The Art of Happiness, Part 3 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Another furtherance of the Spirit, is watchfulnesse.
AS Obedience doth cheere, and as it were, make ioyfull the Spirit within vsus, so Obedience it selfe is supported by Watchfulnes. Therfore (though in a second & remoued degree) is Watchfulnesse a helpe to the Spirit, & so an Increaser of our felicitie. For a Christian cō sisting of a double nature, one spirituall, and another carnall, and two-fold motions proceeding from this two-fold nature, and each aduerse, yea hurtfull to the other, herein must Watchfulnesse helpe vsus, that the motions of the nature of corruption and miserie, bee quickly apprehended and suppressed; and that the motions of the Nature of blessednes and grace bee soone espied and furthered. Else on the one side, the egge of Concupiscence being grown to a Cockatrice, before it be seene, may kill; and on the otherside, the excellent desires and pregnancies of the Spirit, which would hauehave brought forth the fruit of glorie, may come to abortion by a barren, miserable, and inglorious neglect. Beyond these also hath Watchfulnesse a profitable imployment: for it ought to stand as vponupon the top of a Towre, to espie a farre off as well as neere at hand; euen to descry the remote occasions of such motions, and to sound the Bel to the soule, that shee shut out the Messengers of the enemies of her peace, and louingly admit the friends of her happinesse. We are safest from euill, when euill is kept a good distance from vsus; and euill is kept at a good distance, when wee espie the occasions of euill a farre off and auoid them. Many times the occasion is admitted with a hope of not admitting the euill; but cōmonly the euill throngs in close after the occasion, and approching neere vntounto vsus, it ouer-comes vsus at handie blowes, whom it could not at the Pikes point. It is farre easier to kill sinne in the occasion, then in it self; and to grant the occasion, and to denie the sinne, is almost as bad Logike in practice, as to grant the former Propositions, and to denie the Conclusion, is in reasoning. Therefore let vsus keepe the eye of our soule broadwaking, that we lye not like waste ground, vn-hedged and vn-kept, and so become the prey and food of eueryevery wandring Beast, euen of eueryevery beastly affection. Let vsus also stand watching in the dore of our Tent, with the Father of the faithfull, that when Angels descend vntounto vsus, euen the graces of God through Iesus Christ our Mediator, we may bee readie to entertayne them; feeding them with the slain concupiscences of our brutish flesh, and the kisses of our hearts, which are more comfortable then wine.
To adde intention and earnestnesse to our watchfulnesse against sinne, three things must be considered. First, the presentnesse of the euill; for our flesh is like Gun-powder, it presently takes fire, it breakes out suddenly vponupon vsus, & there is no way to bee before it, but by watchfulnesse. For when a man meetes an occasion of Anger, of Lust, or of some other passion, if he bee out of his watching, his house is by temptation set on fire about his eares, before hee sees that hee was tempted. But the watchfull man is still in his spirit, and so is still before the temptation; yea the temptation comes still before him, and not behinde him, euen in his sight, and vnderunder his view. Therefore he forewarnes his owne soule, and so forewarnes her to preuēt the harme which approcheth towards her. Watchfulnesse tells the Soule, here comes a temptation of Wrath: there a temptation of Couetousnesse, and another way a temptation of Lust: and then the soule knowes her busines, which is, to walke in the Spirit, and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh: but the heedlesse man; he hath raged, he hath lusted, he hath coueted, before hee thought hee did so; and as a bird only by being taken, takes too late a knowledge of the snare; so the vnwatchfull man doth first fall into some odious extremitie, and then by the feeling of his fall, knows to no purpose that he is falne, and that such a temptation was the cause of his fall; whereas watchfulnes by fore-seeing the temptation, would hauehave kept him from falling. And when a Man is falne into sinne, then as much goodnesse as there is in such an one, so much sorrow there is in him also; whereas a little care before would hauehave saued both the sin and the sorrow. The soule may bee kept cleane with lesse paine, then she may be clensed being defiled; for now shee must bee washed with teares, and hardly rubbed with the rough hand of sorrow, before our Sauiour will come neere to wash away the guilt by his passion. Now that thy Watching may bee sure to preuent temptation, as soon as thou watchest bodily, watch also spiritually, and let thy watching bee more early then Temptation. Know that thou awakest among Philistiens, therefore shake thy selfe vp, and stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee, and so put on the Armour of God, that thou maiest stand in the euill day. Put thy very first thought in order, for the further our thoughts runne astray with DINAH, the more danger of rauishment, & the harder is their recouerie. But the heart being set in tune like a clocke in the morning, it will goe the truer all the day after. Wherefore set thy heart betimes in the way of GODS Commandements, commit it to the Spirit to be guided in this way; for the Spirit is the firie Chariot, that carrieth our soules through the way of Pietie, to the Countrie of Felicitie. But hauing thus set forth in thy way, still keepe close to thy Guide, that thou continue in thy way: for, hee that keepeth his way, keepeth his life, and hee that keepeth his Guide, keepeth his way; but he that for saketh his Guide, hazzardeth the losse both of way and life. Surely, if the heart running astray from the Spirit, be suffered to take a full taste of naturall things, it will hardly in a long time rellish spirituall things, and therefore it is best both to season the heart, first with spirituall things, and after to watch that it doe not carnally (that is ouer-greedily) deuoure carnal things.
