Christ Iesus take this Treasure and thinke withall that the benefit lies not in having and possessing it but in the use and fruit that is thence to be gathered He hath made Consideration of these good things not to give nourishment to the imagination only but likewise to put in execution that which hath been considered and resolved on It is necessary indeed that wee should have the knowledge but it is necessary like wise to accompany the practice therewith in as much as the commendacommendation of every vâ—…rtue and art consisteth in the practice and in the performance of action agreeable to that vertue and Art And you that wast all your time idly in reading of Boccace his hundred Novelties and the like lay them a while aside and read these Considerations of Valdesso which are indeed truâ—… Novelties For in them is treated of that great Divine and ioyfull new and gladsome tydings of the Gospell of Iesus Christ of the great Pardon for sins of the Reconciliation made with God by the death of the Sonne of God Here you shall finde the true and holy Enamourments of God and of Christ with mankind Here you shall understand the true Embraces and the true Kisses given by meanes of the holy Spirit And last of all you shall here finde where the true delights and pleasures of those soules are which are enamoured of God and of Christ and disenamoured of the world And if happily the language seâ—…me not so spruce and dainty as that of Boccace call to minde that which great Paul the Apostle of Christ Iesus hath said that the Kingdome of God stands in the power of the Spirit and not in excellency of speech Howbeit to say truth neither is this manner of speech to be slighted For I verily find it exceeding proper and good to expresse that which is intended and that is the chiefe vertue of every Writer But I will here put an end to my discourse that I may no longer deprive you of the sacred reading of these divine Considerations which you also reading and that with diligence and praiers to God for me and all others shall take into due Consideration To the end that we may came all to be enamoured of Christ and incorporated in him as hee is incorporated in us To whom be Honour and Glory everlasting From Basill the 1 of MAY 1550. A TABLE OF THE HVNDRED AND TEN CONSIDERATIONS HOw it is to be understood That man was created after the Image and Likenesse of God 2 That mans happinesse consisteth in knowing God and that wee cannot know God except we first know Christ. 3 In what the Sonnes of God differ from the Sonnes of Adam 4 From whence the revengefull affection proceedes in men And what effects the long sufferance causeth wherewith God goes deferring the revenge of those iniuries which men doe unto him 5 The difficulty that is to enter into the Kingdome of God how it is to be entred and in what it consists 6 Two Depravations of man the one naturall the â—…ther acquisite 7 That God will that wee should remit unto him the execution of all our desires 8 The Covenant whiâ—…h Iesus Christ our Lord made between God and man 9 An excellent Priviledge of Piety 10 In what manner the estate of the Christian person that believes with difficulty is better then of that person â—…hat believes with ease 11 In what manner Gods being Iust doth râ—…dound to the profit of them that by Revelation believe in Christ. 12 In what manner the reason of our inward man serves us to that which the eyes of our outward man 13 A Comparison which sheweth in what the benefit which the Regeneration of mankind hath received from God by Christ Iesus doth consist 14 Amongst the things which Christian piety obligeth us to believe what that is which is believed with greatest difficulty 15 How Christian persons ought to governe themselve in their tribulations afflictions and troubles 16 That the promises of God belong to them who believe them 17 In what manner a man ought to resolve himselfe touching the world and touching himselfe that he may become a true Christian. 18 In what things that person ought to be exercised who pretends and desires to enter and to persevere in the Kingdome of God and what a man puts of his owne thereunto 19 That the Christian life consisteth in this that a man esteeme himselfe dead to the world and pretend to live to God 20 That in the infirmity amendment and health of the mind men ought to governe themselves as in those of the body 21 The difference of sinnes and sinners The obligatioâ—…s of piety The signes of piety and impiety 22 For what reason God gives a child unto a pious person and suddenly takes him away 23 That in him whom God disenamours of the world and enamours of himselfe the selfe same things be fall as doe to him that disenamours himselfe of one woman and emours himselfe of another 24 That those persons who are governed by the holy Spirit in their serving of God pretend to encrease in the love of God 25 In what sort pious persons are moved to put in execution the Justice of God 26 That the flesh whilst it is unregenerated flesh is the enemy of God and that Regeneration is properly the worke of the holy Spirit 27 That by Mortification a Christian man maintaines himselfe in his resolution and by reduoing of his mind to God he maintaines himselfe in the certainty of Gods Providence 28 For a man to assure himselfe of his Vocation 29 That to believe with difficulty is a signe of Uocation 30 That God in communicating spirituall things unto us dealeth as in giving us the fruits of the earth 31 That the livelinesse of affections is more dammageable then that of the Appetites and that it is necessary that both the one and the other should be mortified 32 In what consisteth the abuse and in what coâ—…sisteth the use of Images and of the holy Scriptures 33 In what manner through the patience and through the consolation of the Scriptures wee maintaine our selves in hope 34 In what doth consist the benefit which men have obtatned from God by Christ. 35 Whence it is that that difficulty comes which pious persons have to continue in that which appertaines to piety and justification 36 In what the Christian liberty doth consist hoâ—… it is knowne and how it is exercised 37 That they that know God by mens relation have a false opinion of him and they that know him by the holy spirit have a good 38 By a comparison is shewed in what the errour of false Christians doth consist and what thing that is which true Christians doe 39 That quickening answereth to mortification and the glory of the resurrection answereth to quickening 40 Two wills in God one mediate and another immediate 41 That God will that pious persons should know that all things are to come from him and that they
works in a man that which sets him in the will and in the desire to haue much piety and much faith when in all this a man finds in himselfe much contrast and much contradiction and when also the same comes to passe in that which is exteriour unto men And I resolve my selfe that in this contrast in this fight a man ought to labour and travell much but without affliction or grieving himselfe for although the flesh together with all its affections remain aliue yet the holy spirit should haue the victory and bethe conquerour For it is not meet that the son of the slave that is the flesh should be heire with the son of the Free-woman that is the spirit of those goods that properly belong to the spirit that is of the knowledge of God in the present life and of the vision of God in life everlasting And saying the flesh I understand the affection of flesh that which men receive from Adam all which must needs dye in us to the intent that all that may live which we can receive from Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXVI In what the Christian Liberty doth consist how it is knowne and how it is exercised THat it may be well understood wherein it is that Christian liberty doth consist how it is to be knowne and how it is to be exercised it imports much to understand first in what the Hebrew servitude doth consist how it was understood and how it was exercised The Hebrew servitude as I understand it proceeded from the command of the law which menacing and promising kept men in servitude and intreated them as servants Amongst them that were of the Hebrew people some applyed themselves to the law by inspiration and others out of opinion and there were others also who cared not for the law living licentiously they knew not the Hebrew servitude neither exercised themselves in it They who out of opinion applyed themselves to the law desiring and procuring that the Menaces wherewith the law threatned trangressors should not be executed on them and that the promise which the law made to them that observ'd it might bee fulfilled in them knew the Hebrew servitude but did not exercise it as they ought For being governed by their owne proper spirit they were most superstitious in some things and most licentious in other They who by inspiration applyed themselves unto the law and exercised themselves in it as was meete desiring the promises thereof and fearing the threatnings knew the Hebrew servi â—…ude seeing that it behoved them alwaies to stand knit unto the law and they exercised themselves in it as was meete holding themselves for servants and depending on the will of God for being governed by the holy spirit that did inspire them to the fulfilling of the law they were pious holy and just in such sort that the Hebrew servitude consisted in the law and was knowne when men applyed themselves to the observation of the law and was exercised when the application proceeded from the holy spirit On the contrary the Christian liberty consisteth in the abrogation of the law which was altogether abrogated in the comming of the holy spirit which succeeded in place of the law to governe the people of God Among them who have the name of Christians there are some who feele this Liberty by the holy spirit there are others who divine it by humane spirit and there are others who neither feele nor divine it They who neither feele nor divine it are in all points and altogether like unto them amongst the the Hebrew people who divined the servitude of the law being in all things and altogether most superstitious obliging and binding themselves not only to that which they think to be the law of God but also to that which they know to be the law of man and more then this they themselves doe oblige and binde themselves to other lawes in such sort as they know not in what Christian liberty doth consist neither doe they know it nor exercise it living wretchedly in miserable and hard servitude They who by humane spirit divine Christian liberty are much like unto them amongst the Hebrew people who made no account of the law they taking away from themselves all manner of yoak live licentiously not knowing nor exercising the Christian liberty as was meete They are ordinarily impious and vicious and I understand it that they divine Christian liberty by humane spirit they who by their owne wit and Iudgment and by that which they read and heare and understand that a Christian man is free not considering whether they bee Christians in such manner as that Christian liberty appertains to them grow to make the licentiousnesse of the flesh Christian liberty They who by the holy spirit feele the Christian liberty are like as it were to them amongst the Hebrew people who through the holy spirit applied themselves unto the law They know that Christian liberty consisteth in this that a Christian shall not bee chastized for his evill living nor shall not be rewarded for his well living knowing that chastizement is for the unbelievers and the reward for the faithfull in as much as God will chastize them that believe not on Christ and not believing on him doe not accept the covenant that hee set betweene God and man and that hee will reward them that shall believe in Christ and accept the covenant of Christ. They who in this manner know the Christian liberty having no regard neither to chastizement nor to punishment and having a regard to observe the decorum of those persons whom they represent in this present life that is to bee a member of Christ the most perfect head and to live in this life a life like unto that which they are to live in eternall life doe well exercise the Christian liberty For being governed by the holy spirit on one side they finde and know themselves to bee free and exempted from the law in so much that it seemes to them that they may say with S. Paul All things are lawfull unto me Neither fearing to be chastized for transgression nor hoping to bee rewarded for observation in which they feele and know the Christian liberty And on the other side they finde and know themselves obliged to be like unto Christ in their life and manners and therefore they say with S. Paul all things are not expedient And standing in this they exercise themselves in Christian liberty in such manner that Christian liberty consisteth in the abrogation of the law and is knowne when men doe not feare the chastizement of the transgression of the law nor pretend the reward of the observation thereof And it is well exercised when men observe the decorum that belongs to a Christian who is a member of Christ and ought in all his things to bee very conformable to Christ. Hence I gather that since men that divine Christian liberty by humane spirit and wit and Iudgment
in their Prayers feele a most excessive content mingled with humility and with Mortification And I hold that these feelings are sufficient to give a person intire knowledge whether hee pray with his owne Spirit or with the holy Spirit It is very true that in case a man have never prayed with the holy Spirit he cannot make this difference Cornelius prayed with the holy Spirit before S. Peter went to his house yet he did not understand that hee prayed with the holy Spirit But hee understood it afterward when by S. Peter's meanes hee had obtained of God even more then he pretended I meane not more then the Spirit of God which prayed by him and in him but more then Cornelius himselfe pretended unto in his owne minde in such sort that oftentimes the Spirit of God prayes in us and by us without our knowledge that it is the holy Spirit that prayeth and what that thing is which in Prayer is demanded The selfe same I understand in working as in Prayer For S. Paul likewise puts them for gifts of the holy Spirit to minister that is to doe service to our Neighbour and the exercise of Charity And I understand that because wee doe not know not how nor when to worke God gives us his Spirit that should worke in us Humane wisdome that alwaies opposeth it selfe to the Spirit of God pretends to know how to worke and when it doth worke it workes for its owne proper benefit it workes for its owne proper glory and for its owne proper satisfaction and not purely for the benefits of his Neighbour not for Gods glory not for the satisfaction of them that love God and therefore it knoweth not nor how nor when it ought to worke On the contrary the Spirit of God workes for the profit of the Neighbour for the satisfaction of them that love God and it workes for the glory of God When he that workes by humane Spirit imitateth the workes of holy men followes the doctrine of the Saints I doe not understand that he workes with the holy Spirit but with his owne proper Spirit because hee doth not worke being inspired but taught And S. Paul saith that it is a gift of the holy Spirit to worke by the holy Spirit They who worke with humane wisdome finde content in their owne workes but mingled with arrogancy and with presumption And they who worke with the holy Spirit finde likewise content in their owne workes but most different and mingled with humility and Mortification In such sort as a person examining his minde after hee hath wrought may by his consideration understand whether it bee humane wisdome that hath wrought in them or the Spirit of God It is very true that he who hath never wrought with the Spirit of God cannot make this difference In Cornelius I consider the selfe same in his working as I have done in his Prayer He did worke with the holy Spirit but he did not understand that it was the holy Spirit and he understood it when he saw and felt in himselfe that which arose from his working And betweene that which Cornelius wrought and prayed with the holy Spirit before hee knew Christ and received the holy Spirit and that which he prayed and wrought with the holy Spirit after that he had knowne Christ and received the holy Spirit I make this difference that at the first praying and working he did not understand that hee prayed and wrought by the holy Spirit That which I understand in praying and working I understand likewise in the acknowledgments of God and in the understanding of holy Scripture considering that S. Paul sets also these understandings for gifts of the holy Ghost understanding that humane wisdome not knowing how to understand the things of the Spirit of God God gives his spirit unto them who are his to the intent he may teach them those things Mans minde is proud and haughty in this point as in all others whereupon putting it selfe before the holy spirit it goes helping it selfe as much as it may to gaine by its owne proper understanding and judgment the knowledge of God and the understanding of Scriptures And it is a marveilous thing that how much it labours theâ—…ein so much more it dis-enables it selfe taking and understanding the things of God and of the spirit of God in a contrary sense and by the contrary They who understand and know the holy Spirit by how much more they apply themselves to understand and know by so much doe they know and understand the more When as he who knowes and understands the things of God goes about with his owne proper wit and his proper judgment albeit hee doe understand that which the Saints have understood yet I doe not understand that hee knowes and understands with the holy spirit but with humane wisdome understanding and knowing as being taught and not inspired And S. Paul makes it to be a gift of the holy spirit to know the holy spirit He who knowes and understands the things of God with his owne proper wit and judgment findes the same satisfaction that he findes in other knowledges and in other understandings of humane things and of the writings of men and with this satisfaction looking upon it he feeles pride and selfe-esteeme in his owne minde And he that understands and knowes with the holy spirit findes in that which hee knowes and understands most different satisfaction from that which hee findes in those other things which hee knowes and understands and findes in his minde Humility and Mortification in such sort that by the feeling which a person findes in his owne minde when hee shall have got a knowledge of God and when hee shall have understood a place of holy Scripture hee may Iudge if hee have gained that knowledge and that understanding with his proper wit and Iudgment or with the spirit of God If so be the feeling shall be of pride and of selfe esteeme judging that what he hath knowne and understood is with his owne wit and Iudgment he shall not firme himselfe therein And if the feeling shall be of Humility Mortification judging that what he hath knowne and understood is with the holy spirit he shall firme himselfe and fortify himselfe in it It is very true that he who hath never known nor understood with the holy spirit cannot make this difference From these three considerations I come to take this resolution that as well to pray as is meete as to worke and to know and understand and as for all other things also in which we exercise our selves with our minds or with our bodies in this present life we have need of the government of the spirit of God without which although it be grievous to us we ought to confesse that we know not to pray as we ought and that we know not to know and understand as we ought With this confession wee shall alwaies demande of God his holy Spirit and
That the holy Scripture is like a Candle in a dark place and that the holy spirit is like the Sunne This shewed by s◅aven conformities SAint Peter in his second Epistle understands that a man that attends unto piety having no other light to guide him in it the that of the holy Scripture is like unto a man that is et in a dark place having no other light in it then that of a candle and he understands that the man that attends unto piety having obtain'd the spirit of God which guides him and sets him in the way is like unto a man that stands in a place wherein the sun-beames enter which make it cleare and resplendent Where I consider seaven things The first that as the man set in a dark place stands better with a candle then without it so the man that attends unto piety which to him is a dark place in as much as humane reason and wisdome doe rather doe him harme then good in it stands better with the holy Scripture then without it The second thing which I consider is that as a man in a dark place sees not the things that are therein so clearely and manifestly with a candle as hee might see them with the sun so a man that attends unto piety doth not understand nor know the things of God nor God himselfe so clearly and manifestly with holy Scripture as he might see and know them with the spirit of God The third thing which I consider is That as a man set in a dark place with the light of the candle onely stands in danger to remaine in the dark any occasion happening to extinguish the candle so the man who attending unto piety hath no other light then that of holy Scripture stands in danger to remain without light there comming any occasion that may depriue him of the holy Scripture or of the true understanding thereof The fourth thing which I consider is that as it sometimes befals a man set in a dark place where the light of the candle is that being desirous it should giue more light he snuffes it himselfe or seeks some other to snuffe it and in the snuffing it comes to passe that it is extinguished and a man remains without light So unto a man that attends only unto piety with that which he knows and understands by holy Scripture it sometimes comes that willing to understand more or better in it or by it either he himselfe interprets it or seeks some to interpret it to him and in interpreting it comes to passe that of holy Scripture making it humane Scripture a man remaines in the dark albeit hee doth not so perswade himselfe The fift thing which I consider is that as on the Sun-beames entrance into an obscure place where a man serves himselfe of the light of a candle it comes to passe that a man sees more clearely then before all the things that are in that place the candle remaining as it were without light and without splendor in such manner that now a man being desirous to see the things that are in that place that which he least looks upon is the candle So the holy Spirit entring into the minde of a man that attends unto piety serving himselfe of the Scripture to that intent it comes to passe that a man understands knowes the things of God and God himselfe more clearely then he did before the holy Scripture remaining in as much as to him ward as it were without light and without splendour in such manner as now being desirous to understand the things of piety and desirous to know God that which he least looks upon is the holy Scripture attending to cōsider with the holy Spirit that abides in his minde not with that which is written in it And therefore S. Peter well commends the study of holy Scripture but whilst a man stands in the dark place of humane wisdome and reason and he wills that this study should continue so long untill the light of the holy spirit shine into the mind of a man understanding that this light being come a man hath no more need to seek that of holy Scripture which departs of it selfe as the light of the candle departs when the Sun-beames enter and even as Moses departed at the presence of Christ and the Law at the presence of the Gospell The Sixt thing which I consider is that as a man which enjoyes the light of the Sun when he did certainly know that it would not fayle him albeit he would not cast away the candle for the benefit receaved but would rather leave it to the intent it might serue another to that purpose which it had served him and yet notwithstanding would not serve himselfe thereof in that which hee did before serve himselfe so the man that enjoyes the light of the holy spirit knowing certainly that it cannot fayle him albeit he doe not cast away holy Scripture but rather leaues it that it may serue to another for that which it hath served for unto him neverthelesse hee doth not serue himselfe of it in that whereof hee did formerly serve himselfe as I haue already at other times considered The seventh thing that I consider is that as it is not of the essence of the Sun when it enters into a place where a candle stands to shew and discover all that which the candle containes in it so likewise it is not of the essence of the holy Spirit when it enters into the minde of him who being applied unto piety serues himselfe of holy Scripture to shew and discover all the secrets that stand shut up therein albeit it doe shew and discover that part of them which God will shall be discovered unto a man to whom the holy Spirit is given The gifts of the holy Spirit are different and the holy Scripture being written by divers persons who had different guifts of the holy Spirit and so writ diversly by consequence it is understood of those persons who haue the holy Spirit of one in one part and of another in another part according as the gifts are different which are communicated from God with the holy Spirit by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXIV In what manner Jesus Christ our Lord will be followed and imitated HAving at other times in these Considerations touched as I then understood that which Iesus Christ our Lord saith He that will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse and follow me I come now with better consideration to say that I understand that in these words Christ saith Every man that will follow me being desirous to be a Christian let him renounce that which humane wisdome teacheth him saying that a man ought not to be wanting to himselfe to his own and to his honour with intent not to be wanting unto God nor to them that are Gods nor to the honour of God And let him take upon himselfe his Crosse which is his
who haue the spirit of Iesus Christ our Lord. CGNSID LXVIII That the desire of knowledge is Imperfection in a Man contrary to the judgement of Humane Wisdome HVmane wisdome judgeth that the desire to know is a great perfection in man And the holy spirit iudgeth that it is a great imperfection in a man Humane wisdom confirmes her opinion saying that it hath been seen by experience that in the world those men haue lived most virtuously who having the greatest desire to know haue most given themselves to indeavour to know and haue known most And here is alleaged a troup of Philosophers And the holy spirit on the contrary affirmes his sentence saying that through the desire of knowing sinne came into the world and through sin death and with it all the miseries and all the troubles whereunto wee stand subiect in this present life That this is true is proved by the perswasion of the Divell who said unto E◅e You shall be like Gods knowing good and evill Passing on farther the holy spirit faith that the desire of knowledge destroyed the Hebrews in as much as desiring to understand the prophecies that spake of the Messias and procuring to understand them by the way of wit and humane discourse they imagined to themselves and figured a M◅ssias so cōtrary to him whom God sent them as when they had him they knew him not and not knowing him they did not receaue him and from their not receauing him redownded not onely that they did not enioy him but it caused their ruine and perdition Passing on farther the holy Spirit saith that the Gentiles desiring to know the originall and the beginning of naturall things did procure to know them with their own wits and discourses whence comes to passe that which Saint Paul said They became vain in their imaginations and they worshipped the creatures and ran headlong into other absurd and bruitish inconveniences In the selfe same manner the holy spirit saith that many men desiring to know the things which appertain to Christian Religion and procuring it with naturall light haue made such strange conceits of God of Christ and of the Christian state and of the Christian living that a man may say with truth that of Christ they haue nothing but the name participating on one side of the inconvenience of the Hebrewes in as much as they read holy Scripture and desiring to understand it procuring this not with that spirituall light with which it was written but with naturall light they doe not understand it And participating on the other side of the inconvenience of the Gentiles in as much as desiring to know that which the Gentiles knew they read that which the Gentiles writ and they think as the Gentiles thought frame Gentiles mindes The holy spirit having proved his sentence against that desire of knowing which men haue saith further that that vertue which is got by desiring to know and knowing that which may be known with naturall light is rather a vice then a vertue in as much as it makes men presumptuous insolent and consequently impious incredulous That this is true appeares by this that the men that follow their proper naturall light by how much they are more vertuous according to the world by so much they haue lesse confidence in God and doe so much lesse belieue in Christ and therefore are so much more impious and more incredulous in such manner that it stands well to say that the desire to know is a great imperfection in a man In this discourse I learne two things The one that humane wisdome hath no iurisdiction in judging of the perfection and imperfection of a man The other that it appertaines to every man who being called of God to the grace of the Gospell makes answer thereunto to mortifie and kill in himselfe the desire to know of what sort soever it be that he may not fall into the inconvenience of false Christians and of the Gentiles and of the Hebrews nor into that wherein our first Fathers fell and that they may come to the perfection whereunto S. Paul came not desiring nor procuring to know other then Christ and him crucified Which wisdome wee ought to desire and procure but with prayer to God we who having accepted the grace of the Gospell are true Christians incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXIX That a man ought alwaies to acknowledge himselfe incredulous and defectiue in faith and that there is so much faith in a man as much as there is knowledge of God and Christ. VVHen I consider the great efficacy which Iesus Christ our Lord attributes unto Faith saying that with it how little soever it be we may remoue mountaines from one place to another returning upon my self and not finding my selfe with such an efficacious faith I know how weak and feeble my faith is and then I turne my minde to God saying with the Apostles Lord increase my faith and saying with the father of the Lunatique Lord help mine unbelief And understanding that my faith is to come through the guift of God and holding for certain that I shall haue so much of faith as I shall haue of the knowledge of God and of Christ for as much as men how ever good relation they haue of other men doe so much trust them as they know them I turn my selfe to pray God that he would let me know him and would let mee see him and that he would let me know and see Christ as much as may be in this present life to the intent that I may haue confidence and so my faith may be strong and efficacious Wherein I consider the craft of the enemy of mankinde and most full of enmity against Christ in as much as he understanding that the intent with which Christ did so much exaggerate the efficacy of Faith makes that men how much soever they believe and how much confidence soever they haue should alwaies judge themselves incredulous and defectiue in the Faith hath made that amongst men who doe approue the Gospell of Christ it should be an honourable thing to belieue and a shamefull thing not to belieue or to doubt to the intent that perswading themselves for their own honour sake that they doe believe they should not come to knowe themselues incredulous and defectiue in the faith and so they never come to get that which Christ pretends they should get that is the knowledge of God and of Christ by the knowledge Faith and by Faith iustification by justification glorification and eternall life And in very truth great is the blindnesse ignorance of men in every thing that see only with the eyes of humane wisdome very excessiue great in this that not admitting in humane matters one testimony that testifies only of heare-say except he speak of certain knowledge or proper experience it perswades it selfe by it selfe and by others that in divine matters it sufficeth to testifie
