The Christians Guide to Devotion, Part 4 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The fifth general Direction to help Devotion: To have God always before our Eyes.
THis is a Remedy for moſt Miſchiefs, but 'tis particularly ſo againſt Indevotion. I ſhall ſay by and by, that the Faithful ought to have their hours of Devotion wherein to retrace expreſly the Idea's of the Divinity in their Mind, and awaken it to remember his Benefits and Graces: But this is not what I mean at preſent; I ſpeak of that continual, and (as it were) habitual Thought of God, which is never to be abandoned. 'Tis a delicate and moſt ſpiritual Meditation, which comes a croſs to rob our worldly Affairs of thoſe Moments which it conſecrates to Heaven: 'Tis a ſublime Operation of an Underſtanding illuminated by the light of Grace, that finds God all in all, that mixeth him in all our Actions, and ſpieth him out in all Objects. 'Tis an act of the Soul, whereby, amid humane Affairs, it turns without Violence to God-ward, thorough an Habit it has acquir'd. It makes all things to be as ſo many Ladders to ſcale Heaven, and all Objects to put one in mind of God. An Artificer while he is working, a Traveller in his Journey, a Scholar in his Study, will find means to ſanctifie what each does, in cauſing God to intervene by pious Reflections. Let the Lamb follow thee, O faithful Soul, whitherſoever thou goeſt, that thou may'ſt be able one day to follow him whither he ſhall go. If thou art lying down in thy Bed, think on the Tomb of thy Saviour, who, for thy Salvation, was pleaſed to enter into the Chambers of Death. Art thou near falling on ſleep, think on Chriſt, whoſe eyes were ſhut by the ſleep of Death. An Infant juſt born will recall to thee the thought of thy Lord's Abaſement and Humility in his Birth. An unhappy Perſon that ſuffers for his fins, will bring thee to think on Jeſus, who ſuffered for thine. One that asks an Alms, will ask it for Chriſt his ſake, or will tell thee, that he became poor, that thou might'ſt be rich. In a word out of all things 'tis eaſie for thee to extract an Occaſion to think on thy God. What ſhall I ſay of the Objects of Nature, that put thee in mind of him almoſt againſt thy Will? If thou riſeſt betimes, thou canſt not ſee the Sun riſing, without thinking on him, that has made this work, and without being reminded of the Sun of thy Soul, who pours forth the gleams of his Grace into thy Heart, to diſperſe thence all Darkneſs. The Woods, the Rivers, the Mountains, the Feilds cover'd with harveſt Corn, the Trees, Fruits, Flowers, all in ſhort will entertain and complement thee with thy God: For the Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the firmament ſheweth his handy Work. The Flyes and Worms themſelves ſpeak this, ſince we ſee the Divinity ſhowing in them: For as St Auſtin ſays well, this worker in ſuch a manner appears great in great things, that he does not appear leſſs great in the leaſt of his works.
We are therefore to form an Habit to our ſelves of thinking on God, even while we do every thing, and this will be the true way of doing well, what we do, and engaging God to do it with us. Now there are ſome Employments, which take not the Soul intirely up. A workman at his work, or a woman in ſuch concerns as are ordinary to that Sex, will roul about in their Imagination a thouſand Chimerical deſigns, wander up and down every where, and think of an hundred things ſucceſſively: But what is it, reſtrains 'em from giving up to God that part of their Soul and Attention, which they deduct from their other work? why will they not think of their Redeemer, of the Obligarions they have to him, and the Acknowledgement and Recollection, which they rather owe to him than to a vain chat and converſation, they have had ſome where or other, or ſome adventure, the recital of which had diverted them. We are carefully to guard out heart, ſays a father of the Church, and never to let the thought of God to abandon it, for fear the memory of God's wonderfull doings ſhould be ſtifled under the croud of vain thoughts. We ought to do it in ſuch ſort, that by a continual remembrance the thought of the Deity be fixt in us like the indelible impreſſion of a Seal and Wax. This is not ſo impoſſible as ſome at firſt ſight may imagine it; for a Soul truly devout thinks on God not only without any trouble, but frequently without perceiving what lead it to think on him. Thy praiſe, ſays holy David, ſhall be continually in my Mouth-Upon which the ſame Author, (whom we have occaſion for almoſt every where) makes this Queſtion: How can this be done? Can a man in the midſt of humane Affairs and Converſations have the praiſes of the Lord in his Mouth? When he ſleeps, when he drinks, when he eats, and even when he holds his Peace, can he ſing the Praiſes of God? I anſwer, ſays he, there is within man an intellectual Mouth, whereby he receives the Word of Life, which is his heavenly Bread; nought hinders him from having always the praiſes of God in his Mouth: and I ſay that the thought of God being ingrav'd and (as it were) ſealed one the upper part of the Soul, may be call'd a praiſe, that never leaves the Heart.
In ſhort, we cannot conceive how mighty an help to Devotion this is. When we are to ſeek God a far off, the Soul wanders in the way: but if it holds God always near it, it cannot be to ſeek for him. O… how eaſie is it to put the Heart into the ſteps of Devotion, and the ways of its Saviour, when it never loſes the ſight of him! If you let a Furnace grow wholly cold, it cannot be heated again without great trouble and coſt; but if you take care to keep up the fire with a little refreſhing, you will conſerve that degree of heat that is neceſſary to it. If our Soul in like manner relents it ſelf, and makes an interruption from thinking on God, we muſt take much pains to kindle the Flames of Devotion afreſh: and therefore we are ever to keep it in Exerciſe.