Yea beyond this, thou must euen watch thy watching, that it bee not stolne from thee; for the craftie Serpent will often cast before thee some pleasant or cumbersome temptation, to rob thee of thy watching, if it bee not watched. For securitie which is so easie to Man, is also a chiefe ease to Satan; For by it the gates of the soule stand alwayes open to him, and hee may goe and come whensoeuer hee listeth. On the other side, watching is somthing painfull to a man, and contrarie to Satan, and therefore man will the sooner be perswaded to forgoe it, and Satan will be readie still to perswade him. But let such know, who complaine of the hardnesse of this, and other diuine exercises, that custome makes hard things easie, and assured happines makes hard things plesant. Let them beleeue that the wages shall infinitely ouermatch the worke, and it is inough. If they belieue this, they will throng violently into heauen, and no paines shall stop them; if they beleeue not this, they are no Scholers for the Schoole of happinesse; for, beliefe is the ground of this learning; their portion must be a sensuall, brutish, vanishing, and dying life.
A second reason of watchfulnesse is, the affinitie and kindred betweene our flesh and the world. There was an old contract made betweene them in Mans fall, and the world still continues the sute, though we be new married to the Spirit: there are certain cart-ropes of sinne, which were once fast tyed betweene the flesh and the world, which as the good Spirit hath out off by the knife of Circumcision, so the wicked spirit seekes to knit againe by conuersation; for well knowes Satan, that if the flesh draw the world into the heart, himselfe also rides in vponupon the world. For this is one of PHARAOHS Chariots, which still pursueth the Israelites; the Flesh is in stead of the lustie and proud horses, the World is the chariot, and the Deuill is the Rider; and this Triplicitie sighteth against the Trinitie in vsus. Let vsus therefore be euer warie, lest some tricks of the old louelove passe vnespied: let vsus be carefull that the corrupt flesh nibble not too long, yea not at all on the world; for it will grow hungrie by eating; and the taste will bee so pleasant, that it will not bee contented vntill it eate with greedinesse, and then wo be vntounto vsus, for wee hauehave receiued deepely the louelove of the world, which as much as it is, so much it excludeth the louelove of God, and so much it bittereth the sweetnesse of the Spirit: yea, euen in the lawfull louelove of lawfull things, let our watchfulnes continue, for such hauehave betrayed many soules; and while that which is lawfull, hath been too carelesly admitted, or too carefully sought; a thing lawfull in matter, hath beene vsed in a fleshly manner, & so things lawfull hauehave beene carnally and vn-lawfully enioyed. The flesh hangeth so fast on vsus, that it will hang fast on our actions, if we shake it not speedily from our hands as PAVL did the Viper. To doe this, let vsus still mistrust the old alliance, and let this mistrust breede watchfulnesse, and let our watchfulnesse still keepe vsus in a right fashion and standing toward the things of the world. Let the soule behold the world as a thing from which she is diuorced, as a thing made to bee her seruant and slaue; finally, as a thing folded vp in the state of perishing and vanitie. Accordingly, let her looke soberly, chastly, and coldly vponupon it: let her vse it as a seruant, not as a Companion, much lesse as a Master; yea let her vse it, as if shee vsed it not; euen as one readie not to vse it, when happinesse shall call her from the world; or when vanitie, losse, and decay shal call for the world from her.
