The Art of Happiness, Part 2 – Part 3
THE ARTE OF HAPPINES. The second Part. Which particularly sets forth the happinesse of Man, and the restoring of it when it was lost.
CHAP. I. Of the Creator and the Creation, and the purpose of the Creator in the Creation.
THe Creator is the beginning of all things, and therefore must he needs be without beginning. For from the things which hauehave their beginning of him, him selfe cannot take beginning, neither can he be his owne beginning, for that were to say, he was before he was. But God is an eternall Essence, that by himselfe vpholdeth himselfe, and all things else. For all other things hauehave no being of their owne, but they borrow their being from him; and in him is their foundation: and for this cause may he alone rightly, because alone originally, say, I am. And as he is the fountaine and beginning from which all things flow, so is he the end to which all things returne; either by their owne wills conformed to his will, or by the ouer-ruling of his power, which subdueth the vnwilling to his will. And thus must it needes be; for the Creator is his owne end in his Creation, and doth all things for himselfe. If wee allow not a Creator, we confesse no Author of the things wee see; but either wee make them Eternall, which is to make meaner gods, and to denie the more excellent, or we frame some imagination of our owne to be their beginning which shall neuer fit with them so well, as a wise, powerfull, and eternall Spirit; and lastly, we rob mans soule of a true rest & happinesse. For if the Spirit of man had not some soueraigne Spirit, to giuegive it eternall Blisse, then were miserable man shut vp vntounto this present life, as vntounto his soueraigne good, into which a wise & good man would neuer reenter, if he were once well discharged of it. Let vsus then seeke a GOD higher then these visible things, and a happines higher then these miserable things; and let vsus not reason with the brutish Sensualists; Hee is not a God whom wee cannot see with our eyes; but let vsus say with the Soules inlightned; Hee is fittest to bee a God, whose purenesse doth excell the grosse capacitie of bodily sences. For the purer the Essence is, the more fit to bee a God, and the more pure, the more inuisible to a grosse and carnall sight. Let vsus therefore beleeue the Creator to bee a most cleere, lightsome, and glorious Spirit, and to bee seene onelyonly by Spirits and bodies, sublimated into a spirituall kinde of being.
This glorious & eternall Spirit, manifesteth himselfe to our apprehensions in three Persons, the print and impression of each person being found in eueryevery creature, and there being an absolute necessitie, that eueryevery one of the three should concurre in all Creation. The first, in order of Consideration, though there bee no first in order of Time, is the great and infinite Mind or Vnderstanding, which begetteth a great Wisdom, Thought, or Word; euen the first and radicall Light, the almightie Begetter of the second Light; and this person is called GOD the Father. The second, is the begotten & second Light; euen the Wisdome & Conceiuement of the minde or vnderstanding; an Image & issue thereof, and this person is called GOD the Son. The third, is the Vertue & Power, which breatheth or floweth from the God head, whereby GOD loueth and inioyeth himselfe, and puts in execution whatsoeuer he wil hauehave done for himselfe, and this person is called GOD the holy Ghost. These three are one God, and doe so necessarily ioyne in eueryevery Creation, that without any one of them nothing can be created. For how can there be any Creation, but that the Minde or Father must beget a wise purpose, by Wisedome his Sonne, & what he hath purposed and proiected by the Sonne, he must effect by the power of the holy Ghost?
Accordingly, this God, who is the end of himselfe for himselfe intended, and brought forth a Creation. To himselfe he would hauehave glorie, and to his Creature happinesse; yea, this happines of the Creature, should be by the glorie of the Creator: so in the glorifying of God, should Men and Angels bee glorified. But on the contrarie, they that would not giuegive glorie to God, should not hauehave happinesse to themselues; yet, though vnwillingly, shall they glorifie him by seruing his Iustice in miserie, who would not serue his Goodnesse in felicitie. To effect this in six dayes, God made this great masse of Creatures, called the World, which he fitted for the seruice of Man, and Man for the seruice of his GOD. Now, as this great Frame came from this one God, so the infinite disagreeings of seuerall parts reconciled to an Vnitie, point to some great vnitie as the Cause of this reconciliation, which can deserue to be called by no other name, then by a supreme and soueraigne Name, and such a Name is God. Againe, the infinite diuersitie of Formes, and that large heape of Matter, neither of which were before, and of which it is alike easie to the Creatour, to make Matter as Formes, direct our eies to som great Wisdome & Power, which could both inuent and produce them. Yea more neerly, the drops and streames of wisedome powred into the Creatures in their seuerall instincts, and into Man with his soule plainly confesse, that there is some Spring of infinite wisdome from which these Riuolets might flow, and some infinite power which could actuate them into the Creatures. And if so, then necessarily must wee also allow some pure and infinite Essence, wherein this infinite. Wisedome & Power might dwell, which puritie chiefly excelleth in a Spirit, and to such a Spirit can agree no other, but the highest Name of God. Thus the things sealed, bearing the Image of the seale, teach vsus the seale; euen these visible Creatures, bearing the impression of the Deitie, represent to vsus the same Deitie, as their Cause and Beginning, and in their dumb language they preach vntounto vsus their originall.
The world thus trimmed vp with the varietie of innumerable things, both for vse and ornament, as a royall Palace for some great Prince, man (though now a contemptible & wretched thing) was then thought a fit Owner and Commander of so glorious a Creation. And this not without order; for though by his body, he was of kin to the Earth, yet his soule was of kin to the Deitie; being a Spirit breathed into man by the Father of Spirits. So Glorie and Humilitie were married together in man at his first Creation; the issues wherof should still be continued; euen apprehensions of an excellent soule, to keepe vsus from sinking into the basenesse of sensualitie and earthinesse; and considerations of a clay body, to stay vsus from mounting vp in pride, and ascending into the place of the most High.
And now euen at the first beginning, God did make man know both what was the basenesse of man, and what was the happines of man: hee shewed man that his seruice was the businesse of man, yea, hee shewed him how he would bee serued. For God planted in man a reasonable soule, in which was written an Image & counter-pawne of the Deitie, although not equall in degrees, yet like in resemblance. Now, the reason of this soule could finde, that a Creator creates things for himselfe, & by whom things are, they are also for him. Therefore man hauing his being from God, he is to returne his being vntounto God. And if Man would know the manner how to please and serue God; this very manner of his creation will teach him. For the Creator was a Spirit himselfe, and he gaue to man a Spirit resembling him both in substance and facultie. The substance was spirituall, & the facultie, an vnderstanding and wil. In the vnderstanding was a light, which could shew vntounto man the will of God; and informe Man what was right in Gods vnderstanding. So was it a created reuelation of the Law of God, the sparkes and pieces whereof serue at this day, both to informe and accuse the naturall man. Now vponupon the vnderstanding thus informed, the will was readie to attend; and vponupon the will, the affections, yea all the members, to execute and performe the will of God certified to them by the vnderstanding. Now there being such an aptnesse and abilitie of conformitie betweene God and Man, and all things being delighted with harmonie and conformitie, especially that purest Essence which is vanitie it selfe; surely, it cannot bee imagined, but the chiefest pleasure and seruice most acceptable to the Creator, was, when these lower and lesser spirits did cary themselues, & the bodies which they ruled in a perpetuall consent and conformitie to that great Spirit which made them. And as Mans workmāship did thus shew him his worke, so did it also his happinesse. Towards the discouerie hereof, let vsus set downe these rules. First, the most excellent happines of Man must be the happinesse of Mans most excellent part. Secondly, Mans chiefest part being a Spirit, the obiect of his happines must be a Spirit; Spirits enioying Spirits, as Bodies do Bodies, & chiefly the chiefest. Thirdly, this chiefest Spirit is not to bee found among the Creatures, but must only bee the Creator; for the Creator must needs exceede all the Spirits that issue from him, as the highest cause doth his inferiour effects. And to this also conspireth this conception euen of humane reason, that in him must bee the chiefest exaltation of Mans being, from whom the being it selfe did first proceede. Yet neither doth our mercifull Father leaue this Truth without a witnesse, but by that great & reuerend mysterie of the Sabbath, he telleth vsus outwardly, what before he inwardly taught vsus; euen that God is our blessednesse, and that holinesse is the way to him. For God is said to hauehave created the world in sixe dayes, and to hauehave rested, blessed, and hallowed the seuenth. Now God needed not sixe dayes to create a world, which he can equally doe in a moment. Neither needed he to rest the seuenth day, for any wearinesse gotten by Creation. But these things are of an higher meaning, and include Doctrines more excellent, and so more agreeable to the nature and dignitie of God. God chose to make his worke distinctly in sixe seuerall dayes, and in eueryevery day distinctly considered the worke which that day hee had made and vponupon this distinct and seuerall consideration, hee pronounced this sentence vponupon each dayes worke, that the worke of that day was good. Yet hee saith onelyonly that it was good; hee saith not that it was goodnesse: it was good enough in his kind for seruice, but not for happinesse. But the seuenth day hee ceaseth, both from Creation and this consideration of the good Creatures; and with-draweth himselfe into himselfe; Hee returneth from without, to the enioying of himselfe & his owne rest; and to the contemplation of this rest inioyed; and there onelyonly hee findeth & pronounceth to be perfect holinesse, and perfect blessednesse. To make this knowne vntounto Man, God takes this Seuenth day, wherein hee