The Christians Guide to Devotion, Part 4 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The third general Direction; To be watchful over the Senſes, and not let the Heart looſe.
SO near a commerce is there between the Heart and the Senſes, that our ſtrife would be in vain to guard the one, unleſs we ſet a ſtrict watch over the other. The Heart is the Houſe; the Senſes are the Gates and Windows. And hereat does the Devil enter and ſeiſes on our Souls. This Enemy prepares ſo many batteries without as we have external Senſes, and if we eſcape Death on one ſide, he ſends it us on the other. Notwithſtanding, this we may ſay in vindication of the Senſes, that they are more unhapy than criminal: they have a ſenſation of what they ought to have according to the order of Creation: and even the greateſt part of Ideas, which come to 'em, are innocent, but they are ſpoyled in arriving at the Heart. The beauty of a Woman, the glitter of Gold and Silver and precious Stones, the ſweetneſs of vocal Muſick are the works of God, and conſequently they cannot be evil: but 'tis the Heart poyſons theſe innocent Images. Nevertheleſs, ſince the Heart doth not ſcatter it's poyſon but upon the Objects which are preſented to it, we ſhould take away the matter of its Crimes, and it's miſchievous Habits would be aſſuredly deſtroy'd and loſt, if they wanted Employment; and therefore it's of abſolute neceſſity to have a conſtant guard over the Senſes. I made an agreement with mine Eyes, ſays an holy man, not to look upon all Women. This has been ever the cuſtom of thoſe who would become truly devout, to hold their Souls ſhut up to the multitude of Objects that might aſſault 'em on all ſides. True it is, the uſage of this Maxime has bin puſht on and wreſted even to Superſtition: ſome have voluntarily baniſht themſelves into Deſarts, that they might ſee nothing at all: Others have lock'd themſelves up in Cells and Caves never to come forth. And Hiſtory tells us of an Egyptian Hermit, who would never agree to let his Siſter have the Pleaſure of ſeeing of him. He receiv'd Order from his Superiour, at the intreaty of Athanaſius to go and viſit her: he went, but he preſented himſelf before her with his Eyes ſhut, and would by no means ſee her: Glut thy ſelf quickly (ſayd he to her) with the ſight of me. Theſe exceſſes do a greater wrong and injury to Reaſon; than they bring help to Devotion. The Soul draws a vaſt aid from its ſenſes, when it knows how to make a good uſe of them. To ſtop all the Avenues, whereby Knowledge may arrive to the Soul, is to keep it in a darkſome and lonely Priſon, and nouriſh it in Ignorance. What is true herein is, that 'tis dangerous for it to be concern'd about evil Objects; becauſe it carries thence a tincture which indiſpoſes it for Devotion. 'Tis no leſs dangerous to permit it to meddle too much with indifferent Objects, fince this diſſipates its ſtrength, and evermore it returns with ſomewhat of the Vain air of thoſe Courſes, it takes Abroad.
This is the way of the Worlds living: we give, we receive Viſits; we expoſe our ſelves to converſation, that is, to the contagion of every Comer. The eyes are always open'd to ſee new Objects; the Ears to hear News: Vain is our Diſcourſe; we ſay there a thouſand impertinences and more of evil than good things. One willl entertain you with a Dreſs; Another with a little intrigue of the Town: Others will pour profane or back-biting diſcourſes into your Breaſt. One will carry you to ſee a new Houſe, or any fine building: One lately come from a new World will tell you ſtrange things, and enlarge his Recitals with Stories and Miracles, which he himſelf had been concern'd in: and your Soul will return to your Houſe charged with theſe Toys and Gew-gaws. When it would enter into its Cloſet, it's certain, it will not find the Heart in its ordinary Diſpoſitions: and upon that account it is the more difficult to be Devout in great Cities, where you can ſcarcely defend your ſelves from theſe Amuſements; ſo that I would advice the faithful Soul to keep its ſelf up cloſe. The Souls of worldly people are like to your great Streets, they are open to every Comer; we are never there but in a crowd: and Devotion, which loves Privacy, is not pleaſed with theſe publick places. Theſe are Inns where all Strangers are lodg'd well, and the Maſter lyes oft out of Doors: But the heart of the faithful Perſon ought to be for himſelf, and God who is its Maſter, is to be ever at Large. A Garden incloſed is my Siſter, my Spouſe; a Spring ſhut up, a Fountain ſealed, ſays Jeſus Chriſt to his Spouſe, that is, to every Chriſtian Soul. Lock up this Garden, if thou wouldſt preſerve the Flowers and Fruits, and let not the purity of thy living Waters be corrupted by unclean Beaſts. Temples and Oratories are not to be acceſſible to the prophane: our Hearts are the Temples of the holy Ghoſt; and therefore let us ſhut the Gates againſt a thouſand indiſcreet Ideas and vain Objects, that would prophane them. The Soul is a veſſel which Grace fills with ſweet Odours; but we ſhould not give it too much Air, otherwiſe it would evaporate and become inſipid. If the veſſel be full it can receive nothing new without loſing what it had before. If it be filled with Devotion, and we bring it into the World, according to the meaſure it is filled with Vanities, theſe Vanities will ſend what it had good a packing away. 'Tis a truth we are to fix in our memories, that at all times we make any ſally into the World, we loſe ſo much of our own. Dinah went out to ſee the Daughters of the Land, and ſhe loſt her beſt ornament, the flower of her Virginity. But eſpecially let us remember, that in ſeeking out harmleſs Objects, we do not meet with ſinful ones: every where the Devil is in ambuſh, he has made Nets of the very Roſes. Sin reigns in all places; ſo that if we ſlip aſide but a little, we moſt certainly meet with it; and then we ſhall find it a very difficult matter to avoid Infection.
