King Solomon's recantations being an extract out of the famous works of the learned Francis Quarles ... : with an essay, to prove the immortality of the soul, by way of symetry, or connexion.

A Recapitulation of the moral con∣sequences, drawn from what have been established concerning our Souls, and for the Conviction of our Duties, and the Condemnation of Disorder.

NO Man of Reason can believe that Ingratitude is an Ornament to Nature; or, that Injustice Me∣••s a reward, nor that Treachery is a Virtue, or an

Honest and Commendable Quality; nor on the con∣trary that Justice, Fidelity and Gratitude are things Condemnable and Wicked. Men make Laws according to their Fancy, they make themselves Obey'd, for fear of Punishment, when they have the Power in their Hands. But it's remarkable, that Men who make Laws cannot make themselves Obey'd, nor be Beloved or Beleived, when they act things disagree∣able: For Unjust and Tyrannical Laws, People pay only an exterior Obedience to their Commands; but the Heart and the Spirit cries out and demand•• Justice, from him whom all Men naturally feel over their Heads, as a Protector of Justice, and an avenge•• of Oppression and Unjust Authority. We sometime receive Unjust Laws, but we do not believe them to be Just for all that; but, as to the natural Laws o•• Duty and Consciences all Men receive them, and be lieve by an invincible Determination of a Superio•• Light, which equally perswades them alike; for Na∣tural Light convinces us with invincible force; and this is an Infallible Character of Natural Light. Con¦science is then in us undoubtedly Natural, and as cer∣tain as it is an Essential Companion of our Nature and a Propriety inseparable from our Soul: From hence arises in us, by the help of Grace, all Mora•• and Christian Virtues; because it is impossible to con¦ceive that Corporeal Nature can be the subject o•• Magnanimity, of Justice, of Fidelity, of Continenc•• and of Truth; for a Corporeal Nature alone canno•• have the Light of Order, or of Duty, or the Inclina¦tion, or Determination of Duty, or the Pleasure o•• Performance, or the Pain of the Violation of Duty for Duty, Order and Justice have no Bodies, they ar•• things totally Spiritual and Intelligible; and, there fore without the assistance of the Soul cannot hav•• the Idea or the Sentiment of them, because it is by the Soul that they are Ingrafted, and poured into ou•• Corporeal Nature. God having assembled togethe••

both these in one single whole, not as one; but act∣ing by this Indubitable Method God have prescribed, by reason of their dependance one upon another, or to say better, the Union betwixt each other, and are all animated with one and the same Influence of Di∣vine Life, and marked with one and the same re∣semblance, and equally Impelled by the same Love of Duty: For which reason we are obliged to Love and to Accomplish all the extents of Justice, of Truth, of Charity, and of Civility, and of Mutual or Reci∣procal respect towards all Men, upon the considera∣tion that this Life is short and troublesome, and all things in it are frail and perishable, and the noblest Pleasures in it are essentially false, as well as empty; they leave the Heart, even during this Life, Sick and Famished, and if not retired from before Death, they will leave the Soul Eternally, deceived by a cruel Pri∣vation, and an insupportable desolation of regret. For the best injoyments of this Life are a perpetual al∣ternativeness of real Cares and Torments, all things here being but false shadows of Repose and lucid In∣tervals of Reason, a Theater of Eternal Mutations, a Chain interlinked with short and transitory Felicities, and long and durable Miseries, a vehement and impe∣tuous Whirl-wind of Hurry and Ambition, which af∣ter having much tormented and agitated the Body and Soul, having raised a Thousand snares in the Heart and Spirit, it disappears into Air and Smoak; for so it is that this Life doth not exercise it self, but upon the false and perishable Objects of Time, and ••s deceitful and deceiving Oeconomy; whereas the n••ture Life exercises it self upon Objects wholly True, and wholly Solid; because the future Life is ••ut, as it were, one Day, all Uniformity; for there very Holy Soul will Eternally be United to ever∣sting Triumphs and Felicities, for there every Soul ••ill be Essentially Living, infinite Happy and Joyous; no here it have been exercised in Trouble, in the future

Life it shall rest in Glory and endless Felicities, as the Apostle saith, Such as Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor Heart conceived, 2 Cor. 12. 4. Much less can the feeble Eloquence of Man express, by any description that his Idea or Sentiment can conceive to put into Method to declare, or so much as describe.

