CHAP. I. Of the utmost and highest perfection that it is possiblefor a man to arrive unto in this life.

I Have been casting with my selfe, how I might frame for my owne use, a compleat & perfect draught (as far forth as our nature is capa­ble of in this lifes banishment and peregri­nation) of what is the highest and noblest action for a man to employ himselfe a­bout. And surely this is none other, then a ready, vigorous, constant and immedi­ate adhesion unto God Almighty; by a totall abstraction (as much as is possible) from all creatures whatsoever. For, the end of Christian perfection is Love and Cha­rity; by which a Soule cleaveth to her Creatour. And unto this adhesion of Charity, every man in particular is un­dispensably obliged under paine of loo­sing [Page 2]Heaven, so far forth as concerneth the obeying Gods commands, and the con­forming himselfe to his Divine will: which obedience shutteth out whatsoe­ver is repugnant to the essence and habit of Charity; and consequently all mortall sinnes. But religious persons have a further obligation then this, by having bound themselves to Evangelicall perfection, and to such duties, as though they be but of counsill and superogation, yet by them the way is made more ready, and more secure to bring the observers of them to their journeys end; which is the possession, and fruition of God. And the observance of these shutteth out not only what is de­structive to Charity; but also all other obstacles that may in any wise hinder or loose the fervour and activity of Charity, or that may retard or slacken the soules union with God Almighty, which is in a great measure performed, by an intire and efficacious abrenunciation of all creatures whatsoever; even of our owne selves.

Now seeing that God is a spirit, and that he ought to be adored in Spirit and in truth; Joh. 4. (that is to say, by knowledge and love, by understanding and affection voide of all mixture with any corporeal species, [Page 3]or materiall imaginations) hence it is that we are thus taught in the Gospel; when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, that is, into the inner roome of thy heart) and shutting the doore, Mat. 6. to wit, of thy senses, there with a pure heart, a good con­science and a firme faith, pray to thy father in spirit and in truth in secret. All which is done, when a man laying aside all other affaires and thoughts, withdraweth himselfe wholy into himself: & then shut­ting out, and forgetting all created objects whatsoever, the superiour part of his soule onely powreth out before Jesus Christ her desires to her Lord God, in deepe si­lence, and with confident security; and in so doing, dilateth, diffuseth, drowneth, inflameth and resolveth herself into him, through the violence of love with the whole weight of her heart, and with the utmost straining of all her faculties and powers.

CHAP. II. How one may cleave and intend wholy to Christ, despising all other things.

BUt he who desireth, and is resolved to apply himselfe to such a state, must [Page 4]lay downe for an absolutely necessary ground, that he must shut his eyes and all his senses to all manner of outward impli­cations and affaires that may cause any trouble, and must cast from him all cares & sollicitudes, as being altogether uncon­cerned in any creature whatsoever, or ra­ther looking upon them as hurtfull and pernicious to him. And then he must re­tire his whole life into himselfe; and there have no other object to entertaine his thoughts withall, but Jesus Christ woun­ded and crucified. And that with a conti­nuall attention, and with all earnestnesse and straining himself to his utmost power, he must make it his onely businesse, to passe by him into him, that is to say, by his Manhood into his Godhead, by the wounds of his humanity, into his glory and Divinity: and there readily and se­curely commit himselfe and all that con­cerneth him, to his unwearied, and al-see­ing providence; according to St Peters expression, when he saith (casting all your care and solicitude upon him, 1 Pet. 5. who ruleth and disposeth all things: And to St Paul, when he biddeth us bee solicitous for nothing, Phil. 4. And to that direction of the Psalme, which adviseth us to set­tle [Page 5]all our thoughts upon the Lord, and he will nourish us. Psal. 54. And to the sense of the other which saith, It is good for me to ad­here to God Psal. 74. And also of the other that telleth us, how the Royall Prophet kept the Lord alwaies before his eyes, Psal. 15. And like the Soule in the Canticles that rejoyceth for having found him whom her soule loved. Cant. 3. The end wherof will be, that all goods will come along in company with that supreame good. And this is that heaven­ly hidden treasure, and that pearle of ine­stimable value which ought to be preferr'd before all other goods whatsoever, and is to be sought with strength of Spirit, and purchased with humble confidence, with tranquillity of mind, with carefull guard upon ones tongue, with indefatigable en­deavours, and even with the losse of all outward conveniences, and of ones very honour and reputation. For otherwise what would it availe a religious man to gaine the whole world, if at the same time he should suffer detriment in his soule? or what profiteth him the state he hath enga­ged himselfe in, the holinesse of his pro­fession; the habit of perfection that hee hath put on; and the whole oeconomy of his outward conversation, unlesse he bee [Page 6]enlivened with the Spirit of Humility, and truth, where Christ dwelleth by faith, that is informed and quickned with charity? To him that is in this condition it may be truely said, the kingdome of God is with­in you; which is our Lord and Saviour Je­sus Christ.

CHAP. III. In what the perfect conformity of man with God consisteth in this life.

IT is most certaine, that by how much more a mans Soule is busied and sollici­tous about inferiour and humane affaires, by so much the further she is carried away from superiour and heavenly considerati­ons, in which consisteth the flower and vi­gour of devotion. And by how much more intensely and fervently ones thoughts are recollected from remembring, loving and considering of inferior objects, and are fixed upon superior ones, by so much their proper will bee the perfecter, and their contemplation the purer. For it is impossible that ones attention should at the same time be entirely and perfectly knit upon two distinct objects, that are as farre distant from one another, as light and [Page 7]darknesse are. He that adhereth to God, dwelleth in light: but he that is glewed to the world is overwhelmed with darknesse. And therfore the sublimer perfection of a man in this life, is to be so united to God, that his whole soule withall her powers and facultyes bee in such sort wound up and riveted in him; and that he remember nothing but God; and that all his affecti­ons being united in a joyfull exercise of love, doe repose sweetly in the sole fruiti­on of their Creator. For, the image of God expressed in the Soule, consisteth in these three faculties of hers: namely in the understanding, the memory, and the will. And as long as they in any man are not entirely impressed with the stamp of God, and the whole extent of them are not taken up with that, his soule cannot bee said to bee Deiformed, or perfectly resembling the divinity, according to the state in which the first soule was created. For, God is the forme of the soule where­with she ought to be impressed, as waxe is with a seale, and she ought to have such a relation to him, as the coppy of a picture hath to its originall. But this is never com­pleatly done, but when ones reason and understanding is perfectly illuminated [Page 8](according to its capacity with the know­ledge of God, who is the supreme veri­ty; and his will is perfectly set on fire with the love of him who is the supreme good; and his memory is totally absorbed in contemplating and rejoycing in his e­ternall happinesse, and in reposing sweetly and delightfully in that thought. Now seeing that the glory of heavenly blisse consisteth in the full possession of these three, which will be compleated in the next life, it is evident that a perfect beginning of them is the utmost perfection that our present life is capable of.

CHAP. IV. How our operations ought to be in the In­tellectuall part of our Soule onely, and not in our Senses.