retyred to his rest, and imprints on it the qualities of his rest, holinesse and blessednesse; that the holinesse and blessednesse of that day might bee a patterne to vsus of the holinesse and blessednesse, which is in God: that we reading therein the blessednesse of God, might set our whole hearts & desires thereon; and reading therin the holinesse of God, might fit our selues by holinesse to his Holinesse; which, as it is inseparable from happinesse in God, so must it be also in all that wil see Good; for nothing contrary or vnlike to God, may approch vntounto him. Thus the Seuenth day, crowned by the employment of that day; & the other sixe daies left vnblessed, by the works of those dayes, by a manifest differēce point vntounto vsus, that the end and happinesse of Man, are not to be sought in the workes of the sixe dayes, but in the blessed Holinesse and holy Blessednesse of the Seuenth. And to the same truth the order of Creation doth likewise inuite vsus. For, all Creatures being first made; Man was made after Creatures, and so set before them as their end, to whom they should looke, & whom they should serue. But Man being thus placed as the end of the Creatures, in this great mysterie of the Sabbath, solemnized after Mans creation, God and his blessed Rest is set before Man, as the end and happinesse of Man. So as Man is set before the face of the Creatures, so is God in the Sabbath set before the face of Man. The Creatures should looke to Man, and Man should looke to God; Man must turne his backe to the Creatures, and his face toward God. The Creatures must serue & follow Man, and Man must serue & follow God. And when God is serued in holinesse, then shall he be inioyed in happinesse; when God is proposed as the end of Mans being, then shall God bee inioyed as the end of Mans desire.
CHAP. II. How Man fell from happinesse into miserie.
MAN being thus created; with his duetie and happinesse written in him, and set before him; his businesse was by walking in the duetie, to walke toward the happines. To do this, he was to looke vntounto God as the rule of his obedience (of whom also that little Image, which hee carried about him, was a representation) and vponupon the same God as the consummation of his felicitie. In summe, he was to walke with God vntounto God; and hauing pleased God in this world, he was to enioy the pleasures at the right hand of God in the world aboue. And now, as Man was to see in God, both what was good to be done, and what was good to bee desired, so also was hee to see by God what was the euill to bee left vndone, and the euill to be lothed in regard of suffering. For, the same rule which sheweth vsus rightnes, serues also to find out crookednesse. And accordingly as the Will of GOD was the rule of that which was good and righteous, & the goodnes of God was Mans good and happinesse; so on the contrarie, what was against Gods will, was the euill of vnrighteousnesse, or what was separated from Gods goodnesse, or had an influence contrarie to it, was the euill of miserie. Thus was Man set with his countenance toward God, to behold him as the highest marke & ayme to whom he should fit his actions and affections. Yea, God and Man looked each on other; God to Man, for the seruice of louelove: Man to God, for holinesse and happinesse.
And now, because this most wise Creator knew, that a Creature, like a streame, must hauehave continuance from the same spring, from which it tooke beginning, & that the same hand must support him from falling, which made him able to stand; he gaue vntounto Man a Tree of Life; a most diuine Sacrament; by the partaking whereof, hee might hauehave truely eaten of that Word of God, by whom Man was first made, and who only is Life, and is euen now the Tree of Life in the Paradise which is aboue. In this Word is the Life and Light of Men, and by the partaking of Him, Man may continue in the Life and Light receiued from Him. And if ADAM would hauehave eaten of this Tree, hee might hauehave beene established in the state of righteousnesse and happinesse.
But that it might bee in the choice of Man to chuse Life or Death, there was also set before him a Tree of death, a Tree to which was annexed this curse, That at what time soeuer Man eateth thereof, he shall die the death. And great reason there was, that the Eater therof should die, for it had a qualitie powred into it, or annexed vntounto it, to ouerthrow all that the Tree of Life would hauehave preserued. It carried with it a spiritual drunkenesse, that would so captiuate the vnderstanding, and turne about the will and affections, that they should not looke to God, as the rule of good & euill, to be done or vndone; nor to the same God, as the rule of that good and euill, which is happines and miserie.
But this new fruit will teach Man to know good and euill, after a new fashion. For from the venom thereof there issueth a blind lust & concupiscence, which blotteth out the Image of God in the soule, by which we once looked vntounto God. And this lust sitteth it selfe as God in this Temple of God. When this fruit is eaten, the vnderstanding, wil, and affections, are to bee managed by lust; yea, euen the whole soule and body of man, and that must bee good or euill which lust approoueth or disliketh. God must be no longer the happinesse of man, neither the absence or opposition of God, the miserie of man; God must be no longer the patterne of Mans obedience, neither shall man care to walke with God vntounto God, nor to decline from the euill of suffering, by declining from the euil of doing. But lust that bestrideth the soule and body, frameth vp new happinesse & newe miserie, euen newe good and euil, to which the actions of Man must bee wholly leuelled, euen to auoid the euill, and to obtaine the good. And this must be done with such authoritie, that the precisenesse of the former course, which fitted all actions to the rule of righteousnesse, being trodden vnderunder foote, as carrying with it a scrupulous basenesse; these actions shall now onelyonly, and seriously bēe iudged Good or Euill, which are apprehended and proposed by Lust. Let the things supposed good by this fleshly wisedome, bee neuer so emptie of goodnesse; yea the certaine meanes of miserie, yet if this knowledge know them to be good, and perswade the will and affections to imbrace them as good, Man must mightily imploy himselfe for the attayning of them. Accordingly, if this new knowledge tell vsus that worshipping of stocks, murder, yea miserie it selfe is good, wee are bound to beleeue it, yea to runne ouer the whole Countrie, and sometimes out of the Countrie, for the attayning and execution of such apprehensions of Good and Euill. Neither doth this hold only in some men of extrauagant humours, but it appeares since the eating of this fruit, to bee a generall fruit of that eating. For generally mankind is in bondage to this sensuall wisedome, & generally the liues of men are framed and leuelled thereby, and commonly in the course of eueryevery naturall man, we shal find some one thing especially proposed as his chiefe good & happines; the contrary wherof is his chiefe euill and miserie; neither of which are such, as they be esteemed. Yea, the sway of this knowledge is so mightie, that in many plaine and euident causes of good and euill, the poore ruines of reason, euen the broken remnants of Gods Image in the soule, are put out of countenance, and are ashamed to giuegive vp their verdict; wherefore, many times, by men of vnderstanding, for feare or flatterie, euill is called good, and good, euill. There are honourable Miseries, which Reason plainly sees to bee miseries, yet in the Court it is ashamed to call them so. There are also glorious Murders, which Reason knowes to be very butcheries, yet among the lustie sonnes of this lustfull wisedome, it is ashamed to say so. There is a supposall of a God head, or diuine power, to dwell in a piece of wood or metall, and this, Reason sees to bee vanitie, yet in some countries, Kings bow to such imaginations, and the Subiects must doe the same; else for want of bowing, they shall bee brought to breaking. As in these, so in infinite other things appeares mans mistaking of good and euill, euen the good of righteousnesse and happinesse; and the euill of wickednesse and miserie yea, in those very instincts, which are left as the principall guides of naturall men, and by which their state is continued and preserued (and if such had not beene left, mankind being yeelded vp to the guiding of his naturall corruption, must needes hauehave decayed and destroied it selfe) euen these instincts are exceedingly tainted by this knowledge of good and euill. Naturall instinct tells Man, that by Woman, succession is preserued, and naturall helpe maintayned, and that shee that is thine, is thy selfe; Lust comes in with his doctrines often, and sayes, LoueLove one that thou hast not, for the good of varietie, and it is euill and fulsome to louelove but one, though shee be thine owne flesh. Naturall instinct tells vsus, it is good to louelove our children, and best, the best. Lust comes in many times and tells vsus, It is good to louelove them better then our selues; to wrong our selues & others, to increase them, and sometimes to louelove that childe best that deserues worst. Yea, sometimes on the contrarie it tells vsus, that it is foolish and euill to debarre our selues from any excesse or vanitie, for their sakes, and then the carelesnesse is as bad as the care was before. Naturall instinct tells vsus, there must be an order among men for their preseruation, that some must bee the heads and keepers of this order Hence ariseth the necessitie of Kings and States. Fleshly wisedome comes in, and tels many Kings, they must rule men for their owne pleasures, and to satisfie their owne sensuall desires. And the same wisedome tells many Subiects, Why should ye be subiect to one of your kinde? and if so, why not others to you, as well as you to others? Thus is the new knowledge of good and euill, like a Byas to the soule, and makes it runne awry, both in regard of probitie and felicitie. And surely, the Philosophers troubled themselues much with the discouerie of such a disease, but neither knew whence it came, nor how to rid it away. Indeed they plodded for remedies, and to that purpose wrote of the ends of good and euill, and framed their Distinctions of seeming good and euill, and true good and euil. One of these prophets cries out, There is no euill, but what thou thinkest to be euill; and another sayes, EueryEvery mans lust is his guide; and another, EueryEvery mans lust is his god. But while they groped in the darke, the day-starre is risen vponupon vsus, and hath discouered to vsus, by the light thereof, the true roote of Mans corruption, and how they first went out of the right path of the true knowledge of good and euill, into the infinite bypaths of a knowledge deceiued, and deceiuing.
