THE THIRD PART. Proposing divers DISPOSITIONS and VERTUES necessary for a Christian to arrive to that perfection whereto he is obliged by Christianity.
CHAP. I. What those DISPOSITIONS are, and how necessary they are to the practise of VERTVE.
IT is now time to enter into the practise of that vertue whereof we treat, and that we set our selves on work, to acquire the spirit to live the life that God requires of us, whereto we were called from the first time that we became Christians. To attain this [Page 139] happy estate, there is need of continuall Application and travail, for, we must not think to arrive thereto at one leap, but we must bring dispositions suitable to so worthy a subject, and labour not onely to attain hereto, but also to persevere therein; which we must do the more willingly and couragiously, in that we are certain, this way is the foundation of all our happiness, the true way to Christian perfection, and makes us live the life of grace, whereto we are called.
The first thing whereto we must bend our study, is to know and acquire the inward dispositions necessary to lead us to Christian perfection, and to make us live the life of grace, which is the true life of a Christian; this we are to learn in this third Part. And for as much as this Doctrine is proper for all sorts of vertues, we will speak first of it in generall, as well that we may the more easily come to the knowledge of the particular, as because many seem to seek vertue, and frequent the exercises of Christian piety, yet think not upon a thing so necessary, nor know what this disposition is, or wherein the spirit of vertue doth consist, which is the soul and form of action. So that laying hold onely on the outside of vertue, and considering it but as a body without a soul, they are deceived in their imaginations; and believing they do much, they [Page 140] promise to themselves great profit, rendring themselves punctuall, and taking a great heed to some exteriour practises of vertues which they propose to themselves. We see many with much vigilancy every day or week, take some vertue to practice, they watch if they are wanting to emergent occasions, and carefully mark their defaults, to accuse, and, (if it be possible) to amend themselves: but after long practise, we see they make small profit, because they forget the interiour, and put not themselves into the spirit of vertue, to practise it with necessary and convenient dispositions. To prevent therefore the inconveniences which occur in this subject, we must observe that in a Christian life, all estates wherein the Christian soul may find it self, and all the vertues that she can practise, have ordinarily the Dispositions which ought to accompany or precede her, and vertue hath a spirit, which is as its essence, or rather as its soul, which, as a form doth enliven and perfectionate her.
The soul that will live the life of grace, and will acquire solid and Christian vertues, must carefully have regard to such dispositions that she may possess them, to do the action which she doth, perfectly; seeing that in her, vertue is exteriour and superficiall.
She must further acknowledge and seek [Page 141] out what is the spirit of vertue, or (as some say) what is her essence, that practising that vertue, she may effect it in her spirit, that is, beare inwardly the sense of that vertue, as outwardly she produceth the action. Thus shall she practise vertue in her heart inwardly, as she does practise it by her hands outwardly.
This is founded upon generall principles, that the exteriour is nothing without the interiour; so that we must first labour to form and perfectionate our interiour, which is to exteriour actions, as the wheels of the Clock are to the weights, or rather as the soul is to the body.
All the World holds this for truth; yet we seem not to consider enough, what the meaning of interiour is, that onely the intention must be good, as many think and believe; that it suffices in all things to have a good intention, and simple regard to the Action. But when we speak of the interiour, we mean the bottom of the soul, which is to Christian actions life, as the Earth is to the fruits she produceth, and as the root is to the Tree, which it nourisheth and enliveneth. The bottom of the soul is the true principle and life of all our actions. By the bottom of the soul, we understand a true and reall goodness which is in the soul, a pure intention that accompanies her; grace that assists her, necessary and suitable [Page 142] dispositions to the vertues which are in her, all this I call the bottom of the soul. What will it profit a man to practise an action of outward humility, and to do it with a good intention, if in the bottom of his soul he hath a proud will? what doth it serve for in a Christian, to get the true vertue of charity outwardly, to give alms, and be liberall, and in the bottom of his soul, to bear a heart pitiless and covetous? It is certain, that after this manner, he shall never acquire vertue, though he had all the good intentions in the world; because the foundation of his soul, (which is the true interiour) is not good: the first thing he must do, is, to perfectionate the bottom of his soul, and to form his interiour after the manner proposed, to know the essence and spirit of vertue. Let us propose a particular example of some vertue, as a rule for all the rest; we will take humility, which is necessary for all Christians. If we would acquire this vertue, and practise it, we must first know wherein it consists, that when we would produce the acts thereof, we may form them in the interiour spirit of this vertue, conformable to our knowledge of it. For how can we practise a vertue, if we know it not? How shall we perform an act of humility, if we know not what humility is? We must then study to know the vertue that we would acquire, [Page 143] unless God himself incited by his bounty, give us the spirit of it, without knowing it. But speaking according to the ordinary wayes of the practise of vertues, we must know them, that when we would acquire them, by practise, we must endeavour to do the Acts, and accompany them with a sense and thought of vertue.
We must further yet put our selves into dispositions interiour and convenient to the vertue we would acquire, as in the vertue of humility, it must be in an esteem of God alone, in a mean opinion of our selves, in a desire of confusion and contempt, and to do this from the bottom of the soul. The soul being in these dispositions, will endeavour to apply her thoughts thereto, when it shall be time to do any outward actions thereof. For example, If she do an act of outward humility, it will excite in her heart a thought and a sense of humility, and awaken in her some disposition conformable to this vertue, Rom. 11.16. and so she will do this exteriour Act, by an esteem and pure desire of humility, with mean esteem of her self. To do an action after this sort, is that which I call to do it in the spirit, and in the dispositions of vertue.
To see how necessary this is, we need no other Witness then Experience; no other Judge then Reason; for how can we (for [Page 144] example,) get the vertue of humility, though we should perform infinite and extraordinary acts of it, if we know not this vertue? and if in practising it outwardly, we reflect not upon it self? How can we conceive that a man can attain this vertue by any extraordinary practice whatsoever, if we bring contrary dispositions? It is evidently impossible. We must therefore take care to establish it in the dispositions of vertue, and first labour to form her interiour; for he that shall have an ill foundation in his soul, cannot produce good fruits. Can we acquire humility, if at the same time that we produce exteriour acts of humility, our soul is filled with esteem of our selves, our spirit full of doubleness, our sense given to curiosity, our whole heart tyed to our proper interests? It is cleer, that in so doing, it will be an impossible labour. We must then confess, that to attain true Christian vertues, it is necessary to have inward care, (that is to say) that the first thing we must study, is to take care that the bottom of our souls be good; Rom 11.16. If the root be holy, so are the branches. Then we must labour to acquire the dispositions necescessary to accompany vertue; to do otherwise, is to take the shadow, and to leave the substance, to bear the image of vertue, and to have the reality of vice; it is to pursue continually, and to take nothing but flyes. We [Page 145] see the experience in them, who think only of the exteriour, and have no care but of certain superficiall practices and rules, that look not to the bottom of the interiour, but very little or afar off; such souls are void of God and without vertue, having only a deceitful appearance, like false pearls, which are filled but with wind, mountains in shew, but touch them, and you shall see come out of them nothing but smoke. Vertue is an heritage too noble, it must be bought with good money, I mean, it must be gain'd by practices suitable to her dignity. Let us apply our particular subject to that we have said in generall. We treat in the Discourse of the life of grace, of Christian perfection, and of the subjection wherein a soul ought to be towards God; and it being proposed, how to acquire true vertue, it consequently treats of annihilating the spirit in our selves, the care and conduct we have of our selves, to resigne us to God, and not to live, but in subjection to his spirit onely, and to his grace. We have made the necessity of this estate sufficiently appear, and the obligation that we have thereto; there rests nothing but to shew the means whereby we may enter into these dispositions suitable to her, without which we may truly say, that the soul shall never attain the true and constant practice of vertue, which yet is necessary to [Page 146] many who think not thereon; For, we may averr, (not without fears and regret that a great number of souls shut the door of their hearts to God, oppose themselves to Iesus Christ and his grace, and by consequence will never arrive to perfection, what pains soever they take, because they neglect and disesteem the practices of true vertue, and slight them, to adhere too much to their own sense, to love themselves too much, and to seek too greedily their proper interests. This is that (to speak properly) which hinders them from resigning themselves to the conduct of God. Hence it proceeds, that by too much seeking after their own satistaction, their profit, and the contentment of their spirit, they grieve the spirit of God, captivate grace, and lose themselves in seeking themselves; and in stead of uniting themselves to God, they separate themselves from him, and (which is more to be feared) they go out of the ordinances of heaven, and from the counsels of God, to follow their own will, their own desires, and their own conduct, to tye themselves to their own flattering affections. It is they must give remedy to their own mishap; Let us leave them, to speak to souls who will quit themselves wholly to acquire the happy possession of vertues.
CHAP. II. Severall practises, whereof we may make use to attain Christian Vertues.
SInce the life of a Christian must be a life of grace, a life representing the life of God, expressing in man the perfections of Divinity, it followeth that the actions of a Christian, proceeding from such a Principle, be great and suitable to such an estate, and worthy the spirit of God, which dwels in it by the grace of adoption. And if the vertues of a Christian are so worthy and rare; certainly the dispositions must be also great, the way to obtain them singular, and the practice extraordinary; For as there is great difference between the morall vertues of Philosophy, and the supernaturall of a Christian, so must the practice hereof be different and extraordinary.
The wisest of the times past, gave Precepts to form man, and instate him in the most perfect use of reason; they prescribed Laws to overcome and subject the passions to the reasonable will, the most noble part of the soul. But all this considered, is no more then to make us perfect men, that is, very reasonable; but our business is to make our [Page 148] selves perfect Christians: and as it is much more to be Christians, then to be men (there being a great difference between them;) so the practises imposed for attaining these two estates, are different, one as much advanced above the other, as the state of a Christian is above that of a man, as grace is above nature. We must now build upon this foundation, and advance the edifice of Christian perfection upon the principles we intend to propose. Therefore we must speak and act as Christians, not as Philosophers. I say then, to attain Christian vertues, we must before all things, have a great desire of Christian perfection, and a resolution to labour in the acquisition of true vertues, as much as is necessary, and as God requires of us. This desire must be efficacious and permanent, from the bottom of our heart. It is good also to awaken if often, and to form acts thereof with application of spirit.
The first means to obtain vertue is prayer. The soul that applies her self with perseverance to prayer, cannot fail of the possession of vertue. Prayer is understood two wayes; first as a demand, as if we should say, that if we demand vertue of God,Jam. 1.5. he will give it us. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally. This Proposition is true in this sense; but this demand must be [Page 149] accompanyed with these considerations, true desire of vertue, perseverance in prayer, a vigilancy to become faithful to the grace that God communicates to us; otherwise our demand will be without effect, our prayer without fruit. It is not sufficient for the soul that would be said to arrive at Christian perfection, to nourish in it self vertuous desires, and to demand them of God, if she be not also careful to demand them as she ought, and if she doth not with vigilancy labour in the practise and exercise of these vertues. God will have us co-operate with his grace, and put to our hand to do with him what he will operate in us; so that to obtain vertues, we must demand them of God, but in demanding them, we must labour therein. Thus we must understand the acquisition of vertues by prayer. This Proposition is built upon this truth, That we cannot have vertue unless God give it, and God gives it not, but with an intent that we should co-operate therein, and that we should labour on our parts, shewing in this co-operation, the fidelity of our souls. For this end hath God given us free will.
There is yet another way of obtaining vertues by prayer, understanding by prayer meditation, or as we say ordinarily, mentall prayer. The soul, which applies it self to this exercise, considering the greatness of the Divinity, [Page 150] the verities of Faith, the beauty and stability of eternall things, the inconstancy of temporall, the vanity of all in the World, easily apprehends the love of Truth, and a contempt of vanity, (two, foundations necessary to the perfections of a Christian life) the soul by this exercise, remaining united and tyed to God, receives the rayes of this divine light, which is the life and way of our souls, and if she persevere with fidelity, must at last be wounded with this love which she so contemplates. By this means entring into the enjoyment of divine love (which is alwayes liberall of Communications,) she will infallibly receive the Vertues necessary for her, and be inriched with most pure gifts, agreeable to the greatness of God, who will give her more then sufficiently graces convenient for living in the perfection of Christian Vertues: wherein appeares the necessity and profit of this manner of prayer, which elevates us to God, causes us to enter into a conversation with God, unites us to him, enlightens us, transforms us, and disposes us to the life of grace, and leads us to the acquisition and possession of true Vertues. Food is not so necessary to the life of the body, as this manner of prayer to the life of the soul, and the acquisition of Vertues.
The second meanes to acquire Christian [Page 151] vertues, is mortification, which is absolutely necessary to the soul that will live the life of grace, that is to say, Christianly. We must remember, and intentively consider that we are all the Children of Adam, living his life, following the inclinations of the being of Adam; to be christian, is to be the Child of Iesus Christ, to live his life, wholly to follow the spirit, motions, and holy inclinations of Iesus Christ: into this state and new-being, we are put by Baptisme. Gal. 3.27. As many of you (saith St. Paul) as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ, meaning they are made like the Son of God; they are by grace, that which Iesus Christ is by nature.
This truth granted, it is easie to comprehend the necessity of mortification. If to be christians, we must be re-invested in Iesus Christ, that is, live of his spirit, and follow his motions and inclinations, then to arrive to this happiness, we must uncloath our selves of the spirit and inclinations of Adam, and we must, to speak in the words of the Apostle, Put off the old man, Col. 3 9, 10. and put on the new man; this cannot be done but by mortification, which is the more necessary, in that the inclinations and spirit of Adam, are as much different from those of Iesus Christ, as the Heaven is distant from the Earth. These two spirits are as contrary one to the other, as the animal is [Page 152] to the spirituall, according to the Apostle, who saith,1 Cor. 15.47. The first man is of the earth earthy, the second man is from Heaven, and cannot accord together. Now to argue by the rule of contraries, we must say that to establish the one, it is necessary to annihilate the other; to plant good, we must root out evill: so he that would love christianity, that is, according to the spirit and vertue of Iesus Christ, must take away and mortifie the spirit and inclinations of Adam, which are in all, alwayes contrary to Iesus Christ. The Son of God came into the world, 1 Joh 3.8. as Saint Iohn saith, to destroy the works of the Devill. The spirit of Adam is a sinner, and his inclinations are but concupiscences, works of the flesh, therefore is the Sonne of God come to destroy them. We must also labour and co-operate with him to destroy in us, and to root out of us, all that sin hath put in us, wherein mortification assists us.
This that Divinity which we call mysticall, teaches us, which requires that a christian to arrive to that perfection whereto God calleth him, passeth through the purgative life, in the wayes of mortification, annihilation and resignation, that by this exercise, the soul may purge and cleanse it self from all that is in her opposite to grace and the true possession of God. This Doctrine is founded on a Truth [Page 153] which most know, but consider not sufficiently; That the whole nature and being of man is corrupt, all his inclinations turned to evill, carrying the centre, the source and seed of all vice and imperfection in it. Now to order it so, as that this nature of Adam, this being, may be possessed of God, replenished with vertuous inclinations, and that he may have in himself true charity the seed and principle of all Christian vertues; he must necessarily take from it the evill that is in it, for the good and perfection cannot be there but in taking away, and rooting out the corruption and imperfection, which cannot be done without a serious and continuall mortification inward or outward. Whence we learn, that to acquire christian vertues, it is not enough to demand them of God by prayer, which we call a demand, nor to consider them in mentall prayers, and to make good resolutions thereon; it is not enough to know them and desire them, nor to do acts of them, and to produce many practises of them; but we must also root out of the foundation of our soul, all that which is contrary to vertue. The man who desires to live a good christian, and aspires to true vertue, as the onely way to Heaven, must not so much busie himself in the acquisition of vertues by the practise of them, as he must labour to root out of his heart, and pull out of [Page 154] the foundation of his being, all oppositions, inclinations and customs contrary to true vertue. For as soon as he hath emptied his heart of all that is displeasing to God, and contrary to him, God will from that moment, replenish and possess his heart, and liberally extend to him the graces and vertues necessary for him; but withall, according to the measure in which God gives them to him, he must be faithfull on one side to correspond with the grace given him; on the other, he must labour to render himself more and more capable of the spirit and possession of God; he endeavouring to cleanse and purify his heart, and God continually replenishing, and consecrating it for his own dwelling, and sanctifying it by his grace.
By this amorous combate, God always gives, and is always augmenting his gifts, man receives, and in receiving, disposes himself more and more, to receive more abundantly the sweet bounties of God; all which is done in the soul proportionably to her purifying and mortifying her self from all that is disagreeable and contrary to the spirit of God. By mortification and the purgative life, we not onely understand corporall austerities, such as affect the sense; as macerations, fastings, and other exercises, which rob the sense of what is most agreeable to it (which although they be good [Page 155] and profitable, and sometimes necessary, yet are they not principall) but we apply this Doctrine, first to interiour mortifications, whereby the soul purifies her heart, annihilates her sources therein, and pulls away the roots of imperfections; and of all that is displeasing to God. By this exercise, she stifles, as much as she can, the seeds of self-love, though hid in every thing; she strives to gain a perfect victory over her self; her principall care is to annihilate her will, her intentions, her desires, her thoughts and inclinations to those of God; choosing in all things that which is most pure, most conformable to the spirit of Iesus, most opposite and contrary to her own inclinations and unruly affections. Hereunto she wholly addicts her self; herein she is very vigilant; she knows it generally, a maxime, that the more the heart of man is filled with the creatures, and the love and regard of himself, the more she is separated from God, voyd of his spirit and true vertue: Therefore she endeavours to exercise her self in this interiour mortification: Another Reason which obligeth us to the spirit and exercise of mortification, is, that the Devil makes use of our inclinations, of our habits, of our desires, and of our self-love; yea, he makes use of our selves against our selves, and of our nature, subjected as well by the sin of Adam, as our [Page 156] actuall sins; he makes use, I say, thereof to cast us away, and to separate us from God, even in things most holy, and the most interiour, and therefore to avoid the perils, and to take the weapons from the hands of our enemie, whereof he makes use to undo us, we must necessarily pass through the purgative life; we must go out of our selves, out of the life of Adam, to be in Iesus Christ, and to live of his life, and we must mortifie our selves to make place for God, and take from our heart all that may displease him, that is opposite to his grace, and by this exercise, we shall easily arrive to the acquisition of Christian vertues.
CHAP. III. That the adherence of a Soul to Iesus Christ is the most perfect means to possess all Christian vertue.
THat vertue which we call Christian, is a hidden treasure, hid in God, the very life of a Christian according to the Doctrine of the Apostle, Col. 3.3. Mat. 13.46. is such, it is the Pearl in the Gospel, which he who would obtain heaven must seek and buy; he must seek it in God with all diligence, and buy it at the price of all the world. Nothing is more precious then true vertue, [Page 157] which alone renders us like to God, and worthy of Paradise, all things else are nothing but vanity, amuzement of spirit, and unprofitable travell.
Of known and ordinary means to arrive at the possession of so rich a treasure, there is one to be preferred before all others, which though little considered, and, perhaps, little known, is most important, without which all others are ineffectuall. This is the adherence of our soul to Iesus Christ; This puts us into possession of vertues: He who adheres to Iesus Christ, is one spirit with him, possesses him, and in him all vertues.
To comprehend this truth, we must remember that we said, that Iesus Christ is our All; whence it followeth, he is our humility, our love, our patience, our vertue; and he that shall possess him, shall possess all in him; He is the foundation, the treasure and riches of the soul; 1 Cor. 1.30. He is made unto us, saith Saint Paul, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption. Who then would have wisdom, righteousness, and other vertues, let him adhere to Iesus; He that would acquire and possess perfection, Col. 2 3. let him possess Iesus, for in him, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Apostle explains this further,Rom. 8.32. saying, The eternall Father giveth us his Son, and with him freely giveth us all things; by which words, [Page 158] he not onely implies, that by his merits, by his grace, and for his love we have all, but moreover, that with Iesus Christ (note the energy of this word, with Iesus) we have all, possessing him we possess all; we must add, that if we do not possess, nor adhere to Iesus Christ, we cannot have true christian vertue.
This truth is not hard to conceive, if we consider the essence of christian vertue and perfection, which is the spirit of Iesus, or Iesus himself living in us, and working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, Heb. 13.21. saith the Apostle. Our ordinary manner of speaking, teacheth us as much, for we say, vertue and christian perfection, have their beginning in grace from whence they spring, and what goes out of a just soul, that we call grace. Now the soul cannot be in grace nor just, but by the habitation of the holy spirit, living and acting in her. So the Apostle, The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, Rom. 5.5. which is given to us, whence we infer, that if to live in christian vertue, we must be in grace, and if grace be no other then the holy spirit, living in us and there acting, seeing the holy spirit is no other then the very spirit of Iesus, it followeth evidently, that to live christianly, we must possess true vertues, and to possess them, we must possess [Page 159] Iesus, and adhere to him, for grace and righteousness consists in this possession.
Let us rise higher, and come to the source hereof, Faith teaches us, that in Adam we are devested of innocence, fallen from the state of grace and perfection, whereto we were destined by Creation, and by the first designes of God. By this fall we have lost for ever the vertues, graces, and supernaturall gifts, wherewith the infinite goodness of God had inriched and cloathed the first man. At the sight of this misfortune, God being moved, onely by his own goodness to be merciful to us, would raise us from this fall, and inrich us more then ever with his graces and heavenly favours; where sinne abounded, saith the Apostle,Rom. 5.20 grace did much more abound. To raise us to this happiness, he would give us a new beginning of life and grace, his onely Sonne Iesus Christ, who being made man by the mystery of the Incarnation, is established Father and principle of that being and life of grace which should be in man. As we participate in sin of the evil of Adam, and are with him despoiled of all vertues and grace, adhering to him, as to our naturall principle, and have with him his being and his nature. So adhering to Iesus Christ as to our Head, our new Principle, we participate of his being, of his spirit, of his [Page 160] grace, and of his vertues. This witnesseth the Forerunner of the Messiah, who saith, Of his fulness we have all received, Joh. 1.16. and grace for grace. From this being, deliberately considered, we may derive worthy documents to our subject: First, we see how much we ought to adhere to Iesus, if we will live his life, and participate his vertues, which are the onely Christian vertues; for in as much as we adhere to Adam, we are not capable of any thing, but to live the life of sinners, we have no right to the life of grace, to practise or possess any Chrstian vertue. If we will live the life of grace, and obtain power to practise and possess vertue, we must lay hold of Iesus Christ, and to receive it of him, we must adhere to him; for we cannot possess him, but in adhering to him; wherein appeareth also the necessity of this adherence. From this truth, we draw a second document, how much they deceive themselves, who speak meanly and indifferently of true Christans, or of a thing proportioned to our reason and being; For according to the Principles of Christianity, and words of Saint Paul, as Christians, we must put on the Lord Iesus Christ;Rom. 13.14. that is, the gifts of the graces and vertues of Iesus, in such manner, that we may be like unto him, in such a degree of perfection, that we may bear in us an expression and a lively image of the life [Page 161] and vertues of Iesus. Christian vertue, is not animitation of the life and vertues of a perfect man, not of Adam, considered in his Innocency and originall Iustice, to have vertues after this manner, were not much; it is a lively Image of the vertues of Iesus, Man-God; or to say better, it is the life and vertue it self of Iesus in man: As men are distinguished by their habits, so are true Christians from others, by these vertues; and these vertues are distinguished from all others (if there be any) by the spirit of Iesus.
Here then appears the divinity and perfection of Christian vertues, they are the vertues of Iesus himself, according to which, the Apostle saith, we are new creatures: As creatures of Iesus, 2 Cor. 5.17. we must bear his Image which is divine and celestiall, not that of Adam, which is humane and terrestriall, that is, our life and vertues must not be of a man, but of God; life and vertues as different, according to the Doctrine of the Apostle, as heaven is distant from the earth, as unlike as Iesus is to sinfull Adam.
Finally, by these Principles, we learn (and it is that I would most perswade) that the way to obtain Christian vertues, the most powerfull means to arrive to perfection, is, to adhere to Iesus, to prostrate our selves frequently before the Throne of his greatness, [Page 162] to subject our selves to his soveraignty, to give our selves to him and to his vertues, to endeavour to be replenished with his spirit, to bear him in the bottom of our hearts, that as the centre is in the midst of its circumference, he may be in the midst of our hearts, as the centre of our being and our souls; We must look upon this practice as very important to the soul, and adhering to Iesus, and possessing him, she shall possess all in him, and easily obtain all from him; a truth none can be ignorant of that do acquire vertues; We must have them in Iesus, and of Iesus, their onely principle, Object and Prototype, upon whom we must mould our actions, and form our life; By him the eternall Father speaks to us; by him he teacheth us; In a word, by him he giveth us this life, the life of grace, the life of perfection, the life which is no other then Iesus living in us; He that hath the Son, 1 Joh. 5.12. hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life, saith the beloved Disciple. What is there more cleer? there onely remains to practise what we have said.
CHAP. IV. The means whereby we may arrive to the adherence of our souls with God, and the obstacles which hinder it.
TO know truth, and not practise it, avails little. God in the Gospel, threatens many stripes to the servant that knoweth the will of his Lord and Master, Luk. 12.47. and doth not according to it; To what purpose is it to love vertue and embrace vice? to praise good, and to follow evil, is to be condemned out of our own mouths. We say it is not enough to love, to esteem and to know Christian vertues, as others do, but we must bear the effects of them, and make use of them as God requires: We are therefore now to shew how we must practise what hath bin already said. To do a Christian action, requireth not onely that it be good, and done in grace, but it must be done with the spirit of grace, the spirit of Iesus Christ, which he pours into us in such manner, that all the vertue which is in us comes from him, with such dependence, that as the members receive of the Head, so Iesus being our Head, and we his members, we can receive nothing but from him in the state of grace, which is so true and necessary, that [Page 164] he himself saith, As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self, Joh. 15.4. except it abide in the Vine, no no more can ye, except ye abide with me; our soul is barren, and without the fruit of grace, if she dwell not in Iesus Christ, and take not from him all her juice, life and true vertues. To adhere to this holy spirit, a man must be devested of himself, severed from the creatures, not onely by will and good intention, but by effect also; he must have a continuall recourse by grace, with a spirit of submission and dependency upon grace, that it may have power to act freely in him; we must regard the vertue in Iesus Christ, and imitate it, especially those vertues which are most eminent in his life, the bases and foundation of solid perfection, as profound humility, purity of heart, contempt of the world, and the like solid vertues, onely appearing in the Son of God. But we must take heed, that in the practice and exercise of vertues we seek them not so much because of their excellency, nor to become thereby better or more perfect, nor for our own interests, but chiefly, and above all, for the glory of God, for the honour of Iesus Christ, imitating him in our life and actions, that we may live in a manner pleasing to him; and since the end of our actions must be the glory of God, it is convenient, that we have no other design then to please and glorifie him. [Page 165] If you desire a more express practise, I propose it thus. When we have formed some good resolution in prayer, or that the doing of some act of vertue is in question, we must presently give our selves up to the Sonne of God, that we may accomplish this act of vertue, according as he desires, and according to the designs of his Crosse, it not being necessary to form any particular intention or design; as for example, being to form a resolution to practise humility, let us say in our heart, I give my self to thee my Iesus, to enter into thy spirit of humility, I will passe with thee all the dayes of my life in this holy vertue. I invoke the power of thy spirit upon me, that it may abase my pride, and I will keep my self with thee in humility, I offer thee the opportunities of Humility, which shall present themselves in my life; blesse them if it so please thee, I renounce my selfe and all things, which may hinder me from having part in the grace of thy humility.
The like may be done in all other vertues or good intentions which we offer to God; in this manner they shall be founded on Iesus Christ, made in the spirit of grace, not in our own spirit, made truly christian.
Let us not contemn this practise, neither as too much elevated, nor as superfluous, it is easie and necessary; we speak not of humane [Page 166] action, but a christian action, perfect and worthy of God, suitable to our condition and dignity, whereto we are elevated by the grace of christianity, which is so great, that St. Peter calls us a chosen Generation, 1 Pet. 2 9. a holy Nation, a peculiar people, and to crown all this, St. Paul saith, we are the members of Iesus Christ, and as such, 1 Cor. 6. we must live no other life then his, not act but by his spirit, and in his intentions. Upon this foundation, may be built all that can be said or thought of the perfections and excellencies of christianity; all is said, when we say Iesus is our head, and we his members, he is the principle of the grace necessary for us in all things, we must take all of him, he is the end of our life and actions, we must refer them all to him, and to his honour. In fine, he is the prototype and the exemplary cause, we must all regard, and continually contemplate him, not onely to imitate him, but to imprint his life and vertues in us. This is the essence of christian perfection, which St. Paul means in those words full of love; My little children, Gal. 4.19. of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you. He would have Iesus Christ formed in us, great words, which represent to the life, the excellency of Christian vertues. This it is which I demand of fouls, and would cause it to be understood if possible, as being of importance to remedy [Page 167] many abuses, and unprofitable things which we meet with in the practise and ordinary exercises of Christians, for want of taking hold of things in the beginning, and not entring into the spirit of grace, for want whereof do we not see many souls who keep most holy constitutions and very good rules, others that do frequent actions of vertue, many who follow and oblige themselves to spirituall exercises and practises, yet nevertheless, advance not towards perfection, nor have any solid vertue; They alwayes labour, but never gain any; they continually travail, but never arrive at their journeys end. Though all that they do, seems to be done in grace, and that, (as is believed) they have not their conscience charged with any sinne, yet they profit not in any manner; all that can be said of such persons is, that they are not the worst. What is the cause of this evill? whence comes it, that they profit nothing amidst so much care and Travel? The evill comes from this, that such souls have not sufficient recourse nor submission to grace, they are not tyed to Iesus Christ; they scarce think that there is a Iesus Christ; they have no distrust of themselves; they seek not God, but their self-satisfaction, and their particular Interests, and which is worse, by a secret and dangerous consequence they rely upon their own courage, [Page 168] upon their travel and exercises, and promise to themselves too much of their own strength, and tying themselves to divers practises whereof they make use, they tye also their happiness thereto. If you demand whence it comes, that they have not solid vertues, it is easily perceiv'd, it is because they amuse themselves much in unprofitable things, trifles, and exteriour things, they enter not into the practise of true and solid vertues, they esteem them not, and hardly know them; if they do practise them, it is but superficially, they have but the appearance of vertue; all that they possess thereof, is like the grasse upon the house top, which withers away of it self; of which we must take heed, and carefully remedy it, least passing our life so, we travel in vain, and run without arriving to our end, and that under those fair appearances in the most part of our actions,Mat. 25.12. we be not of the number of the foolish Virgins, of them to whom God saith at the houre of death, I know you not, for God tells us,Mat. 7.21. not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And certainly, there are an infinite number of christians, who will find themselves deceived, when God shall make manifest the secrets of hearts, 1 Cor. 4.5. and judge the justice of men, because that believing themselves [Page 169] rich in good works, and charged with the fruits of christian penitence, they shall find in their hands nothing but wind, and shall see in their life, nothing but appearances of Vertues. And therefore in an affaire so important, we must be vigilant to act christianly, and to do works worthy of God, which shall gain us the eternall possession of God. This subject being of high enterprise, I will propose the dispositions, which seem to be most necessary.
THE FOURTH PART. Sheweth how we must guide our selves in all occurrences, and in all estates of humane life.
CHAP. I. Of the care a Christian ought to have to perfect his exteriour.
TO draw the last lines of our perfect Christian, we must present likewise his outward appearance, for therein also consisteth his perfection.
The interiour and the exteriour are two estates so conjoyned, and dependant one upon another, that the perfection of a man cannot be intire, if those two estates are not in all things conformable. One is the image of the other, and as the ancient divine Philosopher [Page 247] said, Beauty is a flash of goodness, as all flowers and leaves take their beauty from the root, so all that is outwardly fair in man, is but a beam of his inward goodness, the fruits and leaves of his perfect and vertuous actions, are but the effects of the root of inward perfection.
Inward perfection begets the outward, one cannot be without the other. Good if it be perfect, must be such in all parts, if one fail, this defect takes away its vertue, and makes it vicious. Man is a whole composed of parts, neither all soul nor all body, but consisting of both. To be good, he must be perfect in both, in the soul the interiour, in the body the exteriour, in the actions of the one, as the faculties of the other.
St. Ambrose speaking of the Mother of God, the pattern of vertue, saith, that her exteriour Beauty, her demeanour, and the actions of her life, were images of the vertues and incomparable perfections of her soul; and although Iesus Christ by the Mystery of the Incarnation, meant to hide the greatness of his Divinity, in the lowness of our nature, and hid himself thirty years in an obscure life, yet it alwayes appeared from time to time, nor could he avoid it, but that his face, his body and actions, discover'd what he was. Nor indeed could it be otherwise, for the exteriour [Page 248] can have no good but what it borrows of the interiour as of its root, and the interiour cannot be perfect, but the exteriour will bear and manifest the effects thereof. Vertue if it be true, hath a lustre like the Emerald which sparkles in the obscurest night, it can no more be hid, then fire can be retain'd in the bosom of the Earth, which will force a way to its centre; or the light of the Sun be clouded by any shade so thick, but its beams will break through. So likewise is it impossible for a man to have a good vertuous interiour, and the splendor of his vertues not appear to the eyes of men, through the most secret of his actions. This is the intention of God, and a sign that the vertue we have is heavenly, for it tends alwayes to its centre. And as the needle touched by the Loadstone, is in perpetuall motion, till it hath found her North: So the soul touched by the vertue of Heaven, is alwayes in action, seeking every where till she have found her God.
Men light not a Candle to put it under a Bushel, God gives not vertue to smother it; he will glorifie himself in his Elect. Mat. 3.15. If our vertue be of God, it will manifest the effects thereof, causing it self to be honour'd and acknowledg'd.
For this reason, they who have any sense of Heaven, who love the truth, and walk [Page 249] sincerely, never approve those who dissemble in the World, and appear evill or lesse good, not regarding the exteriour, so they have a good intention, let the rest go as it will. (It is sufficient (they say) that God knowes them,) they alwayes condemn those who out of reasons of state, or private considerations outwardly appear either evil or indifferent, hide themselves when they pray, dare not communicate in publick, or do any act of vertue, in view of their Neighbours.
We must not indeed endeavour to be seen, much lesse to be esteemed, or affect the sight of men, but on the other side, we must not fear them. We are oblig'd to have an exteriour as well as an interiour, and we must please and honour God, as well by the exteriour as by the interiour. Every one will grant, that it is not allowed any to be good, and to appear evill; it is scandalous, nay further, it is impossible to be good, and commit evill actions, for a good Tree cannot bring forth evill fruit. If we live in the spirit (saith St. Paul) let us also walk in the spirit; he meanes, our life is a life of God,Mat. 7.18. Gal. 5.25. for spirit with St. Paul signifies God, and if our interiour be truly perfect, according to Christian perfection, whereof we have sufficiently spoken, our exteriour actions must also be in spirit, and in a divine spirit, and must bear the [Page 250] image of God, who lives in us.
This may be more clearly understood by the advice of the same St. Paul; we walk not (saith he, speaking of good Christians) after the flesh, but after the spirit. He then that will be a good Christian,Rom. 8.4. must order his outward actions according to the spirit of God who lives in us, not after the flesh and the World, enemies to the spirit of God. To be vertuous, and to do acts of vice, to have light in the heart, and to do actions of darkness, to be in the Temple of God, and to sacrifice to Baal, can neither be comprehended by man, nor approved by reason. To desire to please the World, and to be circumcised and worship the Moon, is to be a Samaritan. God loves simplicity, sincerity, and curses the double heart. He then that will be a perfect Christian,Eccles. 2.14. must have his heart in his hands, and his hands in his heart; if he esteem God truly in his heart, he must shew it in his works; if he fear God in his soul, why doth he not testifie it in his actions? what can we love thee well, O God of our souls, yet make shew to hate thee? Can we have thee in our hearts, and thy enemy the World in our hands and mouth? No no, a Christian, if he fear God at home in his own house, will fear him abroad in the Kings Palace. The devout soul, who beholds God [Page 251] in her heart, and sees nothing but God there, beholds him every where. She knowes not that the World sees her, she onely knowes her God, beholds her, and she her God; that suffices her. If a Christian love his God, he will love him every where, and not considering men, he will say with the spouse, my God is mine and I am his. Cant. 2.16. The Christian Master St. Paul, gives us a good lesson upon this subject, and in divers places furnishes us with reasons to perswade us to the care we ought to have of the outward man, and of the actions that appear to the eyes of men, he sayes, that first we owe to God, the care of perfecting our exteriour, for God will be honoured by our actions. This object we must have continually before our eyes, this thought must never go out of our souls;Rom. 14.8. the reason that the Apostle gives is, that we are not our own but Gods, whether we live or die, we are the Lords, saith he, and consequently in all our exteriour actions, we must have a regard to God, as if I should say, whether at Court, in publick or private, in happiness or misfortune, in what estate soever I am in of death or life, what condition soever I live in, I am Gods, and therefore must so order my self, that in all conditions and estates, I may honour God by my actions, that my exteriour may be as agreeable to him as my interiour. Know [Page 252] you not, saith the Apostle, that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, 1 Cor. 6.19, 201 which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your Body. By the first words, he shewes the dignity of our bodies, seeing that they possess the holy spirit; by the rest, the obligation we have to take care of our exteriour, that it may give God the honour he expects. This Doctrine stops the mouth of all the reasons, or rather excuses of those who dissemble what they are, and (not esteeming the exteriour) content themselves with good intentions. We must, say they, live among the living, we must accommodate our selves to men, and a thousand such nicities to which there need no other answer then that of the Apostle, you are not for your selves or your own Interests, nor for your friends, nor for the World; give unto God what you owe unto God, and to Caesar what you owe unto Caesar.
If this reason be not sufficient, Saint Paul gives you another, taken from the condition of Christians, and which they profess, holy and perfect. As a Gentleman is oblig'd to live like a Gentleman, a Prince like a Prince, every one according to his quality; so a Christian must live according to the quality of a Christian, his exteriour life must be [Page 253] conformable to the state of Christianity which he professeth. I have shewed you, saith St. Paul, and prayed you to walk worthy of God, 1 Thes. 2.12. who hath called you to his Kingdom and to his glory. As the quality of a Christian is most noble that man can be advanced unto, in which quality, he must appear before the Tribunall of God, to receive judgement and recompence of his actions, it is but necessary his life and actions, his government and conversation, be conformable and worthy of so high and divine a quality, whereto the same Apostle exhorts us, I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. This is all that is required of a Christian, that in what estate, condition, or manner of life soever he be, he live after a manner worthy of Christianity. Let this be his first design, the subject of his examen; let all his care be to profess what he is by his actions. The first thing that a Christian must regard in his actions and exteriour, is not to see if he be conformable to the rank he holds among men, and to his condition in the World, but rather to be conformable to the state he professes before God; herein consists the fidelity and courage of a Christian. This care of our exteriour is not an indifferent instruction, but a Law from Heaven pronounced by Iesus Christ; Mat. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men, that [Page 254] they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven. He will have us concerned in our neighbours, and for love of them strive to live well, to be unto them a mirror of vertue.
