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
readie to moue If it be well followed in a combate with a Beare â—â—en a terrible and vgly temptation it will after leade vs on to the conquest of a Lyon euen of some raigning wickednesse and at last will bring vs to triumph ouer a Gyant euen the prince of wickednesse And as it will leade vs to the increase of the ruine of vice so it will also leade vs to the increase of vertue finally to increase the reward of vertue in eternall felicitie For as it is the naturall and kindly desire of the Spirit to beare fruit so is it likewise his desire to beare more fruit and by obtayning this desire it goes on to a farther desire and so to a farther obtayning if our following bee proportionable to his leading When the Spirit moueth vs to a good worke by fulfilling it wee haue a double profit One is the reward of that worke in glorie the other is the increase of the Spirit by working who being increased will increase more workes vnto more glorie On the other side by neglecting disobaying the Spirit when it moueth wee haue a double losse the first a losse of the good worke and the reward pertayning to it a second is an impouerishing discouragement and weakning of the Spirit against another like occasion for it must needes moue weaker the next time to that work to which before it hath moued in vaine Now farre be it from vs to stop and shorten our owne perfection euen the perfection of holinesse and happinesse which two are inseparable one the measure of the other Let it be farre from vs to abate our felicitie by lesning our obedience yea farre be it from vs to grieue stop that Spirit which demandeth of vs but an excellent and necessarie dutie which is holinesse and that with a condition annexed of the most excellent thing which is happinesse Surely wee discomfort our Comforter we goe into a spirituall consumption we dead our life wee grudge our selues the increase of felicitie when wee resist or neglect the sacred instincts blessed influences of this soueraigne Spirit Whereas on the other side by a readie obedience we inflame the Spirit wee adde fuell to this heauenly fire wee giue that thing food nourishment which giueth food nourishment to our life Eternall For the motion of the Spirit tends to this that we would doe good to our selues by doing good to it and that by sowing vnto it in a speedie and large obedience wee may reape a more full and large haruest of glorie Wherefore let vs be carefull to accept euery proffer of the Spirit as that wherein is an vnited gift of grace and glorie If the Spirit would exercise it selfe in the practice of some vertue let our members as readie seruants runne to the execution thereof If the Spirit stirre vs vp to a strong resolution to make a straighter couenant with our God to draw neerer vnto him by an increased seruice let vs make roome in our heart for the settlement of this pillar and let vs giue way vntill this naile bee driuen vp to the head If the Spirit lust for a vacation from the world and complaine that it is oppressed with an heap of earthly imployments let vs ease it of waight take from it that which surchargeth yea let vs giue it full and steady times of respiration and breathing that it may conuerse with his Fountayne and sucke new streames of refreshing from that abundant and euerslowing Spring If the Spirit desire to warre with the flesh and particularly with some especiall infirmitie let vs come willingly to the fight and helpe the Lord in his battailes euen this Spirit of God against the enemies of God and our felicitie and if wee serue him in the fight we shall triumph with him for the victorie Finally if the Spirit long to cherish it self with the food of the Word or the precious and last Banquet of our dying Redeemer let vs bee carefull to feed the hunger thereof with the food of God in due season So shall wee increase the life of our life and by the growth of the Spirit wee shall grow more gracious here in the sight of our Creator and wee shall grow more glorious hereafter by the increased sight of the same Creator CHAP. V. Another furtherance of the Spirit is watchfulnesse AS Obedience doth cheere and as it were make ioyfull the Spirit within vs so Obedience it selfe is supported by Watchfulnes Therfore though in a second remoued degree is Watchfulnesse a helpe to the Spirit so an Increaser of our felicitie For a Christian coÌ„sisting of a double nature one spirituall and another carnall and two-fold motions proceeding from this two-fold nature and each aduerse yea hurtfull to the other herein must Watchfulnesse helpe vs that the motions of the nature of corruption and miserie bee quickly apprehended and suppressed and that the motions of the Nature of blessednes and grace bee soone espied and furthered Else on the one side the egge of Concupiscence being grown to a Cockatrice before it be seene may kill and on the otherside the excellent desires and pregnancies of the Spirit which would haue brought forth the fruit of glorie may come to abortion by a barren miserable and inglorious neglect Beyond these also hath Watchfulnesse a profitable imployment for it ought to stand as vpon the top of a Towre to espie a farre off as well as neere at hand euen to descry the remote occasions of such motions and to sound the Bel to the soule that shee shut out the Messengers of the enemies of her peace and louingly admit the friends of her happinesse We are safest from euill when euill is kept a good distance from vs and euill is kept at a good distance when wee espie the occasions of euill a farre off and auoid them Many times the occasion is admitted with a hope of not admitting the euill but coÌ„monly the euill throngs in close after the occasion and approching neere vnto vs it ouer-comes vs at handie blowes whom it could not at the Pikes point It is farre easier to kill sinne in the occasion then in it self and to grant the occasion and to denie the sinne is almost as bad Logike in practice as to grant the former Propositions and to denie the Conclusion is in reasoning Therefore let vs keepe the eye of our soule broad-waking that we lye not like waste ground vn-hedged and vn-kept and so become the prey and food of euery wandring Beast euen of euery beastly affection Let vs also stand watching in the dore of our Tent with the Father of the faithfull that when Angels descend vnto vs euen the graces of God through Iesus Christ our Mediator we may bee readie to entertayne them feeding them with the slain concupiscences of our brutish flesh and the kisses of our hearts which are more comfortable then wine To adde intention and earnestnesse to our watchfulnesse against sinne three
For how can a Creator continue his bountie when hee sees his Creature doth onely make vse of him that he sorues his owne turne vpon him and makes himself the end of God and not God the end of himselfe Therefore euenholy HEZEKIAH while he is more carefull to shew the glorie of his Treasures to the Heathen Ambassadors then to giue glorie to God for his health by which he inioyed them the treasures must bee carried away to the same Babylon whose Ambassadors he had intertayned with the sight of them The heart of man being filled with blessings must not bee lifted vp within it selfe but it must bee lifted vp with praise and thankfulnesse to the Authour of those blessings Therefore hauing receiued some Talents of grace let vs returne vnto God some other Talents of glorie and then to vs by whom hee receiues aduantage shall more bee giuen but if otherwise that which wee haue shall be taken away God hath put al things in order to himselfe and vpon this order the God of order rayneth his blessings If then wee will bee vnder his blessings we must be vnder this order wee must looke towards him glorifying praising if wee will haue him looke towards vs blessing sanctifying Therefore in summe Let vs pray continually and feruently and in al things giue thanks which is the will of God in Christ Iesus towards vs. If wee conclude our Psalme 33. with Prayer Let thy mercy and grace bee multiplied vpon vs as we trust in thee let vs begin it with thankfulnesse Reioyce in the Lord O ye righteous for it becommeth vpright men to bee thankefull For if thus Psal. 66. we call to him with our mouth and also exalt him with our tongue God will heare vs and will consider our prayer wee shall againe praise God who doth not put backe our prayer nor his mercy from vs. CHAP. VII Of Meditation ANother speciall preseruatiue and restauratiue of the Spirit is Meditation Hereby the beames of the heauenly Spirit are contracted into a point vpon the soule as the beames of the Sunne by a Cristall whereby the light and heate of grace are increased and multiplied into a spirituall Fire The soule goeth in from the flesh into the Spirit and bathing and anoynting her selfe in that Oile of gladnes shee sharpneth her sight and quickneth her might becomes much abler to see into heauen to see into her selfe to see and iudge the things on earth Hereby she groweth in the knowledge acquaintance of her soueraign Good hereby she takes out Lessons of a comfortable departing out of this world of vanitie vnto her Citie of blessednes and hereby shee iudgeth best of her own fitnesse for that happy voyage And hauing iudged her selfe in Meditation by the same she studies to increase that which is right in her through the remembrance of profitable motiues and documents heard read or conceiued and shee indeuoureth to cast away all that presseth downe and whatsoeuer sinne hinders by cleauing on too fast If we would speak of the subiect of Meditation wee might name all that is for al things haue in them some profitable doctrine and are Teachers of the glorie of their Creator But if we aske for the chiefest Matter and that which is most aduantageable to the Citizens of the New Ierusalem which is our present businesse Then let the soule flye vp from this place of miserie and take vp her rest in her only Rest. Let her thoughts bee on her happinesse and the way vnto it and let that be her chief meditation which is her chiefe concernment And that shee may draw neerer vnto happinesse by the wings of an inflamed affection Let her consider the beautie of the highest Essence let her thinke vpon a glorie creating and vncreated let her thinke on the Light of that Light which darkneth and shaddoweth the Sunne when shee hath thus thought let her know the glorie happinesse which shee shall inioy is more beyond her highest imagination then imagination can be beyond any thing which is seene Let vs also consider what God hath beene and is to vs as well as what hee is in himselfe and to this end let vs cast our inward eye on the great loue of him who is both our Fountaine and Felicitie our Beginning and End Let vs consider how great things this infinite loue hath done for vs from how great a miserie hee hath translated vs to make vs partakers and intoyers of himselfe and by the greatnesse of the effects let vs ghesse at the infinitenesse of the Cause There is nothing greater then Himselfe and this greatest Himselfe hath he giuen to Man by a wonderfull and mysterious Incarnation Hee hath also giuen the Bloud and Life of this incarnate Deitie to ransome vs the slaues bondmen of guilt and punishment from eternal death He hath giuen vs also his most pure sacred Spirit to purge the most lothsom corruption of our lustfull generation He hath giuen vs infinite blessings of this life and all these that we might serue him in holinesse without the feare of our enemies and hereafter may inioy him in that Kingdome wherein wee shall triumph ouer these enemies But hauing waighed though the weake ballances of our vnderstandings bee far vnable to beare and containe the exceeding weight of this infinite loue of God then let vs consider how wee ought to answer this loue with loue his mercies by thankfulnes and obedience And when we haue found out our dutie then let vs examine our performance euen whether the goodnesse of God hath had a perfect working vpon vs and hath brought forth fruits answerable to it and whether we haue sufficiently yeelded vp our selues vnto God in his blessed work of making vs blessed And herein let vs rippe vp our soules euen the very bowels of our consciences and let vs tent the bottome of our hearts to feele what is sound and what vnsound in them that the sound parts may be cherished and the vnsound healed If wee see any sparke of the Spirit let vs kindle it into a fire let the infinitenesse of that loue which is our patterne draw vs on by imitation to a continual inlargement of our loue and of the fruit of loue obedience If by Meditation we taste the sweetnesse of God in the Spirit dwelling in vs Let vs thirst afresh for the liuing GOD who the more he is thirsted after the more hee giues of the waters of Life So shall thirst increase that which satisfies thirst and the satisfying of the thirst shall increase our thirst that so the satisfaction may still increase The Riuer of Regeneration points vs to the Ocean of Regeneration euen the Spirit within vs vnto the great Spirit aboue vs. From him it confesseth that it commeth to him it desires to returne that so it may come larger from him then it returned to him But if by the inquest of our meditation wee finde that some rebellious