Loue be great the Union is great And if the Loue be litle the Vnion is litle Some men there are who loue God by relation but they remain not united with God because they first loved themselves before God loving God for themselves There are other men who loue God because God himselfe willing to be loved of them hath let himselfe be known and seen by them they stand united with God because they first loue God before themselves loving themselves for God In them as I understand so great is the union which they haue with God as is the loue which they haue to God And so much is the Loue which they haue to God as is the knowledge which they haue of God If the knowledge be perfect and entire the loue is perfect and entire and the union is perfect and entire and on the contrary in such manner that there is as much perfection or imperfection in the union as there is perfection or imperfection in the Loue and knowledge The selfe same is between loue and knowledge Whereby I understand that because the knowledge which men haue of God in this life is imperfect through the power of our flesh the loue also which they haue to God is imperfect and the union is imperfect which we haue with God And I understand also that because our flesh in life everlasting shall not be base but glorious our knowledge shall be perfect our loue shall be perfect and our union shall be perfect In the mean while I understand that a pious person who by the liberality of God begins to know God to loue God and to stand united with God ought to pretend to grow in the knowledge in the loue and in the union not iudging himselfe deprived of the knowledge nor of the loue nor of the union with God whilst hee findes in himselfe any part of true knowledge any part of loue any part of union The true and efficacious knowledge of God as I haue otherwhere said as I understand consists in certain sentiments and in certain knowledges of the proper being of God which pious persons doe obtain some more some lesse some with greater evidence some with lesse according to the will of God which causeth the sentiments and the knowledges of which they can only give testimony who have tasted them nay they only understand this Language it being to all others altogether unintelligible It being most true which Saint Paul saith that a man without the spirit of God doth not understand the things that are of the spirit of God The true and efficacious Love of God I understand consists in an affection from the very bowels which a man beares to God and to all those things that are Gods desiring that he should be known loued and prized in the world in such manner as is iust To the intent that hee should be known lou'd and priz'd with this bowelly affection I understand Christ pretended that his Christians should say that first part of Our Father which all appertaines to the glory of God From this bowelly affection I understand it proceeds that a man loues God aboue all things loving every thing for God the creatures in generall in as much as they are the creatures of God all all men in as much as they be the creatures of God and in as much as God will that our neighbour should be loved and our neighbour is every man of what bloud soever state or condition and men regenerated by the holy spirit as the creatures of God as neighbours and principally in as much as in them is seen and known the image likenesse of God in such sort as wee haue otherwise declared Amongst the creatures the man that loues God loues them most who doe most illustrate the glory of God And amongst men whom he louâ—… as neighbours hee loveth them most whom he sees least depraved and least impious And I say lesse understanding that in all men who are not regenerated by the holy spirit there is found depravation and impiety Amongst regenerated men hee who loues God for the loue of God loues them most whom he sees and knowes to bee most conformable to the image and similitude of God and in whom hee sees this image more proper and more naturall And a man who loues God loues himselfe as the creature of God as a neighbour and in as much as he sees the similitude and image of God reformed in himselfe not procuring nor willing in any other manner to be loved for himselfe but rather despising and abhorring the loue that men beare him when they doe not loue him for the loue of God In this manner I understand that a man who loues god loues himselfe for the loue of God and loues all things for the loue of God And farther I understand that a man who loues himselfe aboue all things loues god for respect of himselfe and this man pretends his own utility in the loue of god he loues in respect of himselfe the creatures loving them more from whom he expects more profit He loues all men in respect of himselfe loving them most which are most profitable and most necessary And hee loues in respect of himselfe the men whom he thinks to haue obtained the Christian regeneration loving them most by meanes of whom he pretends to bee able to get piety iustice and sanctity And resolutely he pretends procures to be loved for himselfe and to be loved about all things which as I haue at other times said is naturall to a man in as much as hee pretends to get the image which belongs not to him And here I understand that a man who reduceth himselfe to a desire of not being beloved but for the loue of god finding molestation in the loue which is borne towards him for himselfe may iudge to haue made great profit in the knowledge of god in the loue of god and in the union of god Of this sort quality as I understand is the loue which men haue who are united with god which as I understand is in part in a man in this present life and shall be entire in life everlasting And he who shall feel any thing of this part hath great reason to liue ioyfull and content holding that part as an earnest of his increase and of his perfection in life everlasting The true and efficacious Vnion between God and man consists in this that S. Iohn saith that hee who loues God dwells in God and God dwels in him Gods inhabitancy in a man may well be felt as it is in truth felt but to them who feel it not it cannot be made to be understood The selfe same may as it were be said of mans inhabitancy in God And I say as it were because it seems that it may be made to be understood saying that hee who loving God stands united with God abides in God alwaies remembring God even like as he who loving a Creature stand
Countenance And I am also certain that God will shew it unto him when he shall please and as it shall please his divine Majesty accommodating himselfe to humane incapability which is most incapable of this inward vision And because the Christians incorporated in Christ who know God by the revelation of Christ by the communication of the holy spirit by the christian renovation and regeneration goe on making themselves capable of this inward vision going on neerer and neerer to impassibility and immortality it is truly said that we christians come to know God by Christ by a certain inward vision but in part as may be in this present life the perfect and intire vision being kept for the life eternall where perpetually seeing God face to face we shall be most blessed with Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXVI To know the inward Motions when they are of the holy spirit when of the malignant spirit and when of a mans proper spirit I Remember to have written in an Epistle in what sort men in this present life are moved to all things with one of these three spirits with the holy and divine spirit with a mans own and evill spirit with the malignant and diabolicall spirit And because I understand how much it imports to the who attend unto Christian perfection to be wise to know with what spirit they are moved to worke or not to worke I come a new to consider that we who attend to Christian perfection doe well know that to obtain that which we seek which is immortality and eternall life it becomes us to follow the motions of the holy spirit and to fly those of the Malignant spirit and to contrast with those of our own spirit Farther I consider that it befalls many that not knowing how to make difference between these Motions thinking to follow the holy spirit they follow the malignant spirit or goe after their own proper spirit Their error proceeding not because they know not where away they ought to goe for they well know they ought to goe towards eternall life nor because they know not the way for they know well that the way is piety justice and holinesse but from their not knowing in what thing properly piety justice holines doe consist for in case they knew it they would draw nigh to know when they are moved by the holy spirit when by the malignant spirit and when by their own proper spirit For in as much as a man goes on knowing in what thing properly piety justice and holinesse doe consist his eyes goe on opening to know when he is moved by one spirit and when by another without which knowledge a man that attends to Christian perfection is much like unto a ship which stands in the midst of the sea not knowing with what wind to saile because it hath lost the needle Having afterwards considered how that all this is true of which there is none that attends unto Christian piety but can give testimony I am come likewise to consider that after that a man who attends unto Christian piety knows that he travells towards life eternall and knowes that the way is piety justice and holinesse it is necessary that he should know that holinesse consisteth in the election of God that is that they only are holy whom God chooseth and accepteth for himselfe that justice consisteth in believing in Christ that is that they only are just who believing make Christs justice theirs and that piety consists in approving for good all that which God workes and to be contented therewith that is onely they are pious who with their mindes approve that which God workes and in such manner content themselves that they would not change nor alter it though they could For I understand that this being known a man begins to approach to know the motions of the spirit when they are of the good spirit and when they are of the evill spirit and when they are of a mans own spirit For as much as he holds for motions of the good spirit all those things which goe directed to answer unto the vocation of God to say with S. Paul Lord what wilt thou that I should doe And with Ananias Behold Lord here am I And all they which goe directed to believe in Christ to say alwaies Lord increase my faith And all they which goe directed to remit themselves in all things and altogether to God to suffer themselves to be ruled and governed of God approving and holding for good all that which God doth The selfe-same holds for ◅tions of the evill spirit all those which are contrary to these Hee holds for motions of his own spirit those which although they be not contrary to these are not cōtrary to himselfe By this I suppose every person who shall keep strict accompt with himselfe shall much approach to the true knowledge of the Spirits to understand with which of them he is to walk And I suppose that he should more and better approach certifying himselfe that those are motions of the holy Spirit which shal draw him to the imitation of Christ principally In as much as he was most obedient to his eternall Father in as much as in him was perfect charity in as much as hee had profound humility and most great meeknesse For it is certain that the holy spirit in them who are the members of Christ being the selfesame which was in Christ it doth inspire and move them unto that unto which it did inspire and move Christ he as head and as the lawfull Son we as members and adopted sonnes And certifying himselfe likewise that those are motions of the malignant spirit which are contrary to these And that those are motions of a mans own spirit which doe draw a man unto his proper interest to his proper honour glory to his proper recr◅ation satisfaction And moreover I doe not say hereby that he doth ascertain himself in making this difference of spirits in knowing these motions but I say that so a man comes approaching thereunto reserving the perfect and intire knowledge to thē who haue it by particular guift of God who know Satan even when he transforms himselfe into an Angell of light when he offers and propounds unto them things of apparent piety justice and holinesse to which time these advises doe properly belong it being as it is a very great inconvenience into which men fall when they erre pretending piety Finally I resolve my selfe in this that the man who desires to travell to God with prosperous winde pretends to recover in this present life the image of Christ setting Christ before his eyes and bringing himselfe to follow those Motions which Christ would haue followed and to contrast with those motions which Christ would not haue followed And this is that perfection which is proposed to all of us that are the members of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXVII That all the creatures were spoyled in mans
sonne would not for all that ac◅ompt themselves pardoned and so not return to the kingdome And I understand likewise that neither that Prince to whom this should thus happen should attaine his intention in as much as hee sent his sonne to no other purpose then to the end that being acknowledged for his Sonne hee might bee credited in that which hee manifested so neither doth it seem that God attaines his intention in those who knowing Christ for the sonne of God yet not giving confidence to that which hee gives them notice of on Gods behalfe doe not esteem themselves for reconciled to God He attaines his intention onely in those who knowing Christ to be the son of God and giving confidence to that which hee gives them notice of on Gods behalfe doe accompt themselves for reconciled to God and so for pious for just and for holy It is very true indeed that the knowledge which they haue of Christ as the son of God who feel not themselves reconciled to God cannot properly be tearmed knowledge being more properly opinion then knowledge for were it knowledge it would work in them the same effect that it doth in others certifying them of their reconciliation with God and giving them peace in their consciences And moreover know that by Letter S. Paul understands all that which a man doth saith thinketh without being inspired thereunto by God albeit they be such matters as other men have said done and thought being inspired thereunto Letter it was in S. Peter when in Antioch he severd himselfe from the conversation of the Gentiles because he would not scandalize the Iews and Spirit it was in S. Paul when he did reprehend him for it Know further that by Faith S. Paul understands the credit that a man gives to the pardon generall which Christ published which is now in Christs name on Christs behalfe published And that by Hope he understands the patience and sufferance wherewith a man that believes doth hope for the accomplishment of that which he believes without being wearied in his hope and without giving over the pursuit of that which he hopes for And that by Charity he understands that inward bowelly affection wherewith a man that believes and hopes doth loue that which he believes and that which hee hopes for loving God and Christ from whom and by whom he hopes to obtain that which he believes that which hee hopes and that which he loves and loving also all those things that are Gods and that are Christs Know moreover that by the Justice of God S. Paul understands the perfection of God As we when wee would signifie a man to be perfect say he is just our meaning being this that there is nothing in him that is not very good and in effect that there is nothing wanting to him By the Grace of God he understands the favour that God shews unto a man in drawing him to accept the pardon generall and in maintaining and increasing him with other inward favours which are called Grace inasmuch as God bestows them graciously without any respect of desert onely because it is his will That by the Guift of God he chiefly meanes his having given Christ unto us to the end that the rigor of his justice being executed on him we should hold for certain the pardon generall and hee understands particularly those outward guifts of the holy spirit which in S. Pauls time were in abundance cōmunicated to them that believed That by sinne he almost alwaies understands the affection and the appetite to sin which lives in a man through his naturall depravation and through his acquisite and I say almost in as much as some times he meanes by sinne the sacrifice for sinne That by the Old man he understands the man that is not regenerated nor renewed by the holy Spirit And by the New man he understands the man that is renewed and regenerated by the holy spirit And know likewise that by Flesh by the carnall man by the body of sinne and by the law of the members he understands the selfe same that he doth by the Old man that is nature without the spirit and know that by the law of God he understands that which God gave unto the Hebrew people by Mos◅s which sometimes he termes the Law of death because it was its part to condemne and other where he calls i◅ the Law of sinne because it stirred up in men the affections and appetites of sinning That by the Law of the spirit he understands faith by Circumcision he meanes Iudaisme and by Vncircumcision he understands the state of the Gentiles And finally know that by Christian liberty he understands the degree state and dignity unto which God advanceth a man that accepts the grace of the Gospell who being regenerated and renowed and made the son of God is free and exempt from those things whereunto other men are subject in as much as he maintaines himselfe in his regeneration and renovation and doth not deprive himselfe of that sonship for which he is governed and ruled by the spirit of God Of all this you may serve your selfe as it were of a guide by meanes whereof you may understand many of the things which you shall read in S. Paul And because it may perhaps cause admiration in you to see that S. Paul setting himselfe to reprehend vices in some of them to whom he writes and admonishing them of those vices from which they ought to beware names certain vices which are shamefull even in the men of the world So that it may seeme strange that there should be any necessity of admonishing Christian persons touching those vices and that withall he scarce toucheth those vices which are more inward and more pernitious You shall know that in as much as in S. Pauls time there were some who made carnall licentiousnesse of Christian liberty and gave themselves unto vices and villanies it was necessary that S. Paul should touch them in those particulars wherein they did most sinne In such sort as it was needfull even in that time to seek redresse for outward vices in christian persons in as much as they did not esteem them for evill nor were not ashamed of them through the false perwasion which they had run into of christian liberty and because they had put an end to the esteem of the world But it is now needfull to apply remedy to christian men for their inward vices in regard that they partly for God and partly for the world doe abstain from outward vices suffering themselves to be overcome by the inward partly because they doe not know them for vices and partly because the world holds the want of these vices for a vice You shall find some things in S. Paul which you shall not feel in your selfe and other things which you shall not understand and some other which will seem strange to you And all these it seemes fit to mee that you should passe over not ca◅ing much to weary your selfe for the understanding of them in as much as the intention with which you goe about to read S. Paul is not to understand all that S. Paul saith but to frame your mind as God shall give you grace to understand feel and tast in S. Paul I also advise you that when you begin to read an Epistle you leave not to read the argument which you shall find written before it for it gives much light to the whole Epistle But in truth all these advises are nothing and there is one of much more availe then all these that is that when ever you shall take S. Paul into your hands you should commend yo◅r'selfe to God beseeching him that he would send his Holy Spirit that may be your guide in the reading and you shall endeavour to obtain it by meanes of the only begotten son of God Christ Iesus our Lord to whom be glory for ever AMEN FINIS ERRATA PAge 17. line 6. for execution in this manner read in this manner I desire to c. p. 21. l. 1. f. all good the works r. all the good works p 23. l. 22. f. there r. them p. 24. l. 11. f. believe a lye r. unbelieve a lye p. 29. l. 18. f. perceiving r. persevering p. 29. l. 27. f. dispose r. dispoile p. 34. l. 23. f. once r. one p. 35. l. 22. f. by good r. be good p. 39. l. 25. f. meeter r. meet p. 45. l. penult f watchfulnesse r. watchfull p. 50. l. 28. f. peace and conscience r. peace of conscience p. 82. l. 24. f being a man r. being in a man p. 89. l. 20. f. doth reach unto r. doth not reach unto p. 98. l. 3. f. vocation of r. vocation to p. 103. marg f. omnes homo r. omnis p. 105. l. 1. f. that his piety r. that if his piety p. 109. l. 8. f. knowe r. knowing p. 116 l. 6. f. that then holy spirit r. then the holy spirit p. 172. l. 25◅ f. whilest his soul in his body r. his soul in his body p. 193. l. 24. f. Psal. 75. r. 95. p. 198. l. 12. f. felicity r. facility p. 208. l. 30. f. begins love r. begins to give love p. 220 l. 20. f. proceed r. precedes p. 222. l. 9 f. of man r. to man p. 227. l. 10. f. and it was r. it was p. 239. l. 24. f. the waies r. these waies p. 240. l. 35. f. would r. should p. 241. l. 29. f. justice r. justify p. 244. l. 12. f. purposes in such manner r. purposes and desu◅ in c. This note is the French Translators This note is the French Translators These 32 and 33 Consideratio◅s being read together may vindicate the Authors good meaning from his dubi ous and offen sive expressions in the present Consideration See the Preface This XXXVI Co◅sideration saith the translatour seemes expressed in difficult and ambiguous words which may justly breed exception if so it bee not taken altogether I confessed saith he it is one of them which I doe not fully understand See the Preface Hoc est omnes homo The Weeke before Easter Pretending ◅erit
should pretend to have them all of him 42 In what sort a pious person ought to governe himselfe in the state of prosperity and in inward adversities 43 How a pious person may assure himselfe to have obtained piety and justification by the spirit and not by humane wisdome 44 In what manner a man shall know what frâ—…it heâ—… hath made in mortification and what is the cause that they who apply themselves to piety are sollicited by affections and appetites with which they were never before sollicited 45 Whenâ—…e the feare of death proceeds in pious persons and that it is a signe of Predestination for a man to content himselfe that there should be another life 46 That they who walke through the Christian path without the inward light of the holy spirit are like unto them that walke in the night without the light of the Sun 47 Foure Countersignes to know them by who pretend piety and the spirit not having either tâ—…e one or the other 48 That he who prayes and workes and understands doth then pray worke and understand as he ought when he is inspired to pray to worke and to understand 49 Whence it proceeds that humane wisdome will not attribute all things to God and in what manner they ought to be attributed to him 50 In what the depravation of man doth consist and in what his reparation doth consist In what Christian perfection doth consist 51 In what manner God makes himselfe to be felt and in what manner God makes himselfe to be seene 52 That a Christian ought to put an end to the affection of ambition which doth consist in growing and also to that which doth consist in conserving 53 In what matter the men of the world attending unto honour are lesse viâ—…ious then attending unto conscience 54 That prayer and consideration are two bookes or interpreters very sure ones to understand holy Scripture and how a man ought to serve himselfe of them 55 Against curiosity and how the holy Scriptures ought to be read without curiosity 56 Which is the most certaine and most secure way to obtaine perfect mortification 56 Whence it comes to passe that by the knowledge and sence of the things of God the flesh is mortified 58 Eight differences between them who pretend and procure to mortify themselves with their proper industry and them who are mortified by the holy spirit 59 That in the motives to pray the spirit doth certify a man that he shall obtaine that which he demands 60 Whence it proceeds that the superstitious are severe and the true Christians are mercifull and pitifull 61 In what manner a pious person governes himselfe in those things that befall him 62 That humane wisdome hath no more Jurisdiction in the judgement of their works who are Sonnes of God then in the judgement of the proper works of God 63 That the holy Scripture is like a candle in a darke place and that the holy spirit is like the Sunne this shewed by seven conformities 64 In what manner Jesus Christ our Lord will bee followed and imitated 65 How that is to be understood which S. Paul saith that Christ reigneth and shall reigne untill the resurrection of the just be made when he doth consigne his kingdome to his Eternall Father 66 In what manner the malignant spirit is more Impetuous then the holy spirit 67 That in the regenerate onely by the holy spirit there being experience of the things of God there is also certification of them 68 That the desire of knowledge is an imperfection in a man contrary to the judgement of humane wisdome 69 That a man ought alwaies to acknowledge himselfe incredulous and defective in faith and that there is so much faith in a man as there is knowledge of God and Christ. 70 In what those three guifts of God faith hope and charity doe consist and in what their eminency amongst othâ—…r guifts doth consist and the eminency of charity amongst the thee guifts 71 Upon the most holy prayer of Our Father 72 That man pretending that part of the image of God which did not appertaine unto him lost that part which did appertaine to him 73 That the Vnion betweene God and man is made by love that love growes from knowledge what a kinde of thing knowledge love and Vnion is 74 That it betides to pious persons in spirituall things as it befalls in outward things â—…o him who having beene blinde begins to see 75 How it is understood that God coummunicates unto us his divine treasures by Christ how God reignes by Christ and how Christ is the head of the Church 76 What thing scandall is and in what manner Christian persons ought to governe themselves in the scandall 77 Two contrarities betweene them that live according to the flesh and them that live according to the spirit 78 Two griefes one according to the world and the other according to God and two weakenesses one according to the flesh and the other according to the spirit 79 How perilous the errours be which men doe pretending piety 80 What Gods intent is demanding of mâ—…n that which of themselves alone they cannot give him and why he gives them not at once all that which he will give them 81 Two weaknesses in Christ and his members and Two Powers in him and them 82 In what properly consisteth that Agony which Iesus Christ our Lord felt in his Passion and in his death 83 Five considerations in the resurrection of Christ. 84 That only the incoporation in Christ is that which mortifies 85 Foure manners by which a christian knowes God by meanes of Christ. 86 To know the inward motions when thâ—…y are of the holy when they are of the malignant spirit and when of a mans proper spirit 87 That all the creatures were spoyled in mans depravation and that they shall be restored in mans reparation 88 What the cause may be that God commanded man that he should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill 89 Six causes for which it seemes necessary that the Sonne of God should live in tâ—…at manner and that forme of life wherein he did live 90 In what the christian perfection the duty and dâ—…corum doe consist 91 That onely the Sonnes of God have certaine satisfaction in every thing 92 In what manner mortification is the proper countersigne by which we know our selves the Sonnes of God 93 That that suffering is most christian and most acceptable to God in which he that suffers findes least of his owne will 94 Three sorts of conscience one by the law naturall the other by the written lawes and the other by the Gospell 95 That men are incapable of the divine generation of the Sonne of God and of the spirituall regeneration of the â—…onnes of God 96 That then a man knowes himselfe a Pilgrim in this world when because God loves him the world persecutes him 97 Whether justification be a fruit of piety and