This is not therefore an advice, but an obligation to give good example, and by our good actions, to shew others what they ought to do: Example by sweetness of attraction wins the heart, binds the will, captivates the affections, if vertuous, it makes vertue to be deified, it constrains us to love it, and by the rule it bears over our hearts, innsinuates and instills the vertue which it exerciseth; For men (said the Morall Philosopher) give more credit to their eyes then to their ears. From this principle is derived our obligation, to let our light shine before men, to preserve a vertuous and exemplary exteriour; 2 Cor. 2.15. We are a sweet savour of Christ, saith Saint Paul, teaching us, that our exteriour should have the odour of the vertue of Iesus Christ, and not only have the savour, but be the very savour it self; so much God desires the perfection of our works, words, recreation, conversation, employments, affairs. In brief, all our actions must savor of Iesus Christ, and bear the odor of his vertues: we must not pervert this counsel to formall affectation. True vertue is masculine and noble, every where it rules with modesty, the spirit of God walketh with Majesty [Page 255] in humility; all that we require, is to profess vertue every where, not to be ashamed to shew that we are God's, that we respect his divine Majesty, that we fear his Iudgements. He that hath a good interiour, let him shew it by the exteriour; let him dissemble nothing, but walk alwayes in sincerity, remembering that he is in the sight of God, Angels and men, who behold him, and shall one day be his Iudges. By the same reason that we labour to perfect our interiour, we must endeavour to perfect the exteriour, for common sense teaches us, that by our exteriour, we must please God, and render him as much honour as by the interiour.
To recollect and profit by what is said, let us learn to perfect our exteriour, and have regard to God onely, to conform our actions to the state and dignity of Christianity. Let us remember, that the rule whereby God will judge us at the hour of death, will not be that of honour, nor of men of the world, much less that of our Interests, but of his will and his honour: we are only in the world for his honour, to do his holy will, we are his, and for him, and it is reason we should render to God what we owe him.
CHAP. II. That in all our Actions we must follow the conduct of God.
THe Creature, by the condition of it's being, subsisteth only in resigning it self to the conduct and will of God; for as it belongs to God alone to give being to all things, so is he alone the preserver and governour of them. Whence as the creature bears God in its depth and its centre, so it bears in the same depth, a capacity, all that he operates in and by it, which capacity, the Philosopher calls obedientiall power, whereby all that is created is left to the power of its Creator, and resigned to his conduct.
Man must be subject to this indispensable Law, he cannot exempt himself from this subjection whereto he is bound by the necessity of being created, a necessity so absolute, in what estate soever he be in this world, or the other, in time or eternity, that he must be subject to the power of his Creator, whether in the rigour of his Iustice, or in the sweetness of his Mercy; and though his depraved nature cause him sometimes to separate himself from his God, to live in the disorder of his [Page 257] own will, contrary to the order of God, yet he cannot absolutely withdraw himself from the order of his divine providence, nor avoid the arm of God, who comprehends all things, disposes them, and causes them to arrive to the end that he hath proposed them, for this order and power is so generall, that the malice of men cannot be exempted from it, so much is the creature subject to the conduct of the Creator. Necessity exacts it of us, the Laws of love and acknowledgement oblige us thereto, and that very strictly. For God who hath a particular providence, and an extraordinary care of man, conducts him also, and loving him excessively, becomes his Father, King, and Prince, & his All, that being all things to man, man may the more willingly resigne himself to his loving conduct, not by constraint or necessity, but through a spirit of freedom, by an esteem of his love, by a holy and loving election.
These truths no man can be ignorant of, yet we make no use of them, for man despiseth the conduct of his God, shuts his eyes to the light of grace, neglects his most wholsome Laws, his certain counsels, his divine motions, withdraws himself from the disposall and conduct of God, to adhere wholly to himself, to his own thoughts and inclinations, to the suggestion of his own spirit, to follow the false maximes of humane prudence, the motions of his passions, the alurement of self-love. [Page 258] The perfect Christian must take heed that he do nothing inwardly or outwardly, but according to the order and conduct of God. Man in all his actions and motions, must necessarily be either in the conduct of God, or of himself; if he adhere to one, he is opposite to the other; for those he conducts, are in themselves absolutely contrary. The conduct that man takes of himself, is a turning from God, a way that separates us from God, and quite loseth us. The reason of this is, the state of man after his fall, whose spirit is turned from God, subject to the Law of sin, bearing the seed of all faults and errors. He is so engulfed in this state of misery, that he cannot get out of it, though he endeavour all he can, if Iesus Christ draw him not out of it; he cannot return to God, if the Son of God do not lead him; No man cometh unto the Father but by me. Jo. 14.6. Now man who follows his own conduct, his own inclinations, motions and will, withdraws himself from the conduct of Iesus Christ, and as his spirit is turned from his God, by the law of sin, so he withdraws himself from the conduct of Iesus Christ, by his own will and actions. How can he but turn from God, and separate himself more and more from him, and that so powerfully, that so long as he remains in his humane condition, he shall never be able to return to God, nor do any thing that may lead him to [Page 259] God, if he do not resigne himself to the conduct of Iesus Christ to be aided by his grace and mercy? This is the meaning of the words of Saint Paul, when he said, The carnall mind is enmity with God, Rom. 8.7. for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be, and that to be carnall minded, is death;Rom. 8.6. since he loses himself who governs himself by his own spirit, and onely follows his own conduct.
All the divine Oracles cry out to us, and experience teacheth us, that the greatest evil that can happen to man, is to be left of God, and abandoned to humane prudence, to his own motions, naturall inclinations and will. For a man so abandoned of God, lives a dangerous life,Isa. 30.1. and must expect a miserable fall, Wo, saith God to them, when I shall be separated from them; wo indeed, yea, a threefold wo, seeing that when God leaves a soul to its own counsels, motions, inclinations, and will, she is at the same instant made captive, dragg'd, and led in triumph to her passions and appetite; for the passions, will, and inclinations of men, are rebellious, and hurried by the Law of sin. Now, from the time that man is abandoned, and the conduct of Gods grace withdrawn from him, he can be no other then rebellious, falling into a thousand errors, and will infallibly lose himself, if God have not pity on him, and call him home. Therefore [Page 260] for God to abandon us thus to our own conduct and will, is the greatest evill that can arrive to man, the greatest punishment whereby God can revenge himself of the sins of men. My people would not hear my voyce (saith God being angry,Psal. 81.11, 12.) and Israel would not obey me, so I gave them up unto their own hearts lust, and let them follow their own imaginations. And St. Paul assures us, that Gods most rigorous punishment of the ingratitude of men, hath been to leave them to their own desires and appetites; Rom. 1.24. God gave them up, saith the holy Apostle, to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts.
It imports him therefore who would be a good Christian, and make his salvation sure, to forsake his own conduct, to annihilate his inclinations, passions, appetites, to confound his own will, to withdraw himself from the conduct of humane prudence, and from his own reason, to follow the conduct of grace, which is above reason, and illuminates and guides, that he do nothing but according to the spirit, law, and will of God.
To be guided by the spirit of God we must separate our selves, renounce the conduct of humane prudence, and annihilate our own wills. Our prudence and reason is faulty in every point, for in as much as it comes from us, it separates us from God as much [Page 261] as it can. Humane nature and the will of man, in the corruption of sin, regards onely it self, not God its supernaturall end; the will inclines to self-love, and cannot advance it self to a true love of God, if it be not guided and aided by grace. There is another principle of misfortune in us, which is the love of our souls, which lives of the substance of our souls raigning in our hearts, and commanding our actions. This love acts for it self, not for God, it is so opposite to God, that as another Antichrist, it labours onely to destroy the works of grace in us, and to ruine his divine love, spirit and conduct.
Hence we see what a misery it is, what danger there is in being withdrawn from the conduct of God, to live according to our own inclinations, according to humane conduct, which the Apostle calls the wisdom of this world. 1 Cor. 1.20. For what must his life be, who submits himself to this sworn enemy of God? what must his actions be, who hath no other principle nor conduct then his own will, onely confident in self-love, who onely followes the motions, inclinations and thoughts of his reason? a reason deprav'd and dim falls irrecoverably. I will appeal to man himself; how often his prudence, reason, and conduct have deceived him? Into how many errours have his inclinations and his passions precipitated [Page 262] him? let him but consult his own Conscience. I beseech him to see whither he goes, and that in good time he renounce humane wisdom and his feeble reason, as much as God requires it, to follow the foolishness of the Crosse, 1 Cor. 1.23. the conduct of grace, for there is no other way of perfection, nor meanes to arrive at God, but by the power and humility of the Crosse, and by the conduct of Iesus Christ, our way and our life.
If we would know what this conduct of God is, wherein it consists, we must consider it two wayes. The first, generall and common to all, when all that a Christian does, is according to the rule of the Law of God. Thus we say, the actions of men are all submitted to the conduct of God, when they are done according to the Law, and conformable to his will and the maxims of the Gospel. So David lived,Psal. 119.105. when he said, Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my paths. For the Law of God proposeth the right end, the just meanes and measure of every action in particular, and of all in generall. The true Christian must have no other conduct of his actions, then this divine Law given by God to be the rule of mans life and principle of his actions, he must follow the knowledge and maxims which Iesus Christ taught upon earth, as a watch-tower and light to the spirits of [Page 263] men, who being left to themselves, walk in darkness and ignorance. Counsel is mine, equity is mine, wisdom is mine, saith the spirit of God. He then that will live according to prudence, according to equity and justice, that will follow good counsels, must have them from God, for true prudence and true justice belongs to God. It is true, there ought to be prudence in the World, but it must be the prudence of God, which we cannot have but by observing the Law of God. Lord, thou hast made me wise by thy word, said David, who had try'd it. We must take counsel, for the difficulty of affaires perplexeth all things, but this counsel must come from God, and be conformable to his divine Lawes. Psal. 119.24. So did David alwayes in his affaires of greatest importance. Thy Testimonies are my delight and my Counsellors.
We ought indeed to uphold our selves, but it must be by the justice of God,Psal. 119.172. not that of men, but that which concurs with the law of God, for all the Commandments of God, are righteousness, saith David. So the Christian doing all things with this respect, and doing nothing against the Law and Maxims of Iesus Christ, shall live in the perfect conduct of God, a happy estate whereto all Christians ought to aspire, and wherein they ought to continue, professing even to death, they have [Page 264] no other rule or conduct of their actions then the Law of God and spirit of the Gospel; a rule wherein they must maintain themselves so powerfully and so inseparably, that no creature friend or Interest, can make them desire or do any thing contrary to this heavenly conduct.
There is another conduct of God, more hidden and invisible, when God vouchsafes by the motions of his grace, his inspirations and loving communications to conduct souls to perfection, and takes a particular care of them. Here the soul must take a great and vigilant care, that she quench not in her these lights, and resist not this divine and amorous conduct. This way is for souls who give themselves to God, who are wholly out of themselves, devested of, and severed from the Creature, who have annihilated their desires, inclinations and passions, who are wholly abandon'd to God, professing to live no longer then under the conduct of this divine spirit.
They who are thus happy, must take great care to maintain their spirits in a neere alliance and unity with the spirit of God, to do nothing but by his conduct; they must take heed they admit not any thing, nor receive any other spirit which may separate them from that of God. In brief, they must annihilate all that is of the conduct of the Creature, [Page 265] if they will live in a perfect conduct, and an intire resignation to the spirit of God, which is that which is desired in a perfect Christian, as being the meanes to arrive at perfection.
When we consider these truths, we shall find it hard to comprehend, and impossible to approve the method of those who would get perfection, attain true Christian vertues, and possess God, yet in all their conducts, study nothing but humane wisdom, act nothing but by humane respects, speak not without equivocation, are nothing but outward ceremonies, regard nothing but outward formality, aim at nothing but advancement. Let them speak what they please, humane wisdom is but foolishness before God, and the spirit of grace and of Iesus is a spirit of truth, simplicity and sincerity. Those then that guide themselves by the spirit of Iesus Christ, must live and act in the spirit of truth, simplicity and sincerity. for no other conduct is the conduct of God. Let no man abuse himself, saith St. Paul, if any among you think to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. 1 Cor. 3.18, 19.
CHAP. III. That a Christian must do all his actions for love of God, and for God.
THe perfect Christian must not so much consider what he does, as the manner of doing; for men consider the face, God the heart. It is a maxime in Morality, that it suffices not to do good actions, but we must do them well, as the Philosopher saith; it is not enough to do just things, but they must be done justly, meaning, that an action to be good and just, must be accomplished with all these circumstances which are so necessary, that if this fail, all the rest will be deficient; good, if it be true good, must be accomplished in every point.
Now, our Question is not only of an action good and just, but which is more, of a Christian action, suitable to the eminence and purity of the state of Christianity, of an action worthy heaven and God. If it be reall, it must have circumstances onely pure and perfect, and chiefly it is requisite they have a proportionate object; for as actions are specified by their objects, so is it necessary that the doing and denomination of a true Christian action be [Page 267] to consider, what is it's object which must be proportioned to the dignity, sanctity and purity of an action worthy God; which being supposed, this object can be no other then God himself, and therefore we must say, that as all the actions of Christians must be conformable to their state, all worthy of God, so must they have God only for their object, and consequently a Christian to live Christianly, must have respect onely to God in all his actions, and to do nothing but with intention to please him. This is the wish of Saint Paul, when he prayed to God for the new Christians, to whom he writ, That you might walk, saith he,Col. 1.10. worthy of the Lord, as unto all pleasing. This counsell ought to be engraven in the memory of men; for either they think not of it, or are ignorant of it, yet is it altogether necessary.
Let us then suppose this to our perfect Christian, that to do acts truly Christian, and worthy of God, we must regard nothing but God, and have no other intent then to please him. The reason is from the commandment of love, for by the same principle that we are oblieged to love God in all, and above all, we are obliged also to please him in all, and to seek onely his honour, glory, and pleasure. He that knows how to love, will easily comprehend the truth of this counsell; For love, if it be true, [Page 268] makes us quit our own Interests and respects, to engage us in the interests and respects of the thing beloved. Again, to love (according to the Angelical Doctor) is to wish well. Now, what good, what interest can God have in our action, but the accomplishment of his will and pleasure? God hath no need of us, for he is all-sufficient of himself. As by our sins we cannot diminish his glory, or pleasure, so neither can we augment them by the vertue of our actions; and that he makes them meritorious & worthy the possession of heaven, that he receives them as acceptable to the eyes of his divine Majesty, it is the effect of his bounty, not the power of necessity; it is by dignifying, not by duty or obligation; by love, not by interest, it is because he vouchsafes to regard them, and to be pleased with them; it is only because we do in them what his will is, we employ our selves in his Ordinances, and accomplish his designes.
This Deduction and Principle being considered, we must say, that seeing God receives nothing of us, or of our actions but the accomplishment of his divine Will; it follows, that a Christian, who will love his God, cannot express this love, but in performing the works of God in respect to God, and employing himself in the duties that God proposes to him:Joh. 14.21. He that hath my commandments, saith our Saviour, and [Page 269] keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest my self to him; which shews, that the duty of a Christian consists in doing the works which God proposes and puts into his hand, according to his condition and estate, to do it according to the good pleasure of God, and with an intent to do the will of God. In this the Christian shews his love to God; this is the means whereby his actions become worthy to possess God.
To comprehend this truth, we must observe that all the creatures are nothing in themselves; they are as but a drop of water drawn up by the Sun.
Now, if all creatures are nothing, man is yet less; and man being so small a thing, his action can be no more; but if the creatures, if man and his actions are any thing before God, it is onely in as much as they regard God, and have relation to him; For nothing is worthy of God, but what is of God, and for God. Heaven, the world, the earth, are nothing,Isa. 66.1. yet are they esteemed worthy of honour, because heaven is the throne of God, earth is his footstool. We may say as much of man, although he be nothing in himself, or in his actions, yet they are most worthy by this relation to God, and regard of God. For as mean and prophane things are respected, [Page 270] being consecrated and dedicated to God, so our actions, though they be mean and unworthy of God, yet being referred and dedicated to his honour, and the accomplishment of his will, they are raised up, and become pleasing to God. Whence we acknowledge, that all is nothing, not our actions, if they regard not God in this purity, and though they regard God, yet they conferre nothing to God, they are onely pleasing to him, because he vouchsafes to regard them, and to take pleasure in them; he advanceth and sanctifieth them by this relation, such is his good pleasure. Herein appears the abuse of those who fill their hearts, and perplex their thoughts with severall intentions. By this Principle, we see how much they separate themselves from their duty, who in their actions and devotions, seek any thing else but to please God; for all our actions are onely worthy of God, because they are onely pleasing to him, and nothing is worthy of him, nor pleasing to his divine eyes, but what is of him, and for him. Therefore one of the greatest faults to be observed in piety, which makes us most unworthy of God, is want of this regard of God. Many instead of referring all things to God, seek nothing but themselves, labour onely for themselves, and in all that they do, think onely of themselves; and if they should examine themselves [Page 271] as they ought, they would find that the end of their life and actions is nothing but their own Interest, and going on in the Labyrinth of these confusions, they will find, that seeking to do their own will, they do what God requires not, and fail to do that which he commands. By this abuse it appeares that such souls design their own health and profit to be their end and the object of their actions. By so doing, God is no more their ultimate end, nor the centre of their life and actions, but their own interests and profit take the place of God, an errour so manifest, that it is easie to perceive, and necessary to condemn the same.
Let us remember a principle very common, that teacheth us, if there were neither Heaven nor Hell to recompence or punish, yet we were obliged to devote our selves wholly to God, to fulfill his designes, and to render him honour in every thing. This is an indispensable obligation whereto we are bound by the condition of our being, for as such we are Gods, being Gods, we ought to refer our selves wholly to him, and be onely for him. The fruit is his to whom the Tree belongs; if we belong wholly to God, our life and actions consequently must be referred to his honour, and wholly employed in the accomplishment of his Will. In effect, none can [Page 272] be ignorant, but that we are in the World to do the work that God hath put into our hands, according to our vocation, and according to the manner that he proposeth, and for the end that he hath ordained us.
Nothing is more evident; for what have we to do in this World, and what should our soul aim at, but to accomplish the will of God, and to do all our actions according to the designes, and order established by the eternall wisdom? why are we in the World, if we please not God? How shall we please him, if we do not his will, and live not in the order he hath prescribed? To what end serves all the rest? whereto are directed all our actions, if they are not acceptable to God?
This is the onely point of our happiness, the principall care that a Christian ought to have, to regard God in all his Actions, and to perform them in a pure desire to please him. Let us endeavour onely to content God, and God will provide for all the [...]est, Them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me, 1 Sam. 2.30. shall be lightly esteemed; saith God to Eliah. O how happy shall that soul be, which at the houre of death shall be able to say with Iesus Christ, Joh. 17.4. My God and my Father, I have glorified thee on the Earth, I have finished the work, which thou gavest me to do? Happy is the soul that forgets her self to think onely [Page 273] on God, which loseth it self in all concernments, to seek onely the pleasure of God. Happy are those Christians who can say in all their actions, we keep his Commandements, and do all things which are pleasing before him. For in effect, the Christian hath nothing else to do in the World. We are obliged thereto by the state of Christianity. St. Paul gives us a very evident reason,2 Cor. 5.15. when he sayes, speaking of the sonne of God, He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them & rose again, wherein is comprised all the duty of Christianity. The Apostle saying that Christians should not live to themselves, shewes the obligation they have to live to God, that is, according to the will of God, that in all their actions, they ought onely to seek to please him, all other thoughts are repugnant to the state of Christianity. The Sonne of God himself teaching his Apostles, and in them his Church what to demand, Matth. 6.9, 10. proposes to us chiefly the sanctification of the name of God, the establishment of his Kingdom, & the accomplishment of his divine will, shewing us by this lesson, which we ought to repeat daily what our thoughts, intentions, and prayers should be, that we must chiefly desire the glory, pleasure, and will of God. After so divine a precept, what have we to seek? why so many exercises, [Page 274] so many intentions, such multiplicity of thoughts? Let us seek to please God in all things, and take a continuall vigilancy, that we do nothing disacceptable to God, or that is not conformable to the state and vocation wherein God hath placed us. How can so many complaisances, accommodations, correspondencies, affectations of humane prudence, tend to piety, when they are displeasing to God, who loves nothing but purity? This is an evill that destroyes the purity of all our actions, an abuse that deceives the greatest part of Christians.
CHAP. IV. Of the complacency and self-satisfaction which drawes us from the pure regard of God, and of the purity of intentions which must be in our actions.
IF thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light, but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness, Mat. 6.23. saith the Son of God, of the dispositions and intentions wherewith Christians ought to do all their actions, shewing by the similitude of the eye, that the intention must necessarily be pure, if the action permit it. For as the eye being single, makes the body full of light, so the intention being [Page 275] pure, makes the action pure; the end and object is that which advanceth or depresseth the action, giving it the quality it beares. Now because the intention, to be pure and simple, must have, as we have said, no regard but that of God the onely object of its action, a regard which seeks onely to please God, to accomplish upon the Earth and in Heaven his divine Ordinances, desiring no other estate then a bare simple subjection to his loving conduct, this is that we call regard of God, purity of intention.
To transgress this regard and purity of intention, is to forsake the Sun to go into darkness, to destroy the perfection and purity which makes an action truly Christian. We ought therefore to have continually in our heart the prayer of David, Turn away mine eyes, Psal. 119.34. least they behold vanity, as if he should say, Lord withdraw my thoughts and intentions, which are the eyes of my soul, that they may be removed from all Creatures, which are but vanity, to be employed on thee alone who art the Truth. We have reason to require this of God, for this purity of intention, this pure regard of God, is the most beautifull piece, the most behovefull to a Christian life, it is the onely mark that distinguishes night from day, darkness from light. In this point alone, the greatest part [Page 276] of Christians deceive themselves, taking the shadow for the substance, vanity for verity; this is it we must examine.
One of the greatest retardments that the soul finds in the way to perfection in any vocation or estate, is quitting the pure regard, and going out of the purity of intention to seek complacency and satisfaction in something out of God. By reason of that complacency and satisfaction the soul can never taste God, nor arrive at perfection. We need no other proofs of this, then the difference between pleasing God and the Creature, between the glory of God and our own satisfaction; they are two paths so contrary, that it is as impossible for them to subsist together, as truth and falshood, or bitter and sweet without corrupting. The soul who seeks her own satisfaction, to please her self in her self, or any other thing, is as far from pleasing God, as the Creature is from God. Wherein appeares the abuse of those, who make no scruple to do their actions in regard of the Creature, and have no desire but to please either themselves or some other.
Reason it self shewes us that those complacencies and self-satisfactions, are unworthy a heart that God hath created onely for his pleasure, consecrated to his glory and honour; of a heart I say, that God will possess, and [Page 277] shall possess God to all eternity. They are unworthy of God, opposite to the purity of his love. As God is pure in his entertainments, and jealous in his love, he never suffers such an evill, seeing it is not becoming his greatness to divide his glory and contentment, to mingle his honour with self-satisfaction and the complacency of the creature. The law of love forbids this division; we are obliged to love God with all our heart, that is, perfectly, for as he that loves well, cannot love two things; so he that will satisfie himself, and please the creature, cannot satisfie God, or conform himself to his divine will.
The state of Christianity teaches this purity: for if we are Gods, and love only for God, why then all these satisfactions? The soul that desires to be saved, must onely seek perfection, that is God; for true perfection consists in the possession and seeking of God, she must have no regard, but that of God, no other intention, but to please him. The Christian that pleaseth himself, and seeketh complacency in any thing besides God, does quite contrary, he turns from the will of God, to seek that of the creature, or to satisfie himself and loses the regard to God, (the most pure employment of his soul) to regard the creature, to take pleasure in it, and from that very time that he suffers himself to be transported [Page 278] with this imperfection he turns from God, to turn to the creature, which is the greatest misfortune that can befall a Christian. For turning to the creature, he makes himself unworthy the favours of heaven, and if he continue so, it will never be possible for him to taste God, or to possess the purity of vertue. If I yet, (saith St. Paul,) pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Gal. 1.10. The word complacency is of great extent, it comprehends all that is not God, nor of God, and includes also the gifts of God, naturall and supernaturall, of capacity and of grace, wherein it is never permitted to please our selves, or to seek our own satisfaction. The reason is, because God dispenseth not his gifts, that we should settle our selves upon them, or make them the objects of our love, or the subjects of our satisfaction and complacency. He gives them only, because he loves us, and would make us worthy of his regard, love, and favour: He gives them to make us capable to love and please him, such is the desire of God in this his liberality, whence we may thus argue: If God gives nothing but to obliege us to love and please him, it follows, that to use his gifts otherwise, be they naturall or supernaturall, is to overthrow his intentions, and to destroy his work; and it is a kind of Idolatry to regard the gift more then the giver. In brief, it is [Page 279] to make us unworthy of his favours, and to stop the course of his divine communications; and if we consider well, we shall confess, that it is the chief reason that oblieges God to withdraw his gifts and graces, and to turn away his eyes from us; whence we cannot expect less then a miserable fall, or to be abandoned of God, either for ever, or at least for a time. So fell Lucifer, so was the first man lost, and with him all humane nature. By the same fault many Christians are fallen from the state and capacity of grace, whereto God had elected them.
The world is astonished when it sees some fall into great enormities, others into afflictions intolerable, agitations dangerous, and insupportable desertions. We demand whence these evils proceed, who hath precipitated so many souls from the heighth of grace and perfection? We may say what we please, but assuredly, this proceeds not from the ordinary course, but onely because we regard nothing but our own satisfaction, and quit the regard of God and pure desire to please him, to regard the creature to satisfie our selves, and take pleasure therein.
If we weigh this offence, we shall find it a great undervaluing of God, an injury to his gifts; it is to hold unjustly the favours and graces of heaven, it is to put God beneath [Page 280] himself and the creature; Hence it happens to such souls, as at other times it hapned to the wise of the world, Rom. 1.21.24. who when they knew God, glorified him not as God, neither were thankfull; wherefore God also gave them up to uncleaness through the lusts of their own hearts. He will do the same to Christians, who after they have received so many gifts of God, regard rather the gifts then him, that gave them, and convert them to their own satisfaction, which is a greater crime before God then we imagine.
If it be not permitted to delight our selves in the gifts of God, nor to seek satisfaction therein, what shall we say of those who make use of them to enter into an esteem of themselves, and who glorifie themselves in the endowments which God hath bestowed on them? How shall we judge of those who so exceedingly please themselves, and who glorifie themselves in the capacity that God hath given them therein, in their exercises, in their vocation, in their happy estate, who cannot entertain themselves with any thing else? What piety can those souls have who are taken only with those that flatter and praise them, and believe none but those that esteem them, and study to give them all manner of satisfaction? They have all cause to fear, for assuredly, (continuing such) they shall never taste God or possess the spirit of true [Page 281] piety. Saint Augustine confesseth this with tears, saying, O Lord, I was putrified whilest that I took contentment in my self, and endeavoured to please the eyes of men.
Let us profit by these truths, remedy our abuses, and establish our selves in solid piety; let us lift up our eyes to heaven, and recollect what we have said; Let us consider that God alone is the centre and end of our souls, and that as the inclinations of all creatures tend to their centre, and the end drives and moves us to action, and is the rest and perfection of the work; so let us direct all our inclinations to God, and destroy all those that are contrary to him; since he alone is our end, let him be also our chief regard, our first intention, the only desire of our souls; Let us do all our actions according to our estate and vocation, as God shall give us the inspiration and means, but in doing them, let us regard nothing but God. Let us endeavour to have no other intention, but to do the work of God, to accomplish his holy will, to please and satisfie him in all things; Let us learn that God regards not whether we do little or much, so that what we do be conformable to his will, and worthy of his love. This is all can be required of those who seek Christian perfection, and would make themselves worthy to possess God in heaven.
CHAP. V. Of the care a Christian ought to have to do all his actions according to his vocation, and to maintain himself in the order and conduct of God.
NExt interiour dispositions necessary to Christian perfection, it is convenient to speak of the exteriour, to make our perfect Christian, see how he must comport himself to be perfect in all things. We have already spoken of the care, we must have to appear vertuous and exemplary and to walk uprightly, as the Apostle sayes, according to the truth of the Gospel. Next we have shewed how all his actions must be squared to the Law of God, Gal. 2.14. subject to his conduct, which is the Law of his divine inspirations. Lastly, we have proved, that to do actions worthy of God, and conformable to his sanctity and the state of Christianity, they must regard God, and have no intention but to please him. It remains that we shew what is the foundation of perfection, the most considerable in Christian piety, that is, how all our actions should be done according to our vocation.
The life of man is a circle that comes forth from God, and must return to God. God alone is the Principle of our being, of our life, [Page 283] and of our action, & as he is the beginning of them, so is he the end thereof. He is the Principle does all in us, he is our end, and recalls us unto himself, so that we have all of God, and are recalled back to God, for the creature bears a right capacity and inclination which can never be annihilated, which causes it to subsist, calls it back to it's God, there to adhere as to its repose and ultimate perfection.
Herein we find two things remarkable which belong to our subject; one, that God is the beginning of our actions, the other, that he is the end. He is the beginning of our actions, because there is no good in us which God does not; of him we have the motion, thought, and will to do well; he gives us the effect of it, and not only gives us the power to do it, but himself does it in us, so truely that he is more the Authour of a good work then we our selves, and according to the Prophet, we should say to God, Lord, thou hast wrought all our works in us. It is God, saith Saint Paul, that worketh in us, Isa. 26.12. both to will and to do, of his good pleasure; implying, not onely that God gives us his grace and good motions, Phil. 2.13. which joyned with our consent effect the work, but that by grace, God is in us after a new and speciall manner united to our souls which adhere to him, and by this union and adherence God fills the capacity which the soul hath to [Page 284] good and to vertue, and operates in her, and by her the action of vertue, but so, that it is he who operates more then we: We operate, saith Saint Augustine; but it is God who operates in us this operation. Thus is God the Author of our actions, and the beginning of them, whence it follows, that he is also the end of our being and operations; the end of our being, because he is the Creator thereof, for according to the order of nature, that which is the beginning of a thing is also the end thereof, and by the order that God holds in his loving operations, he cannot act, but he must be the end of his action, and as he is the beginning of the being, action and perfection of man, so is he the end thereof.
This Principle teaches us, that as God alone is the end of man, so he alone gives the meanes, and prescribes the order that he must keep to come to God his end. For as the Creature hath not power to draw it self from nothing, so hath it not the right to propose an end to it self, nor to prescribe to it self the order, way and meanes to come to this end; that appertains to God, who alone can give the being, propose the end, and prescribe the means. And when God hath prescribed the end and ordained the meanes thereto, yet cannot we follow the way, nor keep this order, if God himself doth not act in [Page 285] us, conduct us, and work in us what is necessary to attain our end, for he alone is the beginning of all our actions, he performs both the will and the deed, We are his Workmanship, saith St. Paul, (speaking of God) created in Christ Iesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, Eph. 2.10. that we should walk in them. Hereby the Apostle sheweth, that God hath regulated the life of man, ordained all his actions, prepared all the good works wherein he wills that he should employ himself, that it is God who does all in us, and that we are his workmanship, so all our safety consists in this, that God is our end, God alone hath ordained the meanes to arrive at our end; God alone must conduct and operate in us works necessary to that end whereto we are called. Herein consisteth all the happiness of a Christian, all the duty of our souls, whence all the piety, all the care we must have, consists in these three points, which contain the foundation of all the rest; to tend towards God continually, to continue in the order and conduct of God, and to entertain all the divine operations; to let God act, who conducts us in that order he hath established over us, and operates in us incessantly the works which he prepared from all eternity. In these three points, consisteth all the perfection of the life and actions of Christianity. Therefore we [Page 286] must take great care herein, though they are unknown to us, and their use appear difficult, yet we must endeavour to know them, and demand of God light and grace; we must follow them with fidelity, and embrace them with vigilancy in all things, even in the very least, for in what concerns God, his glory and will, nothing is little, all is great and inestimable. Here we must consider how we may be deceived in a subject so important, that we may avoid the snares prepared for us on all sides. All the evill that can befall us herein, comes either from the Devill or from our selves, and more from our selves then from the other, for we are the principall instruments of our own ruine. The Devill incited by his ordinary malice, being crafty, and having a thousand subtle wayes to annoy us, continually considers the wayes of God, over our souls, and by the little knowledge he hath thereof, can easily represent something of Gods Ordinance over us, of his designes and wayes to save us. Having considered these, he goeth about, he makes it his perpetuall business to persecute us, and precipitate us. The first effect of his malice is to ruine in us the works of God, and to shut our heart against the motions of grace; he particularly labours to divert us from the Ordinances of God, and to make us go out of the order and conduct [Page 287] which he knowes God hath established over us. He employes a thousand surprises to further his treachery; he makes use of our selves, of all the Creatures, which are as the wise man sayes, snares for the feet of fools, he offers us pleasure. In brief, his malice omits nothing that he can make use of to ruine us. To those souls that have a little desire of good, some fear of God, and who have made some progress in vertue, he redoubles his circumventions, and concealing his aim, does not represent to them either sin, the World or pleasure, for that would advantage him nothing, but he proposes change, he gives them divers desires, he inflames their hearts with fervours, and transported Devotions, he inspires them with other actions, with other exercises, with some other manner of living, which in appearance, carry's some great perfection, but look'd into narrowly all their motions and manners will prove to be nothing but deceit, and that the Devill strives but to engage the soul in a labyrinth and disorder. Those who ordinarily consent to this temptation, we find to be rash, inconstant, and easily drawn aside to quit their vocation, self-wil'd, adhearing much to their own judgement, disturbed in spirit, unquiet; in brief, they are full of perpetuall agitations, the marks and effects of a malignant spirit and temptation.
[Page 288]By these effects, we know that the Devill with all his subtleties, onely seeks to separate the soul from God and from the peace of the spirit, and to draw it from the order and conduct of God, that he might lead it as he would, knowing the soul being out of the order and conduct of God, is in danger, and altogether loseth her self, or else for some long time estrangeth her self from God. For it is a generall maxime, that we are nothing but what we are in God, and that going out of the order and conduct of God, we cannot but fall into evident danger, and pernicious disorder. And therefore one of the greatest cares the soul must have, is to beware of these secret crafts of the Devill to keep her self in the conduct and order of God, in what condition or vocation soever she be. For as the Devill labours onely to separate us from God our end and perfection, seeking continually to annihilate in us as much as may be the works of grace, and to draw us from the order of God, so must we be very vigilant to please God, to receive the effects of his grace, his divine operations, and to live in the order of God, according to our vocation and estate.
Not onely the Devill deceives us, and separates us from God, but also the love of our own selves, and our own Inclinations. This [Page 289] seed of sin which remains in us, is the principall Authour of our harm, and that which most violently drawes us from the order of God. The experience is but too ordinary, the reason evident; for the order that we ought to follow, is an order of grace, that advances us above our selves to God. Self-love depresseth man, and converts him wholly to himself, the order of God conducts him to unity, for God is unity: Self-love leads us into a Labyrinth; the works of God are alwayes pure, holy, and perfect, for God is alwayes like to himself, he operates in us purity and sanctity, for he hath chosen us that we should be holy and without blame before him, in love, Eph. 1.4. saith Saint Paul.
The love of our selves, destroyes the work of God, instills nothing into us but impurity and imperfection. By this love, Adam went out of the order of God, and forfeited the grace which God had given him. We do the same and worse, for by sin we are enclin'd to our selves and the Creature, we are brought to take that in our selves, and in the Creature, which we ought to take onely in God. Our pleasure, repose, abundance and all other good that we are capable of, which we ought to seek in God, and receive at his hands, we seek in our selves, and in the Creatures, separating our selves from God, who is [Page 290] our end, we draw our selves from his conduct, we annihilate in our selves all his divine communications and operations of grace, to turn to our selves and the Creatures. Grace and all the motions of God have no effect in our souls but to unite us to God, to draw us from our selves, and to separate us from all the Creatures, that we might no more love or regard them then according to God, and as much as they are in God. And the operation of God in us, drawes us so to God, as it makes us leave and hate, as much as is needfull, both our selves and the Creatures, so that we regard them not, but as they are Gods, and use them not but as if we had forsaken them, according to our Saviour's words, If any man come to me, Luke 14.26. and hateth not his Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brethren and Sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my Disciple.
CHAP. VI. What the Directors of souls ought to be.
FRom all that we have said, may be drawn two very considerable documents for those that seek their salvation. The first, that we must not willingly fill the soul with a [Page 291] multiplicity of desires, nor seek to do sometimes one thing, sometimes another, for all that is well, and all that is good, is not proper to every person, and although it seem good, yet is it not alwayes desirable. Some will say, we must have prudence to make choice, but we must express our selves more christianly or clearly, and say, that when any good is presented us to practise, we must lift up our eyes to Heaven, and demand of God, that he would be pleased to let us know what we should do, for to speak properly, there is not any good which is pleasing unto God, further then in that he takes pleasure that we should do his will, and suffer him to act, and that we persevere in the order whereto he hath predestin'd us. The Christian therefore who would assure his salvation, must be disposed to do all sorts of good works. His heart must be open to God, to receive all divine operations and holy communications; but when it is question'd to fettle him in the one exercise or the other, he must regard that which is conformable to his vocation, and above all, consider what is consonant to the state of Christianity, for he must more satisfie and regard himself as a Christian, then as a Gentleman, or Merchant, &c. he must offer himself to God, and do his will, and finally receive the motions God shall operate in his soul, and [Page 292] accordingly seek alwayes the glory of God, never minding his own particular advantage.
And in as much as great difficulties ordinarily happen herein, we take for a second document the necessity we have to ask counsel, and to take a Director, for this is an affair of very great consequence, seeing it acts towards the salvation of the soul. And the chief of this affair consists in conducting Christians in the wayes which God hath established to advance them to perfection worthy of the purity and sanctity of Christianity, and which may render them worthy of God, and capable to enter into the glory that God hath prepared for them to all eternity.
This conduct must not be indifferent, but the same with that of God. The Director must not guide after one manner, and God after another; for so the poor soul were lost, or tyranniz'd over. He that giveth counsel, must take heed that the matter he treats of have an immediate respect to the order and designs of God over our souls, and consider that he is upon either the ruine, or establishment of grace and works of God, a point of great consequence, which makes us see what they ought to be whom God hath established in so high an office, and who enter into so sacred a ministry.