thy double miserie There is one that washeth away thy guilt And another that washeth away thy corruption one that washeth away the fruite of the flesh and another that washeth away the flesh it selfe One of these is the bloud of Christ the other is the Spirit of Christ one is Iustification the other is Sanctification And these two CHRIST hath inseparably conioyned because he will haue them inseparable for he importeth his iustifying bloud by a sanctifying Spirit Whome Christ clenseth he will throghly clense not taking away the guilt and leauing the corruption nor taking away the corruption leauing the guilt but at once clearing both corruption and guilt by sanctification and iustification Wherefore when wee come to bee washed by Christ and haue recourse to his waters of Purification whose clensing was applyed mainly and generally to the whole body of sin in Baptisme if accompanied with Regeneration but the vertue thereof is also particularly to be applyed through our whole life to the particular sinnefull fruits of that body of sinne wee must beware of three faults The one that wee begge not the water of Iustification and leaue vnasked the water of Sanctification that we seeke not forgiuenesse onely but also amendment For if we will haue but one we shall haue neither this gift of Christ being alwayes double or not at al but thou must vpon better reason say as that Disciple of Christ said Not my feet only but my head also so say thou Not the defiled feete of the guilt of my sinnes but the polluted head roote of those sinnes so shalt thou bee wholly cleane The healing and closing flesh must bee new ript from the soule by the sword of the Spirit euen by holy Conuersion Repentance and Amendment the face of the soule must bee washed with the Oile of the Spirit to take away the spots blemishes receiued by the pitchy touch of sinne and then the bloud of CHRIST will take from vs the guilt of sinnes being formerly abandoned forsaken and thrust out of doores by the Spirit A second fault is a vehement desire and indeuour and performance of this part and dutie of sanctification without the cōfortable hope confidence of instification This infirmitie is most vsually found in broken afflicted souls who most vehemently desire renewing and reformation yet dare not to lay hold on iustifying and absoluing These are contrarie to the former offenders for they presently lay hold on Christ for mercy but neglect the holinesse without which no man shall see GOD and these striuing mainly for holinesse by doubt goe about to put from them that right in Christs bloud which belongeth chiefly to such as they are euen to the humble and meek to them that hunger and thirst for Righteousnesse A third fault is the misordering and misapplying of these Waters such is the washing away of guilt by the water of Sanctification of corruption by the water of Iustification For though they bee both ioyned together and doe not at all diuide themselues yet being ioyned they are not confounded neither doth the one properly performe the worke of the other Christs Bloud iustifies Christs Spirit sanctifies the Iustification is not without Sanctification neither is the Sanctification without Iustification yet Iustification is not Sanctification neither is Sanctification Iustification the Iustice of God is satisfied with bloud and his holinesse is pleased with purenesse in the inward parts in these two thus distinguished lyeth the Tenor of the new Couenant For thus we finde it described He will take away our sins and hee will giue vs new hearts But after wee haue sinned the renewing of our hearts is not a purgation of our guilt but of our corruption the purgation of our guilt being wrought by the bloud of Christ though imparted and sealed to our spirits by the same Spirit by which we are renewed yea euen the same time now because in this change and renewing of our minds the Spirit entreth into vs with fresh grace by which entrie the vertue of Christs satisfaction entreth also offereth it selfe to comfort and heale vp our consciences with assurance of forgiuenesse all Christs benefits being reached to vs by one onely Spirit therefore many times is Repentance said to be the cause of forgiuenesse not as some otherwise Venerable haue anciently misse-conceiued that the grace of Repentance is a sacrifice for sinne or that Contrition Conuersion by themselues can satisfie for the guilt of sin but because in the grace of Repentance the Spirit entreth bringing also with him the grace of CHRISTS Iustification In summe by the admitting of CHRISTS Spirit renewing we receiue Christ acquitting and renewing vs as the point of the Needle of the Spirit by which the Spirit pierceth it selfe into our hearts bringing the pardon of sinnes repented into our soules and the same sent from God for his Christs sake but imparted sealed and ratified by the Spirit This washing thus fully and duely performed and the Spirit restored to his former dominion he commonly fortifies himselfe by the remembrance of his late losse and hee striues to take deeper roote because his weaker rootes were before so much mooued and shaken He keepes a more carefull watch against the enemie and with a kind of malice especially against that sinne that before had foyled him He sucks harder from hence-foorth by more feruent desires at the great Spirit whose Ocean supplyeth him and filleth the Creekes of all emptie drie and thirstie soules and thus is sinne turned into a medicine against sinne and grace prospereth by her losses To this large and waightie kinde of Meditation which asketh both length and strength of Intention and requires the soule to be at leisure for it wee may adde a lesser and a shorter sort as it were in a portable and manuall forme to carry stil about vs for our continuall vse to which wee may haue continuall recourse amidst the continual distractions of this troublesome and toylesome life This is to be stil in the hand of a Christian as a Leuell in the hand of a Builder that he may square out his actions conuersations rightly thereby The most profitable fashion of this portable Meditation is when in few words it comprehends the summe of our businesse and dutie whereof there are patternes to bee found in the holy Scriptures or if wee list wee may fit the words our selues so wee fetch the matter frō thence A good one shall we find in the Epistle to TITVS The Grace of God hath appeared which teacheth vs to denie vngodly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world And in the second to the Corinthians Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glorie of God and that of the Royall Preacher Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole of Man If this be practised by vs wee shall finde this double benefite thereby First if we be in the beginning
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
doth cause his countenance to shine fauourably on vs. Finally if the name of friendship bee sweet if loue on earth be a chiefe comfort and againe if the friendship and loue of good men of men wise in the chiefest wisedome of men true single in heart be the eminence of this eminent comfort then haue we all this in the Saints and sonnes of God For these are our friends vnto the death yea after death their loue is more equal stable then the loue of Women For goodnesse they are the salt of the world and without them the world is vnsauourie for wisedome they haue that chiefe wisedome which is to know and obtaine the soueraigne Good and for truth they haue that sincerity of heart which may giue rest to the heart that puts confidence in them Wherefore if it be a speciall addition in matches to match into a good family let vs know that in our marriage with our Sauiour wee match into the best family in the world the family of Saints euen a house-hold of Loue of Faith of Holinesse and of Happinesse Besides by our vnion with Christ we haue a new right in the Creatures We were disinherited by the fault of our first Parents and no part of our Fathers goods belonged vnto vs so the vse of Gods Creatures was a very robbery of God for it carried a meere absurditie that they whose liues were a continuall enmitie against God should preserue the same wicked liues by the benefits of GOD. Therefore the despisers of God haue no title in regard of God to the Creatures of God And though in regard of men they may seeme to haue a propertie in them it being not in the iudgement of men to define who is not and shall not bee the Child of God yet hereafter by the iudgement of God which shall make hidden things manifest it shall plainly appeare that this propertie was not by right but by vsurpation and by the long suffering of a most patient God And then shal they be cast into prison vntill they haue paid the vtmost farthing for their vnlawfull vse of the blessings of GOD. I must confesse they haue these benefits that in the greatest abundance but it is no otherwise then a prodigall borrower hath heapes of money lent or rather as a thiefe hath bags of treasure stolne The repayment of the borrower makes the remembrance of the heapes lothsome vnto him because the more they were the greater is the burthen and account The arraignment of the Thiefe makes him to curse the hugenesse of his bags for the greater the theft the harder the pardon and the more strict his sentence Therefore as in the things of this world there hath beene an honest wise and safe Prouerbe that a little of a mans owne is better then a great deale of another mans so in the Words of God we shall find a holier wiser and safer Prouerbe that a little thing to the Righteous yeelds more stedfast and vndoubtfull contentment then the greatest reuenues of the wicked can yeeld to their vnfaithfull vngrounded consciences And no maruel for they take the goods without the leaue of the Owner and transport them to the seruice of his Enemies fleshly lusts and an aduersarie angell and what shall the Lord of these things doe when hee commeth to iudgement Hee must needes render vengeance in flaming fire to these that haue robbed him of his Creatures and of the seruice and glorie due by them But they that are one with Christ are one with him who is true Heire of all things Al things were made by him and therefore all things are his owne and by our marriage with him wee haue a right in his goods Therefore truely may wee say If Christ bee ours all things bee ours for he whose all things are is ours And by his owne reason if hee giue vs the greatest gift which is himselfe hee cannot with-hold from vs the lesser which is his Creatures Besides these there is also a continual eie of Fatherly prouidence that watcheth ouer vs. The Redeemer of Israel is the Watchman of Israel and the Watchman of Israel doth not slumber or sleepe but at all times beholdeth all his flocke As the Sunne seemeth directly to behold looke on euery man that looketh vp to the Sunne so and much more doth the eye of GODS prouidence settle it selfe fully on euery one that is indeed a Man euen a Man of God which with the eye of his soule still looks vp vnto his God And then by his prouidence God doth hedge him about in safetie for hee seeth his dangers to preuent them and his necessities to releeue them The same prouidence sends some-times good Angels to gard him and when hee wanders it sends buffetting Angels to beate him home into the path of happinesse and through the diuers exercises of humiliation and exaltation it keepes him in one steadie course to his soueraigne Good Surely it is an especiall comfort to an heauenly Souldier to performe his seruice in the sight of his Prince whose eye incourageth him fighting valiantly whose power reseueth him being oppressed and whose bountie scores vp all his aduentures and sufferings vnto a finall reward And this reward is of such a glorie that the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this Glorie Lastly though it bee hard to giue a taste of Gods blessing in this life the Spirit of Christ besides the light of direction and clarification besides the Oyle of gladnesse besides that highest and supremest Vnion it giues also to the members of Christ a Testimoniall and Patent of their saluation and happinesse The light of direction somtimes growes dimme the light of glorie and the vanishing brightnesse are often extinguished the sauour of the oyntment for which the Virgin-Spouse doth loue her Lord Christ Iesus somtimes is drawn vp into heauen and the feeling of that Diuine Vnion is for a time wholly lost But though heauen and earth do passe yet one word of God cannot passe Now the Word of Gods Spirit is the Word of God for God speaketh to vs by his Spirit If therefore that Spirit hath giuen thee his testimonie that thou art the sonne of God if it haue shewed thee thy Regeneration and caused thee to behold the true Image of God thy Father in thee from henceforth thou mayst feare and serue God without feare euen without the feare of totall and finall desertion The seede of this Regeneration is like the Father of it an immortall God and an immortall Seede therefore it cannot die if once it hath had life in thee Then though the windowes of thy Soule be shut vp that no light can shine into thee though the voice of ioy and gladnesse bee not heard yea though thy owne corruption stand vp before thine eyes like a Wall or Mount of separation betweene thee and thy God yea though the terrors of God doe seeme to fight against thee