Thus these two trees of Life and Death, being subiect to the choice of man, this choice and power of Free-will, which in it selfe is an excellent priuiledge, yet to a solitarie and vnsupported creature, it easily becomes a dore vntounto miserie. For while man is left to Free-will, he is left to himselfe, and himselfe is but a Creature, and a Creature may bee circumuented by another Creature, that exceedeth it both in cunning and power. This knew well those falne and corrupted Creatures, the euill and depraued angels, who beeing subtill, and powerfull in knowledge, and withall malicious against happinesse, because themselues were miserable, employed their cunning & power, to the seducing of inferiour man; inferiour, because a Spirit clothed & vayled with Dust.
The way which they chose, was by conference; wherein they made vse of a visible Creature; and the ground of their conference was, to bring Man into iealousie of God. Their drift was to perswade Man, that the Tree which was forbidden to Man, was denied out of an enuie of mans preferment; for there was in that Tree (say they) such a supereminent knowledge, that it could equall Man with God, and make Man to become a god vntounto himselfe. And lest feare should be an hinderance to credulitie, the death which was threatned to follow, was vtterly denied. Miserable man besieged with so strong a temptation! for what resistance hath Man against such a temptation, but a firme beliefe in the words of his Creator? & the same temptation bringeth the Creator into suspicion; that his Word may be thought rather to forbid preferment, then sinne and miserie.
Accordingly, GOD is vnbeleeued; the Tempter is trusted; the hand is reached out; and the fruit of miserie is deuoured. The eating is most wicked, and the digestion most wretched; Lust as the iuyce of this fruit, entreth into the soule and body of Man; it obtaineth a conquest ouer the parts and powers of the Eaters; and taynteth them with a fleshly wisedome & a sensuall knowledge Man is become as a god, by being become a rule of good and euill to himselfe. His happinesse and misery must be taught him by his owne heart, and his lust shall bee the Oracle & Guide of his life. And now the eyes of Man are opened; but by a knowledge of apparances, not of truths; and accordingly, Nakednesse, which was the state of perfection, is censured as shamefull; whereas Nakednesse, while Man was pure & glorious, was also glorious; for it did plainly and manifestly set forth Mans puritie & glorie. But the new shame, for which Nakednesse is now blamed, is the shame of the new Lust; which was not caused by Nakednesse, but only discouered; Nakednes excellently became glorie, for glorie is the more glorious by being manifest & euident; but shame becomes shamefull by it, and publisheth it selfe thereby to its owne disgrace. But this is the fault of shamefull Lust, to come into Nakednesse, which is the habit of glorie; and not (as Man foolishly in his new wisedome complayned) the fault of Nakednesse, to discouer the shame of Lust; which by wrongfull intrusion entred into it, and shewed it selfe shameful by that, which was appointed to shew forth Mans perfection in glorie. And as in this, so in Mans whole course doth this erroneous knowledge preuaile; and no maruaile; for the body was first guided by the soule, and the soule by the Image of God, yea by God himselfe: But now this lustfull knowledge guideth the bodie, and the bodie, for the most part, tuneth and guideth the soule. Thus the Image of God, in Man, is reuersed and defaced. Hee answereth not, hee looketh not any longer to God; hee neither loueth him, neither is loued of him. Man is become a stranger to God, & God to Man; and hence it comes, that there is at this day such a multitude of foolish children, that know not their owne Father and Creator.
Man being thus cut off from God his end, and become his owne God and end; he is abased, deformed, and wholly ouerthrowne by his new preferment: Hee left his true end and happinesse, when hee would not bound himselfe within the happinesse of a Creature; but striuing after the happinesse of a Creator, he lost both what he would hauehave, and what before hee might hauehave. And now God and the Law of God being taken out of Mans heart, & a false god with a new law placed in their stead; what shall become of such a wicked and corrupted thing? Can a Creator quietly see himselfe robbed of his creature? Can hee without indignation and iealousie behold an Idoll set vp in his roome? or can hee contentedly looke on Pollution, sitting on the face of that soule, wherein before with pleasure he beheld his own resemblance? No; but much rather it is fit, that a Creature thus running away from his Maker, should be branded with a curse for a Vagabond; that the new pride and godhead of the flesh should bee battered & abased; that this wry and false estate of Man should hauehave no long continuance, but that this stolne and corrupt happines should soone be dissolued by reall miserie. Accordingly, God calls his sinfull Creatures to an account, and hauing conuicted them by a confession of their own, extorted from them, by necessarie and infallible consequences of transgression, on the Woman he imposeth a yoke of subiection, euen to be subiect to the Husband, whom shee tempted to sinne. Hee also fastneth vntounto her such an heauie paine of childbirth, that to this day it witnesseth of it selfe, that it is the stroke of an offended Deitie. Surely, as the bitter fruit of Lust, it punisheth the fault of his owne roote; and it is most iustly tyed to the Generation, to which Mans fall had before tyed Pollution. But neither may the Man passe away safe with his new purchase of false happinesse, but the swelling of his pride must bee pricked and vented. Though the Woman gaue him the fruit, it was not the giuing, but the eating that defiled him. Therefore to Man is the earth cursed, that it shall not traffike her fruit, but for the sweat of his browes. The new godhead is taken downe; for it must either starue or labour; and hee, who might hauehave beene serued by a voluntary contribution of the Creatures, and might hauehave beene next vntounto God ouer them; now by stepping vp into Gods place, is cast into a slauerie vntounto the Creatures, and his life is a continuall seeking of them. This great Earth hath a great curse of barrennesse, or a barren fruitfulnes of thorns and bryers: yea, from the little Earth, which is man, shall spring the thornes of cares, the bryers of feares and sorrowes, which pricke and teare, and torment the heart that beareth them. The brute Creatures being freed from their naturall allegeance, shall henceforth yeeld vntounto Man an obedience forced or artificiall. The enmitie of the wicked angels shall cōtinually persecute the mankind, which they hauehave deceiued. And finally, Man being driuen from the diuine Sacrament of the Tree of Life, his body shall be subiect to infirmitie and diseases, and at last by death shall melt into dust, from whence it was taken; and his soule now darkened with Concupiscence, shall be driuen into the darknes of the absence and wrath of God, which is the second and most fearfull death. Thus is vengeance taken on disobedience; thus is the new pride crushed and taken downe; the false gods being turned into most miserable men, & true miserie being applyed as a corrosiue to false felicitie. Man shall not much inioy his iniquitie, for it is either turned into bitternesse or vanitie; it shall not please or it shall not last; but the miserie following it, shall last for euer. Man is wholly deceiued by the Tempter. God, who is lost, is Mans true happinesse; and the outward and worldly obiects, which Lust turnes into Idols and false gods in the heart of Man, are by God turned into cursednes. And this curse is so fastned, that if Man goe about to repaire it, himselfe shall be swallowed of it, and become a prey to that which he would hauehave destroyed. For Man is taken and inclosed with the wrath of the Almightie, as a wilde Bull in a net or toyle; and wrestling cannot free him, it may more intangle him.