[Page 293]He that will conduct and counsel a soul, must know the designes and conduct of God over this soul; he must consider the order God keeps to govern it, that it is great and hidden in God, that it is a secret to us, and that the soul cannot without much difficulty know it. It is necessary that he who conducts and counsells, be full of grace and light, that he strongly adhere to God, who is the Father of lights; otherwise, what knowledge or experience soever he may have, he will be deceived in the conduct. The more he shall be able and experienced, the more he shall be in hazard to deceive souls; for though knowledge and experience be necessary, yet must we not confide therein, much less presume thereupon; for God abhors the presumptuous, and forsakes those who are over-confident of themselves. In the conduct of souls, there must always be new succours from heaven, and new lights. He who would conduct or counsell another in that which concerns his conscience, must remember himself, that he is an Instrument of God, that he must not, either counsel or act in this soul, but what God will establish therein.
Moreover, he that conducts a soul, and who giveth counsel, must consider, that in truth and in conscience, he ought to have no other intention or desire, then to follow the [Page 294] very truth, to establish the Kingdom of God in the soul, to lead the soul to God, and to do in that soul, the work of God, according to the intention of God, and to establish nothing therein but what God will. For which reason he is obliged to labour much to the end that he may annihilate in the soul of any Christian whatsoever hinders the work of God, and kingdom of grace; and for his part, he must have a right intention and pure regard of God, not respecting or desiring any thing but his glory, seeking neither honour nor esteem, favour, nor advantage of those whom he conducts. And truly, if we consider what it is to conduct a soul in the design of God, and to conserve it in the order which God hath appointed it from all eternity, we shall see that it is no indifferent business, but the most noble and most important of all, and that we must apply our selves thereto, with exceeding great charity, with purity of intentions, and a zeal to Gods glory; for it is for this that principally they who conduct shall render an account.
Hence proceed the evil which falls out when those who conduct, lead and counsel souls negligently and with indifference, without endeavouring to find out what God requires of them, in what state or condition soever they be, and without troubling themselves [Page 295] to establish therein the Kingdom of God, and of his grace: and we see in what danger souls are, when they conduct them according to their own sense, or lead them by those wayes, give them the same exercises, form them by their own spirit, and which is worse, mold them to their own humour. We must proceed quite otherwise, for souls have different wayes, and are called to divers states of graces, as they are predestinated to divers degrees of glory; and consequently he must conduct them according to the designes of God, which he must endeavour to know, and according to their vocation, and he must comport himself in the conduct of every soul in the same manner, as if he did know from point to point the decrees which the eternall wisdom hath formed upon this soul, and all the particular wayes whereby God leads them.
To know things so secret and so hidden, it is needfull to have the spirit of God, to use much prayer, and to have a great purity of intention; I say, purity of intention: For he who takes upon him the conduct of souls, and will counsel and direct the consciences of men, must take heed that he follow not his own spirit, that he think not of his own interests, that he seek not his own satisfaction, and suffer not himself to be carried away with complacency [Page 296] and naturall motions and inclination. For in such a case, he may be assured, that it is no longer God that conducts the soul nor the Spirit of God that governs it, but it is the spirit of man, and by this manner of conduct he shall not establish the grace or kingdom of God, but the flesh, the kingdom of sin. He who conducts, holds the place of God, both in the soul, and in the conduct; so that this were to do great wrong to the grace, power and Majesty of God. If we say there is danger in the soul that conducts it self, that follows her own spirit, self-love, inclinations, humour and will, Eph. 2.3. which Saint Paul calls the desire of the flesh; we must also affirm that the danger is greater, when he who conducts suffers himself to be carried away with his own inclinations, and onely follows his own will and spirit. And if the Christian be obliged, as we have shewed, to seek nothing in all his actions but to please God; if he must have a particular vigilancy to establish the Kingdom of God in his soul, to cooperate with his work, and to remain in the order wherein he conducts him; with far greater reason, he who conducts a Christian soul in any profession or condition is obliged to have the same vigilancy, the same purity of intention, and regard of God, which he ought often to consider.
From all these truths we may easily comprehend [Page 297] how much they are deceived, who are guided by their own nature, according to the inclinations and motions of their own spirit, without considering what Iesus Christ demands of them, without any regard of the grace that God presents unto them, yea, without taking heed to the state whereto God hath called them. As likewise their error who can bear nothing but what is pleasing to them, nor agree with any but those that flatter them, and suffer them to live at their own pleasure, and who best accommodate them to their inclinations, desires, humours, and such things, which are but too too ordinary. All this is dangerous, and an evident mark that such souls seek not God, nor true vertue, but the satisfaction of their own spirit. You shall find their hearts void of God, full of self-love; their actions inconstant, their thoughts in continuall changings. In fine, they are nothing but disquiets, complaints and murmurings. Look upon their life and actions, it is but a pastime, unprofitableness, and the vanities of the age; and having considered it all, it will not be hard for you to know whether those souls have the fear of God and the knowledge of vertue, yet in appearance they make a great shew, & we know not whether is to blame, those who are conducted and directed or the Directors. But how ever it be, [Page 298] the Christian, who would be saved, must labour herein seriously, and neither fear pains nor mortifications, but seek to be conducted by the wayes that God hath ordained, and passing above all considerations, and all sorts of difficulties prove constant and complyant with the order that God hath established over him, he must every day renew his good resolutions, and pray to God to let him know and be acquainted with the designes he hath upon him, and give him grace in every point to follow them, and with fidelity to accomplish them. And seeing that his fidelity is now in question, and that it is altogether necessary to all Christians, it were but necessary we made some discourse of it.
CHAP. VII. Of the fidelity of the soul, and of its necessity in the wayes of grace, and the actions of a Christian.
TO speak of Fidelity, and to see how much it is necessary to all Christians, we must reflect upon the truths already proposed, and remember that man was created for God who is his end, that God alone can conduct him to this end, and that it is the [Page 299] same God who onely operates in him all the good works which are necessary to make him Gods, and to arrive at this end which is God. From these principles of truth, we enter into our subject, and presently see, that we have not any thing more important in this World, then to go to God, to co-operate with the works which God does in us to save us, and to accomplish with fidelity, that which he requires of us, and in the spirit and disposition that he desires, every one applying himself faithfully to the way that God proposes, and the works of his vocation, that the Priest live according to the perfection of his estate, the Christian as Christian, in brief, that all men live so as at the houre of death they may say with Iesus Christ, My Father, I have glorified thee upon the Earth, I have finish'd the work thou hast ordained me to do.
This fidelity which is absolutely necessary, must be in our soul from the time we were born. Though there were neither Heaven nor Hell, we are obliged to live according to the will of our Creator, what aversness soever the creature may have, it shall be allwayes subject to the order of God, either in the way of justice or mercy. If we would be saved, it cannot be, unless we co-operate with the works that God will do in us, unless we become faithfull to his graces, and follow [Page 300] the order that God hath prescrib'd, wherein he will conduct us to salvation, and therefore it concerns us more then we think, to take heed to the designes that God hath over us, and to the vocation whereto he hath called us, to the motions and inspirations he gives us, to make use with fidelity of the graces he offers, least drawing our selves from the order and offer of his mercy, we enter into that of his Iustice, and one day he say to us in the rigour of his determined Decree, as he said to his people, I will choose their delusions, and bring their feares upon them, because when I called, none did answer, when I spake, they did not hear, but they did evill in my sight, and chose that in which I delighted not. Isa. 66.4.
When we speak of the vocation and use we are to make of the graces and benefits of God we speak of Paradise; to despise them, is to neglect salvation. Therefore the Christian must consider what he does, as well in that which concerns the vocation he must choose, as in the use of the graces and favours he receives of God, seeing thereon depends all his happiness or misery; we must take heed we chuse not what God would not have us, nor despise what he would have us to embrace.
This point is the most important of all in a Christian life, yet is it a mystery the most secret [Page 301] of any in Christianity. The vocation of a soul is as much hidden as her election, which none can know or easily discern by her conduct. The wayes of God are as much elevated above ours, as Heaven above Earth, and yet (O wonderfull!) God wills that we follow his wayes, and none shall be saved, but according to the vocation whereto God from all time hath called him. What remedy? seeing on the one side necessity constrains us, and on the other the incertainty and obscurity deters us. O just God, God of all bounty, who shall enlighten us in this darkness? who shall resolve us in an affaire so doubtfull? who shall assure us amidst so many doubts? nothing but thy light O God, the onely refuge of our souls can conduct us, nothing but thy spirit can teach us, but thy truth can assure us, and but thy infinite mercy can protect us.
This lets us see in what danger they put themselves, who so long neglect the motions, graces and favours of God, and make such ill use of his benefits. From these truths we learn the esteem we ought to have of our vocation, and with what circumspection we must make choice thereof, and if we will make our selves worthy to receive of God the light and conduct necessary in an affaire of so great consequence for our salvation, it will be very [Page 302] profitable to enter into these following dispositions.
First, The Christian must have a pure desire of God, and a resolution to do in every thing his divine will, being from the bottom of his Heart wholly resigned to his will and conduct.
Secondly, He must have a great sence of his weakness, he must be in an estate of humility before God, not esteeming himself worthy or capable of any thing, for the humble shall never perish, and, as Esay saith, God looketh to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at his word. Esa. 66.2
Thirdly, He must renounce his own interests, and all his particular concernments, he must not regard his own safety, that he may have no object but the pure will of God, yet in such manner, that he who resolves to remain so faithfully and constantly in the order and designes of God, and proposes to make hereafter use of Gods gifts, graces and benefits, and regards not perfection, advancement, vertue, not Heaven it self, must not content himself with a thought to please God, (for alas, who is worthy thereof) but cleansing and purifying his intentions, thoughts and dispositions, he must onely regard God, and have a desire to be in the accomplishment of the will of God in him, without having other interest [Page 303] or intention then the good pleasure of God, In this disposition which is pure and Christian, the soul will never fail to feel the help of her God, for those who seek God with purity of heart shall be worthy to possess him.
In fine, we must pray to God continually, and in an affaire so important as is fidelity to grace, and the employment of our life, we must demand of God, and that instantly, his light to know what he would of us, his grace to accomplish it, his mercy and particular assistance to persevere in it, for he alone, who perseveres to the end, shall be saved, and we know that without the favour and assistance of God, we can do nothing.
After this, the Christian who will proceed further, and live Christianly, must be very vigilant to root up, take away, and annihilate all that may alienate him from God, and draw him from his divine conduct. He must alwayes have a watchfull regard of God, to make use with purity and fidelity of the graces and gifts he receives of him. I say fidelity, not one or other, but according to the amplitude and state of grace that God communicates to him, and with purity of love and esteem of God. For we are obliged not onely to be faithfull to grace, but also to the manner of grace, and to the extent of the operation of God in us. So that our fidelity and co-operation [Page 304] must be correspondent and proportionable to the designes of God. We may fail in fidelity, and destroy the work of God in us three wayes; in absolutely refusing the grace God offers, as when he said, I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; Prov. 1.24. or being unfaithfull, repressing all the grace we have of God like him in the Parable, Mat. 25.18. who hid his Masters Talent under ground; or lastly, we are unfaithful, not running out all the race of God, but onely a part, straying from him to apply our selves to our selves or the Creature, like him who desired he might take leave of his friends at home,Mat. 8 21. and see them before he followed Christ. These three states of infidelities, God severely punishes.Pro. 1.26. He abandons the first, and leaves them to their own conduct and counsels, protesting that he will mock them in the day of their affliction, that is, of their death. From the second, he takes away the Talent, and throwes them from before his face,Mat 25.28. confines them to that place of darkness, v. 30. whereof the holy Scripture makes mention, a place full of horrour and lamentation. Of the third, Christ saith, no man having put his hand to the Plough, and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God. Luke 9.62. Whence we may learn, how much the Christian must suffer, who leads a life which we call common, who endeavours [Page 305] onely to recreate himself, to deceive the time, and hath no care or leasure to consider what he does, or what may befall him for the small esteem he makes of God and his graces. He is assured that such souls must apprehend some great evill,Mat. 13.12. for whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance, but whosoever hath not, from him, shall be taken away even that he hath. These words shew the wrath of God to Christians, who make so little account of his Love, and receive his graces so indifferently, who, as the Apostle saith, count the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified, Heb 10.29. an unholy thing, and have done despight unto the spirit of grace; words that shew the need we have to be faithfull to God, and what a high crime it is to injure in us the spirit of God, to destroy his works, to annihilate his graces, and to prophane his gifts and benefits.
CHAP. VIII. Of Infidelity to grace, and how a man ought to live in his Vocation.
THe consideration of this great evil, which draws along with it the peril of our souls, obliges us to find out by what way, and after what manner we come to ruine, and extinguish the operations of God in us, and what the principall subject or object is that causes us to refuse his grace, and despise his love, who loves us more then his own life, seeing that Infidelity to the graces of God, is the onely evil of our soul; this must be a point of which we ought to advise: hereunto we must apply the greatest vigilancy of our life. To understand so necessary a Doctrine, we are onely to consider grace in it's essence, and regard what God intends to do in us by his gifts and operations: we have spoken of it elsewhere, but we will briefly repeat it upon the present subject.
God by his love, operations, and grace gives himself to us, and possesseth us; he wills that we be wholly his as he is ours, he is in us, and lives in us, that we may live in him, and by an excessive bounty, elevates us to the participation of his divine essence, and associates us [Page 307] to all his divine greatness. For this he created us, and hath given us the capacity to love him, and in loving him, to possess him; and all that he doth in us, all the graces that he gives, are to no other end, but to accomplish all this in us. This therefore being granted, we shall find, that all the motions of grace and operations of God must produce two things in us; one to draw us from our selves, and separate us from the creature; the other, to draw us to God, to give us to God, and to make us one with him.
Behold in few words, the being of grace, and designs of God. This being considered, it will be easie for us to see and know that we annihilate the graces of God and his works, when we remain to our selves, and adhere to our selves, and embrace the creature; for in this doctrine of piety, we must say, that as grace separates us from our selves and the creatures, and unites us onely to God, so we separate our selves from God, and destroy his work when we are our selves, and adhere to the creature, and consequently we are less Gods, the more we are our own; so that to ruine the work of God, and annihilate his grace, is nothing else, but to be our selves, to adhere to the creature, to follow our own inclinations; in a word, to love our selves. This is a powerfull truth, which should beget in our [Page 308] hearts hate and horror of our selves, and detestation of all creatures, seeing the only cause of our loss and love of our selves is the onely Instrument of our ruine. This truth we should have alwayes before our eye, to put us in mind of the danger it is to follow our own appetites, inclinations and wills, to adhere to the complacency, esteem, and love of the creature. For it is certain, the more we love our selves, the more we are divided from God; the more we follow our own wills and inclinations, and adhere to the creature, the more we destroy in us the works of God, and annihilate his gifts and graces. This is an evil that cannot be sufficiently deplored, since that for the regard of the creature, we lose the regard of God, to love a thing of nothing, we ruine in us the love of God, and for a wretched and miserable thing like our selves, the brood of sin, and the food of death, we destroy in us the works of God, and the effects of his love. Briefly, to adhere to our own wills, inclinanations and sentiments (Oh who can speak it without a torrent of tears?) we separate our selves from God, and draw our selves from the order and designes of the eternall wisdom. Truly we ought to weep, and weep tears of blood, when we consider the weak condition of man. What? this Man, who is capable of God, who hath right to possess God [Page 309] and to be by grace what God is by nature, immortall, eternall, perfect, and to possess an entire and eternall rest, and a fulness of all good, a true solid and permanent good, for him I say, (O misfortune of humane nature, and weakness of our spirits!) to renounce all his happiness, and lose his God, and in him all things, to follow his own disorder'd inclinations, to do his own corrupt will, and to please and adhere to the creature, which is nothing but vanity, to enjoy a fleeting transitory good. He must neither have heart nor faith, that cannot grieve at this our blindness, nor apprehend an evil so common and deplorable; he must be more obstinate then Pharao, that would not draw his soul out of this darkness, and deliver it out of this captivity, to set it at liberty, to go to serve and adore the true God, and quit the Leeks and Onions of AEgypt: Psal. 55.6. O that I had wings like a Dove, for then would I fly away, and be at rest; lo, then would I get me away afar off, and remain in the wilderness. O Iesus, who art our Deliverer, break these bonds that bind us, and permit not the weakness of our wills, and malice of our spirits, to oppose the power of thy grace. My Iesus, the only light of our souls, who camest into the world to enlighten those that walk in the shadow of death, come and defer no longer to give life and liberty to those whom thou hast chosen to be thy children.
[Page 310]But let us put a stop to our zeal and not be transported with the motions and resentments of this just grief. Let us rather remedy the evil, and see what we must do to be faithfull to God, and to do that which he would have us. First, the Christian must take his vocation of God, and not of men; for as we have formerly said, God only hath power to ordain all things, and it is the greatest mark of his Omnipotency for himself to choose and ordain the lives and actions of all men, and principally to give to his Elect, and to propose to them the way and light whereby he will perfect them in the state of grace, and conduct them to the enjoyment of the glory he hath prepared for them. So said Iesus Christ to his Apostles and Disciples, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, Jo. 15.16. and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; shewing it is he alone that calleth us, and employs us in the actions for which we were created.
When therefore the Christan is at the point to make choice of his vocation, he must ask it of God, and regard only God in his desire, and to render him capable of so important a grace, he must make an entire & true resignation and annihilation of his will, and of the use of his liberty, and neither have choice of liberty or will in any thing that concerns him, as [Page 311] having no will but that of God, leaving to God alone the power and care to choose, ordain and establish all according to his holy wil, considering nothing therein but the pure glory of God, and reserving a desire to accomplish what God by his good pleasure hath ordained him, proposing to do all that he should know to be the will of God.
Secondly, when the Christian is in a settled estate and profession, then he must live according to the spirit and grace of his estate and vocation, and apply himself wholly to God in the use and wayes proportioned to his estate, wherein consists the ground of the souls fidelity. To comprehend this advice, we must know that in the life of every one, there are considerable two estates; one generall, which is common to all the state of Christianity; the other particular, which consists in the condition he professes in the world. The perfect Christian, who would be faithfull to God, must first have a care to agree with the state and grace of Christianity, the most noble of all professions of men, and the ground whereon we must of necessity raise the whole edifice of Perfection, in what condition soever a man be. For what is a man the better for being a perfect and an accomplish'd Gentleman, and a wicked Christian? to what end serves it to be excellent in some condition and estate? [Page 312] to seem good in some vocation? to be esteemed of men, and to satisfie ones own conscience, if in truth, and before God he be not perfect in the state of Christianity? He must then be a perfect Christian before he seek or think to be perfect in any other condition or estate. And therefore the first thing he ought to do, who would be faithfull to God, must be to live, according to the Laws, maxims, and according to the grace of Christianity, in such a manner, that he may strive to accomplish and become faithfull in all that is taught and required in this estate, with such purity and sincerity, that he neglect nothing, but make account of all that is in Christianity. For, as we say, there is nothing little in Religion, but all in it is great, all is here to be esteemed, and all is here of importance to him who will live perfectly in such an estate: so in the state of Christiany, we must esteem all; and he that will be a perfect Christian, must make account of all that is proposed in Christianity, when he is in this estate, he must study to perfect himself in the particular profession he takes upon himself, be it in the world, or out of the condition of seculars.
Thirdly, the soul seeing her self in a profession and vocation, must wholly apply her self thereto, so as if there were no other, and although she esteem of all other vocations, [Page 313] of all the wayes whereby God guides his Church and Christians, yet must she onely apply her self to her vocation, and step onely in the way and conduct of God, being without taste and voluntary knowledge of all others, as not being willing to make use of any way, but this that God hath ordained for her, whereto she is called. By this practise, the soul remains in her unity of application, and begins to be in the perfect adherence of the Spirit of God. To live faithfully in those wayes wherein she believes God will conduct her, she will be carefull to employ all her power to destroy and annihilate her self into God in those wayes wherein he governs her, without thinking of any other, resigning her self wholly to God, that he by his divine power, secretly and intimately operate in her a true annihilation, which separating her from her self, and all things, shall perfect her, and put her into a capacity of God, that is, shall render her worthy and capable to bear God, and be filled with him, who from thenceforth will be all in all in her by grace and love, (which is the condition of the Saints in the state of glory) yet after a manner proportioned to the baseness of earth. The Christian living in this faithfull application, shall not want the favour of God, and motions to draw him more and more to [Page 314] God, and to make him perfect. Let us now see how he must comport himself in the exteriour use of all things.
CHAP. IX. How the Christian ought to comport himself in the exteriour use of all things.
IT is a point of great consequence in the life of a Christian, to take heed to the use and seeking after of exteriour things, for besides that he must shun as Hell whatsoever is of sin, and abstain from all that displeases God, it is also necessary to see how he comports himself in exteriour things, though lawfull. Every employment out of God diverts us from him, if we be not ready and formed in the exercise of true piety, and conducted by the spirit of truth. 1 Cor. 10.23. All things are lawfull, but all things are not expedient, saith St. Paul, signifying that all that is lawfull is not alwayes good to do, and that for divers circumstances, a man must retain and deprive himself of that which is permitted.
In the use and acquisition of exteriour things, even of those that appear lawfull, we may fail in divers manners, for the employment diverts us from God, the use and possession [Page 315] brings care upon us, and the adhering to them divides us from our selves, and makes us divide them with God, and as it is in the Parable many refuse to go to the Marriage, Matth. 22. and to the heavenly Banquet whereto they are invited, that is, they refuse the graces and Heaven it self, because they turn themselves to the Creature. Some, saith Iesus Christ, go to their possessions and farms, Luke 14.18. others employ themselves in their affaires, some to buy, others to sell, and busying themselves in these occupations, think no more of Heaven, or, if they have thoughts or desires of it, they are stifled in the confusion of affaires. So that if God offer them graces, and cause them to feel good motions, either they refuse them, or think not seriously of them. Thus they extinguish in themselves the resentments of their salvation, the esteem of God, and by little and little, make themselves insensible of the graces and favours of Heaven. This evill is whereinto they fall in employing themselves too much in things which appear lawfull, and whereof they have not any fear. But the Son of God adds these dreadful and menacing words, that none of those men which were bidden, v. 24. shall taste of my Supper; words worthy to be weighed, and examined by Christians, which make us to know sufficiently, what circumspection we must have in [Page 316] the use and exercise of exteriour things, seeing they are capable to make us lose, and neglect his graces and vocation.
There is no example more clearer to demonstrate this truth, then the fall of Lucifer and Adam, who fell from the heighth of perfection and grace, to turn to themselves and the Creature; and because they had a will to contemplate and employ themselves in their own perfection, they were withdrawn from beholding God, and lost themselves in searching into themselves, and in the Creature, that which they ought to lay hold of, and seek in God alone. And to this day, sin is committed onely, because the soul is diverted from God, and converted to the Creature, and seeks in the Creature for her own particular interest and satisfaction, what she ought to seek onely in God and for God.
Hence we may easily conjecture the hazards which happen, and the failings which they commit, in the use and research of the Creatures, and for as much as it is the snare wherein all souls are intrapped, it is necessary to beware of it, and cause all men to see it. See then in particulars, how a man ought to comport himself.
First, The Christian who will live perfectly in any estate or profession, must have a care above all things, to do nothing that may displease [Page 317] God, for this motive is the touchstone of true perfection, the foundation and principle of solid vertue, and consequently, absolutely necessary for a Christian. For if, as we have elsewhere said, he must do all for the good pleasure of God, he must also by the same consequence, take need of doing any thing against the pleasure of God. In this advice, there are two things to be considered, very important to Christian Piety, one when it is said we must have a care to do nothing, sin nor any thing which displeaseth God; in these words, we must learn, that this care is absolutely necessary, so necessary, that it is the onely care wherein a Christian ought to live. For the soul which must do nothing to displease God, and detests all that may displease him, shall never fail to be acceptable to his divine eyes, who contemplating her in this purity, will love her, loving her will possess her, possessing her will inrich her with his gifts and graces, according to his divine will and designes. Therefore in the acquisition of true and solid piety, we must not study so much to do as to take away, nor labour so much to acquire and act, as to devest our selves, and do nothing displeasing to God.
The other point is, when we say that we must do nothing to displease God; by this advice, we shew what the duty of the soul is, [Page 318] that will live in Christian purity, which consisteth in that she is obliged to regard God, and the good pleasure of God in all her actions. The reason of this duty is grounded in that we are not for our selves, neither our life nor actions, but we are for God, by consequence we must employ our life, actions, and selves for God. For this reason, God demands an account, even to the least moment of our time, unto the least thought of our heart, the slightest word of our tongue, and to the smallest action of our life. In brief, he will demand an account of our selves from our selves, because that we being not our own but Gods, we must employ our selves all for God, for his good pleasure and glory. He that will examine the precept of love, will ingeniously confess that which we say, for we cannot love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and withall our strength, but in seeking to please him in all things, even the least, much more in those which we call indifferent, though in truth they are not so, as we shall shew hereafter.
Secondly, The Christian must avoid in his actions, the multiplicity and confusion which occurs ordinarily in affaires, even in those which are good and appear charitable, and above all, he must exempt himself from that which concerns him not, and is not of his [Page 319] office, nor suitable to his profession and vocation, and especially those which are above his capacity and power. This advice is to be weighed and cleared, for the most serious may be deceived, and the most zealous may lose themselves in their occupations; by this way the Devill withdrawes away many souls from vertue and the purity of their vocation. It is easie for us to be lost in this snare, if we have not a pure regard of God, and a continuall vigilancy, we fall ordinarily into this evill. Sometimes a false zeal of charity transports us, sometimes we are seduced by complacency, sometimes by curiosity and our own inclination, which is much given to change and variety, and takes pleasure in all that it employes it self in, busies it self therein with much content, fastens it self thereto, insomuch, that the soul becomes at last so disordered that she finds no more repose in her spirit, no more attention in her self, but feels her self wholly estranged from God, even in the most holy exercises of her vocation. Being in this condition, she is disquieted, and this disquiet causes a distaste and alienation from vertue, whereupon losing the reins, she more and more abandons her self to exteriour things, and infallibly loseth her self, if she have not a care to withdraw her self in good time, and if God preserve her [Page 320] not, and behold her with the eye of mercy. The soul therefore that seeks perfection, and the inward peace of the heart, must be vigilant herein, and not suffer her self to be inconsiderately transported under any pretence whatsoever, for it concerns her salvation.
The state of true love and grace, alwayes withdrawes the soul from all multiplicity, and separates her from all things; for so much as she hath of love and grace, so far is she separated and estranged from the Creature, and the more she is to God, the more she flyes and detests all things else; the more grace raigns in her, the more it separates her from her self and the world. Self-love drawes us to the Creature, and involves us in a multiplicity; on the contrary, the love of God separates us from the Creature, and puts us into unity. This most true principle, may serve us as a plummet to sound the depth and interiour of the soul, He who is subject to grace, and hath but any pure love, needs not to be perswaded to this, because the love of God and grace, makes him hate, fly, and detest both the World and the affaires of it, and assuredly, he will shew it by the effects, for he cannot do otherwise. Whence it will be hard to approve the opinion of those, who would be truly devout, and perswade themselves they [Page 321] have true Christian piety, yet charge themselves with cares, with affaires and trouble perplexing themselves in thoughts, desire, and bringing about divers designes. To convince and enlighten them if they be capable, we must resume our principle, and onely say to them, that the love of God speaks unity, and the love of our selves multiplicity.
Thirdly, There are many actions necessary in many affaires wherewith we cannot dispense for that they are necessary, and wherein our nature and spirit may be satisfied and content. But we must renounce this pleasure and content, for God must have all our actions, and to do Christianly and purely, we must do it onely for his good pleasure, so that if we mingle with it other pretences or contentments, it is not purely for God, but we share with God, and we rob him of all that part that we take therein. But if the actions we do be naturall, as to eat, sleep, and the like, we must not fulfill them by the instinct and appetite of nature, which forces us to satisfie both her necessity and pleasure, but we must perform them out of a pure desire to do the will of God, which obligeth us to this necessity; this desire must be exclusive, as to any other instinct and will. For in actions naturall and necessary, there is great difference between the rule and end of the action ▪ [Page 322] The rule is humane and naturall, the end must alwayes be supernaturall, as for example. We do some necessary act, as to eat, sleep, or the like, the necessity is the rule, but God must be the end of this action, for he is the end of all the actions of man, both free and necessary, and we are obliged to direct all our actions to their supernaturall ends, it is the advice of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, let all be done to the glory of God. This truth is most evident, for if God were not the end of such actions, it must necessarily be, that man himself is the end thereof, which would be a kind of Idolatry and errour to affirm. We must then conclude and say with the Apostle, Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, Col. 3.17. do all in the name of the Lord Iesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. In all lawfull actions, therefore we must regard the rule and the end of necessity, which must be no other then the good pleasure and pure will of God. But if in these actions there should happen some displeasure, as if they should be contrary to our Honour, or if they be full of bitterness, then we must couragiously embrace them, and with an affection and love ready for the displeasure which might happen, offering our selves to God to be filled with bitterness, as often and as long as it shall please his divine Majesty; So in all [Page 323] the actions of man wherein he may take pleasure or displeasure, in what manner soever they are, we may frame three acts. The first is an act of obedience, making such an action very naturall and necessary by submission and obedience to the pure will of God, who hath ordained all things after the best manner that best pleaseth him. The second is of abnegation, renouncing the pleasure, or accepting the displeasure which may be therein. The third of resignation, giving our selves up to the will of God, to be in a continuall suffering of displeasure, if it shall so happen, and that for as long, and in what manner it shall please God; For the soul must have no will but to accept the will of God.
Fourthly, we may fail, yet in the use and research of things, not onely lawfull, but also vertuous, by adherence and inclination thereto. It is a fault ordinary enough, and which we must avoid, because our soul must be free and not tyed but to God onely and to his pure will. For as we ought to do nothing but for God, and by the Spirit of Iesus Christ, which is the true and onely spirit of Christianity; so we must not act by our own inclinations or passions. Whence they are deceived, who employ themselves in those actions which they are most inclin'd to, and shun those they fear, and embrace most willingly [Page 324] the occupations and exercises whereto their inclination carrries them. Thus we see some have an inclination to exterior penitence, others to compassion, and some to penance; one is prone to the love of things regulated, another is pleased with solitude, and the like. And we know that ordinarily, every man follows the motions, and most willingly chooses the manner to live according to his inclination. It is a great advantage and gift of God, to have received a good soul, as the Wise man saith; but to embrace the good, and do it's actions, because the inclination or passion carries us thereto, though they be good, this is not to act Christianly; on the contrary, this is to live bruitishly, for beasts follow their passions; or at best, to act but humanely, when the inclination is conformable to reason. He therefore that wil do a Christian action, must take a supernaturall principle, which is grace, and never do his actions, because passions and his inclinations carry him thereto, but onely because it is the will and order of God upon him, and because such actions are acceptable to God.
Thus he that will live Christianly, must never undertake any thing which he believes is not the will of God; if he do any good action, he must do it for God; if he choose a manner of life, he shall regard God onely, and [Page 325] strive to do only what is most perfect in him, most conformable to the life and actions of Iesus Christ, and most contrary to his own inclinations and naturall affections. But if he find himself in doubt, or perplexity, and if he desire to judge his actions, his resentments, and intentions, to know if they be good, and truly Christian, then shall he have recourse to Iesus Christ, who is the chief truth and rule of our lives and actions; he shall demand light of him, and taking Iesus Christ for the object of his life, and the truth for his rule, he shall consider whether his intentions and actions be conformable to the truth, whether they be like to those of the Son of God, whether he act in the perfection and purity that God demands of him according to his vocation, and conformable to the sanctity of the estate of Christianity. The Christian living in this manner shall become acceptable to God, shall arrive at the perfection which God requires of him, and shall do all his actions with the purity he ought, which is the Principall point of a Christian life.
CHAP. X. Of Sufferings, and the esteem we ought to have of them.
TO act, and to suffer, are the two estates of the life of man, and like two Pillars, sustain him. He that will live perfectly, must know the use of the one as well as the other; as he must act Christianly, so must he suffer Christianly, that is, holily, and in a manner, worthy the estate of Christianity. This is that which we have left to examine, and is the last draught of the Picture of a perfect Christian. We have already spoken of his foundation, of his interiour, of the purity of his actions; it remains that we treat now of his sufferings. This is a point which we must look upon as the most essentiall in Christianity; for suffering is the first state which a Christian must expect, and wherein he is to continue. We are born in sufferings, we live in solitude among temptations, and shall die in pain. It is the portion of humane life, the most ordinary food of our souls. It behooves us therefore to know how to make use and profit thereof. He hath made a great progress in perfection who can suffer, and bear [Page 327] couragiously all that can befall him, such a one God owns as a friend. Fire tries gold and silver, but men are tried in the Furnace of humiliation. Here the fidelity of our soul appears; for the Christian ought to follow Christ as willingly to mount Calvary, as to mount Thabor. In brief, here the purity of our actions and intentions do best appear what we do of our selves, be it in penitence, good works, or otherwise, is for the most part full of our own spirit, and evil, it follows our inclinations, it is in regard of our selves, and our own Interests proportioned to self-love, and for the most part concerns our selves. But in all that happens to us, we shall find nothing but God, if we know how to lay hold of him, when he puts forth his hand unto us.
To learn so good and profitable a Doctrine, we must propose these truths for a foundation. First, if we consider God, as soon as his wife providence embraced all the world, his divine eyes surveigh'd all things, his infinite wisdom ordained the whole; and his wisdom, sayes the Wise man, stayes in his force from one end to the other, and sweetly disposes all things, Wisd. 8.1. and he not onely ordains and disposes all, but he makes all the good and the evil, life and death, poverty and riches come from God. Now, the works of God are holy, his will is [Page 328] just, his decrces equitable, his ordinances amiable, and above all things we must adore and seek his good pleasure. What remains then, but that we receive all things from the fatherly and loving hand of God, that we kiss the hand that strikes, since it is the hand of God, that we bear with an humble and quiet submission all events, be they painfull or easie, good or bad, prejudiciall or profitable? and we must entertain them not onely with an equality of spirit, and inward peace, but with respect and essence, as coming from God, nothing being done but by his order. It is just we should esteem this conduct as the conduct of God, and subject our selves to it, not onely with patience, but with respect and honour, for all that comes from God, must be highly esteemed. Souls that live enlightened by faith, and walk with the spirit of truth, hold it a great honour, and much esteem sufferings, as being the work of God, and the effects of his will, which we ought to honour and esteem, as well in sufferings as in quiet, in privation, as well as fruition, in evil, as in good; for in all, it is the will of God, a will adorable, to be esteemed above all the world, a will more worthy then the life and salvation of all mankind. We must not regard the evils and sufferings in themselves, but we must consider them in the will of God; There we shall see what [Page 329] they are, and the esteem that God makes of them. Iesus Christ wills his Apostles, speaking to them of sufferings, to receive them without fear, and with esteem, and wills, that they be unto them sweet and pleasing;Luke 12.4 Because, saith he, the hairs of your head are numbred, and not one of them shall fall to the ground without the will of your Father: He said, that God is our Father, to engrave in our hearts a respect, confidence, and love; He sayes, that our hairs are numbred, and that he keeps an account of them to perswade us, that Gods care of us is great, and that he hath a care of us, even to the least things. In brief, he saith, that a hair shall not fall to the ground without his order, to shew that all the losses, privations, sufferings, all events, loss of goods, of honour, of life, happen not but by the order of God who is our Father.
What greater reason to esteem sufferings, and to conduct our souls to peace and repose amidst the perplexities of the world, then the assurance of Iesus Christ? It is enough for a Christian (if he be a Christian) when Iesus Christ sayes to him, Fear not, for a hair shall not fall to the ground without your Father; how full of love and consolation are the words of Saint Paul to the Ephesians; Eph. 4.1. I beseech you that you walk worthy the vocation wherewith ye are called: The Reason he adds; There is [Page 330] but one Lord, one faith, one Baptisme, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. These words are sufficient to establish us christianly in the spirit of suffering, and to make us to bear all with sweetness, peace and tranquillity of spirit, even with esteem and respect. We need no other object for our eyes, nor other thought in our heart, but there is but one Lord, this Lord is God, this God is our Father, this Father is above all. In these words we shall learn in what respect, subjection and esteem we ought to be in all the contrarieties and sufferings of humane life.
Secondly, We may look upon the state of Christianity, and examine what is the essence of the true spirit of piety; we shall find that sufferings is the principall, its life, and its continuance, and its maintenance. My Son, sayes the wise man,Eccles. 2.1. going to the service of God, keep thy self just and in fear, and prepare thy soul to temptation, adding, Take all that shall be imposed on thee, suffer pain with patience and humility. St. Paul more clearly describes this, when speaking of the persecutions he had suffered,2 Tim. 3.12. he adds, And all those also, who will live godly in Iesus Christ, shall suffer persecution, which must be understood of all sorts of sufferings, both inward and outward. For the life of a Christian, is no other [Page 331] then the life of Iesus Christ, the spirit of Christianity. This is the spirit of Iesus, or in the common phrase, the spirit of grace. Jesus was alwayes in humiliation, and sufferings; he loved from all eternity, seeing that from all eternity he was resolved to be man; he is reinvested therein becoming man, humiliation and sufferings were the centre of his life. It is enough to honour pains, humiliation and sufferings, to say that Iesus Christ hath born them; and as the Christian must be the image of Iesus Christ, so must he bear with Iesus Christ all sorts of commotions, pains, humiliations and sufferings.1 Cor. 15.49. As we have born the earthly Image of the earthly Adam, let us also bear the image of the heavenly, saith the Apostle, meaning that we must reinvest us with his Vertues, that our life may be an express image of his life, which appearing alwayes in desertions, lowness and sufferings, so ours must be but the same state of sufferings. What honour is it to a Christian to weare the Livery of Iesus Christ? what happiness to follow his steps? we are his members, he is our Head; were it not a shame to see the body decked with flowers, bathed in delights, and the head crowned with Thorns? we are his Brethren, and must possess one heritage with him; is it not reason then that we should be like him, and imitate his conflicts, if we would participate [Page 332] of his Triumphs? We are co-heires with Iesus Christ, Rom 8.17. saith the Apostle, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. Whatsoever it be, the Sonne of God hath so ordered it in Christianity, that he that will follow him, must renounce himself, and take up his Crosse. They are deceived, who think to attain true piety with delights, who refuse all sorts of pains and mortifications, who take care for peace, repose and health, who onely study to frame to themselves an easie life; and seek for ease in their labours, and quiet in their spirits, and think thereby to make a great progress in perfection. No no! vertue walks onely amongst the thorns; and amidst the travails of the spirit of flesh, and the vices of the world. She must tame her self by watchings and mortifications; and the happiness of a Christian is onely in the Crosse. It is the Livery of the Children of God, the mark of their election, the Plummet of their fidelity, and the onely way of Heaven; for saith St. Paul, We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations. Acts 14.22.
