Hygiasticon: Or, The right course of preserving life and health unto extream old age together with soundnesse and integritie of the senses, judgement, and memorie. Written in Latine by Leonardus Lessius, and now done into English.

CHAP. XI.

That it helps the Wit and Un∣derstanding.

51. The fourth Commo∣ditie is the vigour of the Wit in excogitating, reasoning, finding out, and judging of things, and the aptitude and fitnesse that it hath for the receiving of divine Illumina∣tions. And hence it comes to passe, that men given to Ab∣stinence

are watchfull, cir∣cumspect, provident, of good forecast, able to give counsel, and of sound judgement: and for matters of learning, they do easily grow to excellencie in those things whereunto they apply themselves. As for Prayer, Meditation, and Con∣templation, they do perform them with great facilitie, pleasure, & spirituall delight.

The Ancient Fathers and those that lived in the deserts prove this by their example, who being most abstinent, were alwayes fresh in their mindes, and spent whole nights in prayer, & in search and studie of divine matters, with so great solace of minde that they deemed themselves

to be in Paradise as it were, and perceived not the pas∣sage of the time: And by this means they came to that great measure of holinesse, and familiaritie with God, and were adorned with the gifts of prophesie and mira∣cles, and became admirable to all the world. For having their mindes alwayes lifted up and set on God, his Ma∣jestie vouchsafed to descend down to them, illuminating them wonderfully, according as it is in the 34 Psalme, They had an eye unto him and were lightened; making them partakers of his secrets, and instruments of his miraculous works; that so the world might know how acceptable

their kinde of life was with God, and be provoked to the honour & imitation of them.

52. There are very many also now adayes, who tend unto the highest pitches of wisdome and vertue by the self same way of Abstinence: whereof some are very ad∣mirable in all mens eyes, through the abundance of their writings, and their ••ur∣passing learning. But no man without the assistance of So∣brietie can perform any such matter: and if he obstinately attempt it, he shall kill him∣self long before his time. No man is able without the help of this vertue to refrain his passions, to keep his minde in quiet, to perform the services

of the minde about divine mysteries with ease and plea∣sure, or to come to any emi∣nent degree of holinesse. For Sobrietie is as it were the ground and Basis of all these things, as Cassian teacheth in his 5 Book which is de Ga∣strimargia, chap. 14. & 17. So that all the Saints who have gone about the building up of the high Tower of E∣vangelicall Perfection, have made their beginning from this vertue, as from the foun∣dation of their spirituall fa∣brick.

52. Nor is it any thing contrarie to this which we have said, that Faith ought to be held the foundation of all vertues, and consequently

the ground-work of all this spirituall building: Inasmuch as Faith is the internall and primarie foundation, into which all other vertues are set, and whereupon they are reared: but Abstinence is an outward, secondarie, and mi∣nisteriall foundation, inas∣much as it removes those things which breed impedi∣ment to the exercises of Faith, and to the functions of the Intellectuall facultie, or make them full of difficultie, unpleasant, and tedious: And together herewith it affords many helps, whereby the functions of the Intellectuall power become more cleare, easie to be performed, and delightfull.

For all spirituall progresse doth depend upon the use of the Understanding, and of Faith which resides in the Understanding. For we can∣not love any good thing, or profit in the love thereof, nor hate any evil thing, or grow in the hatred thereof, except it be proposed by the Under∣standing, so as it may move the Affections: Whereupon he that is so disposed by hea∣venly -Grace, as that heavenly matters are alwayes in his minde (as it was in the Apo∣stles, and in other Apostolicall men) will easily contemne all earthly things, and so by degrees, from a great measure of holinesse attained here be∣low, mount up to the enjoy∣ment

of a glorious Crown of everlasting blisse in hea∣ven. For the Will doth easily conform it self to the judge∣ment of the Understanding, when matters are propound∣ed by the Understanding, not by starts as it were, but con∣stantly and seriously. From these grounds it is evident, That those things which hin∣der the functions of the Minde, or obscure them, or make them to become diffi∣cult and irksome, are the things which in very truth debarre us from attaining to any great measure of perfe∣ction either in Learning, or in exercises of Religion; or in sanctitie of Life: And on the contrarie, those things which

make the functions of the Minde to become more easie, expedite, cleare, and delight∣full, are those things which fit a man to intend spirituall affairs with ease and plea∣sure, and do leade on to the readie attainment of excel∣lent wisdome and holinesse.

