Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

The seventh Treatise. How true Devotion induceth those no∣tions wherein consisteth the happinesse of this life.In three Sections. (Book 7)

§. I.

The fallicies of Opinion, & the Virtue of Truth treated.

ME thinkes I heare many, very impatient to see some more sensible object of temporall happinesse, exposed by Devotion, for our nature is not easily drawn to looke off from the delights it seeth, as I may say, face to face, and turne to those that are seene but darkly as through a glasse, which are the joyes of the other life, speculated only * 1.1 through the perspective of faith; I will not therefore propose to those vocations which are the addresse of my perswasions, the putting their nature into any severe straights or pressures, in hope only of remote reversions. I will assigne present con∣veniencies for the entertainment of our nature, and over-pay by good security of sincere secular joy, what may seeme taken away in that adulterate species, wherein our fancies use to ac∣cept the receites of our contentment: For surely Devotion

doth assigne the minde a rectified joy, in the use of temporall goods, instead of that vitious and counterfeit, which our three enemies (pretending to be our stewards) bring into our fancy that is prone, to take all, whatsoever hath but the image of sensible pleasure, without examining the substance; which facility to be deceived, the Prophet reproacheth in us, saying, We sell our selves for nothing. * 1.2

Should a traveller passing through a forreign countrey, finding the coyne of the place raised to an excessive value, ex∣change into it all the good species of his own, thinking to make gain by this traffique, because the coyne is currant in his passage; as soon as he were passed that dominion, he would quickly repent his inconsiderate mistake; This seemeth to be the familiar case of man, who while he is in his transition and passage through this world, findeth the temporalities thereof, (which are the currant species of the place) cried up to such an over-value, as he is perswaded to turne all his affections into that species of joy, and at its issue out of this forreign re∣gion, he findeth the irreparable losse he hath made by the debatement of his talents in this exchange: And it is against this delusion, not against all commerce with secular joy in our journey, that Devotion issueth to us her inhibitions, lest by this ill husbandry in their way, when they come to account with their great Creditor, they be reduced to give a worse answer then he, who brought back his talent unimproved: I shall therefore exhibite to our minds (which must needs nego∣tiate in their passage through this world) the true Intrinsique value of those joyes, uttered in the commerce with the crea∣tures, that taking none but such as are allowed in their last audict, their traffique may bring home into their native coun∣trey not their Bonds forfeited, but rather Bils of exchange payable upon their Masters joy.

In answer then of the desire of having the truest happynesse of this life, specially determined; I declare that the felicity of * 1.3 this life consisteth in a constant rejoycing in truth: This is the assertion of Saint Augustine, and is easily verified to all ra∣tionall

dispositions; The first reply the world is like to make to this proposition, is Pilates question, What is truth? to which * 1.4 I answer,

Truth is a perfect and edequate similitude or likenesse, imprint∣ed * 1.5 in our understanding of the nature of the thing we conceive; So that when our conception is just equall to the being and property of the thing we conceive, we are said to understand truth. Wherefore the truth of knowing, is as it were the mould cast off from the truth of being, or the print of that seal, and so the image of the true being of a thing, is the figure of truth seated in our minds.

But this, which may seem a fair impression of the nature of truth, may perchance appear but a dark Character of the form of happynesse to my auditory, unto whom indeed I do not intend to assigne onely the speculative notions of verities for the subject of their satisfactions; but I will open farther this store of joy, (the rejoycing in truth) and shew how it contain∣eth the Prophets wine and milk, which he offereth to all for * 1.6 fetching it; From hence the contemplative life draweth that wine, whereof King David saith, My chalice inebriating how * 1.7 goodly is it; and the active sucketh that milk, which the Apostle saith is proper for their vocation, which nourisheth their minds with more sensible delectation issuing from the true use and ordinate love of the creature; And this is that, I may not un∣pleasantly call the milk which these Gentiles love best, to whom I present my breast.