The third reason is, that the grace of Christianity can operate no other effect then annihilation and suffering, for to be in grace, is to be subject to graces, and to be in the Kingdom of grace, that is to be in the Crosse. For so much as the soul hath of grace, so much she [Page 333] must have of the Crosse. The Fathers of the Church call the life of a perfect Christian, a hidden Martyrdom, which is easie to conceive, if we consider that the spirit of Christianity consisteth in a crucifying love, a love like that of the spouse, Cant. 5.8. who cryes, I charge you O ye Daughters of Ierusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him, that I am sick of love, love which pierceth the soul, which transports and transforms it into its object Iesus; love which combates sufferings, and triumphs over death. Behold this combate of love. God loves us, gives us his love, makes us suffer to prove the faithfulness of our love; the soul that suffereth because she loves, willingly throwes her self into sufferings, and defies all labours, that in her sufferings she may express her love. Iesus did so at the evening of his death, when he went to sacrifice himself upon the Altar of the Crosse, when he said to his Apostles,Joh. 14.31. To the end, the World may know that I love my Father, and do as he hath commanded me, arise and let us go hence, whence he went to the Garden of Olives, to deliver himself willingly into the hands of his enemies: where he shewed that love was the cause of his sufferings, his sufferings the marks of his love. Howsoever it be, to be a Christian, and not to love God, cannot stand together, and to love God, and not to suffer is impossible.
[Page 334]The spirit, and the proper grace of the state of Christianity, puts us into this necessity; for the first and most inseparable effect of the grace of Christianity, is to destroy in us the old man, and to crucifie him, there to make the new man to live, who according to the Doctrine of the Apostle, is no other then Iesus Christ, and we know that grace must necessarily destroy our evill inclinations, and Iesus Christ will purifie and consume, after the manner that he pleases, and as much as he will, the being and life of Adam, who is in us, there to establish a being and a life of God. Now this cannot be but by sufferings, by subversions, and by a long and painfull death, and therefore the Master of Christians said to the Galatians, Those that are of Iesus Christ have crucify'd the flesh, Gal. 5.24. the sins, the passions and concupiscenses, shewing that those who are Gods, and in the Kingdom of grace, are crucify'd, and must necessarily be in the state of sufferings and subversions. And immediately after, he tells us, that we are Christians and Children of God, not onely to live in this estate, but withall, by a necessity so absolute, that we may say, that those who are belonging to Iesus Christ, are known to be such, because they have crucified and mortified their flesh and passions, more then those who have not mortification, and who avoid and neglect it, and therefore belong [Page 335] long not to Iesus Christ. The conclusion is manifest in St. Paul, who said, If any of you have not the spirit of Iesus Christ, Rom. 8.9. he is none of his. Now this spirit is no other then the spirit of sufferings, subversions, contrarieties, oppositions and the Crosse, and therefore he that will be Iesus Christ, must resolve to suffer, and though he be not oblig'd to demand it of God, yet he must embrace it with esteem, and receive it with love and courage, when it befalls him, for that it is necessary to establish him in vertue.
Hence we may see what deceipt is crept into Christians, who making profession of some piety, instead of profiting by sufferings, and receiving them with esteem have no greater care then to exempt themselves from them, seeking nothing but their own inward and outward content, and labouring to live in a satisfaction and repose of spirit, they fly all sorts of pains, and remove themselves as much as they can from all trouble, be it never so little, and renounce and avoid all occupations and occasions that may mortifie them, and if they cannot help themselves, nor find any remedy, then there is nothing but vexation of spirit, murmuring in their hearts, impatient in their words, and excessive in their plaints, suffering themselves to fall into a dulness and weakness, unworthy a Christian. [Page 336] To live so as to become uncapable of any solid vertues is the mark of a heart which is not Gods, and of a soul which loves but it self. Let us then hearken to the decree of Iesus Christ, Joh. 12.25. He that loves his life shall lose it, and he that hates his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternall.
CHAP. XI. How the fear of suffering drawes us from the way of perfection.
HAving in describing the way to perfection, shewed the obstacles therein, it will not be necessary to speak farther of it, were it not that the subject of sufferings obliges us thereto. Hitherto we have seen how all that is of Adam, and of the life of Adam, hinders us from pleasing God, for man as the Child of Adam is the child of wrath, the object of divine Iustice, degraded from all favours; his fall is so deplorable, that he is uncapable of raising himself up to God his supernaturall end, if not aided by grace, and if he were not engrafted in Iesus Christ, as the stock into the vine, and lived not his life, which is a life of grace, a life that the Apostle calls the life of the spirit, Rom. 8.8. for they that are in the flesh, cannot [Page 337] please God, and the works of the flesh are called in the Scripture, Heb. 6.1. dead works. Now if we contemplate this world in the curse of sin, we shall find that all creatures have conspired against us, that the aire is full of our enemies, that all things may be the instruments of our ruine, wherefore our obstructions in the way of perfection are infinite, but the greatest are in us, and of our selves.
One of the greatest is, a fear to suffer pains, an apprehension of shame and confusion. For commonly, we stand in fear of crosses and travails, self-love causing us to shun all that humbles us, making us to fly what ever is low, and hindring us from embracing any thing that is difficult. This fear is a great obstacle to vertue, which cannot be attain'd but by travel, nor preserv'd but by viglancy, nor perfected but in humility and privation; it is the common resentment of all men. We see also by experience, that he who fears labour and suffering, often fails of goodness, and willingly renounces it, when he finds any trouble to conserve it. He easily quits the rudder when he sees the least storm of temptation, or opposite action arise, and rather then suffer humiliation, he will quit vertue, and if there be occasion, renounce his portion of Paradise, rather then the pleasure and content he takes in doing his own [Page 338] will, rather then his own quiet and repose. We see the greatest part of Christians dare not enter into consideration of their lives past, nor reflect seriously on their sins, nor think of death, or future estate of the soul, meerly by reason of fear to suffer sorrow for their sins. That they may not be sensible of the apprehension they ought to have of God's Iudgements, they will not so much as think thereon. Hereupon they persevere in their malice, and remain finally obstinate in their sins, living in ignorance of things necessary to salvation; so true it is that the least fear of pains withdraws them from vertue.
To see how much this fear is prejudiciall, let us consider that to the acquisition and conservation of vertues two things are necessary which require both travel and pain. First, we must destroy ill habits, next, we must acquire vertuous habits; We cannot ruine the evil without mortification, and consequently pains and sufferings; we cannot root them out without privation and resignation, wherein is both travel and the cross. But if we will obtain good habits, and practise Christian vertues, and all in grace, then we must have a great care, vigilancy and strength of courage to resist all oppositions, that nature, inclinations, or occasions present unto us. And although vertue be beautifull, sweet, [Page 339] and acceptable, yet she finds contrarieties, and then she needs resolution to use violence, Matth 5.29, 30. and to come to the point whereof Iesus Christ spake, when he said, If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it behind thee; if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off; words which shew the pain and travel a Christian is obliged to undergo to root out of his heart, and tear from his soul, all that is contrary to the Law of God and vertue, words which condemn our delicates, and all that fear labour and sufferings, excusing themselves by their weakness of nature. To comprehend the importance of this advice; Let us lift up our eyes to the contemplation of the truth and spirit of Christianity; there we shall learn of the Son of God, that the Kingdom of heaven is gained by violence, that the grace of Christianity is grounded upon suffering, that the perfection is in love, in love crucifying; that all the wayes of God, and the operations of his spirit, consist in privation and resignation, and consequently in the cross. Whence it necessarily follows, that they who fly sufferings and humiliation, seeking onely a sweet pleasant life, fearing pains and travel, do by this fear, make themselves unworthy of God, who reigneth on the cross, and is onely found in the thorns of the fiery bush. They withdraw themselves from the Kingdom of grace, which agrees with annihilation; [Page 340] they shut their heart against love, and which is more to be lamented, go out of the order of God, and from the conformity, they ought to have with Iesus Christ crucified, who is the object, the way, and the life of perfect Christians, and of Iesus Christ, who cannot conduct our selves, but in the way of annihilating, of suffering and humiliation, which is the way of Iesus Christ, his life and essence. Here may these delicate persons see how their faint-heartedness deceives them. Let us then take heed, and seriously consider the sentence that Iesus Christ pronounces against them: He that takes not up his cross and follows me, Mat. 10.38. is not worthy of me. To fear sufferings to fly humiliation, to refuse the communication of God, is to make our selves unworthy and uncapable of all his divine operations of grace; for God cannot communicate himself to the soul in the wayes of grace, but he will cause therein annihilation and humility. All the operations of grace can have no effects in our souls, but those of humility, abnegation and death. Grace must operate in the souls, that which death doth in the body. This is so known a truth, that all that speak of grace, unless that it's proper and principall effect, is to give us to God, to make God live in us, and to place therein his love and favour. It is impossible for God to operate all that in us, without annihilations, [Page 341] subversions, humiliations and death; unless he pluck the love of our selves and the Creatures from our hearts, he cannot plant his own therein. If he kill not in us the old Adam, never will Iesus Christ live in us. God cannot dwell in us, if he do not annihilate and consume the impurities and malice of our souls. Thus Christian grace, to produce its effects in us, requires an estate of submission and death. They therefore deceive themselves, who think they are in grace, yet bear no mark at all of this grace, for if it be in a soul, it will infallibly produce the effects proper to it, if it produce nothing, it is a sign it is not there.
Herein also appeares the wrong that the fear of suffering causeth to Christians, How much do souls separate themselves from God, who seek no other consolation, satisfaction and enjoyment but their own, and labour onely to put themselves into a certain repose, thinking that perfection consists in this false rest, and never to suffer any crosse, affliction or temptation. No no, Earth is the place of combate; Christian life is the death of man; perfect love, like the Phenix, seeks death, and findes life in the same flames; the Crosse gave grace, grace now giveth the crosse, the sacred spouse saith, she is fair but brown, Cant. 1.5. scorched with the burning beauty of divine [Page] love. He that cannot suffer, cannot love, he that cannot love, is not worthy of God, or the name of a Christian. It is love that triumph'd over Iesus Christ, annihilated him to the condition of our mortality, it is love that humbled him, even to our lowness and infirmities, it is love that crucified him; Christianity hath no other love or grace.
If then the Christian will love, if he will be subject to the Kingdom of grace, he must defie all sufferings, and couragiously embrace all that shall befall him, for love overthrowes all, and triumphs over the soul. If she flatter, it is to hurt, if it hurt it is to kill, so they who seek true and solid piety, must not behold God but in the Crosse, nor consider grace but in humility and sufferings. My well-beloved, saith the spouse in the Canticles, Cant. 1.13. is a bundle of myrrhe; she confesses she fainted and dyed in the communications of love, she received from her God. For when the spouse had given her his love, and ordained charity in her, she instantly adds, stay me with flaggons, Cant. 2.5. comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love. The greatness of God, the infinity of his being, his divine spirit are so powerful, that if he never so little communicate himself to the soul by the purity of love and grace, He is able to annihilate and consume her. For if he apply himself to the Creature, without [Page 343] proportioning himself to its capacity, he cannot be supported, for he overwhelms and ruines the created, being by this power infinite, and infinitely predominating over a being so small, so subjected to his power. In fine, it would swallow up and consume it, if he did not proportion his operation to our weakness, and if he gave us not a capacity and force to bear it. But whatsoever he doth, if he communicate himself, he alwayes annihilates, if he giveth grace, he changeth the man, if he giveth light, he humbles him, if he make him to bear his love he wounds him. Thus the soul that will love God, must love sufferings; he that will love the life of grace, must lose himself, and annihilate himself to receive divine operations. He that will beare the light of truth, must humble himself, seeing God doth not manifest himself but to the humble of spirit, and that all the works of God bear his Crosse in humility. Hence we learn, that it is necessary we esteem the Crosse and sufferings, and embrace them with joy and fervour of spirit, but we must further observe that sufferings, subversions, losses and humiliations, and other misfortunes of humane life, are necessary to a Christian, to keep him steadfast amidst the deceits and blandishments of the World, the subtleties and surprizes of the Devill. By these [Page 344] wayes which we call rigorous, God severs us from the world, and takes us from kindness to the creatures; he makes use of these losses and subversions as of gall and bitterness to mingle with the sweets that the creatures present to us. He uses humiliation and affliction to abate our pride; and if he do leave us for a time, it is to humble us, and in all this, he is most mercifull to us, whereof they are unworthy, who fear sufferings, and for love of themselves, oppose the love that God bears them, and destroy what God would do for their good.
Moreover by these losses and eversions, by sufferings and humiliations, privations and abnegations, God delivers us from the nets and snares of the Devil. This enemy of our salvation seldom tempts us but in the Principles of nature, and our own inclinations, he makes use of the love of our selves against our selves. Now he is unable to do us evil, and is deceived in his malice. When God vouchsafes to annihilate us, and put us into the wayes of suffering, of desertion, of humiliations; or when of our selves we give our selves to the study of mortifications, to exercises of humility and to the practice of the spirit, of repentance; for through these mortifications, we destroy in us whatsoever is evil, and pluck from our selves that which serves as [Page 345] an instrument of the Devil to loose us and deceive us.
In fine, by sufferings and humiliations, we put our selves out of hazard, and are shielded from the dangerous darts, and most forcible temptations of the Devil, because it is a thing so noble and so worthy to suffer, and to suffer in the spirit of grace, that it is above nature, & the common order. Whence it comes to pass, that the Devil, who cannot tempt, but according to the order of nature, knows not how to take the soul that lives in the spirit of sufferance, and of the cross. But if he will assault her, (as he will not fail to do) it will be against her sufferings, endeavouring to destroy in the soul the spirit of the cross, suggesting to her temptations of impatience, of envy, of vexation, giving her occasion to make ill use thereof. For he knows that the soul is in assurance, and out of danger so long as she shall remain faithfull to her sufferings, to her eversions and humiliations, and to the state of the cross, in as much as this evangelicall spirit is a wall of fire which invironeth the soul, a cloud that covers her, a huckler that protects her, and humility is the foundation that upholds her.
Reflecting upon what we have said, we see it is a great impediment to the way of perfection to decline sufferings, and not to care [Page 346] to make advantage of all that happens to us, to receive it, and to bear all according to the spirit of the grace of Christianity. And by these Principles, we shall know how far pusillanimous and fearfull soules stray from solid vertue, who fear all things, who seek nothing but delight, consolation and satisfaction. To remedy these abuses, let us see with what dispositions we must receive all the emergencies of humane life, and in what spirit we must bear them.
CHAP. XII. Of the Dispositions wherewith we must bear sufferings, and all the adversities of humane life.
WHat way sover we look upon man, we shall find him condemn'd to a thousand disturbances and evils; his life is a perpetuall warfare, his dwelling, in the land of his enemies, his estate consists in the adversities of the world, which like a sea, full of rocks and storms, tosseth him perpetually up and down, and holds him in continuall fear. Dangers threaten him, miseries, sickness, and death are the portion of his life, sadness and sighes his ordinary entertainment; in his greatest pleasures, he finds a bitter sweet, some misfurtune [Page 347] is always present, or some apprehension seizes him, which mingles the sweet of his pleasure with the gall of some misfortune, it is common to all men, none are exempt, not Kings by their power, nor the Learned by their prudence; it was said by a King in his greatest and most just resentments, Psal. 39.6. Truly, every man living is altogether vanity: But if he be a Christian, he is yet more subject to sufferings, though in another respect, as a member of Iesus Christ, he must, like his head, bear thorns, and the cross, being by the state of Christianity, and the grace flowing from the cross, associated to the conditions, crosses, and sufferings of Iesus Christ, he is united to him, and partakes of his spirit and life. In this sense is it, that Saint Chrysostom expounds that passage of Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 1.6 God is faithfull, by whom you have been called to the fellowship of his son Iesus Christ our Lord. The holy Apostle teaches us that a Christian is associated to Iesus Christ, and as such, he must have no other portion in the world, but temptations, sufferings, and desertions. Let no man (saith Saint Paul, to his new convert) be moved by these afflictions, 1 Thes. 3.3. for your selves know that we are appointed thereunto.
Temptations, adversities, humiliations, and eversions are the gifts of God to his elect, tokens of his love and favour, to which purpose [Page 348] Saint Mark furnishes us with a pertinent Text, Mark 10.29, 30. where the Son of God promising Apostles, and all those that would follow him, rewards worthy of God, and proportionable to his Love, reckons up many, adding, that he will give them crosses and persecutions, as an additionall of his love and favour. This is the way that God takes to lead us to heaven, the means he uses to establish our salvation, and makes us agreeable to his divine Majesty.
The Wise man speaking of the just, saith, he hath tried them like gold in the furnace, Wisd. 3.6. and hath received them as a burnt-offering, and pleasant victims sacrificed to the supreme Essence of God by crosses and humiliations. God operates our sanctification, conserves us, confirms us, in his divine mercies. There needs no other witness then the Angel Raphael, when he said to Tobit, Because thou art pleasing to God, Tob. 12.13. it was necessary that temptation should try thee. This is evident, that the state of sufferings is necessary, and how much it imports us to esteem of them, to hear them with affection, and make use of them with profit, for God hath greater designes over souls by sufferings, then by all other wayes of grace that we could represent, it is the state that most purely and holily honours his divine being; it is the spirit of Christianity; in brief, [Page 349] it is the life of man, and therefore he must know how to drink of the cup of blessing, he must learn to ascend the ladder that reacheth from earth to the arms of God. And to apply our selves thereto with method and facility, we will divide this matter into three dispositions which accompany our sufferings, and the state of the soul in her crosses.
First, We may suffer according to divine wayes.
Secondly, By the spirit of Christianity.
Thirdly, In the zeal of Iustice against sin. In these three Dispositions we shall find all the rest. To suffer according to divine ways belongs onely to souls who are truly Gods, who adhere to him, and are dissolved in his love. To suffer this way is wholly divine, he must be wholly God's, love nothing but God, and be in the pure regard of God. To have this Disposition perfect, the soul in its sufferings, eversions and humiliation, and in all the contrarieties of humane life, must have no other thought nor interiour state, but to suffer, because it is the pleasure of God she should suffer. This I call a pure regard of God, she suffers onely to praise God, onely because God hath delight to see her suffer, and wills that she should suffer. This Dispositition is the state that the Wise man calls the Sacrifice of the Holocaust, Wisd. 3.6. a sacrifice killed [Page 350] and layd whole on the Altar; as the holocaust is all consumed and annihilated to the glory, content, and honour of God alone, without the Creatures having any part therein; so the soul suffering in this pure regard of God, sacrifices her self wholly to God, and is wholly consumed in the good pleasure of God, without her bringing or receiving any other intention thought or state wherein her happiness doth consist. For God seeing the soul suffer onely for his content and good pleasure, gives her a sufficiency and capacity to suffer with so much liberty and amplitude, that she no longer regards what she suffers, nor thinks more of sufferings, but only thinks to do the good pleasure of God. So that she undergoes not sufferings with pain, but with love, and with a disposition that beares in it more of love then of sufferance in the suffering it self, resigning her self wholly to God, and to all the effects of his spirit and grace, how vigorous soever they may be, thinking no more of sufferings, but believing and loving; and in this disposition, love is the life of sufferings, and sufferings are the object of love, of a love pure and perfect.
To suffer according to divine wayes, may yet be understood in another manner, when in sufferings, mortifications and humiliations, the soul is such to God, and so firmly united, [Page 351] that all things in the World are painfull to her, all is unsupportable to her, and her own body causes her to sigh and lament, saying with the Apostle,Rom. 8.23 We groan within our selves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Every where she findes contrariety, and the more she lives in Iesus Christ, the more she feels the weight of the Creature; all her repose is to be Gods, she seeks not, nor findes any thing but pain and contrariety, for she findes all her pleasure, all her repose and content to be in the good pleasure of God.
In this disposition the soul must be really lost in God, for she no more beares all the adversities of humane life, but according to the spirit of God with a divine patience, that is in the same manner that God beares them, or if you will in the spirit wherewith Iesus Christ suffered our nature, our sins and the Worlds, a patience which we must adore and imitate in Iesus Christ, for he did not onely beare them, but also (which is admirable in the excess of his love) gave his life, a divine life for our sins, and by the same patience, bearing the contrariety that his divine and infinite essence hath to all impure and limited creatures, he acted with the creature, laboured and died for it.
This patience of Iesus Christ, is the beginning and cause of our happiness, this patience [Page 352] is the cause that all the just and holy that ever were in the Church militant, have born all adversities with peace and meekness; this patience must alwayes make us to suffer all the rigours of this life, but after a manner so much more perfect and divine as the soul hath received of grace, and is advanced in the way of perfection, according to the measure that the soul is possessed of the life of Iesus Christ, to the same measure the spirit of sufferance, must be pure in her, and she must remain more resign'd to the designes of God, more divided from all Creatures. In this point consisteth the principall subject to be examined, whereby to know the fidelity of the soul. He that would know the way to make use of this divine spirit, must learn it of Iesus Christ, who is the rule and example of our life and actions, all that he did, all that he suffered, had relation to the glory of his Father, to the exaltation of his name, to the establishment of the Kingdom of God in our souls. In a word, he lived in the World, and dyed upon the Crosse, onely to do the good pleasure and will of his Father. My meat (said he to his Apostles) is to do the will of him that sent me:Jo. 4.34. This was the end of his coming and of his incarnation. Let us do the same, and remember, that as we must have purity of intention in all our actions, so [Page 353] must we in all our suffering, have a pure regard to the will and good pleasure of God. When we shall suffer (whatsoever it be) let us suffer it, because God permits it, or so appoints it, or because he will shew his power over us, and will be glorified in our subjection. Let us not regard our own interest, but undervalue all things in respect of the glory of God. Let us endure them onely in regard of God, since it is his will, since he takes pleasure to see us in sufferings and in the Crosse, and that he will shew his power in our submission. Let us reduce all our intentions hither, they may be good, but this includes all the rest. In this disposition, Iesus Christ prepared himself for the Crosse, and presented himself to his Father, to be the offering and the sacrifice of the holocaust, Mar. 26.43. a propitiation for our sins. Thy will be done, said he, and no more; let us say the same in all events, let us settle the foundation of our soul in this estate and disposition.
To this we must add a remarkable admonition for those who will profit by sufferings, humiliations, and other adversities of humane life, and bear them with faithfulness. And that is this, that in all conditions of life, in all that may happen to us, we must endeavour to find out, if it be possible, the designes which God hath over us, in all that he does or permits [Page 354] to be done; and we are to be very carefull to receive them, and co-operate faithfully with them. For as God in all he does or permits, hath alwayes some design worthy of his greatness and goodness, so is it the duty of the soul to submit her self thereto, to subject her self according to all her capacity, that with an intire consent, she may act with God, if need be, and receive with fidelity all things according to the designes and intentions of God: as for instance. There happens losses and ruines, we are to see if God by these losses, would separate and sever us from the Creatures. If it be so, we must accept them with this disposition, and make it our endeavour to sever and deprive our selves of the love of all things created, because that by the losses and disgraces which befall us, we see that this is the design of God. Or else if by humiliations, and interiour or exteriour eversions, God will annihilate us, let us consent to this annihilation, and applying our selves thereto, co-operate with the work of God, with all the extent and power of our soul, and so let us do in all, and according to the diversity of the objects.
This advice is not contrary to the pure regard of God which we must have in all sufferings, for in the works of God, and in all that he permits, we must consider the end for [Page 355] which God does it, and the cause that moves him either to permit it or do it. The end of the works of God is his honour and glory, but the cause that moves him in his operations, and divine permissions, is the salvation of our souls, the establishment and communication of his spirit, his graces, and his vertues. We must here do as before, we must suffer, having no end but the pure regard of God, and of his glory. But because God requires fidelity, and will establish his Kingdom and power in our souls, it is also our duty to co-operate with his intentions, and to receive all things not onely because such is his good pleasure, but also in the manner that he will, and to make use thereof according to his pleasure.
The perfection therefore of the spirit of sufferance, consisteth not in receiving all things indifferently; a soul is not perfect, though it be insensible of all accidents, be they never so sad and miserable. Perfection consists not in a Stoicall apathy, but if there be a perfection and purity in suffering, it is when we receive all things in the spirit, and in the holy & divine dispositions of Iesus, and that we bear them after that manner that God wills, and according to the designs and intentions of God. And herein consists the first and noblest Disposition, which must accompany [Page 356] our sufferings. We come now to the second.
CHAP. XIII. How we ought to suffer in the spirit of Christianity.
1 Pet. 2.20, 21. IF when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, it is acceptable to God, for hereunto were you called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. In these words full of efficacy and truth, the Prince of the Apostles proposes the motives which obliege us to suffer patiently all adversities and afflictions which occur in all conditions of this life. He saith, that we are called thereto, and that by consequence, the proper condition and quality of a Christian, binds us to the Crosse. It is not necessary to alledge proofs of this, seeing we have said enough already. For the spirit, grace, and conduct of God, whereby he uses to save us, is no other then that of annihilations and humiliations, and afflictions. God hath try'd them, and found them worthy of him.
The Crosse and sufferings is then the lot of Christians, it is their portion, and they must make such use of it, as to bear it Christianly. But the most powerfull motive the Apostle [Page 357] makes use of to teach us patience is, when he sayes, that Iesus Christ suffered for us, and that we must imitate him, and follow his steps, after this we cannot in reason find any thing hard. If Iesus Christ from his birth to his death, hath espoused the sufferings and embraced the Cross, wherefore should we refuse being his Children to live and dye as he did? we know that the Son of God came from Heaven to Earth, to suffer the humiliations and pains due to sins and sinners, and that He would by this low estate, honour his Father; but withall, he left upon the Earth the same spirit to honour God; that as in Heaven God is honoured by exaltation, he might be honoured upon Earth by humiliation. In pursuance of this design of Iesus Christ, we must as Christians honour God by our lowness and annihilation. On the other side, seeing the Sonne of God dyed for us, we must dye for him; if he be the example of our life, as the Apostle sayes, we must imitate him, and if he be born our head, according to St. Paul, we must, as his members, bear his spirit, and follow his motions. In a word, if we raign with Iesus Christ, we must suffer with him, There remains then no more, then to know the spirit and dispositions, where with we must receive and bear sufferings.
[Page 258]We have said, that the 2d. Disposition necessary to a perfect Christian, to live faithfully in the adversities of humane life, is to bear them in a Christian way, and according to the spirit of Christianity. Now we suffer in Christan ways, when we suffer what befalls us as an order of God, and as an estate prepared for Christians, and by which God will conduct us to the heritage of Christians; so that according to this Disposition, we make no reflection at all on our sufferings, nor upon the estates and overturnings wherein we are, our spirit onely remains settled and fastened upon the thought of this truth, I am a Christian, and as such, I belong to Iesus Christ, who puts me into what estate he pleases; and because I am oblig'd to do his good pleasure, I will have no other thought then to resign my self to Iesus Christ, to do with me according to his good pleasure. By adhering to this truth, by this Disposition and interiour estate, the soul is united to Iesus Christ, as the members are to their head, and she remains subject to his conduct, without further care or thought, then that she is God's because God wills it. Herein consisteth the spirit of Christianity, and the duty of a perfect Christian.
This Disposition is pure and simple, and produceth in the soul a perfect peace, calm and repose; the reason of it consisteth in that [Page 359] the sufferings, humiliations and contempts are the centre of the Christian soul, as things created have no repose but in their centre, so the perfect Christian cannot have the true repose of the soul but in sufferings; and in this Disposition, they are the centre of Christianity, because the eternall Word was pleased to place his estate and whole life in humiliation. He was born in poverty, he lived in contempt, he died upon the cross, all the passages of his way-faring life were in continuall sufferings and lowness; and also when he was in Heaven, in the bosom of the Father, in the throne of the greatness of the Divinity, he entertain'd thoughts of the cross, he consents to death, and prepares himself for sufferings, when that from all eternity he resolv'd to be made man, and to invest himself with the infirmities of our nature; so true is it, that all the conditions of the Son of God were in sufferings and lowness. This also the centre, repose and life of a perfect Christian ought to be in the estate and life of Iesus Christ, and as the life of Iesus Christ and his estates are contained in adversities, in lowness, and in the thoughts of the cross, it consequently follows, that the centre, the repose of a Christian cannot be but in this estate of sufferings, and in the same condition of suffering that Iesus Christ was here upon earth.
[Page 360]When we say that the centre and spirit of Christianity is no other then the cross, annihilations and adversities, we must conceive it in the highest, and consider that the Son of God came into the World for the glory of his Father, to satisfie his divine Iustice, and for the sanctification of our souls. These were his designes, desires, and thoughts. Now, the thoughts and intentions of the Son of God are eternall and permanent, for they are divine, and it is the property of the essence and of divine actions to be immutable and permanent. Seeing then that the Son of God hath chosen the cross from all eternity, & lived upon earth in the spirit of sufferance, he remains alwayes in the thoughts of the cross, in the desires of humiliation and the rigour of death, the zeal of the glory of his Father goes not from his heart, but he preserves this spirit, and offers himself to his Father, to bear it eternally, and to suffer the effects of it, if it be his good pleasure. This zeal ought not to be unfruitfull; this offer is not to be refused, and yet the estate of his greatness, and the condition of his glory cannot permit it. What remedy? Love, alwayes wise and inventive, hath found out a means to satisfie the equity of his desires, and divine affection, and the Majesty of his glory, for the eternall Father hath given his Son a mysticall body, [Page 361] which is his Church, he hath appointed him Head over all his Church, which is his body, & all Christians are members of this body, Eph. 5.30. true members, as the body is a true body, though a mysticall body. We are, saith the Apostle, members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Now to this body, and these members, the spirit and zeal of Iesus Christ, communicates it self by the designe and speciall counsel of the blessed Trinity; In pursuit of this divine counsel, the Son of God pours into his Church, and upon Christians, the zeal of the glory of God, the spirit of the cross, and the love of justice; he pours, it out as he pleases, distributing his gifts according to his holy will. To some he communicates his spirit of sufferance and crosses, to others that of death; and to speak more generally, he communicates his estates and spirit to whom he pleases, and as he pleases. Col. 1.24. So Saint Paul, I fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh; Reflecting on this truth, we shall cleerly see, that the spirit of Christianity is no other then the spirit of Iesus, which he communicates to his Church, being the head, and to Christians his members. And as this spirit is no other then a desire of the glory of God, love of the cross, and zeal of justice, it follows, they who will be good Christians, must necessarily bear this spirit, and be in this [Page 362] estate of annihilation and the cross, and embrace all adversities that they meet with, yea, embrace them couragiously as an order of God established upon them, and as an estate, which is singularly proper for them: In this Disposition they shall find the centre and repose of their souls, and in this subjection to the cross, they shall obtain the peace that Iesus Christ hath acquired for us by his cross.
We may also say, that to suffer Christianly, is to bear all things with cheerfulness of spirit, doing like the Apostles, who departed, rejoycing that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his Names sake;Acts 5.41. and like the first Christians, Heb. 10.34. who took joyfully the spoyling of their goods, defied torments, and the cruelty of beasts, like Saint Ignatius; the burning of fire, as Saint Lawrence; the violence of torments, as Saint Agnes, and in the Churches first beginning their zeal to suffer, was so great, that it made the Apostle Saint Iames to say,James 1.2 Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations. This advice will seem hard, for the rigours of the cross and pains of this life are too piercing, but if we love, all will be easie; for where love is, saith Saint Bernard, there is nothing but sweetness, and nothing is difficult to him that loves; though thornes guard and encompass the Rose, we gather it notwithstanding, and enjoy its beauty and [Page 363] odour. Gen. 29.20. Iacob sayes, he served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few dayes, because he loved her so much, that he was insensible of the travail. He also that will suffer Christianly must love, for he that cannot love, cannot suffer, and he that can neither suffer nor love, is no Christian, seeing that love is the spirit of Christianity, and sufferance the spirit of love.
This principle considered, no rigours that we find in humane life, can appear difficult, and misfortunes and pains are onely irk some to us for want of love. Let us then but love, and they will all be easie; by love, the sufferings of Christians are distinguished from those of others. For it is common to all men to suffer, it is the condition of their being, and portion of their life, and the more they think themselves secure, the more they are surprised with misfortunes, but it belongs onely to Christians to suffer with love. The sinner is drawn by the neck like a slave, to do the will of God; the good man willingly followes him, and findes no pain in any thing; but on the contrary, he finds comfort in travail, and repose in displeasure. In this sense the Apostle cryes out upon sight of the wounds and scarrs he endured for Iesus Christ; Gal. 6.17. Henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Iesus. [Page 364] And elsewhere, I will glory willingly in my infirmities, 2 Cor. 12.9. that the power of Iesus Christ may dwell in me. To suffer in this disposition, is to suffer Christianly, or else let us say, that to suffer Christianly, is to suffer with an esteem of sufferings. There are divers reasons why we should take and well esteem them, but the principall consisteth, in that Iesus Christ hath chosen this manner of life as a way that honoureth more divinely the Majesty of God then any other estate, and he hath chosen this way from all eternity, and by consequence from all eternity he beares the thoughts and love of the Cross. He hath chosen the Cross, saith St. Paul, he hath embraced it from the first moment of his incarnation, and by an excess of love, he began to suffer as soon as he was born. And that which is to be observed, is that by the election of his divine wisdom which never fails, he hath made choyce of confusion and contempt, rather then greatness and contentment. So saith the Apostle of him, and we find it in his divine Mysteries. And from hence comes the esteem that we ought to have thereof, and the reverence we should bear to this estate, for the Sonne of God having chosen the Crosse and sufferings, and having united to his divine person by his incarnation, meanness, and infirmities, and adversities of humane life, he [Page 365] hath made them divine, and ennobled them. So that we must regard them much more for the dignity which they receive from Iesus Christ, and to speak properly, they are the sufferings of Iesus Christ, for we are united to him, we are members of his body, flesh of his flesh, bone of his bone, and by reason of this unity, they are no more our sufferings then the sufferings of Iesus, seeing they are more to Iesus then to our selves. Whence Saint Paul saith,2 Cor. 1.5. as the sufferings of Christ abound in you, so our consolation abounds by Iesus Christ. The Apostle highly advancing the sufferings of Christianity, calls them the sufferings of Iesus. St. Peter speaks in the same manner; Rejoyce in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings. 1 Pet. 4.13. And therefore when we see all that is in this World, all the adversities and vicissitudes, we must not passe them over indifferently, or as men without grace and vertue, stop at our own resentments, and loose our selves in our weakness and naturall passions, but we must lift up our eyes and thoughts, to the consideration of Catholick truths, and making use of the light of Faith, endeavour to use all things according to the manner God requires, and to the power he hath given us. If we suffer, let us not suffer as slaves and criminalls, but as the Children and true Servants of God. Let us suffer with esteem, [Page 366] and in the spirit of Christianity, a spirit holy and divine, a spirit powerfull and couragious, and which onely belongs to the chosen of God, and to his greatest friends. Hence the Apostle summing up the graces that the new Christians had received of God, puts sufferings in the first place, and accounts them as a singular favour. He hath given you, Phil. 1.29. saith he, not onely to believe on him, but to suffer for him, thereby shewing, that it is a benefit of God to be called to the state of sufferings, and to know how to make use thereof.
In the view of these truths, let us beg of the Sonne of God, part of his spirit of the Crosse and sufferings, and his grace to support us under them, that we may bear them with the spirit, with joy, and the grace of Christianity, let us say with Saint Paul, and often repeat this Prayer in our heart, That the Lord would prepare our hearts to the love of God, 2 Thes. 3.5 and to the patience of Iesus Christ.
CHAP. XIV. That we must suffer out of a zeal to the Iustice of God.
WE suffer in the wayes of sinners and for the zeal of Iustice (which is the third Disposition that we have proposed) when we enter into the zeal of God, which brings him to do justice upon sin, and that in all things we exercise upon our selves, the judgement that God exerciseth therein, in bearing in our hearts a true desire and an effectuall will to submit to the justice of God, before whom we are sinners, before whom we have offended so many ways. By this Disposition, the perfect Christian must undergo all sorts of pains and sufferings, and regard the adversities and inconveniencies of humane life, as effects of God's Iustice on him as a sinner, whereby he would destroy sin in him, and root out imperfections. With this spirit and Disposition he must endure all naturall incommodities, as cold, heat, poverty, sickness, afflictions, and such accidents, which are the attendants of our life, regarding and bearing them with this zeal to the Iustice of God upon sin. This thought, if it be solid [Page 368] and well settled in the soul of a perfect Christian, will make all pain sweet and easie. For what can we suffer, but we deserve much more, if we weigh our afflictions, our sufferings, travails and adversities, with the number of our sins? Who will not see the deformity and weight of our sins, and how much they surpass the rigour and weight of our sufferings? If we consider the hate God bears to sin, and to sinners, by reason of sin, who will not confess, that our crimes are much greater then our pains; that amongst our afflictions and sufferings, even the greatest and most insupportable, the mercy of God appears more then his justice? What more manifest example of Gods hatred against a sinner, then the rigour wherewith the divine justice, which is alwayes equitable, punished sin in Iesus Christ? And if the eternall Father, as the Prophet saith, so rigorously chastised his Son, Isa. 53.5. for the sins of his people, what should he not do to us? If the Son of God who is holiness it self, sanctity, uncreated and incarnate, becoming a pledge and offering for our sins, was subjected not onely to our miseries and naturall infirmities, which are great, but to adversities, afflictions, poverty, contempt, accusations, ignominy, even to the rigour of the cross, what ought we to suffer, who are sinners and objects of the hatred [Page 369] and justice of God?Luke 23.31. If this be done to the green wood, what will be done to the dry? If the Sonne of God, who is the eternall and true wisdom, chose this estate, voluntarily subjected himself to all miseries, incited by zeal to the glory of his Father, and to satisfie divine Iustice, what ought not we to do? what pains and rigours, should not we embrace who are the guilty, to appease this angry God, to satisfie and allay his provoked wrath, to restore to glory what we have ravish'd from him?
Let us enter into this disposition and zeal of submitting our selves to the stroke of Gods Iustice, and we shall see all things will be easie to indure, we shall not complain whatever befalls us, whatsoever is done unto us, we shall not take it as a wrong, nothing will appear harsh unto us, nothing insupportable, the quality of sinners, and multitude of our offences will tell us that we deserve more, we shall bless God for the favour he does us, in giving us the meanes to honour him by our sufferings. The Christian therefore must have a care to bear all adversities, all changes of this life, all sorts of afflictions, losses and misfortunes, yea all incommodities, and naturall vexations of humane life, with an intention to glorifie God to submit to divine Iustice against sin. O how great must be [Page 370] the courage of a Christian, how invincible his constancy in all changes and misfortunes, if he professeth this zeal of God, if he be animated with the hatred God beares to sin! How easie would all things appear, if in them we had no intent but to act and suffer onely to please God, with a full resignation of our selves, in all things to his divine conduct.
