The great law of consideration: or a discourse, wherein the nature, usefulness, and absolute necessity of consideration, in order to a truly serious and religious life, is laid open: By Anthony Horneck, preacher at the Savoy.

CHAP. I. The Nature of our Souls. The Eternal State, they are design'd for. The Means God hath made use of, to fit Men for Everlasting Bliss. All these Means ineffectual without Conside∣ration. (Book 1)

THat we are design'd for Nobler Employments, than Eating, and Drin∣king, and Sleeping, and Playing, and following our Trades, and Busi∣nesses in this World, a happiness which Beasts arrive to as well as we; the great Souls

which we carry in our Breasts, do evidently demonstrate. These being capable of know∣ing God, of delighting in him, and conver∣sing with him for ever, we may rationally suppose, That those, who suffer the Profits and Pleasures of this present World, to en∣gross their Affections, go astray, and Err from the great End of their Creation.

While the Atheist laughs at the immortali∣ty of his Soul, and the Prophane selis his bet∣ter part to the Devil, the Religious, who will prove the onely wise Man in the end, and who hath none of those clouds and mists, the other are troubled with, before his eyes, sees clearly what a Treasure the bountiful hand of Heaven hath bestow'd on him, in shedding so excellent, so angelical a Being into his Body. A Soul that can build it's Nest among the Stars of Heaven, walk through yonder Mansions, and taste of the Rivers which make glad the City of God. A Soul which can wing it self into the Clouds, and survey the Crowns and Scepters laid up for those that dare despise the World, and have their Conversation in Heaven. A Soul which can enjoy a Paradise, while the Body is in trou∣ble; and rejoice in him, who is All in All, while the fierce Winds are whistling about her ears.

The vast reach of these Souls, we have,

their fitness to receive Divine illumination their strong desires after Immortality, their secret actings without the help of a Body, their hopes of Heaven, their fears of Hell, all proclaim, the certainty of an eternal state or condition, they are intended for.

This eternal state imprinted on our Na∣tures, discover'd to the Gentiles, proclaim'd by the Son of God, preach'd by Angels, con∣firm'd by Apostles, reveal'd to Christians, be∣liev'd in the World, as it relates either to Bliss or Misery, to Joy or Torment, to Honor or Dishonor; so how to enjoy the one, and avoid the other, must in all probability be the great object which God design'd Mens Souls should be chiefly employ'd about.

For as there cannot be a thing of greater moment than Eternity; so he must be a Sot, a Beast, that can imagine, that God, who ever intends the noblest Creatures for the noblest Ends, will give Men leave to busie themselves altogether about picking of straws, and pleasing a few sensual Lufts, when he hath given them Souls capable not only of labou∣ring and seeking after, but obtaining a King∣dom which fades not away. And when we sweat, and toyle, and labour, to make provi∣sion for twenty, thirty, forty years, what do we do, but proclaim our obligation to be in∣finitely

more concern'd, how to provide for that state, which must never have an end?

And as it was the goodness and wisdom of God to make us capable of an everlasting duration, so we should be injurious to both, if we did not suppose that God hath order'd and appointed means, whereby it's possible to save our selves from the wrath to come.

He that takes a view of Gods proceedings, and dealings with Men, ever since the Crea∣tion of the World, cannot but stand amaz'd at the cost and labour, and pains, and means, and motives, and arguments, God hath us'd to make Men sensible of their everlasting in∣terest, and to engage them to a serious pre∣paration for that World, they must live for ever in.

This serious preparation must necessarily be a holy, blameless, spotless life, for the means must ever be sutable and agreeable to the nature of the end. And Heaven being a ho∣ly place, perlect holiness reigning there, it's not to be imagin'd, how perfection of holi∣ness can be enter'd upon, without a conside∣rable progress in holiness here, no man reach∣ing the highest step of a Ladder without the lowermost; and one might as well flatter himself, that his Trade by such a time will bring him in Ten thousand pounds, when he

is so far from minding his Trade, that he con∣trives only how to run with others into ex∣cess of Riot.

And indeed to plant this holiness in Men, the means have been so various, so numerous, so potent before the Law, under the Law, and under the Gospel, that one may justly ad∣mire, the whole World doth not stand candi∣date for Heaven, and all the Inhabitants of the Earth do not take the Kingdom of God by violence.

