Works of Joseph Hall, Section 7 – Section 10
SECT. VII.
NEither can it ſuffice for peace, to hauehave croſſed the old ſcrole of our ſinnes,Sollicitation of ſinne remedied. if wee preuent not the future; yea the preſent very importunitie of tentation breeds vnquietneſſe. Sinne where it hath got an haunt, looketh for more, as humours that fall towards their old iſſue: and if it be not ſtrongly repelled, doth neere as much vex vsus with ſolliciting as with yeelding. Let others enuie their happineſſe, I ſhall neuer thinke their life ſo much as quiet, whoſe doores are continually beaten, and their morning ſleepe broken with early clients, whoſe entries are daily thronged with ſuters preſſing neere for the next audience; much leſſe that through their remiſſe anſwers are daily haunted with traitors or other inſtruments of villanie, offering their miſchieuous ſeruice, and inciting them to ſome peſtilent enterpriſe. Such are tentations to the ſoule. Whereof it cannot be rid, ſo long as it holds them in any hope of entertainement: and ſo long they will hope to preuaile, while wee giuegive them but a cold and timorous deniall. Suters are drawne on with an eaſie repulſe; counting that as halfe granted, which is but faintly gaine-ſaid. Peremptory anſwers can only put ſinne out of heart for any ſecond attempts. It is euer impudent when it meets not with a bold heart; hoping to preuaile by wearying vsus, and wearying vsus by intreaties. Let all ſuggeſtions therefore finde thee reſolute: ſo ſhall thy ſoule finde it ſelfe at reſt; for as the Deuill, ſo ſinne his naturall brood, flies away with reſiſtance. To which purpoſe,The ordering of affections. all our heady and diſordered affections, which are the ſecret factors of ſinne and Satan, muſt bee reſtrained by a ſtrong and yet temperate command of Reaſon and Religion: theſe, if they finde the reynes looſe in their necks (like to the wilde horſes, of that chaſte hunter in the Tragedie) carry vsus ouer hills and rockes, and neuer leaue vsus till wee be diſmembred, and they breathleſſe: but contrarily, if they bee pulled in with the ſudden violence of a ſtraight hand, they fall to plunging, and careering, and neuer leaue till their ſaddle bee empty, and euen then dangerouſly ſtrike at their proſtrate Rider. If there bee any exerciſe of Chriſtian wiſdome, it is in the managing of theſe vnruly affections, which are not more neceſſary in their beſt vſe, than pernicious in their miſ-gouernance. Reaſon hath alwaies beene buſie in vndertaking this ſo neceſſ…y a moderation: wherein although ſhee hauehave preuailed with ſome of colder temper, yet thoſe which hauehave beene of more ſtubborne metall, like vntounto growne ſchollers, which ſcorne the ferule that ruled their minority, hauehave ſtill deſpiſed her weake endeuours. OnelyOnly Chriſtianitie hath this power; which with our ſecond birth giues vsus a new nature: ſo that now, if exceſſe of paſſions be naturall to vsus as men, the order of them is naturall to vsus as Chriſtians. Reaſon bids the angry man ſay ouer his Alphabet ere he giuegive his anſwer; hoping by this intermiſſion of time, to gaine the mitigation of his rage. He was neuer throughly angry, that can endure the recitall of ſo many idle letters. Chriſtianitie giues not rules, but power to auoid this ſhort madneſſe. It was a wiſe ſpeech that is reported of our beſt and laſt Cardinall (I hope) that this Iland either did or ſhall ſee; who when a skilfull Aſtrologer, vponupon the calculation of his natiuitie, had foretold him ſome ſpecialties, concerning his future eſtate, anſwered, Such perhaps I was borne, but ſince that time, I hauehave beene borne againe, and my ſecond natiuitie hath croſſed my firſt. The power of nature is a good plea for thoſe that acknowledge nothing aboue nature. But for a Chriſtian to excuſe his intemperateneſſe, by his naturall inclination, and to ſay, I am borne cholericke, ſullen, amorous, is an Apologie worſe than the fault. Wherefore ſerues Religion, but to ſubdue or gouerne nature? We are ſo much Chriſtians, as we can rule our ſelues, the reſt is but forme, and ſpeculation. Yea, the very thought of our profeſſion is ſo powerfull, that (like vntounto that precious ſtone) being caſt into this Sea, it aſſwageth thoſe inward tempeſts, that were raiſed by the affections. The vnregenerate minde is not capable of this power; and therefore through the continuall mutinies of his paſſions, cannot but be ſubiect to perpetuall vnquietneſſe. There is neither remedy nor hope in this eſtate. But the Chriſtian ſoule, that hath inured it ſelfe to the awe of God, and the exerciſes of true mortification, by the onelyonly looking vp at his holy profeſſion, cureth the burning venome of theſe fiery ſerpents that lurke within him. Haſt thou nothing but nature? Reſolue to looke for no peace. God is not prodigall to caſt away his beſt bleſſings on ſo vnworthy ſubiects. Art thou a Chriſtian? Doe but remember thou art ſo; and then if thou dar'ſt, if thou canſt, yeeld to the exceſſe of paſſions.
