible as too base for so pure diuine Essences Wherefore if wee would take pleasure in things of excellence we must striue to raise our selues to their excellent degree we must lift our selues vp to a nature proportionable vnto them And by such an indenour wee shall purchase a higher station and a higher happinesse whereas otherwise we lye downe basely in our owne dregs complaine like Owles of the glorie of the Sunne when the fault is in our owne eyes wherefore let this bee the most commendable ambition of a truly-noble and generous Spirit to aduance his mind to a puritie and excellence proportionable to a supereminent obiect and happinesse And bee it reputed the quality of a base worthlesse and muddie thing to bring downe happinesse to his low groueling and grosse desires and when he cannot doe so to accuse it To the second Who is troubled so much with the delay of payment and the deferring of Happinesse for an answere I would aske him how long hee would willingly stay to bee Heire of a Crowne Here if I may speake for him I thinke hee would confesse that hee would bee contented if hee might haue it but seuen yeeres before his death Now I will desire him to stay but seuen yeeres more and then hee shall haue this Crowne that farre excels the other And to comfort him in this ods of expectation I can tell him that those who haue knowne and now worne both these Crownes haue made a far greater ods betweene them then a few yeeres patience preferring a day in the Courts of heauen before a thousand in the Courts of Princes But that wee may come lower doe not wee see it an ordinarie thing that a man continues thirtie yeeres in a course of learning that he may be a learned man but thirtie
of an ill action like a Rule it will presently shew vs the crookednesse of it point vs to the right way from whence we haue straied and if it haue beene too long deferred so that the sinne is past before it was called for then will it bee a Seer vnto thee to tell thee thy sinne and to deliuer thee ouer to the larger meditation of Repentance Secondly if thou art in a good and right action it stands by thee to abet and incourage thee thou art in the path of Gods protection in the way where the Angels gard and watch Goe on valiantly feare not what man nor euill angels can doe vnto thee Thus shall the soule cōtinue her flight towards heauen if euer among shee anoynt her feathers with this Oile of the Spirit For in this respect shee is not vnlike those flying fishes whose wings by flying grow drie and by being drie lose their flying so that still they must haue recourse to the Sea by the moysture thereof still to make good their flight So the soule flying through this world vnto heauen her wings euen her cogitations purposes and conceptions will grow drie by earthly conuersation and therefore must bee new oyled with grace if they will carry her throughly to her iourneys end The cares and temptations of this life quickly dry vp the heauenly Vnction and so the soule is in danger to fall if she doe not often moisten her selfe in the Riuers of Oyle which flow from the eternall Spirit and thither doth this short Meditation direct vs. Lastly we may adioyne hereunto incident occasionall Meditations which will bee very vsefull vpon the receiuing of extraordinary blessings or the suffering of vnwonted chastizements It is fit wee should search out Gods meaning as neere as we may by the light of his Word when he speaketh to vs in his fauors and frownes His blessings should bee esteemed like so many bands of obedience and thou shouldest acknowledge both in heart and actions that each of them calls to thee for more Loue more Thankefulnes more Holinesse Yea thou art by them led vnto Humilitie for when thou lookest on Gods blessings and thy sinfull selfe at once thou must needs cry out I am lesse then the least of thy blessings and what is man that the Lord regardeth and visiteth him yea the bountie of God leadeth thee to Repentance and God is often to vs a patterne of ouercomming euill with good euen our sinnes with his Mercies Hee dresseth and manureth many times a fruitlesse Tree that he may receiue fruit from it Therefore bee thou amended by his benefits and increase thy fruit otherwise blessings made vnfruitfull are the fore-rūners of cursings and dressing if to no purpose is the way to digging vp and casting into the fire Likewise let the chastizements of God be entertayned by Meditation vnto thy profit and aduancement They would haue thee either to examine thy selfe of some neglected sin or they would haue thee repent euen for thy secret sinnes for though thou know nothing by thy selfe yet art thou not thereby acquited or they would haue thee humble thy proud heart vnder the