HE therefore is happy, who by continu­all receiving and expunging of all species and Images from his fantasie, and by reducing and turning his considerati­ons inwards, and there raising his Soule up to God, groweth at length to that pass, that he forgetteth all materiall imaginati­ons, and hath no other entertainment for his thoughts within him, but to imploy [Page 9]them continually by pure and simple operations of understanding and love, a­bout the only pure and simple object ele­vated above all composition, or materia­lity; which is none other but God. Be sure then that you banish out of your mind all imaginations, pictures, and formes of all things whatsoever, that are not God; to the end that your whole excercise and imployment within you, be immediatly concerning God, and be performed sing­ly by your understanding, and by your will and affections. For the end of all spirituall exercises is the applying all ones thoughts to God, the busying them singly about him, the attending to him onely, and the reposing entirely in him without any other sollicitude or occupation of the mind; and this, fingly in the intellectuall part of our soule, by pure understanding, and by vehement straine of love, without any admixture of Corporeall imaginati­ons. And this exercise is of so refined and pure a nature, that the fleshly organs of the body cannot reach unto it; but it is performed by that part of us which mak­eth us to be men, and reasonable creatures; that is by our understanding and our will. And therefore as long as a man entertain­eth [Page 10]himselfe with his senses, and with the picture and impressions that outward ob­jects doe make in any of them, and dwel­leth upon them; It may rightly be said of him, that he hath not yet growne out the motions and limites of his brutall nature; that is, out of the low orbe in which he partaketh with brute beasts, and is not a­bove them. For they have cognition, and are wrought upon by such materiall and sensitive species; and have not in them any spring of a higher straine. Whereas man in regard of his reasonable soule, that is endowed with the powers of understand­ing, of loving, and of the free will, is created according to the image & likenes of God: and by them he ought to receive into his soule pure and immediate im­pressons from God himselfe,, and cleave firmly to him, and become one with him. And therefore the divell through his envy to mankind is most vigilant and active to hinder a man from that exercise as much as he can; as being a kind of essay and be­ginning in this life of the eternall happi­nesse he shall injoy in the next. And in pursuance of that designe he laboureth al­waies with his utmost power to draw our minds from almighty God, sometimes by [Page 11]one temptation, sometimes by another, sometimes raising passions in us, other­whiles begetting in our minds needlesse sollicitousnesse, superfluous cares, and indiscreet anxieties; otherwhiles disor­dering us with unquietnesse within our selves, or with dissolute conversation with­out us, or with unreasonable curiosity of what concerneth us not; sometimes with begetting in us an itch to read Books of unprofitable Subtilties, or to discourse of what belongeth not to us, or to inquire af­ter newes & occurrences of the world; o­therwhiles by assaulting us with adversi­ties and contradictions, & with an innume­rable company of stratagems that he im­ployeth against us: whereof though many may seeme to be but of small moment, and not to be accounted as sins, yet in very truth they are exceeding great hinderanc­es of this holy and sublime exercise. And therfore, be they concerning great affaires, or concerning but small ones; nay, though they may seem to be advantageous to us, or even necessary to be attended; neverthe­lesse they ought to be wholly cut off and cast away, and our sences ought to be di­vorced from them. And accordingly, whatsoever we happen to heare, or to see, [Page 12]or whatsoever in any sort chanceth to passe before us, we must have a singular care that we transmit it not from our outward senses to our fantasy, and there frame an image or representation of it, and enter­taine our thoughts with it. Which if we be diligent in, and do keep such images from residing in our memory, and from recurring to our thoughts; they will be of no impediment unto us, nor cause us any distraction whiles we are praying, me­ditating, singing Psalmes, or about any other spirituall exercise; nor will ever after returne to molest us againe. There­fore upon any occasion of what important affairs soever that may occurre unto you, let your security & fortresse be to keep it out from admittance into your thoughts, and from making any impression upon your mind; and to cast it and your selfe readily and confidently and entirely, with peace and silence and calmnesse, into the arms of Gods all knowing and all govern­ing providence; and then he will fight for you; and will certainly deliver you from all the evills that might arrive unto you from that coast; and will shine in your soule by Divine consolations. Whereas if you should thinke to overcome the diffi­culties [Page 13]that will arise against you, by your owne industry and vigilancy, and by taking them to taske, and wrestling a­gainst them in your owne thoughts; all that you will gaine by wearying your self out with continuall sollicitude, and with having your restlesse imaginati­ons day and night fixed upon what you would prevent or compasse; will be to discover plainly in the conclusion, that all humane wisdome is meer folly, and that the result of such toylesome enslaving of the soule to vaine and unreasonable occupations, is but losse of time, abasing of our mind, and even a fretting out of the spirits that give life to our body; without effecting what we have so earn­estly and passionately laboured for. When therefore any accident happeneth to you of what kind soever it commeth, make ac­count it is sent you by a tender Father that is continually watchfull over you, and accordingly receive it with an even and unmoved mind, and let it not afford you matter either for discourse with o­thers, or for thoughtfullnesse within you. But uncloath your imagination from all ideas and images of corporeall objects, according to the duty of your condition [Page 14]and profession; that so you may cleave fast with a pure soule to him you have be­queathed your selfe, and that no created thing whatsoever may intervene betweene you and him, and that through the sacred wounds of his humanity, you may be securely and steadily wafted over to the incomprehensible light of his divinity.

CHAP. V. Of the purity of heart, which above all things is to be aymed at.

IF therefore you desire to walke in the straight and direct way that will bring you readily and safely to your journeys end, both of grace in this life, and of glo­ry in the next, you must with a constant and never interrupted attention, employ all the diligence and industry you are able to purchase a perpetuall cleanenesse of heart and purity of mind, and untroubled­nesse of senses. You must recollect as it were into one burning point all the incli­nations and affections of your Soule, and cast it upon God, and fixe it irremove­ably upon him. Which to doe efficaciously you must withdraw your selfe from the conversation of your friends, and indeed [Page 15]of all mankind (as much as is possible for you) and from all businesse of what kind soever that may in any sort divert or retard this designe of yours, laying hold of all conveniences that may beget a quiet­nesse and tranquillity in your soule, and may advance your contemplation: beta­king your selfe for that purpose to the si­lence and solitude of some close retreate, where you may lye secure at anchor, free from the Rocks and dangers of this fading life (against which so many doe suffer unhappy shipwrack) and be sheltered from the noisefull stormes of the deceitfull world. But while you are in this haven you must not grow remisse, as though now all dangers were past, and your worke were at an end; but you must see your selfe with a continuall vigilancy to keepe your outward senses strongly shut, and to watch narrowly your owne hart; so as no enemy may breake in upon it, and cause in it any disquiet, or taint the purity of it with the drossie images of sensible and terrene ob­jects. This purity of heart is the top of all spirituall exercises, and is the end for which he that aspireth at Evangelicall perfection, forsaketh the world; and is the compensation that in this life he can have [Page]of all his labours. And therefore you must strive with all earnestnesse to free your heart, and to sequester your senses and affections from all objects whatso­ever that may hinder the liberty of your spirit, or that may have any power to draw or inveigle, or bind you to them. And you must summe up all the affecti­ons of your soule, and recollect all the dispersions of your heart, and fixe them inseparably upon that true and supreame good, which being but one, and in it selfe most simple, containeth all good in it. And by such close adhesion to God, and dereliction of all created objects, and rejecting of all terrene and fraile affections, you must endeavour to trans­forme your heart through Jesus Christ in­to a kind of divine nature; and when once you come to thrive so happily in this high imployment, of unclothing and purifying your imagination from all species and images residing in it, and of refining and exalting your heart to such a simplicity that it can rest no where but in God, and that you now begin to suck in­to the bowels of your soule pure streames from the fountaine of his divine provi­dence, and that you relish them savourly, [Page 17]and that you unite your selfe to him by conforming your self in every thing to his divine will; then this alone, this single exercise is all that you need busie your self about. This will suffice for your whole occupation. In this will be summed up all your other studies; your reading and me­ditating of the holy scriptures, your lov­ing of god and of your neighbour. And in a word, this will bring you to the high­est degree of perfection that this life is ca­pable of, by such wayes and paths as no man is able to delineate, but are purely the work of the holy Ghost within you, and of his unction. Let therefore all your study, endeavour, and labour be to reduce your heart unto such a simplicity, that be­ing unmoveable at the strokes of all out­ward objects upon your fantasie, you may repose your understanding, and settle your affections with such tranquillity, and fixednesse in God, within your selfe, as if your soule were already arrived to that happy state of unvariable Eternity, in which the present fruition of the all-com­prehending divinity so overreacheth all times and actions, that there is nothing either past or to come in relation to it; and therefore can admit no change or vi­vicissitude [Page 18]of accidents. And this is attain­ed by forsaking and abandoning your selfe entirely without any restriction, for the love of Jesus Christ; and casting your selfe upon God with a pure heart, and a firme confidence in his all-seeing provi­dence; and resigning your selfe with an unmoved patience and security in all e­vents and tribulations to his Fatherly dis­posing of you. But this cannot be effected, unlesse you turne continually inwards, and there treat closely with your owne heart, without ever wandring astray out of it, and that you deliver your selfe (as far as it is possible) from all outward impli­cations, and that you keep the eye of your soule in a perpetuall purity and tranquillity, and that you preserve your understanding from all commerce with the formes and images of inferior and transitory things; and that you weane the affections of your will from all terrene and fading goods, and settle them with the whole activity of your soule upon the only true supreame good; and that you raise and fixe your memory upon a con­tinuall representation of that essentiall and uncreated good; and that thus your soule, with all the powers and faculties [Page 19]of it, absorbed up in God Almighty, doe become one spirit with him, which is a­greed on all hands to be the highest perfecti­on that in this life mans nature is capable of. For by this union of spirit and love with God; and by such conformity, or ra­ther transformation of your will to Gods eternall wil; you become by grace, such as God is by nature. And you may lay up this for an infayleable truth, that in the very instant wherein a man is enabled by Gods assistance to overcome his own will, by casting from him all inordinate love and sollicitude, and by delivering himself totally in all his necessities into Gods hands, to dispose and steer his course as he pleaseth; he by this becommeth so accep­table to God almighty, that he presently replenisheth him with his grace, by which is kindled such a fire of charity and de­lection in his soule, as immediatly expel­leth all ambiguity and feare, and fastneth his hope and confidence in God. And cer­tainly no condition can be so happy, as to rely securely on all occasions upon him, who we are sure hath no defect in his nature. Therefore if at any time you find a wavering in your owne thoughts, or an inclination to any sollicitude for ought [Page 20]that may have happened unto you, throw your selfe with a carelesse security into his armes; and he will imbrace you, and cure your feares, and will deliver you from the assaults, and from all danger of it. Beleive it, those points if you duly rumi­nate, and digest them within your owne heart; will more conduce to make your life happy, then if you abounded with all the riches, delights, honours, wisdome and knowledge that this deceitfull world can bestow upon her favourites; & that in them you exceeded all the men that have ever lived.