The preference of the contemplative life, before the active, is inferred from this respect, of affording a more clear and serene light, for the perception of Supernatural verityes; For contemplation is a fixure of the mind on the aspect and * 1.8 presents of truth: and although this act of contemplating be purely Intellectuall, yet the terme and end thereof rests in the affections, as the possession of our pursuits induceth joy; whereby this is demonstrated, that the happynesse of the con∣templative life consisteth in the rejoycing in truth; This sensi∣ble delight in contemplation flowing from the Superior por∣tion

of the mind down upon the Inferior, is a good Image of mans consummate Beatitude in Heaven; where the glory of the body is derived from the excesse and redundancy of the joy and blessednesse flowing from the soul; and in this order, the delight imparted to our affections by contemplation, fals from a superfluence of truth in our understanding. And thus, what may be said to be light in the Superior region of the Soul, seemeth fire in the lower; The first reporting to truth, and the latter to joy; which as it is a passion in our nature, may be said to be more materiall then the other in the same degree, as flame is lesse pure then the radiancy of the Sunne; but the comparative degrees of purity, between the acts of our Intel∣lect and our affections are not our Theam. Certaine it is, that all the sensible delectation of the contemplative life, streameth from the springs of Supernatural verities; we will therefore stay no longer on the top of Mount Sinai, which may seem all cloud to those that are below, while the Moseses that are upon it, find all splendor and clarity, and may not unfitly be said to see the hinder parts of that verity, in seeing the face whereof, consists the consummate rejoycing.

Comming then down into the Camp of the active life, it will be no hard task to prove the happinesse of that state like∣wise, seated in the rejoycing in truth, which hath so gratefull a savour even to our sensitive appetite, as I may say, none wish for quailes, but they desire to tast this Manna in them; I mean no body affecteth any sensible fruition, but as it is under the form of a true good: For as Saint Augustine reasoneth, let any be asked, whether he had rather joy in truth or in falsity, and the answer will bear no doubt; For although there be ma∣ny would deceive others in their happinesse, there are none would be deceived themselves in it, there is such a signature of the light of the countenance of verity, stamped upon the reason of man, as his understanding can propose nothing to his affections as matter of joy, but under the colour at least of truth; So that the object of all our affections is true delight, though the errour be never so great in the subject of our joy:

For no body can rejoyce under this notion of being deceived, the instinct of man is such, in order to truth, as he must pre∣sent that object to his Imagination, even out of the errour it self he rejoyceth in, so Essentiall is truth, for the terme of his acquiescence.

Supposing we do thus generally aim at truth for our felicity, I may well be asked, how it commeth to passe, that the sub∣ject of our joyes is oftener apparence and falsity, then the real good of this life's benedictions? the cause surely is, the parti∣ality of our imagination towards our sensitive appetite, rather then in favour to our reason; and thus Opinion, which is but a changeling introduced by Sense, passeth commonly for the right child; and certainly, Opinion may well be said to be the mean issue of sense, and Verity, the noble child of Reason; but by this unjustice of our imagination, it followeth, that all the delights which are touched but at our senses, are commonly accepted by our will for the true species of joy, from the credit of that test, without examining their nature in the fire of Ra∣tiocination; whereby it happens, that when we are the trulyest deceived, we are most believing in the truth of our happynesse; for when we misapprehend the most the nature of secular plea∣sures, having the least suspition or scruple of the mutability of such fruitions, our joy seemeth the most sincere, which pro∣veth clearly, that truth is but mistaken in the colouring, not unintended in the designe of our felicity.

In redresse of this error, Devotion taketh off the deceitfull colours of good and evill, which Opinion layes upon the crea∣ture, and presenteth to our understanding a naturall image both of the worth as well as the vanity which may be found in the rectified or vitious apprehension of all temporalities, & possessing us with the true nature of all our possessions, direct∣eth us how to rejoyce in the truth of such blessings, and there∣by satisfyeth that instinct of the mind with the reality, and doth not amuse it with the meer colour of verity.