mightie hand of God or they would spurre thee to a speedier and more actiue Zeale or they would teach thee the skill of that excellent vertue Patience and instruct thee to loue God afflicting and to trust in him slaying Some of these are commonly the purposes and ends of affliction and if thou take occasion by chastizements to put them all in execution thou shalt bee the surer to hit the right one and so to bee a gainer by thy sufferings But before wee leaue this subiect if wee would know which is generally the best and fittest habitude of Man for the receiuing of profit by the larger and more leisurable kinde of Meditation Surely it is when the body least burdeneth the soule especially when shee is least clogged with the grosse vapours of fulnesse and repletion It is truely said by the Wiseman That the corruptible bodie weigheth downe the soule and therefore as truely it may be said That the bodie rarified and lessened by abstinence lighteneth the soule when the eyes or eares which see and heare the soule are stopt vp by thick exhalations the soule cānot tel the dul body what the Spirit of God doth tell it But since spirituall things are spiritually discerned surely then are spirituall things best discerned when the bodie is most spirit-like and least bodily When the Lanthorne of the flesh is pared and thinned by Abstinence then the Light of the soule shineth most cleerly through it Saint PAVL spake of the Man that saw Reuelations vnvtterable that whether hee were in the body or out of the body hee knew not so if wee will see Reuelations otherwise inconceiuable wee must striue to goe out of the body so farre by abstinence as wee may with preseruing the bodie For certaine it is That the soule inlightened by Grace if it were not for the cloud of the bodie would shine out to vs in many notable and excellent Truths and therefore hee takes the true course to meete them that goes a little out of his body towards them And surely such soules so walking toward God by going out of the flesh into the Spirit GOD hath often met with heauenly Visions whereas others shutting vp their windows by continuall fulnes haue lost great Reuelations To DANIEL fasting GABRIEL appeared to PETER fasting the Sheete was let downe from Heauen and to CORNELIVS fasting euen to the ninth houre an Angell was sent from God And surely this latter kind of fasting seemes most profitable for Meditation euen the fast of the Morning rather then of the Euening For in the Morning after rest the Spirits are freshest and most capable both of Light and Action they are most lightsome most actiue for Meditation And as fasting kindles the bright flame of Meditation so the true and kindly fire of Meditation sends vp to Heauen the smoke and incense of Prayer For fasting is an excellent Preparatiue to Meditation and Meditation to PRAYER Without abstinence Meditation lesseneth her Light without Meditation Praier lesseneth her might but Meditation ioyned to Abstinence mounteth the higher and Prayer mounted on Meditation pierceth the swifter and reacheth the neerer to Heauen Againe as by Abstinence we are made the fitter to meditate and by Meditation made the fitter to pray so by Prayer wee get a greater fitnesse and ability both for Abstinence and Meditation Such Prayer blesleth the meanes by which it is begotten by going to the Father of blessings and it is of a great power with GOD euen so powerfull that some kind of Deuils go not out but by it Let vs therefore often abstaine that wee may often meditate and when wee haue dwelt awhile in Meditation let vs goe forth into Prayer For Prayer thus inflamed by Meditation is as the Sacrifice of Israel kindled by the fire of Heauen and such a Sacrifice is indeed
wit of Man which hath beene fruitfull in inuentions of torment nor the power of Emperors which hath ruined mightie Kingdomes could change or alter them Concerning this Arte of Arts what I haue receiued I purpose to deliuer to others through his helpe who is the Author thereof and surely this knowledge is only worthy of a man other knowledges except they serue this they are but wearinesse and vanitie for man is as miserable and sometimes more when he hath gotten their perfections as when he entred into their beginnings And becauseit giues a great light to Mans reparation to know how he came to haue neede of it and because it concernes the glorie of the Creator to shew that at first he created not miserie and corruption Therefore most fitly doth this Doctrine beginne with the first estate of man and the losse thereof euen a created perfection and a purchased corruption A learning which all Philosophy could neuer reach For she is the child of man and therefore cannot tell the beginning of her owne