CHAP. VI. That true devotion consisteth in adhering to God by the Vnderstanding, and Will, depured from all commerce with materiall Objects.

Seeing then by how much the more you shall cleanse your thoughts from the drossy images of created objects, and se­quester your self from outward, wordly and sensible occupations; by so much the more your soule will recover her na­turall vigour, and rellish of those objects that are of kinne to her; The best lesson you can learne, is to keep her from all commerce with the ideas and images of [Page 21]corporeall things. For certainely there is nothing so pleasing to God, as a mind in such a state: And when he findeth such a one, who being free from all carnall af­fairs, passions, and distractions, attendeth unto him onely, and with a pure under­standing fixeth singly upon him; then he maketh good what he hath said of him­self, that it is his delight to be with the chil­dren of men. Whereas if you suffer your me­mory to lodge the species of sensible ob­jects in her store-house, or allow your thoughts and imagination to entertaine themselves with such, it is impossible but that your soul should be tincted, either with the relicks of what you have former­ly conversed with, or with the impressions of what you are presently busy about. And then you may be sure the holy Ghost (who withdraweth himself from those thoughts that are without understanding) will make himself a stranger unto you. Therefore he who loveth Jesus Christ tru­ly, ought to be so united by a pure under­standing, & by a good will to the goodness, & to the wil of god, and so abstracted from all wordly considerations, and so void of all passions, that he heed not what opini­ons other persons do entertaine of him; [Page 22]whether he be beloved, or hated; esteem­ed or derided; or what any man can at­tempt or effect against him. For, it is the goodness of the Will that supplyeth for all things, and is above all things. And therefore as long as a man is owner of a good Will, and is purely con­formable, and united to God in his Vn­derstanding; he is out of danger of recei­ving any prejudice by his flesh, or sensuall part, or by his outward man, though it should be inclined to evill, and be resty and benummed to good; nay though his inward man should be dry and heavy in the exercise of devotion, he is safe, as long as he cleaveth firmely to god by faith, and by good will in the superiour part of his soul. And this he doth, when he reflecteth upon his own imperfection, & nothingness; and frameth a strong and deep judgement, that all his good consisteth in his creator onely, and with all the powers and facul­ties of his soul renounceth himselfe, and all creatures, and drowneth himself and all his powers in his creator, in such sort that he directs all his operations purely and entirely to him, and neither seeketh, nor desireth any thing but him, in whom he already perceiveth that all good, and [Page 23]al perfect felicity is comprised. And by thus do­ing, he is in a manner transformed into God: so that he can neither think, nor understand, nor love, nor remember any thing but God, and of God: and if he chanceth at any time to see either himselfe, or any creature, he seeth them not as they are in themselves, but onely as they are in God. Nor doth any share of his love rest in them, but all of it passeth through them to God, and resteth in him. And this knowledge of truth alwaies rendreth a soul truely humble, and maketh it severe to it selfe, without ever judging others; whereas worldly wisedome swelleth a soule with pride, vanity, and empty winde. Take this then for the foundation of all spirituall doctrine; that if you desire to arrive to the true knowledge, service, familiarity, and full possession of God Almighty; you must necessarily devest your heart of all sensible love, not onely of all per­sons whatsoever, but of all creatures whatso­ever; that so you may with a pure and entire heart, and with all the powers of your soule, apply your selfe, freely, without all double­nesse, care and solicitude to your Creatour, casting your selfe in all occasions with a full confidence upon his single providence.

CHAP. VII. In what manner ones heart is to be recol­lected within ones selfe.

IT is very truely said in the book of the Spirit and the Soule, Cap. 21. that to ascend up to God, is to enter into ones selfe. For without all doubt, he, who turning his operati­ons inwards, pierceth▪ through himselfe, and goeth beyond himselfe, is really and truely raised up to God. Wee must therefore have a care to recollect our heart from the dispersions, and distractions of this world, and to recall it to those joyes it will find within it selfe; that so it may in time be enabled to keepe it selfe steady in the light of divine contemplation. For the life and rest of our heart consisteth in fixing it by earnest desires upon the love of God, and in tasting the sweetnesse of those consolations, which with a liberall hand hee giveth to those who love him. And the reason is obvious why we are so frequently frustrated of the experimentall enjoying of this happines, and are not able to tast and savour it in the full sweetnesse of it. For whiles our soule effuseth it selfe upon exterior objects, and is choaked with the sollicitude of transitory things, shee entreth not into her selfe, by the setting before her eyes those solid considerations which her [Page 25]memory ought alwaies to be stored withall; whilst she is pestered and overclouded with the images of creatures, she returneth not into her selfe by the superiour part of her understand­ing, into which no such object can have ad­mittance; and whiles shee is intangl'd with concupiscences, she is hindred from reverting into her self by vehement desires of that interi­or sweetnesse, and spirituall joy, which belong­eth onely to a purified and enflamed soule: & so lying groaning among these present ma­teriall, and fading objects, she is not able to turne her selfe inwards, and discerne the image of God that is formed there. It is therefore absolutely necessary for him who aymeth at this noble and high pitch, that with profound humility, and yet withall with entire confi­dence he raise himselfe above himselfe, and a­bove the whole machine of creared beings, by the abnegation of them all; saying thus to himselfe; he whom my heart hath chosen from among all things, whom it seeketh above all things, and whom it loveth and desireth be­yond all things, is not to be knowne by my senses, nor comprised by my imagination; but is above all that is Sensible, & above all that is Intelligble: he is not perceptible to any faculty of mine, but yet he is such, as I may desire, and love him with all the powers and faculties of [Page 26]my soule: he is not representable by any shape, yet I may thirst after him with the most enfla­med affections that can be raised within mee: nor can he be prised, or valued neere his worth, by all I can say or thinke of him; and yet my heart, if it be cleane from all drossie affections, can seise upon him, and unite it selfe to him by excesses of love. For he is beautifull, and de­lightfull, infinitely beyond all things in the world, & is of infinite goodnesse & perfection. And then after such like discourses and consi­derations, his soule entereth yet deeper into it selfe, and raiseth it selfe yet higher above it selfe, and looseth it selfe (as I may say) in the divine mist of incomprehensi­ble light. And this manner of ascending even to the aenigmaticall beholding of the most holy Trinity, in Jesus Christ, is by so much the more enflamed and vehement, by how much those operations, which carry the soule upwards, are more interiour; and is by so much the more profitable, & raiseth one so much higher, as the love one soareth with is more vigorous and fervent. For in spirituall operations the measure of their height and excellency is their interiournesse, and recollectednesse from all outward dissipation. Therefore you must not give over, or sit you down to rest, till you have gotten some tast, as it were an earnest-penny of [Page 27]that fulnesse which will hereafter swell you up; and till you have obtained some first fruits of that heavenly sweetnesse which will hereaf­ter please beyond all measure the spirituall pa­late of your soule: nor must you slacken your pace in running after that divine odour you begin to have the wind of, till you come to see the God of Gods in Sion. For you must settle this as a fundamentall rule in the progression of the soule, and in the adhesion and union to God within you, that you must never retire nor repose, till you have obtained what you ayme at. Consider those who travell up a mountaine; and apply to your case what hap­peneth unto them. If a soule engulfe her selfe by concupiscence among those things that slide a­long beneath her, she presently loseth her way in a labyrinth of infinite distractions, and of oblique and crooked waies, and is as it were divided from her selfe, and is torne into as ma­ny peeces, as there are severall objects that she is glewed unto by her desires. And from hence proceedeth the instability of mens actions, without any fixednesse upon the resolutions they had once taken; their toylsome running, without arriving to the end of the course, and their perpetuall labour without any rest. But if a soule doe raise her selfe by divine af­fections, and love, from what is beneath her, [Page 28]and would entangle her in a multitude of di­stractions; and, forsaking all creatures without her, do recollect her selfe within her selfe unto that one, immutable, all-sufficient good, where­of she will find the image within her selfe; and doe learne to dwell and converse alwaies with it; and doe cleave inseparably to it, by enfla­med desires and affections; such a one will en­crease daily in strength and perfection, pro­portionably to the knowledge and desire that lifteth her up to that one supreame, immutable good; Till she herselfe become at the last im­mutable too; and arrive without feare of change, to that true life, which is none other but God himselfe; where without all succes­sion, or variety of actions, & without all vicissi­tude of time, she may repose eternally in that interior quiet, and secret mansion of the divi­nity; unto which the contemplation of Jesus Christ will bring her, who is the way that all they must travaile in, who propose heaven for their journeies end; and is the truth of the Un­derstanding, and the life of the Soule.

