The Art of Happiness, Part 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. How Man fastneth himselfe vntounto happinesse.
WE hauehave seene what is our Soueraigne Good, and we hauehave seen how this soueraigne Good imparts it selfe vntounto Man; now it concernes vsus to search, by what meanes Man may apply this soueraigne Good to himselfe, or rather himselfe to it. In vaine to vsus it is that there is an happinesse; In vaine it is that there is an hand stretched out, to deliuer this happinesse to vsus, if we hauehave not also a hand to receiue it. For if there be an happinesse, and an offered happinesse, if we receiue it not, if wee hauehave no propertie in it, wee continue in miserie, euen in the sight of happinesse. Wee are not happy, except happinesse bee ours; and not the being, but the communication of happinesse makes vsus happy. And euen for this communication & application, is there an instrument giuen vsus by him who is our happinesse: he that hath giuen a mouth to the body, to receiue the food of the body, hath giuen a mouth to the soule, to receiue the food of the soule. Yea, he hath taught vsus how to open this mouth wide, that it may admit and receiue a great fulnesse of happinesse. But if in stead of telling thee how this is done, I should aske thee, what thou wouldest do for that which is better then all things; How canst thou returne any other answer, but this, That thou wouldest giuegive all things, for that which is better then all things? For, euen at that rate thou shalt be a gayner. And if thy minde bee like this answere, thou art in a good preparation for the receit of blessednes, thou drawest neere vntounto it, and that thou maist not faile, receiue these directions following. The soule of Man hath two especiall parts or powers, the Vnderstanding and the Will. The vnderstanding is appointed to be the guide of the will, and vponupon the will moued by the vnderstanding, should the affections, and all the members attend, yea all things that are ours. Now, if thou wilt receiue and apply happinesse offered in that God and Man, our most blessed Restorer; first, thy vnderstanding must bee opened by knowledge; for it must know & acknowledge God in Christ to bee that which he is, euen the blisse of mankinde, and the meanes to that blisse. As he is God, so hee is Blessednes: as hee is Man vnited to God, so is he a Mediator betweene Blessednes and Man. This thou must know, and thou must know that this thy knowledge of him is true & right. For, CHRIST being thus known, the eye of the soule is turned from all other shewes and meanes of happinesse; and the same is fixed onelyonly on the onelyonly Lord and Sauiour. Being thus settled in the full assurance of vnderstanding, thou hast performed a good part of thy promise, for thou hast giuen thy vnderstanding, euen a chiefe part of thy soule, wholly to CHRIST. And if further thou desirest a signe, to know whether thou hast done this truely and really; this may serue for a signe vntounto thee; If the knowledge of any thing for happinesse, or the meanes to happinesse, besides God in Christ, bee vntounto th… as drosse and filth, and … lishnesse. But … vnderstanding must proceede to worke vponupon thy will, & it must moue the will to open it selfe wide vntounto happinesse, and being open, to sucke, cleaue, and fasten it selfe by an ardent louelove, rest, and settlement vntounto happinesse, certainly discouered in Christ by the vnderstanding. And indeed in Spirits, either vncorrupted or rectified, this is a natural course; For in such the vnderstanding hauing assuredly descryed the soueraigne Good, the will presently moueth it selfe to it being deseryed, and drawes with it all the parts and powers subiect vntounto it. And as for all other offers of fained happinesse it giues them this answere; Whither shall I goe for this is he that hath the words of eternall Life & Blessednes? Wherefore that the whole promise be performed, and that all may bee giuen for happinesse, let the will follow the vnderstanding, and wholly and vnmoueably will and louelove this Treasure of felicitie, discouered in Christ Iesus; for saking, selling, and abandoning all things for it; I say, let the will sticke to Christ alone by a feruent louelove & desire, as vntounto the alone happines, and let the same will sticke to Christ alone by a strong trust and confidence, as the alone Mediator of happi nesse; And finally, with an earnest hunger and thirst, let it surrender vp it selfe, and all things subiect to it, vntounto his sauing or imparting of blessednes, which he doth by the Spirit. For thus farre must the