the selfe same as to command me that I should be like unto him and that I should doe as hee doth Secondly that the affection of revenge proceeds from a base minde and that the inclination to pardon proceeds from a generous Thirdly that a Christian man seeing that he can with greater ease pardon an injury then revenge it he knowes that God will have from him that which is very easie for him to doe and that which is more convenient for him and more profitable to him And by this meanes I know how great the love is which God beares unto men for whom he hath executed the rigour of his justice in his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. V. The difficulty that is to enter into the kingdome of God how it is to be entred and in what it consists NAturally man trusteth not himselfe of another man but in that which he cannot doe of himselfe nor also doth he put confidence in God except in that which hee knowes and sees that hee is not able to obtaine by meanes of any creature so great is the impiety of mans minde And hence it proceeds that he who hath greater favour of the creatures doth bring himselfe with greater difficulty to have confidence in God That this is true we may from hence understand that of infirme people they are onely brought to remit themselves to the will of God that have not the meanes to pay Physitians nor physique and they who although they have meanes are come to those tearmes that they have no more hope at all neither in the one or other of these things From whence I consider the perversity of man and I also consider the goodnesse of God in as much as he doth help and favour them who when they can doe no otherwise remit themselves to his divine will and for the rest he regards not how pious or how impious we be but only hath respect to this that he hath promised his help to them that shall remit themselves to him and that it belongs to him to maintain his promise That this is true we haue the proof every houre not only in that which we have of sicknesse but also in all other things that befall men in this present life This selfe same thing which we see by experience in outward things I hold for certain that we may also see in inward things forasmuch as a man is never brought to remit to God his justification nor his resurrection nor his eternall life untill he see and know that this cannot be obtained by meanes of the creatures Now considering that as well for outward as for the inward things the rich man hath the meanes according to his own opinion to bee able to serve himselfe of the creatures without remitting himselfe to the will of God that he should doe with him according as it seemes to him I know the cause why Christ saith that a rich man enters with difficulty into the kingdome of Heaven that is comes to remit himselfe unto the will of God and to suffer himselfe to be ruled and governed by God renoūcing the regiment and goverment of humane wisdome and renouncing the favour of the creatures Whereupon I gather that he whom God will set in his kingdome whether he be rich or whether he be poor first he opens his eyes that he may see his own impossibility and the impossibility that all creatures haue to bee able to giue him that which he pretends would haue And I consider that the difference that is betweene the Pious and the wicked when they recommend themselves to God consisteth in this that the wicked remits himselfe to God because he can doe no otherwise the Pious remits himselfe to God even when he might help and serve himselfe of the creatures and this as well in the outward things as also in the inward And I suppose that a man may come to know when he trusteth in God for inward things by that which he shall finde in himselfe touching his trusting in God for externall things They which are in the kingdome of God after this manner which I haue spoken of are the poore in spirit which Christ commends And such a one did David feel himselfe when he called himselfe poore and a beggar And they as I understand haue impart obtained that which is demanded when we say Thy Kingdome come And considering the felicity that doth consist in the being and persevering in this kingdome I understand the cause why Saint Iohn began his preaching from this kingdome and the cause why Christ began from the self same and the cause why he sent his Apostles for the self-same effect Whence I gather that the beginning the middle and end of Christian preaching ought to be to preach the kingdome of God and to enforce men that they should enter thereinto renouncing the kingdome of the world all that appertaines thereunto The men that are as it were natiue in this kingdome I consider that they are planted in God as a Tree is planted in the earth And as the tree maintaines it selfe and produceth Flowres and Fruits by the vertue which th◅ earth communicates unto it So he also that stands in the kingdome of God maintaines himselfe and produceth flowres fruits by the spirit of God which governeth ruleth him And he that is such is the sonne of God is just and shall arriue glorious and have everlasting life For he is conformable to Iesus Christ the sonne of God And he that is such a one doth as it were for vantage enjoy of the things of this present life litle or much according as it appertaines to the glory of God Between that which they that are without this kingdome of God know and understand of it by that which they read and by that which they heare and that which they who are in it understand and know of this selfe-same kingdome by that which they feel and that which they proue in themselues I know a much greater difference then between that which they know understād of the regiment and goverment of a most perfect King by that which they read by that which they heare being themselues out of the same and that which they know and understand of the selfesame regiment and goverment by that which they see and proue being themselues under the same I will adde this which in my judgement is to the purpose that according as the qualities of the hearbs that are in the selfe same medow are different so they doe diversly participate of the vertue of the earth some more some lesse and some in one manner and some in another Even so as the constitutions of them who are in the kingdome of God are different so doth God diversly communicate unto them of his spirit to him more to him lesse to him after one manner and to him after another and all are in the same kingdome all participate of the selfe
same spirit even as all the hearbs in the same medow doe all participate of the selfe same vertue of the earth And as the hearbs if they had sense would affirme that what hath been said of them is true so also they that appertain to the kingdome of God because they haue the spirit doe affirme that which is said of them to be true acknowledging it altogether from the favour of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. VI. Two depravations of Man the one Naturall the other Acquisite IN every man not quickned by the holy spirit I consider Two Depravations one Naturall the other Acquisite The Naturall I understand to be in that Not the child of a Day and in that I was conceived in iniquities and in that of S. Paul We were by nature the children of wrath and likewise in all those places of holy Scripture in which this humane nature of ours is condemned The acquisite I understand in that All flesh had corrupted his waies and in that of S. Pauls I was aliue once without the Law and generally in all those places of Scripture where the malignity of our flesh is spoken of From the Naturall proceeds the acquisite and by the acquisite the naturall is inflamed O◅ these two Depravations I understand that the natural cannot be repaired but by grace and I understand that they only are free from it who enter into the kingdome of God by faith and come to be the sonnes of God by the holy spirit which abideth in them In such sort that in them who knowing Christ by Revelation accepting the covenant which he made between God man belieue and because they belieue are baptized The naturall depravation is repaired and they remain onely with that which is acquisite from which they goe on freeing themselues by litle and litle the spirit of God helping them therein And whilst they goe freeing thēselues of it that which they offend is not put to their accompt of sin because they be incorporated in Christ Iesus and therefore S. Paul saith Nothing comes to them to condemnation The Depravation acquisite with the inflāmation of the Naturall I understand that as it was got by habit so it may be lost by habit and to this serue as I understand the Laws and Precepts which humane wisdome hath found out in such manner that a man may of himselfe free him selfe from the acquisite depravation and from the inflāmation of the Naturall as wee read that many did free themselues but he shall never be able to free himselfe by himself from the naturall depravation For from this as I haue said The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ doth free us CONSID. VII That God will that we should remit unto him the execution of all our desires IN effect it is true that we understand many things by experience which wee should not understand by knowledge I having oftentimes determined to doe many things the one more pious more holy and more Christian then another and having seen that as it were alwaies my determinations sorted out contrary to that which I determined and there having some pious holy and Christian things come from me without thinking thereon and without any deliberation of mine preceding I stood as it were confounded in my selfe not understanding in what this secret did consist I did not wonder that in things which I deliberated as a man the contrary should come to passe of that which I would but I did wonder that in the things which I deliberated as a Christian the same should befall me And finding my selfe in this confusion it came to passe that I read that deliberation of S. Peter Though I should dye with thee And considering that although the deliberation was pious holy and Christian the contrary of that which he deliberated befell himselfe I understand that the reason why my Deliberations came out contrary to me was because I did deliberate without consideration of the impossibility that is in mee to put in effect that which I did deliberate And over and aboue I understood that although God chastised my inconsideratnes not suffering that to come to passe which I intended yet on the other side he satisfied my affections suffering that to come to passe which I did not procure nor hope nor pretend unto whence I haue gathered That the will of God is that I should depend on him in such manner that I should deliberate or propound nothing without holding him before mine eyes shewing unto him my good will and remitting the execution of the same to him And that as well in things which appertaine to the outward and corporall living as in those things that apper tain to the inward and spirituall living This will of God doth so much restrain that although I know that this which I haue said is that which he would have from me I dare not determine saying I will do it accordingly for I know that impossibility of mine and not daring to deliberate I dare desire to conform my selfe alwaies with this will of God and to remit to God the Execution of the same and I assure my self that God for his mercy shall favour mee in this good designe of mine And I understand that in this manner I ought to govern my selfe in all things There will come to mee a new desire to haue confidence in God in all things I will remit my selfe to him that he should put this designe of mine in execution in this manner I desire to govern my selfe in Charity in Hope in Mortifications simplicity in all other things which may make me like unto Christ like unto God and in all those things that may redound to the corporall and spirituall profit of my neighbours in such manner as the desire stand aliue and entire in me and the execution of it remaines remitted unto the goodnesse of God In this selfe same manner I pray every Christian person to govern himselfe or to speak better to suffer himselfe to be governed of God certifying him that God will not only fulfill his desires but content him with many other things which though he neither thinks on them hopes for them nor desires them shall be effected by him to the glory of God to his own edificatiō his neighbours This God shall doe through Iesus Christ our Lord. For confirmation of these things which haue beene said I consider that a man naturally determines onely of those things which he supposeth to be in his own power to doe or not to doe In as much as no man determines to cause that it should raine or be faire weather Whence I gather that our Determinations shall never want of arrogancy and presumption if we shall think that to be in our power which is no more in our power then to cause Rain or to make faire weather Wherfore we ought not to determine but to desire and to remit to God the execution of that which we desire Together
that this perfection of his which seemes to us to redound to the dammage of man should no lesse redound to his benefit then all the other he did determine to execute upon his own proper Sonne all the rigour of that Iustice which he ought to haue executed against all men for all their impieties and sinnes to the intent that men holding this truth for certain that God hath executed the rigour of his Iustice on his own proper Sonne may know that it is as beneficiall to them that God is Iust as that he is mercifull it being certain that administring Iustice he cannot fayle to sa◅e them they having accepted for their own that Iustice which was executed on Gods own Son Whereby I understand and certifie my selfe that God revealed unto the Saints of the Old Testament how that his justice ought to be executed upon his own proper son Iesus Christ our Lord and therefore they might certainly hold that it was no lesse favourable for them that God should be Iust then merciful together with all the other perfections that are attributed unto God Furthermore I understand that those men which are not certifi'd by revelation that God hath executed on Christ the rigor of his Iustice as we haue said doe alwaies feare the judgement of God and it is grievous unto thē that Iustice is in God for they doe not finde how to bee able to satisfie it From this feare superstitions grow seruples grow and ceremonies grow From all which we are free that are come by revelation to the knowledge of Christ being certain that God being just he will not twise punish Let us belieue the Gospell which doth certifie us that we were punished in Christ and in this let us assure our selues knowing that God is Iust and that wee haue been already punished on the Crosse In Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XII In what manner the Reason of our inward man serves us to that which the Eyes of our outward Man HAving often said that to stand and persevere in the kingdome of God it is needfull for a man to mortifie in all things and altogether his reason and his humane prudence it is doubted this being true to what purpose God put Reason in a man since hee will not haue him to serve himselfe thereof whilst he abides in his kingdome To this it seemes to me that I may answer resolutely that God put reason in the inner Man to that end for which he put the Eyes in the outward Man For as much as the outward eyes are able to see the Sun not of themselues but with the selfe same Sun and likewise all those things which the Sun discovereth so the reason which is in the inward Man is able to know God not of it selfe but with the selfe same God likewise all those things which God manifesteth The first man priding himselfe of his reason would know God without God as if one would see the Sunne without the Sun and he deprived himselfe of the knowledge of God and was left to the goverment of his own reason And he and all they that haue imitated him procuring to know God with their own reason onely by meanes of the Scriptures and of the Creatures are moreover more rash then they who being unwilling to see the Sun with the Sun should endeavour to see it with the light of Candles Now this being true we may understand that God hath put reason in man to the end that with it hee might know God but with God and not by his own discourses It is meet that God should require of man that hee mortifie his own reason in as much as it presumes to know God and the things of God by it selfe alone without the spirit of God if so be he desire to know God and to abide in the kingdome of God in such manner as hee ought Of this Mortification wee haue already at other times spoken and said that it is that which Iesus Christ our Lord discovereth unto us CONSID. XIII A comparison which shewethin what the benefit which the generation of mankinde hath received from God by Iesus Christ doth consist A Certain great Kings Vassals rebelled against him for their rebellion he condemned them to death deprived them of their goods droue them out of his kingdome being condemned deprived and driven out they set themselves to serve other Kings strangers and enemies to their naturall King Things standings thus for some space of time the king that was benigne toward his vassalls desiring to reduce unto his kingdome those that went wandring and banished first of all he executed the rigour of his justice upon one sonne of his and afterward he fent to make publike proclamation throughout the whole world in the which he declared that his justice was already satisfied and that he generally pardoned all those that had rebelled against him exhorting them to return unto his Kingdome and promising unto them entire restitution of that which theyhad lost They which were culpable in the rebellion heard this Proclamation of which some pretending that they had not run thereinto would not accept the pardon it seeming unto them that accepting it they should make thēselves to haue been Rebels Others although they knew themselues Rebells would not giue credit to the Proclamation it seeming to them too strange a thing that the King should pardon them because his Son had been obedient to him Likewise some others although they knew themselves Rebels although they held the Proclamation for certain although they took copies of it they them selves published it notwithstanding all this they dared not to return unto the kingdome but rather by all waies and meanes possible to them they bestirred themselves to obtain pardon of the King with services gifts and presents by no meanes willing to enjoy the Kings liberality or the obedience of the Kings Son And so not comming to the kingdome their estates were not restored unto them and so neither these nor those other enjoyed the generall pardon in such sort that as much as belonged to them it was no more then if it had never been made There weresome others who knowing themselves Rebels and giving entire credit to the Proclamation having confidence in the Kings word accepted the pardon general and came unto the kingdome submitting themselves in all things and altogether unto the regiment of their own King And although at the beginning they doubted somewhat of the pardon and so much the more as they saw that their estates were not presently restored unto them notwithstanding perceiving not to depart from the kingdome and seeing that the King used them well and that by litle and litle he went on restoring unto them that which they had lost by their rebellion they likewise went on certifying themselves to haue obtained the pardon and found themselves most contented in h◅ving come to serve their own King and to abide und◅r his regiment and goverment And because they
of the infirmity of his minde feeling himselfe much mortified and much quickned ought not to liue negligently nor to debauch himselfe or put himself out of hisown way in the dealing and conversations of men and in intermedling with the outward things of the world being afraid to return to his former infirmity by the depravation of his minde considering that the relapses of the minde into sicknesse are more dangerous as well as the relapses into bodily sicknesse albeit God himselfe doth ever keep from this kinde of falling those that haue got health by regeneration and renovation which the holy spirit causeth in those who are incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXI The difference of Sinnes and Sinners The Obligations of Piety The Signes of Piety and Impiety ALL Men that sin sin either against themselues or against their neighbours or against Christ or against God They sin against themselues defyling their bodies with carnall vices and with Drunkennesse depraving their mindes with Ambition with Envy and with Wrath For whilst they occupy themselves in these matters besides the naturall depravation with which they are born they adde corruption to their manners They sin against their neighbours doing them evil and dammage in their persons in their estate in their honour and fame and giving them evill example and evill doctrine They sin against Christ justifying themselues by their own works for thereby they shew that they giue no credit to Christ touching the Covenant of Iustification which covenant he made between God Man shedding his blood I say they declare that they do not hold it for a thing firmly established that they doe not rely upon it They sin against God when they resent themselves and are grieved touching that which God doth For in grieving themselves resenting themselves and afflicting themselves they shew that they doe not content themselves thereof And this discontent of men proceeds in that that they esteem it not good and their esteeming it not to be good proceeds from this that they haue not a good opinion of God upon which selfe same ground they grow in the end even to hate God Now they who sin against themselves sin against the dignity of a man they who sin against their neighbour sin against Charity they who sin against Christ sin against the Faith and they who sin against God sin against naturall Piety They who sin against themselves sin also against their neighbours in as much as by their sins they giue evill example and they sin against Christ in as much as by their sins they make Christian religion to bee evill spoken of they sin against God in as much as they are convinced in themseves either by the Law or by their own judgements that they offend God in that which they doe They who sin against their neighbours sin likewise against themselves augmenting their proper depravation and corruption they sin against Christ depriving themselves of Charity which is the proper counter-signe of Christian Piety and they sin against God being convinced in themselves either through the Law or through their own consciences that they offend God in that which they doe They who sin against Christ sin against themselves depriving themselves of justification and consequently of the kingdome of God they sin against their neighbours in giving them examples of incredulity and they sin against God for in offending the Son they offend the Father and offending him that is sent they offend him that sent They who sin against God sin against themselves depriving themselves of piety against their neighbours by giving them evill example against Christ for the selfe-same respect that they doe who sin against Christ they sin against God for the union which is between Christ God From hence I gather that a man owes to himselfe purity and cleannesse which is got by mortification of the appetites and affections which are according to the old Adam He owes unto his neighbours Loue and Charity with good example and good doctrine To Christ Faith and to God Piety And I understand that as unto Faith there is also annexed certain hope of the resurrection and life eternall so unto piety is also annexed the worship in Spirit and in Truth Furthermore I gather that to liue licentiously and vitiously is a signe of depravation and corruption To liue hurtfull to his neighbour is a signe of malignity and iniquity To liue superstitiously and ceremoniously is a signe of incredulity and diffidence To liue discontent for that which God doth is a signe of Impiety As on the contrary to liue chast and pure and modest is a signe of mortification to liue without prejudicing any one is a signe of Charity and goodnesse To liue with peace and conscience is a signe of fidelity and confidence To liue contentedly touching every thing which God doth is a signe of piety and holinesse Whereupon I understand that as mortification and charity are gotten only by Gods gift so likewise that faith and confidence piety and holinesse mortification and charity are conserved and encreased in a man by the spirit of God even that which is obtained through Iesus Christ our Lord. I will adde this further that in those things wherein men sin against themselves and against their neighbours if so be they sin through weaknesse and infirmity presently after they haue sinned they are sorry and repent considering the offence of God and the hurt of their neighbour of themselues And in those things wherein men sin against Christ and against God if they sinne through weaknesse and infirmity they doe the self-same considering the offence of Christ and of God the ill example of their neighbour and their own dammage And furthermore as they that sin in carnall vices find satisfaction in their sins when they sin through wretched wilfulnesse so also they who sinne against Christ in outward justification against God being grieved at those things which God doth if so bee they sin through incredulity and impiety they are to finde satisfaction in their own works and in their own opinions And by these counter-signes may a man know when he sins through frailty and infirmity and when through wretched wilfulnesse and incredulity alwaies setting before his eyes the light of the Spirit which is obtained through Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXII For what reason God sometime giues a godly man a Child and suddenly takes him away EXamining with my selfe what God intends when he bestowes upon a godly person a child a few daies after takes him away again I suppose hee intends that self same which we intend when wee giue an Infant a thing and seeing him much delighted therewith and desirous to make experiment of his minde and inclination we take it away again And as I understand the matter as we haue a good conceit of that child whom wee see with the same cheerfulnesse to let goe the thing when we take it from him with which he took
it when wee gaue it unto him and that as we haue an evill conceit when we perceiue him to be sorrowfull grieved and weep and thereupon we oftentimes upon this occasion knock and beat him so God willing to make proof of a pious person and of his mortification giues him a Son when he sees him joyfull takes him from him And if the said person leaue his son when God takes him away with the selfesame joyfulnesse with which he receaved him when God gaue him he giues good signe of his piety and holinesse if he be sorrowful grieved and weeps he giues an ill signe of his piety and a worse of his mortification and sometimes it comes to passe that God for this cause the more sharply chastiseth him even in that which most grieveth him One difference there is that wee giving the thing to the childe and taking it away intend to prove him to know him and God in bestowing a sonne upon a pious person and taking him away intends that the said person should know himselfe that hee should understand how far he is proceeded in piety how far he is proceeded in mortification and he intends to exercise him in mortifications And it is a much more easie thing to God to giue a son to a man and to take him away then for a man to giue a Peare and take it away Together here with I understand that it belongs and appertaines to a pious person to demean himselfe with God when he deprives him of any thing which he hath given him how deare soever it be unto him as a well inclined child demeanes himself towards his father when hee takes from him the thing which he had given him But to this piety none ever come but they only who enter in at the gate and that is our Lord Iesus Christ. CONSID. XXIII That to him whom God disenamours of the world enamours of himselfe the selfe same things befall as doe to him that disenamours himselfe of one woman and enamours himself of another FInding my soule altogether barren and dry and as it were estranged from God understanding that this proceeded because God had hid his presence from me I thought to remedy this necessity of mine by reducing my memory that it should not think upon any other things then God Scarce had I made this deliberation â—…carce had I begun to put it in execution but I perceaved that although it be in my power to exercise my memory in God as in another thing yet for all that it is not in my power to make that my minde should feel the presence of God and so free it selfe from its barrennesse and drynesse and estrangement from God Furthermore I understood a very great difference between the state in which the soule that labours to haue God present findes it selfe from the estate in which it findés it selfe when God â—…auseth it to feel his presence And being willing to know in what this difference consisteth I understood it consisted in this that in one estate mans spirit worketh and in the other the holy Spirit worketh And so I resolved with my selfe that between these states there is the same difference that is between Flesh and Spirit Passing on further I understood that those men who upon their own designes for their own interresses desire endeavour to disenamour themselves of the world and enamour themselves of God not being inspired nor moved thereunto from the holy spirit are much like to those men who for their own designes and for their own interresses doe labour and endeavour to disenamour theÌ„selves of a base and vulgar thing and to enamour themselves of some other thing that is qualified with much worth not being incited thereunto either by the sway of their own proper affections or by the desire of the thing it selfe to which they would affectionate themselves I would say that the difficulties the distasts and the troubles are much alike which the one and the other make experience of and that neither these nor those doe ever obtain that which they pretend Furthermore I understood that those men whom God would disâ—…namour of the world and enamour of himselfe are much like to those men whom a qualified person would withdraw from another base and vulgar person and make enamoured of themselves I would say that almost the selfe same things befall to the one as to the other that with the same facility the one and the other both disenamour and enamour themselves and that almost the selfe same things betide the one and the other and that there are almost the selfe same conceits in the one and in the other For as the one is forwarded to unlove and to love by favours and cherishments and by outward demonstrations so the other is forwarded or to speak better is constrained to unlove and to love by favours and cherishments and inward demonstrations spirituall and divine One notable difference I finde that the one because he loves changeable things remaines alwaies with feare and the other because he loves stable things hath driven all feare from himselfe Furthermore I finde that the one of them hath his satisfaction in his owne power touching that which he loves by meanes of remembrance and the other stands alwaies at the mercy of God it not being in his owne power to be able to take or feele more satisfaction then that which God will give unto him causing him to feele and tast his presence And I understand that when the Person whom God would disenamour of the world and enamour of himselfe applies himselfe by his owne industry and by his owne exercises to enamour himselfe of God he doth experiment in himselfe that which he proves who for his own designes and for his own interresses would disenamour himselfe of the world and enamour himselfe of God In such sort that they who God disenamours and enamours can giue testimony of the estate of them who labour to disenamour and enamour themselves but these caÌ„not giue testimony of the state of those others Whereupon I understand that men toyle themselves in vaine that seek for their own designes to disenamour themselves of the world and to enamour themselues of God Furthermore I understand that they may judge themselves to be most happy who know that they haue not been moved of themselues to disenamour themselues of the world and to enamour themselves of God but haue been moved thereunto by the spirit of God Furthermore I understand that they who goe about disenamouring themselues of the world and enamouring themselves of God loose their labour when without being moved by him to loue they by their own industry by their own exercises seek to discover Gods presence when he hides it from them And when God withdrawing himselfe from them they for their own satisfaction would haue him present And above all things I understand that the proper exercise of them whom God would disenamour of the