To facilitate this disposition, and make it more generall, we must remember that the Wisdom of God rules all this great World, and hath a generall and particular superintendency over all things. Nothing happens by chance to God, all is foreseen by his praescience, and ruled by his providence. In this wise conduct he is Soveraign, and meanes to shew his power, and subject men to his will, and as Soveraign he disposes all, and as wise, he ordains all, it belongs to him to ruine or build up, to advance or debase, and to us to entertain. So that in disgraces and misfortunes, we must regard God as our Soveraign and Master, and therefore must receive them with the greatest submission and zeal of Iustice, which will that God dispose of all as he pleases, and that we receive all according to his dispensation. This is the zeal and submission that God requires of us, whereby the most just and holy embrace all manner of accidents, acknowledging the Soveraignty of [Page 371] God, and confessing their dependance. I call this disposition, zeal to Iustice, because it is just that God should do in us, and with us, all that he pleases, and that we should be content in all things.
This is so essentiall to man, so just in the disposall of the Universe, that we shall easily see in the works of God, that that Soveraign Majesty will be acknowledged, and adored in afflictions with so much necessity, that he never stops the course of his Iustice, nor withholds sufferings and other pains, till the soul submit and freely render her self to God, and untill she do so submit her self, she will still be under the rod. So said Daniel, threatning the great Nebuchadnezar, God will humble thee, Dan. 4.25. till thou know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men. The impious Antiochus, made a publick confession, which the chastisement of God as a Rack extorted from his guilty mouth, That truly it was a just thing to submit himself to God. The first disposition then wherein a Christian ought to be in all sufferings and adversities, in all sorts of estates and chances, is to subject himself to God, because he is God. Upon this subjection, he must ground his desire and zeal, to abandon himself wholly to the divine justice, seeing all that is miserable and painful in this World, is an effect of his justice, and the reward of sin, and we see [Page 372] that all the chances that happen in this World are the effects of his power and conduct.
This being supposed we are obliged to bear them, and receive them with a zeal and desire to appease that Iustice which requires that we be subject to God, and suffer for our sins. Herein consists the disposition we speak of. If we would practise this disposition, it is thus. First the Christian must accept of all adversities and afflictions, which are or may be in the life of man, as a mark of the will of God, and an effect of his Iustice upon him; he must them embrace, and bear them in this sense, and with a desire to please God, and submit to his divine Iustice, who vouchsafes to manifest himself in these painfull and laborious wayes; he must regard them as naturall and necessary, not considering whence they come, and who is the immediate cause thereof, but shutting his eyes to all considerations, he must look up towards God, and accept them of his fatherly hands. If there happen any motion contrary to the disposition, he must say with the penitent and afflicted King, Righteous art thou O Lord, and upright are thy Iudgements. Psal. 119.137. Nor must he content himself with this; but passing farther, he must offer himself to God, to bear all his chastisements after the manner that God wills, and as long as shall please him. And since the [Page 373] true Christian always distrusts his own strength, he must beg grace of the Sonne of God, to sustain them according to the intention of God, and fidelity to make such use of them as he requires. For as it suffices not a perfect Christian to conform himself to the will of God, and to do what God wills, but he must accomplish it after the manner that God wills, and according to the vocation and grace wherein God hath established him, so in suffering, which is an estate more noble and certain, it is not sufficient to suffer patiently, (for Philosophy and generosity can produce this effect, and make the greatest rigours embraceable) but we must suffer Christianly, after the manner that God wills, according to his designes, conformable to the grace the soul receives of him, which ought to be seriously considered by those who are most advanced in the wayes of grace, and who owe a great fidelity to God. And since to discern this is difficult, and that the soul may commit in it great impurities, and much infidelity, it suffices, to be exempted of the miscarriages which may happen, that he who seriously looks after Christian perfection, and endeavours to please God above all things, be carefull to preserve himself in an absolute resignation of himself to the power and will of God; in which estate if it be firmly setled, [Page] there is nothing to be feared, but all these will prove easie, in regard that patience in suffering and purity, ought to be proportionable to the state of grace wherein the soul is, and it must needs be of a great purity, when the grace is singular and transcendent.
CHAP. XV. The continuance of the precedent Chapter, and of the spirit of repentance.
TO suffer all things out of zeal to God's justice, is not onely a Disposition, but a spirit of penitence, necessary to all, since all have sinned, and need the grace of God, as profitable to a Christian, as repentance is necessary. True penitence hath no end but God, no regard but to satisfie God. To repent, is to enter into a regard of our selves in zeal to God's justice, who will punish sin in us. We must take heed that the true spirit of repentance operate in us a resentment of the state whereto we are reduced by sin, a state which displeases God, and draws us from the amity, presence, and grace of God, a state whereinto we put our selves through our own fault, to satisfie our own inclinations and passions. The soul seeing her self so estranged from God, and being sensible of this misfortune, is [Page 375] grieved extremely, and enters into a desire to be reveng'd of her self, and to please God, whom she hath offended, she doth protest to love him above all things; for if she could not love him, she could not desire to please him. This love elevates her into an esteem, by this esteem and love, she finds it easie to bear all pains, rigours, or difficulties whatsoever; she overcomes them couragiously; she onely minds to please God, whom she hath offended; so that by this zeal to his justice, all things are easie to her; the contrarieties of this present life, and the unexpected rigours and disgrace are light. In brief, animated with this zeal, she willingly embraces all that may happen unto her, and receives it as a speciall favour. The reason is, because such a soul loves God, loving God, she esteems him; esteeming him, she will not displease him, and as much as she hath displeased him by her offences, she desires to glorifie him; and this desire bears her to a zeal of Gods justice; and finally, this zeal animates her to support all things patiently, and to embrace them freely.
Hence we learn, that the true spirit of Repentance consisteth not onely in sorrow for sins committed, and a hatred of all sins, but also it contains a desire to glorifie God; for we can no more enter into Paradise without [Page 376] this, then without repentance; Herein they must have a care, who perform indeed some acts of mortification, and suffer many things, but with certain dissemblings, or out of some private considerations or concernments, and many times out of curiosity. Let them take heed they build not with straw; for true repentance hath no eyes but for God; no other regard but to content God, and to glorifie his divine justice. The more love the soul hath, the more ardent is her zeal, so that if she love much, she desires to sorrow much, and believes she hath never done enough, for true love is never satisfied. Such a soul esteemeth all pains sweet, injuries, truth, contempt, honour, and labours the enjoyments of her spirit. O how good it is to suffer thus, for who knows how to love, knows how to suffer, and transported with the love of sufferings, cryes out with the penitent King, Lord, prove me and try me, Psal. 26.2. search my reins and heart.
To be throughly acquainted with true repentance, we must further consider the effects of it; for if it be true, the effects of it shall be as certain, and will be great and true. True repentance, annihilates us, and destroys sin in us, and the fountains of sin; as also our evil inclinations and vicious habits; it roots out of our hearts all that divides us from God, all that displeaseth him; it converts [Page 377] us to God, it drawes us neer to him, it gives us God, and separates us from the creatures, and our selves. For the true penitent is crucified in all things, and dead to himself, of a death to sin, which giveth him life in God, and makes him lead a new life, altered in himself and in his actions. This is the true meaning of Saint Paul, where he saith, As you have yeilded your members servants to uncleanness,, Rom. 6.19 and to iniquity even so now yeild your members servants to righteousness, unto holiness. Which shews the great change and conversion which repentance must operate in us, seeing our members, which have been servants to sin, must now be onely servants to righteousness, and to serve God, after a manner which operates in us sanctification, and serves as an instrument to our glory.
Further, true repentance unites us to God, and puts us into a new and particular relation to Iesus Christ. He acquires a new right over us, when we participate of his mercies, and applies to us the merits of his death and sufferings, pardoning our sin. He acquires a new right over us, because he applies to us the price of his blood, by the merits of his death. He withdraws us from the empire of sin, whereto we had subjected and sold our selves; he delivers us from the captivity and slavery of vice, to put us into the liberty of [Page 378] his children, into the possession of his spirit; so that from the time that he delivered us from the tyranny of sin, we belong unto him, and are his children, his captives, his heritage; we are so many times his, as he pardons our sins, as many sins as he pardons, so many times he offers himself to his eternall Father, to pay the price of our misdeeds, and offereth him the merit and satisfaction of his death for the redemption of offences. Thus he purchaseth us anew as often as he pardoneth our sins.
Repentance, if it be true, gives the Son of God a new right in us, and draws us from the right we have of our selves, to put us into new propriety as to him, whence it follows, that the sins which separated us from God by our own default, serve by the bands of repentance, to unite us to God by the new right Iesus Christ hath to us, by the band of love which we have to him. Many sins are forgiven her, Luk. 7.47. for she loved much, and he to whom less is pardoned loved less, saith Iesus Christ. True repentance produceth two admirable effects, one in relation to Iesus Christ, which comprehends an abnegation from the creature and our selves to be God's and Iesus Christ's, to whom we must be the more united, the more he hath pardoned us. The Father is an effect of love, which issues from this union & adherence. [Page 379] He that is most united, loves most, and the more he loves, the faster he ties himself. Mary Magdalen is an example hereof, who was no sooner converted, but she fastened her self to Iesus Christ, to crucifie her self in his love, and to live no longer then with him, and for him. If we will examine what hath been said, it will be easie to see, that many persons deceive themselves in this business of so great concernment, I mean, Repentance, who go so negligently, and indifferently to this Sacrament, that being they are sensible neither of the effect nor advantage of it, and it is much to be feared, lest they find at the hour of death, rather the penitence of a perfidious Iudas, of an impious Antiochus, of a sensuall Esau, then of a Saint Peter, or a Mary Magdalen. However, if be, let him apprehend the menaces of the Son of God, If ye do not repent, Luk. 13.3. ye shall likewise perish. He speaks of the true repentance, which cannot be true, if it have not the true effects, else it is not repentance. Herein the Christian must take heed, as the most important thing of his salvation. If we apply these principles of truth, we shall find that it hath been no digression to speak of Repentance, but that by the same principles which oblige us to bear the spirit of true penitence, we have the grace and faculty to live patiently and Christianly, amidst all contrarieties [Page 380] and disturbances of this life, and in pursuit of that, we may make use, with profit, of all accidents we meet with in the world. He that lives in the spirit of repentance, as a perfect Christian, ought not onely to suffer with ease and cheerfulness, but also to subject himself to the divine will and honour of God, wherein consists the spirit of repentance. In brief, he makes his profit of all as a faithfull steward of God's gifts, I say, he makes profit, knowing it is a favour received of Iesus Christ, that all sufferings and adversities in this world are profitable to us, being sanctified by the pretious sufferings of the Son of God, and may serve to satisfie the justice of God, which must be looked upon as a particular mercy and favour which Iesus the Son of God hath obtain'd for us by his incarnation and death. For if we consider naturally the sufferings and afflictions of mans life, they can no way profit us, because as men and sinners, and the children of Adam, we are subject to all the miseries of nature, we are condemned to eat our bread in the sweat of our brows, and undergo all the maledictions of God; and we know, that all the evils incident to nature, and that happen to us in the course of our life, are but the guerdon of our crimes, the portion of man, and the effect of sin, wherein we are born.
[Page 381]So that these evills deserve not that God should regard them of themselves, as being incapable to satisfie God's Iustice, were it not that the Sonne of God making himself man, and charging himself with our nature, with all our infirmities, hath sanctified them in his person, and in his use of them. So that bearing them in his spirit, we bear them with blessing and happiness, since that, when he was made a sacrifice for our sins, and became a propitiation to appease the wrath of God for our offences, he suffered the pain of death due to sin, whereby it was blessed and sanctified, and by an effect worthy his bounty, he would that the sufferings of men, which were but the effects and punishments of sin, should merit grace, and find acceptation, when we support them in his spirit, and in his divine dispositions. 2 Cor. 8.9. This St. Paul teaches, saying, Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich. For the Sonne of God making himself man, is subject to our necessities and labours, that in our labours and necessities, we might be made rich in good works, in patience, and in the spirit of Repentance.
When therefore we consider the sufferrings of this life, and all the humiliations and disgraces that may befall us, we must look upon them two wayes.
[Page 382] First, As an effect and punishment of sin.
Secondly, As the spirit of Iesus, and as sanctified and made divine in his sacred person. The first are not profitable, nor are they proper, but for the wicked who are in chastisements and sufferings by way of Iustice, suffering what they have merited. But the second are full of blessedness and happiness, for it is in them and by them that Iesus Christ sanctifies us, that he dwells in us, and establishes in our souls the works of grace. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, 1 Pet. 4.14 happy are ye, for the spirit of glory and of God resteth on you. Words which tell us, the spirit of Iesus Christ, his grace and glory inhabit in souls who suffer for love of him. The Christian therefore that suffers, must take heed to this vertue, that he suffer not as a criminall, that is by necessity and force, but as a Christian, and in necessary dispositions. For since God hath given a blessing to sufferings, and by a mercy spring from these sufferings of Iesus Christ, we may profit by the disadvantages of this World, we must not unprofitably let slip the occasions, nor indifferently passe over the necessity, pains, and severall estates of this life, but make profit thereof, seeing God will have it so, and that he gives us power to do so. For this reason must we endeavour to bear them in the spirit [Page 383] and in the blessing that Iesus Christ hath given them, and according to the use he would have us to make of them. The Christian that lives in this care and vigilance, may hope for the recompence of Heaven, and having gone through the combate of this life, 2 Tim. 4.7 which to the good is but a continuall Martyrdom, may say with Saint Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day.
In fine, the most assured mark we have of the perfection of a soul, is sufferings, which are continual and abundant to the just, and if it be lawfull to take any Argument of our salvation, or any sign of our election, it is in sufferings, and in the manner of bearing them.Mat. 5.10. So the Sonne of God calls those happy that suffer for his sake, and for his glory, and we may say of such souls as Saul said of David, when seeing him so patient in the greatest violence of his afflictions, 1 Sam. 24.20. he cryed out with teares, Now I know for certain, that thou shalt be surely King, and that the Kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand. We may say the same of a patient Christian, but let us leave him in this hope, and propose to him some entertainments of Piety.
CHAP. XVI. The Abridgement of the fourth part, teaching of Christian grace.
CHrist saith, we are all ingraffed in him, as the scien is in the Vine-stock, Joh. 15.5. we are bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, as the Apostle sayes;Eph. 5 30. for we are his body, we are in him, and with him. This truth alone shews how much we are obliged to live holily and perfectly, to be regulated in our actions, in our exteriour, modest and holy, being united to Iesus Christ, our life must be an expression of the life of Iesus, and as Iesus, being the Son of God, by nature is the Image of his Father; so a Christian being the child of God by grace must be the Image of the same, Iesus Christ, an Image so perfect and divine, as cannot be fully expressed: For on the one side the life of a perfect Christian, is a life hid from the eyes of man, spirituall and invisible, and therefore infinitely remov'd from the capacity of the children of Adam, who are materiall, and, as the Apostle saith, carnall and animal. On the other side, this life is a life of grace, a divine life, a life of God in man, a life full of secrets, operated by God [Page 385] in the depth of the soul. Our weak nature hath not termes proportionable to the greatness and Majesty of divine things, and therefore all that we can say of the state of Christianity, of grace, and of the life of a perfect Christian, doth but derogate from, and deface the value of this work which cannot appear in its lustre, but to their eyes who have the true light of Heaven, nor can be conceived or comprehended but by souls that are chosen of God. We must notwithstanding, draw the last lines of our Christian image, and lightly passing over what hath been said to sweeten that which appeares either too high or too harsh, that so we may benefit those who will see things in perspective and superficially, we must also fix our eyes and thoughts upon Christian grace, which will make us apprehend the truth of what hath been proposed, and, if we can understand it, will cause us to admire the indulgence and communications of God, who out of the excess of his love, the more advanceth men and sinners, the more they were debased by the greatness of their ingratitude, that grace might superabound where sin had abounded, that love might triumph over us. Let us then descend to the particularities of grace, and examine the properties and effects thereof.
The grace which we receive and sanctifies [Page 386] us, is the grace of Iesus Christ, which flowes from his fulness, and communicates to our souls grace, which is not onely supernaturall, but was made for Iesus, and is proportioned to his Soveraignty and infinite dignity, whence we are called Christians. It hath all its being, dignity, and residence in Iesus, it is above our nature, and in the rank of supernaturall things, in an order soveraign and particular, worthy of the soveraignty of Iesus, and proportioned to his Filiation, order and grace, very different from the originall Iustice, which was given to the first man. For though the grace of Adam were supernatural, yet was it an order very inferiour to Christian grace, being proportioned to his nature and inclinations, in the state of innocency. All men as well as Adam, had been sanctified in the order, and according to the order of nature, and in the naturall uses thereof. But it is not so in Christian grace, for that is not proportioned to the nature of man, but above it, wholly in Iesus, wholly for him, it issues out of him, and, by an effect proper and particular to it, drawes us from our selves, to unite us to him, as members to the head, and being united, sanctifies us in Him, in such a manner as that we are no more in the quality of men, and Children of Adam, but as Children of God, and members of the Sonne of God, and by a [Page 387] grace proper to the Sonne of God; of whose fulness we have all received.
Whence we infer, that he who would be sanctified, and partake of Christian grace, must be united to Iesus Christ, as the branch to the Tree, the graft to the stock, the members to the head, and if united, must also be one with him, as the head and members make up but one body, and consequently by reason of that unity, must not onely partake of his grace, but also his spirit and life in the same manner as we say, the members move not themselves nor live, but by the life of their head. This being considered, we see that to live Christianly, it is not enough to say that we must be in grace, but we must live in the spirit and life of Iesus, for grace produceth this effect, for as much as by the same principle, whereby we are united to Iesus, as members to their head, we must live his life, and be guided by his spirit. And as it is the property of Christian grace, to unite us to the Sonne of God, so is it the effect of the same grace, to rule us by his spirit, and to make us live his life, wherein appeares how perfect the life of a Christian in grace should be, how exemplary and holy his actions must be, how regular his motions, and how pure his intentions, seeing it is a life of grace which unites us to the Son of God, which making us one with [Page 388] him, causes us to live in his spirit and life.
Let us enter further into the consideration of grace, and we shall see, that according to the Apostle, Grace is a participation of the divine nature. 2 Pet. 1.4. These words contain the excellency of Christianity, and describe all that can be said of grace. The Apostle implies, that we are accidentally what God is substantially, and that which agrees with God, and is proper to him according to his divine nature is appropriated to us, and may be convenient for us, according to the spirit of grace: so that by grace we are elevated from our own baseness to the fellowship of Iesus Christ, and we are put out of our selves, to receive a new being in God. Can any thing be said more admirable or great? If we reflect on this truth, we must needs confess, that to live according to Christian grace, and bear it's effects in our souls, we must go out of our selves, and be no more our own, nor in our selves. When we say, we must go out of our selves, we would intimate, that the Christian, to live like a perfect Christian, must regard nothing but God, mind no Interest but that of the glory of God, please none but God, have no desire, but to accomplish the will of God. In brief, he must renounce himself, and the love of all things to love none but God. To live so, as to go out of ones [Page 389] self, is in two words, all that we have proposed in the fourth Part.
This is a Point may be thought hard, and too high, yet the practice thereof is necessary, according to those words of the Son of God, He that will follow me, let him deny himself;Luk. 9 23. where we see how much a Christian is obliged to renounce all, and to go out of himself after the manner we have declared, which will appear more cleer, if we consider the essence of the Precept of love, for the love of Christianity is a love, says Dionysius the Areopagite, extatick, that is to say, it raiseth us to a contempt of our selves, and all things, to unite us to God, who is essentially love and charity; so that by the perfection of Christianity, which is in the love of God, we are drawn from the love of our selves and the creature, to be onely God's, and not to enjoy our selves in any thing but in God.
Thus, which way soever we consider Christianity, we find, that both love and Christian grace, causes us to go out of our selves, to unite us to God, and make us partakers of his divine Nature.
THE FIFTH PART. Treating of true Piety, and the more particular Duties of a Christian towards Jesus Christ our Lord.
CHAP. I. What Devotion is, and wherein true Piety consisteth.
SAINT Paul proposes to his young Timothy, divers admonitions to be used in the particular conduct of himself and government of his Church. The first which he most recommends is piety, saying,1 Tim. 4.7. Exercise thy self unto godliness, as if he should say, Truly all vertues are good, and suitable to the state of a perfect Christian, the [Page 397] practise thereof profitable, the acquisition usefull and necessary, but his chief care and exercise must be piety, v. 8. for he adds, godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
The advice which the Apostle gives his Disciple, we must here propose to our perfect Christian, having already spoken of vertues, the most profitable and necessary to the state of Christianity. There remains then no more to commend unto him, but a true and solid Christian Piety, for this Piety is the Ornament or Mistriss of all other vertues. I mean the Christian vertues dispose us, assist us, and put us into a capacity agreeable to God, and to honour him, they are necessary for us to make us worthy of God, they shew us the way to God, but Piety leads us to God, and makes use of all vertues to conduct us thither, and having no object but God, teaches us the worship and honour that we must render to him, and like a good Mistriss, puts us into a ready and easie practise of true vertues, and entertains us in the exercise of actions that honour God, and are acceptable to him: In brief, she enables us to pay God what we owe him.
This Piety is the first use, and exercise of a soul; as the first motion, the first instinct, the [Page 398] first light we have from nature to know God, so the first exercise she inspires us with, is to honour the same God, to render him that worship and service which the Creature owes its Creator. This Piety teaches, to this she incites us, this she produces in us: Whence we may apprehend, how necessary it is to know wherein this true piety consisteth, and to establish our selves therein. For above all that we have said already, which is very considerable, it is evident, that this true piety is one of the principall foundations whereby Christian perfection is supported. In the conduct of men all actions and exercises of their life, are ruled according to piety, and as we commonly say, according to the devotion they have. If then their piety be not founded upon a solid foundation, the rest of the Christian life will be unconstant, and its exercises very uncertain, superficiall, and perhaps, wholly unprofitable, 2 Tim 3.5 as we see in the devotions of many which is onely in the exteriour, who as the Apostle saith, having the form of godliness, despise the power thereof. In such souls we see nothing solid, nothing but inconstancy in their lives, imperfection in their actions, disquiet, disturbance, and adherence to severall Creatures in their spirits, a small blast of adversities overturns them. If we consider all their life, it is nothing but an appearance and shadow [Page 399] of piety, counterfeit Pearls, that make a fair glittering shew, but are fully onely of wind. Some fall into this evill by ignorance, others by default, it is our duty to direct both into the truth.
It concerns us therefore, to examine wherein piety and true Christian devotion consists. Severall persons speak of it severally, every one adds to it, and appropriates it to his own inclinations, humour, and particular affections. But according to Catholick truth, the foundation of solid and true Christian piety, consisteth in the soul's being Iesus Christ's, and belonging to him, by a relation of love and charity. True piety consisteth in the knowledge, esteem, adherence, and subjection of our souls to Iesus Chrst, from which esteem, adherence and subjection, all our exercises, actions of devotion and piety, must proceed as heat from the fire, the effect from the cause.
This description of Piety may seem new, but it will appear manifest, if we weigh with patience the deduction thereof, and consider that Iesus Christ is our Saviour, our Mediator, by whom we have access to God, by whom we honour God, render our duties to him, and have a relation to the most high and most adorable Trinity, and refer our life actions, and our selves thereto. Herein consisteth true piety, for by Iesus Christ, we are acceptable to [Page 400] him, by him God, who is all sufficient in himself, vouchsafes to accept our wills, to sanctifie our actions, and recompense our good works. St. Paul teacheth this, when he sayes that Iesus Christ is all our glory. Sess. 14. cap. 8. It is by Iesus Christ, and in him that we live, in him we merit, and satisfie by fruits worthy repentance, it is in him that they are meritorious, it is he that offers them to his Father (consider these words) and his Father accepts them, and they are acceptable to him for his sake. What more clear or more to our purpose? Hence we conclude, that devotion and Christian piety cannot be in a soul, if that soul be not Iesus Christ's, if it adhere not to him, and be subject to his spirit. For if we live not, if we merit not, nor can satisfie God but by Iesus Christ, it necessarily follows, we cannot live, if we are not Iesus Christs. He therefore saith Saint Iohn, 1 Joh. 5.12. who hath not the Sonne hath not life, implying, he hath nothing, and consequently, he hath no capacity to honour and serve God, wherein consisteth true piety. Whence we may conclude that to acquire true devotion, we must begin with this esteem of Iesus, and by an adherence and subjection to his spirit and conduct.
Let us more particularly explain wherein this true piety consists. To know it, we must not stop at exteriour things, or at actions which [Page 401] have nothing but appearance, but we must enter into the bottom of the soul, and regard true devotion onely in the centre of the heart ▪ The proper office and principall duty of true piety, is to cause us to regard God, to induce us to render to God what we owe him. It is necessary that we enter into the knowledge of God, not by speculation or sublime knowledge, but by the light of Faith. This knowledge leads us to esteem God, by this esteem we enter into a propriety and a true and absolute subjection to his greatness and will, all which is necessary to true devotion, for as much as we cannot render to God the honour, love, and service we owe him, but in as much as we esteem him, and are subject to him. Seeing then Piety consisteth in rendring to God the honour, love, and service we owe him, and that we cannot otherwise honour or serve him then as we esteem him, and depend of him and his divine will; it followes that to be truly devout, we must act according to the truths of faith, and follow this supernaturall light, we must conceive a great esteem of God, and live in great subjection to his Law and divine conduct, and so to live, is to live in the true spirit of piety, and to be truly devout.
But this is not all, we must proceed further. The Christian being in the bottom of [Page 402] his soul and heart, disposed after the manner we mention, feels a spirituall vivacity, an easiness and promptitude which drives him to the practise of all vertues, and incites him to shew outwardly, in all sorts of actions, the worship, reverence, and love interiour, which he beares his God. This motion is so powerfull, this vivacity so efficacious, that he cannot but outwardly express what he carries in the centre of his heart and soul, as fire that cannot be hid, but will break forth in flames. This inward true piety cannot be concealed, but will appear by its effects, by the exercises of devotion, and by severall actions of vertue, according as occasion and time permits. We must observe that these exercises of devotion are the more pure sincere and perfect, the more the soul esteems God; her vertues are the more solid and Christian, the more she is subject to the soveraignty of God, and submits her self to his divine will, as much as she encreases in the light of faith, and esteem of her God, and establishes her self in this submission and subjection to the will of God, so much doth she receive capacity, motion, and facility to all sorts of exercises of piety, and the practise of all vertues. The more this inward estate is augmented and perfected in her, the more her inward and outward actions are pure, holy, and perfect, not that she believes Devotion to [Page 403] be in outward things; on the contrary, she esteems them nothing, but feels her self driven to these exercises, and believes that she owes all that to God, to render him the honour and service whereto she is obliged; she regards not what she does, it is impossible for her to consider or esteem of it, she onely regards God whom she ought to honour and love with all her strength, and serve as much as she can with purity and infinite perfection. This advice is much to be considered, for it is in this case, that we can easily discover by what spirit the soul is guided in her devotions: by this a man may truly judge of his state, and of the progress he makes in Christian perfection.
To summe what hath been said, we see that in true piety there are two things to be considered, one the interiour and bottom of the soul, the other, the exteriour, which consisteth in its actions. The interiour we look upon as the principalll root and cause of true piety; the exteriour is but as the blossome and fruit; as the actions of devotion which appear to men, are but the mark of piety, and makes shew of it, but true piety consisteth in the interiour, as we have said. They therefore who study onely the exteriour, and have no care but to produce actions fair in appearance, have the image and shadow of piety, and are able to deceive our eyes, and to [Page 404] delude the judgements of men, who see but the outside, and perhaps, before the eyes of that divine spirit which penetrates the centre of our souls, they are neither devout, nor acceptable to him, for all their great performances; unless these actions of piety, which appeare outwardly proceed from the very bottome, from a good foundation, from an interiour such as we have described. A Christian who would be devout, to acquire a solid and Christian piety, must before all things bear an esteem of God; and if he truly esteem God, he will make account of all that is of God, he will honour all that is in the Church of God, and in any condition or estate will accept all the effects of the providence and conduct of God, he will resigne himself to his divine will, and above all, endeavour to enter into an indissoluble relation to God, and having obtained this interiour, he easily practises vertue, and feels a promptitude to embrace all sorts of exercises of devotion. By this we know true piety.
When all these qualifications we have mentioned do not meet in the soul, she is then far from devotion. For what piety can there be in a soul which is not God's? what resentment of devotion can be found in a Christian who lives in a state unworthy of God, and displeasing to his goodness? shall we call [Page 405] them devout, who flatter, haply glorify themselves in their fair appearances, and only study the exteriour, despising all the rest? who honour God with their hands in some exercises whereto they oblige themselves, praising him with the mouth by selected prayers, and often affected, and yet dishonour him in their life, and blaspheme him in their hearts? God may say of most Christians, Isa. 29.13. and of his Israel, what he once said of the Iews; This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. For which reason we must fear what Christ immediately adds, saying, but in vain do they worship me;Mark 7.7. for God vouchsafes not to look upon these devotions, and cannot but detest these Christians, who like the Samaritans will on the one side adore vanity, and idolatrize their own lusts; and on the other side, profess the worship of the true God, Mat. 23.27. who appear like sepulchres, painted without, but have nothing within but ashes and rottenness. These Christ severely reprehends, these we advise by this Discourse, out of a desire to propose the remedy, and show them the truth.
CHAP. II. The necessity we have to be Jesus Christ's, if we would attain true devotion.
NO man cometh to the Father, saith Iesus Christ, but by me; to shew us that no man hath access to God,Joh. 14.6. but by his inttercession. By these words, he shews us the need we have of him, and the impotence wherein we all are. The impotence appears, in that we can do nothing without him, and cannot return to God but by him; For sin hath not onely separated us from God, but also taken from us the power and right to return to God, and in effect, we would never have access to his Majesty justly provoked by our sins, if the Son of God by his divine mercy did not conduct and bring us, to receive grace and favour. The eternall Father receives us not, accepts not of our actions, is not pleased with our devotions and homage, otherwise then by his Son, in him, and by him, God triumphs over us. By him we speak to God, by him, we see God, by him, we offer our selves to God; so true is it, that without him we can do nothing, we cannot have access to the throne of divine mercy, nor be acceptable to God, but by him. Hence we must [Page 407] confess, that the Christian who would acquire true vertue, and desireth to live in the perfection of his estate, as he is obliged, must necessarily be Iesus Christ's. He must adhere to him, appertain to him, be subjected to his spirit and conduct, and much more particularly, if he would have true devotion; For seeing true piety consisteth principally in being God's, and rendring to his most sacred and soveraign Majesty, the worship, honour, and service due to him, and that otherwise we are unworthy and uncapable to do all that, without Iesus Christ, by whom, as we have said, we are God's, without whom we can neither honour God, nor be acceptable to him; It follows, that the foundation of true piety consisteth in Iesus Christ, that is, in the adherence and relation of our souls to Iesus Christ, and in the submission of our being and life to the conduct of his spirit and grace; for by that adhering to him, and being subjected to him, we are pleasing to God, and receive in him, and by him the capacity of honouring and serving God, which is the proper effect, and chief duty of piety and devotion.
The truth would need no proof, but that few persons think thereof, and that many are ignorant of it, therefore it seems to be to purpose, to speak thereof more at large in the Principles of Christianity. Without [Page 408] out going any further, let us consider, that to be a Christian, we must put off the old man, with his deeds, Col 3 9.10. and put on the new man, Iesus Christ; it is the Doctrine of the Apostle whereon we must found our Discourse. If to be a Christian, we must crucify and put off the old man, to put on the new, with much more reason, to be a good and devout Christian we must crucify and put off the first, to invest us with the second. When we say that we must be clothed with Iesus Christ, it is to shew we must be united to him, adhere to him, and as a garment adheres to the body, and is united to it; so must we be Iesus Christ's, but much more perfectly then this comparison expresses.
Reason and Faith will easily convince us of this truth, if we doubt of it; for faith teaches us, that it belongs to Iesus Christ to give us grace and strength, to put off the old man, that is, to draw us from our imperfections, to deliver us from our sins, and annihilate our evil inclinations. It is the same that Iesus Christ invests us with the new, gives us his spirit, grace and vertue; for and according to Saint Paul, Iesus Christ hath been to us wisdom, and righteousness, 1 Cor. 1.30. sanctification, and redemption; In a word, Iesus Christ is all in all to us. Now, that the Son of God may operate in us all that we have said, it is necessary that we be united to him, adhere to him, and [Page 409] be subjected to his designes, his will and divine operations. Who can deny so manifest a truth? If Iesus annihilate our evill inclinations, and root sin out of our hearts, ought not we to be subject to his conduct and spirit, and so receive his operations of mercy? If we participate of his grace and vertue, and live according to his Commandements, is it not necessary we should be united to him? And how should we be united to him, but by a true relation and faithful adherence to him? This deduction is easie, and clearly shewes how true it is that the foundation of true piety consisteth in unity, and in the adherence and dependance of the soul on Iesus Christ; it is acknowledg'd by all that devotion cannot be true, if we be not exempted from our vices and imperfections, and filled with the spirit of Iesus Christ, and assisted with his grace, to make us worthy to honour and serve God. We cannot perceive in that devotion, nor practise the exercises thereof, if the same Iesus Christ be not operating in us the will, and perfecting according to his will.
This Iesus Christ said to his Apostles, and in them to all Christians,Joh. 15.4, 5. Abide in me and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me, adding, he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much [Page 410] fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. O words of love! words spoken the eve of his death, to shew us the excess of his love that proceeded from his heart, wholly divine, and full of tenderness, whereby being moved, he further said unto them, Abide in my love. So infinitely was he desirous to possess our hearts, and to triumph over us by his love, whence he often repeats the same words, to engrave and imprint this care in our souls, and by the proceedings of his love, oblige us to love him again. This indeed is a thing we ought to have continually in our thoughts, for all the happiness of a Christian, consisteth in this relation, and this amorous dwelling of our souls in Iesus. All our good is in this union, since that by it, and the adherence we have to Iesus, we become his, and by him we receive a power and capacity to bear the fruits of good works, to practise vertue, and to passe our life in the exercises of true piety and Christian devotion, which make us hope for the reward which God promises to those that serve him. Without this relation and union, we shall continue in our weakness and incapacity, our life is unprofitable, barren, unfruitfull,Joh. 15.6. and in evident perill. If any man abide not in me, saith Jesus Christ, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire.
[Page 411]If we will come to the experience of what we have said, let us examine God's conduct of such souls as he will save, and we shall find that the first knowledge he gives them, is that of Iesus Christ, proposing to them his Crosse, or some Mystery of his life; the first motions, the first thoughts of piety that he inspires them with, are those of a certain compassion and sympathy with his Crosse and sufferings, or those of love and tenderness in consideration of his benefits. If on the other side we intentively consider souls, even the most ignorant, we shall easily know they have a secret resentment, and an inclination to Iesus Christ, though they know him not. But God alwayes begins these divine Communications and effects of his mercy by this first grace. The reason is manifest in Divinity, which teaches us, that the eternall Father doth nothing but by Iesus Christ, operates nothing in our souls, nor in the state of grace, no more then in nature, but by his Sonne. The first favour therefore the elect soul chooses to receive of God, is that the eternall Father hath given it to his Sonne, and there Iesus Christ accepts of it, and appropriates it to himself. Now as God demands our co-operation, which yet we cannot give without his grace, and therefore inspires the soul with a resentment of Iesus Christ, gently insinuating into it a certain attraction [Page 412] which sweetly drawes it to a knowledge and piety towards Iesus Christ; so our soul begins to be Iesus Christs, perfecting her self in the state of christianity, according to the measure that he advances in this affection, and in this relation to Iesus Christ.
The Sonne of God speaking to the Iewes, obstinate in their errours, saith, None can come unto me, if the Father who hath sent me doth not draw him. And to shew the manner that the eternall Father uses to lead our souls to his Sonne, Joh. 6.44. he adds, Every man that hath heard of the Father cometh unto me. v. 45. These words include the secrets of grace, and are full of Mystery. They teach us, that the eternall Father by his grace, drawes us and guides us to his Sonne, he speaks to us by his inspirations in the interiour of our souls; he shewes us that we are Iesus Christ's. Is not this to say all that we have proposed? That the design of God to save us, is no other then to give us his Sonne, to unite us to him by the powerfull attractions of his grace, and to cause us to adhere to him by love and the exercises of a life truly christian; herein doth true piety consist. We must therefore continually elevate our hearts and spirits to this Iesus, the onely happiness of our souls; we must entreat him to accomplish in us the designs of his Father, and to take an absolute power over us. We [Page 413] must so offer our selves to him, as to have no other intention, will, nor conduct but his, that we may by a true relation, verifie what Saint Paul said,Joh. 6.44. v. 45. All is yours, you are Christs, and Christ is Gods. Let us so think of him, and so do, that from henceforth our hearts and mouths may neither speak nor think, but of him, that all things else may be of no savour to us, that nothing enter our spirit, which resenteth not the spirit and odor of Iesus Christ, and respires not his honour and glory. In a word, let us adhere to him, and, by an indissoluble and eternall union, dwell in him, that he may dwell in us, that we may eternally bear the effect of his holy word. He that is joyned unto the Lord is the one spirit. 1 Cor. 6.17. O how happy is the soul that is called to this happiness, and that is truly in the power of Iesus, in the possession of his spirit, and direction of his grace. This is the state whereto Christian perfection must arrive, the foundation of piety and true devotion. But because many think not of it, and many know it not, we must treat of it more at large, and propose the motives that most oblige us to this Devotion.
CHAP. III. Of Piety to Iesus Christ and its principall effects.
WHAT we have already said of the Sonne of God, is sufficient to make us know what we owe unto him, but the importance of this subject, requires that for our better information, we explain particularly the principles of this piety, and the meanes necessary to attain it. But before we enter into this subject, we must consider that devotion to the Sonne of God, (wherein we are to imitate all Christians) is not so to limit our souls, as to withdraw them from what they owe to God, but on the contrary, the exercise of this piety is necessary to conduct us more worthily, and holily to God, because by piety to the Sonne of God, we attain a capacity and power to honour God. Iesus Christ is our way, by him alone we go to God; he is our life, by him we live the life of grace, a life which onely makes us worthy to honour God. He is our Truth, in him alone, as the spirit of truth, we know God, we adore him and serve him in truth; according to the Apostle, he is our All, in him and [Page 415] by him we have all things: by the Son the Father gives us all, and by the Son, we render all to the Father. This is the gift we receive of God, and the gift we give to God, for all is operated and subsists in the unity of Iesus Christ. The Church offers nothing to, demands nothing of the blessed Trinity, but by Iesus Christ. We must imitate the Church in pious customs.