Father For man was before shee was yea man was lost before shee was found and so shee which was since corruption cannot tell how that corruption came which was before her much lesse can she speake of that perfection which was againe before this corruption But the truth is bad she findes vs and not knowing the cause she can neuer find the cure and therefore as she found vs so shee leaues vs miserable THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The second Part. Which particularly sets forth the happinesse of Man and the restoring of it when it was lost CHAP. I. Of the Creator and the Creation and the purpose of the Creator in the Creation THe Creator is the beginning of all things and therefore must he needs be without beginning For from the things which haue their beginning of him him selfe cannot take beginning neither can he be his owne beginning for that were to say he was before he was But God is an eternall Essence that by himselfe vpholdeth himselfe and all things else For all other things haue no being of their owne but they borrow their being from him and in him is their foundation and for this cause may he alone rightly because alone originally say I am And as he is the fountaine and beginning from which all things flow so is he the end to which all things returne either by their owne wills conformed to his will or by the ouer-ruling of his power which subdueth the vnwilling to his will And thus must it needes be for the Creator is his owne end in his Creation and doth all things for himselfe If wee allow not a Creator we confesse no Author of the things wee see but either wee make them Eternall which is to make meaner gods and to denie the more excellent or we frame some imagination of our owne to be their beginning which shall neuer fit with them so well as a wise powerfull and eternall Spirit and lastly we rob mans soule of a true rest happinesse For if the Spirit of man had not some soueraigne Spirit to giue it eternall Blisse then were miserable man shut vp vnto this present life as vnto his soueraigne good into which a wise good man would neuer re-enter if he were once well discharged of it Let vs then seeke a GOD higher then these visible things and a happines higher then these miserable things and let vs not reason with the brutish Sensualists Hee is not a God whom wee cannot see with our eyes but let vs say with the Soules inlightned Hee is fittest to bee a God whose purenesse doth excell the grosse capacitie of bodily sences For the purer the Essence is the more fit to bee a God and the more pure the more inuisible to a grosse and carnall sight Let vs therefore beleeue the Creator to bee a most cleere lightsome and glorious Spirit and to bee seene onely by Spirits and bodies sublimated into a spirituall kinde of being This glorious eternall Spirit manifesteth himselfe to our apprehensions in three Persons the print and impression of each person being found in euery creature and there being an absolute necessitie that euery one of the three should concurre in all Creation The first in order of Consideration though there bee no first in order of Time is the great and infinite Mind or Vnderstanding which begetteth a great Wisdom Thought or Word euen the first and radicall Light the almightie Begetter of the second Light and this person is called GOD the Father The second is the begotten second Light euen the Wisdome Conceiuement of the minde or vnderstanding an Image issue thereof and this person is called GOD the Son The third is the Vertue Power which breatheth or floweth from the God head whereby GOD loueth and inioyeth himselfe and puts in execution whatsoeuer he wil haue done for himselfe and this person is called GOD the holy Ghost These three are one God and doe so necessarily ioyne in euery Creation that without any one of them nothing can be created For how can there be any Creation but that the Minde or Father must beget a wise purpose by Wisedome his Sonne what he hath purposed and proiected by the Sonne he must effect by the power of the holy Ghost Accordingly this God who is the end of himselfe for himselfe intended and brought forth a Creation To himselfe he would haue glorie and to his Creature happinesse yea this happines of the Creature should be by the glorie of the Creator so in the glorifying of God should Men and Angels bee glorified But on the contrarie they that would not giue glorie to God should not haue happinesse to themselues yet though vnwillingly shall they glorifie him by seruing his Iustice in miserie who would not serue his Goodnesse in felicitie To effect this in six dayes God made this great masse of Creatures called the World which he fitted for the seruice of Man and Man for