only true things and oâ—… falsities they admit none in such sort that the difficulty of believing is rather a signe of Vocation then the easinesse He that believes by Revelation believes as much as he feels and because in those things which he doth not feel he findes contradiction he believes that which is inspired and revealed unto him and yet not that alwaies but when the Revelation and Inspiration and the inward sense is liuely and intire They who obtain this Faith Christ calls them Blessed and these selfesame are the sonnes of God And this is the faith that alwaies leads Charity and Hope in its company and without which it is impossible to please God That which purifies the hearts makes them clean quickens them Of which our omnipotent God make us rich by Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXX That God in communicating spirituall things untâ—…â—…s dealeth as in giving the fruits of the earth SEtting my selfe sometimes to accompt with God I say unto him in this sort Wherefore Lord when you call a person to your kingdome doe you not make him presently feel his justification Doe you not presently giue him thâ—… holy Spirit which should rule and govern him And why doe you not show unto him your presence To this it seems to me that he makes answer to me saying For the selfe same cause that I doe not make the graine as soone as it is sowne to spring so that it may be reaped This say I is the curse of sin And this other matter saith he is also through the curse of sinne Againe say I Since you haue done it with S. Paul and with some others why doe you it not generally with all For the selfe same cause replies he that I haue sometimes given men bread to eat without causing it to grow by the ordinary way willing to shew my omnipotency both in the one and the other As those persons say I Lord to whom thou hast given bread by extraordinary waies doe more acknowledge that bread from thy liberality then those other who haue it by ordinary waies even so also all thine elect would more acknowledge all their inward gifts from thy liberality if so be thou wouldst doe with them that which thou didst with S. Paul rather then guîding them as thou guidest them by an ordinary way I will saith God that both the one and the other should acknowledge from me that which they obtain by the ordinary way that so much the more as it seemes to themselves that they get it by industry and labour For in this thing I will that they should mortifie the judgement of theîr humane wisdome which mortification should not be necessary if they had these things by extraordinary way I will haue the labourer to labour the ground and to sow his seed and I will that hee shall attribute to me the fruit of all his labours I will likewise that the spirituall persons labouring and travelling themselves should submit themselves to believe and to loue and that they should so get iustification and the holy Spirit and I will that they attribute all unto me And hold thou it for certain that as the labourer should proue himselfe very rash that should think to gather much grain having the water at his command when he pleased and the Sun when hee pleased so likewise should that spirituall person be very rash who would hope to encrease much in piety having the inspirations in his own power when he would Whereupon hold for certain that he doth take the better who freely in all things and every where leaues it for me to doe without opposing himselfe in any thing and without supposing to governe by himselfe that which ought to be governed by mee With these Considerations I put my minde in quiet when I finde it impatient and not well enduring to expect God remitting my selfe in all things and every where to my God being assured that he doth govern will govern me in this Christian businesse according to my necessity through his only begotten Son Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXI That the liuelinesse of Affections is more dammageable then that of the Appetites and that it is necessary that both the one and the other should be Mortified EXamining in what properly the Liuelinesse of Affections and of the Appetites doth consist and when this Liuelinesse doth offend and when it doth not offend and verifyâ—…g that the Liuelinesse of Affections consisteth in the inward satisfaction that is according to the flesh that is when a man abides aliue and vigorous in rellishing with the senses of his minde the things that belong to the world such as are honours done to him selfe-boastings and that which is principall his reputatlon fame And I understand that the Liuelinesse of Appetites consisteth in the outward satisfactions that is when a man abides aliue and vigorous to rellish with his fiue bodily senses the thingâ—… that delight and content the sensuality And resolving my selfe that this Liuelinesse of Affections and Appetites is then hurtfull when he who hath it knowes it not nor understands it or doth not hold it for a fault nor defect and that then it doth not hurt when he that hath it knowes it and understands it and holding it for a defect and vice goes by litle and litle refrayning and mortifying it I come to consider which of the twois most dammageable and most contrary to the holy Spirit either the Liuelinesse of Affections or of that of the Appetites In this resolution I come first considering that the Liuelinesse of Affections holds the inward man aliue in the things of the world and that the Liuelinesse of Appetites holds the outward man in things of the Flesh. And I understand that by how much the soule is more worthy then the Body by so much is the Liuelinesse of Affections more contrary to the spirit then that of the Flesh. Furthermore I consider in this matter A certain person goes to a feast for his own satisfaction I would say to satisfie his Appetites in seeing hearing smelling tasting touching and another person goes to comply with the world for the satisfaction of him that makes the Feast And it will seeme that in him that goes for his owne satisfaction there is greater Liuelinesse then in him that goes for others satisfaction and it is not true for if in him that goes for others satisfaction the Affections of his own proper estimation of the honour of the world were not aliue he would not goe in such sort that albeit he doth not goe being drawn by his Appetites yet hee goes being drawn by his own affections and by theirs whom he desires to please It being very true that that person that goes for his own satisfactioÌ„ satisfies his own Appetites and he that goes for others satisfaction satisfies his own Affections and others It is cleare that the satisfaction of the Affections is more dammageable and more contrary to the
make themselves vicious and impious and not understanding it make themselves superstitious and miserable and understanding it knowing it feeling it and exercising it by the holy spirit become holy pious and just becoming very like unto Christ our Lord it is good that a man should apply himselfe to understand the Christian liberty craving of God his holy spirit which may cause him to know and feele it and likewise make him to exercise it And in this manner neither will the not knowing it make him to live with superstition and in misery nor the knowing it by humane spirit make him to live licentious in his manners and impious in his minde And to understand it know it and exercise it will make him to live without feare before God with holinesse and Iustice all the time of his life and will afterward set him glorious in life everlasting with Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXVII That they who know God by mens relation have a false opinion of him and they who know him by the holy spirit have a good THis is alwaies true that men frame their opinions and their conceits of those things which they know not according to the relations and informations that men give them of those things And it comes to passe that understanding that a man takes an affection to every thing which he seeth we hold him for vaine And understanding that hee doth delight to take money and gifts we hold him for covetous and understanding that he doth not pardon when hee is offended wee hold him for cruell inhumane and vindicative In like manner this is alwayes true that if it come to passe wee have need of such a man wee doe endeavour to gaine his good will with those things which are according to the opinion and conceit which we have of him by relation in which we continue and persevere untill such time as holding strait familiarity with that man by litle and litle wee goe framing other opinions and other conceits according to that which we our selves know of him Whereupon it comes to passe that now we doe not goe about to gaine his good will by those things with which we did at first following the Relation But by those things which according to our owne knowledge seeme to us to bee to purpose This selfe same betides us with God Men being deceived by humane Philosophy and by their owne wisdome and reason which doth reach unto the knowledge of God and being deceived principally by superstition and false religion they make relation that God is so delicate and sensitive that hee is offended for every thing that he is so vindicative that he doth chastize all offences that he is so cruell that hee chastizeth them with eternall punishment that he is so inhumane that hee de lights that we should evill intreat our persons in so much as to shed our owne blood which he hath given unto us and that we should deprive our selues of that substance which he hath given unto us to the end that wee should therewith maintaine our selves in this present life that he doth delight that we should goe naked and barefoot alwaies suffering That he is vaine and that presents doe please him and that he delights to have gold and goodly furniture and in summe that he delights himselfe of all those things in which a Tyrant doth delight and reioyceth to have from them that are subject to him According to this Relation which men make us of God we frame our opinions and our conceits of God and so much the more in as much as what men tell us by word of mouth we finde written in the writings of men And in as much as both they and we when we begin to read holy Scripture have already conceived this opinion of God and formed these conceits of him it comes to passe that not gathering the true fruit of holy Scripture which consisteth in the knowledge of God but rather stretching it out and understanding it according to that opinion and to those conceits which we bring with us by the Relation of men it befals us that the holy Scripture being the Relation of the holy spirit by meanes where of we might conceive a true opinion and right conceits of God we make it that it become the Relation of men and that it speakes not that which the holy spirit intends but that which humane ignorance imagines From whence it comes that men knowing that they have neede of God because they hold him for sensitive for vindicative for cruell live in continuall scruples in continuall feare and terror which are things that ordinarily beget hatred Because we hold him for inhumane wee evill intereat our own persons with fastings with watchings with disciplines and with all those other things which the flesh abhorres And in this we think much to please God Because wee hold him for covetous we offer unto him our goods and wee adorne him with ornaments of gold and of silver and of jewels And in summe because wee hold him for a Tyrant we demeane our selves with him in all things and every where as we demeane our selves with them that are Tyrants In this we abide and in this we persevere with God all the time that we frame our opinions and our conceits of God by the Relation that we have of men Whence I understand that whilst a man procures to gaine Gods good will by these things he shewes that the opinion and conceit that he hath of God is by mans Relation And if any man shall say unto me I doe these things to conforme my selfe with others but I have no confidence in them nor I esteeme them at all I shall answer him that it is a most difficult thing to understand whether he trust in them or no And I shall say unto him Wilt thou Brother understand whether thou trust in thē or no Examine thy selfe well whether thou finde satisfaction in doing of them or no whether thou hast a good opinion of them who doe them or no and whether thou hast an evill opinion of them that doe them not or no And so shalt thou understand whether thou hast confidence in them or no. And finding that thou hast confidence in them hold for certaine that the opinion and the conceit which thou hast of God is by Relation of men They who accepting the Gospell and through the Covenant of Iustification which is by Iesus Christ our Lord being made the sonnes of God and having familiarity with God know God and get a new opinion of God and frame new conceits of God not now by relation but by knowledge and experience and going unto the holy Scriptures with their new opinion and with their new conceits finde written in it the selfe same which they know and experiment They understand that God is patient mercifull slow to wrath estranged from revenge except it bee in them that are the vessels of wrath whom also God for sometime
tolerates and cōports Vnderstanding this they drive out of their mindes the scruples the fears the terrors they understand that God is full of such loving kindnesse that to give eternall life to men he sent into the world his own sonne made a man on whom he executed the rigor of his Iustice wherby they know that he doth not delight that men should euill intreat their owne persons but that they should in such sort be dispoiled of self-loue that being euill intreated upon whatsoever occasion they should not be grieved nor resent themselves And that he would not that they should deprive themselves of their goods but that they should possesse them in such manner that being by what ever occasion deprived of them they should not esteeme it for evill nor be sorrowfull and that it being necessary to leave them God calling them to the preaching and manifestation of the Gospell they should immediately leave them and deprive themselves of them Finally these persons holding this new opinion and these new conce◅ts of God knowing God first in Christ are Iust and holy and knowing that God delights himselfe of holinesse and Iustice they serve him in holinesse and Iustice. And also acknowledging God in these naturall things they content themselves of all thing after whatsoever manner they come to passe they follow willingly that order which God hath set without being grieved or resenting themselves for any of those things which befall them holding them all for good and just and holy although sometimes according to the Iudgment of humane wisedome they be judged the contrary And because they understand that God is delighted with this obedience and this mortification of humane wisedome in serving with obedience and with mortification they serve with piety In this they abide whilst they remaine in the opinion and in the conceits which are had of God by the familiarity and by the knowledge and by the experience that they have of God who accept ◅he covenant of Iustification which is by Iesus Christour Lord. They as I understand not only finde no satisfaction in those things which they doe who stand in that opinion of God and in those conceits of God which are had by Relation of men but if they be necessitated to doe them they feele displeasure and discontent And this displeasure and this discontent in these things I understand to be a good countersigne for to know that a man hath now lost the opinion and those conceits of God which are by Relation of men and hath obtained that opinion those conceits of God which are by familiarity and by the knowledge of God and by the experience of those things which are by the spirit of God By this Consideration I understand the cause why a person beginning to haue familiarity with God and to haue experience of the things of the spirit of God it seems every day to him that the knowledge of God is renewed in him that is that hee comes anew to know God and that by reason that holding a long time imprinted in his minde that opinion of God and those conceits which are by Relation of Men and not being able at once to dispoyle himselfe of them and going leaving them by litle and litle he goes on by litle and litle receiving that opinion and those conceits of God which are by the spirit of God Whereupon it comes to passe that it seems to him to make so many changes in the knowledge of God as those are which he makes in leaving his old opinion and his old conceits of God and in cloathing of himselfe of a new opinion and new conceits of God And because it is also more proportionable to the depraved nature of man to abide in the first then in the second in the old then in the new in that of Adam then in that of Christ in that of the Law then in that of the Gospell I understand that with difficulty doth a man spoyle himselfe of the old and cloath himselfe with the new And I understand that to a regenerate man and renued by the holy Spirit it appertaines to keep his mind all his life long attent to dispoyle himselfe of that opinion and of those conceits of God which are by Relation of men and to cloath himselfe of that opinion and of those conceits of God which are by Revelation of the spirit of God which is obtained by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXVIII By a comparison is shewed in what the errour of false Christians doth consist and what thing that is which true Christians doe THis is certain that all of vs would judge and hold them for very sots very fools who finding themselues banished from a kingdome by their demerits and there being presented unto them on their Kings behalfe a Patent subscribed with his name and sealed with his seal by which he pardons them and enables them to returne unto the Kingdome and they taking the Patent acknowledging the ◅ngs hand in it and the Kings seale should not care at all to co◅◅to the kingdome setting themselves to examine whether the seale with which that Pattent was sealed were of gold or of brasse and occupying themselues in adoring adorning it themselues alwaies abiding in exile and deprived of the kingdome and deprived of the Kings Grace procuring by other means and by other waies to haue that selfe-same which the King had freely and liberally given unto them by that Patent of his which they had read and acknowledged which they adore and obserue with reverence doing in it and with it that which is of no importance to them to that purpose for which the King sent it unto them For that which belonged to them to doe if so be they were wise were in receiving and acknowledging the Patent to come unto the kingdome and to accept the Kings Grace and afterwards to conserue and well keep that his Patent in testimony of their pardon and thereby should they know from the Kings hand and from his seale what ever concerned them to know By this comparison or similitude I understand what a man ought to doe presently after he comes to the knowledge of the Evangelicall preaching which is like unto a Patent by which God freely and liberally pardons all those misdoings by reason whereof we remain in exile and out of his kingdome and he doth enable us to return and to enter into it and to recover his favour and together with it his Image and similitude And I understand also how great and wherein the errour the sottishnesse and the folly of men doth consist who reading the Gospell approving it and holding it for true and yet not relying upon that which it promiseth nor entring into the kingdome of God nor making peace with God doe occupy themselues in examining verifying curious matters of God and of Christ such as appertain not to them and are not profitable unto them and doe occupy themselues in
the good which he findes in himselfe in such sort that he hath confidence in himselfe and not in God And it is cleane contrary And therefore the pious person finding himselfe in that first estate shall know and understand what he is of himselfe what his owne being is and the being which he hath from Adam and shall thinke because hee hath at other times felt the favour of God he feeles in that estate his disfavour for as much as none ever feeles the disfavour but he that hath felt the favour And so thinking shall assure himselfe of his election of his vocation and prededestination and shall say The selfe same God who without my desert hath at other times favoured me shall draw me out of this disfavour and returne mee unto his favour When a pious person shall finde himselfe in the estate of prosperity he shall know and understand that which he is through God and the being which hee hath from God and the being which hee hath through Christ and shall know in himselfe the presence of God unto which he shall attribute his loving his confidence his believing and his hope knowing that they are all the gifts of God having already knowne what hee is of himselfe what he is without God In this manner knowing himselfe in that first estate deprived of the presence of God and knowing God in the second state and beeing rich by the presence of God hee shall much augment himselfe in the knowledge of himselfe and in the knowledge of God And this as Solomon saith is all that belongs to a man He would say that herein consisteth all his being and all the perfection of a man that he should know that his being and his perfection comes from God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Addition I doe not meane that Iustification answers to Faith but that they who believe enjoy Iustification of the Iustice of God executed in Christ. And I understand that a man being Iust by this Iustice doth as much prize himselfe or esteeme himselfe or vaine-glory himselfe as much as the theife who is taken from the Gallowes in the Holy Weeke prizeth himselfe esteemes himselfe and vaine-glories himselfe for his deliverance Men never esteeme themselves but for that wherein they finde and know their owne proper vertue I speake of them who have good judgment And if any man shall say unto me wherefore doth S. Paul so much prize himselfe and glory for his being a Christian◅ I will answer him that S. Paul did not prize himselfe of himselfe for his owne glory but he did prize himselfe of Christ for the glory of God as the thiefe prizing himselfe for his deliverance glorieth not nor prizeth himselfe for his proper glory but prizeth himselfe as a man may say of the Holy Weeke for the glory of Christ. CONSID. XLIII How a pious person may assure himselfe to have obtained Piety and Justification by the Spirit and not by Humane wisdome FOr as much as I understand that amongst other things with which the evill Spirits disquiet and molest the thoughts of persons applyed unto piety one is to perswade them that the knowledge which they haue of God and of Christ and that understanding of the spirituall things of the holy Spirit is not gotten by them through Revelation or inward Inspiration as they obtaine it who are elected of God and as it ought to be to the intent that that blessednesse for which our Saviour pronounced S. Peter blessed may reach unto them but by humane wisdome by Iudgment and by humane industry as those men obtaine it who are not elected of God and therefore are neither held nor called blessed And because understanding this I desire that they who know God and Christ by the holy spirit should understand their good and their felicity I say that every pious person and just by the Iustice executed in Christ being sollicited with such imaginations and with such perswasions should for the first hold it certaine that his piety and his justification were not the worke of the holy Spirit he should not bee sollicited with such imaginations nor with such perswasions For flesh is never contrary unto flesh and it is alwaies contrary to the spirit And therefore the evill spirits who as David saith seeke ill thoughts serving themselves of the enmity that is betweene the flesh and the holy Spirit doe disturbe the Spirit with such imaginations and with such perswasions If they cannot by such meanes drive away from them such kinde of imaginations and perswasions let them compare that which they know of God and of Christ and that which they understand of spirituall things by the operation of the holy spirit himselfe with that which men of the world who are prized and esteemed for their wits and judgments and for their industries doe cōmonly understand who have read the same things which they have and have heard the same things which they have and pretend that selfe same which they doe And finding it as indeed they shall finde it that it is much different and very diverse and of another quality that which they know of God and of Christ and that which they understand of spirituall things by meanes of the holy spirit himselfe from that which commonly men know and understand They may well certify themselves that neither by wi◅ nor by Iudgment nor by humane Industry they have obtained the grace of Piety and the grace of Iustification b◅t properly by divine revelation and by divine inspiration and by the holy Spirit except they bee so presumptuous and so arrogant that they think themselves to have more wit and more industry and more judgment then other men But this thought is alwaies farre from those persons which are elected of God to the participation of the grace and favour of God which is preached amongst men in the Gospell of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XLIIII In what manner a man shall know what fruit hee hath made in Mortification and what is the cause that they who apply themselves to Piety are sollicited by Affections and Appetites with which they were never before sollicited I Vnderstand that when a person would understand the profit that he hath made in mortification I would say what affections and appetites he hath mortified he shall know it by examining himselfe throughly what affections and appetites he hath found alive in himselfe and intire being sollicited by them And considering what and which of them are now dead and mortified he shall understand what profit hee hath made in mortification For I understand that he who hath never felt the shame to speake of the Justice of Christ hath not mortified the affection of shame which is proper and naturall unto man And he that hath felt the shame and now no more feeles it he it is that hath mortified it as S. Paul had mortify'd it according as he shewes saying that he was not ashamed to preach the Gospell And I understand
them for this but for another And for a man to be thus not contented of this life only as I understand it is a great countersigne for a man to bee assured of his piety and of his Predestination For I hold for certaine that to them to whom God meanes to give eternall life hee doth also put a great love and great affection of it in such sort that hee who shall finde in his minde a desire that there were no other life let him hold himselfe impious although hee would choose to die and let him not despaire For albeit he be out of piety hee ought to thinke that God is able to draw him out of it as he hath drawn and doth draw all them that have beene and are in it And hee who shall finde in his minde a love of eternall life not contenting himselfe with ◅his present may hold himselfe for pious and for predestinated unto life everlasting although he feare death considering all this which hath beene said and above all that even the only Begotten Sonne of God feared Death Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XLVI That they who walke through the Christian path without the inward light of the holy Spirit are like unto them that walke in the night without the light of the Sunne ALL they who being guided only by their naturall light and by humane wisdome presume to understand the things that are of the Spirit of God to walk in the Christian way that is to live Christianly I liken them to a man that goes by night with the light only of his own eyes through a way that is full of dangers and inconveniencies And it seemes to me that as to such a one sometimes a piece of wood will seeme a thiefe and a stone an armed man and thereupon he will fly and be afraid and another time the water will seeme a stone and he will wet himselfe and the shadow will seeme to him a tree and thinking to leane to it he will fall on the ground Even so neither more nor lesse hee that walkes Gods way being guided by his naturall light is sometimes affrighted by those things which ought not to affright him and is sometimes secured and reposeth himselfe on those things on which he ought not to secure nor repose And so going hee goes on groping like a man amazed and without knowing what he doth Hee that walkes by the light of the holy Scripture and by the examples of Saints but without the Spirit I liken him unto one that walkes by night carying a candle in his hand and goes not altogether in the darke but yet notwitstanding he goes not without feare nor hee goes not secure in his minde nor certaine not to fall into many inconveniences Whereupon I understand that as to the traveller of whome I have spoken that travels by night by the light of his owne eyes only the best and most wholesome counsell that could be given him were that hee should stay in his journey whilst the night lasteth untill such time as the ◅unne were risen and would shew him the way and the things that are in it and he might travell being helped by the light of his own eyes Even so to him that walkes Gods way only with his naturall light with the testimony of Scriptures and with the example of Saints the best and most wholesome counsell that could be given him is that he should firme himselfe in his journey whilst the night of his owne proper blindnesse continueth untill such time that God send him his spirit by meanes whereof with his naturall light◅ and with his wisedome hee may be able well to understand the journee and to see all that is therein And if any person shall demand me saying How shall I doe to firme my selfe in this journey I will answer him Exercise not thy selfe in any thing pretending Iustification thereby nor Religion of any sort nor of any quality and pray God affectionately that hee would send thee his Spirit which may be unto thee as a Sunne in this journey wherein by thine owne wisedome thou neither knowest nor canst travell and stand attentive all the time that God shall deferre to send unto thee his Spirit applying thy selfe to all those things which offer themselves to thee in which thou knowest true piety without any mixture of superstition and content thy selfe of whatsoever God doth and be discontented of all whatever thou dost thy selfe This is that which I should say unto him And I understand that as if the sunne should breake forth altogether with all his splendor it would in such sort blind the eyes of the Traveller of whom I have spoken that he would not be able to make any more use of them then as if it were night Even so in like manner if the Spirit of God should at once give unto a person all that knowledge which he gives in lengh of time it would blind him and put him in greater inconvenience then at first And because this is true I understand that our God rich in liberality and in mercy gives unto us his spirit and he gives it unto us in such manner as it may helpe and not harme us not according to our appetites but according to his eternall wisedome by which as a good Father he governeth them who are his sonnes remaining incorporated in his only Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XLVII Foure Counter-signes to know them by who pretend piety and the spirit not having either the one or the other VNderstanding that the false Prophets of whom our Lord Iesus Christ counselleth us to beware because they shew themselves as Sheep and are Wolves are properly those who having entred themselves into Christian piety pretending by their own exercises and by their own industry to obtain the spirit of God and to become spirituall and not being able to compasse their intent remain alwaies impious in their minds although they dissemble and feigne piety as much as it may bee feigned with strange superstitiōns and other ceremonies which haue an appearance of piety understanding likewise that the cause why Iesus Christ our Lord ◅aith unto us That we should beware of them is because they are the most pernitious pestilence that can be for them who attend unto piety in as much as having ◅ost the shame of the world and having renounced honour and outward reputation and having lost the respect unto God and to all religion they doe only attend to doe all the dammage that they can to piety and to those persons that attend unto it finding the dore open thereunto by the communication and conversation that they haue with such persons Now desiring that pious and spirituall persons should know these kinds of Wolves that make themselus Sheep and knowing them should beware to converse and deale with them with that dove-like simplicity which they haue obtained through the holy Spirit using that serpentine wisdome which is naturall unto them I haue