And now assemble your selues together, all yee Philosophers and Wizzards, & behold Man thus dressed vp in corruption and miserie, and heale him, if you hauehave any Medicine equiualent to his Disease. The truth is, you hauehave taken great paines to make something of this wretched Nothing, called Man: you would faine hauehave restored him to the vse of reason, the ancient Image of his Maker. You would hauehave fitted an happinesse for him, as Vertue, Pleasure, or some such fantasie and imagination. And that Man might the more heartily apply himselfe to your deuised happinesse, and soueraigne good, by obscure gropings, you hauehave discouered in Man, a deceitfull knowledge of good and euill, and from this you would hauehave freed him, by shewing him what was truly good and truly euill. But the whiles yee are all miserable comforters, and all Phisicians of no value. Man is really cursed, and he cannot be verbally healed. Be your words neuer so sweet and sententious, yet Man is still corrupt, and cursed in his very ground worke and foundation: you hauehave no fit expiation for a guilt of so high a nature; neither hauehave yee an expurgation of so foule a corruption. Indeede, your charmes may with their plesantnes bring mans corruption into short slumbers, but it awaketh est-soones, and rageth as before, yea it neuer ceaseth a continuall opposition or auersion, from and against the Creator. Surely, the roote of this corruption lies fastned in the grounds of Nature, and Philosophie cannot pull it vp, but it must only bee cured by the hand of the first Creator. Therefore behold your folly; you put restoratiues, (and those not true but fained) into the mouth of a dead man, and then yee set him on his feete, to see whether he will stand or walke. But, loe, hee is not raised aboue his wretched being; in spight of your Spels, he falleth downe into his true Station of vanitie, miserie, and death. The hand of a Gyant hath bound him, & the voice of a child can neuer loose him.
CHAP. III. How Man is restored to happinesse.
WHat shall then bee done for this vnhappy and wretched thing? we find no Balme on earth, nor phisike among the sonnes of men. Miserie hath seized on this world; and miserie is far from being able to cure miserie, neither may it be both a disease and a medicine. What remaines then, but that our eyes are inforced to lift vp themselues aboue the world, to seeke a Sauiour, where they found a Creator. The goodnesse and power of him which created, are onelyonly able to restore; but how canst thou expect goodnesse, O rebellious Man, of a God for saken, disobeyed, and prouoked to wrath? yea, if thou couldest hope against hope, yet how mayest thou conceiue that the decree of GODS Iustice, concerning thy death, shall be fulfilled, & yet death by thee should be auoyded? Shall God be true, then how canst thou not die? Shalt thou not die, then how is Gods sentence to be fulfilled, which hath pronounced that thou shalt die? Surely, thou couldest not thinke a remedie to be likely or possible: and therefore at this day thy sonnes reiect it, and put that out of their beliefe, which is out of their imagination and inuention. But God who is goodnesse, to a vessell of deserued wrath, gaue free and voluntarie merciemercy. And God who is wisedome, to Man blind-folded in miserie, gaue an vnknowne & vnsearchable remedie. It was beyond the hope of Man, it is aboue his reach, and so it well becomes it to be. For far be it from Man with his shallow reach, to sound the bottom of the incomprehensible Deity. Let him first vnderstand the Creatures which are daily before him, and stand as beames in his eye, and mockers of his poore & simple vnderstanding. These ride in triumph, as hauing conquered the wits of Man; and still they dare them to come out of their dens of instincts, intelligences, and hidden qualities, to encounter them, before they lift vp weapons against their Almightie Creator. But the whiles, let sober mindes wonder rather that GOD would giuegive a remedie, then that he could giuegive it; rather let them admire, that his goodnes would bestow his gifts on Traitors and Runnagates; and not that his wisdome could deuise what his goodnesse would hauehave deuised. When Man was dust, this dust knew not how it might be made man. And when Man is corrupted, this corrupt Man cannot conceiue how he should bee restored: yet let him with a little cleerenesse behold this mysterie of restoring, and he shall finde it exceeding sutable to eueryevery part of Mans miserie; hee shall finde it agreeable to a true Iustice, a deepe Wisedome, an infinite Power, a free Mercy, and an exact Holinesse.
This recouerie of Man was thus bestowed on him; when none could saue vsus; yea, none could see how to be saued, God that made vsus, stretched out his hand to saue vsus, and in the curse of the Serpent bestowed blessednesse on Man. In one sentence GOD ouerthrew our Ouerthrower, and by his ouerthrow raised vsus. The outward Serpent was doomed to eate, and walke on the dust whereof Man was; and the inward Serpent to compasse this world of dust wherein Man is, yea to nibble and bite at the dust which is Man. But from this Man of dust, shall arise a Sonne of glorie, who shall crush the Serpent vponupon the head, and dissolue all the workes of the Deuil. The Serpent may walke on this earth as a Prince of the world; hee may compasse his Dominion to and fro; his malice may feed on the soules & bodies of men, by tempting them to sins, and deuouting them with persecutions; but at last this Eater shall become meate, euen the food and fuell of Iustice; for, the Sonne of Man shall take him and bind him, and cast him into vtter darknesse: And those men whom he would hauehave deuoured, but God will hauehave preserued, shall stand with the Sonne of Man to iudge him; and being deliuered from him, shal ioyntly deliuer him to eternall torment. Thus is there a two-fold Kingdome set vp in this world; a Kingdome of darknesse, of sinne, and of miserie; and a Kingdom of light, of holinesse, and of happinesse: and the King of the one, is the chiefe of euill spirits; and the King of the other, is the chiefe of men, euen the chiefe Sonne of Man. But how can the Sonne of Man satisfie for Man, the infinite wrath, of God, for all mankind? How shall hee giuegive stabilitie to mankinde, which being once made pure, hath once also falne? Finally, how shal this Sonne ouer-come the Dragon, who hath alreadie ouer-come the Father of this Sonne? Surely, euen for these works, is there prouided an al-sufficient meanes. The Man, who shall doe this, God wil ioyne to himselfe, and so whatsoeuer wanteth in the Manhood, shall bee supplyed by the Godhead; the Treasurie of power and perfection. The Word which made Man, ioyneth with Man to new make him. Man fell, standing by himselfe; but the Godhead now doth stably support him, & leades him by God vntounto God. And because of this Vnion with an infinite Essence, the actions & passions of the Manhood so vnited, are of an infinite value; able to satisfie for an infinite number of sinners and sinnes, able to satisfie an infinite iustice, able to procure an infinite louelove. And as by the Godhead onelyonly the Manhood could performe this, so by the Manhood the Godhead would performe it. For when Man ioyned to God doth ouerthrow him, who ouer-threw Man standing without God, then the difference plainely appeares betweene a creature alone, and a creature ioyned to the Creator. Besides, by Man the end of Man is performed, euen a perfect and true obedience. Againe, the Iustice of God offended by Man, by Man is satisfied, and that Word of Iustice. When then eatest, thou shalt dye. Finally, by this meanes, Man becomes a Father of mankind in the state of happinesse, as Man was the father of mankind in the state of miserie. And now let the Greeke by his Philosophicall wisedome, scorne and contemne the meannesse of a suffering Sauiour, and let the Iewes with their ambition of outward pompe, count a man of sorrow and humilitie too base a thing to set vp a Kingdome of glorie; but the whiles the truely wise are forced to know & confesse, that there is most glorie and power, where power worketh by infirmitie It becomes weak man, to seeke for power to strengthen and abet him; but it becomes best the Almightie to seeke weaknes, for the better manifestation of his power. For God will hauehave his glorie euident and whole, which is neither euident nor whole, by ioyning any thing that may share glorie with him, but that only which puts away all glorie from it selfe vntounto God. It is a piece of mans foolish wisdome, to adorne the Creator with the glorie of the Creature, but it is Gods most true and highest wisedome, to giuegive light vntounto darknes, power to weaknesse, glorie to basenesse. It is the glorie of the Sunne to giuegive light to the darke and vn-shining bodie of the Moone, but it were a foolish glorie for the Sunne to borrow those inferiour and bestowed beames of the Moone, to decke himselfe withall in his progresse. Let men therefore take heede that they bee not so wise, as to amend the most vnmatchable patterne of a Sauiour & Redeemer, since if they doe so, their wisedome must needs be folly; for they shal find that their amending wil make worse, & they shal diminish Gods honor, by the same meanes by which they thinke to increase it. But be it the ioy of our hearts, fixed and vnremoueable, that God hath giuen vsus so full and perfect a meanes of restoring vsus to our dutie and felicitie, and of freeing vsus from corruption and miserie. Turne we backe our faces from our selues and all things visible, and looke we vp vntounto God, leading vsus by God vntounto God, and that by the seruice of Man vnited vntounto God. In this Man-God is the remedie of all whereof we can complaine, and the supply of all that wee can desire. So is hee a Refuge from miserie, a Fountayne of goodnesse, the Way to felicitie, yea Felicitie it self. The Manhood vnited to the Godhead, is the Dore of happinesse, and the Godhead vnited to the Manhood, is Happinesse it selfe. The life which in Paradise might hauehave beene receiued from the Tree of Life, is now to bee receiued from that Manhood which is the Bread of Life: And hee, in whom is the Sabbath, will now leade vsus vntounto the Sabbath, which is in himselfe.