Our Soul is said to commence when it goes out of the Body. That which we call time is taken either by relation to the duration of the abode of every Soul in its Body, or by relation to the duration of the whole present Oeconomy of the visible World, destined to the Tryal of the Souls in the Bodys; and in whatsoever signification we take Time, in op∣position to Eternity, it signifies precisely a State of Instability, of Change and Vicissitude, i. e. a State which ought to have an end; for these are two things which enter Essentially into the Idea, which is called Time Vicissitude, and End; the space of the duration that our Souls are in our Bodies, is called Time, for these two Reasons. First, because it is to have an end. And Secondly, because in the interim, so long as it endures, it holds us exposed to a Thou∣sand Chainges and Vicissitudes; and, which is to be lamented, that Vicissitude of being obnoxious to pass from Good to Evil, from Virtue to Sin, to Crimes or Vice; but on the contrary, Eternity is Immutable and an Interminable State and Order of things: As much as Time includes Instability and End, so much does Eternity excludes both; Time speaks Change•• and End, Eternity speaks the Being always the same and never ending. Thus as our present State in the Body is Time, so our future State out of the Bod•• is Eternity, the due consideration of which ought to Penetrate us, and cause a General and Universa•• Change in our Ideas, that now in time we may s•• prepare for Eternity, that we may be Eternally hap∣py when Time shall be no more. Now of these tw•• States, the one appears infinitly Precious and Essen∣tial,

and the other infinitly despisable: We ought therefore earnestly to endeavour, to render our selves worthy of being rewarded by him, to whom the se∣crets of all Hearts are at present unclosed; and now immediately relate our selves to him, by our Confes∣sion of our dependance upon his Supereminent ex∣cellency over us, and over all the World, that we may ••••el indubitably the Pleasures and Delights which he contains; for his Goodness is ready to discover the Charms and Beauty of his Sovereign Nature, to all ••ho desire to be united to him, by shewing Love and Charity to all their Christian Brethren; that when God ••hall make up his Jewels, they may be found worthy of ••eward at the end of the present Oeconomy, when his M••jesty shall put an end to the Vicissitudes of Time, when ••e shall fix all things in an immutable and an eternal Or∣••er, when he will give a beginning to the New World, ••nd when he will re-establish all the Bodies, and re∣••nite every Soul to that Body which she animated, ••pring this present life; this will ••e do who calls ••••mself the Resurrection and the Life, the first born ••mongst the dead, the Father of Ages to come, he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whom we are all raised up again, in a Mistery and •••• a Figure, and will undoubtedly raise us effectually 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the last Day: For then we shall be even in our ••odies like Angels, disfranchised from the businesses, ••d the inclinations which we have upon the occa∣ons of the Body. St. Paul also teaches us, that our ••odies shall be Spiritualized, and we may upon this ••••inciple decide with certainty, that the re-union of ••odies doth not at all change the Foundation of that ••••ate of the Soul out of the Body; the manner and •••••• cumstances, whereof we have been illustrating: ••r when our Bodies shall be Spiritualized by the ••surrection, they shall be no more a charge to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉; tho the Learned say, That the Nature of our ••dies shall not be chainged, so as to become know∣•••• Natures, or cease to be extended Substances;

but that the Body shall be no more an obstacle, o•• hinderance in any thing to the Soul; but our Bodies will serve to do Honour and Glory to the God of Nature Our Bodies after they are raised, will have a perfect and sovereign agility, that is to say, an intire indiffe∣rence for all sorts of motion, which will cause them without any resistance to be carried every where whether the Souls would have them; for then they will have neither Levity nor Gravity, but will be a•••• light as the Air, and as swift as a Thought; th•• Bodies of themselves have not either lightness 〈◊〉〈◊〉 weight, so as to ascend or descend; but being afters they are raised from the Grave Spiritualized, the•• will by the Almighty Power be able to do this, whe•• our Bodies shall be replaced with our Souls; and ou•• whole Man will be replaced in a much purer stru∣cture than ever it was at first, before it was defile by Sin. From whence we may see the excellen•••• train of the Divine System of Religion, which without doubt clear and certain, that the Univers•••• Resurrection will be a Circumstance of that Glorious Solemnity of Justice, which God will make at th•• consummation of Ages, for the consecration of h•• Eternal Temple, for the overture and commenc••¦ment of his Immortal Reign, for the solemn Corona∣tion of his Royal Majesty, and for the compleat Tr••••umph of Man-God, for the justification of his Pr••∣vidence, and the full Declaration, and Ma••••festatio of his Glorious Will, at the end of this prese•••• Oeconomy of Time. The Scripture speaks of Ho••Souls, as if they had the Pleasure of walking on th•• Globes of the Heavens, and to be in the midst of th•• Stars, to walk upon the Sun and the Moon after t•••• manner of Spirits; it accommodates it self to o•• ross manner of speaking, and of conceiving t•• most Spiritual things under Corporeal forms, whic•• may be called a clear distinct Idea of the visib•••• World, which God gives to Just Souls; they wa••