A third reason of watchfulnesse is, the watchfulnes of our Aduersarie; euen that crooked Serpent, who is the Prince of darknesse, and the enemie of Mans happinesse. This is the roring Lyon, who still seeketh whom hee may deuoure; and of this kind are specially, carelesse and secure men, for such he is sure may most easily be deuoured. This is the enuious man, that soweth tares among the wheat, while the good man sleepeth; euen in the sleeping time of our securitie, hee watcheth most for a mischieuous & malicious seedtime. Neither let any man maruell, that this keeper of the dungeon of infelicitie, is so vigilant and carefull to fill his prison: for Enuy as a mayne disease hauing throughly seized him, this gnawing malady giues him no ease but in the ruine and destruction of others; and the onelyonly comfort of his wretchednesse is, to get good store of company to be wretched with him. Neither need wee to goe farre for an example & patterne of the same thing; for very violent is the same sicknesse among men, and in them is also a communication of the same serpentine nature: for they can excellently repine at superioritie, & there is no greater quarrell among many then this, that one doth excell and goe before another. And if it be so powerfull in men, wee may allow it to be more powerfull in meere Spirits; for the greater is the eminence of their nature, the greater is the eminence of the corruption of that nature; according to the rule, the corruption of the best is worst. But let vsus make a medicine of this Scorpion; and this we shall doe, if the same Enuy, which keepes him waking, to deuoure, bee a remembrance to vsus to keepe our selues waking, that we be not deuoured. Is not our owne preseruation as sweet to vsus, as our destruction is to him? If our enuious neighbor promise to watch vsus a good turne, wee will watch our selues that wee may hauehave no neede of his good turne; but this spitefull Serpent from the beginning is sealed vnderunder a couenant of continuall enmitie; and shall not his malice be a spurre in our sides, and a thorne in our brests to keepe vsus waking? therefore giuegive no sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eye-lids, while thou art in a life of combate; but still beleeue (for it is plaine enough to be beleeued) that a watching Angell is too hard for a secure and sleeping man. Indeed it is true, he is too hard for vsus in our best watching, did not a higher Watch-man keepe vsus, who neither slumbers nor sleepes. The watchfull eye of that greatest Spirit, is our Preseruer against the watchfull, cursed, inferiour spirit; but this withall wee must know, that God loues to watch ouer them, that watch ouer them selues; his watching is an example to vsus, not a discouragement; he will hauehave vsus to doe what wee can for our selues, and then what wee indeuour to doe and cannot, he will doe for vsus: the Mariners must stay in PAVLS ship to doe their indeuours, else those could not bee safe, whom God did meane to saue. He hath giuen vsus soules, and these soules he hath inlightned and sanctified, that wee might discerne and foresee Satans policies; this gift of his he will hauehave vsus to make vse of, and not to looke to hauehave that done by him, which hee hath giuen vsus power to doe our selues. But if wee take away our owne watching, wee prouoke GOD also to take away his; for if wee bee not worth our owne watchfulnesse, much lesse are wee worth his. And then if wee be wholly forsaken both of God and our selues, wo to him that is thus alone, he is one of those that are fittest to be deuoured. Euill and mortall concupiscences enter in by swarmes into such a soule, & al good thoughts are presently carried away, as seede by the Fowles of the aire. The Vine of our soul dressed with the bloud of Christ, and watered with the Spirit, is abandoned to the wildest Bore of this worlds wide Forrest. But on the other side, you cannot anger this Destroyer worse, then to spie his nets and his traps; and if hee see you make a custom of marking and shunning them, it is great ods, but he will remoue his engines. His first plot was, to cast vsus into a drunken darknesse, that hee might handle vsus, being blind, at his will and pleasure. And this darknesse is the Deuils pale at this day, by which hee incloseth the sonnes of darknesse, euen naturall men, that they are taken at his pleasure. Yea such men vvonder, when they see the sonnes of light, watchfull in their wayes, & they hold them to bee but scrupulous fellowes, to watch against one whom they neither see nor feare. But indeed, the lesse hee is seene, the more he is to bee feared; for hee doth farre more hurt to them that see him not, then he can doe to them that see him. Therefore the children of wisedome lighten their eyes with the Spirit and Word of God, & by these Lamps, through the night of their owne nature, they espie the snares of Satan and auoid them. For this double-vnited Light, is the thred that must leade vsus through this Maze of temptations, vntounto the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God. If we abide in this Light, we are out of the iurisdiction of the kingdome of darknesse; wee are escaped into the protection of the Father of Light, and in this light of his, we walk into his owne primitiue Light. But being translated into this Kingdome of Light, let vsus not then make our selues secure, but still stand vponupon our watch: for sleeping becomes the night and not the light. And as wee hauehave before receiued some incitements to watch our enemies, so now let vsus consider some motiues which may incourage vsus to watch and welcome our friends, euen the Messengers of grace, which are sent to leade vsus into the Eternall habitations. To this end, let vsus first weigh who it is, euen how great is that Prince which visiteth vsus by such messages of grace; it is euen the King of glory that knocks at our soules gates, by the fresh supplyes of his Spirit: Maiestie vouch safeth to visite Miserie, and Omnipotence sendeth strength to Infirmitie; what remains then, but that the euerlasting Dores of our soules presently open themselues wide, that the King of glory may readily enter in? We must open large windowes in our hearts, that the Sun of righteousnes may powre in a large light and heate, when hee visiteth vsus in the mornings of grace. But far be it from vsus, to be far from home, when God commeth to see vsus. Far bee it from vsus, to let him passe as a stranger that lodgeth not for a night. And surely, if he be vnregarded, & vnwelcommed, how can hee choose but scorne vsus being neglected, whom hee might iustly hauehave despised being sought? we are sinful and miserable creatures: and God might well hauehave lothed vsus, & left vsus in our bloud; but now he that might hauehave lothed, loueth and visiteth; and shall we dare to neglect the most great and holy One, that commeth to vsus, most wretched and impure, for our owne felicitie? let vsus rather with watchful soules espie, and with humble and deuout affections entertain these heauenly Guests, the issues and sparkes of the Deitie: Let vsus wonder at our owne happinesse, that our lowlinesse should bee regarded by the Almightie: finally, let vsus yeeld vp to him the whole roome of this Tabernacle of ours, that hee may fully rule and raigne in vsus; for in his raigning in vsus, is included our raigning with him.