considered foure countersignes whereby spirituall persons may discover whether he that comes unto them comes called of God or comes on his own designes being called by his own proper loue I would say whether he that despising that false religion which the men of the world follow would apply himselfe unto that true religion which the sonnes of God follow comes freed from the deceipt by his own wisdome and by his own humane reason or purely by the participation of the holy spirit For as I understand they who come to bee freed from the deceit of false religions by humane wisdome are alwaies impious and are pernitious to spirituall persons The first countersigne is The great affection to spirituall things being delighted in them and running after them with anxiety And I call spirituall things all those things which are properly of the holy spirit and are inward divine things such as are the reading of holy Scripture disâ—…urses of holy things continuall prayer and continuall adoration in the spirit that is for a man to bee contented with what ever God doth holding it for holy and for just and for good as much as the frailty of the flesh permits The second Countersigne is The totall abhorring of all those conversations and of all those readings of men and of books in which there is no part of the holy spirit to be seen For I understand that a man that hath truly tasted the conversation and the reading of those persons and of those books in which the holy spirit is cannot tast other men and other books and if hee doe rellish them it is a signe he hath not tasted those other The third Countersigne is To approue the things of the holy Spirit the conceits and the knowledges and the apprehensions that are obtained by the holy spirit and that with the minde and not with the wit Humane wisdome doth sometimes approue spirituall things not with the minde but with the wit and by opinion not by inward sense And I understand it that a man that hath the inward feeling doth easily know when one approves it with his minde or with his wit The fourth Countersigne is The Mortification of the minde and of the body of the minde in all the affections that are according to the world amongst which I put especially Curiosity in what way soever it come palliated and adorned and of the body in all the appetites that are according to the flesh Humane wisdome approues and teacheth mortification but however much it approue and teach it there never was yet nor never shall be man that without the Christian spirit I would say without remaining incorporated in Christ can obtaine it in such sort that it may not be easily discerned by him that shall in part haue got it by Iesus Christ our Lord. And therefore I resolve my selfe in this that pious and Christian persons may securely admit unto their conversation and acquaintance those men whom they shall see affectioned unto spirituall things drawn away and disenamoured from those things in which the holy spirit hath no part and those of whom they shall see the things of the holy spirit to be approved and in whom they shall see true mortification holding for certain that humane wisdome and humane craft sufficeth not to feigne nor to dissemble in all these things although it suffice for some of them even in this not altogether but in part And this part is easily discovered by pious persons and Christian to whom it appertaines to use the Serpentine wisdome in such sort that making use of these foure Countersignes they shall know those who come unto them making shew of sheep being indeed wolves and so doing they shall make use of that help which Iesus Christ our Lord gives CONSID. XLVIII That hee who prayes and workes and understands doth then pray worke and understand as hee ought when hee is inspired to pray to worke and to understand S. Paul in the 8 to the Romans understands that Prayer is one amongst those other things wherein in our weaknesses and infirmities wee are favoured of God and helped by the Spirit of God And so hee saith that we not knowing how to pray as wee ought the Spirit of God prayeth for us Whereby I understand that then holy Spirit prayes for us when it moves us and when it moves us to pray for then it prayes in us And I understand that he who prayes with the Spirit of God demands that which is the will of God and so hee doth obtaine what he will And he who praies with his owne Spirit demands that which is his owne will wherein consisteth the not knowing neither what nor how we ought to pray Mans minde is presumptuous and arrogant and not willing to yield that it knowes not what nor how it ought to pray saith I will crave of God that hee should doe his owne will and so I cannot erre and doth not consider that to pray in this manner comes because a man cannot choose and that peradventure it would not goe well with him nor is convenient that God should doe his will as it was not convenient for Ezekias when death was intimated unto him and that he doth not know how he shall content himselfe and conforme with the will of God But man not willing to give himselfe as overcome no not by this neither saith I will demand of God that he would cause that I should content my selfe with that which shall be his will and so I shall be sure to hit the marke and doth not consider that oftentimes it is better for a man not to content himselfe nor to conforme himselfe with Gods will as it was better for Hezekias and as it is better for those persons who grieving and resenting themselves for that which God doth come to re-acknowledge themselves and to know God and to humble themselves and to exalt God in such sort as will they nill they mans mind is forced to confesse that which S. Paul saith that we know not what nor how wee ought to pray And he who confesseth this understanding from the selfe same S. Paul that the Spirit of God praies for us and in us will apply himselfe to pray God that he would give him his Spirit to pray for him and in him When he that prayes by humane Spirit saith those words of the Pater noster Thy will be done albeit they be words spoken with the Spirit of God he doth not pray with the Spirit of God because hee doth not pray being inspired but taught And S. Paul doth not say That the holy Spirit teacheth us to pray but that he prayes by us and that hee prayes in us I will adde this That they who pray with their owne proper Spirit when they obtaine that which they demand in Prayer they feele in their minds a contentednesse mixed with pride and with selfe estimation and they who pray with the holy Spirit obtaining that which they demand
also the affections of the minde that might make them interressed and lovers of themselues and consequently remisse with their neighbours This mortification in them proceeding partly from that union which they hold in their hearts with God never forgetting themselues of God and principally from that incorporation with which they stand incorporated in the death of Christ who killing his own flesh on the Crosse did likewise kill the flesh of all them who believing in him are made his Members And they who remain in this never come to excuse their licentious liues in the liuelinesse of their mindes saying it pleaseth God they should be so nay rather finding in themselues any vice and finding in their minds any liuelinesse they know the reliques of their own iniquity rebellion and sin and demand of God that he should mortify them in them as he hath mortified the rest nor doe they ever become remisse in helping and favouring their neighbours except in as much as the affections that are according to the flesh and humane wisdome dying in them and those which are according to the spirit reviving they doe not move with an anxious affection of the flesh but are moved with a moderate desire of the spirit And in as much as they doe not feel in themselves any motion to help succour their neighbours they know that God will haue it so This I say because those persons that stand in this piety keeping good account with their inward motions hold those to be wills of the flesh which are not according to that which they knew to be the will of God And they hold those to be the will of the spirit which they know to be conformed to the will of God making this judgement by that which is the due of piety and that which is the due of justification and by that which the holy Scriptures New and Old teach and standing attent hereunto they overcome the motions which are according to the flesh and execute those which are according to the spirit And albeit they haue their imperfections by Gods will their desire is to become perfect And although they hold the sufferings of their neighbour to bee the will of God they hold likewise their motions to help and favour them to be the will of God And knowing in their own imperfections and in the sufferings of their neighbours the will of God which is with wrath and knowing in their own desires of perfection and in their motions to succour their neighbours the will of God which is with mercy loving the will which is with mercy and flying from that which is with wrath they doe attend unto perfection and doe attend to succour their neighbours remaining quiet when they doe not perceive any motion understanding it that God would haue them to remain quiet Having said that which moveth men not to attribute all things to God and that which may be answered unto it now I will say that which I think thereabout remitting my selfe to more perfect and spirituall iudgement In God I consider two wills as at other times I haue considered it one Mediate in as much as it workes by these which we call second Causes And the other Immediate in as much as it works by it selfe Vnto the Mediate I understand men stand subiect through original sin and from the Mediate I understand that men are exempted and freed by regeneration but in a certain manner I suppose that in a mans flying those things which by this Mediate will might doe him harme and in applying himselfe to those things which by the selfe same might doe him good a mans freewill doth consist all those things appertaining to good or ill being exteriour corporall to vertuous or vitious living in the outward To the Immediate will of God I understand generally all men are subiect God working in them in some with loue in others with hatred in some with wrath in others with mercy in some with favours and in others with disfavour And this will of God I understand is that unto which S. Paul saith men cannot make resistance and this I understand that God useth illustrating his glory and shewing his omnipotency in them that are his in such sort that in this Will of God there are two parts or two wills one of Hatred of Wrath and disfavour and the other of Loue of Mercy and Favour The first as I understand fell upon Pharaoh upon Shimei and upon them to whom God gaue the spirit of errour and upon Iudas and vpon those whom God delivered over to a reprobate sense And this selfe same I understand fell upon all those which are vessels of wrath as was Nero and as all they haue been and are and shall be who with malignity persecute the Christian spirit in those who are the Members of Christ. All these as I understand doe the will of God without understanding themselues that this is the will of God For if they did understand it they would cease to be impious and they would be pious That will of God which is of loue of mercy and favour I understand it in Moses and Aaron and David in the Saints of the Law and I understand it in S. John Baptist and in the Apostles and in the Martyres and likewise in all those who are called of God to the participation of the Gospell all which I understand doe fulfill the will of God for herein consisteth piety And I understand that neither Pharaoh nor Iudas nor those who are vessels of wrath could cease to be such nor Moses nor Aaron nor Paul nor those who are vessels of mercy in such manner that Iudas could not forbeare to sell Christ nor S. Paul could not forbeare to preach Chrîst Finally I understand that in those things which are done in the world by Gods Mediate will they who are vessels of wrath know the naturall order and know the goodnesse or malignity of men And I understand that in the selfesame things they who are the vessels of mercy know in the naturall order the wil of God who set this order and in that which is or seems to be goodnes or malice of men they know with the will of God the goodnes malice of men In the self same manner I understand that in those things which are done by the Immediate will of God they who are impious doe not know but only their own proper wills and those which are of them that doe them and I understand that in the selfe same things they who are pious know the will of God attributing all things to God considering in those who are the vessels of wrath as were Pharaoh Shimei Iudas and Nero the will of God with wrath with hatred and with disfavour and knowing in them who are vessels of mercy as those of the Hebrew people and those of the Christian people the will of God with loue with mercy and with favour And in this manner without doing iniury to
God without depraving themselves and without loosing charity nay rather illustrating the glory of God mortifying themselves and growing in charity they come to belieue that God doth all things some with his mediate will and others with his immediate will some as in vessels of hatred of wrath and disfavour and others as in vessels of loue of mercy and favour And those are they who amongst all men are pious knowing God and are iust knowing the Son of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. L. In what the Depravation of man doth consist and in what his Reparation doth consist In what Christian Perfection doth consist COnsidering that which I understand and know of Gods being in as much as he is impassible and immortall and in as much as he is wise just and mercifull faithfull and true and considering that which I understand and know of the being of a man in as much as he is passible and Mortall and in as much as he is ignorant impious vindicative false and a lier And understanding by the testimony of holy Scripture that man in his first creation was created after the Image and similitude of God I come to understand that there is as much difference from the kinde of being in which God created man to that kinde of being wherein hee now is and abides as from that being which I know of God to that being which I know of man And knowing by testimony of holy Scripture that for the sinne of the first man from that first perfect being and that being like unto God man is come to this imperfect being and like unto the being of other animals in as much as pertaines to his body and to the being of evill spirits as touching his soule I come to understand that the evill which is to come to mankind by the sinne of the first man consists in this that of impassible he is become passible subject to cold and to heate to hunger and to thrist with all other corporall incommodities and of immortall hee is become mortall subject unto death and of wise he is become ignorant of just impious of mercifull vindicative of faithfull false and of true a lier Whereby I understand that because the evill into which mankinde fell through sin toucheth men in their bodies and in their mindes the grace which God hath pleased to doe unto mankinde by meanes of Iesus Christ our Lord appertaines likewise both to bodies and to mindes and so it is that assoone as a man is called of God he doth accept for his the Iustice of God executed on Christ being made a member of Christ hee begins to be partaker of that first Reparation which is of the minde and is by the death of Christ And it is also true that that man who shall depart from this life a member of Christ shall be partaker of the last Reparation which shall be of the body and shall be by the resurrection of Christ and shall be in the generall resurrection of all men in such sort as they who are members of Christ by the death of Christ doe repaire the evill of their mindes in this present life if not altogether yet in part and they doe repaire by the resurrection of Iesus Christ the evill of their body in life everlasting and then shall they have recovered intirely that Image and that similitude of God with which they were created being in their bodies impassible and immortall and being in their mindes just wise mercifull faithfull and true in which I understand our whole felicity doth consist After that I have understood all this I resolve my selfe that the proper exercise of a Christian in this present life is to attend unto the reparation of his minde to recover the image and similitude of God with which he was created And albeit as I haue said so much of this is recovered as there is as a man may say of the incorporation in the death of Christ in a man neverthelesse I understand it appertaines to a Christian to exercise him selfe to recover it in this manner When he shall be sollicited by the depravation of his minde unto impiety remembring himselfe that God is just he shall say no to me it belongs to be just and not impious When he shall be sollicited unto revenge remembring himselfe that God is mercifull he shall say no to me it appertaines to be mercifull and not vindicatiue When he shall be sollicited unto wrath remembring himselfe that God is patient he shall say no to me it appertaines to be patient and not wrathfull When he shall be sollicited to falsity and lyes remembring himselfe that God is faithfull and true he shall say no to me it appertaines to be faithfull and true When he shall be sollicited to desire to bee esteemed and prized of the men of this world remembring himselfe that God is a Pilgrim and stranger in this present life he shall say no for to me it appertaines to be a pilgrim and stranger with God that I may be altogether like unto God And finally when he shall be sollicited to any thing which may redound to the hurt of his neighbour in any sort whatsoever remembring himselfe that God loues men so much that to repaire their evill and dammage in which they were thrown down headlong he gaue his own Son unto death hee shall say no to me it appertaines to haue loue and charity And so running through all those things with which a man may be sollicited by his own affections through the depravation of the minde he shall finde perfections in God with which he may represse them and so by litle and litle hee shall goe augmenting in himselfe the reparation of his minde which is the first thing and hee shall goe every houre more abilitating the reparation of his body which is the last And in this exercise I understand the Christian perfection consisteth I would say that 〈◊〉 is a Christian more or lesse perfect in this life 〈◊〉 â—…ch as occupying himselfe more or lesse in this exercise he doth obtain more or lesse of that part which is to be gotten in this present life of the image and likenesse of God with which he was created And for this cause I understand that our Lord Iesus Christ concludeth his discourses of Christian perfection saying Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect As if he should haue said Finally I say unto you that you attend to be like unto God in perfection He is perfect and you also attend to bee perfect as he is And this is properly a Christian admonition in as much as it is of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LI. In what manner God makes himselfe to be felt and in what manner God makes himselfe to bee seene HAving oftentimes said that to those persons who are entered into the kingdome of God accepting the grace of the Gospell God makes them to Feele his presence and to the selfe same he lets his presence
God knowing to pray as he ought he is heard in his prayer that being granted him which he demands Consideration as I understand ought to bee helped on mans part who considereth of spirituall things with his proper experience I would say that he who considers should haue proved in himselfe those things of which holy Scripture speaks in such manner that by what hee findes and knows in himselfe ◅e comes to understand that which is written in holy Scripture They who consider without this experience goe in the dark and goe groping and albeit they sometimes divine and some other times they doe hit right not having the proofe thereof in themselues they neither know whether they doe hit right nor rellish that wherein they doe hit right And they who are in prayer helped from the holy spirit and in consideration are helped by their own proper experience oft-times hitting right or rather as it were alwaies they doe both know that they hit right and they doe rellish that wherein they doe hit right To bee better understood I declare my selfe with two authorities one of S. Paul and the other of David daring to put the example in my selfe I say that reading that of S. Paul Even as the testimony of Iesus Christ is confirmed in you willing to understand it well first I will work with the book of prayer praying God that he will open unto me the way for the understanding of these words and in my prayer I stand steady as much as I can keep my minde firme in it Afterwards opening the book of consideration I begin to consider within my selfe of what Christian matters I haue any experience and I begin also to examine what is that testimony of Iesus Christ which hee brought unto the world And finding in me the government of the holy spirit and feeling my selfe justified in the justice of God executed in Christ which two things are so joyned together that a man can hardly understand which of them he feels most either the goverment of the holy spirit or the justification by faith and understanding that the testimony which Christ published unto the world doth principally resolve it selfe into two parts that is into that The kingdome of heaven or the kingdome of God which is all one drawes neere and into that which he speaking of his own bloud saith For you and for many it shall be shed to remission of sinnes Of which two parts one hath intent unto the kingdome of God which is begun to be felt and tasted in this present life and is continued and perpetuated in life eternall the other un◅o the justification that is by Christ I come to resolve my selfe that S. Paul understood that the Corinthians might testifie by their proper experience that Christ spake the truth in the testimony which hee gaue unto the world as well touching the comming of the kingdome of God as also of justification by the justice of God execured in his most pretious flesh And I understand that so much a man may call and judge himselfe a Christian in as much as he hath this testimony of Christ our Lord confirmed in himselfe In like manner willing to understand that of David For I am a stranger with thee c. and having opened the book of Prayer I open that of Consideration and I goe examining in what manner I am a Pilgrim and stranger in this present life And finding that I am such in as much as I am not knowne nor am prized nor esteemed in the world and in as much as I doe not prize nor esteem the world And finding likewise that God in this selfesame manner is a Pilgrim in the world for he is not known nor prized nor esteemed in the world and because he neither prizeth nor esteemeth the world holding it for that which it is I understand that David would say Lord because the world doth that with me which it doth with thee and I doe that with it which thou dost And I understand that in this manner the Saints of the Law were strangers with God and in this manner are the Saints of the Gospell amongst them as the head the Son of God our Lord. In this manner I understand a man is to serve himself of these two divine books and I understand that the one helps the other marvellously And I also understand that he who can consider with his proper experience doth alwaies erre when he sets himselfe to consider without having first opened the book of Prayer And I think that alwaies as it were when this selfesame is moved to pray motion is the instinct of God Out of all this I gather that this being true that the true understanding of the Scripture ought to be sought by meanes of these two interpreters or books which are Prayer and Consideration and that prayer needs to bee helped with the inspiration of God and Consideration with the experience of that man that considers it is also true that to the pious Christian who sets himselfe to holy Scripture it appertaines to liue in a continued desire that God would giue unto him his holy spirit and to attend to the mortification of all that which is flesh humane wisdome in him to the intent that vivification may succeed to mortification for they only who haue begun to be mortified and to liue can consider by their own proper experience for they onely feele in themselves the spiritual gifts of God which they obtain who belieue in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LV. Against curiosity and how the holy Scriptures ought to be read without curiosity MAns minde desires to maintain it selfe aliue and to conserve it selfe in its liuelinesse with divers meats amongst which as I understand Curiosity is that which most pleaseth it and most satisfieth as well in regard of it selfe as that alwaies there goes ambition and vanity mingled therewith And I understand that this Curiosity is so savory unto the minde of man that it feeds thereon in what manner soever this meat be seasoned dressed so that it be Curiosity Now it being needfull that this humane minde should dye to the intent that in the persons who attend unto Christian piety that resolution may be maintained which knowing themselues to be dead on Christs Crosse they haue made and doe make with the world and with themselves It is also needfull that this food of curiosity should be taken from them not giving it unto them in any manner nor by any way taking it from them principally in those things in which piety religion and holinesse which are the most pretious things may be pretended And amongst these I hold for most dangerous the study of holy Scripture whē it is with curiosity for albeit it is ordinarily a good meanes to kill the minde of man the minde is on the other side so liue that it converts it into curiosity delighting to maintain it selfe with that alone when it cannot with other
things And therefore I understand that it belongs to the pious Christian to stand very vigilant and wary in many things in which there may be curiosity and that he should not haue it and principally in the study of holy Scripture to the intent that the syncerity of the holy spirit which is in it may not be converted into curiosity of the flesh as it befals the curious who read the Scriptures only to know and understand In which I understand that the Pious Christian ought only to pretend the inward knowledges and feelings which God by meanes of his holy spirit shall giue unto him and those which he by meanes of these shall goe experimenting of the things of the holy Spirit in such manner as taking into his hand a book of holy scripture he should pretend to understand that which belongs to him and so think that he understands not that which hee hath not experimented and thus thinking if he shall desire to understand it he shall attend to experiment it and not to seek with curiosity that which others haue therein understood And attending unto experience hee shall likewise attend unto totall mortification of the minde depriving it of all curiosity and together with the experience and with the mortification he shall get the true understanding of holy Scripture and shall understand how that the Christian businesse doth not consist in knowledge but in experience And he shall know the deceit that they suffer who think that they doe not understand holy Scripture because they be not instructed nor furnished of knowledge and humane learning understanding that it is needfull for them who are instructed rich in them to renounce and leaue them for to obtain the true understanding of holy Scripture which as I haue said is not gotten by knowledge nor ought not to be procured with curiosity but is gotten with experience and ought to be procured with simplicity In as much as to them who are instructed and adorned with this simplicity God revealeth his secrets as the proper son of God himselfe affirmes Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LVI Which is the most certain and most secure way to obtain perfect Mortification HAving oft-times said that the Mortification of all that which a man hath from Adam is very necessary to a Christian it is not long since that I understood the cause why it is necessary and the most certain and most secure way to come to obtain it And I haue learned it from the Apostle S. Paul where he having said that he did endeavour to make himselfe like unto the death of Christ with intent to come to the participation of his resurrection labouring to comprehend the Christian perfection as he felt himselfe comprehended by it in Christ he saith that he did this altogether forgetting things that were behind as well those which might breed him satisfactiō as also those which might cause him molestatiō occupying his minde in remembring that he was called of God through Christ and that the vocation was from aboue that is that he was called to the intent that believing he might obtain everlasting life or rather I understand that it is that life by which the holy spirit mortifies them who being called of God doe answer And so it is that a man keeping in his memory this thought comes to fly abhor all those things that may hinder him this vocation and he comes to seek and loue all those thing which may conserve and increase it and so comming to hate his affections and appetites knowing that they are those which may hinder his vocation hee comes to mortifie them in such manner that all that which he had of Adam dying in him and that which is of Christ living in him he comes to be much like unto Christ it befalling unto him the selfesame which befals a person who being called ◅y a great Prince to a great feast and fearing to bee hin◅red and disturbed in his journey by some delightfull things that may present themselves unto him he takes as expedient to free himselfe from all those things and to p◅sse freely through them to keep alwaies in his memory that he is called by that great Prince and that he is called unto that great feast in comparison where of all those feasts that may offer themselves unto him in the way are not feasts but childrens plaies I would say that as this person carrying this thought aliue in his memory doth mortifie in himselfe all those appetites which might come unto him of s◅eing those feasts which offer themselves to him in the way much better then if so be he should make a resolution not to see them For it might be that comming by chance to see them hee should bee hindred and disturbed by them in such manner that when he should come to see the principall Feast it would now be finished Even so neither more nor lesse but rather much better the person that is called of God keeping aliue in his memory the thought of his vocation doth mortifie and also kill in himselfe all the affections and appetites which being according to the old man might hinder him and disturb his vocation much better then if he did detetmine alwaies to combate with them For it might be that wandring from his vocation he might also wander from his determination I shall say rather better that doing after this manner the holy Spirit is that which mortifies him and if he should doe in other manner it being humane wisdome that should work hee would never come to obtaine his intent it being Gods ordinance that the spirit of God should be the master the guidē of all them that are called unto the grace of the Gospell of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LVII Whence it comes to passe that by the knowledg and sense of the things of God the Flesh is Mortified EVery day I goe certifying my selfe that the Christian businesse is not knowledge but experience I would say that it is not got by knowledge but by experience First of all I understood that the proper exercise of a Christian is to attend unto Mortification Attending unto it he feels that the profit of it consists in this that a mā mortifying his affections and appetites goes by litle and litle comprehending that divine Christian perfection in which he is comprised by the incorporation with which believing he is incorporated in Christ. Passing on further I know that the most certain and secure way by the which he who is called of God comes to true Mortification is alwaies to hold firme in his memory a firme thought that he is called of God and that the calling is made to giue him everlasting life Now I understand that this marveilous effect of Mortification through the remembrance of the vocation proceeds partly from the basenesse of the flesh and partly from the efficacy of the things of God I would say that the flesh being vile
