The Grove of Beatitudes, Beatitude 1
The Firſt BEATITUDE. Bleſſed are the poor in Spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
EMBLEME I. The Cornel-Tree.
Tam nudus natus homo-1
So naked (Bloſſom-like) you ſee
A Man is born. Ah! but if he
In Spirit were as poor! Then which
'Mongſt Mortals here could I term Rich?
THis Cornelia, or Cornel-Tree, in February begins to bloom, and bears bloſſoms long before there is any appearance of Leaves, to ſecure and ſhrowd them from the injuries of Wind and Weather. This is the true Embleme of Man, who is born naked, and ſprings forth like a tender Bloſſome; As Job ſaith, Naked came I from the womb of my Mother, and naked ſhall I return.
From which we may learn this Leſſon, That as man is born poor and naked in Body, ſo ſhould he be in Spirit; that is, in Will and Deſire; ſeeing that as he brought nothing into this World, ſo ſhall he not carry any thing out of it.
Now foraſmuch as man is naturally too apt to be over-ſollicitous for the things o… this World, he may learn from this Cornell-Tree, That if he make it his firſt Endeavour to bud, and bloſſome, and fructifie in Virtue, a ſhort time will furniſh him with all the conſequent Advantages and Conveniences of Humane Life. For, this Tree does afterwards plentifully bring forth Leaves, to ſhelter and ſhadow its Fruit: As if it ſhould ſay, according to our Bleſſed Saviour's expreſſion, Firſt ſeek the Kingdom of Heaven; firſt bloom in Virtue, nouriſh'd by the ſap of Grace, ſpreading it ſelf from the Root of Chriſtian Humility, into all the Boughs and Branches; that is, into all your Actions; and all other things ſhall be added unto you. Leaves ſhall not be wanting, that is, Cloaths to cover you; beſides other Neceſſaries, which are all in fine but Leaves: Nay, Honours and Dignities, what are they but withering Leaves? What, Wealth or rich Apparel, but Leaves, whereof Man is ſoon deſpoil'd, and left poor and naked? What, voluptuous Pleaſures, but Leaves, which ſo ſoon as enjoy'd ſhrink up and vaniſh?
Oh! what a bleak Autumn and Fall of the Leaf (ſudden, and unexpected) is that we find in this our Vale of Miſery! Who then would not be poor in Spirit, and naked in his Affections to the leafy Creatures of this tranſitory Life, that he may bloom to Eternity?
This is the poverty, which lightneth the heart of Man, formerly clogg'd with too much care and follicitude. With this poverty of Spirit a Man runs freely towards Heaven his Country.
With this is accompanied Humility, which leſſeneth Man to himſelf, that he may lie hidden and ſecure, like a Bloſſom, under the Leaves, never to be blaſted with Pride.
On this Humility Patience attends, and enables a Man to ſuffer with Chriſt. It is the Enemy and Self-love that ſurcharge Man with worldly cares, riches, and vices; which are but Leaves, without the Bloſſoms of Virtue. Theſe are they which puff up Man with ambitious thoughts, that he, high aſpiring, may find a precipice. Theſe incite great Spirits to toil and labour; yet ſo as that, out of breath even to the World, they may happily at laſt reflect on Chriſt crucified, and, in his nakedneſs, read, Bleſſed are the poor in Spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Might not he be ſaid to be poor in Spirit, that lies gaſping and labouring for breath, while every minute he apprehends Death at his Elbow, ready to ſtifle him? To be as poor in Spirit in another ſenſe, is to conceive the like; That death is neighbouring as neer unto us, which when it comes, diſmantles the covetous Heart of Man, as well as his Body. Why then ſhall not I prevent him, by being diſengag'd from the extream deſire of Riches, and verifie what S. Jerome aſſures us to be true;Caput jam caneſcit, prope est aest as vitae, falx acuitur, inſtat meſſor terribil…. Gr. Nazianz. That He eaſily contemns all things, who is always thinking that he ſhall die: That, if his Body be a flouriſhing green Meadow, Death, the Mower, is at hand: That, if it be a beauteous Flower, in an inſtant 'tis cropt: And finally, If his Life be but a vapour, it is ſoon diſpell'd.
