The Diseases of the Time, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. A healing of their Griefe that are affrighted at Christianitie, and runne away from it, as from some terrible and vgly thing.
THere are some that thinke on Religion, as vponupon some fearfull Apparition, and accordingly receiue the Image thereof into their Mindes; in the likenesse of a sowre, grim, and austere visage. And surely some Pharisies hauehave giuen a Confirmation hereunto. But this is an especiall deceit and fraud of the Deuill, to rob vsus of the greatest ioy by a false feare of the greatest sadnesse. Is there any more comfortable thing, then the vnion of Man with his Souereigne Good? Is there any thing more pleasant then light, and true Christians hauehave in them the beames of the vppermost Light? Is there any thing more rauishing then Beautie, and these are delighted with the highest Beautie of the Creatour, and with the lower Beauties of iust and holy men, resembling the higher? What delights Man more then to louelove and to bee beloued, and behold a Christian is the best louer, and loued of the best? Vertue was glorious in the eyes of the Heathen, so that in regard of her they despised all labours and sufferings, yea, life it selfe. Yet their Vertue was but of a bounded Nature, & as a standing Poole, whose waters are by measure. But the Vertues of Christianitie are continuall streames flowing from the eternall Fountaine of the Deitie; and hauehave an vnlimited power of daily increasing. I cannot, I would not say all that the ioy of Christians can afford me, I hauehave *Arté of Happ…nesse.elsewhere saued this labour. Neither let men thinke but that these are matters of Fact, and not of meere Speculation, for the hearts of true Christians are at this day liuing Witnesses, and the Sayings of the Dead cry aloud to confirme it. Reade DAVID reioycing in his Psalmes, and you will thinke him a man rauished, so doth eueryevery word swell with ioy, prayse, and exultation. See him dancing before the Arke, and if you bee no wiser then a very woman, you will thinke him out of his wits, but if you bee so wise as a good woman, you will say, his soule did magnifie the Lord, and his Spirit reioyced in God his Sauiour.
Againe, reade the Song of Dauid, describing the extasies of louelove and delight, wherein the Church almost loseth her selfe, as vnable to contayne them, and you cannot but say, that there is a ioy entered into the heart of man which cannot get it selfe wholy into it by comprehension; nor get out of it by expression. All the Instruments of Musicke, all the Creatures both sensible and insensible, are summoned together to helpe forth the vtterance of an vnvtterable ioy. And how can you blame him, for his soule is in the Courts of Heauen, Where to be a doore-keeper for one day, is better then to bee a thousand yeares in the Courts of Princes, and yet most men thinke that Courtiers hauehave great ioy of their places.
Againe, Gods Words are sweeter to him then the hony, and you know, Sweetnesse is the God of the Epicure. Yea, it is more precious then fine Gold, and Gold is the God of the Worldling. Thus a Christians ioy surmounteth the ioyes of the Naturallist, euen Honour, Pleasure, and Profit. But if this bee true, you will say, how comes it that so few seeke heauenly, and almost all seeke earthly ioyes? and perchance thou which readest it art also of the same minde. Hereunto I answere, That the fault is in the Taste, not in the Meate; in the folly of the Iudgement, not in the Pearle; when a graine of Corne is preferred before it. To taste spirituall ioyes a man must bee spirituall, for the spirit rellisheth only the things of the spirit, and like loueth his like. Betweene a spirituall man and spirituall ioyes, there is as mighty an appetite and enioying, as betweene fleshly meate and a carnall stomack. Therefore the want of this taste and apprehension condemneth the World to be carnall, but magnifies the ioyes spirituall, as being aboue a grosse and carnall apprehension.
Surely, the face of this world at the first view, shewes vsus a plaine euidence of its vnacquaintāce with these ioyes, it is so willingly soyled with the sweat of worldly labours, so defiled with wallowing in the mire of voluptuousnesse, so wrinkled with the cares of this perishing life. They still cry out, who will shew vsus any good, but they would hauehave this good shewed them in their Corne, and Wine, and Oyle.