and miserable and being subiect feeble and infirme to bee able to hold in it selfe the knowledges and senses of divine things it comes to passe that by the efficacy of them it is affrighted and becomes vile in such manner that it is easily overcome and mastered by the spirit and so it remaines mortified together with all those things which are corrupt in a man by the depravation of the flesh And because the remembrance of the calling by God is very efficacious in men with the knowledge and sense of heavenly things and they are subject frayle and infirme I understand that which God saith That a man who shall see him shall not be able to sustain himselfe with his minde nor with his body And therefore the perfect vision of God is reserved to the just in eternall life when the flesh being raised up shall bee a subject able to endure the vision of God In this mean space on the one side by the benefit of God the Flesh is mortified in the just not onely with the memory of their vocation but also with every other vocation and sense which appertaines to the things of God And on the other side God goes moderating in them these knowledges and these senses to the intent they should not come to nothing accommodating them to the frailty of the flesh as we temper the hot liquour which we would keep in a glasse vessell in such manner as the liquor is conserved in the vessell without breaking the glasse And I understand that corporall and outward exercises together with those other things which are of mans industry doe serve unto those persons which are called of God for a certain entertaining of themselves in that estate in which a knowledge or sense of some of Gods things hath left them which is past and that through their labour there should bee given or communicated unto them another which may make them to make progresse in Mortification in such manner that I haue reason to say that the Christian businesse is not knowledge but experience If it were knowledge it would work the effect that other knowledges doe that is to swell up and make proud those who have them And because it is experience it doth the effect which other experiences doe that is to humble and cast on the ground all that which is humane wisdome and to exalt and lift up to heaven all that which is in the spirit I understand this effect is in them who being called of God are members of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LVIII Eight differences between them who pretend and procure to mortifie themselves with their proper industry and them who who are mortified by the holy Spirit THis is alwaies a truth that all men in applying themselves to religion as well unto the false which consisteth in superstitious observations as unto the true which consisteth in accepting the grace of the Gospell of Christ doe apply themselves likewise to Mortification But amongst them who procure to mortifie themselves with the holy spirit I haue considered eight notable differences by which a person may know whether he mortifie himselfe by his own industry or whether he be mortified by the holy spirit The first Difference is that they who mortifie themselves with their own proper industry are presumptuous ambitious knowing their own proper vertue in their mortification and they who are mortified by the holy spirit are humble and modest not knowing any proper virtue of their own in their mortifications for the holy spirit works in them that which a very great Feaver doth in a man I would say that as by the presence of a great Feaver a man becomes as it were deprived of all carnall desires keeping aliue only the desire of health so by the presence of the holy spirit a man becomes as it were deprived of all that which is flesh keeping aliue only spirituall desires The second Difference is that they who pretend to mortifie themselves goe alwaies seeking new manners and new inventions to obtain mortification they who are mortified by the spirit embrace those occasions of mortification which are offered unto them by what way soever they come perswading themselves that with thē and in them God will mortifie them The third Difference is that they who mortify themselves alwaies liue sad and discontent because they deprive themselves of their pleasures and corporall contents and are not cherished with the spirituall and they who are mortified liue as it were alwaies cheerefull and contented because they abhor or begin to abhor corporall pleasures and begin to tast spirituall pleasures The fourth Difference is that they who mortify themselues are much like unto a man whose head were cut with a rough and rusty saw in as much as all things are unsweet and sowre unto him And they who are mortified are like unto a man whose head were cut with a sharp sword and an arme skilfull in cutting In as much as the holy spirit mortifies him without that himself feels the mortification That this is true those persons who are mortified by the holy spirit know by experience The fift Difference is that they who mortify themselues living alwaies in continuall trouble and in continuall labour are like unto a man that learnes with exceding paines a most difficult and unpleasant science who finding in the principles thereof much unsweetnesse and much molestation comforts himselfe only with an opinion that he shall proue excellent in that science And they that are mortifyed neither travelling nor labouring themselves in their mortifications are like unto a man that goes delighting and recreating himselfe in the study of that science which he hath already learned wherein finding few things which he understands not hee findes few things that trouble him The sixt Difference is that in them who mortify themselves by themselves there is never true mortification nay rather they are like unto quick lime in as much as the quick lime smoakes not whilst there is no water cast thereon which is no sooner cast upon it then it shewes the fire that it hath within so they whilst they haue no occasion to erre doe not erre and when occasion comes they presently shew the liuelinesse that they haue within them either erring or being straightly sollicited to erre And they who are mortified by the holy spirit haue true mortification and are like unto dead lime in as much that like as the dead lime doth not smoake how much water soever be cast upon it so neither doe they erre nor are much sollicited to erre although many occasions offer themselves unto them And so shall this be The seaventh Difference is that they who mortifie themselves in the occasions of erring doe miserably loose themselves For being deceived by humane wisdome they doe alwaies goe avoiding the occasions which incite them to erre And they who are mortified in the occasions of erring that offer themselues unto them are refined as gold in the fire for
being helped by the holy spirit in the proper occasions they are mortified not avoiding any of them and therefore they are the same in the occasions as out of the occasions The eight Difference is That they who mortifie themselves by their proper industry doe principally attend unto the mortification of the flesh they that be such having no intent to mortifie the minde not knowing that from thence ariseth all the evill And they who are mortified by the holy Spirit attend principally unto the mortification of the minde knowing that from thence comes all the evill And knowing that the minde being mortified the flesh remaines mortified By the examination of these Differences may a person know whether he mortifies himselfe or whether hee be mortified by the holy Spirit Being advertised of this that there are three estates in those persons who are mortified by the holy Spirit The one is when the holy spirit mortifies them without that they know or feel the vertue of the holy Spirit in them And in this estate that belongs to them which is said in the fourth difference The other is when the holy spirit mortifies them and they feel and know in themselves the virtue of the holy spirit And in this estate there appertaines unto them that which is said in the first Difference The third is when through the absence of the holy Spirit or because they doe not feel and know his presence they goe mortifying themselves with their own industry And in this estate they feel a good part of that which is said in the First the Third the Fourth and the Fift Difference to be felt by them who mortifie themselves by their own proper industry It is very true that to them who are mortified by the holy spirit their owne industries in mortification are profitable unto them It being indeed true what S. Paul saith That to them that loue God all things work for good to the glory of God and of the Son of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LIX That in the motions to pray the Spirit doth certifie a man that he shall obtaine that which he demands REeading in Isaia that death being intimated unto Hezekiah a pious King on Gods behalfe hee resented himselfe was grieved and lamented praying God with teares that he would not take away his life And reading a litle after that the destruction of Hierusalem being intimated on Gods behalfe unto the selfesame King with the Babylonian captivity without resenting himselfe nor being grieved nor lamenting without praying God that he would revoke the sentence he was contented that the will of God should be executed accepting it as a benefit of God that those evills should not come in his time And considering that God prolonged the time of Hezekia's life and that he did execute his sentence upon Hierusalem I come to certifie my selfe that pious persons being governed by the spirit of God and chiefly in their prayers in as much as S. Paul saith The spirit of God prayes by them and in them they doe never as it were pray to God but for that which it is Gods will to grant them of which the holy spirit which inspires them to pray is certain According to the judgement of humane reason it had been more just and more convenient that Hezechiah should haue resented himselfe and lamented and been moved to pray God for the revocation of the sentence given against Hierusalem then for the revocation of that sentence which was given against his own proper life And Hezechias a pious King moved by the holy spirit prayed for his own life for that which touched Hierusalem he conformed himselfe with Gods will whereby I understand that it behoues pious persons to keep good accompt with their motions I would say they ought to bee well advertised being moved to pray to God for any thing whether that motion be of humane spirit or of the holy spirit And I understand likewise that the proper countersigne whereby they may be able to judge between these motions is the Inward certainty or uncertainty with which they shall finde themselves in prayer Finding themselves uncertain that they should obtain of God that which they demand they shall judge that the motion is of humane spirit And finding themselves certain to obtain it they shall judge that the motion is of the holy spirit For as much as the motion of the holy spirit drawes alwaies with it the certification a man judging in this manner if the spirit of God which hath moved me to pray did not know that it is the will of God to grant me that which I demand it would not haue moved me This certification I certainly hold was in Hezekiah at that time when he demanded his life to bee prolonged And because he did not feel in himselfe this certification I doe certainly hold that the selfe same Hezekiah did not demand that the sentence against Hierusalem should be revoked With this assurance I see that Christ prayed raising up Lazarus and praying for the conservation of his Disciples And with doubtfulnesse I see he prayed in the Garden and because he felt whence this motion did arise in praying he remitted himselfe unto the will of God And if the son of God himselfe felt these two motions and in one of them he found himself certain and in the other doubtfull every one may think whether it be not necessary to be watchful over himselfe in them albeit they only shall know them that shall bee true members of the same Son of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CGNSID LX. Whence it proceeds that the superstitious are severe and the true Christians are Mercifull Pittifull THE severity and rigour that I see and know for the most part in those persons which the common people holds for devout and spirituall they being in very truth superstitious and ceremonious in as much as appertaines to the chastising or desiring to chastise the vices defects of men I understand proceeds from two causes The one is the proper nature of a man who is inclined to prize and esteem his own things and to condemne and despise others And the other is the proper nature of superstitions and ceremonies to which is annexed severity and rigorousnesse And so it is that these such like superstitious and ceremonious persons desiring that their superstious and ceremonious living should be esteemed and prised are forced to be severe rigorous with workes and words against them who being not as they are haue outward defects and vices that so their manner of life which they hold for vertuous may be the more prised and esteemed And it is likewise true that superstitions and ceremonies having their originall and beginning from some kinde of law which men haue imagined and severity and rigour being annexed to the nature of a law for by these it is maintained and sustained it comes to passe that as well those who attend to the observation of the law or
of the Ceremonies and Superstitions that arise frō it as also they who attend to cause others to obserue them are severe and rigorous against them that doe not obserue thē From hence I understand the cause whence the severity and rigour in the Hebrewes did proceed And hereby I doe not marvell if they that in being superstitious and ceremonious are like unto the Hebrewes are also severe against the vices and defects of men And that which I more esteem is that hereby I understand why God in the time of the law was severe and rigorous shewing more severity and rigorousnesse unto men then piety and mercy although he did shew them both the one and the other And I esteem it much more that hereby I understand that because after that God sent his onely begotten son Iesus Christ our Lord into the world men stand not subiect to the Law but under the Gospell which is estranged from severity and rigour it comes to passe that they who belong unto the Gospell being the people of God are not severe nor rigorous against the vices and defects of men but are rather pittifull and mercifull And also it comes from hence that God shews more pitty and mercy then severity and rigour In such manner that the affection of severity and rigour in a man is a signe of selfe-loue and of a minde subject to the law to superstitions ceremonies as were the minds of the Hebrews And a pittifull and mercifull affection is a signe of mortification and of a minde freed from the Law by the Gospell such are those of true Christians members of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXI In what manner a pious person governes himselfe in those things that befall him EVery Pious person in those things that come unto him in this present life as I understand governes himself in this manner The accidents being of that quality that his own will concurres not in them if they be adverse and contrary as the losse of honour or of estate or the death of some person deare unto him he comforts himselfe saying so it hath pleased God And if they be prosperous and favourable as the increase of outward and inward goods he doth not pride himselfe considering this is the work of God and not mine The things being of that quality that his own proper will concurres in them if they be of evill such as are his proper defects and sins he embraceth himselfe with Christ saying If in me there be defects and sins there is in Christ satisfaction and justification And if they be of good and of favour in outward works or in inward sentiments he doth not grow proud because in such matters he sees the goodnesse of God and not his own proper goodnesse And I understand that the content which such a person finds in those things which he doth well is much like to the content which a person may feel when a person makes a good letter because another that writes well leads his hand by his I would say that as such a person contents himselfe seeing a letter made with his hand although not with his industry attributing the industry to him that guided his hand and attributing to himselfe the errours that are in the letter knowing that the other would haue made a better with his own hand so the spirituall person doth content himselfe of the consideration of the works which God doth in him and by him attributing them to God and attributing to himselfe the errors that are in his works knowing that they would be much better if God had done them without him That this is true they shall understand by proper experience who haue a rellish of the things of the holy spirit which are obtained by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXII That humane wisdome hath no more iurisdiction in the judgement of their workes who are the sonnes of God then in the iudgement of the proper works of God IN the selfe same manner and for the selfe same cause which S. Paul understood that they who are governed by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God I understand that they who are the sonnes of God are governed by the spirit of God And I understand that as humane wisdome is uncapable of the knowledge of God so likewise it is uncapable of the knowledge of them who are the sonnes of God And even as humane wisdome penetrateth not to understand the admirable ccunsell that is in the works of God neither doth it also penetrate to understand the divine counsell that is in the works of them who are the sonnes of God Both those and these being done by the spirit of God Farther I understand that humane wisdome when it sets it selfe to judge the works of them that are the sons of God condemning and taxing them through cause of that selfe same temerity which appeares when it sets it selfe to judge the works of God condemning them and calumniating them I would say that that rashnesse of men is not lesse which follow the iudgement of humane wisdome when they sett themselves to iudge evill of Moses for the Hebrews whom he slew when they worshipped the Calfe and when they sett themselves to judge evill of Abraham because he commanded his wife Sarah that she should lye saying that she was his sister and not his wife And because S. Paul cursed Ananias standing at iudgement in his presence And because hee excused his cursing saying he did not know him And when in like manner they set themselves to iudge certain things like unto these which the sonnes of God doe being governed by the spirit of God which according to the iudgement of humane wisdome are absurd and reproveable and according to the iudgement of God are holy and good I say that this is no lesse rashnesse then that with which they sett themselves to iudge evill of God because he favours many lewd men with temporall good depriving many good and because hee doth other things which humane wisdome calumniates and condemnes and for which humane Laws doe rigorously chastise those men that doe them In as much as humane wisdome hath no more iurisdiction in the iudgement of the works of pious men then in the iudgement of the works of God they being done by God himselfe and the other by those who being the Sonnes of God are governed by the spirit of God and therefore are free and exempt frō all humane law as God himselfe is free and exempt I would say that men should not haue had more reason to haue chastised Abraham if he had killed his soone Isaac then to condemne God because he slaies many men by suddain death But this goverment of the spirit of God is not known nor vnderstood but of them who are partakers of the spirit of God itselfe as it is known by experience and as it is said by S. Paul the great Preacher of the Gospell of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXIII
martyrdome the shame and the ignominy that he shall suffer in the eyes of the men of this world in being wanting unto himselfe and to his and to his honour And so doing he shall follow me who haue been wanting unto my selfe making my selfe a servant of a Sonne that I might not be wanting to God and I haue been wanting to mine own not esteeming them for mine but those onely that God hath called and made mine making them holy and just And I haue been wanting to mine honour contenting my selfe to dye as a malefactour and so doing he shall follow me and shall be truly a Christian. In such manner as properly the injury and the shame that redounds to a Christian through the deniall of himselfe in being wanting to himselfe and to his and to his honour is the Christian Crosse is the selfe same as to goe after Christ. I would say these words of Christ are of as much value as if I should say he that will be a Christian let him esteem himselfe dead unto the world in as much as not to seek the Glory nor the reputation of the world and let him procure that which Christ procured seek that which Christ sought and in this manner he shall be a true Christian as they are who knowing themselves and feeling themselves bought by Christ doe hold him and knew him for their Lord and for their superior and doe worship in spirit and in truth the true God who is the Father of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXV How that is to be understood which S. Paul saith that Christ reigneth and shall reigne untill the resurrection of the just being made he doe consigne his Kingdome to his eternall father THe men that reigne in the Kingdome of the world live under foure most cruell Tyrants the Divell the Flesh Honour and Death The Divell tyrannizeth them making them impious and enemies of God and oftimes bringeth them to that passe that they kill themselves by diverse waies The flesh tyrannizeth them making them vitious and licentious Honour tyrannizeth them making them light and vaine and presumptuous in such sort that they dye whilest they live Death Tyrannizeth them not suffering them to enjoy their prosperityes and happinesse cutting short their steps in them This tyranny none understand but they that feele it and they only feele it who being desirous to enter into the Kingdome of God doe procure to reduce themselves to Piety doe travell to Mortify the flesh and will resolve themselves with the world putting an end to glory and to their own honour and think to dispose themselves and to content themselves to dye For as soon as ever they would doe this they find difficulty in it they feele and experiment the tyranny and they know themselvs tyrannized These selfesame persons if so be their desire to enter into the Kingdome of God be a calling of God himselfe and not their proper fantasy accepting for their own the justice of God executed in Christ doe in this present life goe out of the tyranny of the three tyrants in going out of the Kingdome of the world and entering into the Kingdome of God wherein God reignes through Christ. I would say that Christ reignes as the Sonne of God he being in them that stand in his kingdome and with them properly the same which the head is in the Members of the body For as from the head there descends virtue and efficacy into the members of the body which are Governed by it even so from Christ there descends vertue and efficacy to them that are in the Kingdome of Christ with which they combate against the tyrants that hold other men tyrannized and so they are governed by Christ in this present life and by means of the same they shall obtain the resurrection and life everlasting and so they shall goe out of the tyranny of the fourth tyrant which is death and shall enter into the Kingdome of God where God shall reigne by himselfe In the mean space they being gone out of the Kingdome of the world having felt the tyranny of the four Tyrants doe feel the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of the Kingdome of Christ feeling in themselves the virtue and efficacy of Christ and the government of the holy Spirit and feeling themselves Patrons and Lords of their sensuall appetites and of their affections of Honour and of the ambition of the world being resolv'd with themselves and with the world in as much as being incorporated in Christ they find their flesh dead and they finde dead in them the respect of the world and certifying themselves of their resurrection immortality and eternall life Which certification causeth in them this effect that albeit they feel death according to the body yet they feele it not as much as belongs to the soule through the certain hope of resurrection In this I understand consists the Kingdome of Christ And because the resurrection of the just being accomplished we shall not need to combate with the Divell there shall be no need to mortify the flesh nor to contrast with the world nor shall there be death to overcome I understand that S. Paul saith that then Christ shall consigne this Kingdome to the eternall Father and that God shall bee all in all ruling and governing every thing by himselfe in such manner as the Kingdome of Christ according to S. Paul shall indure untill the universall resurrection and the Kingdome of God in men shall then begin and shall be continuall men perpertually acknowledging the benefit receiv'd by Iesus Christ our Lord. Like as it betides unto a thirsty traveller to whom there is given a vessell of cold water who whilest he drinkes feeles the benefit of the vessell which gives him the water and having drunke albeit setting the vessell aside he thankes him that gave him to drinke neverthelesse he acknowledgeth that by means of the vessell he received that benefit In such manner that as the thankfull wayfairing man who is refreshed with the vessell of cold water whilst he drinkes feeles the benefit of the vessell and after he hath drunke feeling and knowing the benefit of him that gave him the vessell he knowes likewise the benefit of the vessell Even so men whilst they stand in this present life they feele the kingdome of Christ feeling the benefit of Christ and in eternall life they shall feele and know the benefit of God who hath given Christ unto them and they shall know the benefit of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXVI In what manner the malignant spirit is more impetuous then the holy spirit BEing desirous to understand which spirit is more impetuous in a man the Holy or the Malignant I resolve my selfe that the malignant spirit is much more impetuous in the impious then the good spirit in the Pious being moved to this resolution for two Considerations of which the one is founded in the proper Nature of the spirits For the malignant is by nature
united with it abides in it alwaies remembring himselfe of it It is very true that not thus neither is the dwelling of man in god understood For this union I understand Christ our Lord prayed unto his eternall and heavenly Father demanding of him that they who were to belieue in him should be one self thing with him and with the Father himselfe should be one selfe same thing between themselves From this divine union it proceeds that a man altogether and in all things remits himselfe to the will of God dispoyling himselfe of his own proper will and so brings himselfe to will that which God wills and in that manner which God wills to loue that which God loues and in that manner which God loues it and consequently not to will that which God wills not and not to loue that which God loues not And the man that is thus remitted and thus reduced may hold for certain that hee stands united with God and that he dwells in God and God in him And he shall understand that he so far stands united with God as far as he stands thus remitted thus reduced If he stand much the union is much if litle the union is litle It proceeds also from this divine Vnion that a man likes and dislikes all those things which those persons like and dislike who stand in the selfe same Vnion in such manner that there is between them a very great conformity in wills and so great is the conformity which is between them as the Vnion is great which they haue with God and between themselues This conformity is likewise a good countersigne with which a man may certifie himselfe whether he stand united with God and how much of this union he hath gotten Having understood how the Vnion between God and man is made by Loue and that Loue growes from that knowledge which a man hath of God And having likewise understood in what the Union and the Loue and the Knowledge doe consist I come to resolve my selfe in this that to that person which attends unto piety it belongs to attend to obtain the knowledge of God and with the knowledge the loue and with the Loue the Vnion Pretending to obtain all this by the liberality of God and exercising himselfe in knowing himselfe I would say the frayle and miserable being of man and to disenamour himselfe of himselfe not willing to be loved for himself and procuring to be loved for God and in disuniting him selfe from himselfe not willing to haue things according to his own fantasie and will but according as God shall offer them to him either by himself or by means of men or by meanes of the creatures And in this manner shall he obtain the perfect knowledge of God the perfect loue of God and the perfect Vnion with God But not now in this present life for the flesh except it be raised up is not a fitting subject for this but in life everlasting where the flesh being raised up shall be an able subject to bee as it shall be like unto the glorious flesh with which Christ Iesus our Lord arose CONSID. LXXIV That it beâ—…ides to pious persons in spirituall things as it befalls in outward things to him who having been blind begins to see TO the person that begins to understand spirituall and divine things and that begins to know them I understand that befals which befalls those persons who having by some accident lost the sight of their eyes begin to recover it I would say that as those persons goe knowing the being of things according as they goe recovering the sight of their eyes first confusedly as it befell to the blinde man in the Gospell who beginning to open his eyes saw men and it seemed to him that they were trees and afterwards lesse confusedly untill such time as by litle and litle they come to see and know things in their own proper being In the selfesame manner these persons goe on knowing spirituall and divine things accordingly as they goe purifying their mindes with Faith and with Loue and with union with God First they know them confusedly and afterwards lesse confusedly and so by litle and litle they goe advancing in the knowledge of them untill such time as they ariue I would say unto such passe as they come to know God and the things that are gods in that manner which may be in this present life And hence as I understand it proceeds that that thing which a person without the spirit holds for holy and just and good in the things of God another person who hath the spirit condemnes reputes defective and evill And hence it likewise proceeds that that which a person who hath litle of the spirit holds for most certain another who hath more spirit then he holds for an errour Going on thus from one step to another the clearenesse of that judgement increasing which spirituall persons haue of divine matters Whereby I understand that the errour of pious persons when in those divine and spirituall matters which they know they form their conceitâ—… according to that which they come to know by the first knowledge not expecting other knowleges more cleare and more evident is no lesse then that of the blinde man who begins to recover the sight of his eyes when in the things which hee begins to see hee formes his conceits according to that which they appeared unto him at the first not expecting to see them better and more clearely Furthermore I understand that it belongs to every Pious person to be very modest and very moderate in approving or condemning things for as much as pleaseth or displeaseth God considering that the judgement which God makes of things is very different from that which men make how spirituall soever they be In as much as oftimes a person that hath much spirit condemnes that which another who hath little spirit approves And I understand that only those things ought to be approved for holy and to be condemned for evill of which we have the certain testimony of Iesus Christ our Lord. CGNSID LXXV How it is understood that God communicates unto us his Divine treasures by Christ how God reignes by Christ and how Christ is the head of the Church WIlling to understand in what manner we who are the members of Christ doe obtaine all the things of God by Christ I consider that as all men who have the outward sight of the eyes cleare doe know the outward being of things through the benefit of the Sun in which God hath set his outward light so all men who have the sight of their inward eyes cleare doe know all inward things by the benefit of Christ in whom as Saint Paul saith God hath set all the Treasures of his Divinity I would say that as God having set all the outward light in the Sunne the Sunne it selfe sends forth his beams which worke his effect and are efficacious in those things which are