the seruice of his GOD. Now as this great Frame came from this one God so the infinite disagreeings of seuerall parts reconciled to an Vnitie point to some great vnitie as the Cause of this reconciliation which can deserue to be called by no other name then by a supreme and soueraigne Name and such a Name is God Againe the infinite diuersitie of Formes and that large heape of Matter neither of which were before and of which it is alike easie to the Creatour to make Matter as Formes direct our eies to som great Wisdome Power which could both inuent and produce them Yea more neerly the drops and streames of wisedome powred into the Creatures in their seuerall instincts and into Man with his soule plainly confesse that there is some Spring of infinite wisdome from which these Riuolets might flow and some infinite power which could actuate them into the Creatures And if so then necessarily must wee also allow some pure and infinite Essence
yeeres more perchance not twentie not ten And not much otherwise the Lawyer and Marchant fret out one halfe of their time in Education Labours and Aduentures that they may be rich the other halfe yea peraduenture a very short part of their time remayning And wilt not thou spend so much more time gladly willingly in expectation of an infinite Glorie which no time can end nor measure can limit Surely an endlesse incomparable happinesse is well worthy of a short lifes patience and expectation especially when the same life is so often worne out in expectation oftemporall vncertayne things But indeede wee deceiue our selues in this matter for this is not our disease that we cannot stay but that wee doe not verily see and beleeue that which being beleeued would easily giue vs a patient willingnesse to stay if we beleeued that there were such an vnmatchable felicity prepared for vs wee might indeede somewhat eagerly long to beat it but withall the assured hope of it would support vs ioyfully in the deferring of it For most true is that which is spoken of hope Hope maketh not ashamed that is it suffers not to be disheartned to be confounded but it keepes vp the heart from sinking and makes it beare vp in troubles present by the expectation of ioyes to come And this common experience shewes vs in worldly actions and sufferings for hope hath borne out mankinde through paynes almost intolerable vnto comforts stedfastly seene apprehended by it Wherefore doe not make a fault of the futurenesse of thy happinesse but finde and amend the true fault of thy beliefe hope Yet neither are wee altogether thrust vpon hope but euen in this life haue wee some fruition of this happinesse and the priuiledges thereof For as before euen here haue wee a crany opened by which some beames of the diuine Glory shine into our hearts giue vs a glimpse of that whereof hereafter we shall haue a full inioying They that haue had but such flashes of happinesse haue beene rauished vp in heauenly trances far aboue the world and haue as much despised the world as the world hath despised these ioyes They haue cryed out as men that haue taken possession of true rest and felicitie let vs here build vp our Tabernacles Surely as there is nothing more comfortable to the bodily sight then beholding the Sunne shining in his glorie so nothing can bee more comfortable to the sight of the soule then to behold the Sunne of the Sunne euen that high and purest Light which shineth vpon the Sunne and all other things that shine but especially on Spirits himselfe being a Spirit Againe the very substance of the Spirit in vs is a kinde of heauenly oyle which makes glad not so much the face as the very heart of Man It hath in it a taste and rellish of the Deitie and therefore aboue all other this is the true oile of gladnesse The heart anointed herewith as it finds a light to guide it and a vertue mouing it to good and freeing it from the slauerie of sinne so also it feeleth in it selfe a blessed rest an heauenly Sabbath a ioy glorious and vnspeakable an harmonie peace with God which passeth all vnderstanding Hence come those vehement pangs and expressions of loue ioy vttered by the Spouse of Christ and penned by the wisest of men which flesh knoweth not how to vnderstand but by the flesh but the spirituall Man that discerneth all things fully discerneth and rellisheth them as spirituall truths From the sound of this harmony come those dancings and exultations of many of the sonnes of God who for this ioy of heart haue danced before him who hath filled them with ioy But then flesh and bloud seeing onely the dance and not hearing the musike mocketh and despiseth the effect whereof it sees not the cause But the Beholder of hearts knowes these motions of the heart to be