But on the otherside, if men did fully taste the sweetnesse, and rightly value the preciousnesse of heauenly ioyes, the World would run so fast from the World, and presse so violently into the Kingdome of God, that wee should extremely neede Sermons to perswade to the labours of the six dayes, whereas now all Exhortations are too little toward the sanct…fying of the Seuenth. And indeed, the Primitiue times gaue examples hereof, when there was plaine need of dehortation, to keepe men from too much haste toward Persecution, and too much flying from the World. If thou therefore be as they were thou shalt bee readie to doe as they did. Doe not as Fooles do, who because they cannot taste the ioyes of a Christian, therefore leaue to be Christians. But euen because thou canst not tast them, be thou more vehemently desirous to bee a Christian, that thou mayest taste them. For by being a Christian thou shalt taste the ioyes of a Christian, whereas else thou losest thy selfe and them, and sinkest downe to the base degree of a grosse and transitory creature, and so of base and transitorie ioyes: yea, below them againe into a bottomlesse pit of endlesse darknesse. But rather striue thou by earnest Prayer to the Father of Spirits, to make thee spirituall, that so spirituall things may be pleasing to thee, and thou pleasing to him who is the chiefe of Spirits, for Conformitie and Harmonie is the Law of Pleasure and Delight. Therefore, also on the otherside tread downe thy flesh and the taste thereof, whose exaltation is the abatement of spirituall Life, Taste, and Feeling, and whose abatement is the exaltation of spirituall fauour and discerning.
Another Obiection is framed by the World, that Religion cannot bee pleasant, because none speak more against Mirth and good Fellowship, then these forward Christians, and great Religionaries.
To this I answere, That men truely wise and holy doe not preach against Mirth, but Madnesse; and not against that Fellowship which is truely good, but against that which passing vnderunder the name of good, is full of all vice and wickednesse. There is an honest and cleane Mirth, which Oyle to the bones, as the Wiseman sayth, and this if the World could find, the Salt of the World would not correct and chasten. And indeed, this alone deserues the Name of Mirth, for the sport of sinne is a laughter at things lamentable, and a ioy in stead of sorrow, and is so vnseparable from sorrow, that if it hauehave not the sorrow of temporall Repentance, it shall hauehave a far greater sorrow of endlesse penance. True it is, that God at first gaue his creatures to man to be inioyed, and now especially to Christians is that right renued, so that Christianitie is so far from taking them from vsus, that it only giues them truly to vsus.
Againe, God delighteth not in the sowrenesse of face, in hanging downe the head like a Bul-rush, in tormenting the body, which though with some they may be esteemed as good out-sides of Religion, and as Paul termes them, shewes of Godlinesse, yet of themselues they are of no value with God.
There is nothing in vsus louely to God, but righteousnesse, and that which aduanceth it, and there is nothing odious to God but sinne, and that which serueth it. If therefore the Creatures of God be vsed toward the aduancement, and incouragement of Gods seruice in vsus, wee please him in their vse, yea, wee offend him in their neglect. And the speech of Ionathan concerning Sauls forbidding of meate, will God himselfe vse against vsus; these men hauehave troubled the Land, for if they had eaten, they had done greater seruice against the Enemies of God.
And for ioy it selfe we may see that God hateth it not, For hee himselfe in the old Law appointed many feastes, in which there was a plaine precept of Reioycing. And in the new Law. Paul telles Timothie that God giues vsus all things abundantly to inioy, and in the Acts hee testifieth that God filleth vsus with food and gladnesse. But our Mirth must bee wise and reasonable, as becommeth those that are men, and not Apes, euen Creatures stamped with the Image and Character of God. And too true it is that the Mirth of Man, as the Wrath of Man seldome keepes such a measure that it fulfills the will of God. Yet this cals for Watchfulnesse and measure vntounto Mirth, but sets not vnlawfulnesse on it, if it bee measured and decent.
I denie not but Sadnesse is sometimes necessarie in Religion, but not as it is Sadnesse, but as Sadnesse is a Rod vntounto Vice, and as by humbling the Flesh it aduanceth the Spirit. Sadnesse hath no worth by it selfe, neither is it in Religion the end of it selfe, but euen Sadnesse it selfe tendeth to Ioy. Religious men by Sadnesse walke vntounto Comfort, and indeed Comfort is an assured fruit of Spirituall Sadnesse. Sorrow for sinne endeth in the ioy of forgiuenesse, and sadnesse of meditation endeth in the ioy of Diuine contemplations. So are we made merrie by Sadnesse, and the weed of sorrow changeth it selfe vponupon vsus into the garment of gladnesse.