CHAP. VIII. How, in all chances, a spirituall man ought to resigne himselfe to God.

I Conceive, that by what is hitherto said, you now discerne how the more you cleanse your imagination from the ideas of all outward things, and sequester your selfe from all wordly and created objects, and unite your selfe to God by your Will and Vnderstanding, so much the more you approach to the state of innocency & per­fection. And what condition can be better, happier, or more delightfull then that? strive then to keep your mind free from all impressions that may amuse or intangle it: and let not your thoughts have any commerce with the world, or even with your freinds; nor be you concerned in the prosperities, or adversities, either of them, or of your selfe; nor busie your mind with any worldly affaire whatsoever, either past, present, or to come: Nay, not so much as to be over sollicitous of your owne past sinnes: but with a kind of confi­dent simplicity, and purity of heart, ima­gine your selfe to be out of the world, singly with God almighty; as though your [Page 30]soule were already in the state of Eternity, sever'd from your body. Which if she really were, it is certaine she would then no long­er trouble her self with secular affaires, nor care what posture the world were in, nor be concerned with peace or warre; or faire weather or foule, or any other secular oc­current whatsoever; but would attend wholly, & uniformedly to God alone, and would rest in him, and cleave inseparably to him. Begin from this very houre, in some sort, to doe thus. Sever your selfe e­ven now, by your affections, from your owne body. Banish from your thoughts all created things whatsoever, either pre­sent, past, or to come; and fixe the purified eye of your soule, as steadily, and as earnest­ly as you can, upon the eternal, increated light. And when you are throughly clean­sed from all corporeal images, & your soul is delivered from all worldly incumbran­ces and mists, you will become like an Angell that were assigned to a body, but received no prejudice in his operations by that society, nor were annoyed with vaine and ungovern'd thoughts. Let your spirit therefore strengthen it selfe against all manner of temptations, trouble, and inju­ries; that in all fortunes it may remaine [Page 31]unmovable in God. And when any distur­bance, or tediousnesse, or opression of mind shall grow upon you, be not for that de­jected, or out of hart, or betake your selfe to vocall prayers, or to outward consola­tions: but attend onely to raise your selfe up to God by pure acts of your will, and of your understanding, and to adhere to him in the superior part of your soule, whither your corporeall part will or no. For a soule that is truly devout, ought to be so united with God, and to conforme her will so entirely to his that she have no relation or adhesion to any creature, no more then if her selfe were not yet created; or as though there were nothing else in being, but God and she. And such a one will receive all things with indiffer­ence, from the hand of divine providence; and resigne her selfe uniformely in all oc­casions to God, with patience, tranquillity, and silence. When therefore you shall have arrived to this state, no creature will then interpose it selfe between God and you. And this is that, which by the profession of religion we aime at. For by the vow of voluntary Poverty, we deprive our selves for the whole durance of our life of all outward goods: by the vow of Chastity we [Page 32]renounce our bodyes; and by the vow of Obedience, we forsake our wills, and even our soules themselves: so that after these, nothing remaineth that may inter­vene between god and us, to keep us at a distance from one another. This we en­gage our selves unto, when we enter into religion, & cloth our selves with the habit of our order. But whether or no our inward purity do answer to our outward professi­on, that resteth between God and our own consciences. But certainely we should degenerate exceedingly, and sin grievously against God, and against his Justice, if we should do otherwise, and should preferre the creature before our Creatour; and by our affections, and desires, cleave rather to that, then to him.

CHAP. IX. That the contemplation of God is to be pre­ferred before all other exercises.

Now because all things that are not God, are but works of his hand, & ef­fects proceeding from him their Creator, & that their powers & beings are limited, and, as being produced of nothing, are allwayes tending to nothing; it is evi­dent [Page 33]that whiles they exist, there cannot passe a moment wherein they draw not their beings, their conservations, their working, and all else that followeth of their beings, from God their Creatour who is the fountain & well-head of all Be­ing: in respect of whom they are not one­ly lame and defective, but even as nothing is to that which is Being it self, and as that which is finite and narrowly circumscri­bed, is to what is infinite. And therefore in him onely, and about him, and for him, let us employ all our whole life: admit­ting his infinite Wisedome, his infinite power, and other his infinite perfections, who is able with one act of his will to create if he please infinite new worlds, each of them infinitely more perfect then this which he hath created. Without doubt no contemplation of the under­standing, nor fruition of love by means of the affections is so profitable, so perfect, and so blissfull, as that which hath direct­ly for its object God almighty our Crea­tor, and true supreme good, from whom all things doe flow, in whom all things are contained; by whom all things are preserved, and for whom all things were made; who is infinitely all-sufficient both [Page 34]to himself, and to all things else: who containeth in himself from all eternity the perfections of all things whatsoever, resumed in so pure a simplicity, that he hath no mixture in him, nor hath any ac­cident belonging to him, but all that is in him, is he himself: with whom, and by whom, all the causes of fleeting and decay­ing things have a permanent stability: in whom reside the immutable originalls of whatsoever is subject to change and vicissitude: and in whose essence do live the eternall principles and modells of all creatures whatsoever, either reasonable or unreasonable, or any wayes depending of time: who completeth all things: who en­tirely filleth all things, and every thing, essentially with himselfe; who is more inward, and more present to every thing, then the thing is to it selfe: and lastly, in whom all things are summed up and u­nited together, and do live eternally. But if any person should through weaknesse of capacity, or want of trayning to these considerations, find them of too hard di­gestion for him; and be inclined to ground his immediate contemplation rather upon the creatures, then upon the creator: yet let him have a care to order his medita­tion [Page 35]or contemplation in such sort, as out of it may rise in him a delectation in God one and threefold; and in his brest may be kindled the fire of divine love, and of true life, which may light and guide him to eternall felicity. And herein con­sisteth the difference between the contem­plation of faithfull Christians, and that of the heathen Philosophers. For these latter directed their contemplation to them­selves; and therefore it resteth in the un­derstanding; the bettering of which was the end & scope of their meditation. But chris­tians doe imploy themselves in this exer­cise, for the love of him whom they con­template; that is, of God, who is the object of their contemplation. And therefore it resteth not finally in their understanding by cognition; but passeth to their will by love and affections. For it is much happi­er for a man to know Jesus Christ, and be united to him spiritually by grace and Charity; then without them, to have him in them corporally, or even essentially. Now the ready meanes to enlarge the eye of contemplation, is, to have ones soule abstracted from all creatures, and to keep it reflected upon it selfe; whereby it mak­eth a ladder of it selfe, by which it ascend­eth [Page 36]to the contemplation of God himselfe. And when it is fixed, there it burneth with desire of heavenly, eternall, and divine goods; and looketh upon all transitory ones at a huge distance, considering them indeed as nothing. But of the different methodes of contemplating God, that which proceedeth by negations, is the more excellent & sublime. In which we begin by denying all corporeall things of him, or whatsoever may be grasped by our senses, or figured by our imagination. Then we proceed by denying of him, all intelli­gible objects, or whatsoever may be fad­domed by our understanding. And lastly, we deny even Being it selfe of him, in that sense, and under that notion, as we con­ceive the Beings of creatures. And then we are arrived (according to Dionysius Areo­pagita) to the highest pitch of union with God, that our nature is capable of in this life. And this is the mist which God is said to inhabit; Into which Moyses entered; and by it come to unaccessible light. But in this journey we must advance by order­ly steps, the animal part must precede the spirituall. And therefore we must be­gin with the labour of action, before we can attaine to the rest of contemplation; [Page 37]and we must lay a foundation of morall vertues, before we can ascend to the top of speculative ones. All which when thou hast seriously considered (my soule) tell me if it were not folly and madnesse to busie thy selfe in vaine about multi­plicity of things? Dost thou not see how thou art still in want, & in necessity, as long as thou entertainest thy selfe with them? Give over then all other imployments and thoughts; and settle thy selfe to this onely one of contemplating, and loving the one onely true good, in which all good is com­prised, and thou needest no more. Oh! how unhappy were that man who knowing all things else, and enjoying all things else, were in the mean time ignorant of him? And though he should know all things, together with him; yet they would adde nothing to his happinesse: for that consist­eth singly in him. And therefore the Evan­gelist saith, The knowing of thee is eternall life: Jo. 17. And the Prophet, I shall be sa­tiated when thy glory appeareth. Ps. 16.

