The Glorious Epiphany with the Devout Christians Love, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Two further ſteps in this Love of Chriſts appearing.
III.
NOW when we feel our ſouls thus touched with any thing that ſeems very good and convenient for us; the firſt approaches of it beget a complacence in the heart, and give it a ſenſe of no ſmall joy and pleaſure. For when the Image, you may obſerve, of any good that imprinted it ſelf, is on the mind or imagination, it inſtantly endeavours to proceed further, and creeps into the heart, the will and affections; which cannot but turn themſelves towards it, to feel what this is which ſhows ſo fairly, and comes ſo kindly to ſalute them. Now when the heart thus looks about to ſee what it is that courts it; you ſhall find, if you mark it, that at the very firſt greeting it is entertained with a certain delight and pleaſure; which this newcome gueſt brings along with it, to invite us to it.
For if you examine things ſtrictly, and with ſuch a curious eye, as ſome have done; you will perceive that this Image which imprints it ſelf upon us, is of the ſame nature with light or any ſhining body. It caſts, as I may ſay, its bright rays round about the ſoul; it diſperſes it ſelf, by a kind of illumination, into the will and affections, that they may be ſenſible how amiable it is: Which when they are, the Light is not more pleaſant to the eyes, than this is to the heart. It rejoyces in this good which preſents it ſelf to its enjoyment, as a man doth in the welcome approach of an ancient Friend; whom he is glad to ſee, but much more glad to feel in his arms.
And ſuch is the contentment that the belief of Chriſts appearing gives to all thoſe who fix their thoughts upon it. It chears and refreſhes their ſpirits. It ſmooths their minds, and makes them ſo calm and ſtill, that the Halcyon days are but fabulous ſhadows of that reſt and peace which then they feel in themſelves. Their heart is intirely delighted and ſatisfied with this belief. It is ſo tranſported beyond it ſelf with this comfortable perſwaſion, that it can eaſily overlook all other joys, when it lifts up it ſelf in the contemplation of this incomparable bleſſedneſs. No muſick can then be ſo ſweet to the ear, as the ſound of the trump of God. No beauty ſo fair to the eye, as that glory which ſhall be reveal'd. No company ſo inviting and welcome to the heart, as that great Aſſembly of Chriſt, with all his holy Angels.
And heark, O my ſoul, do they not call upon thee to caſt a look that way, that thou may'ſt behold them in their ſurpaſſing glory. Liſten a while, and hear if they do not ſay, We are preparing our ſelves, and making ready to come for thee, and for all thoſe that love His appearing. O hearken again, my ſoul, what is it they ſay to thee? Turn thy ſelf about, and lift up thine eyes towards Heaven, that thou may'ſt know what it is that's promiſed to thee.
Will thy Lord indeed come again in power and great glory? Will He once more leave his heavenly place, and deſcend to call us up to himſelf? Shall we ſee Him who loves us ſo much, and be transformed at the ſight of Him? O welcome news! When didſt thou meet with any tidings like to this? which ſheds ſuch a ſudden and tranſcendent joy and gladneſs abroad in thy heart, and prevents my forward thoughts, which were going to exhort thee to rejoyce? What hadst thou loſt, if thou hadſt turned away thine eyes from this bliſsful ſight? How great an happineſs hadst thou been deprived of, if thine heart had not opened, when the report of His coming knockt at its door?
But, O my ſoul, how ſweet then will this appearing it ſelf be, the hope of which is ſo delicious? How will that ſight intrance us, the news of which at this diſtance is ſo comfortable to us? Into what raptures will it caſt us, which now inſpires ſuch joy into our hearts? What a bright day will that be, which through all the clouds wherein we are wrapt, ſpreads round about us ſuch a cheerful light? If the repreſentation of our Lord in the holy Sacrament of His body and blood, and that but in His ſufferings and low eſtate, give ſuch ſatisfaction to the heart; What will the ſight of Himſelf do to us, and that when he appears in his glorious Majeſty, as the Lord of Heaven and Earth?
O ſweet Jeſus, come, and let us ſee what that Majeſty and Glory is! come and draw aſide the veil, do away the ſhadows, and preſent thy ſelf as the King of Glory before our eyes. They have long looked for thee. They would gladly know what it is to behold thee in thy glory. O how gladly would they underſtand what the meaning is of thy coming in the Clouds of Heaven? The brightneſs of them, we believe, is infinitely beyond all that eye ever ſaw. The thoughts of it revive our hearts, and make our faces ſhine. Our ſouls are drawn out, and run to meet thee, by the joy we have conceived at the promiſe of thy coming. Though we have not ſeen thee, yet we love thee; and though we now ſee thee not, 1 Pet. i. 8.yet believing we rejoyce (O that we could ſay) with joy unſpeakable and full of glory.
O bleſſed Lord, do not deny to compleat our joys, by haſtning thy coming to let us ſee thee. Come and fill our eyes, which cannot here be ſatisfied with ſeeing. Come and ſhew us thy glory; that we may ſay, it ſufficeth. And let our hearts, in the mean time, rejoyce in nothing ſo much, as in the hope of thy glory. Let them always prefer this above their chiefeſt joy; and never wiſh for any thing with ſo much fervour, as for thy coming.
IV.