entertaynement of blessednesse and thus knowing God in Christ euen to the welcomming of the Spirit resting on him resigning our selues to him wee sucke happines from him who is both the Fountaine the Conduit of happinesse Hauing done this I know not how to inioyne thee more though happines be infinitly more worth for how can Man giue more then all And how can hee receiue more then all saluation and a whole Sauiour But if thou dost not this thou art short of that which thou art able to doe And Mercy that accepts the vtmost of thy little power will not accept a voluntary defect scantnesse Now this great dependance fixing and surrender of the whole soule to the whole Sauior is that blessed affiance trust and beliefe Famous in holy wisdome for knitting soules vnto the same Sauiour Which as it hath beene approued because it is the highest fullest and mightiest indeuour of the soule so also it is iustified by the fitnesse it hath of receiuing and by the fitnesse and proportionablenes it hath with Christs manner of entring It is fit to receiue for the eye of the soule being fixed in Christ stands as an open window readie to receiue him who enters by a lightsome and illuminating Spirit The eye of the Spouse thus in lightned reflects the light to him which sent it and with spirituall glances shootes the arrowes of loue into the heart of her beloued so that hee confesseth Thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes And no otherwise the wil wholly willing desiring and gasping after Christ is a doore wide opened to receiue the same Christ entring into vs by a quickning and sanctifying Spirit Yea the Will hath in it a power to hold and knit what it hath receiued euen by a knot of vnitie So the heart of IONATHAN was knit vnto DAVID and the Spouse of Christ is knit vnto Christ and runnes after him as one tyed vnto him and drawne by the cords of this vnitie And surely the soule thus knitting it selfe vnto Christ Christ also knitteth himself vnto the soule and this is the knot of happines Then begins that Song of ioy I am my Wel-beloueds and my Wel-beloued is mine To confirme this we haue also diuers promises which haue told vs that hee who giues happinesse will enter with the gift of happinesse into this posture and station of the soule GOD himselfe hath promised the Seekers to find and the Hungrie to be filled and the Sellers of all for the Treasure of happinesse to be the Buyers of that Treasure for which they sold all Hee telleth the Vnderstanding that to know God and his Sonne Christ is Life eternall and that in the knowledge of God is Mans chiefest glorying and therefore by the knowledge of God is mans chiefest happinesse Hee telleth the Will and Affections I will be found of them that seeke me euen of them that seeke mee with their whole heart Hee that cleaueth to God by a strong vehement loue shall dwell in his holy Mountayne He that cōmeth to Christ that is vpon the feete of the soule which can bee no other then these two the Vnderstanding and Will shall neuer thirst Let vs therefore goe out of our selues as out of tabernacles of miserie and leaue a large and open roome for him to enter who is the fulnesse of infinite felicitie Next if wee consider Christs manner of entring Christ enters into vs killing and giuing life killing our old nature and begetting in vs a new These workes are chiefly and fundamentally wrought in the vnderstanding will But if the vnderstanding know not Christ to be happinesse it will not stand still to haue the filme of naturall blindnesse taken from it neither to haue an vnknowne light and wisedome contrary to the old nature infused into it If the will bee not wholly deuoted to Christ as to the soueraigne Good and doe not trust in him alone as the only giuer of this soueraigne Good it wil neuer suffer the fleshly nature which hath so much delighted it to be cut off slaine by the sword of the Spirit nor a new inclination to be inspired into it by which it shall be subiect to Lawes and Commandements and things future and vnseene shal be wholly preferred before things present visible But if Christ bee knowne willed and trusted as our chiefest good and the way vnto it then let him enter circumcising cutting and slaying Our heart is only on our happinesse Hee may doe what he will so we may obtaine that blessed obiect of our vnderstandings and wills Againe our vnion with Christ is by a spirituall marriage Now let vs consider how such a marriage may most fitly be made Surely wee must first know him to be the fairest of men to be anoynted with the beatificall oyle of gladnesse and happinesse aboue all his fellowes and then forgetting our fathers house euen all the pleasures of the old ADAM we must wholly fasten our hearts on him and wholly cleaue vnto him resoluing to be his alone and to put our selues wholly vnder his shaddow protection and then the King will haue pleasure in our beautie Yea he will loue vs and come and dwell with vs If Christ bee the light of our eyes and the ioy of our hearts If his loue be pleasanter then Wine euen all earthly Comforts If it bee hee alone whome our soule loueth If we take delight and sit downe vnder his shaddow Cant. 2. 3. Then will hee set vs as Signets vpon his hand and as seales vpon his heart he will bring vs into the marriage Chamber and call vs his Loue his Doue and his Spouse Loue shall bee his Banner ouer vs this fruit shall bee sweet to our mouth and wee shall be no longer two but one flesh and one Spirit Now if this great affiance which worketh dedication resignation and so an application of the Soule yea of the whole Man vnto Christ bee the Key of our harts which openeth those euerlasting Doores that the King of glorie may enter in let vs take heed that this Key bee put home into the locke that our hearts be fully opened vnto him otherwise as much of our hearts as is shut vnto him so much of happinesse is shut out of vs. Let vs bee carefull that this Key of Faith bee not stayed and stopt within our vnderstandings but let it proceede to our wills and affections and make way to the bottome of our hearts that Christ may enter iust as far euen to the bottom For as far as this Faith enters so farre Christ followes And as far as Christ enters happinesse followes Therefore let not thy faith leaue entring vntill it hath made made roome inough for Christ to take vp his full rest in thee It seemes that the vnderstanding is but the Porch but the Will attended vvith the Affections is the chiefe roome of Christs rest and residence When the will is so seasoned by Faith that it hateth all felicities
increase our glorie we must striue to increase our holinesse and by holinesse and other helps aduancing and supporting holinesse to in crease comfort and cherish the Spirit by which both holinesse and glory may be increased Now to know what these helps are we must seeke in the Oracles of God whose office and mayne purpose is to shine as a Light to mankind that standeth in the darke place of a clouded and corrupted soule and to guide their feete into the way of Peace and Rest. This sure Word of GOD was giuen by GOD vnto Man to direct Man vnto God And to effect this it hath a power to make the children of men the sonnes of God Yea it hath a power to nourish this spirituall and heauenly sonship so bestoweth a gift of growth as well as a gift of life for it causeth the sonnes and heires of God to grow vnto their perfect stature of Grace Glory The great Spirit of God which powreth that portion of the Spirit into vs wherein lyes our sanctification and sealing powred also in the Prophets Seers and Apostles the Word and Counsell of God So the Spirit within vs and the Word without vs are neere of kin they haue one Father euen the Spirit which is God and being brethren they must needes cherish loue and strengthen each other Yea the Spirit of GOD which best knowes how the Spirit issuing from him may bee cherished hath by that Word of purpose shewed vs sundry meanes by which that which hee hath giuen vs may be increased And God expects that wee which were dead and are now raised to life by him though in our deadnesse wee could not moue towards him yet being quickned wee should by imployments and exercise stirre vp the life bestowed on vs kindling it by those helps which his Word ministreth vnto vs. So behold O Man a double mercy one that the indeuours of the Saints may increase their glorie another that meanes helps and directions are giuen for the aduancement and execution of such indeuours Wee must not be still like Embrious and children in their first conception to haue the nourishment of life sent in o vs without our knowledge and will but being now at least babes in Christ wee must desire and sucke the sincere Milke of the Word that wee may grow thereby or being strong men we must desire and digest the solid meate by which wee may grow from strength to strength wee must by manly exercises seeke to fortifie the power of Christ in vs and we must worke towards the increase of our spirituall estate by heauenly traffike and marchandize that the talents of grace being increased may increase the talents of glorie But now perchance it wil bee demanded what these helps are by which the Man of GOD may enlarge his stature and grow vp to his head Christ Iesus For satisfaction to which demand I would point him to the Word of God which is the Treasure of the perfect knowledge of this Arte of felicitie but yet to giue some stay to hungrie soules that presently desire the prosperitie of the Spirit will not bee delayed I may name some of the chiefest though likewise I may leaue others vnnamed to stirre them vp somewhat to seeke for their owne prouision And here as the first means of increasing the Spirit I will name the increasing of those meanes by which the Spirit was first receiued we must striue to increase that faith and affiance by which wee cleauing vnto Christ Christ claue vnto vs. For the more wee cleaue vnto Christ the more Christ cleaueth vnto vs the more we comprehend him the more he doth comprehend vs by a larger and fuller possession of vs. Faith increased increaseth our capacitie of Christ Iesus and as wee are inlarged in our owne bowels by faith so doth Christ inlarge himselfe within vs by his Spirit To this end let vs remember what hath beene formerly set forth as the meanes of breeding faith and in those meanes let vs bee the more conuersant as wee would bee the more plentifull in faith and more ingraffed in the obiect of faith Christ Iesus Briefly let vs feruently and continually pray with the Disciples vnto the Author and Finisher of our faith Lord increase our faith Let vs be frequently conuersant with Christ Iesus and often behold him liuely described in the Word in the Sacraments by hearing by seeing by receiuing by meditation The more Christ is looked on the more trust and the more loue and so the more Vnion Wee cannot looke on the fairest of Men but we shall bee rauished with his loue for hee kindleth our affections as coles of fire and as a vehement flame And surely if wee looke into his Word and into the seales of his Word wee cannot choose if wee bee spirituall but wee must plainly looke on Christ himselfe For the Word of Christ is the Image of Christ hee hath stamped on it his owne likenesse and therein wee may see him borne liuing teaching dying rising againe Therein may wee behold his graces and gifts his excellencie and dignitie his loue vnto Men and his labours for Men. The Sacraments also Christ hath imprinted with his owne resemblance and they are the characters and representations of Christ. So in them may wee see Christ redeeming by passion and washing by regeneration feeding and quickning by viuification yea performing his part of the whole Couenant of Life And CHRIST being thus discerned what dull heart will not rise vp toward him in a stronger affiance in a more firie loue Wherefore walking along with the staffe of Prayer in our hands let vs still bee tasting of these restoratiues of Faith that so faith being cherished may cherish the Spirit and the Spirit being cherished may cherish our life eternall CHAP. IIII. Other helps of retayning and increasing happinesse The first is quicke obedience AN especiall furtherance and nourisher of the Spirit is a readie and prompt obedience to the motions of the same Spirit The businesse of our life is indeede no other but an attendance on the Spirit in whom lyes our dutie and happinesse and al other businesses that are not subordinate to this businesse are inordinate Wherfore to the holy lusts of this liuing and mouing Spirit must our continuall care bee attentiue that when it moueth vs we may be moued by it and that the commands thereof bee answered by a speedie obedience For the Spirit is the issue of the God of power and is it selfe a power proceeding from that great power now power reioyceth in action yea these second powers grow more powerfull by action In naturall things wee see that motion makes a thing more apt to moue and by how much more the strength of Man is exercised the more able and mightie it groweth No otherwise doth the Spirit in vs. It grows mightie by a free and prosperous exercise of his might It growes more vigorous and actiue by doing and by mouing it is more