CHAP. X. That actuall and sensible devotion is not so much to be regarded, as to adhere to God with ones will.

BUt when I so much inculcate the rays­ing of affections, and love in the soule, my intention is not to advise you to insist upon actuall devotion, or upon such sen­sible sweetnesse (oftentimes accompanyed with teares) which the spirituall exercises of tender and devout persons are frequent­ly accompanyed with. I mean only that you be mentally united to God by your will in the superior part, and intellectuall, of your soule. For no devotion whatso­ever, or spirituall exercise is of so high and excellent a straine, or so pleasing to God, as to keep our mind free from the images, likenesse, and Ideas of creatures. And this is that which particularly be­longeth to a religious man, and which his profession obligeth him unto. For as by his vow he hath renounced all crea­tures whatsoever; so in his practise he ought to keep his mind free from them, to the end he may have his thoughts and affections continually fixed and riveted [Page 39]upon God alone. And therefore be careful to renounce your selfe in all things; that so having reduced your selfe into a per­fect nakednesse of all creatures, you may follow Christ our Lord God and Saviour, and tread in those steppes he hath marked out unto us, who was truly poore, chast, and obedient; and was humbled lower then ever man was: many were scandaliz­ed (as appeareth in the Gospell) because their weak eyes, not being capable of that divine light that shone in all his actions, they rejected and were offended at what was too sublime for them. Now to give you an instance of the abstraction I require in you from all created things, whereby you may conceive what it is I recommend unto you in all the rest; I pray you consider what Sentiments a separated soule hath of her body she hath left behind her. Certain­ly she regardeth not what becometh of it, nor is she concerned whither it be burned or hanged, or any wayes contumeliously u­sed; nor hath she any regret for any inju­ries, ill treatments or scornes that may be heaped upon it. But she hath all her powers & attentiō fixed upon that state of Eternity she then enjoyeth, and upon that one sin­gle necessary thing that our Saviour hath [Page 40]recommended in the Gospell. Luc. 10. Such sentiments as these I would have you beget in your mind, even in this life, whilst your soule is in your body. Regard it no more, then if your soule were parted from it, and let all your thinking be of that one necessary point: and rest confi­dent, you will here find a wonderfull in­crease of grace and swift progresse in ob­taining true purity of mind, and simplici­ty of heart. For that one necessary thing will immediately follow of it selfe, upon your banishing all images from your thoughts, and upon your withdrawing your selfe from all implications, proceed­ing from created objects; and you shall then immediately find God shining in your soule, and you will feele her closely united to him, that nothing can sever her from him. Neither will any allurements inveigle her, nor any torments force her from her beloved. You will be invincible in all tentations and assaults; as the holy Martyrs and Fathers were, and the rest of the elect, and all those that are now Saints in heaven: who despising all created things, attended to no other thought but such as concerned security and eternity of the soule in God. And thus armed within, [Page 41]and united to God by the affections of their will, they overlooked and neglected all the things of this world, as though their soule were quite out of it, by having taken leave of their body. Thus you see the admirable power that a rightly placed love, and a will united to God hath, rven so much, as though through the impression that a soule receiveth then from God, and through her spirituall separation from her compartner the flesh, she looketh upon her outward man at a far distance, and as if he belonged not to her, and consequent­ly neglecteth all the violences that can be used to her flesh, as though they were exe­cuted upon an other, or upon some crea­ture that were not a man. For he who ad­hereth to God, becometh one spirit with him: and consequently in respect of that of him by which he adhereth to God, he ceaseth in some sort to be himselfe, or what he was before. Of which transforma­tion the fleshly part not being capable, but remaining still in its owne grossie na­ture, it is as it were divorced from the soule, that hath taken too high a flight for her flesh to follow her in; and therefore she looketh downe upon it as if it concerned her not. Be sure therefore never to give [Page 42]admittance within you to any thought un­worthy of God: but remember that your happinesse and perfection dependeth on raising up your soule to him; and on having him al­waies present to the eye of your understanding; and on fixing it so attentively upon him, that it looke upon nothing beside, as though there were nothing in the world but God and your selfe. And in this union you will enjoy those happy embraces, that are in this life a faire beginning of the blessednesse and joyes of the next.

CHAP. XI. In what manner we are to resist temptati­ons, and to beare tribulations.

THere is no man who commeth to God with a true and entire hart, but he is tryed with sundry vexations and temptations; in which I can give you this comfort, that though you be troubled by feeling them, yet you will receive no prejudice by them, as long as you yeeld no consent unto them, but beare them with humility, patience, and equality of mind. And if you should be assaulted with temptations of blasphemy, oruncleane represen­tations; the best you can doe in that case is to neglect them, and account them as nothing. [Page 43]For be they in themselves never so foule, or wicked, or horrid; yet as long as they go no further than your fantasie, and range there a­gainst your will, they are not to be imputed to you, nor doe they require that you should trouble your conscience with them. The ene­my will certainely fly, and leave you in peace, if you contemne him and his attempts. For he is proud, and cannot endure to be neglected and scorned. And therefore your best remedy is to regard them no more, then as if they were but flyes buzzing before your face against your will. And consider how unseemly it were for the servant of Jesus Christ to be made to loose sight of his master, by the importunity of a contemptible flye, and fall into indignation, murmuring and complaints at so triviall a matter, as a slight temptation of suspicion (for example) a sadnesse, or detraction, or insuffici­ency, or any other such small adversity; all which (like flyes chaced away with the mov­ing of ones hand) are put to flight by an act of the will elevated up to God, and by love set­led in him. For such a will bringeth a man to be the particular possession of God (who will have a care of what is particularly his owne) and to have the Angels his guardians and pro­tectours. And therefore is peace promised to men of good will. Neither can any thing of [Page 44]greater value be offered to God, then a good will. For such a one is the origine of all good­nesse in the soule, and the mother of all vertues. And whosoever hath it, hath compleately all that is requisite for him to be happy. And therefore if any obstacle happen to hinder the good which such a will desireth, God supply­eth, and giveth the recompence, as if the effects had succeeded to his desire: whereupon by an immutable decree he hath entayled merit and demerit upon the will: according to which he proportioneth our reward in heaven, or pu­nishment in hell. And the merit of the will is nothing else but love: that is, a great earnest­nesse to serve God; a sweet affection in plea­sing God, and a most fervent desire of enjoying God. But to conclude the subject of this chap­ter: let this trust comfort you in all temptati­ons, that to be tempted is no sin, but an occa­sion for you to exercise vertue, and a Schoole to profit exceedingly in. And indeed, the whole life of man is but a temptation upon earth.

CHAP. XII. Of the love of God, and of the great power it hath.

