True Happiness, Section 9
SECT. IX.
Of constant enquirie for perfect happines.
And to enquire in his Temple.
THis is the last point of the Text,Enquirie followeth sight. concerning our greatest care about happinesse, to bee searching continually, that we may persevere and grow therein. The first enquirie was to finde out what happinesse was, and where to finde it. The second is, after we have obtained it, to goe forward in the degrees till perfection. For,Confess. 12. 1. inquirie importeth more than finding: and prayer is farther off than obtaining. The order telleth us, that enquiring followeth beholding, and none doe more seeke God, and happinesse in him, than they that see him. Desire of grace groweth with the growth of it. As the wretch wretcheth the more he is enriched, so the increase of grace augmenteth the desire of it. Gods*Cant. 3. 1. Church is busie, running to and fro seeking her beloved, when other companies seeke their vanities. That heavenly affection setteth her on work, and the want of it made them idle. Peter and John*Joh. 20. 4. were most forward in running to the sepulchre, because they loved him most; and Simeon*Luc. 2. 27. came oftner to the temple, than others in Jerusalem, because he longed more to see Christ in the flesh. And it is ever seene, that they who have most knowledge with holinesse, are busiest to seek the Lord. God is so glorious, and happinesse is so sweet, that the more wee see them, the more wee seeke them. And the nature of true grace is to be so allured; neither is there a better token of the livelinesse of the new man, than to be set continually to*Eccles. 12. 1. seek his Creatour.
The word (enquire) in the originall pointeth also at the morning, Tymely searching.because the Soule is then most fit for enquiring; and the Sun rising, rayseth all things up with him with their first and best actions, which at Even in his falling are not so. Wisedome also promiseth, that they that seeke her in the morning *Pro. 8. 17., shall finde her; and the light of the Spirit in the faithfull is compared to the*Esay 8. 20. morning light, because Jesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse hath brought a new light into the world after the Evening of Adams fall. Therfore in seeking happinesse, we would be tymous in the morning of our age, and vigour of our soule, and not cast off that greatest worke to old age. God biddeth us haste in the morning, but Sathan biddeth us delay till the evening of our time: And he who doth so, what knoweth he, if he shal live so long? Or, if he doe, he knoweth not, if God will continue the occasions of happinesse with him: Or, if they abide, what knoweth hee, if God will blesse them? No, it is just with God to neglect them in their old age, who neglected him in their youth.*Pro. 1. 24, 25 Because I cryed, and ye would not answer, therefore ye shall cry, and I will not answer, but laugh at your destruction. Hee who spendeth the morning of his age dissolutely, hath never earnestly thought of true happinesse.
This word offereth three things to our consideration:The best is here imperfect. 1. Our imperfection. 2. Our changeable state. 3. And the remedy of both, in a diligent inquirie. 1. Imperfection is in the best, for we are here not capable of perfection, because wee have flesh*Gal. 5. 17. mixed with the spirit, and are layed open to the continuall tentations of Sathan: This cannot stand with happinesse; for in heaven neither can the sinne of ill or tentation be admitted, neither can the chiefe good be lost aIbi nec admittitur malum, nec amittitur summum bonum. Aug. Epist. 42.. The most perfect*Philip. 3. 12. after Christ confessed his imperfection; Not that I have alreadie attained, or am already perfect, and that to the astonishment of the best bQuid dicit Apostole? non apprehendi, dicis, & miramur. August. de verb. Apost. serm. 15.. And here we *1. Cor. 13. 12.know but in part, for where wee know one thing, millions are hid from us; and that same that we know is more hid than knowne; and all our knowledge is but some thing of all, but nothing of all, but nothing of the whole: And the undoubted testimonie of greatest knowledge, is the greatest conscience of ignorance: Take the knowledge of the best, it is but ignorance, confusion, and full of uncertaintie. Therefore one crieth out justly, Woe to our straight knowledge, woe to the povertie of our understanding cVae augustae cognitioni, vae paupertati scientiae nostrae. Bernard. de Ascens. serm. 4.. If wee looke to God, how small is our knowledge; and though modestly wee may search his will, but not curiously his Majestie, lest we be oppressed, we come but short. And in the search of his will, if we should study from 16. to an 100. yeere old, we would daily finde matter of a new searching dTanta est profunditas Scripturarum, &c. Aug. Epist. 3., albeit there is as much plaine, as to suffice people to salvation.