Certaine it is, that temporall blessings, as health, beauty, wealth, and honour, are indued with a true and sincere good∣nesse,

wherein their owners may vertuously rejoyce: the point is, the discernment of this Truth, and the selecting that, only for subject of our delectation: because just as much as we stray from this principle, so much we remove from our hap∣pinesse; which depending on the satisfaction of our opinion, if that be unsound, in apprehending the nature of such goods as are the objects of our affections; we are in danger of being unhappy, by their being but true to their owne nature, while we are untrue to ours: For their true instinct is mutation and instability; and ours, the perception and use of that verity: whereby our understanding may sort an affection proporti∣oned to the nature of secular benedictions.

§. II.

Sacred examples, shewing what may be said to be a rejoycing in the truth of temporall goods, and how even secular evils afford joy, by the same method of a right understan∣ding them.

THe states of many the dearest friends of God, testifie that temporall felicity affordeth a sincere matter of joy, which is commensurate to the true sense concei∣ved of the nature of such happinesse. Abrahams wealth was thought worthy the holy Ghosts mentioning as a blessing, & as his peregrination was fitted with great accommodations; so that state of unsettlednesse was a fixing in his minde, the true nature of all he possessed. In proof whereof, it may well be observed, that the only purchase Abraham made upon * 1.9 earth with his riches, was a grave; from whence we may in∣ferre, how rightly he understood the truth of their transitory nature, and his owne mutable condition; whereupon he chose to take possession of the Land, promised him by a marke of

his parting with it, rather then of his possessing it: thus did he, understanding the true goodnesse of his worldly commodities, derive from them, both exercises of charity, and notions of mortification, while he imployed his wealth, in the accommodations of strangers and passengers, and in provision of his owne lodging, as a traveller at the end of his journey: and remaining in this rectified sense of his tempo∣porall fruitions, all their effects proved a constant rejoycing in Truth.

By this method Abraham extracted the same Spirit of Truth, out of his plentifull substance that Lazarus did out of his penury and indigence; and surely, if Dives had rejoyced but in the truth of his abundance, and not set his heart upon the false part thereof, he would have taken Lazarus into his breast in this life, & then they might have been bed-fellowes in Abra∣hams Bosome. For I may truly affirme, that there is no Lazarus in this world, who hath not an Abraham in his Bo∣some, that shall get to the being in Abrahams Bosome in the next: And likewise conclude, that there is no Dives in this life, who hath a Lazarus in his bosome, that shall not at∣taine to Abrahams Bosome in the other world: For there is no necessitous body, wanting fidelity of heart, and poverty of spirit, that can be qualified for that state meerely by his misery; and there is no so splendid or opulent person, indued with true Christian poverty of spirit, that is not thereby intitled to eternall felicity: and surely, as there are many Lazarusses, who want this kind of Abraham I have explained in their heart; so there are diverse Abrahams in this life, as I may terme them, who carry this sort of Lazarus in their bosome, being both rich, humble, and faithfull, contriving all their tempora∣ry joy, out of the perception and dilection of the true blessing; intended in the Creature, and deduce their satisfaction from Gods order, not their owne exaltation, in which respect they may be proved to rejoyce in verity.

Did not holy Job rejoyce in the truth of his worldly goods, when he assigned the most of them to sacrifices, either expia∣tory

for his children, or propitiatory for himselfe, to purge the excesses of feasting in his owne family, or to provide against the exigences of fasting in the houses of his neighbours? acting this part which the holy Spirit gives the potent; saying, the portion of the poore is in the rich mans hands; and surely we may conceive that in the latter part of his life, (which I may call his temporall resurrection, his estate rising againe to more glory then it had expired with) his piety was also exalted in proportion to a higher state of perfection; so that truth being found and acknowledged in any splendid condi∣tion, will keepe Peace and righteousnesse in the family kissing * 1.10 each other.