CHAP. IIII. The particular fitnesse of Mans restoring: How it freeth him from miserie, and in all points possesseth him of happinesse.
IT hath appeared, how Man exchanged that which was his true felicitie, but seemed not to be so, for that which seemed to bee true felicitie, but was indeed true misery. Now let vsus see againe, how he can exchange his miserie for felicitie, or rather, how God doth it for him. For God-in-Man, our blessed Restorer, hath done all things that may bee required, for exchanging wretchednesse into blessednes, and whatsoeuer God hath done, is most fit, yea necessarie for such an exchange.
To find the perfectnesse of our restauration in some measure, let vsus consider the miserie which we hauehave gotten, and the excellence and happinesse which wee hauehave lost. In our miserie we may with chiefest sorrow behold a roote of sinne, an issue of corruption, which being vgly it selfe, begets also many sins vgly like it selfe, and so altogether they prouoke the wrath and detestation of a pure GOD; whereon attend all plagues temporall and eternal. Man is the slaue of Wickednesse, and Wickednes is the slaue of Iustice: Wickednesse commands Man to offend, & Iustice commands Wickednesse to bee punished. Here is the foundation of diseases, famines, pestilence heart-breaking cares, and sorrowes, the temporall death of the body, and the thousand times more fearefull eternall death both of body and soule. For, Man being become a Nurserie of wickednesse, wickednesse becomes the fuell of wretchednesse. And as all these reall and positiue distresses afflict most miserable Man: so hath he certayne priuations and absences of that excellence and happinesse, wherein and whereunto he was created. Hee hath lost the abilitie of doing the dutie of his Creation: he hath lost the end and glorie of that duetie; For hee hath lost obedience to God, and he hath lost the Crowne of that obedience, eternal fruition of God his soueraigne felicitie. And now, when the sore of mankinde was growne to this vastnesse, that the whole world could not fit it with an equall plaister, GOD, who onelyonly made Nature, and can onelyonly restore parts of Nature, which are cut off and destroyed, by his owne right hand and holy arme, got himselfe the victorie ouer our miserie. God doth put himselfe into the recouerie of mankind: and if God be on our side, Who can bee against vsus? for hee that will be against vsus, must needs be a Creature; and therefore inferiour to him who made all things. God being vnited to Man, hath in himself an infinite store-house of blessednesse, infinitely exceeding our miserie, and whatsoeuer hee will blesse, shall be blessed. This blessednesse God imparts vntounto Man, either by turning bitternesse into sweetnesse, euill into good, or by taking away the bitter euill, and putting the good sweetnes in the stead thereof. And first, toward the perfecting of this cure, God in our Sauiour strikes at the roote of our miserie. Sinne is the foundation of miserie; our being against God, who is holinesse, sets God, who is also happinesse, against vsus, and after this we neede not to looke for any farther cause of wretchednes. Neither is it a sufficient cure to heale vsus of our old guilt of sinnes past, because we still incurre a new by running into new sinnes, because sin by lust hath dominion ouer vsus. Therefore the chaines of this slauery vntounto sinne must bee broken a sunder, as well as the guilt of former sinnes purged; Man being cleared from obligation vntounto punishment, must also be freed from obedience and obligation vntounto that which obligeth vntounto punishment. This therefore our Sauiour vndertaketh, and by a most precious Death and Passion satisfies the Iustice of GOD offended with our sinnes; and after in a glorious Resurrection ray seth himselfe to a new life free from sinne (which tooke away his former life) and this free life, by the spirit of libertie, hee bestoweth on his members, thereby discharging them from the slauerie of sinne; and consequently, of death, the effect of sinne. And that the Iustice of God might not yet complaine, that though the breaches of the Law were satisfied, yet the obedience vntounto the Law was not fulfilled (which was a yoke imposed on mankind by the Iustice of God in the Creation.) Therefore hee who freeth vsus from the guilt of sinne, and from the slauerie of sinne, performeth also for vsus a righteousnesse, perfect without sinne; that so the Law might clayme nothing of Man, which by Man was not acquitted. And this Righteousnesse as hee performed through his whole life, so in that one action of his Passion, he fulfilled a whole and intire Righteousnesse, euen the length and breadth of the Law, while for the louelove of God and Man (which is the substance of the Law) he laid downe his life; euen for the glory of God, and the felicitie of Man. Neither let the large communicablenes of this his absolute satisfying and bounding of the Law, and Iustice of God, be questioned, much lesse censured by Mans foolish knowledge of good and euill; for he who made this satisfaction, is equiualent, yea infinitely preualent to all mankinde; his person is of more dignitie then all our persons, and as an ordinarie King, is more worth then a thousand of his subiects; so this King of Kings is more worth then all the thousands of vsus his Creatures. And as his Person by reason of the Deitie, is of such excellence, so are also his actions, euen of greater worth then if mankind had ioyned in the performance of them. For according to the worth of the person, is the worth of the action: Now the person of Christ must surmount all creatures in dignitie, for the worth of all Creatures floweth from the worth of Christ, and the worth that giues worth, must needes bee more then the worth giuen. But if it be confessed that there is in Christ a sufficient worthinesse, but there remaines a doubt how this may bee giuen to another; It is answered, that vnion makes a communitie, & the things of persons vnited, are common to both by being one. If a King marry the daughter of a meane person, yet by the vnion of marriage, his royaltie is cōmunicated to her, by which, though before a begger, shee must of force become a Queene.