54. Since Sobrietre the hath this vertue, that it takes a∣way those things which hin∣der the consideration of the Minde, or make it to become difficult and unpleasant, and doth make supply of those things, whereby it becomes ea••ie & pleasant: It deserves ••ustly to be called the secon∣darie Foundation of wisdome and spirituall progres••e. Now 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this is brought to passe,

is manifest by that which hath been said formerly. For the things that hinder specu∣lation, and make it irk••ome, are these, Too much moisture of the brain, abundance of vapours and sootie exhala∣tions, obstructions of the pas∣sages of the brain, too much store of bloud, heating of the spirits, arising from bloud or Choler, the flying up of cho∣lerick vapours, and those which proceed from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 melancholie into the head, chol••ri••k and melancholick humours possessing the brain. Now all these impediments, if so be they be not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in act, are prevented by means of a Sober Diet, so that they cannot ••t••al in up∣on

a man: And if they be al∣readie got into the bodie, they are by little and little overcome & amended, espe∣cially if at the beginning there be use made of some such medicines as are need∣full; unlesse the evil be inve∣terate and incurable: as it sometimes happens, that there is bred a continued madnesse, to wit, when Me∣lancholy and Phlegme have possessed the brain.

Nor doth a Sober Diet onely take away the impedi∣ments of Speculation, but al∣so minister the proper helps thereof, to wit, good bloud, and consequently pure and well-tempered spirits, and such a temper in the brain as

ought to be. For the very temper of the brain it self, which by Intemperance is made either too moist, or too cold, or too drie, or too hot, is by little and little mended through the help of diet, and reduced to mediocritie.

55. This fruit of Temperance ought to be highly esteem∣ed: For what can a Christian man more desire, and especi∣ally he that intends Pietie, then after long old age to enjoy his Minde healthfull, cheerie, expedite, & vigorous to all employments and fun∣ctions thereof? For besides that this is very pleasant in its own nature, it brings a∣long with it, if so be we de∣sire

it, a very great spirituall commoditie: For then by long experience of forepast age, the vanitie of the world is better discerned, and be∣comes more contemptible; heavenly matters begin to relish us better, and earthly to be despised: Those ever∣lasting future things which hang over our heads, are al∣wayes before our eyes, and call upon us to make fitting preparation for them: All the knowledge and experience which we have gotten from our youth up untill that time, turns then greatly to our ad∣vantage, and we reap the sweet fruit thereof. And then the affections and perturba∣tions of our mindes being

calmed, we can with great ease and pleasure give our selves to Prayer, Meditation of divine matters, Reading of scripture and the works of the holy Fathers. Then we may with delight alwayes busie our mindes with pious cogitations, and, as the holy Fathers were wont, be al∣wayes ruminating upon some one or other divine sentence out of Gods Word, and with great reverence and devotion be constantly partakers of the Prayers, and other publick duties which the Church en∣joyns us unto. It is not to be beleeyed, what an aptnesse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 facilitie there is in a sober old age to all these good du∣ties and employments of the

minde, and how much plea∣sure and consolation they shall here finde by means thereof, and consequently increase their reward here∣after.

56. This was that which principally drew me on to the penning of this Treatise, to wit, that I might thereby recommend to all pious∣minded Christians, and espe∣cially to them which are more particularly set apart for devotion, so incompara∣ble a good as this is; by means whereof they may live long in Health, and ••erve God with great ease and cheer∣fulnesse, and fit their mindes for the entertainment of di∣vine Inspirations and Illumi∣nations,

and lay up in store for themselves a great trea∣sure of good works. A long life is little worth, and of small advantage, if it be spent in the service of the world, and not of God, being given to Covetousnesse, Ambition, and Pleasure: but if it be al∣together devoted to God, and wholly employed in the pra∣ctise of vertue, then undoubt∣edly it is a thing that ought to be highly prized, as being of singular benefit and ad∣vantage both to a mans own self, and to the world.

Wherefore albeit Sobrie∣tie have that vertue, that it preserves all men in generall (and not onely those who are given to pietie) healthie in

bodie, and sound and vigo∣rous in their mindes: yet the pursuit thereof seems more properly to belong to them who follow mainly after pie∣tie, and indeavour to please God asmuch as they possibly can; in regard it will bring them exceeding great com∣fort in this life, and hereafter yeeld them great abundance of fruit in life eternall.

Notes

• This is a Be∣nefit of great∣est moment.