Ah! what an earthy ſubſtance interpoſeth 'twixt the Heart of Man and the Sun of Juſtice! And what a dark Eclipſe is thereby cauſed in their Souls who are not poor in Spirit?
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE I. BEATITUDE.
Of our Bleſſed Saviour's Nakedneſs upon the Croſs.
THe Crucifix, or Repreſentation of our Bleſſed Saviour crucifi'd, is a Book, wherein may be read the Eight Beatitudes, preached by him when he was upon Earth, as ſome conceive on Mount Thabor; and afterwards exemplifi'd in him on Mount Calvary.
At firſt aſpect, as your eye reflects on Chriſt crucified, you behold him naked, by which you may read the firſt Beatitude, Bleſſed are the poor in Spirit; that is to ſay, poor in Will and Deſire of having any thing of this World; and therefore he would die as naked as he came into it: Teaching us hereby, how naked we ſhould be in our Affections, ready to be deſpoil'd of worldly Riches for his ſake; And ſo poor in Spirit, as to loſe our laſt breath, rather then deny our Faith, or him, by preferring his Creatures before him.
Conſider how poor our Lord and Saviour was in Spirit, who did annihilate and evacuate himſelf, taking upon him the form of a Servant; And how, for thy Redemption, he gave himſelf unto thee, and for thee; to reſtore thee to thy ſelf, who wert loſt and utterly undone by ſin.
Now ſeeing he may wholly claim thee by right of Creation, whereby he gave thee to thy ſelf; what haſt thou left to render unto him for thy Redemption? In the Creation of the World he ſpake the word, and it was done; but to redeem Man, he ſpake, did, and ſuffered that for which thou art infinitely indebted.
Say then with the Prophet David, What ſhall I render to our Lord for all that which he hath given me: He deſires but my ſelf, poor in Spirit, and naked in mine Affections to the tranſitory things of this Life; which cannot be, till I abandon my ſelf, whom while I cheriſh and pamper, through diſordinate love, I ſhall ſtill be coveting the pelf of the World, pleaſures, dignities, and ſelf-eſteem; ſo far from being poor in Spirit, Will, and Deſire, that I am involv'd and cloath'd, as it were, with a burthen of earthly Cares and Concupiſcences, which having caſt off by poverty of Spirit, we walk more freely towards Heaven our Country.
A Begger, the more naked he appears, the more he moves to pity and compaſſion, and with more confidence intrudes to receive an Alms then another in better Apparel. So, to beg an Alms from God, from whom every good and perfect gift deſcends, preſent thy ſelf as naked and poor in Spirit as thou canſt: Acknowledg thy ſelf to have been hitherto an unprofitable ſervant; naked, as to all deſert; poor and abject in Spirit, not having ſerv'd him with alacrity in time of afflictions, croſſes, or deſolations of ſoul.
Then make a generous reſolution for the time to come, with a humble reſignation, to deſire or have nothing but with conformity to his holy Will and Pleaſure, and ſay;
O moſt poor, and moſt enriching Lord, who doſt inveſt and cloath all, yet on the Croſs art naked: Bounteous in thy ſpiritual Graces and Favours; yet ſo poor in Spirit and Deſire, that thou haſt no place whereon to reſt thy dying head; yet haſt promiſed a Kingdom to thoſe who, with thee, are poor in Spirit. Behold, I renounce here whatſoever the flattering World ſhall allure me with: I abandon all rather than forſake thee: Nay, not only theſe exterior things; but I alſo deſire to be ſo naked and poor in Spirit, as not to have a Memory, but to call to mind and think often of thy infinite Mercy and Love towards me; no Ʋnderſtanding, but to ruminate and ſeriouſly ponder thy manifold Sufferings, and Benefits conferred on me; no Will, but to love thee, and my Neighbour in, and for thee: In ſuch ſort, that being entirely reſign'd to thy holy Will and Pleaſure, I may ſay with thine Apoſtle, I live; now not I, but Chriſt lives in me.