This continual thinking on God is a moſt acceptable Sacrifice unto him, like to the morning and evening Sacrifice, which was call'd alſo the continual Sacrifice; like to that holy Fire, which evermore burnt …on the Altar; 'tis like, laſtly, to an eternal Invocaſion: for ſo it is, ſays St. Baſil, that thou mayſt pray inceſſantly, not in bringing forth Words of Invocation, but in doing Works of Imitation: If thy Conduct aims only at making thee like and united to God, thy Life will be a perpetual and a conſtant Prayer. But let us not doubt, that theſe continual crifices, this Incenſe always ſmoaking, and theſe …plicit and indirect Prayers, which come from our art in all places and at all times, are the moſt effitious means to render God acceſſible to us: inſo…ch, as every time we would unite our ſelves ſtill are ſtraitly to him by more expreſs Devotions and …ayers, he will forthwith be found near us, and fill…g us with his Light, will lead us along with him, …d honour us with his holy-Communications.
Meditation.
MAn is very ſtrangely compos'd; he puts himſelf to much trouble not to do his Duty, and he neglects eaſie things becauſe God com…inds them. There's nothing ſo eaſie as to think up… God; and nevertheleſs, nothing is ſeldomer done. ſeems as if 'twere impoſſible not to think on him, …ce all Objects that fall under our Senſes ſpeak to us the Divinity. Doſt not thou ſee, O my Soul! his …nes, his Characters, his Traces every where? But eſt thou not him in thy own Conſcience, and is he …t in the Breaſt of every one of us? 'Tis eaſie then … think on God; yet ſtill it is more ſweet than eaſie. …, my Soul! If thou wert as ſpiritual, and as much …tied from Matter as thou ſhould'ſt be, thou wouldſt …ch thy Delights and ſovereign Pleaſure from this …editation. This great God, this good God, is the …ef Beauty as well as the only Good. My eyes ad…re the Light of the Sun, the Regularity of his Mo…ons, the Virtue of his Heat, the juſt and equal Revolutions of the heavenly Bodies. We admire th… Beauty and Wit in Men, whoſe Force and Elevatio… appear Angelical unto us: but thou art to know, (… my Soul) that theſe Beauties do derive from God, and are only feeble Images of him; that the Sun's Light i… mere Darkneſs in compariſon to him; and that the beſt and moſt elevated Souls are earthly and groveling if vied with his Underſtanding. If thou ſaweſ… him in his Glory thou wouldſt be raviſh'd into an Extaſie, thou would'ſt ſay, It is good for me to be here; … will build here a Tabernaele. But alas! thou canſt no… ſee him: He is nothing of all thou ſeeſt or haſt th… ſenſe of: he is not corporeal Light, nor colour for th… Eyes: he is not a Sound nor Voice for thy Ears: h… is no ſavour for thy Palate, nor an Odour for th… Smelling: in ſhort, he is not a Solid Body to b… touch'd: thou ſeeſt no part of him, yet thou may'ſ… find him whole: think on him, and thy Meditatio… will make thee hold and poſſeſs him. With thy ſpiri… tual Eyes ſhalt thou ſee an intellectual Light, which puts down all the Beauty of viſible Light: Thou ſhal… hear a divine Harmony that ſurpaſſes all the charms o… Muſick: Thou ſhalt taſte ſuch Food, as the Delicac… and Excellency of it is far above all Imagination; an… thou wilt ſay, Come and taſte how good the Lord is. Th… Heart is never ſo much pleas'd as when near its Trea… ſure: Know, O my Soul, that God is thy true Riche… and Treaſure: and therefore run after him continually, ſeek him ever, and when thou ſhalt have hold o… him, never leave him nor forſake him. Ought a Wo… man to have a more ſweet and comfortable Though… than that of her Husband when he is abſent? Thy Ma… ker is thy Husband; thy God hath eſpouſed thee in hi… great Compaſſions: Art not thou therefore to aſpir… to poſſeſs, and to ſeek his chaſte and divine Embraces. Now thou canſt not obtain this Favour but by fixing thy Spirit upon his divine Eſſence and infinite Perfe… ctions by a perpetual Meditation. Get you far away … vain Objects, that rob me of the Object of my Love, …d the ſinfull Employments, that hinder me from …nking on my God.
Prayer.
… Seek thee, O my God, be pleaſed alſo to ſeek me, that I may immediately meet with thee. Draw near to … me, lay thine hand upon my head, for I am in a trance Love. Thou putteſt a veil over thy Face; thou hideſt …e moſt part from me of the beams of thy Glory: becauſe …eyes are ſtill impure and cannot look upon thee; they …e weak, they cannot ſuſtain the Brightneſs and Splendor thy Light. Thou art hid as to thy Creatures, and letteſt only have a glimps of thee: But O Lord, purifie my …es, that they may be able to view thee apparently: put my …art into thy wayes, that I may ſeek thee and find thee. thou art hidden and eſtrangeſt thy ſelf from me, I am on … other part a ſtrayed ſheep, ſtrayed from thee. O be …aſed then to ſeek me: ſhew thy ſelf to me, and hide … the light of thy Countenance from me. Recall me from … wandrings: and let me not be drawn in by the World …d the throng of it's vain Objects. Tye my Soul to thee the cords of thy Love; So as I may not be one Moment …thout thinking on thee, and when I put up my prayers to thee, I may ever find thee near me.