ALl that we have hitherto said, and in a word, whatsoever is necessary for salva­tion, [Page 45]is performed best, most compendiously, most securely, and most effectually, by love; which alone, is able to supply for the want of any thing requisite to bring a man to beati­tude; and in it, is contained the plenitude of all good; for by it the object upon which one exerciseth it with earnestnesse, becommeth present to one. It is love onely that turneth us towards God, that transformeth us into God, that we adhere to God by, that uniteth us to God, and maketh us become one spirit with him; and lastly, that rendereth us hap­py in this life by grace from him, and in the next life by glory in him. For, love resteth not, but in the fruition of the object beloved, and in a plenary and peacefull possession of it. It is the way by which God descendeth to mankind, and by which man ascendeth up to God. For where Charity (that is to say, where love) is not, God can have no residence. If therefore we have Charity, we have God: for God is Charity. Nothing hath a keener edge then love; nothing is more subtile, no­thing searcheth farther, nor pierceth deeper. It alloweth it selfe no repose, untill it hath sur­veyed all the qualities and dimensions of what it loveth, and have dived into the very center of it. It will cleave so fast to the beloved object, that it will become one with it, or rather it [Page 46]will not be content, till it have so transformed it selfe thereinto, as it ceaseth to be any longer it self, by becomming (If so I may say) the very thing that it loveth; and that it admitteth no immediate thing whatsoever to remaine, or intervene between it, and what it tendeth un­to, which is God himselfe. Unto whom it tendeth with so great a vehemence and force, that it is in a perpetuall unquietness and acti­vity, untill it have run through all things that lye between them, and have seised upon him, and have submersed it selfe in him. For love hath an unitive and transformative power, that changeth the lover into what hee loveth, and againe the beloved into the lover: so that each of them is in the other as intrinsecally as possibly can be. Which how it is, will the more plainely appeare, if we consider severally the commerce that is between them in the two se­verall powers of the soule, the understanding & the will of him that loveth. First, in regard of the understanding, and apprehensive faculties; the beloved is in the lover by his continuall forming the image of the beloved in his thoughts; where hee converseth intimately with him in a most sweet and delightfull manner; and againe the lover is in the belo­ved, not contenting himselfe with a superfici­all knowledge of what belongeth to him, but [Page 47]using his utmost indeavours, to dive into the inmost secrets of him, and to reach the bot­tom. Secondly, in regard of the will, and of the affective & desiring faculties, the beloved is said to be in the lover by residing in his heart through an affectuous compleasance, and joy­ous delectation in him: and the lover is in the beloved by having the same desires which he hath; by willing the same things which hee willeth; by disliking the same things which he disliketh, by rejoycing and grieve­ing for the same, and by having an exact con­formity with him in all things, as though hee were not a distinct person from him, but even he himselfe. For love draweth the lover out of himselfe, and planteth him in the beloved, and setleth him most intimately there: where­upon it is said in the Canticles, Cant. 8. that love is as strong as death, which carrieth the soule out of the body. And it may well be said, that the soule is more where it loveth then where it liveth. For she is in the beloved according to her owne nature, and as she hath an existence belonging to her selfe, that is, by her will & understanding; whereas her giving life to a body is an action of much lower de­gree, and onely as she is the forme and part of a whole; in which consideration she hath no prerogative above the formes of bruit [Page 48]beasts. We may therefore conclude, that to draw us from outward and sensible objects into our selves, and from thence to carry us to our saviour Jesus Christ; and in him to unite us to his divinity; there is no other way, no other meanes then the love of him, and the ardent desire of his sweet­nesse that through his humanity we may feele, and perceive, and tast the presence of his divinity. So great is the power of love, that it is able to raise the soule from the earth to the highest heaven. Nor is it possible for any person to arrive to Beati­tude, but by the wings of love and desire. Love is the life of the soule, her wedding garment, and her perfection: In which is comprised the Law and the Prophets, and the whole doctrine of our Saviour. And therefore the Apostle saith to the Romans, that love is the fulnesse of the law: Rom. 3. and to Timothy, that charity is the end of all that is comanded. 1. Tim. 1.

CHAP. XIII. Of the quality and utility of prayer: and how ones heart is to be recollected within it selfe.

BUt sithence, we are not able of our selves, either to love, or to doe any o­ther good worke, nor can of our owne stocke offer any thing to God (from whom alone floweth all that is good) that is not already his: the only thing which remain­eth for us to doe, is, that according to the instructions which he hath vouchsafed to give us by his owne divine mouth and blessed example, we have recourse to him by prayer in all our occurrences; and that we prostrate our selves before him, like poore needy beggers, like wretched miser­able bondslaves, like feeble desolate chil­dren; and so with deep groanes lay open our hearts before him, representing our distressed condition with all ingenuity & sincerity, with feare and shame; yet ming­led with confidence and love; and beseech­ing him with the utmost vehemence and fervour of our soule, to protect and assist us in our imminent dangers; and in the close admitting and abandoning ourselves en­tirely and securely into his hands, with­out [Page 50]reserving any thing at all to our selves; but acknowledging whatsoever we have, or are, to be absolutely his. And then, that will be fulfilled in us, which the holy abbot Isack (speaking of his manner of prayer) saith in the following words: Cassian. Collect. 10. Chap. 6. Then we shall be one in God, and our Lord, and only he will be all in all to us; when that perfect love of his with which he loved us first, shall likewise on our side have passed and bee converted into the affection of our heart. Which will be when all our love, all our desire, all our study, all our endea­vour, all that we shall think, imagine, speak and hope will be God alone; and that a like unity as is between the father and the sonne, and againe betweene the sonne and the father, shall be transfused into our soule and mind: that as he lov­eth us, with a sincere, pure, and indissol­vable charity, so we may be joyned also to him by a perpetuall and inseparable di­lection; whereby thus linked unto him, all that we shall desire and hope for, that we shall understand, that we shall speake of, and that we shall direct our prayers unto, may be God only. This therefore ought to be the intention, the [Page 51]ayme, and the end of a spirituall man, that he may come to possesse herein his corruptible body, an image of the next lifes beatitude; and that he may begin in this world, to receive a kind of earnest penny, and tast some drops of that beati­tude, conversation, and glory, which we shall have in heaven. This I say is the end of all perfection; that our soule being pu­rified from all carnall drosse; it may day­ly be refined and sublimed up to spiritu­all objects, untill our conversation, and all the motions and affections of our heart do become one continued prayer. And when our soule, free from all earthly alloy, Cass. Col. 9. cap. 5. shall thus breath and pant after God onely (on whom alone the intention of a spirituall man ought to be fixed, and so such an one, the least separation from him will seem a present and cruel death,) and shall be in a manner sent beforehand to him, by injoying so high a calme from all carnall passions (which might inveigle and draw it to their objects) that it may firmly and in­dissolubly adhere to that one supreame good; then the direction of the Apostle will be fulfilled, who biddeth us pray without intermission; 1. Thes. 5. and in a­nother [Page 52]place, lifting up pure hands eve­ry where without anger and contention. 1. Tim. 2. For where the operation of the mind is absorbed (if so I may say) with such purity, and is transformed from a terrene and grosse nature, to a spirituall and Angelicall shape; then whatsoever she shall receive into her selfe, whatsoever she shall employ her self about; and whatsoever she shall doe, will be a most pure and a most sincere prayer. To conclude, if you shall continue, without interruption, that course I have traced from the beginning of this discourse, it will be as easie and ready for you in your introversion and recollection, to contem­plate and to injoy God, as in nature it is to live.

CHAP. XIIII. That in all judgments, we ought to resort to the witnesse of our conscience.

IT is of no small availe, for attaining spirituall perfection, and the purity and tranquillity of the soule in God; that up­on whatsoever shall be spoken, thought or done concerning us, we presently re­curre in silence to the inward secret of our [Page 53]heart and mind; and there sequestred from all other objects, and wholly recol­lected within our selves, we call our selves to a strict account, for discovery of the bare truth of what we make our inquiry about. And there we shall find that it will be no advantage for us, but rather much prejudice, to be praised and honoured from without, if in the mean time our heart within us reproacheth us of faulti­nesse and guilt. And as it profiteth one nothing to be praised by men, whiles his owne conscience accuseth him: so on the other side, he is never the worse for being contemned, reproached, and persecuted, whiles in the tribunall of his owne heart he findeth himselfe innocent and irrepre­hensible: Or rather, upon such occasions, he hath reason to rejoyce in our Lord with patience, silence, and tranquillity. For no adversity can hurt him in whom iniquity raigneth not. And since it is a certain truth, that as no evill remaineth unpunished, so no good passeth without reward; let us beware of expecting or re­ceiving ours like hypocrits, from men: but referr that wholly and soly to God, to give it us, not in this life, but in Eternity that lasteth for ever. It is then evident, [Page 54]that no action we can doe, can be nobler or better, then alwaies, in all our tribulations, and accidents whatsoever, to resort into the secret of our owne soule; and there in­vocate our Lord Jesus Christ, our helper in our temptations and tribulations; and humble our selves through acknowledg­ment of our owne sinfulnesse; and praise God our Father, that correcteth and com­forteth when he judgeth fit. And let us be sure to receive all things, either concern­ing our selves or others, prosperous or adverse, with equanimity, and with a ready and confident resignation of our selves into the hand of his infallible and Fatherly providence. And by doeing thus, we shall obtaine the remission of our sinns, the delivering us from all bitternesse, the contemning of sweetnesse and security up­on us, the infusion of grace and mercy in­to us, the setling and strengthening us in the familiarity of God, our sucking abun­dant consolations from him, and our firme adhesion and union with him. Let us therefore beware of imitating those, who through hypocrisie, and after a Pharisaicall manner, do strive to appear better, and otherwise then they are; and do labour to give men a better conceit of [Page 55]themselves then in their owne hearts they know they deserve; and do hunt after out­ward humane prayse and glory, whiles their soules within are full of impotent passions and desires, and grievous sinns. Certainly whosoever shall seek after such vanities, which is the extremity of folly and madnesse, the reall good we have formerly mentioned will fly from him; and reproach and shame will in the end betide him. Keep therefore continually before thine eyes the bad that is in thee, and thy unaptnesse to all good. Know thy self aright, that thou mayest be humbled. And considering thy great sinns, and the excessive evills that are in thee, repine not at being esteemed the most unworthy, vile, and abject creature in the world: but repute thy selfe among other men, like drosse mingled with gold, like darnel growing among wheat, like chaffe ming­led with corn, like a wolfe among sheep, and like satan among the children of God; and shunn all honour or preference from others, fly with all might and maine from the infection of this pestilence, from the poyson of praise, and from the vanity of ostentation; least according to the royall Prophet, the sinner be praised in [Page 56]the desires of his owne soule. Ps. 9. For according to the other, They who speake thee blessed, doe deceive thee, and doe de­stroy the way of thy stepps. Isay. 3. And our Saviour threateneth us with woe, when men shall blesse us, and speake well of us.