And this high priuiledge of Ioy hath a Christian aboue a Carnall man, that whereas the Man of earth being sad is onelyonly sad, and sad vntounto sadnesse, the Christian being sad is sad vntounto ioy. How must not then a Christian bee a most ioyfull Creature, whose very sadnesse endeth in ioy, yea, it is a means of procuring and making ioy. Fleshly mirth endeth in sadnesse, and spirituall sadnesse endeth in mirth, and so if that be well that ends well, the sadnesse of a Christian is better then the mirth of a Heathen.
There is yet a third Obiection. That Religion is attended with opposition and persecution, and these are terrible things to flesh and bloud. I answere, that if this bee so, yet is Religion a ioyfull thing. For these are not in Religion, but after Religion, and indeed they are qualities of Irreligion. Religion it selfe is busied about excellent things, as vnion with God, conformitie to God, fruition of God; and persecution and opposition comes from Irreligion, Atheisme and Malice.
Religion must needs be the more excellent because it hath such Enemies, as wicked men and wicked spirits, as one commended Christianitie because Nero persecuted it.
If great Armies come to conquer a Land, it is likely to be a Land of pleasure and fertilitie, for barrennesse and worthlesnesse seldome call for Conquerors. Enuie the Deuills torment and pleasure, seeth some invaluable ioy, which he would take from vsus by outward vexations, but certayne it is, that as it is a ioy whose fulnesse is beyond the reach of Mans heart, so the fastning of it is aboue the reach of the Deuills hand, for nothing can reach high enough to take it from vsus. Yea, when he reacheth to it by the persecutions of the bodie, hee increaseth the ioyes of our soules, for as tribulations abound, so doe consolations abound also. So in this point is a Christian also a most ioyfull Creature, whose afflictions breed consolations, and whose enemies are instruments of comforting them, euen by afflicting them. So in all things are wee more then Conquerors; Ioy is our part which nothing may take from vsus, but all changes by an vnchangeable Law, doe worke our Ioy. Therefore doth the Christian enioy tribulations and takes them for aduancements; yea, the disciples of Christ reioyce in their sufferings for Christs sake, as testimonies of worth and estimation with their Lord. So a Souldier takes pleasure in that which to an ordinarie man is a terrour, yea hee inioyeth his scarres and wounds as markes of valour, and steps vntounto Honour. And as the sight of future aduancement doth cheere vp the Heauenly Souldier, so doe the present ioyes of the Spirit of consolation. As the bodie is pricked or scourged without the heart, is bathed within in the celestiall oyle of ioy and gladnesse. The comforts within rise according to the suffrings without; yea with them, by them, and aboue them. God the Creator is within comforting, and they are but Creatures that are without afflicting, and how shall wee not bee full of Courage, of Comfort, since hee that is in vsus and with vsus, is so infinitly greater then hee and all they that are without vsus and against vsus?
But as the Carnall Man hath had leaue for his obiections against Religion, so I desire leaue of him a little to question the ioyes of his Carnality. For I am in great doubt that many sinners hauehave more trouble and worke to be damned then many Christians to be saued. I say it falleth out by Diuine MercieMercy on the one, and Iustice on the other, that if some righteous men hauehave the Deuill for a hard Enemie, some sinners hauehave him also for a cruell Master. Generally the peace of the wicked is fearefull, hollow, interrupted, and finally ending in sorrow. If Affliction come to him (as the first Curse giues some taste of it selfe vntounto all) hee receiueth the Curse with Cursing, hee takes his Soule and teares it to pieces, by raging and repining, and, (contrarie to Paul that reioyceth) hee raueth in Tribulations. The great pursuer of Vertue, whose louelove to his Countrie was admirable, though the fruits of it scarse iustifiable, at his death defies Vertue it selfe, and in discontent renounceth her as a Vassall of Fortune. The end of pleasure is Lothsomnesse, and the apprehension of an End saddeth the mids of it. Yea, in the mayne course of his Life he is in bondage by the fea… of Death, and that feare of Death bittereth his Life. Accordingly hauehave I heard one to fall out with his Life, because of Death, speaking in the playne, but pittifull language of a meere Naturallist, what auayles mee any thing that I doe, since whatsoeuer I doe I must dye? And indeed if Death end the whole Man, by that end the workes of Man are to no end; for what can any workes auayle the Man that is not?