after their manner upon the Arches of Heaven; they are capable of being at the same time at both the Poles of the World; they are said to fill its whole extent; they are in both the Hemispheres. Their Ho∣rizon is not at all a limited Horizon, which never per∣mits us to see here but a little portion of the Universe; it is not bounded. But by the bounds of Nature, We do not at present see these Heavenly Bodies, but only these parts of them, which reflects the light upon us: We do not see the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and the Terraqueous Globe of the Earth and the Seas, but only one side of them. But the pure Souls immediately ••nlightned by God, as they are, they see at the same ••ime the whole Globe of the Sun, all the Face of the Moon, both the Hemispheres of the Earth; there is ••o Antipodes to them, they all see at one view all the ••air prospects of Nature, and all the beautiful Table of ••he visible World; for besides that, their Knowledg, universal in this respect; so it is not at all successive, ••ut all full and clear at once, so that they see all things, least by reflection, by which we compare one ••hing with the other, to observe diversities and sin∣••••arities, by which we pass on, from that we know that we do not as yet know, which may be called ••e proper species of reasoning, which brings into the ••orld all the Arts and Sciences as proper means to tend Knowledge, as is an effort and agitation of ••hought; but this is to be understood of the pre∣•••••• Life; But what we spake before, we spake of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 future Life, i. e. of pure Souls made Glorious by Majesty on high, who presides over all our Know∣••••ge, and over all our Sentiments, and causes them us, in spite of us; and all this by the assistance of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 admirable and illuminating Wisdom, which are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ess••ntial Character and Attributes of that which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 call Divinity, or Supreame Nature, so that a re∣••••e and an attentive Man cannot be ignorant of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 excellent Truths, by the assistance of the pro∣vident

Wisdom of our great Creator; for he it is that teaches us, that the Luminous Body of the Sun with the Firmament shews perpetually his Glory; every thing sympathysing with each other in the mistaken Miseries, which Men call good, till their Spi∣ritual Eyes are open, and they see they are deluded by great mistake, when the sensation, by which one Man doth see and understand an other, is made with a confus'd sentiment of Pleasure, and with a certain agreement which carries a desire of being united to him, and which makes one Man pleased with another, that is called sympathy. And, when on the contra∣ry, this sensation is made with confused sentiments o•• disagreement and straingeness, that is called antipa∣thy. And this is the general Idea of sensation, which are the Knowledges that we have by the determina∣tion of present Objects, by which we are able to chuse to do Acts free and voluntary, tho there is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 distinction to be made betwixt free Acts and volu••••tary Acts; for every thing that is free is voluntary but every thing that is voluntary is not free; but no thing is voluntary in us but what is made by the de¦termination of the Will; for this is a necessary and i••••vincible motion of our Souls towards God, causing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 invincibly to love Good in general, with a full dete••∣mination of our Mind and Will, by the which also w•••• shun Evil, and every thing that hurts and afflicts 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and we persue some times one particular Good tha•• an other, as they more or less immediately concer•• us; for Liberty is always accompanied with the Wil•• Now Liberty is precisely that Empire which we ha•• of being able to determine our selves, which to chu•••• and which to refuse, when the Objects are present•• to the perceptive faculty of the Soul. We m•• easily shut our Eyes, and not let that reflective Lig •• to enter in, from the superficies of the Object, whi•••• Ingraves it in our Retina: But, yet we cannot hind •• the Impression of Light, if once it be entred into 〈◊〉〈◊〉