Piety to Iesus Christ requires not so much exteriour exercises, as interiour and permanent estate doth in our souls, nor demands it any novelty of affection, but a newness of spirit, a new disposition, enclining our souls to employ themselves in the thought of Iesus Christ, to regard him, to love him, to honour him as the object and end of our life, actions, and devotions. It requires that the actions of the religious should be devout, those of the ordinary Christians vertuous, those of a private person, familiar in this object, without changing his spirit, but directing his intentions and dispositions to the pure regard of the Son of God. For example, let us do all that we do by the spirit of honour, and love to Iesus Christ; if we suffer, let it be to imitate and render honour to his sufferings; what ever happens to us, let us receive it by a dependance on, and submission to his power and conduct. If we will insist upon any good thoughts, let it be of Iesus Christ, to consider his greatness, the mysteries [Page 416] of his life, his vertues, his benefits, and the power he hath over us. By these sweet entertainments, by these regards of honour and love, the perfect Christian advances himself, is confirm'd in the piety we speak of. To know what this piety is, and how we must apply our selves thereto, let us consider, that Iesus Christ is the principle, the centre, the end of all Christian souls; for as faith teaches us, he is the cause of all the good that is in us, the spring of all the graces we possess, Author of the life which we live in Christianity, and being the principle, he is also consequently the end thereof. For according to the order established in nature, that which is the principle of a thing is also its end, and nature follows invariably the order God hath prefixt, and by his well ordered motions, gently leads, and if not diverted, infallibly conducts all things to the principle whence she draws them:Eccles. 1.7. So the waters, saith the Wise man, return to the ocean, as to their mothers womb; and according to the mysteries of faith, we say all things return to God, because they all came out of God. It is the same in the estate of grace: If then Iesus Christ be the principle of the being, life, and state of Christianity, he must be also the end; so that our being, life, and estate regard the same Iesus Christ, and are referred to him as the end, and if the end, the [Page 417] centre also of a Christian life. In him our souls find their repose and perfection; Rom. 11.36. in him, by him, and of him are all things, saith Saint Paul.
This Principle alone considered, shews us that Iesus Christ hath full power over us, that we are his, not only in respect of his divine greatness, and supreme power over all as God, Saviour and Redeemer, as purchaser of us with his most precious blood, and his of life-giving death, but also, because he is the principle, centre and end of the life and state of Christianity. In this relation he hath soveraign power over us, having given us being and grace, consecrated us to his glory and honour, in such absolute manner, that the Christian cannot make use either of himself or any other thing, without abuse of the gifts of God, if not for Iesus Christ, and according to his designe and intentions. This is St. Pauls meaning, when he says,1 Cor. 6.19. You are not your own; and again, you have no power on your selves. This power obliges us to refer our selves wholly to Iesus Christ, the first thought and thing to be done in Christian piety, being, to believe we have no right to our selves, but are wholly Christ's, and, having conceived in the depth of our souls this belief, to have a vigilant care, that in our life and actions we draw not our selves from the power of the Son of God to make use of our selves and the creatures to [Page 418] our own content and particular interests. For according to the principle of Christianity, we have no right to appropriate any thing to our selves. This belief is the ground of true piety to Iesus Christ, which Saint Paul teacheth, saying,2 Cor. 5.15. The Son of God died, that those that live might live no longer to themselves, but to him who died for them.
On this truth, we ought often to reflect. For as the foundation of it consisteth in a true dependance and love to Iesus Christ, in respect of his soveraign power over us; so the principall care of him who seeks true piety, must be to continue in this dependance, to live with such fidelity, that he appropriate nothing to himself, either as to his life or actions, or yet of the creatures, and assuredly, he must make great account of this care and fidelity. But whereto serves it? To bear in his heart a sensible desire to belong to the Son of God, and every day to renew his resolutions and good purposes. What doth it profit our soul, to have the knowledge of so high a truth, if in the actions of humane life and exercises of piety, we withdraw our selves from this dependance on the Son of God, to apply us to our selves, and seek in our own business and exercises our content and satisfaction. This were, by our own actions to belie the resentments of our soul, to profess piety, and follow [Page 419] impiety, to bear a double heart, to have vertue only in the mouth. For if we are truly devout, we can not but be Iesus Christ's, and if we are his, our principall care will certainly be to continue our dependance on him, not onely in that which concerns our condition, but in all the dispositions, intentions, actions, and circumstances of our life.
The same Principle operates in our souls a second effect of piety in that our life and actions, belonging properly to the Son of God, as their beginning and end, ought accordingly to be submitted to his divine conduct, to be ordered after what manner he pleases, according to the power of his spirit, and the light of his loving communications. It is but reason that all good depend on him from whom it proceeds, and that we be ruled, not according to our own wills, which are blind, and transported with affection and self-love, but according to the intentions of Iesus Christ, who is the cause, and ought necessarily to be the rule thereof.
Thus the second interiour estate whereto the Christian, who seeks true piety must arrive, is a Resignation of himself, to the conduct and direction of the grace and spirit of Iesus Christ, that being so subjected, he may perform all his actions in a pure regard to the Son of God, according to his divine intentions. This Resignation, [Page 420] if true, makes us bear with patience and inward peace, all estates we may possibly arrive to; it gives us liberty of spirit, capacity and strength to follow and embrace that only which is of God, and according to God; it puts us into a great fidelity to the motions of grace, in such manner, that according to the measure of our increase in this resignation, we advance in Christian piety, and live with greater liberty and fidelity of soul.
This indeed appears something difficult, and many believing it an estate onely for the most perfect, pass by it as a thing impossible for them. But if we consider well, we shall find it easie, and acknowledge it common to all souls, who live in grace. To do an action of piety, we must be aided by the grace of Iesus Christ, which encourages & assists us in all good works so necessary, that without this grace, we can neither think, nor act any good.
He then that will be devout, and live in the exercise of true piety, must have this grace, whence it follows he must cooperate with it, and give himself up to be conducted by the spirit of Iesus Christ, who will operate that good wo [...]k in him, otherwise it will be impossible for him to live well, since that without grace we can do no good.
1 Cor. 12.3. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost, saith Saint Paul, for it is [Page 421] grace that doth all in all, and therefore we say, he that will live according to true piety, must take care to resigne himself to the conduct of this grace, and with great circumspection become faithfull therein. The Principle of devotion consists in being faithfull to the graces and motions that Iesus offers and inspires us with. Herein we must take great care every one according to his state and vocation. Whence we easily learn, that true and essentiall piety to Iesus Christ, doth not consist barely in actions of homage, and honour, or in giving our selves to him by certain practices, and employing us in severall exercises, though in it self all be profitable, but the true essence and ground of this devotion consists in the dependance of our soul on Iesus Christ, and in a true subjecting of our life to his conduct by a faithfull cooperation with his grace and motions: this is the ground and state of true piety, to comprehend which, we must consider that all we do is acceptable to Iesus Christ, onely because we are his, all our actions and exercises as good, being derived from his grace, inspired and conducted by his spirit. We may do a thing two wayes, according to naturall motions and inclinations of the old man, or according to the motions and holy inclinations of the new man, Iesus Christ; if what we do, though it seem good, be according [Page 422] to the motions and inclinations, of the old man, it is but of little value, being at the most but naturall and humane actions. But if it issue from motions of grace, then is it truly Christian. Hence we say, the foundation of true piety consists in the subjection of the soul to grace and the conduct of Iesus Christ; for if Iesus Christ do not conduct the soul by grace, nor direct her by his spirit, she can do nothing considerable.
Hence it is, that many deceive and flatter themselves in their imperfections, passing their lives in the practice of many exercises, neglecting the principall, and thinking they do wonders, when they do nothing, because all their actions are rather effects of their own inclinations, humours, or self-love then of grace. The Christian therefore, if he seek perfection, must take heed hereto, and in all things observe as a maxime in Catholique vertues, that Christian vertue and true piety, consist not in being conformable to reason, and to a humane spirit, but to the spirit and intention of Iesus Christ, who is the infallible rule of our actions. This advice is of importance; We shall speak of it elswhere, when we have convinced the more difficult spirits, and made them see the right Iesus Christ hath to us.
CHAP. IV. The right which the Sonne of God hath to us; Motives obliging us to be his, and to adhere to him by true piety.
WHich way soever we consider our selves, we belong unto the Sonne of God, this is our happiness. We belong unto him after a singular manner; in the state of nature he hath a right to us, all things being, as the Evangelist saith, made by him. In the being of grace, we belong to him; in the being of glory, we are his; by him all are raised to glory; by a grace springing from the Mystery of the Incarnation and proper to the state of Christianity, he is our Head, we his Members, he is the Father, we his Children, he our spouse, we his heart and delight, he our Doctor, we his Disciples, he our Pastor, we his sheep, he our Redeemer, we his Captives, he our King, we his subjects, he the Sacrificer, we his sacrifices; in a word, he is our All, the way, the life, and the salvation of the World, and as St. Paul saith,Eph. 1.23. he is our fulness, and we are his by the price of his blood and possession of his spirit. We are so much the Son's, that we cannot be God's, without being first Iesus's, [Page 424] who refers us to his Father. If the Father accept us, and behold us with the eyes of mercy, it is in the Sonne, in as much as we are his Members, and united unto him.
This union, whereby we belong to the Sonne of God, is so necessary, that as the eternall Father loves us not but for his Sonne's sake, nor regards us but in him, so cannot our actions be acceptable to him, nor all our exercises of piety please him, if they be not done by the conduct of the spirit of his Sonne, and by adherence and union to Iesus, though they may otherwise seem good and perfect. He that is not with me, Luk. 11.23. saith Christ, is against me, and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth. This property is grounded upon the principles of Faith, which teach us, that the Sonne of God onely became man, not the Father nor the holy Ghost, he alone performs the office of Mediator, in the redemption of humane nature; he alone is our Redeemer, our Mediator, and our Head. In this quality we are his Captives and Members; he is the Father of the Ages to come, and we are his children, for he alone begot us by his blood and death, and as a Pelican, he gives us life by the effusion of his blood, and animates us by the spirit of his Crosse; in the Crosse he begot us, by his death he giveth us that life we lost by the envy of the Serpent.
[Page 425]Thus in all the Mysteries of Faith, we adore the Sonne of God, being of the divine persons the onely incarnate, living and dying for us, he onely redeeming us from the captivity of our sins, being God, became man, that men might become Gods, all the Mysteries of his life accomplished upon Earth, were onely to sanctifie us, his dying upon the crosse, makes him the onely victime and holocaust of our propitiation. Are not these motives sufficient to shew us that we are his in a singular manner, belonging to him by extraordinary relations? Is it not reason we should acknowledge him, and by a particular fidelity, profess our selves his, and carefully endeavour to adhere to him, and by true piety, to render him the honour, love, and service, that his benefits obliege us to.
This the greatest part of Christians think not of; as being, by reason of their impiety, ignorant of their benefactor, as the Ancients were through their Idolatry of their Creator. It is a strange ingratitude, that man should be so blind in these dayes, as not know his Iesus, and passing his life away carelesly, neglect to acknowledge him in his greatness, to adore him in his works, and to honour him in his humane divine life. Our business then must be to reform this ignorance, and therefore we will propose the principall rights which he [Page 426] hath to us, that we may learn with what piety and devotion we ought to follow and serve him, and that those souls who neglect or despise this piety, may re-enter into themselves, and endeavour from henceforth, to render to Jesus Christ the honour, love and service, whereto they are by so many just relations obliged.
The first right that Jesus Christ hath to man, is derived from his Quality of being God-man, for such is the Sonne of God, not onely in regard of his Divinity, but also according to his humanity. In this quality, Jesus Christ by a power of excellency, ought to rule and command all that is and shall be created, a power that the eternal Father gave him at the first minute of his Incarnation; besides that, by this Mystery, the Son changing his condition for the glory of his Father, and abasing himself to honour him, the Father also will needs honour him, constituting him from thenceforward, the principle of life, grace and glory, proclaiming him Soveraign of the universe, and replenishing his humane nature with all the effects of the Divinity, and all the states of glory possibly communicable to him as God and man, that as the Sonne honoured his Father in debasing himself, so did the Father honour the Sonne, in exalting him. For this cause he makes him his [Page 427] equall in power, greatness and Majesty, and invests him from this first moment for evermore, with all the power that he hath over his creatures. This the beloved Apostle teaches,Joh. 3.35. when he saith, The Father hath given him all things into his hand: and St. Paul beginning to write the greatness of Iesus, saith expresly, speaking of his mission, That the eternall Father appointed him Heire of all things,Heb. 1.2. by whom also he made the World. Thus by this first Right, and by the Mystery of the Incarnation, Jesus hath the same power over souls, that the Creator hath over his creatures, and in relation to this power, we give him all that we owe to God, and consequently, acknowledge in this Mystery, Jesus to have a double power over us as God and man. This consideration obliges us to adore and serve him, acknowledging this power must doubly subject us to his conduct, and divine will. Heaven and Earth pay this duty and fidelity to this Iesus God and Man. Let us hear with a resentment of love, how St. Iohn describes the triumphs of our Iesus; he tells us that he heard the Angels crying aloud, The Lamb who hath been slain, is worthy to receive power and riches, and wisdom and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing. The Earth and all the creatures of the Universe do the like, and present themselves before [Page 428] Iesus, declare him their Soveraign, and protest obedience and service to him.Rev. 5.13. I heard saith Saint Iohn, every creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth, and such as are in the Sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, honour, glory and power, be unto him that sits upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Let us do the same, and from the bottom of our hearts say Amen; let us adore Iesus Christ in his greatness, and acknowledging his Soveraignty, live in true subjection to his divine conduct.
CHAP. V. Of the Motives which oblige us to belong to Jesus, and to serve him by true piety.
OF all the Mysteries of our salvation, that which ought most humbly to subject us to the will and power of Iesus Christ, is the work of our Redemption; for in this Mystery of love and mercy, Iesus is our Redeemer, we are his Purchase, and have no longer Right either to our selves or to any creature; Ye are not your own, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. saith St. Paul, for ye are bought with a price, meaning, we are Christ's who [Page 429] hath bought us with his most ineffably precious blood. But the better to understand this sublime mystery, let us derive it from its very source.
We are then to consider, that by the sin of our first parents, we should all have perished in him, as guilty with him, all nature should have been extinct by his sin; for, from his first offence he ought to bear the execution of the Decree pronounced against him by the mouth of God, in these words, In the day that thou shalt eat thereof, thou shalt surely die; And doubtless divine Iustice had annihilated him,Gen. 2.17. and in him humane nature, and all creatures had perished with the Sinner, if the eternall Father beholding his Son designed for the reparation of this offence had not repress'd the rigour of his Iustice. The Father out of the love he bore his Son, suspended the execution of this Decree, he saved the offender, mercy triumphed over justice, he granted this sinful man life, and the world to live in; and consequently humane nature, and the world it self, which for this sin should have been destroyed, were preserved, onely in consideration of Iesus Christ, for his sake the eternall Father took compassion on us. From this first Consideration, is easily inferr'd, that we owe unto the Son of God all that we are, and all that we have; and therefore we are as often his as [Page 430] there are moments in our life, and as often as we receive any benefit from this bountifull hand of God; and therefore all these rights which are innumerable, ought to be so many tyes to unite us indissolubly to Iesus Christ.
But if we dive further into the contemplation of these truths, we shall find, that by sin we belong to the Devil, we have granted him that right, which God by Creation gave us over the creatures; we have, as it were, by sin made over our selves to him. Thus by voluntary offence, Man, who should have commanded the World, becomes a slave to the Devill, and sels himself to sin. I am carnall, sold under sin, saith St. Paul, Rom. 7.14 in the name of all sinners. In this quality the Devill hath all manner of right and power over us, and assuredly would exercise his malice against us, if the divine goodness did not restrain him. He would make us even now feel the same rigours which he exerciseth over the damned, and dispose of us at his pleasure, as he doth of souls eternally cursed of God, were it not that Iesus Christ by his death, hath forc'd us out of this captivity, and devested the Devill of all right and power over us. He hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances against us, Col. 2.14. saith St. Paul, and taken it out of the way, nailing it to the Crosse. Thus the Sonne of God delivering us from this captivity, [Page 431] makes us his Captives, acquiring by his blood and death, a new right and power over us, which he will use not with rigour and justice, but with love and mercy, the state of grace and spirit of piety, having nothing but sweetness and indulgence. He hath delivered us, saith the Apostle, from the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. Col. 1.13. For the power of Iesus is all in love, and dissolves it self into dearness. What Christian seeing so much sweetness, will not resign himself to the excess of this goodness, to the power of this love?
To conceive more fully the effects of the grace of the Sonne of God, and his rights to us by redemption, observe, that, by the conduct of God, and according to the merit of our offences, so soon as man is in sin, and withdrawes himself from the order and end that God hath prefix'd and proposed to him, he is nothing but the object of divine justice, unworthy of any favour from Heaven. Heaven, Earth and Hell bandy against him, God is obliged onely to promote the punishment of sin by malediction, blasphemy, damnation and hell. If God stay the stroke of his Iustice, if he hath yet some reserve of mercy for this miserable sinner, if he suffer him to live, and preserve him, out of an expectation of his penitence, that so he may escape hell, it is by [Page 432] Iesus Christ, and onely for his sake. We must then acknowledge that a sinner owes to Iesus Christ all the motions of his life, all the happiness of his soul, all the good which may befall him in Heaven or Earth. O how many obligations have we then! even as many as there are moments, as many as we have thoughts, as many as we have received benefits from time to time, so many rights hath Iesus Christ to our souls, so many times do we belong to him. Who can number these wonders? Can there be any thing in nature able to break these bonds, and separate us from Iesus?
Let us dive yet a little further into this consideration, by an examination of particulars, let us see how by daily sins we separate our selves from God, and, shaking off the obedience we owe him, become slaves to sin. He that sins is a slave to sin, Joh. 8.34. saith Iesus Christ, so that the sinner by a deplorable blindness, withdrawing himself from the sweetness of the Kingdom of the Sonne of God, subjects himself to the power of sin, which would infallibly exercise its rigour and Tyranny over him, if Iesus Christ by his mercy did not suppress its malignity. For as sin ruling over the rebellious Angels, subjected them to its malice and rigour, causing those Angels of light to be to all eternity Angels of darkness and [Page 433] malediction; So the sinner, from the time he offended, should be abandoned to the same Tyranny, and left to the fury of sinne, which would precipitate him into all manner of violence, abhomination and misery, had not Iesus Christ sustained the yoak of sin, and stayd the power of its malevolence. So that we are as many times Christ's, as he hath preserved us by his divine mercy from severall sins and abhominations. If on the other side we consider our actuall sins, we must acknowledge that they also serve to bind us to I. Christ, for as many sins as we commit, so many times do we deprive our souls of the favours and grace which we have received of God, by the only merit of Ie. Christ, and when Ie. Christ shewes mercy to us, or washes us with his blood, and withdrawes us from our sins, to restore us the graces which we have lost, at the same time he takes a new power, and acquires as many new rights over us, as he pardons sinnes in us. By this meanes the sins which God pardons in us, oblige and bring us to Iesus Christ. Thus on what side soever we look on our selves, we wholly belong to Iesus, and consequently are obliged to live in a totall dependance, and perpetuall subjection to the conduct, spirit, and power of Iesus Christ.
But if now to what we have said, should [Page 434] be added the merits of the Sonne of God, we should find our selves infinitely obliged to be united, and to appertain to the same Iesus Christ. For his merits being infinite in dignity acquire to him, infinite rights over us; nay, if we consider them particularly, we must needs nevertheless acknowledge, that Iesus Christ acquires as many rights over us, as there are moments in his life, since in Iesus all is of infinite merit. We are his by his Incarnation, by his birth, by his teares, by his sufferings, by his Crosse, in a word, we are as many times his, as he lived moments upon earth, as often as he did actions in the world during his life here. But if we lift up our eyes to behold him in his glory, we shall see him incessantly, offering up himself for us to his Father, Heb. 9.24. he is entered into Heaven, now to appear in the presence of God for us, as Saint Paul saith, where he by continuall benefits shed upon us, forces our acknowledgements, that there are so many rights and obligations to appropriate and unite us to him, as there are moments in Eternity.
What remains then, but that we consider by what meanes we may satisfie so many obligations to the Sonne of God. It is a decree pronounced by him,Luk. 12.48. That of him to whom much hath been given, much shall be required. [Page 435] All our life then must be employ'd in true piety, a piety which shall establish us in a supreme honour, in a most powerful love, and an intire and absolute dependance on Jesus Christ. We must continually begg, that as the Sonne of God changed his condition, and became man to testifie his love to us, and to deliver us from the captivity of sinne, and put us into the state of salvation, so we may change our condition and disposition, to be happily converted into a pure regard of honour and of imitation of his life, who is all love, all goodnesse.
If you would desire some practises upon this occasion, I would advise the perfect Christian,
1. To adore the power of Iesus Christ, and all his rights to us, accept them by a voluntary subjection, and rejoyce therein praysing the Sonne of God in that he hath vouchsafed to assume those powers and rights over us.
2. To offer himself to Iesus Christ, to bear the effects of this power over us, submitting our selves by a true resignation to all that it shall please him to operate in us and by us, for his will and glory.
3. To pray to Iesus Christ, to use his right and power over us, and over all that which is ours, notwithstanding the opposition [Page 436] that we may have thereto, as well by the inclinations and imperfections of our nature, as by the effects of our proper malice.
4. Being transported by a desire to be Christ's, often and continually to implore, if it may be done, the power of his spirit to annihilate in us, and to root out of our souls, and from the bottom of our being, whatever opposes his right over us, and may hinder the effects of his divine will. In fine, if we have not a sense of the power of Iesus Christ, let us at least have in our hearts a violent desire to be his, a firm purpose never to be separated from him, and a vigilancy to receive with faithfulness, what he shall vouchsafe to operate by the influence of his infinite mercy. All this reaches no further then the beginnings of piety to Jesus Christ; we now proceed to the use and practise of it.
CHAP. VI. Of the state of Subjection to Iesus Christ considered as the principle of Christian piety.
IF we make application of what hath been said, we shall find, that as the Son of God hath infinite rights to us, so we are infinitly his, we depend on him, we have infinite obligations to him, which the shortness of our dayes will not give us leave sufficiently to admire, nor the weakness of our spirits to comprehend. Yet speaking suitably to our meanness, we may reduce them to two principles, the foundation and prop of all exercises of piety interiour and exteriour.
The first is an acknowledgement of the soveraignty of Iesus over all creatures, and over us in particular, confessing that he is our King and Soveraign. The first use of piety to Iesus, is to acknowledge and adore his supreme authority; it is life and happiness to know and to serve Iesus Christ. Therefore the Apostle desires that the Ephesians should know the love of Iesus Christ, Eph. 3.19 which passeth all knowledge, to the end that they might be filled with all the fulness of God, teaching how profitable and necessary this knowledge is. The other foundation of piety, is a continuation of the first, the [Page 438] Christian acknowledging the soveraignty of Iesus Christ enters into a state of relation to, and a dependance on him, and adoring his soveraignty, submits to his power, not out of constraint or necessity, as Rebells, but out of choice, love and fidelity, which he renders to him as his Prince and Iesus. This dependance must not be indifferent, but the lowest and most submiss that is possible; so that a Christian in this state, looks upon himself only as a servant to Iesus, and acts in all things, only in the spirit of subjection and humility. This subjection is an effect of our knowledge of Iesus, and that knowledge a fruit of the light of faith, and a gift of grace.
This state of service, is proper and essentiall to the creature, in regard of God; the creature is essentially dependant and subject to the Creator. It is an indispensable estate, the creature may as soon cease to be, as cease to depend on the Creator. It is a primitive estate in grace and essential to all Christians the first step of our entry into the Church & into faith, the first operation of grace in our souls, is to become servants to Iesus Christ. This service is the first estate of Christianity, the first promise that we make to God by a solemn publike profession in the Church by Baptisme. There we devote our selves to Iesus Christ, to belong to him, to depend on him, and at the [Page 439] same time we receive and aknowledge him as our Soveraigne, we adore and reverence him as our Redeemer, we are united to him as to our Head. Thus this state of service brings grace; yea, singular grace, which is the first thing that God gives in his Church by Baptisme, a grace which he gives with a mark and impression of his power, so deeply imprinted in our souls, that nothing can deface it, not Hell it self. Whence we see, that at the same time that Iesus Christ conceives us by Baptisme, and receives us into his Church as his children, we enter into the state of servants, and vow our selves to Iesus Christ, as such. So that by one and the same Sacrament, we are made children of God, and received his servants, and consequently we are in the House of God, both as sons and servants, yet so, as that we are his children by grace, his servants by nature. Now as we say, that the state of subjection is essentiall to the creature, and to the Christian, so the same state is essentiall to the piety of Christians, and therefore they who would establish themselves in piety, must begin their establishment in this subjection; for we must bear a relation of love and inclinations to Iesus Christ, as we do of purchase and necessity.
To be convinced of this truth, we are to observe that this state of subjection consisteth [Page 440] in taking Iesus Christ for the end and object of our actions, we serve him, we contemplate him as our Soveraign and Redeemer, we do all things by a spirit of love, honour, and dependance on him; So that this state of dependance and service is a generall Disposition wherein we perform all our actions. By this Disposition they are truly Christian, accomplished in the spirit of true piety; and though there appear nothing outwardly, either new or extraordinary in our life, yet by this disposition and state of service, we are more neerly Christ's, who looks on us as his own, raising and uniting us to himself by a reall dependance, wherein consists the true spirit of piety. For by the state of service we acknowledge Christ our Soveraign and King, and our selves his vassals; we adore him as our Redeemer, and confess our selves his servants. In this quality we adhere inviolably to all his will; In a word, we see that he is our Head, and we united to him as his members. In this union we live by his spirit, and follow his motions, in which three points consisteth solid piety, and the perfection of Christianity. So that we are so much the more God's, and consequently the more perfect, by how much we are the more abased and devested of our selves, entirely depending, and faithfully operating under the power and will of him who [Page 441] makes himself ours, that we may be his, and hath purchased us to himself at an inestimable rate. For this cause, they who exercise themselves seriously in piety, begin at the same time to look upon the Son of God as the object of their life, and resign themselves up to him. Hence springs the daily practice of certain acts of interiour devotion, which is ordinarily proposed to them that seek true piety, recommended to them, because they are profitable and necessary, drawing the soul from it self, to elevate and unite it to Iesus Christ. We shall further explain it in the ensuing Chapter.
But before we enter into that Discourse, we are to know, that we must not conceive these acts of interiour devotion, to be actions meerly transcient, or a simple operation of our spirit, for that would be little in comparison of what God requires. But we must pass further, and bear in the bottom of our hearts the state wherein we propose these interior acts, that must be our principall end and intention. For though God onely hath power and authority to put us into this estate, when, and how he pleases, yet, because in the wayes of grace, God doth ordinarily expect our consent and cooperation; it is for that very reason that the soul exerciseth her self in this practice of devotion, and it is upon this account [Page 442] that she forms to her self these interiour Acts, whereby she resignes and offers up to God her heart and will. So that in this exercise, the christian must not content himself to form this Act, and to pronounce the words, but he must demand of God the grace to bear a permanent estate thereof, and for his part, must do his utmost endeavour to attain it. In the next Chapter you have them particularly explain'd.
CHAP. VII. Containing certain interiour acts for those souls who are desirous to be established and confirmed in true piety.
THE first act of interiour piety to Iesus Christ, which we are to practise frequently every day, is an act of honour and adoration. This I place first, because it is the first employment of our soul, and the first duty of the creature, who is obliged to honour and adore its God with so much necessity, that the very Devills and damned are forced to do it; it is the first act that christian Religion proposeth. To form this act, we must acknowledge Iesus Christ Sonne of God, both God and man, we must regard him as our Soveraign [Page 443] Lord and Redeemer, as cause and principle of all our happiness. We must annihilate our selves before him, and humble our selves even to the bottom of our soul, willingly submitting to all that he is. This is called an act of adoration. It contains two effects of the powers of the soul, one of the understanding employ'd in considering and acknowledging Iesus Christ in his greatness and Soveraignty, looking on him as the principle of all good, and of all the being of nature and grace, and esteeming and honouring him as such. Then followes an effect of the will, which humbles it self before him, receives and accepts him as her God, King, and all, and with all its strength, submits, wholly to his power and greatness, in an act of adoration.
Hence we may perceive, that adoration consists not onely in an esteem of God, be it never so highly elevated, but requires also a voluntary submission of the soul, with expressions of honour interiour and exteriour. He therefore who practiseth as he ought, an act of adoration, desireth alwayes to shew his respect by the effects. As the Sonne of God is infinitely adorable, he who would adore him, strives daily to increase in adoration, and consequently endeavours with great fidelity, to subject himself more and more in will and deed, to the greatness and Soveraignty of Iesus [Page 444] Christ. I say in will and deed, for it would avail but little, to say it onely with the mouth, and to have in thought the name and ineffable greatness of Iesus Christ, if all our actions be full of our own will; and it were to little purpose to subject our selves by words to the Soveraignty of Iesus Christ, to the conduct of his spirit and motions, if in the management of our life, we follow the spirit of the World, living in a continuall desire to satisfie our selves and our own inclinations. This were to say much, and do nothing. This we must be carefull in, since many deceive themselves in this kind of piety, which they so easily profess, contenting themselves with the superficies, and neglecting the rest. Remember that he, who sayes we must adore God in spirit, Joh. 4.24. said also, we must adore him in Truth.
The second act of this piety, is an act of Oblation, whereby the soul offers her self wholly to Iesus Christ, and renouncing her self, resignes into his hand all that she is, all the power that she hath over her self, over all her actions, over all things, and to make her self the more a servant to Iesus, in a perfect condition, she renounces her own liberty, and all the use she can make thereof, giving it up into the hands of the Son of God, of whom she received it, granting him all the right [Page 445] that she had to dispose thereof, to order it as he pleases, that being so resigned to Iesus, she may not have any thing more, nor be any thing more, but that he may be all, have all, and operate all in her. This Obligation thus conceived, is of great importance. For if it be done after the manner it ought, if the Son of God vouchsafe to accept it, it puts us in the perfection of Christianity, in as much as it drawes the soul from her self and all creatures, to be Christ's, to adhere to him, to depend on him in all things, wherein consisteth true perfection.
Moreover, this Obligation is an effect of the esteem and belief we have of Iesus Christ, and contains the spirit of Christian subjection. For, as according to Law, the slave is no more his own, nor hath any right over any thing, but is wholly left to the power and pleasure of his Master; so by this Obligation, the Christian puts himself as nothing before Iesus Christ; he gives place to all his rights of nature and grace, to be onely the subject of his power and divine will. And though we are all servants to Iesus Christ by right and purchase, as we said elsewhere, yet we will be such also out of good will and affection, giving him by this Oblation, a new power over us, that we may be the Captives to his love, as well as to his power, and submit to the designs of the [Page 446] eternall Father, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, Col. 1.13. and translated us to the Kingdom of his dear Son.
Thus examining this Oblation, we find that it is necessary for all those who seek true piety, as containing the essence and grounds of devotion; it puts the soul into a perfect denudation, and makes her entirely dependant and resigned to Iesus Christ, to be led according to his will. They therefore who in their exercises of piety make ordinary use of this principle of devotion, must weigh well what they say, and consider with what sincerity and faithfulness they proceed with the Son of God. For seeing they leave themselves wholly to him in the quality of servants, and make profession (mark the word) to have nothing which is not his, and of him, and that by this Oblation, they yeild up all to him, even to the use of their own life and naturall liberty, what have they more to think of, but sincerely and faithfully to accomplish what they profess? What have they more to do, but to take care that their life be conformable to what they say, otherwise they shall be constrained to condemn themselves, and to confess that they have no devotion any further then the mouth, that they deal not sincerely wth God and their own consciences? It concerns them to take heed that that is not justly to be attributed [Page 447] to them which the Prophet said, Cursed are they that do the work of the Lord negligently. Jer. 48.10.
To these Exercises of interiour piety we may add a third act: Purity of Intention. By this intention, the Christian, who offers himself to God in the manner we have described, begins to refer himself actually to him and to his glory, protesting that in all things, even to the least, and in all his actions, he will have no other intention then the will of the Son of God, and live no longer, nor act any thing but according to the intention of Iesus Christ. Having made this protestation, he demands of him participation of his holy spirit, and prayes him to inspire him with holy and pure dispositions, whereby he may accomplish his actions.
This practice of piety is little known, and perhaps little understood, yet it is necessary for a perfect Christian. To conceive and affect it, he is to remember, that, (as we have said) true piety contains a resignation of the soul to the conduct of grace, and to the spirit of Iesus; and that this resignation is more then a bare simple resignation, for it includes annihilation and unity; annihilation of our own spirit and conduct, and unity with the spirit and conduct of Iesus Christ, to which we resigne our selves. By this act of intention, the Christian annihilates all his desires and intentions [Page 448] to unite and subject himself onely to the intentions and desires of Iesus Christ, in such sort, as to admit no other.
Hence it may be inferr'd, how necessary this intention is to all those souls that thirst after true piety; but to make a fuller discovery thereof, we are to reflect on our own infirmity and incapacity, which is so great, that we know not what is lawfull for us to desire, and are ignorant of what we ought to demand of God, as not understanding what designes Iesus Christ may have upon us. We must therefore wait till he enlighten us, and inspire us. Now, that we may be in a disposition to receive this grace, and in a capacity to submit to the conduct of the spirit of God, we must annihilate our own desires, and particular intentions, and give our selves up to those of Iesus, which is that the Christian endeavors to do by the act of intention here proposed. It is the Doctrine of the Apostle, who says,Rom. 8.26, 27 We know not how to pray as we ought, but the spirit makes intercession for us by groans that cannot be uttered. He who searches the heart, knows what is the desire of the spirit; he sueth for the Saints according to the will of God. Here we are taught this practice, which shews us that our prayers, desires, and intentions must be inspired by the spirit of Iesus Christ, who knows what God demands of us.
[Page 449]Moreover, there is not any thing so certain, as that the Sonne of God hath those intentions and designes upon the life, actions, and heart of man, which are great and worthy himself, as being a creature, he hath consecrated by his precious blood, and redeemed by his death and Crosse. If there are intentions and designes upon us, as we must not doubt but there are, and such as are of great importance, yet unknown to us, is it not reason we follow them, and consequently, are we not obliged to annihilate all our own desires and intentions, to bind and subject our selves solely to the desires and intentions of the Son of God, who vouchsafes to think of us and entertain himself in forming designes upon us, our actions, and all the motions of our life? This is it we endeavour to satisfie, when we form this act of purity, or unity of intention.
This also shewes how unprofitable, and superfluous their employment is, who fill their hearts with variety of intentions, and perplex themselves with multiplicity of thoughts, who conceive desires, and form designes sometimes one way, sometimes another, (though upon occasions, in appearance, good and profitable) since they do onely what pleases themselves. But according to the Principles of Christianity, it were better they kept themselves to this unity, and annihilated all that is [Page 450] of themselves, to be onely in the intentions and designes of Iesus Christ. The Christian therefore ought often to renew this purity of intention, he ought to adore all the designes of Iesus Christ upon him, and all his divine intentions; he must resign himself thereto, and protest never to follow any other, holding it for a maxime, that we shall not arrive at perfection, nor go to God by the strength of humane reason, or following our own desires and inclinations, but by submitting our spirit to the conduct of Iesus, by a faithfull and sincere adherence to his designes and loving dispositions. This considered, we shall know more and more, the truth of what was proposed from the beginning, that true piety consisteth in adherence to, and a resignation of the soul to Iesus. But we are now to examine the effects of this adherence.
CHAP. VIII. That an adherence to Jesus Christ by true Piety, makes us partakers of the severall conditions of his life.
THe adherence and dependance of Christians upon the Sonne of God by the first grounds and principles of Christianity, and by the first duty which they profess in the state of grace, obliges them to a holy and pure life, [Page 451] since that, as the Apostle saith, He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit, 1 Cor. 6.17. that is to say, he must be of the same spirit with God, and doubtless, if they oppose not the designes of Iesus Christ upon them, this adherence will advance them to a solid & permanent estate of perfect piety, and establish them in a true Christian perfection. This may be reduced to three heads.
The first is a subjection of the soul, to the designes, spirit, and operations of Iesus Christ, a subjection that amounts to a capacity and amplitude, and such as makes the soul capable to receive the communications of God, to bear the effects of his grace, and to enter into a participation of the Estates and Mysteries of the life of Iesus Christ.
The second effect puts the soul into a purity of regard and love, which makes her vigilant and faithfull to do and desire nothing but the honour of Iesus Christ; to regard nothing but his pleasure and glory, so as to have no eyes but for Iesus, no more life, but what is consecrated to the honour of his Soveraignty and divine actions. This adherence to, and dependance on the Sonne of God, raiseth in a Christian a true imitation of his life, and divine vertues to such a degree of perfection, that he becomes a lively representation and image of Iesus. Of these three effects, we must speak particularly, for herein consisteth the perfection [Page 452] of true and Christian piety. We begin with the first.
The subjection which by this adherence to the Son of God, is begotten in us, represents two things; the power he hath over us, and the capacity we are in to bear the effects of his power. The power which Iesus Christ hath over us, is a particular power, which he acquires by the mystery of the Incarnation, and by all the states & moments of his life; a power that gives him a double right to do in us, and with us, what ever he pleases, a power from which he imprints in the centre of our souls, the time that we were first made Christians, an eternall and indispensable power. In a word, it is a power which he establish'd by the Sacraments, and left to the Church; For if we consider them, we shall find, that besides the graces which they communicate to us, they have other extraordinary effects expressing the power Christ assumes over us: For instance; Baptisme gives us grace, and blots out all sin in us, but withall, put us into a condition of service to the Son of God, and imprints in our souls a character of subjection to the divine power, a character never to be defaced, in honour of the estate of subjection and service which the Son of God underwent by the incarnation, becoming man, and a servant, subjecting himself to the Father, he was always, [Page 453] and shall be for ever, equal and coeternal with the Father, and in honour of the gift which the eternall Father makes us of his Son, by the incarnation and union of the Word with humanity, and the life of God in man, and of man in God. The same Son of God instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, wherein he gives and unites himself to us, that he may live in us, and we in him. By this way of love and union, he takes power over us to live and operate in us all that he pleases, and shews the power that he hath over our souls, to establish therein continually his designs, to glorify himself thereby, and please himself in them.