And now if we consider another way the Carnall mans life, wee shall find that very often hee is put to hard seruices, and hath but a bad Master of the Deuill. Take out some one of the chiefest and set him for a Patterne, and you shall see his Life to be a perpetuall Drudgerie, and hee is no other then a Gally-slaue, rowing hard for the execution of his beastly lusts. And if hee sinke downe into some rest, the Deuil spurres him vp againe with one Concupiscence or other, that he must needs goe being Deuill-driuen. Perchance he hath a piece of whordome in his head, and the house of his flesh is on fire about his eares, and hee can neuer be quiet before he hath quenched it; and then also hee is not quiet, but euen by quenching growes more fiery. Before his beastly satisfaction, he hath the labour of watching, sending, giuing and contriuing, he feares the harlots husband, or his owne Wife, the parents, the friends of both, and generally the eyes of Men. Sometimes the Necke it selfe must be aduentured in cruell Murders for the remoouall of Impediments, and sometimes for remoouing the Fruits. And if you marke what basenes such people put on in this sneaking Vice, somtimes equalling themselues with base persons, sometimes couering their filthinesse with base shifts, a noble heart would scorne it for meere Nobilitie. But it is an excellent piece of Iustice that filthinesse and shame are fast tyed together, and he that will hauehave one, must needs take the other for his labour. And after Satisfaction he is not satisfied, for one sinne satisfieth but one lust; and the roote of lust assoone as that one is satisfied, is readie to bud forth a new.
Yea, Lust the more it is obeyed, the more it commands, the more fewell is brought to it the more it burneth, and when vponupon a call it is vsed to satisfaction, it will call the oftner for satisfaction. It is like a Childe (begotten and taught by the same Lust) whom you doe not still by giuing that it cryes for, but by giuing you inuite it to cry for more. Therfore denyall is the best remedie for Lust, and the next way to quietnesse. For Lust vsed to denyall, will grow fainter in asking, that which it hath often beene denyed. But your common granter of Lusts is a Dogge in the wheele of Lust, still fetching downe the top of satisfaction, and when that is vnderunder his feete, there is still another top aboue him to bee fetched downe againe. So is his businesse neuer at an end, vntill the wheele be rotten, or the Dogge old, and notable to trauell any more. But perchance hee is no Whoremonger, but he is a couetous man, and surely that man aboue the rest, is the Deuils Post-horse: his braines, or his bodie, or his eyes, or his Letters, are euer trotting abroad for bargaines and sales, and sometimes he is tormented, because he cannot be more tormented by being in many places at once. Hee could gladly bee scattered abroad into those diuers places, where are diuers good bargaines, or diuers dangers of losse. One man had need to be wrought out of his Liuing for enlarging the Territory, the other must bee tentred with a forfeiture, that the most may be made of him, a third must bee vexed in Law for a profitable composition. And if any of these misse; our Ahab is heart-sick, and cannot be cured but by a Playster of Naboths bloud, of Iezebels, (of the Deuils) owne making. And still his head is full of Bullockes and Sheepe, Hedges and Closes, Townes and Tenements, Markets and Fayres, Siluer and Gold, Obligations and Feoffments. Ouer and aboue all this, hee serueth his God Mammon, in great and painfull Deuotions, euen in long Watchings, most abstinent Fastings, earnest Prayers for Profit, and hearty Repentance for a good Bargaine lost; I wonder what greater paines would Grace hauehave asked vntounto Saluation, then here sin hath voluntarily vndertaken vntounto damnation.
But if Ambition bee the disease of the man of flesh, then doth hee lye perpetually in a bed of Thornes, and too true it is for him, that Honour and Miserie walke often together in the same path. He is like a short Man still standing on tip-toe to looke ouer a tall Mans shoulder, and sure hee cannot but bee in much paine by his stretching. Hee hates them aboue, yet croucheth to them, and desires to be one of them whom hee hates; hee loues them below, yet lookes bigge vponupon them, and cannot abide to bee one of them whom hee loues. So an Ambitious man may well be painted with two Faces or Aspects, the one looking vpward and making many curtesies, the other looking downward, and making many Frownes and Terrifications. His life is full of labour, for he will neuer suffer his worke to be done: for he proposeth ends, which when he hath attayned, he suffers them to bee ends no more. This man and the rest of his fellowes I hold to bee very miserable, because they buy Misery with Misery, and with temporall paines purchase eternall torments. And herein is there Miserie more miserable, that they delight in their Miserie, and this delight makes them willing to be still miserable.