Eyes, nor that ordor of savor, if they have affected those Nerves which are proper to carry the Impressi∣on of them to the Brain. But our Soul cannot see the Objects in those passages of the Brain, nor the species, as in Pictures as we have endeavoured to ••llustrate in our former presuppositions: This is a thing which we know by an indubitable sentiment. We may then presuppose that it is not all these Ta∣••les, whereon the Soul sees the Object; she being for∣mally knowing, having in her self a lively representa∣tion, or an inward sentiment of the Objects which ••••ders themselves present by the material Impression, ••hich is received in the Body by the assistance of the ••ctive faculty of Thinking, which is sometimes cal∣••••d the faculty of Reasoning; for by these the Ob∣••cts which strike the Senses are lively represented to∣be passive, or the active faculty of the Thinking Soul, ••hich come from the diversity of the temperament, ••nd from the material Structure and Harmony of the ••ody, by which the Understanding, the Judgement, ••d the Memory, with all the other Natural Quali∣•••• receives advantage, to act every one its part ••hen occasion shall present in its proper season; for ••e Soul is inclined to all great and transcendant ••••ings: The Mind is sometimes said to be the Soul, ••••erting its Power into Heroick Actions, wherefore great Soul is Magnanimous in effect, i. e. when our ••nd is applied to mighty Objects; and such a one said to be the Son of Eternal Power, and the Friend infinite Goodness, a Man whose inward State is raculous, and his Complexion Divine, because he lights in the Celestial way of true Bliss, he turns his ••mporeal Riches into Obligations, by wining Souls God, and thus gaining the Affections of the ••se. For to be rich in the Hearts and Affections Good People can be no deformity, and every such ••n is, as it were, his own end, while he considers it 〈◊〉〈◊〉; for nothing is more conducive to the 〈…〉〈…〉

Honour of the Holy Man, than to be bountiful and munificient; for this proves true Riches to his own Soul, and puts a double lustre upon that noble Jewel, for this beautifies it, and makes it truly aimable and Praise worthy; all these being shut up in Good∣ness. For these Men make themselves truly great by Enriching others, for the Eccho of their Works are sweet, and pleasing in the Ears of all that are surrounded with them; and may be said to be like the Sun in the Rays of his Glory, and Reigns like a King by the sole Power of Virtue, and thus beau∣tifies their Religion; for these delight in the felicity of all that accost them, and thus puts Embroiderie on Religion by the chearfulness of their Spirits, and the Heroick Actions of their Souls, and thus carries a Light wher••ever they go, and attracts the esteem•• of every Good Person; so that these Men move in a Sphere of Wonders; their Lives are a continua•• strem of Miracles, for they are always sacrificing their Persons and Possessions to the benefit of th•• World. Benifits and Blessings are their Life-guard, fo•• that they live Holy and Temperate, and strive to i••••mediate the Wisdom of Angels, whose guardian Sh•• is never wanting to their assistance; so that their i••ward House is a Habitation of Joy and Felicity, an•• so brightens their outward behaviour, that almost a•• their Actions yields a spectacle of Contentment 〈◊〉〈◊〉 every beholder: There is a generous confidence d∣coursed in all their Actions, and some glimps of He••ven in all their Behaviour: Therefore a Life beautifie with Virtues is the greatest Gift that can be give to Man. For the return of it in Holy Actions is a••ceptable to God: For when all things shall be r••vealed, the Life of these secret Persons shall perfect appear in all their perfections. May we therefore careful to adorn our Persons and Palaces with th•• kind of Riches, seeing they are so Delectable a•• Pleasant: For these Men have a Love within the

Souls, that is willing to impart all these incompre∣hensible Treasures and Glories to every Soul, for such a Mind and such Affections must Perfume and E••rich our Sacrifices: For the Greatness and Goodness of our Souls consists in such inlargements; for a Will inlarged with an infinite Fancy is a prodigious depth of Goodness; for infinite Desires and Intentions of pleasing God are real Objects to his Eye, for such a Soul being all Love, would do Millons of things for ••ts Object: For infinite Love puts an infinite value on the Gift, wherefore it must needs be Magnificence to give a Gift of infinite value; and infinite valuable every Good and Pious Action, in the Eyes of him, who have told us, that no Thought or Action shall ••emain uncovered, but every Thought, Word and Action shall be seen clearly by all for ever: And all ••hall be admired for their inward Piety and Holiness, ••nd every discovery of Virtue in one shall be an oc∣casion of Joy in each other; so that every secret Vir∣••e that have been long concealed, but only to those ••ho have enjoyed the benefit of it, shall be a new ••ause of Eternal Joy to all, when in Heaven it shall clearly discovered. For our Actions in passing, pass ot away, but in the Sphere of our Life abideth for 〈◊〉〈◊〉; so that a Good Man's Life all at once is a My∣erious Object, interwoven with many Thoughts, ••ccurrences and Transactions; and ought to be pre∣••••ted to God like a Ring, a Garland, or a Jewel to a ••agnificent Benefactor: Therefore we had need to be ••ry choice in the mixture of our Flowers, and cu∣••••ous in the enammel of so rare a Present, that it may ••ove to us a Royal Diadem, to adorn our Souls for 〈◊〉〈◊〉: Therefore to let any dirt or blemish be in it, ••ould be inconsistent to our Felicity: Therefore ••ight and clear apprehensions, Divine, and Ardent ••ffections are highly necessary to this Compleatment, ••eing upon the sincerity of the affections and inten∣ons depends the Honour of the Work, it concerns