Were not he in ſome ſort poor in Spirit, that ſhould (if it were poſſible) live and breathe move and ſpeak, by … own? Such was S. Paul's, in whom Chriſt (I may ſay) lived and breath'd, mov'd and ſpake.
Contrariwiſe, How rich were he in Spirit (in Will and Deſire) whoſe Soul ſhould be wholly addicted to Self-love, and proper Intereſt? That breathes nothing wherein Chriſt is concerned, but purſues only Ambition, (a Spirit that ſwells and puffs up the heart?) That moves not but by the agitation of a coveting Spirit: Like a Silkworm; in fine, to involve it ſelf in a web of darkneſs and oblivion:
It is a great and ſhameful abuſe (ſaith S. Bernard) for Man (a poor and abject Worm) greedily to covet Riches, for whom the Lord of Majeſty vouchſafed to bee poor. A ſhame to be always toiling and weaving like a Silk-worm; which as it ſhrowds it ſelf more and more, is the nearer death, to leave to Poſterity a ſilken web for Pride; as a Parent doth often-time his Inheritance, after a life unhappily conſum'd in avaritious Deſires, which, like a gloomy Cloud, had ſo darkened the eye of the Soul, that ſhe (which had been infus'd into the Body like a ray from Heaven) was even obſcurity it ſelf: As S. Auguſtine complains; The blindneſs of mans heart is ſo great, and the inward ear of the Soul ſo deaf, that he deſires to have all things but himſelf; which muſt be ſuch a Self, as he may truly ſay with David, What is there in Heaven for me? and (being poor in Spirit) what do I deſire on Earth but thee? My fleſh and heart faints and languiſheth; my Spirit is poor and enfeebled, to all that which this World preſents me with; Thou (O Lord) art the God of my heart, my portion, my God for ever.
Unhappy then are the avaritious, who have a god (Gold their Idol,) but not for ever; rich in the deſire of earthly traſh, but unhappily poor in Spirit; that aſpire not to the poſſeſſion of that Treaſure which no ruſt ſhall canker, nor length of time conſume.
How can I behold the naked Bloſſom ſpringing from the Cornell-Tree in cold February, and not remember how I came into this wretched World, expoſed to Hunger, Thirſt, cold, heat, wearineſs, Infirmities, Death? Poor Bloſſom Man! How ſoon blaſted, how ſuddenly withered! which all thy leafy Riches cannot prevent. Who then would not rather be poor in Spirit? as naked in his Affections to worldly pelf, as his Saviour dying naked on the Croſs? But naked, to enrich me; hungring and thirſting there, but to ſave me; cold, to infuſe into my Soul the ardors of his Love; expos'd to heat, but to quench my immoderate Deſires; weary, to refreſh me; weak, to ſtrengthen me; and finally, dying, to give me a life of eternal Beatitude, in a Kingdom which he hath promiſed to the poor in Spirit.
I will conſider why King Danid is ſaid to have ſwept his Spirit, meditating with his heart in the night. Was it not by ſweeping, to caſt out of doors the duſt of worldly cogitations, and terrene deſires; which, like duſt, obſcures and even blinds the eyes of the Soul? Was he not poor in Spirit, when he had ſwept together and caſt out the duſt of tranſitory things, that he might contemplate the eternal? Therefore he ſaid in the precedent verſe, That he had thought of the ancient days and time of Mans life, wherein he enjoys Riches and worldly felicity; to which he oppoſing the Riches of Heaven and Eternity, ſays, He retain'd in mind the everlaſting years.
If we have our ſeveral rooms in the vaſt habitacle of our Soul, none is ſo often to be ſwept as that where intrudes ſollicitude to be harboured, accompanied with care and anxiety of mind, together with fear, that preſents us with the future loſſes or croſſes which may occur: And therefore, for prevention, all the powers of the Soul are ſummoned to be vigilant and cautious, for the ſafegard and increaſe of wealth, by which poverty in Spirit and Will is caſt out of doors.