things must be considered First the presentnesse of the euill for our flesh is like Gun-powder it presently takes fire it breakes out suddenly vpon vs there is no way to bee before it but by watchfulnesse For when a man meetes an occasion of Anger of Lust or of some other passion if he bee out of his watching his house is by temptation set on fire about his eares before hee sees that hee was tempted But the watchfull man is still in his spirit and so is still before the temptation yea the temptation comes still before him and not behinde him euen in his sight and vnder his view Therefore he forewarnes his owne soule and so forewarnes her to preuēt the harme which approcheth towards her Watchfulnesse tells the Soule here comes a temptation of Wrath there a temptation of Couetousnesse and another way a temptation of Lust and then the soule knowes her busines which is to walke in the Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh but the heedlesse man he hath raged he hath lusted he hath coueted before hee thought hee did so and as a bird only by being taken takes too late a knowledge of the snare so the vnwatchfull man doth first fall into some odious extremitie and then by the feeling of his fall knows to no purpose that he is falne and that such a temptation was the cause of his fall whereas watchfulnes by fore-seeing the temptation would haue kept him from falling And when a Man is falne into sinne then as much goodnesse as there is in such an one so much sorrow there is in him also whereas a little care before would haue saued both the sin and the sorrow The soule may bee kept cleane with lesse paine then she may be clensed being defiled for now shee must bee washed with teares and hardly rubbed with the rough hand of sorrow before our Sauiour will come neere to wash away the guilt by his passion Now that thy Watching may bee sure to preuent temptation as soon as thou watchest bodily watch also spiritually and let thy watching bee more early then Temptation Know that thou awakest among Philistiens therefore shake thy selfe vp and stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee and so put on the Armour of God that thou maiest stand in the euill day Put thy very first thought in order for the further our thoughts runne astray with DINAH the more danger of rauishment the harder is their recouerie But the heart being set in tune like a clocke in the morning it will goe the truer all the day after Wherefore set thy heart betimes in the way of GODS Commandements commit it to the Spirit to be guided in this way for the Spirit is the firie Chariot that carrieth our soules through the way of Pietie to the Countrie of Felicitie But hauing thus set forth in thy way still keepe close to thy Guide that thou continue in thy way for hee that keepeth his way keepeth his life and hee that keepeth his Guide keepeth his way but he that for saketh his Guide hazzardeth the losse both of way and life Surely if the heart running astray from the Spirit be suffered to take a full taste of naturall things it will hardly in a long time rellish spirituall things and therefore it is best both to season the heart first with spirituall things and after to watch that it doe not carnally that is ouer-greedily deuoure carnal things Yea beyond this thou must euen watch thy watching that it bee not stolne from thee for the craftie Serpent will often cast before thee some pleasant or cumbersome temptation to rob thee of thy watching if it bee not watched For securitie which is so easie to Man is also a chiefe ease to Satan For by it the gates of the soule stand alwayes open to him and hee may goe and come whensoeuer hee listeth On the other side watching is somthing painfull to a man and contrarie to Satan and therefore man will the sooner be perswaded to forgoe it and Satan will be readie still to perswade him But let such know who complaine of the hardnesse of this and other diuine exercises that custome makes hard things easie and assured happines makes hard things plesant Let them beleeue that the wages shall infinitely ouermatch the worke and it is inough If they belieue this they will throng violently into heauen and no paines shall stop them if they beleeue not this they are no Scholers for the Schoole of happinesse for beliefe is the ground of this learning their portion must be a sensuall brutish vanishing and dying life A second reason of watchfulnesse is the affinitie and kindred betweene our flesh and the world There was an old contract made betweene them in Mans fall and the world still continues the sute though we be new married to the Spirit there are certain cart-ropes of sinne which were once fast tyed betweene the flesh and the world which as the good Spirit hath out off by the knife of Circumcision so the wicked spirit seekes to knit againe by conuersation for well knowes Satan that if the flesh draw the world into the heart himselfe also rides in vpon the world For this is one of PHARAOHS Chariots which still pursueth the Israelites the Flesh is in stead of the lustie and proud horses the World is the chariot and the Deuill is the Rider and this Triplicitie sighteth against the Trinitie in vs. Let vs therefore be euer warie lest some tricks of the old loue passe vnespied let vs be carefull that the corrupt flesh nibble not too long yea not at all on the world for it will grow hungrie by eating and the taste will bee so pleasant that it will not bee contented vntill it eate with greedinesse and then wo be vnto vs for wee haue receiued deepely the loue of the world which as much as it is so much it excludeth the loue of God and so much it bittereth the sweetnesse of the Spirit yea euen in the lawfull loue of lawfull things let our watchfulnes continue for such haue betrayed many soules and while that which is lawfull hath been too carelesly admitted or too carefully sought a thing lawfull in matter hath beene vsed in a fleshly manner so things lawfull haue beene carnally and vn-lawfully enioyed The flesh hangeth so fast on vs that it will hang fast on our actions if we shake it not speedily from our hands as PAVL did the Viper To doe this let vs still mistrust the old alliance and let this mistrust breede watchfulnesse and let our watchfulnesse still keepe vs in a right fashion and standing toward the things of the world Let the soule behold the world as a thing from which she is diuorced as a thing made to bee her seruant and slaue finally as a thing folded vp in the state of perishing and vanitie Accordingly let her looke soberly chastly and coldly vpon it let her vse it as a
seruant not as a Companion much lesse as a Master yea let her vse it as if shee vsed it not euen as one readie not to vse it when happinesse shall call her from the world or when vanitie losse and decay shal call for the world from her A third reason of watchfulnesse is the watchfulnes of our Aduersarie euen that crooked Serpent who is the Prince of darknesse and the enemie of Mans happinesse This is the roring Lyon who still seeketh whom hee may deuoure and of this kind are specially carelesse and secure men for such he is sure may most easily be deuoured This is the enuious man that soweth tares among the wheat while the good man sleepeth euen in the sleeping time of our securitie hee watcheth most for a mischieuous malicious seed-time Neither let any man maruell that this keeper of the dungeon of infelicitie is so vigilant and carefull to fill his prison for Enuy as a mayne disease hauing throughly seized him this gnawing malady giues him no ease but in the ruine and destruction of others and the onely comfort of his wretchednesse is to get good store of company to be wretched with him Neither need wee to goe farre for an example patterne of the same thing for very violent is the same sicknesse among men and in them is also a communication of the same serpentine nature for they can excellently repine at superioritie there is no greater quarrell among many then this that one doth excell and goe before another And if it be so powerfull in men wee may allow it to be more powerfull in meere Spirits for the greater is the eminence of their nature the greater is the eminence of the corruption of that nature according to the rule the corruption of the best is worst But let vs make a medicine of this Scorpion and this we shall doe if the same Enuy which keepes him waking to deuoure bee a remembrance to vs to keepe our selues waking that we be not deuoured Is not our owne preseruation as sweet to vs as our destruction is to him If our enuious neighbor promise to watch vs a good turne wee will watch our selues that wee may haue no neede of his good turne but this spitefull Serpent from the beginning is sealed vnder a couenant of continuall enmitie and shall not his malice be a spurre in our sides and a thorne in our brests to keepe vs waking therefore giue no sleepe to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eye-lids while thou art in a life of combate but still beleeue for it is plaine enough to be beleeued that a watching Angell is too hard for a secure and sleeping man Indeed it is true he is too hard for vs in our best watching did not a higher Watch-man keepe vs who neither slumbers nor sleepes The watchfull eye of that greatest Spirit is our Preseruer against the watchfull cursed inferiour spirit but this withall wee must know that God loues to watch ouer them that watch ouer them selues his watching is an example to vs not a discouragement he will haue vs to doe what wee can for our selues and then what wee indeuour to doe and cannot he will doe for vs the Mariners must stay in PAVLS ship to doe their indeuours else those could not bee safe whom God did meane to saue He hath giuen vs soules and these soules he hath inlightned and sanctified that wee might discerne and foresee Satans policies this gift of his he will haue vs to make vse of and not to looke to haue that done by him which hee hath giuen vs power to doe our selues But if wee take away our owne watching wee prouoke GOD also to take away his for if wee bee not worth our owne watchfulnesse much lesse are wee worth his And then if wee be wholly forsaken both of God and our selues wo to him that is thus alone he is one of those that are fittest to be deuoured Euill and mortall concupiscences enter in by swarmes into such a soule al good thoughts are presently carried away as seede by the Fowles of the aire The Vine of our soul dressed with the bloud of Christ and watered with the Spirit is abandoned to the wildest Bore of this worlds wide Forrest But on the other side you cannot anger this Destroyer worse then to spie his nets and his traps and if hee see you make a custom of marking and shunning them it is great ods but he will remoue his engines His first plot was to cast vs into a drunken darknesse that hee might handle vs being blind at his will and pleasure And this darknesse is the Deuils pale at this day by which hee incloseth the sonnes of darknesse euen naturall men that they are taken at his pleasure Yea such men vvonder when they see the sonnes of light watchfull in their wayes they hold them to bee but scrupulous fellowes to watch against one whom they neither see nor feare But indeed the lesse hee is seene the more he is to bee feared for hee doth farre more hurt to them that see him not then he can doe to them that see him Therefore the children of wisedome lighten their eyes with the Spirit and Word of God by these Lamps through the night of their owne nature they espie the snares of Satan and auoid them For this double-vnited Light is the thred that must leade vs through this Maze of temptations vnto the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God If we abide in this Light we are out of the iurisdiction of the kingdome of darknesse wee are escaped into the protection of the Father of Light and in this light of his we walk into his owne primitiue Light But being translated into this Kingdome of Light let vs not then make our selues secure but still stand vpon our watch for sleeping becomes the night and not the light And as wee haue before receiued some incitements to watch our enemies so now let vs consider some motiues which may incourage vs to watch and welcome our friends euen the Messengers of grace which are sent to leade vs into the Eternall habitations To this end let vs first weigh who it is euen how great is that Prince which visiteth vs by such messages of grace it is euen the King of glory that knocks at our soules gates by the fresh supplyes of his Spirit Maiestie vouch safeth to visite Miserie and Omnipotence sendeth strength to Infirmitie what remains then but that the euerlasting Dores of our soules presently open themselues wide that the King of glory may readily enter in We must open large windowes in our hearts that the Sun of righteousnes may powre in a large light and heate when hee visiteth vs in the mornings of grace But far be it from vs to be far from home when God commeth to see vs. Far bee it from vs to let him passe as a stranger that lodgeth not for a night And surely if he be vnregarded