wil proceede in working, and then only comes the crowne of the worke. For it is not inough barely to know that God is happines, nor to put thy trust in no other but the Sonne, for the imparting of this happinesse, but thou must also surrender vp thy selfe wholly to the Holy Ghost, by whom the Father powreth and sealeth blessednesse into vsus through Christ his Sonne. When therefore wee hauehave proposed and settled the Deitie for our happinesse, & hauehave yeelded our selues vp to the three Persons of the same Deitie vnited to the Humanitie, for the conferring of happinesse (I meane to God the Father, redeeming vsus by the Sonne, and regenerating vsus by the holy Ghost) then hath the vnderstanding and will wrought home, euen to the entertaynement of blessednesse: and thus knowing God in Christ, euen to the welcomming of the Spirit, resting on him, resigning our selues to him, wee sucke happines from him, who is both the Fountaine & the Conduit of happinesse. Hauing done this, I know not how to inioyne thee more, though happines be infinitly more worth: for how can Man giuegive more then all? And how can hee receiue more then all saluation, and a whole Sauiour? But if thou dost not this, thou art short of that which thou art able to doe: And Mercy that accepts the vtmost of thy little power, will not accept a voluntary defect & scantnesse. Now this great dependance, fixing, and surrender of the whole soule to the whole Sauior, is that blessed affiance, trust, and beliefe. Famous in holy wisdome for knitting soules vntounto the same Sauiour. Which as it hath beene approued, because it is the highest, fullest, and mightiest indeuour of the soule; so also it is iustified by the fitnesse it hath of receiuing, and by the fitnesse and proportionablenes it hath with Christs manner of entring. It is fit to receiue, for the eye of the soule being fixed in Christ, stands as an open window, readie to receiue him who enters by a lightsome and illuminating Spirit. The eye of the Spouse thus in lightned, reflects the light to him which sent it, and with spirituall glances, shootes the arrowes of louelove into the heart of her beloued; so that hee confesseth, Thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes. And no otherwise the wil wholly willing, desiring, and gasping after Christ, is a doore wide opened to receiue the same Christ, entring into vsus by a quickning and sanctifying Spirit. Yea, the Will hath in it a power to hold and knit what it hath receiued, euen by a knot of vnitie. So the heart of IONATHAN was knit vntounto DAVID; and the Spouse of Christ is knit vntounto Christ, and runnes after him as one tyed vntounto him, and drawne by the cords of this vnitie. And surely, the soule thus knitting it selfe vntounto Christ Christ also knitteth himself vntounto the soule, and this is the knot of happines. Then begins that Song of ioy, I am my Wel-beloueds, and my Wel-beloued is mine. To confirme this, we hauehave also diuers promises, which hauehave told vsus, that hee who giues happinesse, will enter with the gift of happinesse into this posture and station of the soule. GOD himselfe hath promised the Seekers to find, and the Hungrie to be filled, and the Sellers of all for the Treasure of happinesse, to be the Buyers of that Treasure, for which they sold all. Hee telleth the Vnderstanding, that to know God and his Sonne Christ, is Life eternall; and that in the knowledge of God, is Mans chiefest glorying, and therefore by the knowledge of God, is mans chiefest happinesse. Hee telleth the Will and Affections; I will be found of them that seeke me, euen of them that seeke mee with their whole heart. Hee that cleaueth to God by a strong & vehement louelove, shall dwell in his holy Mountayne; He that cōmeth to Christ (that is, vponupon the feete of the soule, which can bee no other then these two, the Vnderstanding and Will) shall neuer thirst. Let vsus therefore goe out of our selues, as out of tabernacles of miserie, and leaue a large and open roome for him to enter, who is the fulnesse of infinite felicitie.
