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

§. I.

The temptations of Courts acknowledged great, but not insuperable.

TO this Map which I have presented the Court of her owne state, it will be expedient to adde some lines, by which, as by a kinde of scale of miles, Courtiers may take their measures, and learne the distances betweene their dominion, and the state of perfect Christianity, and by that meanes have some direction in their way, to the next adjacent Kingdome, of which I have shewed their region, to be a very pregnant type, for I have said you are Gods, maketh their ha∣bitations a most speciall figure of Heaven.

Whereupon I conceive this advise in the first place, to be very pertinent, towards the seasoning our minde with a grave and reverend tincture of the nature of Courts, to consider them as a figure of the celestiall mansions, in those respects I have exhibited, because this first stamp being imprest on our mindes, may give us a sober and modest image of our condi∣tions in Courts, which may perswade us, that we are not placed there by God, as officers to our fortunes, which terminate in this world, but rather as Ministers, in that order upon earth; by which God doth figure out to us the constitution of the state of his owne Majesty: whereby we may resolve that our

places are but passages up to that preferment of Saint Paul, whereunto we may aspire, The sitting in heavenly places toge∣ther * 1.1 in Christ Jesus.

This animadversion then is very important for all Cour∣tiers to esteeme themselves, called to a laborious vocation, and not resting in a licenced vacancy from labour: for though they doe not eate their bread in the sweat of their browes, they doe it in the sweat of their braine, and so the di∣gestion is more difficult, then in the other case: and upon this ground, we see likely that the body of this society, is more unhealthy then any other, because the fulnesse of bread choakes that heat, which should concoct it; and their spiritu∣all bread which should alter and convert the other into good nourishment, is made of that grain in the parable, which grow∣eth among so many of those thornes, as doe at the best, make the gathering of it, sharp and uneasie; for The solicitude of this * 1.2 world, and the falacy of riches, doe prick and draw some blood, of all such as reap thisbread amongst them: By reason there are alwayes some diversions and distractions in a Courtiers life, which catch and hold their affections in some manner to tem∣poralities; insomuch, as there is ever some paine and smart in our passing through those bryers.

But many of those Weedes which Courts are over-runne with, are slight levities, and vanities, that have but such stings as nettles in them, which when they are held and handled rough∣ly, sting lesse, then when they are fingered tenderly: for there are diverse fond affectations, which I need not instance, whereof, taking resolutely in hand the reformation, we finde lesse pain in discharging them, then we did apprehend, while we were but as it were chiding them, to fright them, rather then to put them away. I may hope to be beleeved in this, having good warrant to say with the Wiseman, I have seen many things wan∣dring * 1.3 to and fro, and very many fashions of words, and sometimes I have beene in danger of death for these things, and I was deli∣vered by the Grace of God.

I may therefore set this bill upon the Court gates, Sonne,

comming to the service of these gods upon earth, stand in feare, * 1.4 and prepare thy heart for tempation; for we may well use the phrase of the Psalmist, It raines snares in this region; by reason of the fatnesse of this soile, which affords more earthly vapors then other places, which the Prince of the aire drawes up out of it, and from thence formes shoures of temptations; to po∣wer downe upon it, to set forward his fruits; namely, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which thrive most kindly in this rich earth; this renders the scituation dangerous, but not certainly infectious, for as the Wiseman telleth us, The Crea∣tures of God are become snares, but to the feet of the unwise; * 1.5 wherefore he directs us how to escape this capture, by entring into other bonds of pre-ingagement to wisdome, Putting our * 1.6 feet into her fetters, and our neck into her chaine; These fetters are of too solid a substance to be catched, and intangled in the slight brittle snares of Courts, the chaines of wisdome are made linkes of Gold, which cannot hang in cobwebs.

The levities and nugacities of the world, to those who look on them, only with the pur-blind eye of sense, may prove clouds, and even so thick ones, as their sight cannot trans∣pierce them, that is, looke beyond such vanities, when those that see clearly with the eye of reason, discerne such slight traverses to be but like cobwebs, that do not eclipse to them the light of Heaven: it is not the matter of temptations in Courts, which worketh like celestiall bodies upon terrestriall, by a predominant impression, but it is the disposition of the patients, which rendereth the matter so malignant; for all the vanities of Courts in a confession of their owne impotency, to force our affections, doe soothe and flatter our senses first, and cor∣rupt them, towards the possession of our mindes.

Whereupon, as Moses said to the children of Israel, I may say to those who are called into this land of milke and honey, If thou shalt say in thine heart, these inhabitants of the place are * 1.7 more then I, and how can I prevaile against them? thou shalt not be afraid of them, but remember what the Lord can do, how many hath he carryed with a mighty hand through all these con∣federations

of snares in Courts; sundry examples of such holy victories attest to us, this word of the Apostle, The Lord * 1.8 knowes how to deliver the godly out of temptations.

It is related in the life of Saint Anthony the holy Hermite, how in a vision he saw the world all hung over with nets, and the very aire over-spead with them, so that in great com∣miseration of their estates, who lived in it, he asked God how it was possible to escape in our passage, and make way up to Heaven? and he was answered, there was no way left, which was, to creep under them, for they were not so fastned below to the earth, but they yeelded and gave way to that posture of humility. And since our Head Christ Jesus did vouchsafe to be figured to us, under the notion of a worm, & no man, this lowly posture of creeping through this world, could not mis-become his members.

Therefore to such as have their mindes laid even and levelled by this line of humility, I may say (while they are creeping under these snares) with the Prophet, Feare not thou worme Ja∣cob, * 1.9 I will help thee saith the Lord, thou shalt thresh the moun∣taines, and make the hils as cha••fe, thou shalt fan them, and the winde shall carry them away; all the mountaines of greatnesse; and power, and the hiles of plenty and pleasure shall appeare to the eyes of an humble soule, broken and crumbled into that dust which they consist of, and their resolutions shall be able to blow them off from their affections, like chaffe, assisted by the winde of the holy Spirit, which blowes alwayes so strong∣ly in such soules; as the levities of this world that flie about them, cannot cleave and hang upon them. And we must set∣tle this principle, that humility is not seated in locall depression and obscurity, but in mentall purity and illumination; and so conclude the scitation of Courts is not in that torrid zone of pride, which some imagine to be uninhabitable for humi∣lity.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ephes. 2. 6.
• * 1.2

  Matth. 13.
• * 1.3

  Ecclus. 34. 13
• * 1.4

  Ecclus. 2. 1.
• * 1.5

  Sap. 14.
• * 1.6

  Ecclus. 6. 25.
• * 1.7

  Drut. 7. 17.
• * 1.8

  2 Pet. 2. 9.
• * 1.9

  Esay 41. 14.