The conceit of perfection is the greatest imperfection,Conceit of perfection dangerous. and the greatest stay of proceeding: When men set up these two mountaines in their way, of presumption, and vaine glorie, they leave off to go forward: For whither shall they go, who thinke themselves already perfect? The Jewes had this, and would not submit them to the righteousnesse of God*Rom. 10. 3.. The Papists have it, in their perfection obtained, or to be obtained, their merit, supererogation: and all vented in the confidence they put in their merits. They who will not trust in God, will trust in themselves, and in their righteousnesse; which is a non ens, or rather their greatest sinne. Pelagius had this pride, when he boasted, that there lacked not one to doe the things commanded, but one to command more: But God hath dauntoned that pride by the Law: And one hath answered them in the person of the Jewes: Behold, fulfill the Law, there lacketh not one to command, but there lacketh one to obey aEcce implete: Ne putetis deesse jubentem, non deest qui jubeat, sed deest qui impleat. Aug. tract. 3. in Ioh..
Secondly, the imperfect measure we have is subject to change; and that because of the spirituall combat, of decay, defection, and desertion. 1. The spirituall combat proveth our weaknesse, the flesh continually rebelling against the spirit, so that the good we would doe, we cannot doe it, and the evill we would not doe, we are forced to doe: For though wee were even now in some good disposition, yet the flesh, yeelding to some tentation, casteth us downe further, than we can arise in many dayes.
Decay falleth in the best and most wakrife Christian: For the knowledge that the minde hath layed up,1. Decay falleth in the best. the memorie forgetteth; and the softnes and tendernes of heart decayeth even in them, who labour on their heart continually: and that not so much by outward provocations, as by the inward deceit, and native backslyding of the heart it selfe. When a workman leaveth his worke at evening, he findeth it in the morning in that same case, wherein he left it: But if we lye downe, with an heart softned with the sense of Gods mercies, in the morning wee finde it oftentimes like a stone; grace is a stranger to us, and our nature at the best, giveth it but a step-mothers intreatie: it findeth opposition of our corruption, and therefore is subject to hourely decayes.
Defection stayeth our proceeding in happinesse. Every sinne is a defection,2. Defection stayeth us. and a falling from a better to a worseaPeccare est deficere, & minus esse. Qui peccant, minus sunt quàm erant. Aug. ver. Rel. c. 11. & 14.; for it hath not only the double guiltinesse of the blemish, and lyablenesse to punishment, but likewise crosseth the grace of God in us, as one contrary doeth another: And as in our youth, our food hath two workes: One of sustentation, the other of adding a new substance; so when happinesse is begun in us, we have need of double labour to intertaine it. Sathan rageth, and the flesh fretteth the more, therefore wee have need of more diligence to resist them.
Desertion is most fearfull, when we finde not God as wee were wont,3. Desertions fearefull. and under that dreariesome widowhood of our soule, are put to that grievous task to seek him againe, and to greatest necessitie to finde him. Sometime it is procured by great sinnes, as in David under his murther and adulterie; sometimes by our negligence, as when we waxe coldri…e in our devotion, and in well-doing in our calling: Sometimes it is supposed, as when a mother hiding her face with a cloth, the loving childe thinketh her absent, and hath no rest till he see her face againe. So is it in our supposed desertions: And according to the degree of Gods presence, is the griefe that wee conceive of his desertion, which admitteth no comfort, but the sense of his presence againe. The more gratious presence we have found, his absence afterward is the more grievous; for the withdrawing of the thing that we love, is the increase of our desire: And the thing that wee most desire, wee want it with greatest griefe: But many of our desertions are more supposed than reall:*Joh. 20. 14. Marie Magdalen wept, because they had taken away the Lord, and yet he was beside her, and by his vertue made her to seeke him, till she found him: So many a time we mourne for the want of God when he is with us, yea, it is his presence, that maketh us feele his absence: For we should not thinke our selves without God, when wee finde him dwelling in our heart by faith: For he commeth when he is manifest in his working, and he departeth when he is hid in his working aVenit cum manifestatur, & cum occultatur abscedit. Aug. Epist. 3..