SECT. VIII.
The ſecond maine enemy to Peace, Croſſes.HItherto the moſt inward and dangerous enemie of our peace: which if wee hauehave once maſtered, the other field ſhall be fought and wonne with leſſe bloud. Croſſes diſquiet vsus either in their preſent feeling, or their expectation: both of them, when they meet with weake mindes, ſo extremely diſtempering them, that the patient for the time is not himſelfe. How many hauehave we knowne, which through a lingring diſeaſe, weary of their paine, weary of their liues, hauehave made their owne hands their executioners? How many meeting with a headſtrong griefe, which they could not manage, hauehave by the violence of it beene carried quite from their wits? How many millions, what for incurable maladies, what for loſſes, what for defamations, what for ſad accidents to their children, rub out their liues in perpetuall diſcontentment, therefore liuing, becauſe they cannot yet die, not for that they like to liue? If there could be any humane receit preſcribed to auoid euils, it would bee purchaſed at an high rate: but both it is impoſſible that earth ſhould redreſſe that which is ſent from Heauen; and if it could be done, euen the want of miſeries would proue miſerable: for the minde cloyed with continuall felicity, would grow a burden to it ſelfe, loathing that at laſt, which intermiſſion would hauehave made pleaſant. GiueGive a free horſe the full reynes, and he will ſoone tire. Summer is the ſweeteſt ſeaſon by all conſents, wherein the earth is both moſt rich with increaſe, and moſt gorgeous for ornament; yet if it were not receiued with interchanges of cold froſts and piercing windes, who could liue? Summer would be no Summer, if Winter did not both lead it in, and follow it: we may not therefore either hope or ſtriue to eſcape all croſſes; ſome we may: what thou canſt, flie from; what thou canſt not, allay and mitigate; in croſſes vniuerſally let this be thy rule, Make thy ſelfe none, eſcape ſome, beare the reſt, ſweeten all.
SECT. IX.
APprehenſion giues life to croſſes: and if ſome be ſimply,Of croſſes that ariſe from conceit. moſt are as they are taken. I hauehave ſeene many, which when God hath meant them no hurt, hauehave framed themſelues croſſes out of imagination, and hauehave found that inſupportable for weight, which in truth neuer was, neither had euer any but a fancied being. Others againe laughing out heauie afflictions, for which they were bemoaned of the beholders. One receiues a deadly wound, and lookes not ſo much as pale at the ſmart; another heares of many loſſes, and like Zeno, after newes of his ſhipwracke, (as altogether paſſion-leſſe) goes to his reſt, not breaking an houres ſleepe for that, which would breake the heart of ſome others. Greenham that Saint of ours (whom it cannot diſparage that he was reſerued for our ſo looſe an age) can lie ſpread quietly vponupon the forme looking for the Chirurgians knife, binding himſelfe as faſt with a reſolued patience, as others with ſtrongeſt cords, abiding his fleſh carued, and his bowels rifled, and not ſtirring more than if he felt not, while others tremble to expect, and ſhrinke to feele but the pricking of a veyne. There can be no remedie for imaginary croſſes but wiſdome, which ſhall teach vsus to eſteeme of all euents as they are; like a true glaſſe repreſenting all things to our mindes in their due proportion. So as croſſes may not ſeeme that are not, nor little and gentle ones ſeeme great and intolerable. GiueGive thy body Ellebore, thy minde good counſell, thine eare to thy friend, and theſe fantaſticall euills ſhall vaniſh away like themſelues.
SECT. X.
IT were idle aduice to bid men auoid euils.Of true and reall croſſes. Nature hath by a ſecret inſtinct taught brute creatures ſo much, whether wit or ſagacity: and our ſelfe-louelove making the beſt aduantage of reaſon, will eaſily make vsus ſo wiſe and carefull. It is more worth our labour, ſince our life is ſo open to calamities, and nature to impatience, to teach men to beare what euills they cannot auoid, and how by a well-diſpoſedneſſe of minde we may correct the iniquitie of all hard euents. Wherein it is hardly credible, how much good Art and precepts of reſolution may auaile vsus. I hauehave ſeene one man, by the helpe of a little engine, lift vp that weight alone, which forty helping hands by their cleare ſtrength might hauehave endeuoured in vaine. Wee liue here in an Ocean of troubles, wherein we can ſee no firme land; one waue falling vponupon another, ere the former hauehave wrought all his ſpight. Miſchiefes ſtriue for places, as if they feared to loſe their roome if they haſted not. So many good things as we hauehave, ſo many euills ariſe from their priuation; beſides no fewer reall and poſitiue euills that afflict vsus. To preſcribe and apply receits to eueryevery particular croſſe, were to write a Sa…meron-like commentary vponupon Petrarchs remedies; and I doubt whether ſo the worke would be perfect: a life would be too little to write it, and but enough to reade it.