chiefly reasonable and therfore principally allowes them And indeede how should they not be approued since this ioy is from the best and this ioy is in the best and therefore must needs be the very best ioy It is a ioy beyond the reach of mortall power yea beyond the reach of infernall power a ioy which no man nay nothing can take from vs. It is a boord in shipwracke a refuge in trouble a retyring place from the powers of darkenesse Besides these blessings wee haue another blessing the Authour of these and all other euen an vnion with God who is blessednes This blessednes is spirituall seene and felt by the spirituall It is seene by the eye of the soule while it beholds a godly Nature euen the seede of God powred into the heart of Man otherwise wholly polluted with the lust of Generation It is felt chiefely in the will and affections while in them a filiall loue ioy and feare is perceiued toward God who before was regarded as a stranger but now as a father who now is the end and rule of our conuersation but before was put farre below the satisfaction of Lust and Concupiscence And from this vnion the feeling of this vnion proceedes both that strength of Christians that the gates of Hell cannot preuaile against them and that strong confidence that if God kill them yet they will trust in him And why they are assured that God is with them and then they are also as much assured that if God bee with them nothing can bee against them except it bee to bee conquered by them For he that is in vs is stronger then hee or all they that be in the world to this vnion with God we may adde another vnion with the sons of God The first was the vnion of a Father and a Childe and this is a vnion of Brethren for it is a spirituall Brotherhood Euery sonne of God hath all Gods sonnes to his bretheren And as many bretheren so many friends so many louers so many helpers So many that reioyce in his comforts so many that bewaile his troubles so many to incourage him standing so many to raise him being falne so many to aduise him in doubts so many to releeue him in necessities In summe the true children of God euer were and stil are of one heart and minde louing and beloued They account themselues as one therefore no part of this vnitie can lacke what the other part thereof inioyeth Hee that is a son hath in him this loue and hee that hath not this loue in him is not a sonne for he must needes loue his spirituall kindred who is spiritually begotten Hee must needes loue them because of Vnitie because of Vniformitie because of Puritie and because the Spirit which begets him is the Spirit of Loue. And as we haue an interest in our brethren so haue wee in their prayers they stil commend vs to God and many times when our owne deadnesse of heart doth slacke the hand of GOD toward vs their feruency
Creator If the bodily sight be extinguished He which made the first sight can only make a new and when the eye of the soule is so farre put out that it seeth not him that made it He that made it only can giue it a new sight whereby himselfe may bee seene Wherefore if thou which readest thus farre yet beleeuest not what thou readest I wonder not for I know what thou art I looke not that blindnesse should see or carnalitie should sauour spirituall ioyes Thou art bounded with thy owne flesh which is thy Horizon limit of discerning Thy candle cannot see thorow the thicke Lanterne of thy bodie to perceiue the mysterie of the blessednes of Spirits nor the glorie that is aboue the vaile of this visible heauen But perchance thou wilt aske If the opening of the eyes be from God alone to what purpose shall aduice begiuen to thee in a matter that lyeth not in thee and which is not effected by aduice but by supernaturall operation To this I answere That although the power that must inlighten thee doth descend from aboue yet vsually it doth communicate it selfe vnto vs by the seruice of certaine meanes left with vs here below Againe when grace doth first breathe vpon vs it worketh by degrees which degrees being by some neglected or misconstrued it hath bred vnto them a greater difficultie hardnesse of trauaile in the new birth but being perceiued and duely entertayned they turne into Testimonials vnto vs yea to incouragements vnto farther degrees of grace But if thou aske mee againe how thou shalt like or vse the meanes when thou neither seest nor likest the happines intended by the meanes To this I must reply That without God thou canst not so much as loue the meanes yet as a naturall man thou mayest consider these things following first If thou looke into the best sort of heauenly Philosophers thou shalt see among them Men wise and vnderstanding iust righteous inioying both wealth and honour