Now from this pleaſant ſenſe which is excited in us by the appearance of any Good to us, there naturally follows, not only a deſire but, a vehement motion, and as it were an effuſion of the heart, towards that which is ſo agreeable, and promiſes it ſo much ſatisfaction. Complacence, you muſt know, is but the beginning of love. For by that delicious pleaſure which the heart feels, when any good approaches, it is invited further; and even forced to pour forth it ſelf upon that fair thing which preſents it ſelf ſo ſweetly to it; and this is properly Love.
As ſoon as ever we diſcover any thing that is ſuitable to us, we feel our hearts inſtantly ſtruck with a ſecret joy, and are marvellouſly delighted in it. And this delectable touch is no ſooner perceived, but it ſweetly, yet ſtrongly draws us to go towards that thing, which at firſt ſight gave us ſuch a pleaſure; and will yield, we hope, a far greater, when we approach ſo near it, as to get poſſeſſion of it. Complacence or delight then, is but the firſt ſtirring or motion, which a good thing cauſes in our heart. This pleaſing motion and agitation of the Spirits, is attended preſently with a melting and as it were effuſion of the heart; whereby we run out to meet that beloved object, and entertain it into our ſouls; and in this, as I ſaid, properly conſiſts the very being of Love. Which is ſo manifeſt in an heart duly affected towards the appearing of our bleſſed Lord; that there cannot be a greater proof of the truth of this deſcription. For it feels ſo great a pleaſure in the lively belief of his coming, that it is drawn thereby quite out of it ſelf; and cannot chuſe but reſign up it ſelf intirely to that glorious Prince, that He may make it appear together with Him. It eaſily diſſolves in that heavenly warmth, and loſing all its power to contain it ſelf in its former bounds, flows to Him the Lord of Life, as to its proper place. It is lifted up towards heaven, and would fain be there where He is, from whom this pleaſure comes. For with Him is the fountain of Life; and therefore where ſhould a devout ſoul ſet its affections but on thoſe things which are above, (as S. Paul ſpeaks, 3 Col. i. 3, 4.) where Chriſt ſitteth at the right hand of God? Which when they mightily affect the heart, it feels as if it were diſſolving, into that life which is hid with Chriſt in God.
That future life or bliſs is ſafe indeed, becauſe it is in the cuſtody of Chriſt, and in a glorious place where God dwells in light inacceſſible. But who can abſtain from deſiring, it ſhould be no longer hid and reſerved, but made manifeſt and ſhown, as it will be at the appearing of Chriſt? For ſo the Apoſtle adds immediately (as if He would anſwer their Queſtion who might ask when ſhall this Life be diſcovered?) When Chriſt who is our Life (i.e. the cauſe of it, who will give us this life) ſhall appear, then ſhall we alſo appear with Him in glory.
O what a joyful word is this! what ſhould hinder an heart, that is poſſeſſed with a full belief of it, from running thither with all ſpeed; whither it is called by ſo great a joy, as ſent from thence into it? Into whoſe arms ſhould it leap but only His, the expectation of whoſe appearing creates that exultation? There is none in heaven it can deſire but Him, with whom its life is hid; and whom is there on earth that it can deſire beſides Him?
Come, ſaith ſuch a ſoul to it ſelf, and lift up thy head: Thy Lord I hear is coming; let us ariſe and go and meet Him. Let us leave this earth, and aſcend up towards heaven; where He is, who is our Life. Let us raiſe up our dull thoughts thitherward; and fix our minds as oft as we can, on the glory that ſhall be revealed.
Let us ſtir up our ſelves, and with the moſt ardent deſires and affections of our heart, get as near Him as ever we are able. let us go, O my Soul, and at leaſt make a preſent of our very heart to Him; beſeeching Him moſt earneſtly to poſſeſs Himſelf intirely of it. Let us invite Him to prevent His appearing; and to come a little beforehand to manifeſt Himſelf unto us, and to take up His abode with us.
O bleſſed Jeſus, let us ſay, who art our Life; be intreated to come hither (now that we cannot come up to thee) and live in us. Show thy ſelf in this ſoul, and let not me live any longer, but do thou live in me: let the life I live in the fleſh be by thy faith, O thou Son of God. Thou hast loved me, and given thy ſelf for me: O love me ſo much (I again beſeech thee) as to live in me. I would begin that life which is hid with thee, in reſigning my ſelf to thee, that thy will may be done in me. Never did I feel ſuch complacence in following mine own, as I have ſince I was inclined to follow after thee; who wilt lead me, I ſee, to immortal glory.
Bleſſed be that day which made me ſenſible of ſuch happineſs. Bleſſed be the day which directed mine eyes to look for thy appearing. What can I wiſh for more than to be bleſſed with the ſight of it; and till it come, to have my heart always in love with it? I am going towards it by theſe deſires; and I will excite my ſelf to go the faſter, becauſe that bliſsful ſight is ſtill making nearer approaches.
What do we mean, my ſoul, to hang thus towards this earth? Why do we stay here when we ſee Jeſus preparing Himſelf to make another journey to us? Why do we not advance towards Him; as if we were deſirous to have Him come, and to let us ſee Him? Why do we not with all ſpeed make our ſelves ready to receive Him? What is it that makes us ſo ſlow in our motions towards Him; who when He appears will come as ſwift as the lightning unto us. Ʋp, up, O my ſoul, let not thy Lord find thee, when He comes, poſting after theſe worldly vanities, purſuing of thy ſinful pleaſures; but onward in thy way, gone very far in devout affections, ardent deſires, and holy hopes, to meet His Glorious Majeſty.