A collection of miscellanies consisting of poems, essays, discourses, and letters occasionally written / by John Norris ...

Contemplation the Fourth.

That God who is the Author of man, is likewise his true End and Center.

1. WHen I Contemplate the Nature of man, and consider how the Desire of Happiness is interwoven with it; that Love is strong as Death and im∣portunate as the Grave; that there is a vehement and constant Verticity in the Soul towards per∣fect good, which begins assoon, and is as im∣mortal as her self; and withall, how dispropor∣tionately this Amorous disposition of the Soul is gratify'd by any entertainment whether do∣mestic or forreign she can meet with in the Cir∣cle of created good: I find it necessary to con∣clude, that the great Being who commanded me to exist, is so every way perfect and all-suf∣ficient as to answer that vast stock of desires our Natures come fraught withall into the world; since otherwise (which is absurd to sup∣pose) of all the Creatures in it Man would be the most miserable.

2. For what man of thoughts is there, who af∣ter a thorough Conviction that he can neither get rid of his desires, nor among the Provisions of Nature have them fully gratify'd, would not

immediatly throw up his Title to Immortality, if he thought himself arriv'd to the Meridian of his Happiness, and that he must never expect to be in a better Condition than he is? For to have enlarg'd desires and nothing to satisfy them, is such a contrivance for misery, that 'tis thought by some to be the Portion of Hell, and to make up the very Formality of Damnation.

3. But to our great Consolation 'tis wholly in our own power whether it shall be always so with us, or no. There is a Being whose perfe∣ctions are answerable to our Desires. He that made us can satisfy every Appetite he has plan∣ted in us, and he that is Happy in reflecting up∣on himself can make us so too, by the direct view of his Glory. He can entertain all our facultys; our understandings as he is Truth, and our wills as he is goodness; and that in the Highest de∣gree, because he is infinite in both. He can more than employ all our Powers in their utmost Ele∣vation, for he is every way Perfect and all-suf∣ficient, yea he is altogether Lovely.

4. But to evince more particularly and di∣stinctly that God is the true End of man, I shall consider, whether the conditions requisite to his being so are found in him. Now these can be no other than these two in general, 1st, that he be absolutely good and perfect in himself, so as to be able to fill and satisfy the whole ca∣pacity of our Desires; and 2ly, that he be wil∣ling that man shall partake of this his Tran∣scendent

Fullness, so as actually one time or other to fix the weight of his Appetite and be∣come his Center. If therefore these two con∣ditions are found in God, he has all that is re∣quisite to make him our End. And that they are, is now to be made appear.

5. First then, that God is absolutely good and perfect in himself, so as to be able to fill and satisfy the whole capacity of our desires. There are several Topics in the Metaphysics from whence I might infer this, but I shall con∣fine my present speculation to this one, that God is the First Being. This is a very reasona∣ble Postulatum; it being too obvious to need any proof, that there is a First Being, or, that by the First Being is meant God. It remains therefore, that we try what advantage may be made of it.

6. When therefore I consider God as the First Being, I am from thence in the first place led to conclude, that he has eminently and in a most excellent manner in himself all kinds and degrees of perfection, that exist loosely and se∣perately in all second Beings. And that, not only because the Effect cannot possibly exceed the vertue of the cause, any more than it can proceed from no cause: (which is the ground Cartesius builds upon, when he proves the exi∣stence of God from the objective reality of his Idea) but because I further observe that in the Scale of Being all ascension is by addition, and,

that what is dispers'd in the Inferiour, is collect∣ed, and that after a more excellent manner, in the Superiour. Thus in Vegetables there is bare life, in Sensitives Vegetative life and sense, in Rationals Vegetative life sense and reason: and all this either formally or eminently with In∣telligence in Angels. And since there is such an Harmonical Subordination among second Be∣ings, so that the Superiour contains all the per∣fection of the Inferiour, with a peculiar excel∣lence of its own superadded; I think I have fair grounds to conclude, that the absolutely First Being has in his rich Essence all the scatter'd excellencies of the subordinate ones in a more perfect manner than they themselves have, with some peculiar excellence of his own besides.

Now tho a Being thus accumulatively per∣fect and excellent, would be beyond all Con∣ception, great and glorious, and would employ an Eternity in Contemplation and Love; we have yet seen but an Arme of this Sea of Beauty, and been enlightned only with the Back-parts of his Glory. For if God be the First Being, as is here supposed, I may further conclude that he is also the First Good: (Good and Being being convertible, and every thing having so much Good in it as it has of Entity and no more) and if he be the First Good, I cannot see how this Conclusion can be avoided, that he is Infinitely Good.

8. For I consider, that the First Good can have no Cause of that Goodness which it has: otherwise, it being necessary that the Cause of Good should be Good, it would not be the First. And if the First Good can have no cause of its Goodness, it can likewise have no cause of the Termination of it, since what has no cause abso∣lutely and simply, cannot have a cause in any particular respect; and if it has no cause of its Termination it must necessarily be interminate or infinite, and Consequently God, who is the First Good, is infinitely Good.

9. And now breath a while my Soul; and consider what a rich Mine of Good thou hast Sprung. Thou hast found out a Being, who is not only the Ideal as well as Efficient cause of all created excellence; but who is Infinitely Good and excellent. This is he whose great Perfe∣ction not only contains and infinitely exceeds, but Eclipses and quite Extinguishes all the Beau∣ty of the Creature; so that (as the express Image of this great Excellence informs us) there is none Good, but one, which is God. This is he whose Good is incomprehensible by the understand∣ing, and inexhaustible by the will and affecti∣ons of man. This is the celebrated 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of Aristotle, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of Plato, and the El Shaddai of the Hebrews. This is the great 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the universal Plenitude, whose Hap∣piness is consummated within his own Circle; who supports himself upon the Basis of his own

All-Sufficiency, and is his own End and Center.