and if thou talke with those Men they will tell thee seriously that they most certainly see and feele an estate of happinesse and that they came to the sight of such an estate by frequenting the meanes left with vs here on earth Secondly if thou wilt search some special works of men thou shalt finde Writers of vndeniable worthines who by Miracles Prophesies Oracles Successe and Victorie against oppositions haue proued the veritie of Christian learning it being impossible that a Doctrine mainly contrarie to flesh bloud should be aduanced so much among men whose very frame is flesh bloud without the maintenance of an Omnipotent LORD Thirdly doe but consider what this Doctrine which is the instrument meanes of Life proposeth to thee and requireth of thee It proposeth to thee an eternall felicitie it requireth of thee Pietie and Puritie things of themselues desireable excellent But thou wilt say that this puritie will cost thee deare for it is sure to cost thee all thy sinfull pleasures and may cost thee much paine yea thy life it selfe But to this I may answere That though it may cost thee something yet vpon the matter it loseth thee nothing for whatsoeuer pleasures of sinne thou canst inioy being inioyed they dye and come to nothing yea life it selfe comes at last to nothing that for nothing so the condition required of thee is onely this That what shall be nothing if it be may be nothing by not being and to incourage thee herein thou hast for aduantage an aduenture for Eternitie In summe thou art required at the most but to lose that which will bee lost for an happinesse which may and shall be found for euer Yea for these grosse pleasures euen in this life thou shalt haue ioyes vnspeakeable Howsoeuer whether thou receiue the meanes of happinesse or refuse it certaine it is that to all those that receiue the Life of blessednesse the Doctrine of God left vnto vs in writing and vnfolded by his seruants properly deputed to this office is the vsuall conueyance of this life God alone inuented and conceiued the remedie of Mans miserie and a way from miserie vnto felicitie The same God who onely knew it could only tell it and only by telling can men know and beleeue it and only by knowing and beleeuing can men striue toward it and so finally attaine it So wee see that men must know and beleeue happines to obtain it and happinesse must bee taught if they will know beleeue it and to teach this happinesse there needeth a word of Reuelation and to reueile this GOD himselfe must speake vnto vs who alone was the Founder and Knower of this mysterie Therefore must we esteeme this Word highly as a great second Mercy by which the first great Mercy is de liuered to vs. Before this Doctrine our happines was lockt vp in Gods vnsearchable purpose but by this Doctrine happinesse is reached out to vs and issueth from the heart of God into the heart of Man Wherefore let vs be farre from accounting it a vaine Word for it is our life and the length of our dayes and by it wee receiue eternall Life from the Ancient of daies For while it is taught vnto vs without the Vertue and Spirit of God entreth into vs within and makes vs capable of that happinesse which is taught vnto vs. Now the degrees by which this Spirit vsually worketh vpon vs are these First it causeth vs somewhat to discerne allow the truth of this Word And next it moues a desire of more knowledge and of a greater taste of the Word of Life which is also made knowne to God in Prayer And at length the heart is moued with so seruent a loue vnto it that it desires to be wholly sauoured salted and seasoned therewith that the naturall Man may no longer liue in the heart but that CHRISTS Kingdome may bee set vp therein And so the Word or CHRIST in and by the Word becomes the Treasure of the heart and therefore from thenceforth the heart is euer thinking on his treasure it thirsts after it it seekes it with eye and eare But that thou maist not be discouraged in thy first beginnings thou must also know in what manner and order the Doctrine and Art of felicitie doth present it selfe vnto thee It will first offer to thy knowledge and meditation the lamentable face of humane miserie so that thy flesh perchance will feare to goe on halfe despairing how thou canst euer come through so great miserie vnto felicitie But feare not the beginning and the end are contrarie Thy naturall estate is indeede very miserable And this Doctrine doth not make it to be so but shewes it to bee so The corruption of nature made thee miserable and hid thy miserie from thee and so made thee contentedly to continue in miserie But this Doctrine sheweth thee thy miserie that by shewing it it may cure it It shewes thee indeede the vgly face of thy