In pursuit of this power, he puts us into an estate of subjection, yet such as gives us a capacity to rceive and to bear in us the force of his love, and of all the effects of the life, grace, and mysteries of Iesus Christ, and to receive them according to what manner and time he shall please to communicate them. The Son of God desireth nothing so much as to communicate to us liberally his graces, and the many favours he hath obtained for us, and merited by his life and sufferings, his principall design being to advance us to a participation of the severall estates of his life. All he did on earth, all his operations in the world were for our sakes; referring also to our good and advancement, all the greatness of his [Page 454] being, the power of his spirit, and merits of his life, so good is he, and so full of mercy. Now, if the goodness and designs of the Son of God towards Christians be such, is it not reason they continue in this subjection, and be faithfull and vigilant to receive and bear the effects and estates of the life of Iesus, after what manner he pleaseth? This is a principall point of Christian piety.
The very mysteries of our faith acquaint us with this truth, and discover unto us the designes whereby the Son of God would advance us to a participation of his Mysteries, and the severall estates of his life. The Son of God becoming man by incarnation takes possession of the nature of man, of our bodies, and of our souls, by which he acquires a right to his nature to advance and appropriate it to himself after what manner he pleases; as by this work of love he took humane nature upon him, assuming body and soul, which he appropriated to himself, and elevated to all the greatness of the divinity, communicating to it for ever the person, being, life and nature of God. In like manner, in the works of grace, whereby his divine mysteries are honoured, Iesus chooseth such souls as he may dwell in by love, or after what manner he pleaseth otherwise, he appropriates them to himself by his grace, he advances [Page 455] them to adherence and union of spirit with him, and by a particular indulgence, establisheth them in a communication of his greatness. To this end he applies and employes his power, to which a Christian ought to be most vigilant and attentive, that he may alwayes continue in the subjection he owes to Iesus Christ, to accept, receive, and bear the effects of his power.
This Principle of truth and piety, is grounded upon the common doctrine, 2 Cor. 8, 9. that all that Iesus Christ did, he did for us, and all that he is, he is for us. He, saith the Apostle, became poor for our sakes, although he were rich, that by his poverty we might be made rich; meaning, that Iesus, being God, became man, and took upon him our meanness, infirmities, sufferings, death, the severall conditions of our life, to withdraw us from our meanness, enrich us with his divine graces, and advance us to a participation of the severall estates of his life, blessedness, sanctification and salvation. Hence we may take occasion to consider the greatness of Iesus; Eph. 1.10. he is our fulness, in his annihilation, in his poverty he sufficeth all; for God gathereth together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth. It is the greatness of his mysteries, that they are capable of communication to us, and can admit the sanctification of our souls, as it is [Page 456] our glory and happiness to be able to participate of the grace, estate, and mysteries of the life of Iesus Christ.
This is the first designe God hath upon us, when the Son of God living an immortal and eternal life in the bosome of his Father, took a new and mortall life in the womb of the Virgin his Mother. He desired nothing so much as to give us his immortall life, and to abase himself to our estate, to elevate us to a participation of his greatness, and the rather, because as he honoured his Father by the several estates of his new life, his hidden life, his suffering, poverty, death, cross, obedience, subjection in all the estates and mysteries of his life; so he will have us to honour him in participating of the estate, spirit, and grace of the same mysteries. For this reason in his Church, and of all qualities and vocations, he chooses souls, and calls them to an establishment in the participation of his spirit, and a communication of his new life, a life of grace, such as is wholly, singular, and proportioned to the eminence, dignity, and sanctity of a Christian calling. All this is an effect of his divine mercies, the fruit of his sufferings; it is our glory to be called and elevated to this happiness, as it is our duty to keep our selves in a disposition and capacity to receive and bear them according to the designes and intentions of the Son of God▪ [Page 457] All those then who are desirous to live according to Christian piety, must make it their main business to continue faithfull and humble in this subjection, that they may be ready to go when they are called, and to receive when they shall be rewarded. We come now to the Dispositions whereby this estate may be att [...]ined.
CHAP. IX. Certain dispositions necessary for the devout soul that would participate of the grace and estates of the life of Jesus Christ.
THis estate of interiour piety, which puts the soul into a subjection to the power of Iesus Christ, and a capacity to receive and bear the graces and estates of the life of Iesus, is altogether suitable and necessary for those who seek perfection, as being proportioned and conformable to the designes and order that God hath established in his creatures. In the creation of the visible World adorned and embellished with so many severall creatures, God hath created Angels and man, to contemplate so perfect a work, to admire the excellencies, and to honour the Authour of such miraculous productions. He hath done the like in the creation of the new World, that is the establishment of his Church, wherein Iesus Christ chooseth souls, and formeth spirits, [Page 458] who are employed in considering the works of love, operated by him upon the Earth, for the salvation of mankind, and honouring the Authour of so many Graces. As God hath created a great number of Angels different in perfection and order, and as some conceive in species also, to whom he hath given severall gifts and graces, as well as severall ranks in Heaven, that they may honour by these diversities of estates & perfections, the divine qualities and severall perfections of God, for the Seraphims, as Thomas Aquinas affirmeth, adore by estate and by grace, and contemplate by the light of glory, the uncreated love of God; the Cherubims his wisdom, the Thrones his Stability, and so of the rest.
The eternall Word having accomplished the ineffable and adorable work of his Incarnation, having finished that of our Redemption, and created in this naturall World a new World (that is the Church) puts souls into it, who by the conduct of grace, are employed in consideration of the works which Iesus Christ operated on Earth. And amongst the rest, he hath chosen many, who by their severall estates and perfections continually honour the severall estates of his life, and adore his actions and perfections, humanely-divine, and divinely-humane. This must needs be an undeniable truth; for if the Angels and the [Page 459] Church triumphant are continually and eternally employed in admiring and adoring the life, estates, and Mysteries of Iesus Christ, shall not her Sister in the Church Militant, have the same rights, employments, and duties? It is not to be doubted; and certainly, seeing that love hath obliged the Sonne of God to these lownesses, and makes him ours for ever, (for he shall be man eternally, and eternally our Iesus, our head and our All) it is but reason that we be alwayes his, and render him perpetuall honour and homage. This is he that operates in our souls, this is the estate whereto many are called. It is onely expected, that Christians dispose themselves to participate of this happinesse, and, being called thereto, endeavour to correspond faithfully therewith. God doth the same in the regency of his Church, the Sonne of God making use of his power, hath established therein severall estates, orders, and societies separated from the common, and from one another, which he consecrates and appropriates to the severall estates and Mysteries of his life. Some honour his solitude and hidden life, others his penance, others his poverty, others his obedience; all adorn and beautifie the body of his Church, and in the diversity of their functions and estates, honour, adore, and imitate the severall operations and Mysteries of the [Page 460] life of Iesus Christ, who distributes his spirit and the grace of his Mysteries to all, according to what manner he pleases. He doth the same in the particular Government of souls, he causes and calls them to elevate and establish them in such estate as pleaseth him, sometimes by sufferings, sometimes by privations, one while by love, another by simplicity and infancy. In a word, he estates them as he pleases,1 Cor. 12.11. to be honoured by them, one and the same spirit, according to St. Paul, working all things, dividing to every one severally, as it pleaseth him. The same Apostle represents this truth, [...]. 12, &c. under the similitude of a humane body, all are members of the same body animated, enlivened with the same spirit, and yet they have all their several offices and functions particular and different. The case is the same, saith this holy Apostle in the Government of the Church, which is the body of Iesus Christ, whereof all christians are members, though all make up but one body, and are the animated onely by the spirit of Iesus; yet are they called and employed to particular estates, and in all there is a difference of gifts and operations, but it is but one spirit, and one God who does all in all; they are different effects of one and the same principall cause. It is the same Iesus who chooseth the souls to communicate to them the graces, and divers [Page 461] estates of his life. How happy is that christian, who is called to this happiness! Herein consisteth the perfection of the soul; as in things naturall we say, that the Creature is most perfect, when it most participates of the being, life, and perfections of God, so in the state of graces, that soul is most perfect, which participates most of the graces, of the divers estates and qualities of the Sonne of God.
This grace and favour, is not for every one, and farre above the ordinary. The Sonne of God doth not call all souls to a participation of his life, nor alwayes communicates to them the spirit and graces of his Mysteries. Yet the christian who would live in a solid piety and adherence to Iesus Christ, and would feel the effects of his divine communications, must desire this favour, and earnestly demand it. He must often reverence and adore the life, thoughts, designes, Mysteries, and estates of the life of Iesus. He must offer himself with all his heart, to the power, spirit, and grace, enclosed in those divine Mysteries. In a word, he must carefully remove from his soul, all hinderances and inclinations opposite to the designes and operations of the Sonne of God. But above all, he must continue constant in subjecting his soul to the power and will of the Sonne of God. He that [Page 462] will practise all this, must make these uses following.
The first is, that the soul always resigne her self to the power of the Son of God, than he may make in her, and by her, all that he will for his glory. This resignation to be perfect, must be grounded upon a freedom of spirit, a freedom which is the true spirit of the children of God, and consisteth in an estate of indifferency and independency, as to all things as well in the order of nature as of grace, and being subject to God onely by this freedom, all things in the world are indifferent, the soul remaining in a pure capacity of submitting to whatsoever the Son of God will operate in her and by her, giving her self up wholly to his divine power. This liberty of spirit is the principall estate and first ground of Christianity; for all Christians belong to the Son of God, and are left to his power. One died for all, saith Saint Paul, that they who live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, 2 Cor. 5.15. but unto him who died for them; Teaching us, that as the Son of God gave his life for us, and by his excessive charity delivered himself to the ignominious death of the cross, to do the will of his Father; so he hath right and power to choose and consecrate us by his grace, & to offer us an Holocaust of sweetness and honour to the glory of his Father, that as he hath been [Page 463] the victim of our sins we may be the victims of his love. Hence it is evident that the Son of God hath power and right to put our souls into what estate it shall please him, for his glory, be it an estate of life or death, of privation or abundance, of confusion or honour, and may choose out souls, and advance them to the participation of the mysteries of his life, to render to him particular homage and service. We must then resigne our selves wholly in all things to Iesus Christ. To establish us in this disposition, the liberty of spirit whereof we speak, is absolutely necessary. For when it hath separated us from all things, nay, even from our selves, it puts us into an amplitude and capacity to be all that God will have us to be, and to bear the effects of his grace and power. And therefore the Christian who seeks to establish himself in true piety, and live with fidelity, must endeavour to conform himself in this liberty of spirit, for it is difficult, nay, impossible to adhere to Iesus Christ, to depend on him, and faithfully to receive the operation of his grace; if we are not in this liberty of spirit, that is an independency as to all things. This is the spirit and disposition that God requires in a Christian, according to the Apostle, Rom. 8.15. That the spirit we have received be not a spirit of bondage, but of liberty and adoption.
This first disposition leads us farther, and [Page 464] advances us in the wayes of piety, and puts us into a second disposition, by which we accept with humility and submission, all the estates and effects that the spirit of the grace of Iesus Christ shall operate in us, and bear with patience and obedience whatsoever rigour and difficulty we meet with. Having so received them, we are also bound by this disposition, to act according to the quality and extent of grace communicated to us, and to live conformably to the estate whereinto the Son of God puts us. We must remain firm in that subjection and liberty of spirit we speak of. In this use consisteth the peace and liberty of the soul: For example, If God put us into an estate of suffering, we must accept it, and continue therein with patience and submission of spirit, not struggling with the good will and pleasure of God; but act therein and persist with courage and fidelity. We must do the same in privation, barrenness, and all other estates, wherein the Son of God shall please to put us; which if we do, we shall remain in a true adherence and union with Iesus Christ, depending upon him with fidelity, which is all that piety aims at.
CHAP. X. That Christian piety obliges us to submit our life and actions to the honour of Christ.
THere cannot any be ignorant that true piety consists in rendring honour to God, it is our first exercise, the duties of Religion and Love, are of such a nature, that they must necessarily be referred to God, but that of piety obliges us to honour God, and to referr our selves to him, and consequently to the Son of God; Jo. 9.23. For he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father; but by an obligation more particular, greater and more speciall, in as much as by the grace of Christianity and Principles of true piety we are united to the Son of God, and adhere to him as members to the Head. This adherence doth not onely put us into a subjection to the power of Iesus, but also produces in our souls a regard of love and honour, a regard that purifies and directs our intentions and actions, not to love or honour any thing but Iesus the Son of God, by him to love, honour and serve the Father. Thus the first estate of piety, which consisteth in this adherence, obliges us to referr all to him, and to honur him in all things.
[Page 466]This truly is clear, in what manner soever we consider it, whether in the Oeconomy of our salvation, or in the regency of the Church, all things invite and oblige us to honour the Son of God. The first thing that the eternal Father requires of us in giving his Son to the world; the first designe he hath upon his creature, is, to oblige them to render to his Son the same honour which we render to his infinite supreme Majesty. This Obligation is so strict, that even at his birth he would have the Angels acknowledge and adore him; he sent them from Heaven to Bethlehem to reverence him,Heb. 1.6. not onely in the greatness of his divinity, but in the lowness of our humanity, when conceal'd in a stable, and laid in a manger. He called thither the Shepherds and the Kings, that it might be as David sayes, All kings shall fall before him, and all nations shall serve him. Psal. 72.11. He was no sooner born in the world, but the kings of the world came from the East, to do him homage, to lay their Crowns and Scepters at his feet, confessing that all the greatness of the earth ought to serve and honour him. The eternall Father sent Angels and men to render honour to his Son, to adore his divinity humanized, and his humanity deify'd. All nations of the world shall assemble, and all men shall come to judgement, that all may honour the Son, as they honour the Father.
[Page 467]This the Son demands of the Father as part of that fruit he expects of his labours; it is one of the richest Iewells of that Crown which he received upon his triumph by the cross over the world, sin, and death. Many think it was the meaning of that Prayer to his Father in the day of his sufferings: Joh. 17.5. Father, glorifie thy Son, to the end that thy Son may glorify thee. We owe him this honour; for if he humbled himself to our infirmities, and the shame and ignominy due to our offences, is it not reason that we render him the honour whereof he deprives himself for our sakes, and that we serve and honour him in a manner wholly particular, seeing he onely of the persons of the most holy Trinity, suffered our contempts and confusions? This exercise of piety, which we here propose as the first obligation we have in the estate of Christianity holds forth one of the noblest & most eminent vertues of the Catholique Religion, and one of the highest actions of our soul. For, if according to Thomas Aquinas, we are obliged, as soon as we arrive to the use of Reason, to some acknowledgements of God, and a submission to him, as the Author of our nature, and our good, with much more reason ought we to say, that the first thought we ought to have of the Son of God, in relation to piety, is to referr our selves to him as the [Page 468] principle of our being in the state of grace. And if we would make use as we ought of the spirit of Christianity, and of the gifts we receive of the Sonne of God, we must employ them wholly to his honour and service, in such sort, that as Iesus is the Authour of our being, life and actions, he may also be their object and end.
This is an inseparable obligation, and an indispensable duty. For if the Christian and all that is in him, proceed from the Sonne of God, and is consecrated to him by his death, it followes, that he can neither make use of himself or any thing else, but the Sonne of God; otherwise he might refer his actions to some other then him to whom they are due, and for whom they are consecrated, which were to prophane the most holy things, and to enjoy the gifts of Iesus Christ against his intentions, which is a sacrilegious treason against the divine Majesty. For as amongst men he is guilty of theft, and deserves death, who converts the treasure of his Prince to his private use, to passe away his life in vanities and sports; so is that Christian criminall, who abuses the gifts of the Sonne of God, and is prodigall of the Treasures of his bounty. That we receive all from the Sonne of God no man can doubt, for of him and for him life is given us, as also motions, sense, [Page 469] reason, repose, health, and sleep, and, in a word, the use of all things.
These are the Treasures of his Court, for he hath by his travels and sufferings, acquired, and by the price of his blood and life, purchased our lives, our actions, our thoughts, nay even the time which we enjoy. Which having done, his intention is, that we acknowledging his love and liberality therein, should love him, serve him, and in all things mind his honour and glory. This being so, what have we to do but to follow his intentions, to refer our selves wholly to him, to honour him in all things, since we have all from him, and that for this end, he gives us also his speciall graces. In what therefore ought we to employ our time, our life, our health, our repose, and all that we have, but for the honour of the Sonne of God, of whom we have received them, and who continues them for that very purpose.
This manner of rendring honour and homage to the Sonne of God, is an exercise of piety that we ought to perswade all Christians to, and is grounded upon the principles of Christianity, which teach us, that all the effects of grace, be it of God towards men, or of men towards God, relate to Iesus as their principall support, prop and foundation, for it is by him that the eternall Father gives us [Page 470] all, in as much as he hath chosen the holy humanity of his onely Sonne, as an instrument conjoyned to the Divinity, to operate his works of grace in Heaven and upon Earth. By him he receives the homage and adorations of his people, and of all men in Heaven and Earth. Hence it may be inferr'd, that all is grounded upon Iesus, all subsists by him, that all may be united to him, and by him, to the Father. Iesus must be the onely object of our thoughts, resentments and obligations.
Upon this truth, we ought to make often reflections, for God hath subjected the World to our use, and given us his Sonne; the Sonne I say, out of an excess of incomparable love, becomes wholly ours, that by a mutuall right we may be wholly his, and by him the Father's, that we may say to him in piety, as he said to his Father in love, All that is mine is thine, and all that is thine is mine. Yea my Iesus, thou art mine, by thy Incarnation thou art mine, by the Mysteries of thy life mine, thou gavest me thy spirit in Baptisme, thy body in the Eucharist, thy glory I shall have in Paradise, and thou mayst say truly, that what is thine is mine. So order it then, that I may say to thee with as much truth and fidelity as thou hast expressed affection in giving thy self to me, that whatever is mine, is also thine, my being, my life, my actions, my love, all thine, [Page 471] but much more truly then my own, for it is in me but by thee, and for thee. I will then from this present, and to all eternity, be wholly thine, and my being, my life and my actions, all that I am shall be ever referred to thy glory.
Hence we are to conclude, that the first design and intention we are to have in our devotions, is to refer all our actions to the glory and honour of the Sonne of God, to remember him before we think of our selves, to seek his glory before we look upon our own Interests or necessities. Herein the greatest part of Christians at this day are deceived, not onely those who in the exercises of piety, seek the honour and esteem of men, and aspire onely to vanity and a fleshly spirit, but even those who seem to follow the exercises of piety with most love and purity. For they believe they do much in seeking the occasions of merit, and employing themselves in what promotes their spirituall advancement, and taking some relish and enjoyment therein, whenever there is occasion, they make it their onely businesse, their principall employment, it takes up their chiefest thoughts, and what is worse, they often place their end therein, and are perswaded that they have attained a high and perfect degree of piety, imagining themselves rich in merits, and far advanced [Page 472] in the wayes of perfection, and that they may serve God with delight. He is blind who sees not the danger those are in, who live thus, for while they think they serve God, they principally mind their own profit, and if the business be well examin'd, you will find they change the glory of God into their own particular satisfaction, the end of their exercises, being their own content and interests, of whom we may say with the Apostle, They love and seek themselves, Phil. 2.21. and make a gain of Piety.
To reform this universall and dangerous abuse, we must consider, that as the esteem and spirit of true piety, consisteth in loving, honouring, and serving of God, in order to an adherence to him, and a dependance on his divine will; so the motive, object and end, we are to have in our devotions, must onely be the honour, love, and service of God, and a complyance with his amorous conduct. The Christian therefore who would live in the exercise of true piety, must first by a voluntary subjection, adhere to the power and conduct of the Sonne of God, as we have already shewed, and further refer himself wholly to the honour and glory of Iesus, in as much as we are his, and by him, God's, and render to God the honour and service we owe him. According to this advice, the perfect Christian must [Page 473] have a continuall and vigilant care so to order it, that his life and actions may be accounted worthy of Iesus Christ, as being such as shall contribute to his glory after the manner he would have it; which is to be done thus.
CHAP. XI. The Use and Practice of what hath been proposed.
WE have elsewhere taught, what was to be done to render our actions worthy of Iesus Christ, it is not necessary to speak any further of it. We are therefore only to remember, that all our actions must be Christian, to be worthy of the Son of God, and consequently must be holy; and to be holy, they must be accomplished in the spirit, and by the principle of grace, the Holy Ghost, the spirit of Iesus; our actions to be Christian, must be done in the spirit and dispositions of Iesus. It remains onely that we see how we may honour him by our life, by our actions, and in all things; whereof we propose two ways. One is in regard of our selves, when we live and act in a disposition of will wholly submitted and directed towards God, and by right and pure intention, referre our [Page 474] selves, and all our actions to the Son of God, offering our selves so to him, as not to live or act any thing but for his honour and glory. The other is, in regard of the Son of God, when he vouchsafes to apply and honour himself in us, after what manner he pleaseth, causing us to live and act in the power of his spirit, making us to bear the effects of divine will, in continuing the designs he hath over us, to take in us his pleasure and glory. According to this later way, the soul acteth not, but accepts and keeps her self in the regard of the Son of God, as the subject of his divine operations, and therefore must onely be attentive and faithfull to that which he doth in her, and by her, obliging her self by a submissive acquiescence to all he doth, be it enjoyment or privation, rest or pain, change or destruction, accepting his conduct, and consenting to all the effects of his works in her, out of a confidence that he will establish all in her for his glory. This advice, to souls who endeavour to live in the grace of God, and seek Christian perfection, is of so great consequence, that to fail in this point, is to fail in all. God is in us by grace, he is there to operate, not onely by himself, but by us; for he is the common principle of life, and operation in us, it is he that operates there incessantly things great and worthy of himself.
[Page 475]This granted, it follows, that the Christian who desires to live in the grace of God, must on the one side shun all manner of sin, especially such as may ruine this grace in him; on the other, become very attentive and faithful to receive the effects of his grace and the operations of the Son of God, that so he may cooperate therewith according to his intentions, otherwise it is to be feared, he may lose it, or at least hinder it's effects, and so destroy the honour of God, and all that the Son of God hath established in his soul.
This is grounded upon the very principles of faith; For we can do nothing of our selves, as of our selves, but Iesus Christ doth all in us, acting and referring all our actions to the glory of his Father. We must then let him act, and, as we know not his divine intentions and designes over us, neither know the grace or degree of grace whereto he would elevate us for his greater glory, (for it belongs to him to do all, when and how he pleases.) It remains then, that we oppose not our selves to his intentions, and destroy not his works. The Christian therefore, who desireth to be God's, and to live in true piety, must not amuse himself in these unprofitable and superficiall things, nor regard so much these exercises, but purifie himself, and make himself worthy of the grace of God, taking [Page 476] great care to preserve himself therein, and have a continuall attention to all that the spirit of grace operates in him, for the glory of God, that he destroy it not by a contrary application and want of co-operation. Hereby we shall see how many false devotions there are, and how many deceive themselves in the exercise of vertues and piety.
These two wayes of honouring the Sonne of God, may be understood after two manners, whereby we may honour Iesus Christ, and he may honour himself in us two wayes, one by action, the other by estate. The action is transient, and is but for a little time, and perhaps is but in one part of the soul, but estate is a thing permanent which dwells in the whole capacity of the creature, and is imprinted in the bottom of its being, having no dependance on the actions of the understanding and will. We may act well in the first manner, and it is good, but we must also endeavour to establish our selves in an estate which perfectly honours the Sonne of God, as the Sonne of God. For as the Sonne of God himself hath not onely honoured his Father by the actions of his transitory life, but hath been pleased to become man, and take upon him a nature which essentially is in a condition of servitude, and remain perpetually and inviolably therein, in regard of his Divinity: [Page 477] so we must endeavour to honour the Sonne of God, not onely by transitory actions, but also by a permanent estate and condition, such as may render him honour and perpetuall homage. This we are obliged to do for our part, to the utmost of our power, as being one of the most essentiall exercises of piety. But our attempts are feeble, and all we can do is little, in comparison of what we owe God. The Sonne of God therefore who is our supplyer, doth it sometimes himself by his grace; by his divine and amorous attractions, he calls us, and puts us into the estate which he himself operates in us, by which he satisfies his Father to his honour and glory. It is a singular happiness, a favour, to obtain which all we can do, is to continue disposed, attentive to whatever the Sonne of God operates in us, and carefully to take heed thereto, and to co-operate faithfully therein, and with the best disposition, may be proposed. The meaning hereof is, to keep our selves in a simple submission of our spirit to that of the Sonne of God, and this submission consisteth in not resisting it, but, leaving our selves wholly to the power of, and a dependance on his holy spirit and conduct, giving up, offering and disposing our selves to the work and designes which he hath in and upon us, renouncing all our own contrary inclinations. The soul [Page 478] that lives in this submission, is capable to bear effectually the effects of grace, and to honour God in all things.
Now when it is said, that we ought to refer all our actions to the glory of the Sonne of God, we mean not onely the good and vertuous, but even the common and naturall actions, even to a moment of time, for all belongs to God, and must be referred to his honour and glory. This truth we learn of the Church our Mother, who in her rites and ceremonies, doth not onely represent the Mysteries and actions of the Sonne of God, but honours them in representing them, and as such is her intention, whence it may be observed, that in all her ceremonies, even to the least, she intends to honour and acknowledge him. Iesus Christ himself may be also an example to us in this exercise of piety, for in that he hath taken the nature of man upon him, he hath honoured his Father in all things, and by all the concernments of humane nature, doing to that end and intention, not onely those actions which we call Religious and vertuous, but even those which are naturall and purely humane, and referring to his honour, all the moments of his life. We must carry our selves in the same manner, what he did being done by him, as a Master for our imitation. The devout Christian therefore must refer all his exercises and [Page 479] actions, both naturall and common, little and great, to the honour and glory of Iesus Christ. By this relation, our actions are ennobled, for what he hath sanctified, is neither common nor inconsiderable; whatsoever is consecrated and referred by his honour, cannot but be great, when his honour is so great.
There are a many that judge this practise of Piety to be too difficult, whereas they will indifferently receive some others. But if we consider it, we shall find that it is an Obligation proper to the state of Christianity, which cannot by any meanes be dispenced with. For if the life of a Christian be a lively Image of the life of Iesus Christ, and a life derived and flowing from his, it must of necessity follow, that, as all things are sanctified, and made divine in Iesus Christ, so are they such in us by the same spirit of Iesus, which is given us, which dwells in us, and operates in us. From which reason we may infer, that, as in Iesus there is nothing mean or vile, but all in him is elevated and referred to the glory of his Father, so in Christian souls, there ought to be no actions mean and object, no, not indifferent, seeing they all belong to the Sonne of God, who hath sanctified them in his spirit, and in the conduct and direction of him it is, that we are to operate and accomplish them. Besides, we cannot doubt at all, but that the Sonne of [Page 480] God hath his great designs and intentions worthy himself over our actions, even to the smalled, nay, over all the moments of our life. Which if it be so, how we can say, that our actions are indifferent? On the contrary, they belong all to Iesus Christ, they must proceed from his spirit; God will be honoured in all that is of man. We shall render an account as well of the least as the greatest things; and assuredly, God will exercise his judgement as well for a moment of time, and the least of our actions, as for all the rest of our life.
We must therefore acknowledge there is nothing little, nothing to be neglected in the state of Christianity, but all therein ought to be worthy the blood and cross of the Son of God; we must make use of all things conformably to the designs and spirit of Iesus, who, as he is always great, even in the least things, so also must we have great intentions, even in the meanest of our actions, and our first and principall must be to referr those to the glory and honour of the Son of God. Iesus Christ in the time of his life upon earth, did so; living among us as one of us, he made use of all things with a zeal to the honour of his Father, and referred them to him as to his Father, his principall being and life. Let us do the like, and by a zeal to the honour of Iesus, [Page 481] out of a respect and homage to his greatness, let us offer to him all our actions, & accomplish them all even to the least, with a desire that they may be referred to him as to the principle of our being and life in the state of grace. This he taught us by his death, this disposition he inspires us with by grace, this spirit he infuseth into us by the Sacraments which he hath left to his Church, as himself said, As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father;Joh. 6.17.so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me; which include in two words all that we would perswade that Christian to, who seeks true piety.
CHAP. XII. How the Christian that seeks true piety, is obliged to imitate Jesus Christ.
AS we are obliged to honour Iesus Christ by our life, and all our actions, so with much more reason are we obliged to imitate him as far as lies in our power. The greatest honour we can give him, is to conform our selves to his life and intentions. This is the third effect which produces adherence to Iesus Christ; and as this adherence is the first estate whereinto we are put when we are made [Page 482] Christians, and the first foundation we must lay to acquire true piety; so from this adherence as its centre and generall principle must be derived all the effects of grace which we bear in our souls. Now, that which remains to be treated of, is this Imitation: for our life ought to be a lively Image of the life of Iesus Christ, and the first use a Christian is to make, is to look upon the Son of God as the Prototype and exemplar of his life and actions, not onely to imitate, but to express and represent him, as it were, to the life. As the Son of God is the Image and resemblance of his Father, so must the Christian be of the Son. Hence the Apostle assures us, that none shall be saved, or received into heaven in the number of the elect, if he be not conformed to the Image of Iesus Christ. He predestined them, Rom. 8.29. says he, to be made conformable to the Image of his Son. In a word, we must be by grace what Iesus is by nature. It is a maxime in Christian piety, that the Son of God is the true life, and true model of our life; it is the example shew'd us in the mountain, as well as to Moses, according to which we are commanded to operate. Our interiour and exteriour life then must imitate and regard the exercises of the soul of Iesus Christ; and the occupations of his sacred life. For this reason the eternall Father gives us his Son in the [Page 483] mystery of the incarnation, for giving his Son a new life in the mystery of love, and giving it to be communicated to us, he makes him thereby the principle of a new life in us, and wils, that, as he is the principle of the life of his Son in eternall generation, so his Son should be the principle of our life in the new temporall generation of our souls by Baptisme and Grace. Saint Paul also teaches this, when speaking of the reformation of Adam, he says, As we have born the image of the earthly, 1 Cor. 15.49. so shall we also bear the image of the heavenly; as if exhorting us to an imitation of the Son of God, he should advise us, that as we have born the image of Adam, imitating him by sin, and following him by our own inclinations, we should also bear the image of Iesus Christ, imitating his life and actions.
This Doctrine is wholly conformable to the Principles of Christianity. The life of a Christian, honours and regards God, and imitates his life, Mat. 5.48. Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, saith Iesus Christ; or to say better, it is the life of God himself who lives in us by his Son. Whence it follows, that as the Father lives in the Son, and the Son in the Father, so we live in Iesus, and Iesus in us, according to that Prayer of the same Son of God to his Father full of love and affection. I am in them, Jo. 17.23. and thou in me, that they may be [Page 484] made perfect in one. But how can we be one with the Son of God? How can we adhere to him, and be incorporated with him? How can we conceive this reciprocall life of Iesus in us, but in imitating him, and not only imitating him, but expressing and perfectly representing him, since he lives in us, and we in him, in the mystery of the incarnation? For the eternall Father giving us his Son to be man, and to live with men a life common and conformable to the nature and condition of men, he gives us in him a law, rule, and form of life, and shews us in him the manner of conversation that we must follow, to live Christianly, that is, to live a new life, which the eternall Father gives us in his Son, and by his Son, a life singularly proper to the estate and perfection of Christianity. We are then to look on the Son of God as our Law, imitate and follow him as our rule, which is, to speak properly, as the sacred Oracles foretold, when, speaking of the Messias, and the time of his coming, they said, that God will make a Word abbridged upon the earth. This Word is the Son of God, who descending to the vile and mean estate of humane nature, gives us his words and actions a model for ours.
This also Saint Paul explains, where he says that God spoke to the world four thousand [Page 485] years,Heb. 1.1, 2 and conducted and taught men after divers manners, and sent Angels, he gave a Law writ with his own hand, he prescribed many Ceremonies, and in all ages caused Prophets to speak. But in the Law of Grace, he speaks to us by his Sonne, who teacheth us supernaturall truths, till then unknown to the World, and reserved for the Excellency of the state of Christianity. The Angels now guide us no more, but attend us, the written Law doth not oblige us, the Ceremonies are now limited, and the Prophets speak no longer. It is Iesus, the Word, and the Sonne of the eternall Father, who becoming man, and conversing among men, speaks to us, and teaches us. He is our Angel to inlighten us, our Law to direct us, our Prophet to speak to us, and our Master to teach us. He is the abridg'd word, and by the condition that he hath made with his Father, he conducts us by his spirit, he illuminates us by his grace, he directs us by his providence, and he is the word of the Father, so he teaches us not onely by his words, but also by the holy and adorable actions of his life, the rule, the Law and modell of our life.
Now if Iesus be the rule and law of our life, it is manifest that we ought to imitate him, if we would live Christianly, and if, by the exercises of a solid piety, we desire to attain a [Page 486] perfection suitable to the vocation and estate we profess, we must choose none but those which imitate the Sonne of God, holding it a maxime in all kindes of exercises, that the Christian is so much the more devout and perfect, the more conformable his life and actions are to those of Iesus Christ, and that he is neither devout nor perfect, but as far as he imitates the life and actions of Iesus Christ, for true piety and Christian perfection, if rightly understood, consisteth onely in this point.
This Principle and Precept, we have also from Iesus Christ, where he sayes, If any man serve me, Joh. 12.26. let him follow me, and where I am there my servant shall be also; the servant of God must imitate Iesus Christ. To serve is nothing else but to follow, to follow, according to St. Austine, is to imitate; so that the devotion whereby we should serve God, is not devotion but illusion, if it be not in the exercises which cause us to follow and imitate the life of Iesus Christ.
Here we may see how much they are deceived, who dare call him rash, and accuse him of presumption, that would imitate Iesus Christ; who say it is to soar too high, and that it is impossible man should imitate his God, and blinded with this ignorance, are content to employ themselves in some good morall exercises. The Apostle condemns this [Page 487] errour, saying, Iesus Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. 1 Pet 2.21. St. Paul confesses, that his study and principall care was to imitate Iesus Christ; to which end,1 Cor. 11.1. he writ to the Corinthians; Be ye followers of me, as I am of Iesus Christ. In a word, we are not made Christians, nor participate of the graces of the Sonne of God, but to be put into a capacity and obligation to imitate him. This is his intention when he sayes,Mat. 10.38 who doth not follow him, is not worthy of him. To say the contrary, is to oppose the opinions of the Fathers, a truth more manifest then day.
By these Principles, we discover another blindness greater then the other, a deceit more dangerous in many Christians, who onely study to perfect their reason, and think they do much to follow that in every point, wherein they are much deceived. For they believe it sufficient to live reasonably and Christianly, and in this belief, forget or neglect the rest, thinking they are arrived to an estate perfect enough. But is quite contrary, for by the use of reason onely, we live as perfect men, or at most, but as good Philosophers; but if we would live and operate as good Christians and Children of God, we must advance our selves above Reason to live, not a humane, but a divine life, that is the life that [Page 488] the Sonne of God liv'd upon Earth, and communicated to true Christians, the life of the new man. To live this life, we make use not of reason but of grace, which is farre above reason, and must be the principle of Christian actions. For onely grace can bring us to God, and render us worthy of God, that is of God, considered as the object of our Faith and Religion.
The foundation of all consisteth in this, that a humane spirit and reason is not our conduct, nor the rule of our life as Christians; Iesus Christ is the onely rule, law, and principle thereof, wherefore in our exercises of piety, we must have this continually before our eyes, if we would be devout, viz. we must follow him if we would be saved, and we must imitate him if we will follow him. Which we are now to consider, how it is to be done.
CHAP. XIII. The Practise of what hath been proposed in the imitation of Jesus Christ.
WHen we speak of imitating the Sonne of God, we mean not doing of miracles as he did; we are not commanded to walk upon the Sea, to raise up the dead to life, and to give sight to the blind. We mean not the being elevated to an intuitive knowledge of the secrets of the Divinity; this is onely for Iesus, these are the effects of his almighty power, and the marks of his Mission. We are not called to come into competition with him, but, as he was humbled to our meanness, and was cloathed with our nature, becoming man, and taking a new being and estate; so he takes also a new manner of life, conformable to ours, which we ought to imitate, after which we are to form the interiour of our Consciences, and the procedure of our actions. He annihilated himself in the Incarnation, saith the Apostle; he humbled himself in all the Mysteries of his life;Phil. 2.8. he made himself poor in all his estates; he was obedient even to the Crosse, he suffered even to death, he hath shewed his love in all his [Page 490] works. In a word, he practised all manner of vertues in the progress of his life. Let us do the like; he was born for our sakes, and all that he did was onely that he might imitate him as the modell of our life. For this reason he chose a kind of life full of various estates, and practised severall actions, that all sorts of persons in all manner of estates, should find in him the Idaea of their actions, and the prototype of their life.
Thus to imitate Iesus Christ, is an Obligation belonging to the state of Christianity. When we receive Baptisme, we are incorporated into him as members; this incorporation doth not onely bind us to adhere to him as members to their head, but to be like him, and to have as much conformity in our actions to those of Iesus, as there is between the head and the members of the same body. So that this imitation must not be indifferent, but most holy and perfect. All as many of you, saith the Apostle, as are baptized into Ie. Christ, Gal. 3.27. have put on Christ, that is, ye bear his Livery, and, as the Doctors interpret it, ye are made like unto him, ye imitate his vertues, and are followers of his life and actions. For it is but reason, that where the head is, there the members should also be, and that there be a resemblance and conformity of the one to the other.
To imitate then the Sonne of God, implies [Page 491] two things; the one is, that we do what he hath done, the other, that we do it with the same spirit and dispositions wherewith he did it. He was humbled for us, he shewed his love and clemency towards us: Let us also learn of him to be gentle and humble of heart. He was obedient even to death, the death of the Crosse; let us imitate his obedience, preferring the accomplishment of his divine Ordinances and holy will, before all things, even our own life. He was born in a stable, layd in a manger, he took poverty for the companion of his life, he condemned the World, and despised its pride, shewing us, that all is vanity, and a meer nothing in the eyes of God. Let us do the same, and, though we are in the World, condemn its vanity, in a word, so use it, that all our life interiour and exteriour, may be a continuall imitation of the life of Iesus. This is the true piety that a Christian must exercise, the onely meanes to be perfect. In this imitation and resemblance, consisteth the perfection of the soul, as well in the state of grace, as of glory. We know that when we appear we shall be like him, we shall see him as he is, saith Saint Iohn. If then we shall be like him in glory, we must also be like him in grace; for glory is nothing but grace consummated, grace glory commenced.