And now, Man being freed from the burden of the Law, and from the sinne and sinfulnesse which did sting vsus by the Law, the punishments which did before attend vponupon sinne, eyther altogether fall away, or cease to be punishments. Eternall death is a thing that cannot be made good, no more then Darknesse can bee made Light while it is Darknesse, and therefore from the iustified & sanctified is that wholly taken away. But sorrow, sicknesse, temporall death, and al other outward euils, may cease to be euils, yea they may bee turned into benefits, and indeede are so by the excellence of him that dwelt in vsus. But yet our Restorer ceaseth not, in a meere deliuerie of vsus from positiue euils, but he goes farther in his bountie, & restoreth to vsus a certaine abilitie of performing our dutie, & right of beholding our Creator; yea, a stabilitiein both, which is more then formerly was giuen to Man. As he freeth vsus from Death, so he giueth vsus life; as hee freeth vsus from being disobedient to God, so hee giueth vsus an obediēce pleasing to God, as he payeth for our defacing of Gods Image, so he restoreth againe to vsus the Image it selfe; and finally, as he taketh from vsus the wrath and terrors of God, so hee giues vsus the pleasures and happinesse which are in the presence of God for euermore. And all these benefits doth our Sauiour giuegive by one instrument or conueyance, and by one action. The meanes by which he bestowes and imparts his benefits, is his Spirit, and the action, is Regeneration. The Spirit of God, is the breath and vertue of the Highest, which cōmunicates life & power to those whom hee vnites to himselfe, euen as the Tree sends sappe into the graffe, which it striueth to adopt after a sort, and knit vntounto it selfe. By this Spirit is the vnitie and communitie betweene Christ and his members really performed, forby this Spirit Christ liueth in his members, and CHRISTS members liue in him, Christ partaketh their miseries, and takes them on himselfe, and Christs members partake his Excellence, and all the benefits of his being a Sauiour. This Vnion is the knot of blessednesse, it is the very graffing into the Tree of Life; that which our first Parents lost both by eating and not eating, hereby is recouered & giuen to vsus: for by this Vnion we are one with God, and GOD is one with vsus, which is the bond of perfection: the action in which the Spirit of God entreth vniting, is Regeneration, or a new-making, by which, Man of sinfull and corrupt, is made holy, & according to the Image of his Maker: and from a slaue of sinne, he is made an obedient sonne of God. And now as wee beheld Man before in his miserie, let vsus behold Man restored to felicitie. What euill can wee finde that is not taken away? at least from being euill? What good can we thinke of, that is not supplyed in a greater degree then our thoughts can comprehend? And if this bee not the true remedie of our miserie, and our true exaltation to happinesse, we are all lost: for the world can shew vsus no better; After a supply of obedience to the Law, and Iustice of God, there is also a Sacrificé and satisfaction for the disobedience against the Law. The greatest miserie of eternall death is vtterly taken away. The euils of life are turned from punishments into exercises of the Spirit dwelling in vsus, or into chastisements of the corruption yet remayning with vsus; so are they benefits and no longer euils. For the Spirit which is our life, groweth by exercise, as bodily strength doth by bodily labour; and the sadnesse of the heart many times chasteneth profitably the remayning corruption of the flesh, as frost doth the weedes. As for corporall death, which is commonly feared as the greatest euill, it is turned into the greatest benefit. For it is a dore, both to goe out of this life of wretchednesse, and to goe into a life of happines; whereof the one is darkesome, full of Serpents, and hanted with spirits; and the other glorious in light, full of shining Angels, and glorified Saints in Eternall blessednes. As a dore in a partition betweene two roomes, so is death between two liues; it no sooner lets vsus out of the one, but it lets vsus into the other; so that we doe not so much goe out of life, as go into Life; for that onelyonly deserues the name of life, which is full of happinesse, and that in perpetuitie; and not that, which is filled with miseries, and whose speciall commendation is breuitie. Therefore let it be farre from vsus, from henceforth to call that euil, which deliuereth vsus from miserie into felicitie. Moreouer, whereas we were in a continuall slauerie vntounto corruption, euen to that false knowledge of good and euill; by which also we were obedient slaues vntounto the Deuill, the master and teacher of this knowledge; Now that authoritie and command of corrupt and fleshly wisedome, is broken downe; foolishnesse, sinne, and the Serpent hauehave no longer dominion ouer vsus, neither are we at the direction of Lust, to know and to doe onelyonly what it teacheth and approueth. Euils being thus altered and taken away from Man, wee may also behold Man placed in his dutie, which first, and still is his way to happinesse. Accordingly, one and the same Spirit breatheth holinesse, & breatheth life; and in the same seede, whereby the Image of God isrenewed, the life of God is communicated, and by one new birth we are sons; that is, cōformable to God, and Heires of God. Thus are we most blessedly changed; our miseries are cast behind our backs, wee are placed in the path of dutie, and therein we walke on to happinesse, which stands as a marke before vsus: and here let vsus settle our foot, let vsus fasten our steps in this path chalked out by the Spirit, for the Spirit will both defend vsus in this way, and at last bring vsus to the wayes end, which is eternall felicitie. In this path of the Spirit is perpetuall safetie and protection, the Serpent cannot bite vsus, and if he doe bite, his venom is turned into a medicine, so that hee doth rather heale, then poison. For the Spirit is more good, then any thing is euill, it will sanctifie and blesse whatsoeuer befalleth vsus, and the malice of euils inflicted on vsus, is cured and made wholesome by the soueraign Spirit which dwelleth in vsus. But perchance it will bee asked, Why these seeming euils be not wholly taken away, as well as altered, it being better to the iudgement of Man, that there were nothing bitter, then that there should be a bitternesse, though recompensed with sweetnesse. Againe, it may be asked, why the remnant of corruption is so grent in Man, that it leadeth Man captiue often to do that which he would not, and the power of the Spirit is in so small a degree, that hee cannot doe that which hee would. To these and the like questions, if the will of the Restorer were brought for an answere, it might stand for an answere sufficient. For it being Gods meere mercy to restore vsus, who can require him to shew vndeserued mercy in any other māner or degree, then himselfe shall please? But yet wee hauehave other reasons giuen; one is, that this place of our present being, hauing been ouerthrowne & made accursed by the fall of man, God lets it alone, and suffers it to runne on in the course of miserie, purposing to blot it out wholly by a last fire, and reseruing perfection for the life to come. Another, that the wretchednesse of Man falne being continually felt, may bee a continuall document and reacher of the weaknes of Man, without God, of the odiousnesse of sinne in the sight of God, and the pointing of a finger to turn our eies from this wretched world, to the happinesse which is aboue. For, present griefe is a sharpe spurre to the heart of Man, & prouokes him to runne hastily from these remnants of miserie, vntounto perfect felicitie. Againe, miserie sweetneth ioy, and the sorrowes of this life shall, like a darke vaile, giuegive a lustre to the glorie of the next. As for the strong remnant of corruption, and the small portion of grace (which is the second question) wee must know, that both by it, and by the remnants of miserie, God is mightily glorified, and Mans glorie in the presence of GOD greatly increased. For Gods glorie must needes be great, when by a little seed of the Spirit, he manageth, steereth, and guideth Man through a masse of corruption, and a throng of outward euils, into a Port of blessednesse. The lesser the meanes, and the greater the opposition, the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth ouercome a great opposition: yea, it is greater glorie to God, to turne euils into good by ouer-mastering them, then wholly to take them away. And for our part, our glorie shall be increased, because wee hauehave serued Gods glorie in a bitter conflict and a difficult combat. The more is the present labour, the more shall be the future ioy; the hardnesse of the Victorie shall increase the glorie of the triumph; and opposition it selfe shall become our aduancement. Accordingly, the greatest seekers (which commonly are the greatest finders) of happinesse, are vsually placed in the forefront of the battaile against the thickest presse of remayning euils, and the push of most fierce and fierie temptations. And surely, while they suffer present euils for future glorie, while they fight fearfull conflicts against remayning corruption, and the king thereof, that they may not impaire their future ioyes, as thereby they preserue and increase these ioyes, so bee they Heralds and Proclaymers of the exceeding happinesse of the presence of God, they are the witnesses of God to the world, that this world is nothing comparable to the next, and that neither the miseries nor felicities of it, are any way equal to that transcendent ioy which is to come. Finally, when corruption ouer-masters vsus, the sufficience of Gods grace doth releeue vsus, forgiuenesse supplying or couering the defects of infirmitie.