Before the Law, the continual pleadings of the long-liv'd Patriarchs with sinful Men, to improve the light of Nature, that Primar of Divinity, the many Visions, Revelations, Dreams, Signs, Wonders, Voices from Hea∣ven, the Ministry of Angels, Gods Patience, Forbearance, Long-suffering, and sometimes Exemplary Justice, the Examples of holy Men, Gods love to those that honour'd him, the signal blessings he bestow'd on those that made him their highest, and chiefest good, what were all these but so many calls and en∣treaties, that Men would by holiness prepare for a future happiness.

Under the Law, God was so far from being weary of using means, and taking pains with Men in order to this end, that he seem'd to have reserv'd those Ages for larger and fuller Demonstrations of his Power and Munifi∣cence;

and if the people of Lystra had any ground for their exclamation, the Jews had far greater reason to cry out,* 1.1 That God was come down to them in the likeness of men. For while other Countries were left in darkness, and like Moles, suffer'd to wander in the shadow and vally of death, they, as if they had been made of purer Clay, seem'd to be the Darlings of Provi∣dence, and the Favourites of Heaven. Hea∣ven bow'd to them, and under its protection they went, as under a Canopy of State, and might, with greater reason than the Sultan, have challeng'd that lofty Title, The shadow of God: And with that Persian Emperor, stiled themselves, Kinsmen of the Stars. Their eyes saw Miracles almost every day; and with their daily Bread, they receiv'd daily Prodi∣gies; and in the midst of their Rebellion, God, like the Sun when smiling through a Cloud, shew'd them a merciful Face; not that he approv'd of their Impiety. but be∣cause by these Beams he would warm their hearts into obedience. Their Blessings came down upon them not in drops, but in show∣ers; and their Prosperity, like the Cinnamon Tree, was so fragrant, that strangers might smell it a great way off, before they saw it. The Waters of Life were continually flow∣ing into their Bosomes; and though God

now and then frown'd upon them, (what Father would not sometimes chide his Son?) yet his Indignation, which, like Flints, sent out Fire, upon their penitential Tears, strait way return'd to its former coldness. The Rocks poured them out Rivers of Oyl, they wash'd their Feet in Butter; and one might say of their Land, as he * 1.2 of the Isle of Rhodes, They were bless'd with a continual Sunshine. Their Prophets, what mighty, what powerful Men were they? Men that, like Lamps, consum'd their own Oyl, to light their Auditors to Heaven; or like Silkworms, spun out their own Bowels, to deck their Hearers with Garments of Righteousness. Where words could not prevail, Tears were the means to supple and affect them; and, it seems, there is not stronger Rhetorick in the World than these? Here one Prophet spoke like an Ora∣tor, there another like a Logician. Here one endeavour'd by Eloquence to charm them, there another by clear Reason to convince them. Here one threatned, there another promis'd. Here one wooed, there another thun∣dred. Here one came with a Scepter of Love, there another with a Trumpet of War. Here one offer'd his hand to save them, there an∣other made bare his arm of revenge. Here one offer'd an Ark to those that desired mercy,

there another rain'd down floods of Curses to drown the obstinate. Here one repre∣sented God with his Sword drawn, a smoke going up out of his nostrils,* 1.3 and de∣vouring fire out of his mouth, there another follow'd sinners to the very gates of Hell, with offers of mercy in his hand; and while Vengeance was knocking at the door, and the Sword was at their heatts, call'd to them, Turn ye, Turn ye, why will ye dye? And what was all this, but to lay invincible obli∣gations on Men to Reform, and by Reforma∣tion of their Lives, to arrive at last to that Harbor of Bliss and Immortality, which the great preserver of Men hath prepar'd for those that fear him.