every one therefore to cleans his Heart from all Im∣purity and Insincerity, that his whole Man may be an acceptable Present to God, that his infinite Im∣mensity may graciously accept him, and all his Works; for his Wisdom never rejected the sincere, but endews them with inward and outward Ornaments, such as an infinite clesi••e and delight in Goodness, enabling them always to Love his Eternal Majesty, with an in∣finite Love, and Deiight, greatly Thirsting to be fully satisfied with him, and him only; for the Soul is to Noble a thing to be satisfied with any thing less than his Transcendent Majesty, whose Goodness extends to all, even to the Unthankful: But he is most the Friend of those who delight most in him, for infinite Love and eternal Blessedness are near ally'd; for all Delight springs from the satisfaction of violent de∣sires, for which cause, when the desire is forgotten the Delights are abated.

The coming of a Crown•• and the Joy of a Kingdom, is far more quick and powerful in the surprize and novelty of the Glory, than the length of its continuance.

The greate•• part of our Eternal Happiness consist in a greatfu•• recognition, not only of our Joys to come, but o•••• Benefits already received. True contentment is th•• full satisfaction of a knowing Mind, i. e. a long habi•• of solid Repose, after much Study and serious Consi••••deration, or a free and easie Mind attended with Plea••sure, that naturally ariseth from ones present Cond••tion; yet to be content without a true Cause, is t•••• fit down in our Imperfections, and to seek all on•• Bliss in ones self alone, and, as it were, to scorn a•• other Objects, which is in it self a high piece of Pride that renders a Man good for nothing, but makes him Arrogant and Presumptious in the midst of his Blind••ness; whereby he leads a living Death by shuting u•• his Soul in a Grave, in that it tramples under Fo•••• the Essence of his Soul, which in Truth turns his F••licity to Malevolence and Misery, or in other Word

Disorder and Confusion: Therefore Man is an unwel∣come Creature to himself, till he can delight in his pre∣sent Condition, provided his Condition be such as is plea∣sing in the sight of God; for this must be the Con∣dition that can make our pleasure exquisite: For otherways we shall be tormented with the contriety of our desires. The happiness of a contented Spirit consists not only in the fruition of its Bliss, but in the Fruits and Effects it produceth in our Lives, which makes every Virtuous Man truly Great within, and Glorious in his retirements, Magnanimity and Con∣tent are very near aly'd, they spring from the same Parents, but are of several Features. Fortitude and Patience are Kindred too, to this incomparable Vir∣tue, for these fill a Man with true Pleasure and great Treasure, which makes him Magnanimous and truly Great, not in his own Thoughts but in the sight of God: The Magnanimous Soul is always awake, the whole Globe of Earth is but a Nut-shel in comparison of his Injoyments; for God alone is his Sovereign delight and Supreame complacency: So that nothing is great if compared to a Magnanimous Soul, but the Sovereign Lord of all Worlds. But Man divided from God is a weak and inconsiderable Creature: But every Soul united to God is a Transcendent and Celestial thing, for God is its Life, its Greatness, and its Pow∣er, its Blessedness and Perfection; for he that is joyn∣ed to the Lord is one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 20. His Omni∣presence and Eternity fills the Holy Soul, and makes it able to contain all heights, and depths, and lenghts, and breadths whatsoever. In a Word, it's the desire of every such Soul to be filled with the fulness of God. Magnanimous desires are the Natural results of a Magnanimous Capacity, the desire of being like God, of knowing Good and Evil. But in a grosser sence, this was the destruction of the Old World: Not that it is Unlawful to desire to be like God, but to aspire to the Perfection in a forbidden way, by

Disobedience and following our own Inventions, by seeking to the Creatures in opposition to the great Creator. A Magnanimous Soul if we respect its Capa∣city, is an immovable Sphere of Power and Know∣ledge, far greater than all Worlds, by its Virtue and Power that it passeth through all things, the Centre of the Earth, and through all existencies; and all∣such Creatures as these he counteth but Vanity and Trifles in comparison of his true Object, the great Almighty, whose Transcendent Goodness desendeth in full Showers upon all Men, by his communitive Goodness which is freely extended to every Man.