10. And now what is there more requisite to qualify him for being mine also but this only; that he be willing that man shall partake of this his transcendent fullness, so as actually one time or other to fix the Weight of his Appetite; which was the second Condition.

11. And that this is also found in God, I think I have sufficient assurance from these two things; the Absolute Perfection of his Nature; and those express Revelations he has made of his Will, as to this particular. As for the Na∣ture of God, it involves, as in Notion and Con∣ception, so likewise in Truth and reality, (as was above demonstrated) absolute and infinite Perfection; and consequently, includes a Be∣neficent and Communicative disposition; this be∣ing a Perfection.

12. Nor does the Superlative eminency of the Divine nature only argue him to be Com∣municative, but to be the Most Communica∣tive and Selfdiffusive of all Beings. For, as all Kinds, so all degrees of excellency must of necessity be included in a Being absolutely and infinitely perfect, such as God is. Whence it will also follow, that he is not only the most Communicative of all Beings, but that he will also Communicate himself: and not only so, but in such an ample and liberal measure too, as entirely to satisfy the most aspiring & reach∣ing Appetite of man; Since Otherwise some

degrees of Communicativeness & consequent∣ly of Excellence would be wanting; which is absurd to suppose in a Being absolutely perfect. Especially considering, that those importunate desires of Human nature are of his own plant∣ing, which as it firmly assures us of his being able, so is it no less cogent an Argument for his being willing to be our Center; it being incre∣dible that so infinite an Excellence should plant in man such desires, as either he could not or would not satisfy.

13. And of this willingness of God that man should partake of his fullness, so far as to bot∣tom upon it, and acquiesce in it, there is yet further assurance from many express Revela∣tions of his good pleasure to that purpose. Which consist of two kinds, express words, wherein he professes himself passionately desirous of the Salvation and happiness of man; and two very notable and signal Acts; namely, the consign∣ing to the world a copy of his Will, as a Chart to direct us to the true Haven of Rest and An∣chorage; and the sending his Beloved Son from the mansions of glory to dislodge the angry Guardian of Paradise, and re-open for us an Entrance into the joy of our Lord. By both which kinds of revelation he has given us the highest assurance imaginable, that he designs not to engross and monopolize the Perfections of his rich essence, but that he is heartily willing to admit man to a participation of that excellent

good, wherein he himself is Happy; to give him (as the Psalmist expresses it) everlasting fe∣licity, and make him glad with the joy of his coun∣tenance.

14. To which Considerations I might fur∣ther add, that this excellent communicative∣ness of the Divine nature is typically represent∣ed and mysteriously exemplify'd by the Porphy∣rian Scale of Being. For as there the lower de∣grees are determin'd and contracted, but the Higher more common and extensive, so is it in the real Scale of Being. The inferiour, which are either matter, or complicated and twisted with matter, are more contracted, narrow, selfish and illiberal; but the superiour as they are less immers'd in and allay'd with matter, so are they more open, diffusive and free. For indeed all contraction and consinement is from mat∣ter, but 'tis Form and Spirit that is the Root of all freeness and inlargement. And thus we see in bodys; the more of kin they are to Spirit in subtilty and refinement, the more spreading are they and self-diffusive. Whereupon Light, which of all Bodys is nearest ally'd to Spirit, is also most diffusive and self-communicative. God therefore, who is at the very top of all Being, who is an absolute, mere and Spiritual Act, and who lastly is such a pure Light as in which there is no darkness at all, must needs be infinitely self∣imparting and Communicative; & consequent∣ly, wants nothing to qualify him to be the true End and Center of Man.

The Prayer.

MY God, my Happiness, who art as well the End as the Author of my Being; who hast more perfection than I have desire, and art also seriously willing to quench my great Thirst in the Ocean of thy Perfection; I beseech thee shew me thy Glory. Withdraw thy hand from the Clift of the rock, and remove the bounds from the Mount of thy Presence, that I may see thee as thou art, face to face, and ever dwell in the light of thy Beauty. I have long dwelt with Vanity and Emptiness, and have made my self weary in the persuit of Rest. O let me not fail at last, after my many wandrings and dis∣appointments, to be taken up into this true and only Ark of repose and security, where I may for ever rest, and for ever bless the Author of my Happiness. In the mean time strike, I be∣seech thee, my Soul with such lively and ravish∣ing apprehensions of thy excellencies, such bright irradiations of thy divine light, that I may see enough to love thee infinitely, to de∣pend on thee for my happiness entirely, to live upon holy hopes and comfortable expectations, and to bear up my Spirit under the greatest Ari∣ditys and dejections with the delightfull pro∣spect of thy Glorys. O let me sit down under

this thy shadow with great delight, till the fruit of thy Tree of life shall be sweet to my tast. Let me stay and entertain my longing Soul with the Contemplation of thy Beauty, till thou shalt condescend to kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth, till thou shalt bring me into thy banquet∣ting house, where Vision shall be the support of my Spirit, and thy Banner over me shall be Love. Grant this O my God, my Happiness, for the sake of thy great love, and of the Son of thy love, Christ Jesus.

Amen.