[Page 492]But we must not rest here, it is not enough to do barely what the Son of God hath done, we may deceive our selves herein, believing we do much, when we do nothing of value, because Iesus Christ being man as we are, and conversing amongst us; no doubt but we may find some conformity and resemblance to him, even among the wicked in the common states of men; many suffer and are oppressed, many poor and humbled, many sequester themselves from the pomp of the Court, and live in the obscurity of a solitary life; many fast and pray, and do almost all the exteriour actions, that the Son of God exercised upon earth. He was man as we are, we are men as he was, but this does not perfect us, this is no imitation of him, the reason is because it is not enough to do as he did, but we must do it with the spirit, in the dispositions, and by the principle that he operates, which few persons mind. It is not enough to do, but we must do it by a principle of grace, not of generall grace, comprised under the common and generall name we give to all the gifts of God, which is an usuall way of speaking, but of grace which giveth us Iesus Christ, communicateth to us his spirit, and puts us into the holy dispositions of his soul. So that doing all things by this principle, we perfectly imitate the Son of God, so [Page 493] far, that our naturall common actions are withdrawn from their meanness, and elevated and united to those of the Son of God, after a particular manner, as being operated by the same principle, and with the same dispositions. This manner of acting is peculiar to the state of Christianity, and in all circumstances, conformable to the state of grace; for by Christian grace, we are new creatures, creatures in Iesus Christ, 2 Cor. 5.19. as the Apostle saith, and consequently we have a new being and life. Which if we have, we must also have new inclinations, another goodness, and all our actions must be conformable to this new estate, seeing that according to the ordinary maxims, the work is according to the being. Now, as the being we have by Christian grace is wholy divine, elevated, and entirely in Iesus Christ, it followes, that all our actions must be elevated and done in Iesus. For this the Son of God humbled himself to all practices and exercises, to ennoble and sanctify them; for according to the Fathers, Iesus entring into the waters in the day of his Baptisme, by his touching them, he sanctifies the waters of our Baptisme, and as Saint Augustine saith, he sanctified the world, and blessed it by his conversation. So by the use he hath made of humane nature, wherewith he hath clothed himself, and of all the exercises and functions proper thereto, [Page 494] he sanctify'd ours, shewing that we may imitate him, seeing he became man to be the rule, law and model of our actions, and not onely imitate him, but express and represent him to the life, and be so many Christ's, as members of the Son of God. We must be one with him, and consequently must not operate but with him, and in his person, not in our own. For this cause he gives us his spirit whereby we act; or, to say better, he acts all in us; It follows, that they are not so much our vertues, as those of Iesus in us.
Herein appears the great difference between Christian vertues and morall, or humane. For instance, The love God requires of a Christian, must not be that of a Pagan, who loves them that love him, nor that of a Politician, who loves according to his humour, or interest, much less that of a Iew, who loves not, but out of an hope of reward promised, or a fear of Iudgments. The love of a Christian must be the same with that of Iesus, that is, he must love with the same love wherewith Iesus loves, he must love with the love of Iesus, as he must live the life of Iesus. Ephes. 5.2. Walk in charity, saith Saint Paul, as Iesus Christ hath loved you. Joh. 13.34 The Son of God himself in the Eve of his passion, speaks thus to his Apostles, I give you a new Commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. To love is no new [Page 495] Commandment, this law was imprinted in our hearts from the beginning of the world, but the manner of loving is new; we must love by the same love wherewith Iesus loved us, his love must be in us. O, how great is this love, how pure, how free from self-interest! how strong and powerfull, Col. 1.21, 22. since, according to the Apostle, it is the same love, which made Iesus to be born, and die for us, even then, when we were his enemies, and sin raigning in us. The Son of God gives us a cleer testimony of this truth, Jo. 17.26. speaking to his Father, I have declared to them thy Name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou lovedst me may be in them, and I in them. Expound as you please these words, you shall always find it most true, that Christian love, must be the same love with that of Iesus Christ; and that what we say here of love, we must judge the like of all other Christian vertues; for, as we have alwayes said, Iesus is our vertue, our strength, our life, and our All.
To possess this vertue in an eminent degree, as Christianity obliges us, we must acknowledge that this favour is not for all, and that it's not enough to have grace in the manner we commonly speak, but we must have Iesus Christ in us, we must have his spirit, and holy dispositions, that we may imitate Christianity, and express his vertues and life. [Page 496] The Christian therefore who would acquire true devotion, and do the exercises thereof, must first of all purify his heart, and conserve it in that purity, and subject the motions and thoughts of his soul, that Iesus may dwell and act in him. To dispose him to this favour, he must often elevate his thoughts and heart, to the Son of God, and demand of him part of his spirit, and holy dispositions, to accomplish Christianly and perfectly all things. And because the actions of the Son of God are so many springs and principles of grace, a grace which he merited and communicateth to us, we must bind our selves to this grace, we must adore it, we must desire it, and demand it of him in all things, and in all our exercises, that our actions may be done in him, by him, and for him, according to his designes. This advice is further to be observed, that in the practice of vertues, that we desire them not principally and onely for the love of them, nor acquire them because they are conformable to Reason; or because they bring some excellency or benefit to the soul. For though vertue be seemly and profitable, and of it self much to be desired, yet it it not enough to desire to be vertuous upon these grounds and principles, since this seems to savour of the covetousness of Adam, & to live in his spirit, which onely aimed at elevation, and [Page 497] to make himself a little god, or to fall into the corruption of self-love, which follows only it's own interests, profit and satisfaction. To act purely, and live in the exercise of Christian piety, all must be done in the regard of God, for love, of him, and for his honour. We must seek and practise every vertue, and exercise of devotion, chiefly, to render our selves conformable to the Son of God, to imitate and please him. And as the first grace that God gives us in the Church by Baptisme, is to make us his children, to incorporate us in Iesus Christ, as members, and to put us into an adherence to him; so the first & principall care of a Christian must be, to conserve and perfect himself in his adherence, and to submit to the effects thereof. Herein consists the happiness of our souls, and essence of true piety, which is all we have to propose in this subject. But as all things have their contraries, and man is in a land of hostility, so he must expect to meet with great opposition in the way of vertue, and encounter enemies on all sides, and dangers at every step, we shall direct how to defend himself against them.
CHAP. XIV. Of Temptations and Oppositions happening in the way to perfection, and the exercises of Piety.
WE belong unto God by the power of his divine essence; we are obliged to him by reason of our indigence, we depend on him by the condition of our being, his omnipotency gives him an absolute power over us, and the immensity of his divine essence, makes him present in us more intimately then light in transparent bodies, which it penetrates and illuminates, more then the soul is in the body which it animates and governs. Our wants oblige us to a dependance on him, and union with him, because we cannot be without his continuall influence, and consequently we must more absolutely depend on his conduct, then the beam doth on the Sun, from whom, if it be but a moment separated, it loseth it's being. So is our estate inseparable from God,Acts 17.28. it must he always dependant on, alwayes adhering to him, according to Saint Paul, In him we live, move, and have our being, which words represent our intimate union with God.
[Page 499]In the like manner, in the estate of grace, we are obliged to be God's, and depend on him; we cannot operate any work of salvation but by him, and unless he be united to our souls by grace, that is, unless his holy spirit dwell in us, operating in us all the good works which may contribute to our salvation. Without grace we can do nothing, by Christian grace God dwells in us according to the promise of the Son of God,Rev 3.20. we come to him, and make our dwelling with him. By grace God enforceth himself into the soul, working an immediate union with her, and dwelling in her as his sanctuary and empire, whence he diffuseth amorous effects, and operates in her according to his divine will, with so much bounty, as if the infinite love of Iesus had no other thing to do, but to procure and further our salvation by infinite ways.
But besides this of grace, there is yet another union whereby we are united to God, and incorporated into Iesus Christ, and by him have a relation to God, namely, that which is wrought by the Sacraments, in which he preserves us by his love, and by the power of his spirit. For this reason he gave his life, and shed his blood on the cross, to give us a new generation in Baptisme, he bestows on us his body in the Eucharist, that by so many favours and obligations this union might remain perfect [Page 500] and solid, and we by so powerfull and legitimate a Title might be his in an indispensable, unalterable manner. For when we are by so many graces, and such divine and effectuall means united to God, it should seem impossible that any thing could be strong enough to break so many tyes, and divide that which the power and love of God had joyned together. But, O deplorable condition! the creatures and the Devil are strong enough to separate us from Iesus Christ, and to extinguish in us his holy spirit and grace; and which is worse, the malice and depraved will of man is of it self strong enough to obstruct the influences of this liberall love, to frustrate it's works, to make us retire from our dependance on this conduct. The perfect Christian must therefore have a vigilant eye, and not suffer himself to be deceived in an affair that concerns his eternall salvation, which that he may do, we will discover the snares laid for him, that he may avoid them.
There are four things which continually separate us from the Son of God, and force us to ruine, if his grace prevent us not. The first is our own nature, prone to evil, being taken out of nothing, it hath an inclination to that nothing, whence it came, to re-enter thereinto, and would infallibly return thereto, if the arm of God, who created it, did [Page 501] not withhold and sustain it. Nay, this evill inclination of our being would not onely return to nothing, but to a nothing that is rebellious against God, that is, to sin, which hath no other Originall, but (if we may so express it) the meanness of our being, which annihilateth all that God puts into us. The creature being drawn from nothing inclines to evill, if grace stay him not, saith St. Gregory. This is evident in the fall of Angels and the first man, which can onely be attributed to this nothing whence they were drawn, and which by a secret power, attracts them to it self. For before sin, there was not in these two natures any perverse inclination. But if this were in two natures so perfectly accomplish'd, what ought not we to fear who are not onely in this nothing, but after a manner much more miserable, without light, without grace, in a depraved nature; by the evill inclinations of our being, we have in us the source of all evills. The senses and thoughts of the heart of man, as the holy Text saith,Gen. 6.5. are inclined to evill continually, which ought continually to humble us at the feet of the Sonne of God, calling upon him to sustain and preserve us, and never to suffer us to be separated from him.
The inclinations, and evill habits that are in us, the effects and estates of originall sinne, [Page 502] which are fixt to our nature, and self-love therein are the second enemies which continually endeavour our ruine and separation from God. The reason is, that our own inclinations and nature are easily fix'd on created things, as being of the same order and condition. These applications are defective, and divide us from God, but the greatest evill proceeds from this, that our nature is subject to the Law of sin and tyrannicall concupiscence, as long as we live upon earth; it is subject to the curse and power of sin, as being the nature of Adam, a cursed rebellious nature, wholly opposite to Iesus Christ. What therefore proceeds from so bad a beginning, which of itself can produce no good, is not onely to be suspected such, but, partaking of the quality of its fountain, separates us from God, so that those who follow the motions and inclinations of the flesh, are immediately divided from God.Rom 8.8. Those that are in the flesh, saith St. Paul, cannot please God, and doubtless, the more they follow their own inclinations and desires, the more they are separated.
The Christian therefore who would be perfect, and begins to live in the exercises of true Christian piety, must oppose and annihilate his motions and inclinations, or at least not follow them, for they are the inclinations of [Page 503] the man Adam, but must comply with the inclinations of Iesus Christ, that is, resign himself to his divine conduct, who rules us by his providence, assists us with his grace, and acts in us by his spirit. Where, the best remedy against this danger, is to preserve our selves in an adherence and dependance upon Iesus Christ, who by the mercy and power of his spirit, can suppress the tyranny of sin, and preserve us from the dominion it usurpeth over us, as over a nature it hath a right unto. Hence the holy Scriptures call the Son of God, him, that easily taketh off the yoke of sin; he alone by his grace, fortifies our souls, making them able to resist, without being engaged therein, the power of sin, to defend them from its violence. By this it appeares, how much it concerns those who exercise themselves in true Christian actions, to acquire solid piety, that they may depend on and adhere to Iesus Christ, seeing that if they do not, they are the slaves of sin, and chain'd to their own inclinations, which separate them from God.
The third of our enemies is the World which conspires our ruine, and, by the hate it beares to Iesus Christ, continually endeavours to separate us from him, either deceiving us by its allurements, or discouraging us by derision and opposition, or forcing us from our duties by [Page 504] persecution; for hating Iesus Christ, it consequently persecutes all his.Ioh. 7.7. The World hateth me, sayes the Son of God, because I testifie of it, that the works thereof are evill. And if the World hate him with an irreconcileable hatred, it can do nothing lesse then separate us from him, and disswade us from all that may be pleasing to him. The Apostle assures us, that all who will live godly in Christ Iesus, 2 Tim. 3.12. must suffer persecution. This they must all look for, who desire to serve God, and exercise themselves in true piety; assuredly, the World will arm it self against them, using all manner of insinuations, allurements and importunities that may be, and practising all the artifices it can to separate them from Iesus Christ. This persecution can never cease, for the hate shall endure for ever, which should engage the Christian to look upon himself in this World, as exposed to the malice and surprises of his mortall enemies. He must therefore prepare himself for danger, wherever he is or shall be while he lives,Mat. 26.41. and following the Counsel of the Son of God, he must watch and pray, least he be overcome by these assaults, and surprised by those many dangerous temptations.
When we speak of the World, we include all the creatures whereof it consists; they all separate us from Iesus Christ, not onely by the ill use we may make of them, but in some [Page 505] manner by the lawfull. This is manifest, for the more the soul is united to, and employed in the Creature, the greater distance is there between her and her Creator. The creature hath an attractive power to withdraw us, and we have an inclination which carries us thereto, whence we may easily be deceived by it, even in the lawfull use thereof, either by adherence or engagement, by complacency or satisfaction, and a thousand other wayes. Besides that, every Creature being subject to change and vanity (they are the words of the Apostle himself) it must necessarily imprint in our souls inconstancy and vanity, Rom. 8, 20. which is much to be considered, especially by those who seek perfection. We must therefore hold it a certain Maxime, that the more commerce we have with the World and the Creatures, the more we are separated from Iesus Christ; the more we are taken up with the creatures and our selves, the lesse we are with Iesus Christ. Which if it be so, may we not justly say, the Earth is covered with our enemies, and that we are in a place of combat and temptations, and that every where is danger? It concerns us then to walk with great vigilancy, and continuall humility, for on every side we see nothing but ambushes to surprise us, every where snares to entrap us. Adam was tempted even by an Apple; we have all objects of temptation, his was onely [Page 506] exteriour, ours interiour, the source of all our sins, is in the bottom of our cursed and rebellious nature. Wherfore let us live in fear, and have continuall recourse to him who can perfect us, Iesus Christ, the Redeemer of our souls, who exposed himself to temptations, Heb. 2.18. saith the Apostle, that he might succour those that are tempted.
Our fourth enemy is the Devil, who endeavors nothing so much, as to separate us from God and Iesus Christ; he makes use of all creatures, even our selves to ruine us. The hate he bears to God, the envie to our happiness, and his obstinate malice, makes him watch continually about us, to make us sharers in his misery and torments, and to separate us for ever from our only felicity, Iesus Christ. The more we seek vertue, and endeavour to do wel, the more he strives to divert us. When we are employ'd in good exercises, he either withdraws us from them, or disturbs us in them, and incessantly makes use of all things, even vertue if self to make us lose vertue. Sometimes, as Saint Peter saith, he goes about like a roaring Lion to devour us; sometimes he comes like a Fox to surprise us.1 Pet. 5.8. He follows us every where, and with a malicious subtilty, strives to vomit forth his poyson to infect our purest actions. In fine, he gives not over, till he hath gain'd or overthrown us by his violence, or enslav'd [Page 507] us by deceit, or at the least wearied us out by continuall importunities. In a word, there is no Artifice he makes not use of, no place or employment that he finds not out, no sin or action where he is not present with us, to ruine or torment us. What shall we do then in the midst of so many perplexities? Where shall we find a sanctuary and secure refuge? How shall we avoyd such manifest dangers, and defend our selves from the cruelties of so powerfull an enemy? This we must needs know, and therefore must not forsake our perfect Christian, till we have given him directions how to behave himself in such a condition.
CHAP. XV. In what Disposition the Christian ought to be, that he yeild not to such temptations as occur in the exercises of piety.
THey are deceiv'd, who think piety grows among Lilies, that the way to perfection is strew'd with flowers, who imagine nothing but sweetness, and that a good inclination, or an easie nature can bring us thither; that devotion is a land flowing with milk and hony, and consequently, that there is nothing difficult; which yet they are the sooner peswaded [Page 508] to, in regard that in all their exercises, they onely seek certain self-satisfaction, using no violence, but fastening only upon this, That it is sufficient for a man to do what he can. There are others on the contrary, who look on the exercises, of piety, as so rigorous, painfull and strict, that they will hardly hear them spoken of, but say of devotion, as the sensuall Iews did of the land of promise, it is an ill countrey, inhabited with giants, that devour strangers. See here two different sentiments, in extremes, and consequently faulty, both deceive themselves. To remedy this, we may say, that Devotion is indeed a Lily, but growing among Thorns; Piety hath it's thorns, they prick, it may be hurt us, but these thorns are loden with Roses. As Moses found God in the burning bush of thorns, Exod. 32. so the Christian finds God and piety in travells and conflicts; as it is the life of Iesus, so it is the life of our souls, to believe otherwise, were to flatter our selves. Devotion hath great privileges, piety hath a power to bring us neer to God, to honour and serve him, but it is with labour. Sin sets us at so great a distance from God, that we cannot return to him without much pain. And yet it is certain, there is much content in this travell, for the grace and help of God is alwayes present, which will never fail us, as lang as we dispose our selves to recive it. In this respect devotion is all sweetness, seeing we [Page 509] are able to do all in him who comforts us. St. Paul saw all this, and knew the travels we must undergo, and the hazard whereto we are exposed, when he discovered to the Ephesians their enemies, and arms them on every part to defend themselves:Eph. 6.12. Ye strive not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day. It is to us he speaks, the life of a Christian is a perpetuall warfare; this world is a land of perpetuall hostility, wherein we cannot be secure, for Heaven it self was not free from contention in the fall of the Angels, nor the Son of God when he dwelt in the wilderness. Now, to understand the dangers we are in on all sides, let us reflect on what was said in the precedent Chapter, and we shall find how we ought to stand in fear, and are obliged to have a great vigilancy to foresee the designs, and discover the sleights of the Devil, and to shun the deceit of self-love. In a word, to overcome the difficulties and temptation which we continually meet with in all exercises of this life; in few words thus:
Humility is the foundation of all vertues, the sanctuary of the devout soul, in all the hazards and difficulties of this world. The first Disposition [Page 510] whereinto we must enter for covert in all dangerous encounters, is to keep our selves in profound humility, looking on our selves as subject unto all kinds of misery which separate us so powerfully and so continually from God. To continue in this disposition of humility, we are to consider on the one side, the infirmity and inconstancy of our nature, on the other, the inclination we have to evil. This consideration is enough to annihilate us. This disposition to of humility keeps us in fear; this fear puts us into a vigilancy, that we may have an eye open to all things, lest we should do any thing that might separate us from God, or displease him, and by humility we attract the protection of God (for the truly humble cannot perish) and obtain his grace and light, which makes us know, and avoyd the temptations and subtilties of our enemies, as Saint Paul saith, Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand the deceits of the Devil.
This Disposition obtain'd, which must be continuall in our souls we must demand of God that he would be pleased to annihilate in us the evil inclinations which separate us from him, and place in their room a powerfull inclination towards him, the centre of our being, the life and perfection of our souls: for our inclinations proceeding from the old man, who is contrary and rebellious towards God, [Page 511] can have no power to lead us to God; nothing can bring us to him, but he himself. Now since that by the exercises of piety, we must honour God, and refer our life and actions to him, it must necessarily be by a principle of God, and by supernaturall inclinations. For this reason we say that the Christian, who seeks true piety, must quit his own inclinations, and, quitting them, demand those of the Son of God, that we may act by their motion and principle. Otherwise it is to be feared, that all these exercises of piety, are rather naturall and humane, then supernaturall and christian, which makes many deceive themselves in their daily devotions. But for as much as it is very interiour and insensible, and that reason and sense can nothing assure us therein, it is very requisite that the devout Christian should establish himself in grace, and live in a great dependance on, and true adherence to Ie. Christ, after the manner formerly insisted upon. For all our goodness, all the grounds of true piety and perfect Christianity, consist in our being God's, and depending on him.
But we must shew more particularly, the uses and practises we are to make use of in the temptations which ordinarily accompany a Christian life, and the exercises of piety; for to be tempted is the way and conduct of God over his Church, and over all souls, and was a part [Page 512] of the life of the Son of God. It must also be part of the life of a devout soul, and we must not doubt but God hath great designs upon them whom he puts into this estate. Wherefore it concerns us to know how to make use of it, and to learn how to gather strength in weaknesse, 2 Cor. 12.9. and perfect our selves in temptation, since vertue, according to the Apostle, is made perfect by weakness. Thence she receives lustre, God purifies us by contradictions and subversions, he confirms and assures us by temptations. Let us see how we may passe through this fire without burning.
CHAP. XVI. Of temptations, and the advantages a Christian ought to make of them.
THE first advice to be given in this point is, not to be over-confident of our selves, but to believe that we may be easily tempted; while we are mortall and subject to the Law of sin, and tyranny of concupiscence, we shall alwayes have something to fight with. There are a many who think they are in no danger of temptation, who yet are very deep in it; for either they are guided by their own naturall inclinations and motions, and yet believe they do nothing but by the motions [Page 513] of grace and conduct of God, or they are seduced by self-love, and perswaded they are full of the love of God, or haply, are deceived by false apprehensions, thinking themselves well advanced in the sight and truths of God. These are great temptations which yet have the appearance of solid vertue, when indeed the estate of such is very dangerous.
The greatest part of Christians think themselves free from temptations, when they feel not the violence of them; it is not that they are not tempted, but the temptation hath feiz'd on them, and raigns in them. Whence they say they are in peace when they are most tyranniz'd over, and most enslaved by temptation; the evill is the more dangerous, the lesse it is known. For this reason we say, the Christian must alwayes take heed to himself in temptation, and easily believe it, that he may the better stand upon his guard, for our nature is corrupt and infirm, our inclinations stray from God, the spirit of the world is opposite to Iesus Christ, and our enemies subtil and powerfull, watching alwayes for our ruine. This consideration should not perplex us, but keep us in humility and continuall vigilancy. The sight of the danger wherein we are should cause us every moment to cry out and require help of the Son of God, our protector and refuge in tribulations [Page 514] and anguishes of soul. When we find our selves in temptations, we are presently obliged to get out of them; it is not sufficient not to consent thereto, and to be willing to submit to the effects of the evill spirit: but we should endeavour to destroy the temptation as far as we can, if it arise from within us, and issue from our own nature, we must curb it as St. Paul did,1 Cor. 9.27. I keep under my body saith he, and bring it into subjection. For in such temptations which must often make use of fasting, watching, prayers and austerities, we must oppose our selves, fight against our inclinations, destroy our evill habits, curb our lusts and affections, forcing them from all objects as much as possible. In brief, we must use violence against our selves, delicacies are indeed the effects of self-love, and the fuel of temptations. If we would free our selves from temptation, we must take away the cause, for when there is a correspondence between our nature and our enemies, our souls will at last be yielded up unto them.
Let men commend these serenities of devotion as they will, and preach up the goodness of God, yet if it be true that vertue must be bought, that we must crucifie the old man, and destroy him, not sooth and cherish him; if according to divine and humane Lawes, 1 Cor. 9.25. he that will overcome and gain the Crown, must [Page 515] fight; if wrastlers, as St. Paul saith, to gain a transitory honour, and fading crown, deprive themselves, and abstain from all things, what we do, who (as Christians) hope for a crown must of glory & immortality? We must fight, oppose, and subdue our selves, if we will triumph over temptation which is bred in us. But if the temptation be from the Devil, we must then oppose it the more couragiously with a Christian generosity. For if he find us remiss, he will strike home, & overcome us. To a faithfull confident soul, he is no more then a Fly, to a feeble and cowardly, fierce as a Lion. Resist the Devil, Iam. 4.7. and he will flie you, saith St. Iames.
As to discover, so to vanquish and destroy temptations, we must live in great humility, and above all, take heed we trust not too much to our own courage, or good resolutions; on the contrary, we must distrust our selves, and confide only in God; for we should be overcome in any (ever so small) temptation, if God by his grace, did not assist us, if he gave us not his light, we should not so much as know them.Mat. 8.24. Wherefore we must always say with the Disciples, Save us, O Lord, or we perish. We must often call upon the spirit of Iesus, and the grace of his mysteries, to give us strength in our weakness, and light in the darkness of our spirit, who was himself tempted, that he might overcome us, that in the temptation [Page 516] of Iesus, we might find strength and grace, sufficient to preserve and save us in all manner of temptations. This Saint Paul meant, when he said, Take unto you the armour of God, Ephes. 6.13. that ye may resist in the evil day. It belongs to the Son of God to give us the armour, that is, to give us strength, and grace to resist. To obtain this favour, the Apostle particularly recommends Prayer to us, saying, Pray alwayes, v. 18. with all prayer and supplication, in the spirit, and watch with all perseverance. These words are to shew with what importunity, devotion and fervour we are to pray. And truly we have need, when the perills are so great, our enemies so powerfull, and our forces so small. In the time of temptation, it is not requisite to fight hand to hand, much less to dispute with it, to reason with, or examine it, or to force it away by violence; this were to attribute too much to our selves; for many times to examine it, is to entertain it, and to strive to oppose it too neerly, is to become fastened to it; and by disputing with it, we are overcome. It is more to purpose, that as soon as we see the temptation, we turn our thought some other way, and look upon it with contempt and derision. We must neither hearken to the Devil, nor speak to him; nothing puts him into greater fury, then to see himself slighted; nothing pleases him more, [Page 517] then to heed and regard him, for so we give him access, and in a manner, enter into acquaintance with him. This is one of his ordinary subtilties whereby he deceives even the most wary, yet we take no heed of it. The devils intention in all this, is to amuse and entertain us; the objects he lays before us, are not always evil; it is sufficient for him, if he but see us hearken to him, that he may by little and little enter into discourse with us, which once done, he will soon instill his poyson into us. Which way sover it is, his drift is to turn us from God, that he may have the disposall of our hearts and spirits; that is enough to deceive even those who make profession of solid piety, and much faithfulness in the ways of God. It is no small evil to turn away from God, to regard and examine a suggestion and conference, that the devil would have with our spirits, although we should do it to a good end, with an intent to drive him away. For it is to heed the devil, to hearken to him, and by a strict examination of his suggestions, to conferre with him; it is to withdraw our hearts and thoughts from God, to employ them in what the devil proposes.
To avoyd all these impurities, and to keep our selves from danger, we must bear the temptation without enclining to it; we must spit at the devil, slight all his assaults, and [Page 518] above all, withdraw our eyes and thoughts from all he proposes. This is the shortest and most easie way in all kinds of temptations; For we shall find, that temptations stay in us, because we entertain them under pretence of driving them away, and examining them; It is enough we be watchfull, and as soon as we have discovered the temptation or suggestion of the devil, to renounce and despise it. But there are some temptations that arise from objects or occasions, in which case we must onely avoyd them, and from all that may divide us from God. There are others that are urgent, and make lively impressions upon our spirits, upon divers matters, which would be long to explain. In these cases we must not regard the temptation, but God in it, as Iob did, when he was most tempted, and afflicted: The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away;Job 1.21. so we, when pressed, must cast our selves at the feet of Iesus Christ, and offer our selves to him, that he may annihilate the temptation in us, if it be for his glory, or keep us from consenting thereto. We must implore his mercy, for there are such pressing temptatirns that there is need of the greatest mercy of God to deliver us from them. We must therefore cry out with humility, and, as much as we can, enter into some conference and application of spirit with [Page 519] the Son of God, acording to the state and strength of our soul.
CHAP. XVII. Of Resignations in Temptation.
BUT if we have not the power to elevate our selves to God, if the soul be so bound by his secret conduct, that we are sensible of our being forsaken to a generall impotency, we must cast our selves upon God, and having done what we can, (though ever so little) employ the rest of our forces in offering our selves to the designes of God over us, resigning our selves absolutely to his conduct, and with a spirit of confidence be content to bear, and patiently suffer the estate wherein we are. Or if our soul can apply her self to any object, she shall honour the weaknesses and temptations that the Sonne of God vouchsafed to sustain upon earth, and shall implore his spirit and grace, that she do nothing in this estate of weakness and temptation, that may displease him. But if our souls be reduc'd to an absolute impotency, she must remain therein with dependance and humility of spirit: there is nothing else required, then to take care that we never regard [Page 520] the temptation, but bear it with humility and patience. Observe that it must be born with humility; for though we consent not to the evill or temptation, though assisted by the grace of God, we bear it with much patience, and with a spirit of sufferance, yet we ought to annihilate and humble our selves; because the evill is in us, and we are joyned to the temptation. This point is the more to be considered, because herein the Devill deceives many, and by a malicious dangerous deceit, runs them out of patience, and brings them into much evill, whence they cannot withdraw themselves without a particular mercy of God. To comprehend this secret, we must note that the spirit of sufferance and temptation, is an Evangelicall and Divine Estate, and we say ordinarily, that it is a mark of God's Elect, an effect of the residence of Iesus Christ in us, an infallible fruit of love, the last draught of Christian perfection. Hence the soul that is arrived at this estate, is looked on as a chief work of Grace. Now the Devill who watcheth us every where, and circumvents even the best, fails not to spit his poyson here, if he can, and will, (if such souls do not annihilate themselves by profound humility) infallibly deceive them. He makes them easily enter into an esteem of the estate wherein they are, and insinuateth a vain confidence [Page 521] thereof, he applies them to a regard of themselves, makes them believe they are well advanced in Vertue, and much in Gods favour ▪ since he numbers them among his friends, and treats them as those he loveth best. Thus by degrees he brings them into an esteem of themselves and their vertue, and having infused this poyson into the heart, and put the soul into this belief, it is easie for him to ruine it, to do what he will with it, to deceive it as he pleases.
The Devill hath another sleight more dangerous and lesse known, which is, when he changes himself into an Angel of comfort, and spirit of consolation; even he who giveth temptations, and oppresses us with subversions, gives us at the same time strength and address to defend our selves; he suffers himself to be vanquished. He who suggested the evill thought and deed, inspires patience, and an extraordinary resignation, making us feel a courage and a desire to suffer. Not that those effects are solid and permanent, nor that he desires we should do well therein, but to deceive us, and put us into an esteem of our selves, and our vertue, and into a dangerous confidence ▪ that so God may leave us. He knowes no estate is more hatefull to God, or more opposite to his grace and conduct, then the esteem of our self. It is therefore expresly [Page 522] recommended to the Christian who would be saved from the subtilties of the Devill, that he be alwayes in fear, a filial fear, and that in the temptation it self, in his greatest patience and resignation he hides himself in his nothing, and keep himself in a profound humility, for that is the Sanctuary of the soul, the Christians Buckler to quench as the Apostle sayes,Eph. 6.16. the subtle and fiery darts of the Devill.
But what if after all this the temptation remain, is it not lawfull to endeavour to get out of it, and to beseech God to deliver us from it? The most perfect will never do so, they having given up themselves wholly to God's divine conduct, will here also leave themselves in the hands of God; without saying any thing, for they think of nothing but suffering, seeing it is Gods pleasure and their practise, to annihilate and humble themselves, being assured he will never forsake those that are his in temptation. The devout Christian who walks steadfastly in the way of vertue, seeks no support or repose in any thing, or troubles himself about it, or omitteth the least of his exercises, or looseth the peace of his soul, or serenity of his look. On the contrary, he is animated in this combate, he defies his enemie, and derides him and all his works, addressing himself wholly to God who is his [Page 523] love and trust. He renders him thanks, and absolutely resignes himself up to him, to bear as long as, and in what manner he pleases the temptation and suffering he is in. There is a way to make a further progress in this estate. Some souls there are (which will haply seem incredible) who have neither desire nor thought of imploring Gods assistance, not but that they know the need they have thereof, but they are so devoted to God, so perfectly resigned to his divine will, that if God would destroy them, they would be content, so great a thirst have they for the glory of God, so great a desire to suffer, that they are so far from receiving, that they do not so much as think of demanding help, their regard being barely and simply in God. Besides they know the love and infallibility of God, faithful in his promises, never forsaking those that are his. By this truth they are possessed and excited. On the other side, they so purely and absolutely resign themselves to the will of God, that they never mind whether they suffer or are in danger, it is enough for them that they do nothing to displease God, and know that they are Gods, and God wholly theirs.
But this resignation is onely in some few; we will not say, but it is permitted sometimes to demand help of God and man, not to be [Page 524] absolutely freed, (that were haply to go beyond the conduct and designes of God) but for strength and direction in Temptation. For example. If a Christian through want of light, courage and strength, find himself fail, it will be very requisite that he speak with his director, demanding his advice in an Affaire of so great consequence, and so much danger. In these anguishes he must elevate his heart to God, call upon him, and earnestly implore his assistance; this is not forbidden. On the contrary, it is necessary, so it be with this condition, that the will of God be accomplished in him, and his good pleasure fulfilled, and that his recourse to God be not forced by any secret impatience, or irresignation of his soul. In that case it were to yield to the temptation, to commit an extraordinary impurity, and prejudiciall infidelity. But to run unto God to demand strength and conduct, with resignation and patience, is that which is promised to all Christians.
CHAP. XVIII. Divers Uses that may be made of Temptation.
WE must observe well what hath been said upon this occasion. The Christian who would live in the exercises of true piety, must greatly esteem this way of combate and temptation, for it is noble, and works great effects in the soul, which she may meet with in all the exercises of humane life, since in all we are to fight against the imperfections, failings, impurities and malignities, which secretly insinuate themselves into her. But we must chiefly esteem thereof, because the Son of God hath great designes upon our souls, and operates great things in them by these wayes of temptation, desertions, and resignations. Wherefore it concerns us to know how to make use thereof, that we cooperate with the designes of God, and receive, as Saint Paul saith,1 Cor. 10.13. Cum tentatione proventum. For the Son of God, who is faithfull, and permits us not to be tempted beyond our strength, gives ordinarily with the temptation, particular graces, and communicates himself, though in a hidden manner, yet truly to the soul that receives [Page 526] them as she ought, it being most certain, that in the wayes of piety, God communicates himself, more ordinarily by these then any other wayes, as we formerly said when we treated of sufferings.
The chief use we are to make of temptation, is to receive it, and look on it as the conduct of God over us; we must accept it with a profound humility, with a subjection and dependance of soul, upon the conduct of God in the temptation it self. I say, with humility, because the soul which follows the spirit of true Devotion, must desire throughly to be humbled, and embrace with readiness of spirit, all the wayes of humiliation, and all the occasions which present themselves therein. It is a maxime in all estates and exercises of Devotion, that the principall use we are to make of all the wayes of God over us, is humility, and therefore, as temptation is a way of God, a way of rigour and danger, so must we humble our selves much therein, the more we are tempted and abandoned; For, in effect, the best and most profitable disposition that we can be in, is to annihilate our selves before God; and like Iob, place our selves, if it be requisite, upon a dung-hill, to attend and receive what punishment soever the hand of God shall vouchsafe to [Page 527] inflict upon us. Is it not reason it should be so? If God be so pleased, as to annihilate us by pains and temptations, what have we to say against it? To what purpose so much fear, so much reluctancy? If God will punish us in this fire, we must hold our selves content; if he will humble us, we must annihilate our selves; if by temptation he will use his justice, and punish us, why should we be troubled thereat? Yea, though he should leave us to be swallowed up by the temptation (which can never fall out but through our own fault) let us accept of his judgments, and adore his justice, saying with Eli, when he heard from the mouth of little Samuel, the decree of Gods justice against him,1 Sam. 3.18. Dominus est, quod bonus est in oculis suis faciat. Let us say the same, let us receive all from the hand of God, with great humility. This is the first use we are to make of temptation.
Another is, to receive it with subjection of soul to the Will of God. Temptation is the conduct of God over us. We must not therefore consider him that tempteth us, nor yet the temptation we groan under, but the order of God, and the designs he hath upon us in that temptation. Nothing can happen to us, but by his permission, though the Devil make it his constant business, to hurt, molest, and destroy us, if he could, yet he hath no power but [Page 528] what he receives from God, all his power is limited. We must not therefore regard the Devil that tempteth us, nor the temptation or malice of our enemies, but the will and order of God in the temptation.
To comprehend this well, we must remember that temptation, is not onely a permission of God, but one of his ordinary ways of proceeding over us, to conduct us to him. Whence it followes, that it is not enough to suffer, and to submit to temptations, but we must do it purely, and holily. For seeing temptations and afflictions are the ordinary ways of God to conduct us to him, we must not in temptation make any pause, or think it sufficient to bear them patiently, or to fight against them, but we must pass further, and go even to God, to whom they will conduct us, if we make such use of them as we ought. Thus in temptation, we must rather regard God then the temptation, that binds us to God. It is true, we may fear to be overcome, but if we be left to God, he will not fail us in our necessity; he promised to be with us in our agonies and temptations. Let us be but faithfull in our duties and actions, and without doubt, he will be faithfull in his promises.
A third use of temptations, is, to refer them to the glory of God, and to offer to him the [Page 529] state that we bear, and all that passeth in us. This is grounded both upon our duties, and the designes of God, who wills, that we referr to him all the estates of our soul, and all the actions and moments of our life, that is, all that is in us, and all that we are. This use is also grounded on the condition of all things which are opposite to honour, and pay homage to God, but principally, the Christian, who is called to the state of Christianity, only to serve and honour God; and particularly, such as make profession of piety; since true devotion requires much fidelity, and wills us to make use of all things to unite us to God, and to render to him the honours and homages due to his divine and supreme Majesty.
If we reflect upon all that hath been said from the beginning to this instant, we shall see that we end where we began, and that we have done nothing, but shewn the Christian, who would be perfect, that true piety consists in purifying the heart, and making it worthy to bear and possess God; that he is truly devout, who lives according to the spirit and grace of Christianity; that to arrive at this happiness, we must adhere to Iesus Christ, our way and means to bring us to God; that the principall care we ought to have in these exercises, is, to preserve our selves therein, which, indeed, brings us to an adherence to the Son [Page 530] of God, and to live with great fidelity and vigilancy, subject to the conduct of Iesus, and dependant upon his holy Ordinances. These are the foundations we must lay, if we would acquire true piety; and when we come to the Consideration of Works, and to express the externall worship, love, and service, which we would render to God, we have said, that it is not enough to do good things, but we must accomplish them by the conduct of his holy spirit, according to his intentions, and in holy dispositions. We have already proposed the method; it suffices to know, that therein consists the essence and nature of a Christian, for which we render to God the honour and service due to him. This is all we mean to shew in this Discourse, which we will conclude with the words and prayer of Saint Paul, The God of peace make you perfect in every good work, Heb. 13.20.21. to do his will, working in you that which is acceptable in his sight, through Iesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
FINIS.