Next, if wee consider Christs manner of entring; Christ enters into vsus, killing and giuing life: killing our old nature, and begetting in vsus a new. These workes are chiefly and fundamentally wrought in the vnderstanding & will. But if the vnderstanding know not Christ to be happinesse, it will not stand still to hauehave the filme of naturall blindnesse taken from it, neither to hauehave an vnknowne light and wisedome (contrary to the old nature) infused into it. If the will bee not wholly deuoted to Christ as to the soueraigne Good, and doe not trust in him alone, as the only giuer of this soueraigne Good, it wil neuer suffer the fleshly nature, which hath so much delighted it, to be cut off & slaine by the sword of the Spirit; nor a new inclination to be inspired into it, by which it shall be subiect to Lawes and Commandements; and things future and vnseene, shal be wholly preferred before things present & visible. But if Christ bee knowne, willed, and trusted as our chiefest good, and the way vntounto it, then let him enter circumcising, cutting, and slaying; Our heart is only on our happinesse: Hee may doe what he will, so we may obtaine that blessed obiect of our vnderstandings and wills. Againe, our vnion with Christ is by a spirituall marriage. Now let vsus consider how such a marriage may most fitly be made. Surely, wee must first know him to be the fairest of men, to be anoynted with the beatificall oyle of gladnesse and happinesse, aboue all his fellowes; and then forgetting our fathers house, euen all the pleasures of the old ADAM, we must wholly fasten our hearts on him, and wholly cleaue vntounto him, resoluing to be his alone, and to put our selues wholly vnderunder his shaddow & protection, and then the King will hauehave pleasure in our beautie; Yea, he will louelove vsus, and come and dwell with vsus; If Christ bee the light of our eyes, and the ioy of our hearts, If his louelove be pleasanter then Wine, euen all earthly Comforts; If it bee hee alone whome our soule loueth, If we take delight, and sit downe vnderunder his shaddow, Cant. 2. 3. Then will hee set vsus as Signets vponupon his hand; and as seales vponupon his heart; he will bring vsus into the marriage Chamber, and call vsus his LoueLove, his Doue, and his Spouse: LoueLove shall bee his Banner ouer vsus: this fruit shall bee sweet to our mouth, and wee shall be no longer two; but one flesh and one Spirit. Now if this great affiance which worketh dedication, resignation, and so an application of the Soule, yea of the whole Man vntounto Christ, bee the Key of our harts, which openeth those euerlasting Doores, that the King of glorie may enter in; let vsus take heed that this Key bee put home into the locke, that our hearts be fully opened vntounto him; otherwise as much of our hearts as is shut vntounto him, so much of happinesse is shut out of vsus. Let vsus bee carefull that this Key of Faith bee not stayed and stopt within our vnderstandings; but let it proceede to our wills and affections, and make way to the bottome of our hearts, that Christ may enter iust as far, euen to the bottom. For as far as this Faith enters, so farre Christ followes. And as far as Christ enters, happinesse followes. Therefore let not thy faith leaue entring, vntill it hath made made roome inough for Christ to take vp his full rest in thee. It seemes that the vnderstanding is but the Porch, but the Will attended vvith the Affections, is the chiefe roome of Christs rest and residence. When the will is so seasoned by Faith that it hateth all felicities, but God, but willeth and desireth him as the onelyonly felicitie, when the will toward the attaynment of this felicitie dependeth, trusteth, and leaneth on no other meanes but Christ Iesus, but on Christ it resteth fully as the onelyonly Mediator of happinesse; & when the will toward the attaynment of Christ, and the vertues of his mediation yeeldeth it selfe vp to no other humane inuention, but fully and wholly surrenders it selfe to the holy Ghost, regenerating & newbegetting, then is Christ sealed in thy heart, hee is come into thee, and his feet tread on the very bottome of thy soule. Thou hast taken vp thy rest in him, and hee hath taken vp his rest in thee; and this is the inward Sabbath of this life, and an earnest & beginning of the eternall Sabbath. Accordingly, hee calls out vntounto Man; My sonne, giuegive mee thy heart, for in the hearts of men is the Throne of his Kingdome, and except hee raigne in our hearts, wee cannot raigne in his glorie. Thy knowledge of God in Christ must not bee dead, but effectuall and working; and the worke thereof must be the kindling of a seruent louelove, dependance and affiance in thy will and affections. Thy will againe must worke by this dependance and louelove, and the worke thereof must be a dedication, and resignation of all vntounto God, in Christ, taking possession of thee by the Spirit. Till thou commest to this point, thou art short of happinesse; For this is the Centre of descending to the Spirit of Christ, and in the very ground of the hart doth the Spirit onelyonly fasten his rootes. Wherefore giuegive