vnwelcommed how can hee choose but scorne vs being neglected whom hee might iustly haue despised being sought we are sinful and miserable creatures and God might well haue lothed vs left vs in our bloud but now he that might haue lothed loueth and visiteth and shall we dare to neglect the most great and holy One that commeth to vs most wretched and impure for our owne felicitie let vs rather with watchful soules espie and with humble and deuout affections entertain these heauenly Guests the issues and sparkes of the Deitie Let vs wonder at our owne happinesse that our lowlinesse should bee regarded by the Almightie finally let vs yeeld vp to him the whole roome of this Tabernacle of ours that hee may fully rule and raigne in vs for in his raigning in vs is included our raigning with him For a second motiue let vs consider what it is that this great God sendeth to vs. Surely it is the sap of the Tree of Life a iuyce of Eternitie a food of life euerlasting When his Spirit commeth into vs it is a Light to our darknesse a Purifier of our pollution a conueyance of our Redem ption a celestiall Fire to warm the benummed coldnes of our spirituall bloud a seede of liuing and perpetuall felicitie It offers to guide vs it offers to sanctifie vs it offers vs iustification it offers vs zeale it offers vs eternall Glorie These are presents well becomming such a Giuer of infinite worth as hee is in finite and the least is of more worth then hee is that shall receiue them So the greatest giueth vs gifts greater then our selues and what remaines but that we be inlarged in our affection thereby to inlarge our capacitie of them if it were possible to equall those gifts with loue welcome which our owne persons doe not Let vs with a watchfull care with a seruent loue with hungrie and thirstie soules receiue the bountie of heauen still remembring that free mercie is the Ladder by which these blessings descend vpon vs by which mercie alone God becomes so familiar with Man as to visite him And as God is free to be mercifull so he is free to bee angrie if his mercie be contemned And if once the Ladder of mercie be taken vp into heauen then shall wee see a great Gulfe of distance and separation betweene GOD and Man Man is far vnable and vnfit to approch to the same God being angrie whom with a confident boldnesse hee might intreat behold being mercifull The way is cut off betweene GOD Man by changing mercie into furie and he is become admirable in seueritie who before was wonderfull in familiaritie Therefore to day let vs heare his voyce in the present time without delay without stay or let Let vs not put him off vnto to morrow lest wee be a generation that grieues him and so may not enter into his rest But if our Welbeloued put in his hand by the dore let vs bee affectioned to him yea let vs rise and open to our Welbeloued that wee may bee readie to performe this though wee sleepe yet let our hearts wake Amidst the dreames of worldly pleasure profit which are all but vanitie let our hearts watch for the graces of Eternitie Let vs giue heede to that One kind of things which is only necessary let our harts bee onely in earnest when they regard the things of soliditie permanence and perpetuitie Doth the Spirit cast foorth his beames to inlighten the Temple of the Spirit let Watchfulnesse bee readie to see this Light and by this Light things otherwise inuisible and inutterable for surely a soule thus inlightned will see more then seuen Men on a Watch-towre Doth the Spirit stirre vp in thee a desire of meditation and a motion to goe aside into heauen by the raptures of contemplation watch apprehend and follow and let Watchfulnesse deliuer thee ouer to obediēce Hast thou motions vnto Prayer vnto spirituall Ioy vnto feeding on the Word or the seales of the Word attend and obey and let him that hath an eare harken what the Spirit saith vnto the Church For thus shall watchfulnes become a true factor and seruant of obedience The Spirit speaketh Watchfulnesse heareth Obedience performeth and the Spirit prospereth CHAP. VI. Of Prayer AN inseparable companion of watchfulnesse and an especiall aduancement of spirituall prosperitie is Prayer for among all the furtherances of the Spirit Prayer goes directly to the fountaine of the Spirit seekes the gift of the Giuer himselfe And indeede whither should our indeuours most addresse themselues but where is most of that which wee seeke and who should exceed him in bountie who exceedes all in that which may bee giuen yea in that goodnesse which is the cause of giuing Wherefore since God alone hath the true abundance of Spirit yea since hee hath promised by his Sonne to giue the Holy Ghost Luk. 11. 13. to them that aske why doe we not haste to this eternall and bottomlesse Spring of the waters of Life where we may fill our selues freely by asking Grace is a chiefe gift of the chiefest Giuer To bee admitted into the presence of the chiefest Giuer is a great priuiledge but being admitted to obtaine also a chiefe gift is a high prerogatiue Why dost thou not then make great vse of this thy great priuiledge yea why dost thou not at once purchase to thy selfe spirituall honour and spiritual profit which both in prayer are together bestowed For if thou art one of those whom God graceth by hearing thou art also one of those to whom God will giue the grace of his Spirit for thy speaking And surely as Prayer is honorable and profitable so it is pleasant and comfortable for we may terme it a little saluation since the soule in Praier clearing her selfe by Faith from fleshly darknesse looketh directly to the face of God the vision of whom is our perfect beatitude if light be pleasant it is far more pleasant to behold the Father of light vvhich though it bee but by the glimpses of faith yet so much as it is so much happinesse it is The soule for the time is in heauen beholdeth God yea beholdeth God beholding her with a gracious countenance through our elder Brother Christ Iesus Wee see in naturall things how ioyfully the young-ones run to their dammes yea children with earnestnesse apply themselues to the brests of their mothers Surely Man hath but one true and very Father but one true Cause and Creator how ioyfully should Man run to this his Originall how earnestly should he suck from God by prayer the nourishment and increase of that spirituall life which himselfe hath begotten in vs Therefore draw neere vnto God by prayer and that continually and earnestly Let thy prayer be continuall because there is in GOD continuall abundance to be prayed for yea because GOD knowes the excellency of his gift and that it is worth long seeking and therefore
if he vse long delay in the grant of thy Petition thereby hee teacheth thee the worth of his gift and demands of thee a large price of earnest and continuall prayer Surely we make no ill bargaine if with the Prayers of a whole temporall life wee obtayne that which is to be inioyed by a life Eternall Therefore bee not weary of continuance in seeking for whiles thereby thou acknowledgest the great worth of that which thou seekest and thine owne great neede of the bountie and supply of thy Creator God that takes pleasure in this acknowledgement of thy prayers will grant what pleasing acceptable prayers doe request of him And indeede where canst thou in thy wants better bestow thy thoughts and whither wouldest thou turne them from God since our helpe standeth only in the Name of the Lord and there is none but God that heareth and granteth prayers In GOD alone is the Sabbath and rest of our soules battered with necessities cares and temptations And therfore God inuited vs by his Apostle to take cares and sorrowes out of our owne hearts and to lay them in his hands for he careth for vs himselfe Surely if with the King of Iudah before the Arke of Gods presence we vnfold the letters of defiance which the infernall enemie sends vs in his firie temptations if with the same King being neere vnto death especiall the death spirituall we morne before God as Doues and lift vp our eyes to him on high no doubt but he that dwelleth on high will send downe his Angels of deliuerance to rebuke Satan to chase him away into the deepe and will also send the Spirit of life to adde life vnto our decaying life And though prayers of length and continuance doe not worke meerely by their length yet are they powerfull by another meanes For God being a Spirit hath professed himselfe to bee pleased by the seruice of the Spirit and the more seruice of the Spirit the more GOD is pleased So while in the length and continuance of Prayer much of the Spirit is powred out there is much acceptation of the same with God who is greatly delighted with spirituall sacrifices And as much Spirit in continued prayer is powerfull with GOD so much Spirit vented and darted forth euen in one petition is forcible with the same God God suffers himselfe to be ouercome by the feruencie of the Spirit whether by degrees vttering it selfe or all at once SALOMON in a long Prayer and the Publican in a short were both heard the Publican shooting forth the whole strength of his soule in one petition which SALOMON dispersed into many But in the length of our prayers let vs remember this that the Spirit is the wingednes of Prayer by which it pierceth the heauens and it is no longer prayer but babbling when some measure of the Spirit doth not expresse it selfe therein Now wee know that we pray in the Spirit so long as by the light thereof wee behold God in Christ to whom we pray and the fitnesse and necessitie of the things for which we pray and by the feruencie thereof wee earnestly desire and thirst after the things wee pray for I must needes confesse that some-times the Spirit of prayer supplication doth hide and withdraw it selfe so that we cannot perfectly fulfill all these parts but then let vs lament our own dulnesse and pray or at least grone some grone of the Spirit for the Spirit of prayer let vs bee earnest with God that he will open our lips that our mouth may speake to his praise wee shall seldome depart without a blessing And if God yet delaies vs for hee seldome finally denies vs let vs cast vp short eiaculations desiring God to accept our desires to pray and to giue vs those things which hee knowes to bee best which our hearts do implicitly pray for though not openly and finally to forgiue vs our dulnesse and to heare Christ Iesus praying for vs. But in the shortnesse of prayer let vs take heed that we doe it not out of idlenesse or neglect of God as if God were not worthy of more labour or prayer were a thing of little profit or value but let such short Petitions bee vented forth either by reason of impotency in prayer or vpon a fulnesse of the heart by reason of some incident meditation or because of our shame and confusion of face for some lothsome sinne when with the Publican we be ashamed to lift vp our eyes to heauen and to enter into a sudden familiaritie with God being so newly polluted and hauing so lately offended him and then it may bee in stead of prayer with PETER to weepe bitterly for GOD heareth the voyce of PETERS teares aswell as of ABELS bloud and anon to cast forth Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I know GOD forgiueth at once yet the comfort of that which hee doth at once must wee receiue by degrees and wee must not too suddenly leap out from the sorrow for sin into the comfort of Gods promises but with MIRIAM wee must for a certayne time and that proportionably greater or lesse according to the measure of the sinne I say wee must beare the shame of offending so high a Maiestie and by vndergoing some burthen punishment of sorrow acknowledge the weight of sinne make sinne lothsome to vs and feele it burthensome and intolerable and being armed to this point that voice of Christ is then both sweetest and fittest to be heard Come vnto me ye heauy laden and I will refresh you DAVID hauing his pardon pronounced by the Prophet yet after he ceaseth not to feele the lothsomnes of his sinne and in the 51. Psalme prayeth that his sin may bee pardoned and his iniquity purged that which was at once done in heauen he desires with time to feele more sealed and imparted to him on earth Lastly such may vse short prayer to whom bodily infirmitie alloweth not the bent of long meditation of such GOD requires according to that they haue and not according to that they haue not and to them a short Petition may bee accepted for a long Prayer yea a sigh of the Spirit may bee like a Diamond of great value though it lye in a little roome But ordinarily let vs thinke it best to imitate the ancient Saints who haue worshipped God in a continuing and combined forme of prayer the patternes whereof are often to bee found in the Word of life And as our prayers must be continual so stil let vs striue to make them earnest seruent and vehement that it may still appeare vnto God that wee haue an earnest desire to bee heard Otherwise coldnesse in asking may wel deserue coldnesse in granting and since giuing is more then asking that which doth not merit the lesser how may wee think it should procure the greater Againe God himselfe by the Parable of the vniust Iudge like SAMSON hath shewed vs how hee may be bound for he hath