Was not King Davids vast treasure well managed by the superintendency of truth, when he assigned all the most preti∣ous materialls the earth affordeth to their true use? some as it were converted into vocall instruments of Gods prayses; others into visible memorialls of his presence, and designed in a Temple as good a sensible figure as he could of the truth he conceived of all materiall substances, which was, of the earths belonging to God, and all the plenitude thereof, which con∣fession he made in these words, thine are the heavens, and the earth is thine: In this verity he rejoyced, extracted out of all his transitory felicity.

And King Ezekias, having his treasury and cabinets filled with all pretious stores, might have rejoyced in the truth of those blessings, without deriving from them vanity and pre∣sumption, as much as he boasted of them to the Babylonians; so much untruth he found in that felicity, whereof he seemed to have forgot the changeable property, and was quickly in∣structed by the Prophet, in the insecurity of such goods, where∣by * 1.11 he discerned how he had rejoyced in the untruth of his temporal happines; out of which, he might have extracted mat∣ter of a true and sincere rejoycing; for Gods Spirit attesteth to us, that he doth not cast away the mighty, whereas he himself is mighty. * 1.12

All the attainders, lying upon great and rich men in the

Scripture, are brought against such as rejoyce in the errours and deceits of temporall goods, such as either sacrifice all their wealth to the Idols of their fancy, or such as make an Idol of their wealth, and offer up all their thoughts unto it: The voluptuous, or the avaritious are those that fall under the sentence of the Gospell, and their crime is not what they possesse, but what possesseth them, when they doe not rejoyce in the truth of their goods, but delight themselves in contri∣ving errours and fallacies out of them; and as the Apostle sayes, Change the Truth of God into a lie: So that the defective∣nesse * 1.13 of their happinesse, ariseth out of their degression from Truth; and whence doth all the blessednesse which Christian faith annexeth to sufferance, issue, but from this spring of veri∣ty, which streameth out that joy and exultation is proposed to us, in the afflictions of this life?

How come the thorns of sufferance to beare grapes, the wine whereof rejoyceth the heart, while our senses are prickedct wounded with this spinous or thorny matter? Surely this cor∣diall is made of the Spirit of Truth, which may be extracted out of all the asperities of this life; first, by considering the true state of Humane Nature, designed to sufferings, not only by sentence, but by Grace, in order to the aversing us from the love of this world: next by contemplating the truth of those glorious promises, which are made to a virtuous corre∣spondency with Gods Order, in his disposure of his creature; so that both the materiall goods and evills of this life, afford no legitimate joy, but what the mind beareth when she is teeming with Truth; we may therefore resolve with King Da∣vid, that when Truth doth spring out of the earth, righteousnesse * 1.14 shall looke downe from Heaven.

§. III.

The fallacies of some Objections solved, and rejoycing in Truth concluded for our reall Happinesse.

BUt now me thinkes, having determined the happinesse of this life, in the loving and rejoycing in Truth; many that thinke themselves unhappy, wonder at this conclu∣sion, and conceive me disproved by their defeatures, perswa∣ding themselves to have beene alwayes suitors and lovers of Truth; when the Truth is, that they doe not first seeke verity for the object of their love, but conclude they have found it, in what they have placed their love: Supposing their opinions of such joyes as they pursue, to be sincere and solid truthes; insomuch as I may well resolve such sonnes of men, that They love vanity, and seek after lies. * 1.15

In that region of the world which I have travelled the most, I may reflect to the inhabitaints of it, one raigning error, which may convince many of insincerity in their addresses to Truth, for the ground of their happinesse: this it is, the trust∣ing the infidelity of fortune to others for our owne felicity, designing our stock, out of the spoiles of our fellowes; and in this course, doe we not fixe the hopes of our happinesse, upon what can never passe to us, but by such an infidelity as must assure us we are in continual danger of a like dispossession? this must needs be our case, when the expectance of the unfaithful∣nesse of fortune, is made the assignment of our prosperity: And yet we see how Courts are commonly divided into these two partyes, of some, that are Sacrificing to their owne nets, and * 1.16 others that are fishing for such nets; the first, is the state of such as are valuing themselves, for what they have taken; the second, of those, who are working and casting out, how to catch what the others have drawne: and in this manner, there

are many who pretend to be lovers of Truth, that make these fallacies, the very ground of that web of happinesse they have in hand.