But yet Man is not quiet; hee is not in good liking with this kind of happines; for hee complayneth it is thin and ayrie, and his fleshly palate hath more sauour in the taste of flesh, then in the taste of a spirituall happinesse. Againe, he saith, it is long in comming, and a Man may bee wearie with looking for it, before it comes. To the first, I grant indeede, that the fleshly taste rellisheth not spiritual ioyes, but yet are they not therefore the worse, but the better. For, the grosnesse of the one, and the puritie of the other, are the causes of this dislike. So doth the stomake of the country Swain despise the delicate and nice dyet of the finer Dames, not that hee can finde any ill in it, but because it is too slight to satisfie his grosse and mightie appetite. This was truly patterned in the Israelites, whose strong stomakes desired the Onions and Melons of Egypt, but lothed the pure and excellent Bread of heauen. Therefore this must be the rule in this matter; eueryevery appetite pleaseth it selfe most in an obiect, fitting & proportionable to it selfe, and it is not the excellency of the obiect, but the agreeablenesse, that makes it delightfull. According to this is that of the Poet; the Lyonesse hunteth the Wolfe, the Wolfe seeketh the Kid, and the Kid delighteth in the greene grasse. Wherefore I expect not, that grosse flesh should find extraordinarie comfort, in a most pure and spirituall glorie. But a spirituall Man onelyonly rellisheth spirituall things, because they are onelyonly agreeable to such a man. Accordingly, as farre as a man is spirituall, so farre takes hee comfort in a spirituall happinesse, which indeede is here but in part, so that we do but looke as through some crany into the glorie of Heauen, and we do louelove this glorie, but with a part of our affection; yet in some Saints hath it beene so feruent, that they hauehave sent challenges to Death, in strong desires to bee dissolued, and would hauehave built Tabernacles in this spirituall blessednes. But when the Spirit of God, in the great Day, shall hauehave fully purged our soules and bodies with that diuine fire, and refined our grosnesse, corruption, and drosse; then, to vsus made fully spirituall, shal the most high & soueraigne Spirit bee the chiefe and soueraigne good; for, Man being made spirituall, shall delight in Spirits, & chiefly in the chiefest. And then these grosse pleasures, desired now by grosse lusts, shall be lothsome and contemptible, as too base for so pure & diuine Essences. Wherefore, if wee would take pleasure in things of excellence, we must striue to raise our selues to their excellent degree, we must lift our selues vp to a nature proportionable vntounto them. And by such an indenour, wee shall purchase a higher station, and a higher happinesse; whereas otherwise we lye downe basely in our owne dregs, & complaine like Owles of the glorie of the Sunne, when the fault is in our owne eyes: wherefore, let this bee the most commendable ambition, of a truly-noble and generous Spirit, to aduance his mind to a puritie and excellence, proportionable to a supereminent obiect and happinesse. And bee it reputed the quality of a base, worthlesse, and muddie thing, to bring downe happinesse to his low, groueling, and grosse desires, and when he cannot doe so, to accuse it.
To the second, Who is troubled so much with the delay of payment, and the deferring of Happinesse; for an answere, I would aske him, how long hee would willingly stay to bee Heire of a Crowne? Here, if I may speake for him, I thinke hee would confesse that hee would bee contented, if hee might hauehave it but seuen yeeres before his death. Now I will desire him to stay but seuen yeeres more, and then hee shall hauehave this Crowne, that farre excels the other. And to comfort him in this ods of expectation, I can tell him, that those who hauehave knowne, and (now) worne both these Crownes, hauehave made a far greater ods betweene them, then a few yeeres patience, preferring a day in the Courts of heauen, before a thousand in the Courts of Princes. But that wee may come lower, doe not wee see it an ordinarie thing, that a man continues thirtie yeeres in a course of learning, that he may be a learned man, but thirtie yeeres more, perchance not twentie, not ten. And not much otherwise the Lawyer and Marchant fret out one halfe of their time in Education, Labours, and Aduentures, that they may be rich; the other halfe, yea peraduenture a very short part of their time remayning. And wilt not thou spend so much more time gladly & willingly, in expectation of an infinite Glorie which no time can end, nor measure can limit? Surely, an endlesse & incomparable happinesse, is well worthy of a short lifes patience and expectation, especially when the same life is so often worne out in expectation oftemporall & vncertayne things. But indeede wee deceiue our selues in this matter, for this is not our disease, that we cannot stay, but that wee doe not verily see and beleeue that, which being beleeued, would easily giuegive vsus a patient willingnesse to stay: if we beleeued that there were such an vnmatchable felicity prepared for vsus, wee might indeede somewhat eagerly long to beat it, but withall, the assured hope of it would support vsus ioyfully in the deferring of it. For most true is that which is spoken of hope, Hope maketh not ashamed; that is, it suffers not to be disheartned, to be confounded, but it keepes vp the heart from sinking, and makes it beare vp in troubles present, by the expectation of ioyes to come. And this common experience shewes vsus in worldly actions and sufferings; for hope hath borne out mankinde, through paynes almost intolerable, vntounto comforts stedfastly seene & apprehended by it. Wherefore doe not make a fault of the futurenesse of thy happinesse; but finde and amend the true fault of thy beliefe & hope. Yet neither are wee altogether thrust vponupon hope, but euen in this life hauehave wee some fruition of this happinesse, and the priuiledges thereof. For (as before) euen here hauehave wee a crany opened, by which some beames of the diuine Glory shine into our hearts, & giuegive vsus a glimpse of that, whereof hereafter we shall hauehave a full inioying. They that hauehave had but such flashes of happinesse, hauehave beene rauished vp in heauenly trances far aboue the world, and hauehave as much despised the world, as the world hath despised these ioyes. They hauehave cryed out, as men that hauehave taken possession of true rest and felicitie; let vsus here build vp our Tabernacles. Surely, as there is nothing more comfortable to the bodily sight, then beholding the Sunne shining in his glorie: so nothing can bee more comfortable to the sight of the soule, then to behold the Sunne of the Sunne, euen that high and purest Light, which shineth vponupon the Sunne and all other things that shine, but especially on Spirits, himselfe being a Spirit. Againe, the very substance of the Spirit in vsus, is a kinde of heauenly oyle, which makes glad, not so much the face as the very heart of Man. It hath in it a taste and rellish of the Deitie, and therefore aboue all other, this is the true oile of gladnesse. The heart anointed herewith, as it finds a light to guide it, and a vertue mouing it to good, and freeing it from the slauerie of sinne, so also it feeleth in it selfe a blessed rest, an heauenly Sabbath, a ioy glorious and vnspeakable, an harmonie & peace with God, which passeth all vnderstanding. Hence come those vehement pangs and expressions of louelove & ioy, vttered by the Spouse of Christ, and penned by the wisest of men, which flesh knoweth not how to vnderstand but by the flesh; but the spirituall Man that discerneth all things, fully discerneth and rellisheth them as spirituall truths. From the sound of this harmony come those dancings and exultations of many of the sonnes of God, who for this ioy of heart hauehave danced before him, who hath filled them with ioy. But then flesh and bloud, seeing onelyonly the dance, and not hearing the musike, mocketh and despiseth the effect, whereof it sees not the cause. But the Beholder of hearts, knowes these motions of the heart, to be chiefly reasonable, and therfore principally allowes them. And indeede, how should they not be approued, since this ioy is from the best, and this ioy is in the best, and therefore must needs be the very best ioy. It is a ioy beyond the reach of mortall power, yea beyond the reach of infernall power, a ioy which no man, nay nothing can take from vsus. It is a boord in shipwracke, a refuge in trouble, a retyring place from the powers of darkenesse. Besides these blessings wee hauehave another blessing, the Authour of these, and all other, euen an vnion with God, who is blessednes. This blessednes is spirituall, seene and felt by the spirituall; It is seene by the eye of the soule, while it beholds a godly Nature, euen the seede of God, powred into the heart of Man, otherwise wholly polluted with the lust of Generation. It is felt chiefely in the will and affections, while in them a filiall louelove, ioy, and feare is perceiued toward God; who before was regarded as a stranger, but now as a father; who now is the end and rule of our conuersation, but before was put farre below the satisfaction of Lust and Concupiscence. And from this vnion & the feeling of this vnion, proceedes both that strength of Christians, that the gates of Hell cannot preuaile against them, and that strong confidence, that if God kill them, yet they will trust in him: And why? they are assured that God is with them: and then they are also as much assured, that if God bee with them, nothing can bee against them, except it bee to bee conquered by them. For he that is in vsus, is stronger then hee or all they that be in the world: to this vnion with God, we may adde another vnion with the sons of God. The first was the vnion of a Father and a Childe, and this is a vnion of Brethren, for it is a spirituall Brotherhood. EueryEvery sonne of God hath all Gods sonnes to his bretheren. And as many bretheren, so many friends, so many louers, so many helpers. So many that reioyce in his comforts, so many that bewaile his troubles, so many to incourage him standing, so many to raise him being falne, so many to aduise him in doubts, so many to releeue him in necessities. In summe, the true children of God euer were, and stil are of one heart and minde, louing and beloued; They account themselues as one, & therefore no part of this vnitie can lacke, what the other part thereof inioyeth. Hee that is a son, hath in him this louelove, and hee that hath not this louelove in him, is not a sonne; for he must needes louelove his spirituall kindred, who is spiritually begotten. Hee must needes louelove them, because of Vnitie, because of Vniformitie, because of Puritie, and because the Spirit which begets him, is the Spirit of LoueLove. And as we hauehave an interest in our brethren, so hauehave wee in their prayers: they stil commend vsus to God, and many times when our owne deadnesse of heart doth slacke the hand of GOD toward vsus, their feruency doth cause his countenance to shine fauourably on vsus. Finally, if the name of friendship bee sweet, if louelove on earth be a chiefe comfort; and againe, if the friendship and louelove of good men, of men wise in the chiefest wisedome, of men true & single in heart, be the eminence of this eminent comfort; then hauehave we all this in the Saints and sonnes of God. For these are our friends vntounto the death, yea after death; their louelove is more equal & stable then the louelove of Women. For goodnesse, they are the salt of the world, and without them the world is vnsauourie; for wisedome, they hauehave that chiefe wisedome, which is to know and obtaine the soueraigne Good; and for truth, they hauehave that sincerity of heart, which may giuegive rest to the heart that puts confidence in them. Wherefore, if it be a speciall addition in matches, to match into a good family, let vsus know, that in our marriage with our Sauiour, wee match into the best family in the world; the family of Saints, euen a house-hold of LoueLove, of Faith, of Holinesse, and of Happinesse.