These are truly those Egyptian Israelites, that for louelove of the Flesh-pots and Onyons; can bee contented to carry straw, and make bricke all the the dayes of their liues; yea, they preferre the labours of Egypt, before the freedome & rest of Canaan; they had rather to bee set on worke by lust, then to enioy the rest and peace, and ioy of the Holy Ghost.
But I could wish those men would learne of the West India…s, whome perchance in scorne they will terme Sauages and Barbarians, but the worse thou callest them, the worse thou callest thy selfe, if thou be worse then they. It is recorded of some of these Indians, that they were wearie of their gods, and willing to change them, because they had so much labour to please them. For their Deuill-gods would not bee pleased but with many Sacrifices of men, which cost them much warre and bloudshed. Surely the Deuill is the same heere, that he is in the Indies, he sets as heauie taskes on them that will bee so kinde as to beare them; for euen here also men must sacrifice to him the best endeauours and affections both of soule and bodie, in Ambition, Couetousnesse, and other toylsome Vices, and at last the very soule and bodie themselues must bee sacrificed in an eternall fire. But bee yee weary of your gods, O yee Heathen Christans, and serue the true God, who desires no other businesse but Holinesse and Righteousnesse, and hath ioyned there with the ioyes of his heauenly and most comfortable Spirit, and hath annexed thereunto the ioyes of an eternall and most glorious Kingdome.
And let no man hereafter be afraid of Religion, because of sadnesse, for by so doing he may condemne his sight or taste, that discernes or rellisheth not the ioyes thereof, but then whiles Religion is still one and the same, euen a most glorious and comfortable thing.
Therefore let the Nouice or Apprentice of Religion; especially, desire the grace of that Spirit which is the Author of Religion, to open his closed eyes to lighten his darknesse, that hee may see the brightnesse and beautie of Religion: and withall let him intreat the strength and supportance of the same Spirit, to support & stablish him in the beginnings of this new Arte and Science of Ioy, both because the beginnings of all new Sciences require labour and constancie, and because our Enemie the Deuill knowing the excellencie of these ioyes, grudgeth them to Mankind, and therefore mightily striues to tyre men in the verie entrance thereof. But bee yee assured, that if yee once come to be freemen in Religion, being made free by the Spirit of Christ Iesus, you will be rauished with the sweetnesse of God, and your hearts wil pant for his ioyes as the Hart doth for the streames of waters; you will bee inforced to say, That the strongest is the sweetest, & that his ioyes alone are pure and cleare, and that the ioyes of the flesh which you dranke so greedily heretofore, are but puddle and mudde; Though the laughter of folly perchance were lowder, as the fire of Thornes, yet the solid and massie ioyes of the Spirit are stronger, and giuegive more true and kindly heate to the heart and soule.
For certain it is in Diuinitie, as it hath beene discouered by her seruant Morallity, sound ioy is a solemne thing. And conuertibly may wee say, Solemne ioy is your only sound ioy. Wherefore let solid, wise, and sound Spirits seek this solid, pure and weightie ioy, suffering these light, loose and muddie ioyes to bee (as most often they are) the companions of folly and brutish sensuality. And herewith let your sowre Pharisies, and Monkish Heraclites, receiue an admonition, that they doe not act Religion in the Vizard of vgly sowrenesse, nor dogged austerity.
Religion is a louing and a louely thing, and the Picture of it ought to bee like it selfe. It is made all of light & louelove, and light and louelove are comfortable and amiable things, cheerefully communicating themselues to others, and alluring the eyes and hearts of others to behold and partake them. If Religion then bee a drawer, bee not thou a driuer, neyther doe thou scarre away with thy grimnes, those whom Religion would allure with her beauties. There is a cheerfull grauitie as well as a light mirth, or a lumpish terriblenesse, and it were good for the paternes of Religion to looke as like it as they may. I confesse, one looke fitteth not all occasions, but I ayme a generall seemlinesse, leauing particular changes to bee framed by their particular occasions. And though sorrow for sinne bee a vertue, yet the publike shew of it, except it bee in a publike cause, is not still a vertue, for it is a vertue many time to couer this Vertue, Christ himselfe counselling to couer the humiliation of Fasting, with the anoynting of the face. But due exceptions being allowed, the Christians charge is, Reioyce continually, he is enioyned to be amiable, and of a winning conuersation, that without the word, some may bee wonne by their Eyes, that are not yet by their Eares.