onely acceptable Without fire it is no Sacrifice for euery sacrifice must bee salted with fire with strange fire as of superstition or the flesh it is worse then no Sacrifice and therfore it must euen be the heauenly fire of Grace which makes the Sacrifices acceptable and this is most fitly kindled by Meditation And thus if wee kindle the fire of Grace by the Bellowes of Meditation this fire that now guideth moueth and comforteth our soules in the Pilgrimage of this life shall in the next life breake out into a flame of Glory wherein we shall bee inthroned like the Sun shining before the lesser Starres in brightnesse as we haue here excelled them in Holinesse CHAP. VIII Of Association AS euery strong thing is made stronger by the combination of a like thing vnto it and as the heat is the more increased by the meeting of diuers things that haue heate So is also the Spirit increased in vs by the fellowship of them that haue the Spirit When spirituall Men ioyn their spiritual strength together they will like DAVIDS valiant men breake more strongly thorow the Hosts of the Philistians temptations obiections and afflictions and fetch away more safely and soundly the Waters of Grace from the Fountaine of Life This Association of Saints is that Bed of SALOMON wherein two lying together haue heate but he lyeth in the Bed of woe that lyes alone When two strings of diuers Instruments are set to one Tune if one of them bee mooued the other leapeth and danceth And how can it bee but that when two men tuned by one Spirit do meet the Spirit of the one must needs reioyce and be liuely when it heareth the voice of the Spirit in the other IOHN BAPTIST being sanctified with Grace in his Mothers wombe euen in that wombe springeth for ioy at the voyce of that Virgin who was intitled Full of Grace Yea ELIZABETH her selfe falleth into an heauenly Trance and rising aboue her selfe she is filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesieth the blessednesse of the Virgins Son Surely there is not a more pleasant and comfortable thing then Harmonie for it is indeed the ground of all pleasure Now the chiefest Harmony is of the chiefest things and these are Spirits The highest of this kind is in the highest Spirit euen of himselfe with himselfe The second betweene the highest and the lower And the third betweene the lower themselues From this last Harmonie doth arise both ioy and incouragement our Spirit first is cheered then incouraged and so aduan ced in the way of Holines The Saints of God either by their gracious words or holy Examples stirre vp the gifts of God in vs they eyther adde something to our Zeale or something to our knowledge yea if they be inferior to vs in both yet by instructing and prouoking them we many times instruct and prouoke our selues Surely there issueth oft-times from the meanest something which may better the best either immediately or by the consequence of some Meditations awaked by conference Euen in the communication of the Spirit the Spirit increaseth and our Talent by lending multiplyeth in the most profitable and commendable Vsurie For the Spirit is so excellently good that it desires to haue his goodnesse communicated yea it will reward thee that giuest it abroad by increasing thy abilitie of giuing So art thou made a great gainer for it is doubly multiplyed to thee as it is the Bread of Life for thy eating and as it is the Seed of Life for thy sowing the more thou sowest the more mayest thou eate and the more mayest thou sow Wherefore let vs not as some doe forsake the fellowship communion of Saints Let vs not make the Spirit in vs both dumbe deafe by separation and diuision for such it is when it cannot heare nor speake the language of heauen Let vs not depriue our selues of the great benefits of spirituall traffike commerce thereby knitting vp and stopping the prosperitie growth and enlargement of the Spirit Let vs not bind our selues to our own infirmities falls and wants for lacke of opening and cōmunicating our estates for many haue falne and neuer risen againe because they haue gone alone neglecting the companie of such who could haue giuen them the hand to raise them from their falls Wee are all Brethren and Countrimen and withal Pilgrims in a strange Countrie How glad should Brethren and Countrimen be to meet in a strange Land especially in the Land of enemies such as this World is For this World shunneth vs it hateth vs our persons and our courses are odious because contrarie to them How should their strangenesse malice increase our mutuall loue and conuersation How much more need haue we to counsell conferre each with other since wee liue as it were in a siege of temptations and persecutions And if the wisedome of Religion cannot perswade vs let the patterns of Nature which are the books of the Ignorant teach vs let the herds of Beasts and the swarmes of Bees the flights of Doues instruct thee to beleeue that things of one kind preserue and cherish one another by mutuall societie But if for all this wee will needes bee strangers one to another differing and dissenting among our selues Let vs be sure that we then rip that loue from our selues which is the badge of the Family of God wee lose the comfort of loue which is one of the greatest in our way to happinesse we separate those whom God hath knit together we lose good instructions and good examples and finally wee weaken our selues by diuision and make the scattered Armie of God a prey vnto their pursuing enemies Let vs much rather with the Prince Prophet reioyce in them which excel in vertue Let our delight bee in the Saints on earth and let the sons of God loue their Brethren begotten by the same Father Let vs confirme and prouoke one another to good works Let vs associate our selues to them who by word or deed can supply our spiritual defects from whose speech wee may learne what wee know not and by whose exhortation wee may bee mooued to performe that which wee know and doe not and by whose examples wee may haue vertues patterned vnto vs shewed to bee possible yea easie to the resolute man of God But neuerthelesse in this Christian good fellowship doe not pull out thy owne eyes that thou mayest loue all alike that carry the title of Christians Thinke not all them to be Israel that put on the name of Israel Where thou seest no contrarie cause there let charitie carry away thy affection but in a degree according to the degree of vertue Yea though thou seest fals and slips if acknowledged and recouered restore such a one with the Spirit of meeknesse lest thou haue need also to be restored by him But if thou seest one couering a continuall Couetousnesse Pride Malice Oppression and such other sinnes with a long thicke cloke of
Religion let thy companie to such a one be a conuersation of reproofe and the doctrine of SIMON PETER to SIMON MAGVS or let it bee no companie at all These are they for whom chiefly the Name of God is ill spoken of among our Heathen Christians These be they that set Religion to the basest lowest seruice euen to the attendance and supportation of sinne which of all things else it most hateth and detesteth These be they that make Religion to bee most dangerous and hurtfull to those who haue most Religion if withall they haue not the wisedome to discern Spirits These be they that vse the Word of God to aduance prosper their owne wickednes and consequently their owne damnation and certainly their damnation sleepeth not but euery Sermon which they heare increaseth their heape of wrath against the Day of wrath Now as wee should generally apply our selues vnto the societie of the Saints so should we striue to bring Saints into the places of neerest vse and societie For goodnes being so neere vs will continually bee doing good vnto vs. Whereas on the contrarie gracelesnesse by the continuance of conuersation will be still infecting quenching and killing of grace Ancient examples of wretched Memory haue confirmed this at large the greatest and the broadest miseries hauing beene brought on mankind by the mischiefe of such infectious societie There was but one man at the first and in him was all mankinde and in him all mankind fell into destruction by his beleeuing a seduced wife and their both associating and beleeuing a seducing Serpent Yea there is before vs but one great World and by the conuersation of the daughters of men with the sonnes of God this world was both corrupted and drowned After that deluge there was but one Nation chosen by God as a pattern and Master-piece of the World in which God by miracles precepts mounted and improued mankind to his vtmost height to see what Man could doe towards his owne happinesse and saluation this chiefe Nation yea the chiefest one of that Nation became abominably sinfull by conuersing with sinners And can a part thinke to stand where the whole hath falne Or can our weaknes thinke to ouer-come that enemie before whom such strength and wisdome lies vanquished and subdued It cannot be expected Our vaine and groundlesse presumptions may puffe vs vp with an opinion of conquering but that very presumption is the mayne thing that by such perswasions leades vs to bee conquered and by telling vs of Victorie it leades vs on valiantly to be beaten And let vs assuredly beleeue this that if there bee the like prophane marrying and the like taking in marriage as there was in the dayes of NOE the like eating and drinking euen such wicked heathenish good fellowship the world that now is will bee as ripe for Fire as it was then for Water it will haue as much need of burning as it had then of drowning But let the wise of heart hasten this day rather by their prayers then their sinnes and to preuent sin let them walke as sonnes of Light with the children of Light and haue no fellowship with the works or workers of darknesse I know right well that the fewnesse of those who enter into the straight gate doth impose vpon vs a difficultie of fitting our selues round with the societie of Saints I know also that the necessities of this life doe forcibly carry vs into the companies of prophane godlesse men Yet let vs remember to striue stil for the best to account the euill as thornes in our sides and let vs finde willingly a trouble vexation in their companie but neuer satisfaction rest and contentment Let our hearts bee to the Saints still euen to the seede of the Womans seed and let there euer be a horror in vs and reluctation against the seede of the Serpent Let vs doe our indeuor cōtinually to vnwinde our selues from the wicked and from the need of their societie And let vs take heed that we doe not too easily despaire of accommodating our vses and occasions by some of those sanctified few especially in that place of neerest Vnion which requires but one and that one in the Lord GOD hath promised the seekers to find and that hee will withhold no grace nor blessing from them which seeke blessings for his Glorie To conclude conuerse also with the dead heare and reade their Actions and Sayings thou shalt finde that the dead will quicken the dead as the dead Prophet did the dead Souldier The spirit of the dead will enter into thy dead heart when thou considerest their excellent Actions and heauenly Meditations The zealous heate of their spirits remaineth yet in their words and actions and by these will enter into thee to raise thee vpto the same degree of feruence in the Spirit The first Loue was the best Loue and the first louers were the best louers The Apostles that were neerest to Christ were neerest to him in Loue those that succeeded the Apostles in time succeeded them best in Loue for then did the Kingdome of Heauen suffer greatest violence I know that God is stil mightie in his Saints but I know also that in these first times the fire of Loue was more generally vehement for then they did euen dote vpon Martyrdome and by their forwardnesse of suffering daunted many times the fury of their Persecutors But on the other side it hath beene fore-told that in these last Times Loue shall waxe cold and men shall loue pleasures more then God whereupon the World shall bee consummate Therefore let our cold Loue warme it selfe by the communion of their hote Loue and let no man so much condemne the Fathers for Errours as admire and imitate them for Zeale Let vs be followers of them that followed so vehemently after Christ yea of all such which since their daies and euen at this day haue beene followers of those followers of Christ. Thus compassed with a cloud of witnesses the testimonies of their loue will powerfully perswade vs to cast away all that presseth down and the sinne which hangeth so fast on and to runne more actiuely and swiftly in the race of Pietie Glorie which is set before vs. CHAP. IX Of Humilitie TO increase in the Spirit and so to grow in happinesse wee must carrie about vs a perpetuall Humilitie For Humilitie is the Fore-runner of Grace and it neuer goes before but Grace followes after This excellent Vertue casts out the old ADAM and makes roome for the New it puts away the fulnesse by which wee are full of our selues and so makes place for Christ that we may bee full of his Spirit Man as before hath gotten a God-head into him hee is filled and puffed vp with his knowledge of good euil euen with a selfe-happines which keeps out the true Happinesse God will not haue any gods but himselfe neither will he allow Man to haue two Felicities but he