But what ſhall we ſay of thoſe, that with a ſet deſign go into places, where they are ſure Sin domineers, and Vice triumphs? After having loſt half of their time in preparing themſelves for a Ball, they will give the other part to the Devil, and plunge themſelves into criminal Pleaſures. Theſe people are deliberate murtherers of themſelves in Ambuſh, and God will moſt juſtly demand of them an account of their Souls. Of all this, I conclude that the Devout Perſon ought to be very reſerved as to the World, that he is not to be ſeen but by very few, and to ſee much fewer, and that he ought to get rid of that vain curioſity to know what paſſes therein. 'Tis enough for him to know what paſſes in his own heart, and well to regulate all its motions: Of what Importance to him is it to learn what is become of ſuch a Fleet, what ſucceſs had ſuch a Battel, how proſpered ſuch a Negotiation, how goe the treaties on of Peace, or the preparatives for War? The knowledge of all this cannot make him happy: theſe are only Ideas, which are heapt in the memory, and thence do not fail to make an irruption upon his Heart amidſt his pious Duties.
Meditation.
HOW happy wilt thou be, O my Soul, when thou ſhalt be in that place, where thou ſhalt have nothing to fear, where thou ſhalt be able to ſoar aloft, and fly ſucceſſively on an infinite number of Objects, and abandon thy ſelf intirely to contemplation and diverſity of thoughts! This Happineſs will arrive to thee, when thou ſhalt be in Heaven. All Objects there will tell thee of thy Duty, and ſollicit thee to Obedience. Thou ſhalt be no more afraid, leaſt Snakes lye under the Flowers, or the Devil be in Ambuſh in thoſe places whither thy Mind and ſteps ſhall carry thee. Thy mind being become vaſt will fear no Diſſipation; it will embrace all Objects without fear of being overwhelmed: and for the being fill'd with an infinite number of the moſt different Ideas, thy God will not have the leſs room in thee, ſince all thoſe Ideas will be hallowed and belov'd by God. But now here there's nothing of the like; thou canſt not take one Step without running into danger; thou canſt not go out from thy ſelf without meeting an Enemy that ſeeks thee and has ſworn thy Ruine; thou canſt not admit into thy Boſom all thoſe Objects which in a Crowd come to thy Senſes, but thou filleſt thy Heart therewith, and robbeſt God of the place he ought alone to poſſeſs. Make not therefore ſo many Sallies into the Univerſe where thou wilt always leave off thy own: contain thy ſelf within the Bounds of thine own Heart; if it be not ſo large, it is very deep, and thou wilt find ample matter enough wherewith to exerciſe thy ſelf. Thou wilt never be able to ſound it to the Bottom; it cannot be known but by him that tryeth the Reins and Thoughts; but at leaſt pierce into that impenetrable Subject as far as thou canſt. Examine thy ſelf, and this Knowledge of what paſſes in thee will be worth more than the Knowledge of all that is done in the World, and paſſeth amongſt men: Mingle not thy ſelf with Wars or Diſentanglings of Eſtates, and ſuch Particulars. Take notice of thoſe Combats betwixt thy Fleſh and thy Spirit, between the Law of thy Members and that of thy Underſtanding. Pacifie theſe differences; teach the Fleſh to be obedient; place Reaſon again in it's Throne; give it Piety for a Counſellor; tame the Paſſions and make them Slaves. Put thy little Eſtate into a good order, and both wiſely and holily govern that great People which is ſhut up in ſo little a Country, that is to ſay, that multitude of Affections, Thoughts, Sentiments, and Paſſions, which are in thy Heart.
Prayer.
O God, the great Governour of the World, who not only holdeſt the Reins of the Waters and Sea lest it overflow the dry Land, but brid'leſt the Wickedneſs. of Men lest that overflow the World; who by thy profound Wiſdom rulest the World after ſuch a manner as thou drawest Light out of Darkneſs; Preſide over the motions of my Heart, Draw Light out of this Chaos and Darkneſs, take the Reins to conduct my Soul, permit it not to wander about, and loſe it ſelf in it's Rambles; ſtop the Inclination and Turbulencies of its Paſſions, that it may be recollected wholly into its ſelf; and labouring about its own proper Affairs, may take care to prepare a Room for thee, to retain thee, to poſſeſs thee only, to contemplate nothing but thee, and baniſh thence all other Ideas; ſo as by this means it may be diſpoſed to Devotion.