the inmost of thy heart to the Spirit of blessednes, and know, that in giuing, thou dost rather receiue then giuegive. For thy gift is but the gift of a sinfull heart, & that which belongeth to it and serueth it: But thy receit is the receit of the Spirit of Life, & Ioy eternal. Wherefore it concernes thee, not to be niggardly to thy own soule; for, as much of thy soule as thou keepest, so much of it thou losest; and as much as thou giuest, so much dost thou crowne with happines. Thou maist perchance thinke it inough to beleeue he is thine, but if thou hauehave no better warrant then such a thought, hee may not bee thine. For thou beleeuest that hee is thine too soone, if thou beleeuest it, before this worke of faith hath in some measure wrought home vponupon thee. It is not a rash presumption, nor a bare thought, that can snatch at Christ & make him thine, it must cost thee thy selfe before thou▪ hauehave him. The getting of Christ is by the way of traffike, thou must not thinke wholly to gaine vponupon him; but as much as wee would hauehave him to bee ours, so much must wee striue to yeeld our selues to bee his CHRISTS Kingdome is a Kingdome of power, and hee will enter into thee as a King of power; and it is not a bare imagination that makes way for this Kingdome, but an affiance of the heart, which actually and effectually surrenders vsus vp to his Scepter and Rule. Therefore the best way is, hereby to get him first into thee, and after to beleeue he is thine. Many hauehave lost Christ, because not hauing him, they thought they had him. For they sought not him whom they thought they had, and so lost him, who is found by seeking. But on the other side, if thou hast felt the depth of this faith, though in a narrow breadth, know that Christ is thine, for whom thou hast ceased to be thine owne. As much as thou hast gone out of thy selfe to possesse him, so much hath he entred into thee to posesse thee; so much as thou leauest to Christ, & yeeldest thy selfe to the renew ing of his Spirit, so much dost thou knit Christ vntounto thee, and so much thou drawest, yea suckest his Spirit into the innermost part of thy soule. Hee who is Goodnesse it selfe and dyed for vsus, when we were sinners, cannot restraine his Spirit from vsus; when with a full trust wee hauehave cast our selues wholly vponupon him, and with a whole resignation hauehave giuen vp our selues fully vntounto him. Hee who is LoueLove, cannot resist louelove; but hee is ouercome and taken, by the feruour of our hungrie and thirstie soules, & giues vsus to drinke freely of the waters of Life. Christ is the Phisician of our soules, and to be cured by him, we must deale with him as with a Phisician. Now to be cured by a Phisician, it is not inough only to beleeue that the Phisician can cure vsus, nor that hee will cure vsus, but this confidence in the Phisician must worke in vsus a willingnesse and resolution, to take and admit his receits by which he may cure vsus. Euen so it is betweene Christ and our sicke soules; it is not inough barely to think that Christ can cure vsus, or that hee will cure vsus, but our beliefe must open the mouth of our soules, to receiue his medicines giuen vsus in the Cup of saluation. This Cup of saluation is the Spirit by which he communicates to vsus his Redemption, his Holinesse, his Eternitie. Therefore must we so belieue, that we receiue Christ; for such onelyonly as receiue him, hauehave the prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God: so must we beleeue, that we bee baptized with the holy Ghost; for those onelyonly who are so baptized, shall bee saued. And if we thus beleeue, hee who neuer sent away any vncured of their corporall infirmities, that sought him here on earth, surely, hee will not denie his sauing health to any beleeuing soule, that thus heartily thirsts after him, sitting in heauen. For, the spirituall phisicke was Christs truest & most proper profession, and the cure of bodies, was especially to draw our faith thereby to behold, beleeue, & receiue his cure of soules. Therefore especially, yee sicke soules, bee of good comfort, for you the Master calleth especially. But when yee come to him, remember that yee desire to bee cured of the whole spirituall maladie; euen of sin and of sinfulnesse; of the corruption of sinne, as well as of the guilt and miserie that follow it: For Christ will enter into none to cure the death of sin, but withall hee will giuegive death vntounto sinne; neither will he by his Spirit giuegive any one the Life of glorie, to whom by the same Spirit, hee doth not first giuegive the life of Pietie.