This is so preposterous a course, for ingenious spirits in order to true felicity, as surely there is much of a curse in this method, and God warranteth my beliefe, both by the Prophets and Apostles; when speaking by the voyce of Esay to this case, he saith, They have chosen their owne wayes, wherefore I * 1.17 also will chuse their delusions, and by Saint Paul, the holy Spirit saith, Because they received not the love of Truth, for this cause God sends them strong delusions, that they should beleeve a * 1.18 lie.

Let the worlds darlings examine what they confide in for the security of their joyes, and they will finde, it is the Father of lies, they trust for the truth of their felicity, who being not able to diminsh the increated verity, sets all his art to deface all created Truthes, which worke (in this region of the world I now treat of) he designeth by such a course as he used with the Person of Truth it selfe, when he was upon earth; for he carryeth up our imagination to the highest point of esteeme he can raise it, of earthly possessions, from whence he exposeth to our fancies, the glories and beauties of this world, in de∣ceitfull apparencies, as if they were permanent and secured fruitions, and our wills are commonly perswaded to bowe downe and reverence such false suggestions; whereof the in∣fidelity augmenteth by the degrees of our Devotion in that beliefe; since the more we confide in their stability, the more falshood doe we admit for our happinesse; and thus are we abused in the possession of Truth, while we affect all our de∣lights under that notion, by the subtilty of the great enemy of Truth; we are as Saint Augustine saith elegantly, brought to hate Truth, by loving those things which we love, only as we imagine them to be true, for the impermanency of this worlds goods is odious to us; which is the truth of their na∣ture, and we affect in them their assurance, as a truth without which we would not love them, and yet that opinion is a meere delusion.

This may satisfie many, who account themselves unhappy by the mutations of fortune, and the dispossessions of their secular commodities, for they shall finde themselves unfor∣tunate, but in the same measure they misapprehended the true nature of such fruitions, by as much as they over-loved them, so much are they distressed by their losses, so the defect will still result out of the distance of our joy from this principle, of rightly possessing and rejoycing in Truth, for all our reall unhappinesse riseth by the same degrees, that Verities are diminished from among the Children of men. * 1.19

There is one familiar scruple raised against our perswa∣ding the active life to this constant intendment of Truth; which is, that this fixure of the minde upon verity, rather then leaving it a little loose to opinion, taketh off the point and edge of our spirit, in the activenesse and commerces of this life. Whereunto I answer, that spirits wher and sharpned up∣on the errours of imagination, are subject to turne their edge upon the least encounter of disappointment; when mindes temper'd by the consideration of truth, and thereby set and whetted for action, keep their edge cutting against the haire, as I may say, not blunted or rebated in any adverse occurrencies; nor doth this breast of Verity, as some suppose, nourish only the minde, and pine the senses, but feedeth them also with healthfull and convenie〈…〉〈…〉 pleasure, and teacheth the soule how to keepe the senses in their true degree of servants, mana∣ging their trusts only upon account, which the minde taketh so exactly of them, in all the commerce of their delights, as they can never runne out much in prejudice of her estate; and in this order the rationall part doth the office of the good steward in the Gospell, Feeding the family with their portions * 1.20 in due season. And surely, this orderly oeconomy in the ma∣naging of all worldly goods, (Reason presiding, and the senses entertained with competent satisfaction) is the best state of happinesse this active life can admit. So is it the knowledge and love of Truth, seated in our understanding, and our affecti∣ons which can only consort this harmony of a constant rejoy∣cing.