For a second motiue let vsus consider, what it is that this great God sendeth to vsus. Surely, it is the sap of the Tree of Life, a iuyce of Eternitie, a food of life euerlasting. When his Spirit commeth into vsus, it is a Light to our darknesse, a Purifier of our pollution, a conueyance of our Redem ption, a celestiall Fire to warm the benummed coldnes of our spirituall bloud, a seede of liuing and perpetuall felicitie. It offers to guide vsus, it offers to sanctifie vsus, it offers vsus iustification, it offers vsus zeale, it offers vsus eternall Glorie. These are presents well becomming such a Giuer; of infinite worth, as hee is in finite; and the least is of more worth then hee is that shall receiue them. So the greatest giueth vsus gifts greater then our selues; and what remaines but that we be inlarged in our affection, thereby to inlarge our capacitie of them, & if it were possible to equall those gifts with louelove & welcome, which our owne persons doe not? Let vsus with a watchfull care, with a seruent louelove, with hungrie and thirstie soules, receiue the bountie of heauen; still remembring, that free merciemercy is the Ladder, by which these blessings descend vponupon vsus; by which merciemercy alone, God becomes so familiar with Man, as to visite him. And as God is free to be mercifull, so he is free to bee angrie, if his merciemercy be contemned. And if once the Ladder of merciemercy be taken vp into heauen, then shall wee see a great Gulfe of distance and separation betweene GOD and Man. Man is far vnable and vnfit to approch to the same God being angrie, whom with a confident boldnesse hee might intreat & behold being mercifull. The way is cut off betweene GOD & Man, by changing merciemercy into furie, and he is become admirable in seueritie, who before was wonderfull in familiaritie. Therefore to day let vsus heare his voyce; in the present time, without delay, without stay, or let. Let vsus not put him off vntounto to morrow, lest wee be a generation that grieues him, and so may not enter into his rest. But if our Welbeloued put in his hand by the dore, let vsus bee affectioned to him, yea let vsus rise and open to our Welbeloued: & that wee may bee readie to performe this, though wee sleepe, yet let our hearts wake. Amidst the dreames of worldly pleasure, & profit, which are all but vanitie, let our hearts watch for the graces of Eternitie. Let vsus giuegive heede to that One kind of things which is only necessary, & let our harts bee onelyonly in earnest, when they regard the things of soliditie, permanence, and perpetuitie. Doth the Spirit cast foorth his beames to inlighten the Temple of the Spirit? let Watchfulnesse bee readie to see this Light; and by this Light things otherwise inuisible and inutterable: for surely, a soule thus inlightned, will see more then seuen Men on a Watch-towre. Doth the Spirit stirre vp in thee a desire of meditation, and a motion to goe aside into heauen, by the raptures of contemplation? watch, apprehend, and follow; and let Watchfulnesse deliuer thee ouer to obediēce. Hast thou motions vntounto Prayer? vntounto spirituall Ioy? vntounto feeding on the Word, or the seales of the Word? attend and obey, and let him that hath an eare, harken what the Spirit saith vntounto the Church. For thus shall watchfulnes become a true factor and seruant of obedience. The Spirit speaketh, Watchfulnesse heareth, Obedience performeth, and the Spirit prospereth.