CHAP. XV. How the contempt of ones selfe may be caused in a man, and how profitable that is.

IT is most certaine that the better a man is acquainted with his owne unworthy­nesse, and basenesse, and the deeper con­ceit he frameth thereof; the further and the clearer he looketh into the Majesty of God; and the meaner a man appeareth in his owne eyes through the valew he putteth upon God, upon truth, and upon justice; the more worthy and pretious he is in the eyes of God. Let us therefore continually busy our thoughts upon those considerations that may beget in us a con­tempt of our selves, and a beliefe that we are unworthy of receiving any good turne. Let us mortifie and displease our selves, and seeke to please God onely. And let us be content to be reputed (as we are) most unworthy and vile wretches. [Page 57]When any tribulations, afflictions, or in­juries do come upon us, let us not be mov­ed at them, nor entertaine any unquiet thoughts, or indignation, or animosity against those that bring them upon us: but with meeknesse and gentlenesse of spirit, let us conclude within our selves, that we deserve all the injuries, scornes and mischiefs, with abandonments that can arrive unto us. For certainly he who is truly penitent, and whose heart is full of compunctions, abhorreth being honoured and loved by men, and is content to be hated, despised, and trodden upon, to the very last; that so he may attaine to true humility, and to a sincere, firme adhesion unto God alone, with a pure heart. Which adhesion to God onely, and loving of him onely, together with the hating of our selves, and thinking worse of ones selfe then of all creatures else, and the deeming himselfe despisable, and desiring to be de­spised and scorned by all men else, requir­eth no outward labour, or strength of body; but rather, the solitude and retirement of the body, whilst the heart laboureth by affections, and the mind is quiet from all worldly affaires: to the end that setting your heart upon the right object, and ban­ishing [Page 58]the distracting multiplicity of creatures out of our mind, and ritiring our senses from all conversation with mean intertainments; our soule may then raise it selfe up to a familiarity with hea­venly and divine things, whiles our body is sequestred by solitude from earthly ones. By doeing thus, we shall change our selves after a sort into God. To attaine unto the perfection of this State, we must be alwaies upon our guard to passe no judgement or censure upon our neighbour, much lesse to contemne or despise him. And we must hartily desire to be account­ed by all men as the drosse of the earth, and the reproach of human nature, and to be abhorred by them like dirt and noy­somenesse, rather then to abound with any delights whatsoever, or to be honoured or advanced by men, or to enjoy any cor­poreall satisfaction, or transitory conveni­ency. And we must wish for no more of the advantages, or continuance of this life, then meerly what is necessary for us to bewaile and lament without intermissi­on our transgressions and sinns, and to grow up dayly in the disestimation, con­tempt, hatred, and annihilation of our selves in our owne eyes; that so we may [Page 59]become more pleasing in Gods. And lastly we must have no regard or sollicitude for any thing in the world besides God alone, but settle all our love and affections upon him, and cleave inseparably to him, and have no object in our hearts, but our lord and saviour Jesus Christ; by whose power all things subsist, and by whose providence all things are governed. The consolations of this life are the most dan­gerous enemies, that can be encountered with to hinder one in such a happy course. Remember then that this is not a place for you to receive delights or contentments in; but to weep and lament in from the bottome of your heart. If then your soule be so dry that you cannot weep, the very consideration of that, will afford you a­bundant matter of teares. But if you doe weep, you will have reason to increase your lamentation, by considering that through your grievous offences and sinns, you have drawn upon your own head this dolefull cause of sorrow; which whiles it lyeth so heavy upon you, what madnesse were it in you to let your thoughts range astray after any other affaìre that you are not concerned in? The delinquent at the barre, that standeth there pleading for his [Page 60]life, and feareth the sentence of condem­nation, from a severe judge, little regard­eth what is done abroad in the market place, or how the sheriffe marshalleth and disposeth his guards for the security of the prisoners. So he that hath considered rightly the condition that his soule is in; and upon that consideration entertaineth such a deep sorrow as belongeth to him; will have no relish of any of the delights of this world, nor will his heart afford any roome for anger, vain-glory, indigna­tion, or any other passion whatsoever to harbour in it. And if at any time you chance to cast your eyes upon the con­tented and cheerfull state of other happy persons, that swimme in the delights of pure love, which banisheth all sorrow; do not presently flatter your selfe that it be­longeth also to you, who are composed of like parts as they, to have a mansion a­mong them. For as there are prisons and dungeons for malefactors, whiles the well disposed citizens live at ease in their owne houses; so there are different exercises and formes of living for those whose past sinns oblige them to penance and mourning, & for those that have preserved themselves with greater purity and innocence. Other­wise, [Page 61]these latter would have no advantage of the former; and injustice would have more freedome then innocence. We may then conclude, that we must abandon all creatures; wee must despise them all; and wee must repudiate and fly from all the delights of this world; that so with entire faith, wee may lay a solid foundation of repentance and mourning. And if once we attaine to love Jesus Christ in truth, and to sigh after him from the bottome of our hearts, and to beare him continually there, & to conform all our actions to the example hee hath given us; and to have a real griefe for our sinns, and to have a lively apprehension of the next world, & to have the considerati­on of the last judgement, and of the eter­nall torments of hell, all waies before our eyes; and to be continually apprehensive and sollicitous of the state we shall be in when we leave this world; we shall then most assuredly be delivered from all af­fections to created things, and be concern­ed with nothing that is of a fleeting and transitory nature: and we shall arrive to such an impassibillity, as not onely to be contented with pressures and encroach­ments upon us, and with injuries done us; [Page 62]but even to be afflicted, and so think that day lost wherein we receive not some scorne, or malediction, or ill intreatment for Gods sake. The perfection of which impassibillity consisteth, in being free from all vices and passions, and in having a pure and cleane heart; and in having our soule adorned and replenished with ver­tues. Which to attaine unto, it will much availe us, to beleive our selves already out of the world; and since we are sure that one day we must necessarily dye; let us make account we are already dead. But because through the frailty of our nature, and the cunning and malice of our enemy (who endeavoreth to slide into our best actions, and so corrupt them) these inferi­our and abstracted exercises may be lyable to miscarriage, as all humane actions are, let this bee the touchstone to try all our thoughts, words, and deeds by; whether they be according to God or no: namely, whether we become more humble, more disaffected with the world, more recol­lected within our selves, and more atten­tive and strong in the pursuite of God. For if we should find it otherwise with us, we might with reason suspect that what we did, were not according to God; [Page 63]nor pleasing to him, nor profitable to our selves.

CHAP. XVI. How the Providence of God extendeth it felfe to all things.