The best remedy then of these impediments of our happinesse is, continually to inquire it,3. The remedies. which standeth in three things: The fixing of the end;1. Fixing of the end. The forgetting of things behind; And advancing foreward.*Philip. 3. 13. One thing I doe, forgetting things behind, I endeavour my selfe to that which is before. The end is God himselfe, and our happinesse as the praise of our high calling in his hand; Not that wee love him for that reward, but he himselfe is our reward bNoli diligere Deum propter praemium, ipse fit tibi praemium. Aug. tract. 3. Iohan.. This must be so fixed, as wee neither change with any other, neither joyne any other to it; but as a marke we must direct all our thoughts, words, and deeds, respecting or using things only, as they can further us:*1. Cor. 20. 31. Whether yee eat, or yee drinke, doe all to the glorie of God. We must intend no other, nor no lesse, than this end, like the spouse*Cantic. 1. 1. who craved not to be admitted to the kisse of Christs feet, or of his hands, but of his mouth. Travellers are knowne by their journying, and the Jewes knew that Christ*Luc. 9. 53. was going toward Jerusalem, because his face was that way. So if we minde toward heaven, wee must walk through the world as strangers*1. Pet. 12. 11., not resting upon the things of the way. God in heaven, with the prise of our high calling, must be so in our eye, and in our heart, as to draw the course of our conversation toward them, so that all that looke upon us may say: That they see our minde is toward Sion. Cain built a Citie, because he sought his happinesse on earth, but Abel builded none, because he looked for a biding Citie in heaven. The vessels of wrath, and citizens of the earthly citie sticking in that corrupt masse abide on the earth; But they that are separate are burgesses in the citie of God: And though Cain called his citie Enochia, as though he had found rest;Aug. Civit. 15. 1. 2. 8. yet he was but a vagabond: For strong walls are but weake defences against an evill conscience.
Secondly, a holy forgetfulnesse of by-gone degrees of happinesse;Forgetfulnesse of by-gones. yea, though they were excesses or satieties, we must passe them as degrees, and not stand upon them as perfections: For so long as we seeke, not being satiat with the fulnesse of the fountaine, Aug. Epist. 52.wee are not come to our full measure: God giveth us divine vertues, that here we may live a godly life, Aug. Vit. beat. cap. ult.and afterward receive full happinesse. While we are proceeding in the way, we count these degrees perfection before we come to them; but having attained them, and comparing them to perfection it selfe, we finde them as far lesse than it, as they are greater than our beginnings. A weake spirit sitteth downe upon some taste of grace with admiration, and thinketh that there is no greater degree, and that none hath the like: But a masculous spirit, while it is advancing in greater degrees, is mourning for the weaknesse of grace. This breedeth in the best an earnest desire of more aUt ipsam plenitudinem desiderare noverimus. Aug. Epist. 6., which is both a seale of the spirit, when wee can desire fulnesse; and a token of a growing happinesse, because the hunger of grace is a testimonie of tasted grace bTestimonium gustatae gratiae est esuries. Bern. fol. 97., and God respecteth our desire, so that he accepteth the very desire of a desire cPaulin. apud Aug. Ep. 32..
Thirdly, advancing in grace to the end:3. Advancing in grace. For wee get not perfection in an instant, as Adam in creation, and the theefe at Christs right hand in regeneration,Luc. 23. 43. but wee must come to it by degrees: both that Gods worke and ours may be the better discerned; and that wee may count the better of any degree of happinesse when wee finde it. Yea happinesse it selfe drawing, and the new man in us thrusting, maketh us advance: For the greatest satiety of grace bringeth not a loathing, but sharpeneth the desire the more. And such is this delight that we have in this beauty, that it is ever present, and yet never satiateth, yea it will ever satiat thee, though thou be never satiat dUt semper …bi praesens sit & nunquam satieris, imò semper satieris & nunquam satieris. Aug. tract. 3. in Ioh.: As in naturall motions, the neerer to the end the faster; so here in this native motion of grace, the neerer to perfection, with greater desire and zeale, we are carried toward it. Christianitie knoweth no motion, but foreward or backward, and no standing still. We are like men rowing up against a strong river, if they slack their oares for a moment, they are carried more downe, than they can ascend for a long space: S. Peter upon the mountaine thought he craved perfection,Luc. 9. 33. but it was his imperfection; for if Christ had bidden on the mountaine with him, beside the frustrating of Gods purpose, and the salvation of the Saints in his death, S. Peter himselfe could not have beene saved. The more wee inquire, the more wee shall know God; The more we know him, the more we receive him: The more wee receive him, the more he seemeth to grow in us, but he groweth not in himself, for he is perfect. If thou knew a little yesterday, thou shalt know more to day, and much more to morrow: For all the life of a good Christian is an holy desire. Aug. tractar. in Iohan. 14.But we see not as yet the thing we desire, but yet by desiring thou art made capable of it, that when that thing commeth which thou desirest, thou mayst be perfected. Aug. Epist. Ioh. tract. 4.For as a man inlargeth the lap of his garment, that would receive some great thing: So God by delaying inlargeth our desire; and by desiring enlargeth our soule; and by enlarging maketh it capable to receive our perfect happinesse.