imposeth a necessitie on him to loue the one and hate the other to lose the one and to gaine the other Therefore as much as wee retayne of this corrupt felicitie so much doe we abate of true Happinesse and the roome that is giuen to the one is denyed to the other And surely too true it is that euen after our Regeneration there abides a great remnant of our proud corruption It is of kin to the Serpent which perswaded it when the head of it is broken in pieces the tayle will still bee moouing And in what degree this corruption remaineth in that degree is grace abated but in what degree this swelling euill is abated in the same degree is Grace increased Therefore if we be much proud wee are much gracelesse if we be much humble we be much gracious Wherefore let vs take vp Humilitie which as a Corrosiue will fret away the proud flesh make way for the prosperitie of the liuely and quickning Spirit Towards this let vs consider that the Naturall Man being stuft vp with himselfe and not regarding any thing beyond the Lust and Law of his owne heart sits downe in himselfe and takes vp his rest Sabbath and felicitie in his owne imagination But while God is vnregarded and vnsought he also as little regardeth these vnregarders yea hee beholdeth the proud a-far-off He knowes the weight and end of their swelling that it is Nothing that ere long it shall come to Nothing and that at last these swellers must come before him as a Iudge who refused him here for a Sauiour and happinesse On the other side the spirituall Man plainly seeth that this imaginarie happinesse of pride is true miserie since Man the more hee stands vpon himselfe without God the more weakly wretchedly he stands and the fuller Man is of himselfe the fuller is he of Corruption Vanitie and Miserie Therefore desireth hee to goe out of himselfe into God to vnlade himselfe of himselfe that hee may be filled with God hee purgeth his heart of the tree of false knowledge that he may satiate it with the Tree of Life And Humilitie hauing thus fulfilled her Worke then enters Grace into the Soule so swept and trimmed for the same God who resisteth the Proud giueth Grace to the humble God will be a welcome and not a fulsome Guest he loues not to come when there is no neede of him he desires not to thrust vnnecessarie Happines vpon Men sufficiently happie But the hungrie soules hee filleth with good things he guideth the meeke humble in his wayes and the poore in Spirit are allowed only to receiue the Gospell These haue set open their doores to the King of Glorie they haue forgotten their Fathers house euen their naturall condition and therefore the LORD hath pleasure in their beautie His Light takes pleasure yea gets Glory in comming into confessed Darknesse his Grace is delighted and magnified by pardoning and sanctifying an acknowledged corruption and his blessednesse reioyceth in blessing apparant and desperate miserie Wherefore let vs striue for a practicall skill of this profitable humilitie that by not louing our selues wee may loue our soules best by the greatest emptinesse we may purchase the most true happy fulnesse To this end let vs euer be pricking the tumours of our nature that we die not of a spirituall Timpany Let vs striue to make our selues nothing that hee which made all things of nothing may make some-thing of vs. Let vs willingly walke downe into the Vale of humilitie from whence God calls for all whom hee exalteth vp to his holy Mountaine And for the furtherance of this holy vertue let watchfulnes vndertake as a speciall part of this taske to marke the first swellings of the heart that they may bee abated as soone as lifted vp Let no degree bee allowed to that which so much as it is so much euill so much losse it is so much haue wee offended God and so much haue wee abated his Grace But still let vs be paring and fretting off the proud flesh with meditations of our owne naturall miserie and miserable condition with the asperitie of the exercises of Humiliation with feruent and violent Prayer sent vp to the Giuer of perfect gifts Let vs intreate him that hee will discouer vnto vs our selues himselfe our owne vilenesse his Glory that so wee may rightly glory in Gods true Glorie not like Fooles in our owne shame In our Meditations let vs fasten our eies on the wickednesse of Man the wretchednes deseruedly annexed to it In our wicked corruption let vs first see our owne blindnes and bring our darknesse into the light There shall we see that we see little or nothing yea in the mayne matters of our life such as are our beginning and end whence we come and whither wee goe wee are naturally blind Therefore our life is but a thing at randome without knowing what it doth and wherefore it is And if we haue gotten a little knowledge then let vs behold our filthinesse How doe wee defile our selues in the things which wee know how weake are our resolutions of Pietie Vertue they are like a Mist or the Morning dew blown away and dryed vp with euery blast of Temptation So that they seeme to be set vp only for shewes and to stand no longer then nothing toucheth them But the motions of our concupiscence are strong and continuall The flesh of Man is powerfull vpon the Soule and in Man that opinion is verified that the Earth runs round and the Heauen stands still For there breatheth vp from the defiled bodie euen the Earth of Man a continuall and mightie Venom which by perpetuall motion changeth the aspect and influence of the heauenly Soule as it selfe lifteth But the whiles it fastneth and nayleth the Soule that shee cannot stir about her owne businesse of Immortalitie but shee must wholly fixe and employ her selfe in a carefull studie how to execute fitly the lusts of this beastly dust And if at any time the Soule lothing the filth and mire wherewith shee hath sullied her selfe euen to vglinesse lay downe a plot for repentance euen for the clean washing of her face how soone doth the old dirt of sinne spowt into her visage again so that her businesse in this life if it be a life of penitence seemes to be nothing but a washing of that which is fouled and a fouling of that which was washed and if wee turne our eyes from this filthines vnto the bordering wretchednesse we shall find our selues subiect to a thousand infirmities Miserie Vanitie haue both liuerie and seisin in vs and we are their Tenants for terme of life One trouble calleth to another as the waues of the Sea and miseries like Beacons giue notice one to the other vntill the whole life of man bee set on fire The sound of the old is but newly gon out of our eares but there is a new which presently
cursed man can doe this how shall hee blesse that is the Father of blessings Surely let our soules firmely dwell in this Truth that those actions which are most perfectly referred to God and haue no end but God are most fully rewarded of God and as much as any outward thing doth share in the end so much doe we lose of our reward and so much of our reward must wee looke of that End which did set vs on worke Now where euill is offered goodnes cannot well propose any end but God in bestowing it selfe for euill By patience also wee make roome for Faith and like a good child it cherisheth the parent that begate it for while patience keepes the house of Man in quietnesse the vnruly and tumultuous affections being suppressed and stilled the soule is at leisure to look abroade vvith the eye of Faith euen to looke within the vaile and there to see comfort her selfe in eternall ioyes presently possessed by Hope which as an Anker both sure and stedfast is there alreadie vnmoouably fastned By Patience also haue we time and place for the excellent instrument of Prayer to fulfill her worke of piercing the heauens presenting our necessities griefes to the Throne of Grace And commonly the prayer of the patient returnes with this comfortable answere In a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I heard thee for the patient abiding of the meeke shall not perish for euer And that we may yet bee a little more in loue with this beautifying and beautifull patience let vs looke her somewhat stedfastly on the face and particularly desery her excellent proportion If thus we doe we shall find that patience is placed by God in the heart of man against troubles as the cliffes against the waues of the Sea for by patience God saith to the flouds of persecutions vexations Hitherto shall yee come no farther and here shall yee stay your proud waues It is the hedge of GODS Vineyard euen of the blessed Spirits of the Saints which hath fenced them in the bloudiest times against the wildest Bores euen the fiercest Tyrants The body might bee broken by torments but this brazen wall of the soule could neuer be battered it is a kind of metall that is fitted of purpose to indure the fire euen a firy triall and to bee made brighter thereby This she doth and how can she doe otherwise for she is borne of heauenly Ancestors and fetcheth her originall from the Highest The power of the most Mightie doth sustaine her how can it be but she must then be mightie and powerfull For Patience fetcheth her strength and life from Hope Hope from Faith Faith from Christ Christ from God If it were not for Hope the heart would breake with impatience if it were not for Faith Hope would dye and starue as being without a roote if it were not for Christ Faith would perish for want of an obiect And vvithout the Godhead the Manhood of Christ were not a sufficient foundation of Faith But now the Godhead supporteth and inableth the Man-hood of Christ by a mightie Vnion Faith groundeth an vnmouable foundation vpon Christ being God Man Hope violently layes hold on the ioyes truly discouered by Faith and Patience takes iust courage and comfort from Hope because Hope tells her shee must waite but a little and the promises shall certainly bee receiued And as Patience by this meanes powerfully supporteth and sustayneth the Soule and the graces infused into her so is shee also an excellent meanes for the increase of the same graces Patience is the calme of the Soule and as it is best sowing of visible Graine in a time of calme so in the calme of the Soule is it best sowing of the Inuisible seed of the Word and Spirit Then can wee most truely say My heart is ready and Speake Lord for thy Seruant is at leisure to heare thee and then with Marie are we most fit for that thing which is necessarie when by Patience we haue excluded the many things that are troublesome The Spirit delighteth in a meek and quiet Spirit it commeth in the still wind and not in the storme and tempest Accordingly experience teacheth vs that the Patient haue euer receiued spirituall consolations and euen this experience is a consolation to Patience For this experience that the loue of God is shed abroad into the hearts of the patient so affects the patient that they be not ashamed And if wee would rather beleeue Examples then Positions Let vs examine the Stories of IOB and DAVID and let vs remember what end God made with them The latter end of the patient hath recompensed his beginning his patient sowing in teares hath brought forth the carrying of sheues with ioy God will be suffered loued and trusted euen when he afflicteth and chastizeth he will haue the Soule to repose her Happinesse in him while the body feeleth temporall miserie And if hee bee still trusted and loued if the heart still cleaueth vnto him then hee commeth at length with a large measure of comfort he performeth indeed what he hath spoken in his Word Whoso trusteth in the Lord Mercie shall compasse him It is no great glorie to GOD nor excellencie in Man to trust in GOD when with THOMAS we feele and handle the fauours of God The bodie may haue a share in this kinde of trust But the sight of things inuisible is the highest pitch of the Soule this commends Man vnto God yea it glorifies God vnto Man for it brings downe certaine newes that there is Grace and Mercie with God when the bodie vtterly denies it because it feeles the strokes of seeming Wrath and Punishment And in this testimonie deliuered and receiued GOD exceedingly delighteth euen to bee trusted vnder hope against hope hee abundantly recompenseth it as in ABRAHAM so in the sonnes of ABRAHAM Another aduantage of Grace by the mediation of Patience is this that the patient afflicted and hee only vseth afflictions as incentiues to spiritual feruencie and being by troubles driuen out the flesh and the comforts thereof hee goes more mightily and wholly into the Spirit He quitteth the battered and polluted tabernacle of his lothsome flesh and hee entreth into the secret of the Highest where by his Spirit GOD himselfe resideth There doth he warme himselfe by the heauenly flames hee blowes and kindles them seeking by all meanes that as sufferings abound so consolations may also abound and that temporall sorrow bee at least counterpoyzed by spirituall ioyes So through Patience troubles driue vs neerer to Christ and sharpen our stomakes to sucke more earnestly and eagerly the nourishment of Life Eternall But on the other side besides the losse of aduantages a multitude of euils rusheth in vpon the Soule vnfenced by Patience Surely shee is a continuall prey to euery trouble shee is neuer owner of her selfe but like a light and vnballasted vessell shee is at the command of euery waue