NOw to the end that according to what we have have hitherto discoursed, we may without any disturbance, readily, securely, and calmely be raised up to God Almighty, and bee immediately joyned and united to him, and cleave inseparably to him with a perfect quietnesse, evennesse, and untroubled­nesse of mind, aswell in adversity as in pro­sperity, in death as in life: wee must resigne our selves entirely, and commit all things confidently to his never erring, and never shaken providence. In doing which we can have no difficulty or reluctance, when we call to minde how it is he, and onely he who gi­veth unto all creatures their being what they are, who endoweth them with their individu­all vertues, powers and faculties; who ena­bleth them to work and performe all the ope­rations that their nature can reach unto; and who doth so wonderfully order and range their infinite variety with exact proportion of number, weight and measure, that like a mu­sick of so many parts, they compose the ad­mirable [Page 64]harmony and beauty of the created world. If you consider the plants of nature, you will finde them seated between two un­derstanding agents; the one giving them their essentiall being, the other working in them such modifications, and changes, as may bee introduced into them by art. This latter is the share of the sonnes of Adam; who how ad­mirable soever they be in the rare productions of their Dedalean witts; yet they must sit still, and their Art must remaine buried in them, if bounteous nature did not furnish them with materialls and subjects to worke upon. In the same manner Nature her self would fall to no­thing, were it not for a continuall emanation of being into every individuall plant of hers, from him that is the author of all being. For as art presupposeth the productions of Nature, without which shee cannot exercise her skill; so the individualls of na­ture doe presuppose the operation of God almighty; creating, conserving, ordering, and governing them; without which they would presently run into confusion, & into their ori­ginall nothing. And in the whole course of them, & in the oeconomy of them we may reade his infinite power, wisedome, goodnesse, es­sentiall mercy, justice, truth, charity, and unchangeable eternity, and immensity. For [Page 65]nothing can subsist and work by its owne vir­tue and power; it oweth that entirely to God, and to him onely, as being the first mo­ver, the originall principall, and the Cause of all action in every agent whatsoever. He pro­videth immediately for every thing, & cutteth out their shares, even to the least & inconside­rablest creature he hath made. From the high­est to the lowest, none of them escapeth his providence, or swarveth from the line he hath traced out to them; whether it be in the or­dinary course of nature, or in theirs that de­pend of voluntary and free agents, or in theirs that seeme to be hatched out of the casuall concurrence of severall causes, with­out any precedent designe, in those that im­mediatly produce them. This all-seeing and all-governing eye of Gods providence, reach­eth not onely to all that is in nature, but even to all that God himselfe can doe. For since he can doe nothing but according to the rules of wisdome, and that a wise agent disposeth all things that are in his power, by order and foresight; it is necessary that all he doth, must fall under the order of his providence. So that it extendeth to all things, and to all actions, even to the reclusest thoughts of mans heart. Therefore Saint Peter hath [Page 66]reason to advise us, to abandon ourselves wholly to his all-sufficient provi­dence; without having any anxiety for what may befall us, when he saith, that we ought to cast all our sollicitude upon him, for that he hath care of us. 1 Pet. 1. As also the royall Prophet in these words: Pitch your thoughts upon the Lord, and he will feed you. Ps. 54. And the like you will find in Ecclesiasticus in these words. Look about you children of men, and know that no man ever hoped, and was confounded, nor remained under his commandements, and was forsaken by him. Eccle. 2. And our Lord himselfe warneth us that we be not sollicitous, saying what shall we eat? Matt. 6. With­out doubt there is no blessing so great, that we can hope for at Gods hands, but we shall receive it of his liberality and mercy; if we rely on him with due con­fidence, according to his promise: in the Deuteronomy, what place soever your foot shall tread upon shall be yours, Deut. 11. For the measure of a mans receiving, shall be the largnesse of his heart in desir­ing, and his possession shall reach as far as he hath reached out the foot of his confi­dence; which hath moved Saint Bernard to [Page 67]say, God the creator and disposer of all things aboundeth with the bowels of so great mercy, that how great favour and grace soever wee can raise our confidence to begge of him, so great we shall certainly receive at his hands. And therefore our saviour biddeth us in S. Marke, that whatsoever we aske for in our prayers, we should believe that it will be gran­ted us; and the effect will ensue accordingly. And most certainly, the more strong, and the more pressing that our confidence shall be in God; and the more violent assault it shall give him, with humility and re­verence, the more securely, the more a­bundantly, and the more speedily wee shall impetrate and obtain what wee hoped for. The great impediment of such noble confidence; that keepeth it down from soaring to this high and effica­cious pitch, is the wieght of sinne: Where that aboundeth, a soul is lasy and benum­med, and unable to raise it selfe up with confidence to God. For redresse of this mischiefe, let him whose heart is in earnest turned from the world, and converted to God, consider the infinite power of God Almighty. Let him remember how all things are possible to him: and what his Will once determineth, must of necessity [Page 68]be crowned with its effect; and that what he gainsayeth, hath an impossibility of ever coming to passe. And therefore it is as easy to him, if he pleaseth to remitt and cancell an innumerable multitude of sins, be they never so enormous, as to forgive one single one. And from the least single one a sinner is not of himselfe able to rise, and deliver himselfe, no more then from the greatest load of innumerable ones. For of our selves, we are not able so much as to think, much lesse to do any good thing, 2 Cor. 3. All that is of that nature, pro­ceedeth from God onely; who worketh it in us: and to him onely we must referre, and acknowledge it. Therefore our de­liverance from sinne belonging not to our selves upon our own score, but being en­tirely the work of God Almighty his power and mercy; and all things being alike easie to him; wee may with confi­dence commit our selves into his fatherly armes, and promise our selves from him a plenary abolition of all our misdemean­ours, be they never so many and never so great. Yet let us beware that a wrong ap­plication, or a mistaking of this conside­ration, draw us not into presumption, or into a foolish security. For it is also most [Page 69]certain, that looking upon the condition as the case standeth on his part, it is farre more dangerous for him to be involved in many sinnes, then to be under the weight of one only sinne. For it is an inevitable decree, that no evil action can escape un­punished; and to every mortal sinne an infinite punishment is due. If this were not, Gods Justice would suffer thereby: since every such sinne is an injury in a di­rect line done to God himselfe; who is of infinite Dignity, Honour and Reverence. But this is so evident a truth, that I need put no more weight on this side the scale. Whosoever shall look upon his own un­worthyness, is out of danger of falling into presumption. He is in greater, of being kept back by pusillanimity, from those blessings that by a vertuous confidence hee may obtain. Therefore for his comfort and advantage, let us adde to what wee have already sayd, how God (as the A­postle telleth us) hath a certain and infal­lible knowledge, and keepeth an exact account of those who are his: and that it is impossible for any of these to miscarry. They will be preserved secure in the mid­dest of all difficulties, dangers, scandals, schismes, persecutions, quarrels, haeresies, [Page 70]tribulations, adversities, and temptations whatsoever. For God hath foreseen from all eternity the number of his elect; and the last act of their lives, that settleth them in the state of merit; And nothing can change or shake his infallible prevision. All things cooperate to their good, as well the bad as the good, adversity as pro­sperity, as well what is without them, as what is within them, and dependeth im­mediately of themselves: with onely this difference, peradventure, that out of ad­versity they come more refined and shine brighter. Let us therefore securely and readily commit our selves, and all things else to the divine providence; who when it permitteth evill, it is with a designe to draw good out of it. And consequently it is good that such evils should be, and that God should permit them. Nor can they be otherwise, or more, then strictly what he alloweth. For his knowledge fadom­meth the extent of all things; his power mastereth and limiteth them as he pleas­eth; and his will disposeth and turneth them to good. For as all that is good proceedeth from his immediate operation; so those evils that are permitted by him, [Page 71]are turned into good by his goodnesse and power. Out of which we may gather his omnipotency, his infinite wisdome, his clemency through Jesus Christ our Sa­viour, and repayrer, his mercy and justice, the efficacy of grace, and the disability of nature, together with the beauty of the U­niverse, resulting out of the comparing and harmony of contrarieties; the chiefe of which are the vertue and reward of the good, and the wickednesse and punishment of the bad. Nor can wee look upon the course and oeconomy of Gods converting and saving of a sinner, but with exceeding great comfort and joy. On the sinners part, the change of his heart, his contri­tion for having offended God, his confes­sing of his sinnes, and his doing penance for them: On Gods side, his admirable meeknesse, his mercy, his charity, and his infinite goodnesse, are subjects for a man to meditate continually upon, and to praise God everlastingly for. But let him not grow too bold upon Gods mercies, for his delivering a sinner by such admirable and secret pathes from the misery he was enfoulded in; For such grace is not im­parted to all offenders: but the greatest [Page 72]number by farre perisheth (alas) in their dangerous and crooked wayes; and as they are deprived of grace in this life, so are they banished from glory in the next, and condemned to eternal punishment and torment. From which Jesus Christ of his mercy preserve us. Amen.