This is a ground for the perseverance of the Saints, because God hath entred them in happinesse;The Saints perseverance. and by his Spirit leadeth them on by degrees,*Philip. 2. 12. to worke out their salvation in feare and trembling. They may fall into great sinnes, but neither fully nor finally: Not fully, because in their greatest fall they have both the Spirit, and the seed*Joh. 3. 9. of God in the habits of faith, love, &c. albeit the worke of the Spirit, and of these habits doe cease, during the time of their impenitencie. So*Psal. 51. 12. David desireth the restoring of the joyes of salvation, while in the meane time, he craveth a retaining of the spirit. That retaining imported that the spirit was still with him, and that restoring, imported his wonted joyes wer… stayed.Psal. 37. 24. Neither can they fall finally, because th… Lord in his owne time raiseth them by repentance, as Peter and David, &c. But Scripture and reason prove the same clearely. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, aJer. 32. 40.that I will never turne away from them to doe them good, but I will put my feare in their hearts, that they shall not depart from mee: So Christ telleth,bMat. 24. 25. It is impossible that the elect can be seduced: and the Apostle Peter telleth,c1. Pet. 1. 4. That we are preserved by the power of God, to that heavenly inheritance; so that God his preserving power maketh our perseverance. And no man dJoh. 10. 28.(saith Christ) shall pull my sheepe out of my hand. And because they except slyly: It is true that none can pull his sheep out of his hand, yet, what if the sheep depart from him of their owne will? The Apostle meeteth,eRom. 8. 38. That neither life nor death, nor any creature shall separate us from his love; If no creature, then not we our selves, since we are a creaturefNon igitur separat nos alia creatura, siquidem & nos ipsi creatura sumus. Aug. Mor. Ecc. c. 12.: And the new heart, and the new spirit doe promise the contrarie: If God be for us, who is against us? For none can hurt us, but he that over commeth God, and who can overcome the Almightie gAugust. de verb. Apost. serm. 16.?
Reasons also taken from the persons of the Godhead prove the same.Reasons taken from the Godhead. For the FatherhJoh. 6. 40. delivereth us to the Sonne to be kept, and presented blamelesse at the last day: The Sonne committeth us to the Father, and prayediJoh. 17. 11. for us that we perish not: The Father and Sonne commit us to the Spirit, to be led in our wayes, who dwelleth in us, and in our seale, k2. Cor. 1. 22.which cannot be broken. But in our time, God gave a fearefull document in this question: For when one pressed to destroy the grace of perseverance, God let him fall from such grace as he had,P. Bertius de Apostasia Sanctorum. to turne Papist, and of a professour of divinitie, to become a lecturer of humanitie.
Our late Libertines mock this doctrine.Libertines are licentious. They professe a perfection in this life, and so deny the necessitie of a graduall increase. They affirme, that the justified man cannot sinne, and that God neither seeth nor hateth sinne in them; That they need not repent nor mourne for sinne, nor incite themselves to the obedience of God; That they need not pray, but praise continually. This is a refined extract of Sathan, who as by the Pelagians he oppugneth grace by nature, so in them he destroyeth it in the name of grace; And under a conceit of singular grace, maketh them singularly gracelesse. They have carved to themselves an easie way to heaven by laughing and mirth, whereas Gods best children find it a valley of teares. But their pretended perfection is found to be a presumptuous colour of libertie to their flesh; for they are knowne to be more licentious in their wayes, than they who groan under the sense of their imperfections.