the Christian faith and the Evangelicall truth stand firme and constant Here I will adde this that when a Christian person scandalizeth a Christian who knowes the Evangelicall truth because he would not scandalize another Christian who as yet doth not well understand it if his error proceed from covetousnesse or from ambition because the one is richer or more powerfull then the other his error is intolerable And if his error proceed from indiscretion or from weaknesse and infirmity it is tolerable In all the things that have been said I learne these thirteen things First what a Scandall is The Second that to the intent I be not scandalized at the works of God it is needfull to renounce my wisdome and my human reason and to pray to God that he give me spirituall light with which I may understand his works The third that I doe then scandalize God when I distrust my selfe of the promised works and of his omnipotency and providence The Fourth that I ought to keep my selfe as much as is possible not to use my Christian Liberty in presence of weak Christians and that are infirme in the faith The Fift that I ought lightly ro esteeme the scandall that the Saints of the world take at the truth of the Gospell The Sixt that the scandall that is pernitious to him who scandalizeth is that which the Saints of the world doe pretending to doe service unto God And here I learne that I ought to keepe my selfe as from the fire to persecute any man of what manner soever pretending to â—…oe God service therein The Seventh that I ought to hold it for a good countersigne of Piety when the works of the impiety and of the infidelity of the men of the world doe Scandalize mee The Eight that it is a good countersigne to know the Saints of the world by the felicity wherewith they are scandalized from every manner of person and their publishing and shewing of their Scandall The Ninth that it is a signe of impiety for a man not to be offended nor scandalized in any thing The Tenth that it becomes me to be like god and Christ in the inward to the end I be not Scandalized but of that wherewith god and Christ are scandalized The Eleventh that it becomes me to live like Christ that I may not scandalize but as Christ. The Twelfth that for no cause I ought to scandalize any in preiudice of the Christian faith although I doe know that I scandalize the weaknesse and infirmity of imperfect christians The Thirteenth thing that I here learne that when I shall have scandalized in preiudice of the Christian Faith through indiscretion or through weaknesse my error will be tollerable and when I shall scandalize in preiudice of the same christian faith through covetousnesse or ambition my error will be intolerable And from this error I am certaine my god shall preserve me and hee shall also preserve all those persons whom he hath called to the acceptation of the grace of the gospell to be heires with Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXVII Two contrarieties between them that live according to the flesh and them that live according to the Spirit COnsidering that men who live according to the flesh while they think not of it doe believe litle have lesse confidence and love yet much lesse as they themselves well know and feele and accordingly as they shew it in their words albeit they would not shew it And considering that the selfe same persons when they take themselves into consideration doe perswade themselves that they believe much and have much confidence and doe yet love much more And considering on the other side that those persons who Live according to the spirit although they seeme regardlesse believe have confidence and love more or lesse according to that part of the spirit which they have according as they themselves know it and feele it in themselves and as they shew in their words speaking with more piety with more faith with more confidence and with more affection of the things of God when they speak coldly and when the force of the spirit moves them to speak of the things of piety and of faith and of confidence and of love then all the men of the world together when they set themselves with diligence and attention to speak thereof And considering also that it comes oft-times to passe that those selfesame persons grounding upon themselves cannot bring themselues to believe nor lesse to have confidence and much lesse to love I have set my selfe to be willing to understand whence these so contrary effects proceed And I find that one part proceeds from that which Christ saith that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Whence it comes to passe that he who lives according to the flesh having not in his heart neither faith nor confidence nor love cannot give of that which he hath not and consequently cannot except he set himselfe purposely thereto make shew offaith confidence or love And because he who lives according to the spirit hath in his heart piety faith confidence and love and having to give of that which he hath it is necessary how carelesse soever he seeme to be that he should yeeld forth piety faith confidence and love And therefore the holy Scripture calls the just mans mouth a veine or mine of life And I finde likewise that the other part of these contrarieties proceeds from this that the man who lives after the flesh because he keepes no accompt with his heart then perswades himselfe that he believes that he hath confidence and that he loves when he hath the faith the confidence and the love in his understanding He knowes that it is necessary for a Christian that he should believe have confidence and love and then he perswades himselfe that he believes hath confidence and loves And the persons who live according to the spirit because they keep accompt with their hearts not contenting themselves to hold the faith the confidence and the love in their understandings cannot perswade themselves that they believe have confidence or love but when they feele in their hearts the effects of confidence and love And because this sentiment is through the favour of God who gives it not when men would but when it pleaseth his Divine Maiesty hence it comes that those persons who live after the spirit doe then find most difficulty in believing loving and having confidence when they doe most instantly procure it Whence it is well gathered that the signe of what a man hath within him is to be taken from that which he shewes outwardly when he stands regardlesse And farther that through the facility or difficulty with which a man perswades himselfe to believe have confidence and love it may be known whether his faith confidence and love stand in the Vnderstanding or in the Heart And so this conclusion is made that they who while they think not of it speak
most christianly and when they would bring themselves with humane industry to have confidence to believe and love finde most difficulty in this are true Christians incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXVIII Two griefes one according to the world and the other according to God And two weaknesses one according to the flesh and the other according to the Spirit AS Saint Paul puts two griefes one according to the world and saith that this causeth death and the other according to God and saith that this causeth life Even so I put two weaknesses one according to the Flesh and I understand that this causeth feare and another according to the spirit and I understand this causeth love And I put them because I feele them in the Griefes which S. Paul puts understanding that then a man feeles griefe according to the world when he falls into some such inconvenience as causeth shame or losse or any other discommodity in the eyes of the world in the reputation and dignity of the world And I understand that this griefe causeth death in as much as a man that grieves in this manner except he speedily remedy his griefe becomes blasphemous against God in as much as attributing unto him the cause of his griefe he laments of him and by being blasphemous against God he comes to get himselfe eternall death In the selfe same manner I understand that then a man feeles griefe according to God when he falls into any inconvenience by reason whereof he feares to be deprived of the grace of God and of the holy spirit of Christ and of God himselfe And I understand that this griefe causeth life in as much as he who is grieved in this manner doth more and better know himselfe and ◅o doth more cordially recommend and remit himselfe to God and from this recommending himselfe to God he comes to obtain resurrection and life everlasting For the two weaknesses which I put I understand that a man is then weak according to the flesh when his weaknesse growes from selfe love And I call weaknesse to resente himselfe for those things which come to passe against his will This weaknesse I understand causeth feare for where selfe-love is there is alwaies fear And I understand that this weaknesse is tolerable in Christian persons being no signe of impiety but of imperfection ◅n the selfe same manner I understand that a man is then weak according to the spirit when his weaknesse growes from the love of God resenting himselfe when he sees himselfe deprived of God or of any of the things that are of God which are meanes to him to grow in the love of God and in the confidence in God This weaknesse I understand causeth love because it proceeds from love and so is converted into love and is therefore laudable and a signe of christian perfection Weaknesse according to the Flesh but not blame-worthy I understand was that which S. Paul felt for the reprobation of the Hebrewes And weaknesse according to the spirit I understand was that which S. Paul ◅elt through the sting of the flesh and that which he felt for the sicknesse unto death of his friend And that also was weaknesse according to the spirit which they of Miletum felt for the departure of S. Paul Whence I gather that Christian persons ought not to grieve themselves much in their weaknesses that are according to the flesh since in them they be tolerable for they are not mortall And that the selfesame Christian persons ought to rejoyce much in their weaknesses which are according to the spirit in as much as they are signes of perfection and the way of vivification of resurrection and of eternall life The sons of this world feele the griefe that is according to the world but they doe not feele the griefe which is according to God And those of God feele the one and the other griefe the one in as much as Adam lives in them and the other in as much as Christ lives in them The sons of this world have indeed the weaknesse that is according to the flesh but all of them doe not know it for weaknesse neither feele it as such The weaknesse which is according to the spirit they neither have nor know nor feele And the sons of God have know and feele both the weaknesses knowing in the weaknesse that is according to the flesh the reliques of the old Adam and knowing in the weaknesse that is according to the spirit the renovation of the new Adam our Lord Iesus Christ. CONSID. LXXIX How perilous the errors be which men doe pretending piety I Hold for certaine that amongst those errors which wee who are the sons of God committing may offend God the greatest are those which are committed pretending piety That this is true I see as well by the rigorousnesse with which God hath chastized these errors according as it is read in holy Scripture as also because it appeares in the selfe same Scripture that God hath with his hand restrained them who have been his not consenting that they should fall into these kind of errors not having done the same in other errors wherein they have had intention to satisfy their appetitites and affections Of the rigorousnesse with which God hath chastized them who have erred pretending piety he might principally give testimony who willing to hold up the Arke of the Testimony which to his seeming was about to fall died instantly And Saul who was deprived of the kingdome of Israell and perpetually deprived of the grace of God for the sacrifize that he made to God for the victory that he had against certain nations of which God had given him command that he should not leave any live thing which should not passe the edge of the sword Whereupon if any shall demand saying Why then hath not God used the selfe-same rigorousnesse with others who have erred more perniciously pretending piety as a man might say with S. Paul who before he was a Christian pretending piety persecuted and slew the Christians I will make answer First that as hitherto God hath not given me the accompt thereof And then I will say that God doth not use this rigorousnesse except with them who are of the number of his And S. Paul when he was in that error was not in the number of those who were Gods the Hebrew people having then left to be the people of God and therefore his error was not chastized as that of Vzzahs nor as that of Sauls That God hath restrained with his hand his elect not suffering them to erre in piety albeit he haue suffered thē to erre in other things it serves me for a most effectuall example that which is written of David who pretending piety desired to build the Temple of Hierusalem and God did not consent thereunto because it was not his will that he should build it unto him and therefore hee should haue erred if he had builded it And the
selfsame pretending to satisfie his appetites with Barsabe◅ caused her husband to be s◅aine and did with the wife what pleased him to which matter God set no impediment at all In like manner S. Peter not pretending piety denyed Christ and God consented it to him and pretending piety he would not converse with the Gentils and God did not consent to it As likewise he did not consent to it that S. Paul should goe where he pretending piety would haue gone untill that pretence of his became not his but of the holy spirit which abode in him And I hold it certain that the most continuall and ordinary temptation with which pious persons are tempted is this of pretending piety in which the Angell of Satan transfigures himselfe into an Angell of light making that to seem piety which is no piety But pious persons may comfort themselves with two things The one is that against the temptations of the Angels of Satan they haue the illustrations of the holy spirit who discovers the deceit of the malignant spirit And the other is that God useth to restrain with his hand pious persons that they should not fall into this kinde of errour it being so much contrary unto true piety And together herewith pious persons ought alwaies to stand watchfull in such manner as the Angell of Satan comming transfigured into an Angell of light they may know him guard themselves from him Three things here offer themselves to me The first seeing the errour is so great which is committed pretending piety every man ought to goe with more regard to doe those things with which he pretends piety then to doe things with which hee pretends his proper satisfaction The second that those persons which are elected of God doe not erre pretending piety through the illustration which they haue of the holy spirit and because God restraines them with his hand It is a great signe of piety and of the election of God not to erre pretending piety And the third that then a man erres pretending piety when he doth a thing wherewith by himselfe alone he thinks to satisfie God to oblige God As if I should chastise my body not with that intent with which Saint Paul saith he chastised his that is to hold it in servitude and subjection to his spirit but with intent to merit by that chastisement which I doe on myselfe Amplifying this cōparison throughout all the outward things which men doe it is understood when they erre pretending piety And I return to say that he who shall feel himselfe directed by that way through which hee doth not erre pretending piety he may certifie himselfe that he is the sonne of God and consequently Brother of the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXX What Gods intent is demanding of men that which of themselves alone they cannot giue him And why he giues them not at once all that which he will giue them VNderstanding that it is true in effect that men who see with the eyes of humane wisdome hold it for injustice and cruelty in God that hee demands of men things which they of themselves alone cannot giue him such as are The loue with all the heart even in the time of the law and the Faith of the heart in the time of the Gospell which are two things which a man is of himselfe as able to giue unto God as he is able to touch heaven with his hand And understanding likewise as it is in effect true that the men who see with the eyes of the holy spirit doe in the selfe same demand and through the selfesame demand know mercy and piety in God And they should haue known altogether the contrary in him if so be hee should demand things that men could giue unto him with ease And setting my self to consider whence these two so contrary judgements proceed which humane wisdome and Gods holy spirit make conce◅ing this demand of God I haue understood that the judgement which humane wisdome makes proceeds from the not knowing the being of God and the not knowing the being of man and that the judgement which the holy spirit makes proceeds from the knowledge of Gods being and the being of man And it is certain that because humane wisdome knows not the being of God it proceeds that seeing he demands of men that which they cannot giue it judgeth that he doth this to condemne them as it would of one of the Princes of this world who sould require of his subject◅ that they should not sleep for a whole yeare setting a penalty if so be they did sleep And because humane wisdome knows not the being of a man it proceeds that it would hold it for a better and more profitable thing for a man that God should rather require of him that which he can give rather then that which he cannot giue even as it judgeth and holds for better that a Prince of the world should demand of his vassalls rather that which they can giue him with ease then that which they cannot give him though with difficulty And it is also true that from the knowledge which the spirit of God hath of Gods being it proceeds that not judging of him that which of the Princes of the world it knowes that he demanding of men that which they cannot give him he doth it not to condemne them but to save them and that from the knowledge which the holy Spirit hath of the being of man it proceeds that knowing that he in himselfe is so arrogant that if God should demand of him for his salvation things that he could with facility giue of himselfe he would enter into such pride when he had given them that by the selfe-same way whereby he thought to obtain salvation hee would get condemnation he comes to know that the intent with which God demands of men that which of themselves they cannot giue him is not to condemn thē as humane wisdome judgeth neither is it to difficult their salvation as the selfesame humane wisdome judgeth which hereupon holds God for unjust and for cruell but it is to saue them and to facilitate their salvation God doing this to the intent that men proving to loue God with all their heart he knowing their impossibility in the one and in the other matter should haue recourse to God demanding of him both the one thing and the other to the intent God may giue them both the one thing and the other and they giving to God the one thing and the other may obtain that felicity which they desire not for that which they are of themselves but for that which they are through God In such manner that with much reason not humane but divine men that see with the holy spirit know mercy and piety in God considering that he demands from men that which they cannot giue him of themselves and they would know cruelty in God when he should demand of them that
all us every man taking that part which belonged to him for his offences and sinnes wee should all have gone into destruction there being none none of us sufficient to be able to endure on himselfe that part of chastizement which belonged to him for his part in case Christ had not satisfied the justice of God for us all And the going into destruction I understand should have consisted in this that none of us should have been able to stand solid and firme in the suffering without fainting and so to sever our selves from the obedience of God And therefore Caiaphas said well if hee had meant well whed he said it it is expedient that one man should dye for the people that the whole nation perish not The other thing which I understand here is that it was more then necessary that he should be more then a man nay that he should be the Sonne of God who was to reconcile men with God For being to be chastized for the sinnes of us all knowing them and feeling them all in himselfe as if he had committed them all he might make resistance to the agony feare and sorrowfulnesse to the shame and confusion without comming to nothing and without in any manner departing no not in any part from the obedience of God persevering and standing therein solid and constant as our Lord Iesus Christ stood who was likened to a lambe that is lead to the slaughter as well for the innocency with which he lived as for the obedience wherewith he was content to be sacrifized for us being the son of God and one selfe same thing with God which obedience is and shall be unto him glory and honour for evermore Amen CONSID. LXXXIII Five Considerations in the resurrection of Christ. IN the glorious Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord I consider five things which doe in a great manner excite me to live in this present life a life very like unto that which I am to live in life everlasting The First is that as the torment which Christ felt in suffering was in great manner increased because he had took upon him our sinnes and because he knew them on himselfe as well as if he had himselfe committed them all so the glory which Christ felt in his Resurrection was increased in great manner to see that we all of us arose with him The Second that as God slaying on the crosse the flesh of Christ slew ours in such manner that to himward we are held and judged as if we had been really and indeed dead so God raising up Christ raised us all up in such manner that as much as belongs to him we are held and judged as if we had been really raised up The third That as the effect whereby our incorporation in the death of Christ in this present life is known in our mortification not that which we make with our own industries but that which we obtain by the incorporation in Christ which the holy spirit works which is by faith communicated unto us making us to abhor the world with all that which is world and also our selves with all that which is ours So likewise the effect by which our incorporation into the Resurrection of Christ is known in this present life is our vivification which selfesame incorporation in Christ the selfesame spirit works in us regenerating and renuing us all and altogether and making us to loue God and all that which is Gods and to loue Christ and all that which is Christs The fourth thing which I consider is that as with my sinnes I augmented the agony and the torment of Christ in his passion so with my Resurrection I augment the joy and pleasure of Christ in his Resurrection And as I am grieved at that so I glory in this Nay the glory of this makes me to forget the sorrow of the other The fift thing which I consider is that only they who stand incorporated in Christ are certain of their Resurrection founding it in the Resurrection of Christ. And therefore S. Paul willing to perswade the Corinthians the resurrection of the Iust founds his perswasions on the Resurrection of Christ. With these Considerations we Christians shall come to feele in our hearts the profit which comes from the glorious Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXIV That only the Incorporation in Christ is that which mortifies REturning to consider that which I haue at other times considered about the two depravations that are in a man whereof the one is naturall and hereditary and the other is acquisite and is learned I come to understand that both these depravations are in the minde and are in the body I would say that from our first parents all men inherit this that they are borne in their mindes impious and enemies of God and infidels to God and full of selfe loue and in their bodies they are born vicious evill inclined And I say further that with evill exercises with evill companies and with false doctrines we go on augmenting as well the depravation of the soule through which we are born the sonnes of wrath as that of the body through which we are manifoldly worse then Beasts Humane wisdome not knowing the naturall depravation of the minde nor that of the body nay onely knowing the acquisite depravation of the body hath never had intent to mortifie in men but only that which it hath known for evill And hence it comes that all the Lawes Doctrines and Religions which men haue found haue had intent only to mortify the depravation of the body of this only the acquisite But God knowing principally the naturall depravation and of this holding that of the minde for the worse had in the law of Moses an intent to mortify both the one and the other depravation principally that of the minde which is more naturall more pernicious unto men being as it is more contrary unto God And therefore commanded the loue of God the worship of God and the confidence in God and forbade all inward concupiscence This which the Law of God pretended to doe it never did not through the imperfection thereof but through the imperfection of men But the incorporation in Christ doth it for as much as assoon as a man is incorporated by faith in Christ the naturall acquisite depravations begin to dye in him and they goe on dying according as he goes incorporating himselfe in Christ. And a man goes incorporating himselfe in Christ accordingly as he goes on being like unto the death of Christ and as long as he goes on through this way the things wherein he erres are not imputed unto him either through naturall or acquisite depravation and the naturall depravation dying first in him and of this rather that of the minde then that of the body the Mortification of the acquisite Depravation which remaines is facilitated to the end that he should as it were by way of exercise attend to
mortifie it whilst he liues And he mortifies it rather with the consideration then with outward effects And the consideration is of that which Christ suffered of the being dead on the Crosse with Christ and the being raised with Christ and that it is his intent to liue in life eternall with Christ which considerations are of such efficacy in a man that making him to loose the tast of all things of this present life it mortifies in him all that is flesh and all that is world albeit I doe not think that it dies altogether untill that a man dye indeed From all this is gathered that humane wisdome knows not what thing mortification is and that the law of Moses commanded it but did not giue it and that it is onely gotten through the incorpororation wherewith wee who believe are incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXV Foure manners by which a Christian knowes God by meanes of Christ. HAving often spoken of the knowledge of God as of a most important thing and so much that in it felicity and eternall life consisteth And having said that there are three waies to know God One by the contemplation of the creatures which is proper to the Gentiles the other by reading of the holy Scriptures which was proper to the Hebrews and the other by Christ which is proper to Christians And having never remained satisfied in this third I would say in the manner of that understanding through the which we Christians know God by Christ after that I had well considered it I finde Foure manners by which we Christians know God by Christ. The first is by the Revelation of Christ The second is by the communication of the holy spirit The third is by christian Regeneration Renovation And the fourth is by a certain inward vision by revelation of Christ. I understand that a Christian knows God when Christ himselfe suffers himselfe to be known because wee then know God in him he being the expresse image of God conformable to that he saith to S. Philip He that sees mee he seeth my Father also Ioh. 14. And conformable to what S. Paul saith Colos. 1. speaking of Christ who is the Image of the invisible God And that it is true that a Christian knows God by Revelation of Christ is manifest by that No man knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11. This Revelation I understand is inward having nothing that is visible and so it appertaines to the inward eyes and not to the outward And this presupposeth the knowledge of Christ. I would say that to the knowledge of God by Revelation of Christ the knowledge of Christ proceeds which I understand consisteth in knowing his Divinity his Humanitie his being Divine and Humane his glory and his ignominy his dignity and his basenesse and so his omnipotency and his humility And it is certain that I knowing that Christ is the Image of God and seeing in him Omnipotency Iustice Truth and Fidelity I come to know not now by relation of holy Scripture but by the revelation of Christ himselfe that there is in God omnipotency justice and truth fidelity for as much as these things are in Christ and Christ is the Image of God In such manner as hee who in this manner knowes Christ not by relation of men but by inward revelation of Christ himself may say with truth that he knowes God in Christ As the man to whom S. Paul in whom was a great part of the image of Christ should haue discovered all his minde all his inward things might haue said with truth that hee knew Christ in S. Paul although this comparison serves not to ascertaine but to explain that which I would say By the communication of the holy spirit I understand the christian knowes God for I understand that the holy spirit is given to them that believe in Christ. And understanding by S. Paul that the spirit of God searcheth out the deep secrets of God I understand that we also know God himselfe and by Christ in as much as the holy spirit is given unto us by Christ Christ himselfe being he that gives it unto us by the will and ordinance of God even as by the selfe-same will and ordinance the light is given unto us by the sunne And it is certain that the holy spirit is efficacious in mee that am a christian to make mee know omnipotency in God through the great power which he shewes in mee mortifying me making mee alive to make mee know wisdome in God by the wisdome which I get through his holy spirit to make mee know justice in God because he justifies me in Christ to make me know truth in God because he keepes promise with me and to make me know goodnesse and mercy in God because he beares with my slothfulnesse and sinnes And so I come to know all these things in God not now by relation of Scriptures but by that which the holy spirit workes in me which is communicated to me through Christ. By the Christian Regeneration and Renovation I understand that a christian knowes God For I understand that he being regenerated and renewed by the holy spirit which is communicated unto us by Christ goes on leaving and renouncing the image of Adam which is proper unto us by the humane generation by which we are naturally the sons of wrath we are enemies of God impious rebells and infidels and goes on taking and recovering that image of God which is proper unto us by christian regeneration by which we are as it were naturally the sons of grace adopted sons of God we are the friends of God pious obedient and faithfull and so by litle and litle we come to know God in us knowing in us those divine perfections which the holy spirit attributes to God And getting the regeneration and the renovation through the holy spirit and the holy spirit through Christ it comes to be true that by Christ we know God in us And it is a cleare ease we should never know in God truth fidelity justice bounty were we not first true faithfull just good c. It being naturall of man to judge of others according to that which he knowes in himselfe By a certaine inward vision I understand that a christian knowes God after that he hath known him by the revelation of Christ by the communication of the holy spirit by the Christian regeneration And for as much as belongs to this knowledge I referre my selfe to that which I have said in another Consideration Wherein I have set certain comparisons by which a man that hath not attained to this knowledge of God may in some sort arrive to understand in what it doth consist And if he doe arrive I am sure that there will come upon him so great a desire of this knowledge that he will continually goe after God saying unto him these amorous words shew unto me thy