And doubtlesse, while our fancies doe but counterfeit that truth they expose to our affections, we can no more justly complaine of the insufficiency of that object, in point of affor∣dingus felicity, then of a painted fires not warming us, be it neverso wel drawn. For commonly, they are but designs of our imaginations coloured over with vaine apparencies of Truth, which they exhibite to our affections, for the true substances of our happinesse: wherefore I may, me thinkes, fittly illu∣strate this familiar errour of the world, by this story of Zeuxis the famous Painter; who having made the figure of a boy, with a cluster of grapes in his hand, being told, the birds sate upon the boyes hand, to peck at the grapes; answered, this was no true praise of his art, because it was a signe he had painted the grapes better then the man; otherwise the birds would have been afraid of that figure: In like maner, may I say, that these imaginations which figure such a truth of happinesse in sensible delectations, as their affections take them for the reall and sincere felicity of this life, are not to be commended for this vivacity, for it is a signe they represent more lively to our reason, the fruits of this world, which the man hath in his hand, then they doe the nature of our humanity, the constitution whereof, if it were truely imaged and figured to our understanding, would fright our affections from setting themselves upon the fruit of temporalities, by considering the state of man; which inadvertency is now familiar, by this partiality of our fancy, in figuring the grapes more to the life then the hand that holds them; if the images which Truth it selfe hath drawn of the condition of man in this life, were well impressed in our imagination, of being but a blast, a vapour, or a shaddow; this would undoubtedly divert our mindes, from taking never so well coloured images of riches, honour, beauty, or dominion, for the true substances of humant felicity.

If there be any then, that wonder they are not happy, pre∣tending they have alwayes held Zerubbabels party, preferring truth before all competitors, of empire, beauty, and pleasure,

if they are in any great de••ection of spirit, let them take this course to undeceive themselves in this their supposed rectitude of intention, (which if it had beene sincere, could not have let their mindes sinke into any deepe depression) let them I say, examine first, whether they have rightly apprehended the state of our humane Nature, and the condition of all tempo∣rall fruitions; and then, whether they have squared their loves to such delights, by the measure of a rectified apprehension of both their nature, and their own, for the same disproporti∣ons there are betweene our affections and the true property of those things we love, the same deficiencies must be conse∣quent in our happinesse: and upon this reflection, Truth may tell most of the world, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their hearts are farre from me, and as the increated Truth * 1.21 told the Pharisees, who pretended to have great interest in God the Father, that if what they alledged had beene true, They would have acknowledged him also, because he proceeded from the Father. So in the name of the created Truth, which is to be found in all Gods Workes, I may say to many such pretenders, if they had truly loved the Originall Verity, they would have beene possessed of the true nature and use of the creature, which notion issueth and proceeds out of an appli∣cation to the first Verity.

Having shewed how the beames of Truth enlighten both hemispheres of the contemplative and active life, and infuse into each of them, their respective happinesse, I may conclude with the Wisemans confession, upon his loving of Truth, above * 1.22 health or beauty, that hers is the only light, because it is inextin∣guishable, and that all other goods come together with her, and Devotion may lawfully use the words of her great master, and assure her followers, If you continue in my word, then are you truly my disciples, and you shall know the Truth, and the * 1.23 Truth shall make you free.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Cor. 13.
• * 1.2

  Esay 52.
• * 1.3

  Felicity de∣scribed.
• * 1.4

  John 18. 38.
• * 1.5

  Truth defi∣ned.
• * 1.6

  Esay 55.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 22. 1 Pet. 2.
• * 1.8

  Contempla∣tion defined.
• * 1.9

  Gen. 23.
• * 1.10

  Psal. 84.
• * 1.11

  Esay 39.
• * 1.12

  Job 36. 5.
• * 1.13

  Rom. 1. 25.
• * 1.14

  Psal. 85. 11.
• * 1.15

  Psal. 4.
• * 1.16

  Habac. 1. 16.
• * 1.17

  Esay 66. 4.
• * 1.18

  2 Thes. 2. 11.
• * 1.19

  Psal. 11. 1.
• * 1.20

  Luke 12. 42.
• * 1.21

  Iohn 8.
• * 1.22

  Sap. 7. 10. 11.
• * 1.23

  Ioh. 8. 31. 32.