The last degree commeth at death:Happinesse beginneth before death. Not that our happinesse is suspended till then, for we are here preparing happines,August. though we cannot possesse it till death. Solons speach cannot abide an exact triall, for wee are called to happinesse even in this life: It is called a valley of miserie, and craveth some solace by a begun happinesse: And the scripture pronounceth in the present some men happie.*Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is he whose sinnes are forgiven: And happinesse is here begun in us; faith gripeth it in the promise, hope waiteth on it in the fulnesse, our desire longeth for it, and the beginnings of it selfe begin our profession. But after death all shall be perfected. This was the weaknesse of the wisest Pagans, when they had pleased themselves with their discourses of happinesse, they could not indure the thoughts of death, but called it of fearfull things the most fearefull. Aristot.They trembled at that, where they should finde most comfort; and their thoughts of eternitie were as confused, as their doctrine of happinesse was false: And therefore could finde no comfort in their evanishing. But the truth telleth us, that at death we end the valley of miserie, and enter in everlasting happinesse.
At death then our perfect happinesse beginneth,1. It shall be a consumption of all ill. and that in two: First, in removing all miserie, or what ever imperfection; The other in compleating happinesse in it selfe. Our first miserie is sinne originall, which God cutteth off by perfect sanctification. In our effectuall calling, that cutting off beginneth and goeth on by degrees till death, when our last breath hath the last act of mortifying grace in the full abolishing of sinne. Secondly, the abolishing of all guiltinesse whatsoever, that wee may be presented pure and blamelesse to him. Thirdly, wee shall be freed from all tempters and tentations: Sathan shall molest us no more: There shall be no need of an hedge to Job, neither shall wicked men by their example pervert us, or by their violence injure us, neither shall a deceitfull heart deceive us any more. Fourthly, we shall be freed of all affliction; we shall not desert God in sinne; and he shall not desert us in his anger to punish us for sinne:*Rev. 21. 4. There shall be no more sorrow, nor feare, nor crying out, because these first things shall be ended, and God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes. Lastly, the mortalitie of this bodie shall end: It is so fraile now, that hardly can we fit it to serve us in actions naturall or spirituall, and is a daily burthen to us, to keepe it from sickenesse and inconvenients. And when it is under them, a greater burthen to make it free: But when it shall be made a spirituall bodie, these things shall cease: Christs death hath killed death, and his life is our life.
This is the consumption of the ills of our miserie:2. The consummation of all good. Followeth the consummation of good things, that perfecteth our happinesse: and these are first the ceasing of the meanes of grace, which are now necessary for the way; then they shall end, as having neither further worke, nor use in us. So prophesying shall cease, and praying shall turne in praise: On our part faith shall end in sight; hope in fruition; desire in delight; and the beginnings themselves in their due perfection. 2. All goodnes shall be perfected in us, according to our measure: our light perfect without ignorance or error; our love perfect without slacking; our will obsequious without rebellion; our affections straight without perversenes; and righteousnes & holines in our last breath shal be accomplished: and that last act of our regeneration shall bring forth the new man, and send him in a glorious libertie to God. And when our bodies have rested a while in the grave, till our brethren be perfected, they shal rise glorious, like the body of Christ. Our souls shal see God, as they are seene, and know him as they are knowne;*Rev 21. 5, 6. Then we shall see his face,Nec aliud quàm ipsum exspectamus ab ipso. Bern. Qui habit. serm. 14. and his name shall be on our foreheads. The full happinesse that wee expect from God, is of God: neither expect wee any other thing from him but himselfe. God shall fully possesse us; wee shall be perfect in God; and God shall be all in all: he shall delight to looke on us his creatures, whom he hath glorified in merciemercy, and wee shall delight in him eternally.
Therefore let true religion binde us to the blessed God,3. Happinesse commeth by true religion. who is happinesse it selfe, and giveth happinesse to others, betwixt whom and our mind (whereby wee know him to be happinesse and truth,) no creature interveneth; and who hath given to some creatures so much happines as they desire; to others as much as they can containe: He is that only God, of whom wee are, from whom wee departed, and to whom wee were made unlike by our fall, and yet of his merciemercy he suffered us not to perish: the beginning, to the which we returne; the forme that we follow, the grace whereby wee are reconciled; by whom as creatour we live, and by whom being reformed, we live wisely; and by loving and injoying of whom we live happily: even that true God, of whom are all, to whom are all; to him be praise and honour for ever.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Struther, True Happiness (1633)