Besides, by our vnion with Christ, we hauehave a new right in the Creatures. We were disinherited by the fault of our first Parents, and no part of our Fathers goods belonged vntounto vsus: so the vse of Gods Creatures was a very robbery of God; for it carried a meere absurditie, that they whose liues were a continuall enmitie against God, should preserue the same wicked liues by the benefits of GOD. Therefore the despisers of God, hauehave no title in regard of God, to the Creatures of God. And though in regard of men they may seeme to hauehave a propertie in them (it being not in the iudgement of men to define, who is not, and shall not bee the Child of God) yet hereafter, by the iudgement of God, which shall make hidden things manifest, it shall plainly appeare, that this propertie was not by right, but by vsurpation, and by the long suffering of a most patient God. And then shal they be cast into prison, vntill they hauehave paid the vtmost farthing, for their vnlawfull vse of the blessings of GOD. I must confesse they hauehave these benefits, & that in the greatest abundance, but it is no otherwise then a prodigall borrower hath heapes of money lent, or rather as a thiefe hath bags of treasure stolne. The repayment of the borrower, makes the remembrance of the heapes lothsome vntounto him, because the more they were, the greater is the burthen and account. The arraignment of the Thiefe makes him to curse the hugenesse of his bags, for the greater the theft, the harder the pardon, and the more strict his sentence. Therefore, as in the things of this world there hath beene an honest, wise, and safe Prouerbe, that a little of a mans owne, is better then a great deale of another mans: so in the Words of God we shall find a holier, wiser, and safer Prouerbe, that a little thing to the Righteous, yeelds more stedfast and vndoubtfull contentment, then the greatest reuenues of the wicked can yeeld to their vnfaithfull & vngrounded consciences. And no maruel, for they take the goods without the leaue of the Owner, and transport them to the seruice of his Enemies, fleshly lusts, and an aduersarie angell; and what shall the Lord of these things doe, when hee commeth to iudgement? Hee must needes render vengeance in flaming fire, to these that hauehave robbed him of his Creatures, and of the seruice and glorie due by them. But they that are one with Christ, are one with him who is true Heire of all things. Al things were made by him, and therefore all things are his owne, and by our marriage with him wee hauehave a right in his goods. Therefore truely may wee say, If Christ bee ours, all things bee ours; for he whose all things are, is ours. And by his owne reason, if hee giuegive vsus the greatest gift, which is himselfe, hee cannot with-hold from vsus the lesser, which is, his Creatures.
Besides these, there is also a continual eie of Fatherly prouidence, that watcheth ouer vsus. The Redeemer of Israel is the Watchman of Israel, and the Watchman of Israel doth not slumber or sleepe, but at all times beholdeth all his flocke. As the Sunne seemeth directly to behold & looke on eueryevery man that looketh vp to the Sunne; so, and much more doth the eye of GODS prouidence settle it selfe fully on eueryevery one that is indeed a Man, euen a Man of God, which with the eye of his soule still looks vp vntounto his God. And then by his prouidence God doth hedge him about in safetie, for hee seeth his dangers, to preuent them, and his necessities to releeue them. The same prouidence sends some-times good Angels to gard him, and when hee wanders, it sends buffetting Angels, to beate him home into the path of happinesse; and through the diuers exercises of humiliation and exaltation, it keepes him in one steadie course to his soueraigne Good. Surely, it is an especiall comfort to an heauenly Souldier, to performe his seruice in the sight of his Prince; whose eye incourageth him, fighting valiantly, whose power reseueth him being oppressed, and whose bountie scores vp all his aduentures and sufferings vntounto a finall reward. And this reward is of such a glorie, that the highest degree of suffering, is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this Glorie.
Lastly, (though it bee hard to giuegive a taste of Gods blessing in this life) the Spirit of Christ, besides the light of direction and clarification, besides the Oyle of gladnesse, besides that highest and supremest Vnion, it giues also to the members of Christ, a Testimoniall and Patent of their saluation and happinesse. The light of direction somtimes growes dimme; the light of glorie, and the vanishing brightnesse are often extinguished; the sauour of the oyntment for which the Virgin-Spouse doth louelove her Lord Christ Iesus, somtimes is drawn vp into heauen, and the feeling of that Diuine Vnion is for a time wholly lost. But though heauen and earth do passe, yet one word of God cannot passe. Now the Word of Gods Spirit, is the Word of God; for God speaketh to vsus by his Spirit. If therefore that Spirit hath giuen thee his testimonie, that thou art the sonne of God; if it hauehave shewed thee thy Regeneration, and caused thee to behold the true Image of God thy Father in thee; from henceforth thou mayst feare and serue God without feare; euen without the feare of totall and finall desertion. The seede of this Regeneration, is like the Father of it; an immortall God, and an immortall Seede: therefore it cannot die, if once it hath had life in thee. Then though the windowes of thy Soule be shut vp, that no light can shine into thee; though the voice of ioy and gladnesse bee not heard; yea though thy owne corruption stand vp before thine eyes, like a Wall or Mount of separation betweene thee and thy God; yea, though the terrors of God doe seeme to fight against thee: yet beleeue thou the Word of the Lord, which hee hath spoken to thee by his Spirit; for his record is true, and he must be beleeued vnderunder hope, against hope. The Spirit which establisheth vsus, hath warranted our stabilitie, and this Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and what is once Truth, is still Truth, & must stifly be retained, against all contrary probabilities & apparances. Therefore are wee and may wee bee alwayes bold, amidst tribulations and afflictions, amidst terrors without, and terrors within: for the seale of God remaineth vponupon vsus inuiolable, and the Lord, who knowes who are his, hath told vsus that we are his. Now that wee may hauehave the comfort of this Testimony, let vsus often examine our selues, and search our hearts, to see whether they resemble God, or not; & let vsus lay vp in our memories, yea in memorialls, & records, the witnessings of the Spirit to our Spirits, against the day of Exercise and Tryall.
Thus wee see, that euen in this Life, wee are not left comfortlesse, but wee hauehave both Comforts and a Comforter. Yet wee still say that our chiefe Comfort is in the next Life; yea, the next Life is the chiefe Comfort of this Life, to those whose eyes see things inuisible, and make future things present. Wherefore amidst the comforts of this life, let our eyes and hearts be especially fixed on that, because comforts in this life are but baytings and incouragements in our way vntounto Happinesse, but are not themselues our wayes end.