say that then a man lives according to christian duty and keepes christian decorum when he imploies himselfe in those things in which Christ would have imployed himselfe And consequently I say that then a man departs from the christian duty leaves to observe christian decorum when he iâ—…ploies himselfe those things where in Christ would not have imployed himselfe in such manner as to him who would obtain Christian perfection desirous to apprehend that dignity in which he is comprehended it appertaines to live in all things and altogether according to the Christian duty and to observe the Christian decorum setting before his eyes all the life of Christ constituting his duty and his decorum in being in every thing and altogether like unto Christ doing only that which Christ would doe and by no meanes doing what Christ would not doe Passing on farther I say that as I understand that Men whilest they are as the Scripture termes them flesh and bloud can by no meanes attain to so great perfection as that which is known in Christ. So also I understand that to all them who know and feele themselves incorporated in the death of Christ and in the resurrection of Christ it appertaines to fix their eyes upon this so high perfection to pretend to obtaine it and in effect to procure it For to this I understand the Holy Spirit moves and conducts them to whom Christ is communicated Here I gaine two things the one that from henceforth I shall attribute to weaknesse of my Flesh all that which I shall doe which Christ would not have done And all that which I shall leave undone which Christ would not have left undone And I will attribute unto the force and efficacy of the Christian spirit all that which I shall doe which Christ would have done and all that which I shall leave undone which Christ would have left undone not excusing my selfe in that which shall proceed from mine infirmity weaknesse nor waxing proud for that which shall proceed from the force and efficacy of the Christian spirit The other thing which I gaine is that from this day forward I shall not goe examining as it were to say what is lawfull holding that to be a matter of servants and slaves And I will goe viewing and reviewing as it were to say what is expedient holding that to be for sonnes And I will hold it for a thing convenient and expedient for me to live according to the Christian duty to observe Christian decorum regarding this duty and this decorum as it were to say in the face of Christ in all that which is written of him and in all that which by the things which are written and by that which I shall experiment in mee I shall be able to gather from his divine perfections In these two things I understand other two The one that they doe not know the Christian Dignity who goe procuring to cover with pretence of christian Piety those things which they doe through weaknesse and infirmity of the flesh And the other that they doe not know themselves for sons of God who goe examining what is lawfull This being certain that they who know the christian dignity doe with good will manifest confesse that which is of the weaknesse and infirmity of their flesh And thatâ—… they who know themselves for sons of God being ashamed to examine what is lawfull goe observing what is expedient attributing to their proper infirmity and weaknesse all that which they doe and all that which they leave to doe Attending to what is Lawfull and going out of what is expedient out of which they who know themselves for sons of God and know the christian dignity doe never procure to goe The weaknesse and infirmity I understand we have it all of us in the body and in the minde To the weaknesse and infirmity of the body I understand appertaine all those things in which we doe delicately and with corporall delight serve unto our corporall necessities And to the infirmities and weaknesses of the minde I understand appertain all those things in which we have intent to satisfy unto the eyes of the world in such sort as I travelling on horse-back doe delicately serve unto the necessities of my body a thing which Christ did not ordinarily And this is a weaknesse and infirmity of my body And procuring that my riding on horse should be polite and well furnished I have intent to satisfy the eyes of the world and this is a weaknesse and infirmity of my minde This example may be extended to all other things which we deale about in this present life Whereupon it is fit to advertize that they who begin to conforme their lives in outward and corporall things with that of Christ run hazard of never getting the conformity in the inward which is the essentiall and to fall into vaine-glory and presumption And therefore it is needfull that every person called of God to the grace of the Gospell should begin to conforme himselfe to Christ's living in the inward as it were to say in the obedience to God in the meeknesse in the humility of minde and in the charity and afterwards attend to conforme himselfe also with the living of Christ in the outward but so much as the outward shall helpe him and serve him to grow in the inward For this is that which principally pleaseth God and Iesus Christour Lord. CONSID. XCI That only the Sonnes of God have certain satisfactionn in every thing BY one of the three waies all men come unto the things as well those which pertaine to piety as unto all other things By our own wills against our own wills and by the favour of God In those things unto which we come by our own will there is designe in those things whereunto we come against our wills there is passion in those things whereunto we come by the favour of God there is admiration The sons of Adam never finde certain and firme satisfaction in those things unto which pretending piety they come with designe For their designes goe founded in selfe-interest and in selfe-love And holding this foundation when their designes hit not out to them they cannot stand with satisfaction how much soever they perswade themselves to remain satisfied and would shew it to others That this is true they know by proper experience who with designe pretend piety changing their manner of living of state and of condition or doe occupy exercise themselves more in one thing then in another The sons of God doe then finde certain satisfaction and firme in those things unto which they come by their own proper will with designe when their designe is either to helpe the mortification and the vivification into which they have begun to enter by the favour of God or is to serve Christ in his members That this is true they understand by proper experience who holding themselves for dead in the crosse of Christ doe attend
comforts them and gives them content considering that death is the end of their Pilgrimage They who albeit they be indeed prized loved and favoured of God are not yet despised hated and persecuted of the world doe not as yet esteem themselves Pilgrims in this present life not being handled as Pilgrims albeit they esteem themselves Citizens of eternall life in as much as they know that they are prized favoured and loved of God It is true indeed that this estimation is not entire nor perfect in them untill that the world knowing them prized loved and favoured of God begins to handle them as Pilgrims despising them hateing them and persecuting them For as then they feeling themselves handled by the world as Pilgrims have recourse to Christ and recourse to God and being as they are more prized more loved more favoured of God and more illustrated in the knowledge of eternall life they esteem themselves Pilgrims and strangers in this present life in such manner that however afterwards the world returne to prize love and use them well they doe not leave to esteem themselves Pilgrims and to hold it good to goe out of this pilgrimage Here I understand two things The first that it is Gods will that they whom he loves should live as Pilgrims And the second that between them who hate the world because they are persecuted of the world for piety and them who hate the world for other respects there is this difference that these second although they bear hatred to the world whilest they are despised of the world and would be contented to goe out of the world when the world returnes to prize them loving the world they would by no meanes goe out of the world And the other after that they once hate the world seeing themselves despised hated and persecuted of the world they never more returne to love the world how much soever it love and esteem them This difference proceeds from hence that following the light of the holy spirit and being illustrated in the knowledge of eternall life they doe alwaies hold themselves for pilgrims in this present life and alwaies hold themselves for Cittizens of the Kingdome of God and in eternall life and therefore hate this life and rejoyce to goe out of it On the contrary the other following the naturall light have no certainty of eternall life and if they have any they doe not stand sure to be well in it therefore they doe not altogether hate this life nor rejoyce to goe out of it In this discourse christian persons shall understand that they are to esteem themselves pilgrims and strangers in the world in this present life and that they are to esteem themselves Cittizens of the Kingdome of God and of life eternall And that if so be the feeling themselves very fearefull of death shall make them know that they are not come to this to esteem themselves pilgrims they ought with continuall prayer to pretend it being certain that by how much more perfectly they shall stand therein then they shall be most like to Christ and most like to God who have been and are in this present life strangers and pilgrims and like such have been and are used And to every Christian person it appertaines to procure to be like to God and to the sonne of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XCVII Whether Iustification be a fruit of piety and whether piety be a fruit of Justification WIlling to examine between these two gifts of God Piety and Justification which of them may be said to be the fruit of the other that is whether piety be the fruit of justification a man being first just before pious or whether justification be the fruit of Piety a man being pious before just and willing in this matter to proceed with order as it were I first say that by Piety I understand the true divine worship which consisteth in worshipping God in spirit and in truth Iohn 4. approving with the minde whatever God doth holding it for just holy and good In this signification I understand S. Paul useth this word Piety 1. Tim. 3. And I say that by justification I understand the purity of conscience which dares appear in judgement such as was S. Pauls when he said there is laid up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse c. Passing on farther I understand that calling into counsell for the making of this examination the naturall light prudence and humane wisdome shee will alwaies say and affirme that justification is a fruit of piety understanding that one cannot have justification and purity in his conscience if he doe not first adore God in spirit and in truth giving unto him that which it ought to doe as his creature and that suddenly when he gives to God that which he ought to give hee is iust having cleannesse in his conscience And so it is resolved that Iustification is a fruit of piety since from a mans being pious it redounds that he is iust Farther I understand that calling into counsell for the making of this triall the holy spirit and the Christian spirit he will say and affirme that Piety is the fruit of Iustification understanding that a man cannot haue Piety worship God in spirit and truth if he be not first iust accepting the Gospell of Christ making Christs iustice his and understanding that instantly when a man believing is iust he begins to haue Piety adoring God in spirit and truth And so it is resolved that Piety is a fruit of Iustification for a man is first iust then pious If that were true which naturall light saith prudence and humane wisdome for the selfesame cause it would follow that there hath not been nor is nor shall bee a pious man I would say who should giue entirely compleatly unto God that which he ought to give And it being true that which the holy spirit and the Christian spirit saith it well follows that there hath been is and shall be a great number of iust men for there haue been are and shall be many men that haue been are and shall bee iustistified by Christ accepting and making Christiustice theirs Men that Iudge that Iustfication is a fruit of piety by the selfe same case give testimony of themselves that they iudge by naturall light by prudence humane wisdome as Plato and Aristotle would have iudged who had no notice at all of Christ. And in very truth I knowe not what they think of Christ of the Christian businesse nor of the Gospell The men that iudge that Piety is a fruit of Iustification by the selfesame case give testimony of themselves that they iudge by the holy spirit by the Christian spirit as S. Peter and S. Paul iudged who largely knew Christ and had the spirit of Christ. They haue this opinion of Christ that in him God chastised all our sinnes that is all that wherein we faile unto that which as the creatures of God we are
bound to give unto God They think of the Christian businesse that it is a living under the goverment of the holy spirit in holinesse and iustice And they think of the Gospell that it is a Proclamation that compriseth these two things Remission of sinnes and Iustification by Christ And the regiment and goverment of the holy spirit Of which two things they enioy who believing in Christ accept the Gospell From all this discourse I gather that they who understand Justification to be a fruit of Piety follow Plato and Aristotle And that they who understand Piety to be a fruit of iustification Iustification being a fruit of Faith follow S. Paul and S. Peter It is also gathered that this name Piety understood in the manner in which it is here understood it cannot be attributed to God because he owes no man any thing Nay on the contrary every one owes to him And that which he doth with us is not for piety is not for debt nor for obligation but for compassion for mercy and for liberality being in every thing towards us compassionate mercifull and liberall Which ought principally to be known in this that he put all our sinnes on his pretious son Iesus Christ our Lord to put on us the iustice of the selfesame Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XCVIII How that is to be understood that the holy Scripture saith attributing condemnation sometimes to infidelity and sometimes to evill works and salvation sometimes to Faith sometimes to good works AMongst those things in holy Scripture which give molestation to Christian persons who having faith feel within themselves the fruit of Faith that is Iustification and the fruit of justification that is the peace of conscience when they will examine with them their conceptions their spirituall feelings I hold for very principall this that feeling themselves justifi'd by Faith consequently with peace of conscience cannot understand for what cause Christ speaking of the day of Iudement saith that he will condemne some because they have not done well and will save others because they haue done well Nor for what cause S. Paul saith That God will render to every man according to his works Rom. 2. And S. Peter That God will iudge every one according to his works At which they so much the more marvell in as much as the same Christ saith that he that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned And the selfesame S. Paul saith that the Faith of the heart iustifieth and the confession of the mouth saveth And the selfesame S. Peter attributes the salvation of the soule to Faith And from their not understanding of this matter it comes to passe that every one of them thinks in this manner If God be to judge me according to my works there is no doubt but he will condemne me for there is not in them any goodnesse nay in those which seem best there is more contamination of selfe-loue interest and proper glory in such sort as if I be to be judged by my work it will goe ill with me Whereupon being desirous to take away this molestation and this scruple of Christian persons and spirituall and to salve the intelligence of the holy Scriptures in such sort as they should not contradict themselves I think thus That in good or evill works God cōsiders not the quantity but the quality which consisteth in the minde of him that doth the works in the thing wherein he implies it That this is true in evill workes needs no proofe and that it is true in good works is evident by that which Christ saith of them that cast their monies into the Treasury of the Temple praysing the minde of him that did the works And it is evident likewise by that which the selfesame Christ saith speaking of the day of judgement where he doth not say that hee will saue them who haue bin charitable simply but they that have been charitable with himselfe that is they who believing shall stand incorporated in him Whence it seems that Christ saith that he will saue them who haue used charity with him and condemne them that haue not used it Now it being cleer that they cannot work with a pious minde but only who are pious and holy nor can know Christ in his members to use charity towards him but they onely who appertain to the selfesame body of Christ it is clearely approved that none can work well work Christianly but those who are the members of Christ those who haue the spirit of Christ and are pious and holy and just and believe in Christ. And this being approved it is likewise approved that it is the selfesame in holy Scripture to say That men shall be saved by their good works and condemned by their evill works and to say That they shall be saved by their Faith and condemned by their Infidelity Whereupon Christian persons are to two things The one That they only work well for holding themselves justified by Christ they doe not pretend to justifie themselves by their own good works and so working they work purely for the loue of God and not for their own proper loue as those men work who not holding themselves justified by Christ pretend to justifie themselves by their own good works and so working for their own proper loue proper interest and not for the love of God they noe not work well for their works doe not please God cannot be called good works The other that God judging them according to their works will not put to their accompt the contamination that he shall know in them having pardoned them originall sin together with all that which they haue from this evill root And because he will put to their accompt the Faith which he shall haue given them and the purity that shall be in their works whether few or many in as much as they shall be the fruit of Faith And so God shall saue them shewing in the outward judgement that he saves them for their good works saving them indeed by the Faith which he shall have given them God shall iustifie the sentence with which he condemnes the impious superstitious and shall save the pious and holy alleaging the outward works of the one and the other the living with holinesse and iustice on the one part and the living with iniustice and impiety on the other part But this shall not be but for men who know not nor see not but in the outward And in the self same sentence they who know and see the inward the root whence this living working on the one part and this living and working on the other grow they being more then men by the Christian regeneration shall know that Faith hath saved them that shall be saved and that infidelity shall haue condemned them that shall be condemned Here may an impious person say to me willing to calumniate holy Scripture and a superstitious willing to canonize his own
understand that this word of God as Isaia saith 53. was prosperous in Christ in as much as that came to passe which God pretended in him and by him And so I understand that it is one and the selfe same word that of which S. John saith In the begining was the word and the word was with God and the word was God And more beneath And the word was made flesh And with that which S. Paul saith Colos. 1. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth But setting my selfe to search in what thing this divine generation of the son of God of the Word of God doth consist in what manner the Son is generated of the Father for what â—…ause the Word is called the Son and the Son is called the Word I finde my selfe so uncapable of this intelligence that I anew confirme my selfe in that which I have written in another consideration saying that as the wormes which are bred of the corruption of the earth are altogether uncapable of the manner by which one man is generated by another man even so the men who are generated by carnall generation are altogether uncapable not only of the manner how the son of God was generated but also of the manner how the sons of God are regenerated by the holy spirit of God And if I should understand in what manner Moses and David S. Iohn and S. Paul understood it that God created all things by his Word I should also understand this divine secret which I goe searching out wherein I goe considering the power where with Christ also in his humble state did that which he would being suddenly obeyed by his creatures without that any gave any farther impediment then was granted unto them If it shall please God that I be capable of this divine secret before I goe out of this present life I will also adjoyne that here which hee shall teach mee to his glory and of Christ and of those who are the sonnes of God in Christ and through Christ. Otherwise I will content my selfe of this for I am sure that I shall see with these corporall eyes in life eternall that which at present I desire to see with the eyes of my mind And in the mean space I rejoyce in this that at present I know that this Word of God this son of God with whom by whom God hath created and repaired all things is of the selfe-same substance of the Father and one selfe same thing with him and is eternall as is he I understand that the holy spirit accommodating it selfe to our incapacity speaking with us useth these words used amongst us such as are Word and Sonne not to the end that by them we should comprehend the divine secret but because we may have some name of him According to this divine generation I understand that Christ is the first begotten son of God by his eternity that he was alwaies the Son and that he is the only begotten sonne of God by his singularity that he is only the Sonne by generation all others that are Sonnes being Sonnes by regeneration For what belongs to the divine generation of Christ I understand that in him was neither diminution nor augmentation He was the same before his incarnation that he was in his incarnation and that he is in his glorification According to the human generation I understand that Christ by the work of the holy spirit was generated in the womb of the most holy Virgin in what manner I know not to me it sufficeth to know that the flesh with which the Word of God cloathed it selfe in this world was taken from that most holy Virgin For according to this flesh I know Christ for the Son of David and of Abraham And I see now in part fulfilled in him the promises of God made unto David as much as belongs to the perpetuity of the Kingdome in his seed and those made unto Abraham as much as belongs to the multiplication of his seed and as much as belongs to the inheritance of the world And I expect to see them intirely compleat in life eternall the resurrection of the just being made According to this human generation I know in Christ two Times the one of shame and the other of glory In the time of his opprobry I know him a man passible and mortall with all the miseries which being annexed unto passibility and mortality doe grow in a man that lives in poverty And I know him with a flesh like unto mine saving that his was not sinfull flesh nor flesh subject unto sinne as mine is In this time I know Christ most humble and most meek he esteeming himselfe for that which he was in that being in which he stood cloathed with flesh as one disguised amongst men that he might be handled of men as man In this selfe same time I know Christ most obedient to his eternall father most cleane from all sinne and therefore most iust and most holy in such manner as he might securely say to them who persecuted him and calumniated him who of you can convince me of sin Joh. 8. And S. Paul speaking of him might well say 2. Cor. 5. He who knew no sinne And S. Peter 1. 2. who did no sinne nor was any guile found in his mouth And of this innocency of Christ all the Scriptures are full as of a most necessary thing to be understood of all them who know themselves iust in him and by him In the time of glory I know Christ a man impâ—…ssible and immortall and I know him most glorious and most triumphant as he who hath gotten absolute power in heaven and in earth having obtained the kingdome of God and the inheritance of God for Gods elect having slain all of them in him raised them all up in him and glorified them all in him And so that comes to be of them which is of him In this time I know Christ for Lord for Head and for King of the people of God of the Church of God and of the elect of God I know Christ for Lord of the elect of God because I understand that he hath redeemed them with his pretious bloud delivering them from sin from hell and from death in which things the first man had set them and unto which things he had obliged and made them subject And because the Apostles in their Writings doe joy to call Christ Holy they know Christ for the Head of the Church of God For I understand that God having put in him his holy spirit with all the treasures of his divinity he communicates and distributes them most liberally to those who being incorporated in him appertain to the Church of God to every one according to his capacity doing with them that which my head doth with my body In so much as that as my hand if it could speak would say and affirme that it feeles that from my head there
descends a vitall vertue by meanes whereof it lives so every one of those who being incorporated in Christ are the Church of god because he can speake saith and affirmeth that he feeles that from Christ there comes unto him a spirituall vertue by meanes whereof he lives a spirituall life This S. Iohn thus understood Chap. 1. when he said For of his fullnesse have we all received and grace for grace And so S. Paul understood it Colos. 1. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell I know Christ for King in the people of god for I understand that he is he who with his spirit rules and governes it not onely in inward things and divine as head but also as god In outward things and corporall as King In all which things being as they are the Sonnes of god as S. Paul saith Rom. 8. they are lead by the spirit of God And so I understand that the kingdome of god is not called the spirituall kingdome because he governes us in spirituall things but because governing us in spirituall and corporall things he doth not govern us with the outward law but with the inward law which is the government of the Holy Spirit the Christian spirit Of this kingdome of Christ the holy Scriptures are full Esay 5. Mic. 5. Daniel 7. By which I understand that in this present life God reigns but by Christ that in lifeeternall god shall reign but by himselfe For then he shall be all in all 1. Cor. 15. In this manner I know Christ glorious for King in the people of god for Head in the Church of god and for Lord of the Elect of god And I know Christ humble most innocent and free from all sinne and abounding in all justice And I know fullfilled in him in part the promises of god made to David and to Abraham And I know him for the Sonne of god first borne and onely begotten I know that he is the Word of god with which god created all things I know him eternall consubstantiall And I hold for certain that as the Christian faith shall goe on being in me more efficacious mortifying me and quickening me so theseknowledges of Christ shall goe on being more cleare and more distinct by which I shall goe on from day to day alwaies more knowing god as he may be knowne whilst this flesh being passible and mortall is not a subject habilitated to see Christ to see God face to face as I shall see him in life eternall Having taken this resolution in the conceit which I ought to have of Christ I goe resolving my selfe in the conceit that I ought to have of them who are the members of Christ considering every one of them a Sonne of god not first borne as Christ who alwaies was a Sonne but an adopted Sonne by Christ and in Christ not onely begotten as Christ who is the sonne by generation but regenerated by Christ and in Christ borne the sonne of wrath and re-borne the sonne of God not in the state of gloryfication in which Christ i◅ but in the state of opprobry in which Christ was not Lord of Gods elect but one of the number of them who being elected of God are the servants of Christ redeemed and bought by Christ Not head of the Church of God as Christ but a mēber of the Church of God of which Christ is the head Not King of the people of God as Christ but governed by the spirit of Christ by meanes of which spirit I know that all the members of Christ stand united amongst themselves and united with Christ himselfe and therefore united also with God God abiding in them and they in God And so I see fullfilled that Prayer which Christ made unto his Father for this union Iohn 17. saying That they may be one in us c. And I understand that in this vnion consisteth all the christian perfection I pray God that he doe in such manner Imprint it in my memory that it may not seeme that it sever itselfe or depart from it not so much as for one moment to the intent that I never may doe thing which shall not be worthy of this union which I acknowledge from my christ who is my Lord my Head and my King To him be glory with the Father and the holy spirit Amen CONSID. CX That the principall gifts are not understood untill they be possessed A Most great testimony of the Christian life is this that according as a christian man goes perfecting himself in his christian customes so he goes clearing himselfe in his christian conceptions Nay I hold for certain that the selfesame christian spirit which goes perfecting him in his customes goes clarifying him in his conceptions so much that it can be hardly understood whether the clarification in the conceptions comes from the perfection in the customes or the perfections in the customes come from the clarification in the conceptions And therefore it is sure to say that both the one and the other thing comes from the christian spirit which doth marvellously work both the one and the other in them who accept the Gospell of Christ. This I haue said to this purpose that I having understood that the christian businesse is not science but experience and having by many comparisons procured to make some persons capable of this truth I haue never remained satisfied in my minde in such manner that it seemed to me to haue expressed to mine own manner my conceit untill now that having in mine own judgement comprehended it with more clearenesse itseems to mee to bee able to expresse it better And so I say that between the believing and accepting the christian things Faith Hope Charity with humane wit◅ or with the christian spirit I know the difference which I know between accepting approving those three naturall vertues Magnanimity Valour and Liberality and having them indeed I would say that as there be mē who hearing speak of these three naturall vertues and of the perfection of them albeit they doe not know them in themselves do approue them and accept them for good so there bee also of those men who hearing speak of those three gifts of God Faith Hope and Charity and of the perfection and efficacy of them albeit they doe not know them in themselves doe approve them and accept them for good believing that thy who accept the grace of the Gospell doe enjoy the remission of sins the reconciliation with God through Christ and approving the hope with which they expect the felicity of eternall life and the loue with which they loue God aboue every thing and they loue their neighbour as themselves And I say farther that as whilst they who approve those three natural vertues not possessing them albeit they willingly heare talk of them through the desire which they haue to possesse them yet is not that so much as that it gives them entire