of euery winde As continuall as the miserie of Man is so continuall is the distemper of Men impatient and as often as troubles doe happen so often be they lifted vp frō the hindges of their soules and remooued into the habitations of their blinde and vncomfortable flesh Such a one is cleane besides himselfe euen besides his Soule which is the reason that hee can neither aduise nor comfort himselfe For the vnderstanding which should direct is as a Candle put out or couered with a Bushell the will and affections which by the succours of Reason should support and strengthen are drawn away from lending their seruice to Reason and so to Man and are become slaues of Passion and Perturbation And so it comes to passe that in such cases a mans owne will and affections which should sustaine and cherish him doe distract and teare him to pieces And commonly it falls out with the impatient that to the euill of affliction which might haue been turned to good hee addeth two euils more of his owne euill actions and euill passions committing foolish things and doing cruell things against his own Soule and Heart And these two are commonly the greater kinde of euils and which the enmitie of Grace most intendeth and therefore by vs especially should be preuented Satan in spoyling the Flockes in destroying the Children in tormenting the bodie of holy IOB did not so much ayme to make him poore childlesse and full of paine as to make him desperate and rebellious against his Creatour and Sauiour by impatience His greatest Malice is against our greatest Happinesse he knowes wee are still blessed while God is one with vs though we be poore naked and full of sores as LAZARVS who in this life tormented yet was after exalted to ABRAHAMS bosome He values our chiefe Felicitie at a higher and a truer rate then many of vs doe and he values temporall things at a lower rate then many of vs doe Therefore hee will indifferently take or giue temporall things to diminish our eternall ioyes he will assay either by proffers or by plagues to draw vs from our soueraigne Good And wee more foolishly and ignorantly are readie to forsake eternall felicitie whensoeuer Satan will hire vs with temporall commoditie or beate vs from it with momentanie afflictions But it becommeth vs not to bee ignorant of Satans policies where Satans eye is most settled to hurt vs let our eye bee there most fixed for our preseruation Toward this let vs thus farre ioyne with Satan yea learne of him if wee knew it not before that the vnion and agreement of our Soule with God is the vnion of felicitie and therefore whatsoeuer wee lose let vs not part from that If Satan rob vs of a bagge of Siluer let vs not call after him and bid him take a bagge of Gold also If hee afflict vs outwardly yet surrender not to him thy inward and euerlasting Happinesse He is a Prince in this World and so can doe great things in the World He can persecute he can exalt he can torment But hee is a slaue us concerning the other World which is called the Kingdome of Heauen Hee cannot reach to this Kingdome which is in the Soule where GOD is the King Therefore by the things of this life on which hee hath power hee reacheth to the things of the next life on which hee hath no power that by his owne hee may preuaile on that which is Gods But we on the other side as we know the Deuils purpose so let vs know his bounds and then wee shall be safe Let vs know that he can only stretch his power to temporall and outward things and no further and the inward things hee must get by surrender or else he cannot conquer them Wherefore bee carefull to keepe him at his true distance if Satan haue leaue to winnow thee outwardly yet pray to thy Mediator that hee pray that thy faith faile not if hee cause thy outward man to perish bee thou carefull that thy inward man bee renewed daily and take heed that thou giue not more to him then he hath alreadie especially giue not thy eternitie for his vanitie neither giue him an vsurped power ouer the Kingdome of Heauen to which hee is a base slaue and by which he shall be iudged Cast not to him thy soule after thy bodie nor thy soule and bodie after thy goods if the Prince of this World will haue the things of the World yeeld to this Prince what must needes bee giuen to this Prince but the things of GOD giue only to GOD the things of Grace and Glorie reserue for the Author of Grace and the King of Glorie For want of this restraint and limitation of Satans power haue many Saints of God lost the possession of their soules and in those times of extasie haue vndertaken dolefull actions and executions which haue grieued and pined the Spirit within them and haue made worke for a long-after-sorrow and vexation of soule Surely NABALS churlishnesse entred too farre into DAVIDS spirit and the iniurie of the Thessalonians too much deliuered away the soule of THEODOSIVS into furie and the questions of the High Priests Seruants stole away too much of PETERS Courage and Resolution These holy men sometimes by their frailty gaue too much way and yeelded too great aduantage to Satan But some there bee who are perfect in Satans arte of impatience and therefore are his highest and greatest schollers Let the Deuill throw but one crosse to them they will take their soules and throw them to the Deuils head for they breake out either into some cursed rage or into the rage of cursing or into some cursed action Such a one is the Deuils Water-spaniell he goes and brings what the Deuill sends for and if hee bid him bring his owne soule hee carries it many times to him in his owne mouth euen in a mouth of Reuiling Reuenge Curses and Execrations But let vs rather consider that Mankind stands betweene two Spirits the Spirit of Light and the Spirit of Darknes and each of them hath a seuerall doore into Mans heart to possesse and inhabit it The Spirit of Blessednesse comes in by the doore of the Spirit and this is opened vnto him by the Key of Patience The spirit of Hell enters by the doore of the flesh and this is vnlocked to him by impatience Now troubles afflictions knock at both these doores they knock at the doore of the Spirit calling to vs to open to the Lord of Life with the Key of Patience who is now comming by afflictions to nurture and to instruct vs euen to increase vs in the fruits of Righteousnesse But afflictions knock likewise at the doore of the flesh and by the feeling of smart perswade Impatience to open to the prince of darknesse since so griefe may be eased and it seemes a vaine thing to please serue an afflicting and chastizing God But take heed thou open not the
Happinesse And how can it bee otherwise for this Marriage is betweene the Creature and the Creatour And how can the Creature comprehend the Creatour especially since wee haue here only a little glimpse of Faith whereby to behold him Againe it is a spirituall Marriage and wee are here more carnall then spirituall so the tabernacle of corruptible flesh doth much cloud and darken the Spirit in the view of incorruptible ioyes Yet are wee not left here wholly ignorant of that which here we cannot wholly know but hee who is our Happinesse hath shewed some sparkles of that which he is hath deliuered it to vs in this World of ignorance by some palpable expressions fitting rather to our dull capacity then to his supernaturall Excellency Too much light darkens and dazles a weak sight and therefore the full apparance of felicity is reserued for a perfect most absolute Purenesse and Claritie In the meane time let vs firmely lay hold on those reuealed Truths which GOD hath set apart vnto vs for our allotted portion of Light in this darke place vntill we come vnto the perfect Day Among them we find this most certainly proclaimed That as there went out at first a Word of Creation so shall there goe out a Word of Dissolution and therewith also a Word of Resurrection The mightie voyce of the Lord of Heauen shall make Heauen and Earth to shake the Elements to melt with fire and the World to be dissolued The face of this Visible frame shal be wiped away it shal be rolled vp as a Scrol And al the false happinesses of Man shal passe away into nothing But the All-seeing Prouidence of the Almightie Creator who numbreth the haires of our heads and the sands of the Sea for without his appointed number they could not haue the quantity or number which they haue knoweth all Mankind both dead and aliue yea euery part of euery scattered Man and calleth vp all Men as hee doth the Starres in their turnes Arise ye Mortals from Death and Mortality and come vnto Iudgement The Earth is but a Ball in the hand of God whereof euery Mote or Atome was placed by his Wisedome and the WISEDOME that made all cannot but know all that it hath made yea the thing made cannot goe out of the reach of the Maker for it must bee by a Power giuen from the Maker that it is able to doe those actions by which it striueth or seemeth to auoyd his Maker And this Power can be disposed but at the will or permission of the Giuer and so it is still subiect to his reach and comprehension Accordingly God the Infinite cause of all these finite things fully searcheth and comprehendeth his owne Creation yea euery change and varietie thereof neither can any thing in the World escape his knowledge whose knowledge is the very Fountaine of all those changes which would seem to escape it Wherfore if we will allow a Wisdome wise enough to create wee must also allow a Wisdome wise enough to know and to master in knowledge the things created And if we allow a Power able to create without matter we should much more allow the same Power to bee able to renew of something what was first created of nothing Bee this therefore the assurance of the blessed that the Trumpe shall blow and the dead shall rise and that the sruit of this Creation shall return to the hand that first did plant it As God is the beginning of his Workes so is he the end of them all things that went from him with Power must returne to him with Glory and the Seed-time of Creation must be answered with the Haruest of a finall Iudgement God hath not made the World to no purpose neither hath hee cast out from him so great a Creation as a thing contemned and neglected Hee hath not beene wise in an excellent Creation to no end he hath not set Man here as a wild beast of the Forrest only to run after his lusts neither seeing his Maker nor seene of him The Soule of Man had in it the power of a reasonable seruice it could see and know and please his Creatour And Nature hath truly discouered that GOD makes nothing for nothing Therefore the Soule with her Subiect the Body must come and stand at the Barre of Iudgement to bee tryed by her workes whether in the Body shee hath pleased him that formed her And though many vagabond soules haue run from their Maker and haue indeuoured to put themselues out of his seruice command yet he will not lose his property in them they may fly from his Obedience but neuer from his Power Iustice and Vengeance they shall be forced to serue him who is the end of all his Creatures by the sufferings of Iustice who would not serue him in the Righteousnesse of Mercie Accordingly in this great Day of Trial their appearance shal be in the vglinesse of Gods defaced Image their blind foule and leprous soules shall appeare in a perfect naked deformednesse and their many sins shall come againe to visit them shall stand before them as so many vnnaturall accusers of them that begat them The pleasure that once encouraged to the commission of them shall now be stripped from them and sinnes shall then appeare only sinfull filthy and detestable And so by them sinners being lothsome to the God of purest Eyes they shall be carryed from the Eyes whom they offend yea the Eyes of Mercie and Glorie shall be shut vp from them But on the contrarie side the Eyes of Wrath and Iustice shall sparkle out fire against them and this fire shal seize and feed on their Sinfulnes for sinne vnto Iustice is as fuell vnto fire Burne it shall for euer in a tormenting but not a consuming flame It shall haue the agony and vexation but not the consumption and abolition of fire for the torment must be like the wrath the wrath of an eternall God and the torment of an eternall fire Thus blinde and darke toward the God of Comfort and the Comforts of God they shall bee open-sighted toward their owne Guilt Horrour and Amazement Their guilt shall beget feare and their feare amazement by reason of desperation and hopelesnesse of release What depth of vexation or rather how bottomlesse a horror it is when the Soule cannot see beyond torments but is whol ly swallowed vp of anguish by the contemplation of an immortall miserie These are they whose portion is the Creature and whose Happinesse is in this Life And as they liued without God in this World yea against God so shall they liue without GOD in the next World and God will bee against them Hee who might haue beene their felicitie but was neglected shall now because neglected become their misery their Habitation shall bee the blacknesse of darknes and their businesse shall be eternall anguish vexation and gnashing of teeth But the blessed sonnes and seruants of the Highest God who