Under the Gospel, as if beyond this there were no other remedy to engage Men to ho∣liness, the Son of God himself comes down from Heaven, and turns Preacher. He that commands all the powers of Light and Dark∣ness, appears in a Pulpit. He by whom the Worlds were made, leaves the brightness of his Fathers glory, to tell Men, what a Mon∣ster Sin is, how odious, how loathsom in the eyes of God; how lovely, how amiable, how beautiful the wayes of God are: con∣firms the sayings of all the Prophets of old, assures Men (and certainly he could not tell a lye) that all those Messengers of old were

in the right, when they profess'd, That Ini∣quity would be Mens ruine, and that at yonder gate no unclean thing should enter, and that God must be prefer'd before all the Riches, Honours and Pleasures of this World, a favour for which we want expression, and which we must draw a vail over, as Timantes the Painter did over the face of Iphigenia's Father, because we cannot reach it with our colours. If a King should send a Messenger with a Pardon to a Malefactor that's ready to be turn'd off of the Ladder, there is no Man but a stranger to pity and compassion, but would speak in commendation of the Royal mercy; but should the King himself approach the place of Execution, and ab∣solve him, it's like the unexpected bounty would cast the Malefactor into a Swoon. And then, when the great God of Heaven and Earth made his favor exstatical, went out of the common road of mercy, stept beyond all precedents and examples, encreas'd his kind∣ness into perfect miracles, miracles which the Ages before cannot parallel, and the Son of God made his way through all the Clouds of Heaven, to tell Men how God long'd for their society and happiness, we cannot suppose a possibility of greater condescention. And that which still encreases the Wonder, this Son of God entreats, wooes, and beseeches

Men to bethink themselves, and dress up their Souls for the next Worlds glory. He that might have come (as one day most certainly he will) with flames of fire, and taken ven∣geance on the obstinate, and terrified and startled them into seriousness, and might without a Metaphor as it is, Psal. 45.3. gir∣ded his Sword upon his Thigh, and look'd stern on the Rebels, that would not have him reign over them, and frown'd them into Hell. That this Son of God, this Sovereign Prince, whom all the Elements serve, at whose command the Waters drown, and the Fire burns, and the Earth swallows up, that he should come, and draw near the City, and instead of consuming, weep over it, as if he meant to quench the fire of Gods indigna∣tion against it; and instead of dooming it outright to eternal vengeance, wish, O that thou hadst known in this thy day, what belongs unto thy peace! Call like a tender compassio∣nate Father, How often would I have gather'd you, as a Hen doth gather her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not! That he should bear affronts, and in the midst of those inju∣ries, entreat Men to be reconcil'd to him, and seek for a Pardon! That he should conjure Mankind by Tears, and Wounds, and his own Blood, by those very Torments and Agonies he endured for them, to have mercy

on themselves, to take a view of the burning Lake beneath, and run away to look upon the joyes above, and be ravish'd with the sight! That he should court them by the sweetest invitations, and the kindest calls; by the greatest offers, and the softest promises; promises of assistance, and of his holy Spi∣rit, of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost; and seal his strong desires and longings after their holiness with his own death, and after his death, being risen again, sends Apostles, and whole Armies of Confessors and Martyrs, to establish those desires, ordain a Function of Men, that might preach those Desires in Mens ears to the Worlds end, this indeed is a con∣descention, which the great ministring Spirits in Heaven stand amaz'd at, and may justly be look'd upon to be one of those things, the Angels desire to pry into.

By such astonishing means hath the great immortal God endeavour'd to effect that holiness in Men, that Seriousness, that Piety, that Heavenly-mindedness which he hath appointed to be the only way to endless bliss. Glorious means indeed! But then they are no more but Pearls thrown before Swine where Men consider not how far they are concern'd in the heavenly Call. And what can be the meaning of all these arts and stra∣tagems of Divine compassion, and what

should make God thus sollicitous and care∣ful to procure mans happiness, and how dreadful it must be to neglect so great a sal∣vation? To lay all this labour and industry, and indefatigable pains of God before their eyes, where they will not fix their contem∣plations on the Remedies intended for their recovery, what is it, but to make a learned Oration to a flock of sheep, to talk to a blind Man of Colours, to discourse Mathema∣ticks to one in a Fever, and to prepare Elixirs, and Cordials, for Men depriv'd of life and sense? Without Consideration, we have lit∣tle but shape and speech left us, to distinguish us from Beasts; and God clearly loses the virtue of his exhortations and entreaties, ex∣cept Consideration sets them home, digests and applies them to the Soul, and the inward thoughts, like Sun-beams in a burning Glass, unite and continue so long upon these spiri∣tual objects, till they set the heart on fire.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Acts 14.11.
• * 1.2

  Aen. Sylvius.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 18.8.