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

§. II.

Some speciall causes of the growth of this licen∣tiousnesse, and some expedient proposed to∣wards the suppression thereof.

THE admission of these liberties by well disposed per∣sons, is derived commonly from the inconsideration of the dignity and duty of a Christian, upon this sug∣gestion, from him who transfigureth himselfe into an Angel of light, that the maimed and defectuous, were onely forbid the Altar, not debar'd the Congregation; to wit, that Can∣dour and immaculatenesse of conversation is onely required of such, as are sequestred for God, by some vow or consecra∣tion; and that other vocations need not attend to so much cleannesse of heart, as is intimated by these scrupulous sug∣gestions, but this flash of lightning of the evill Angell will quickly vanish, when we turne our eyes upon these beames of the Sunne of Righteousnesse, which shine out so fully in these words, Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect: Where∣by * 1.1 our Saviour seemeth to presse so much our purity, as he setteth us a higher patern then even himselfe, (as he did then appeare to the eye of his disciples) and this similitude injoyn'd cannot possibly admit any voluntary adherence to the least unlikenesse and dissimilitude to this exemplar, and how di∣stanciall the most triviall imperfection is from his infinite purity, the Angels themselves cannot determine: How much ought we then to apprehend the slightest touch or dash of our pensill, in the copying this Immaculate Originall?

If we could discern the staynes and taints, even of our best workes, wherein we perceive no faultinesse, we would ne∣ver venture the voluntary exposing any to the sight of God, wherein we our selves find spots and blemishes, when the man

after Gods own heart was fain to appeale to Gods mercy for his secret and undiscerned sinnes; how vain a thing is it to e∣steem any sinne light or inconsiderable, which we our selves are able to discover? O what an honour is a Christian trusted with, when not onely the rejoycing of Angels is within his capacity, but even the satisfaction of the holy-Ghost? which is intimated by Saint Paul, when he chargeth us not to grieve or make sad the holy Spirit; and certainly all the loose mirth and jollity wherewith we flatter our nature, is so much contrista∣tion to his holynesse and purity; and alas, how often do these impure sparks of our tongues passe to a higher offence? when flying inward they kindle such a flame, as doth extinguish the order of the holy Spirit, how little a spark sets a whole wood on fire? is too frequently attested by unhappy experiments in this * 1.2 kind; wherefore Saint James warning us further of the ill consequences of our tongues disorder, tells us, that the tongue is the helme of the whole body, so that if it be ill steered, it must * 1.3 needs mislead the course of our whole lives.

Nothing methinks evidenceth more the faultinesse of these libertyes, then that the presence of any notedly good and vir∣tuous person, doth commonly restrain such freedomes of speech; doth not this forbearance avow their unjustifiablenes, and reproach the idlenesse of our inconsideration, while we forget the continuall presence of Almighty God? in reference whereunto, we are pressed even by instinct, to pay this reve∣rence unto men, of vailing our loose inclinations; if the eyes even of the children of light, are able to dispell these foule mists, the consideration of the presence of the Father of lights though in an invisible manner, may well dissipate the matter of these meteors, the substance whereof, is alwayes earthy and viscous, though the flame be never so bright: for the subject of lascivious words, is alwaies sordid and unclean, though the flame of fancy they glitter in be of never so clear and sharp conceptions.

The best expedient then in order to the bridling our un∣ruly fancyes, is, to awe them often with the presence of God,

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who is termed a consuming fire, for such minds as are habitu∣ated to that aspect, and whose thoughts walk before the Lord will be no more entangled with these levities, then they are retarded by Atomes walking in the ayre; and to indue this presentiall consideration of God, let us remember often that we are not our own, but are bought with a great price, by him who will be glorified as well as carried in our bodyes: and as * 1.4 we may be said to lodge God in our hearts, so we do carry him abroad no way more visibly then in our mouths, and surely the custome of any unclean speech, tainteth and spoileth the breath that is to carry him.

Let us not therefore be deceived with this vulgar diversion, to wit, that these freedoms of discourse are harmelesse and allowable, there is no action of a Christian inconsiderable to God, our recreations must be of the same species as our prayers, though not of the same degrees of intensive finenesse, they must be both of the same nature of innocence, though not adequate in the measures of purity; we may say methinks not improperly of our recreations and devotions, that the first must be holy, as the last are holy, in the same sense, that we must be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect, which is, in point of similitude, not in a degree of equality; such as analogy must the pleasures of a Christian hold with his prayers of being resembling, though not commensurate in Sanctity.

We may well infer, what an obligation of purity Saint Paul layeth upon Christians, when he saith, Those that are baptized have put on Christ, if we are to consider our selves as clothed with Christ, how can we be too curious and circumspect in point of keeping such a vestiment unspotted? methinks this should be a good glasse for those who are so curious and neat in their materiall clothes and dressings, wherein the least un∣becomingnes or disorder is so much examined; for by a re∣flexion from these words of the Apostle, they may see with * 1.5 what degree of purity they are incharged, methinks this re∣spect may well move them to an exact candour and cleanli∣nesse in their conversation, which is recommended by the holy

Spirit, under the notion of keeping in all times their vestments white and candid.

But I pray God, much of the worlds proprety and decen∣cies, be not affected expresly in order to the staining this our inward garment of Christian purity; this is light enough to all intelligent persons, for an exploring the rectitude or wrynesse of their behaviours in this particular; since even in this vain superficies of neatnesse, they may discern a figure of their Spi∣rituall obligation to purity, whereof Christ doth prescribe to us the preservation by this exact Discipline of Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation: For alas we have the roots of the forbidden fruit, planted in our nature, which shoo•• up continually so fast, as we have work enough to nip and crop off their buds and blossomes, and all unclean liberties, may well be said to be so much dung and filth we cast about these roots, to cherish and set them forwarder; but the ranknes and luxuriancy of our tempers in this kind, ought rather to be the subject of our extirpation, then a ground for ow•• manu∣ring and culture; we might better methinks derive much bash∣fulnesse and confusion from this notion of the pregnancy of our natures towards all these foul productions, then work thus with our fancies, to stir up the earth about these roots▪

They who extract sha••e and humiliation out of the foul∣nesse of their naturall propensions, may be said to do some such cure open themselves, as Christ did upon one of the blind men, to wit, upon their own eyes, by thus laying their own dirt upon them, and those who catch at all occurrencies in discourse, to advance their light impulses, may be said to con∣tinually raising a dust out of their loose earth, to put out not onely their own eyes, but likewise those of the company they frequent.

Referring to this depravation, there is one familiar iniquity, which deserveth a particular animadversion, which is, this, cu∣stome of letting our tongues runne full counter to this Chri∣stian precept, of Watch lest you enter into temptation. For alas how frequent is this practise of watching to lead all words in∣to temptation, by binding and straining even the modest

words of others into a crooked and lascivious sense, this viti∣ousnesse argueth a great sullnesse of the evill spirit, when it runs over with such a waste, even upon the words of our neighbour; and well considered, me thinks this is one of the most censu∣rable parts of this licentiousnesse, in regard it laboureth to taint the whole body of conversation, as it corrupteth the nature of words, which are the Publique Faith, whereupon all innocent discourse must needs trust it selfe; so that this perversion seem∣eth a publick impediment to the commerce of all vertuous communication; wherefore this distorting of equivocall words, which passeth commonly for a triviall peccancy, if it be well examined, will be found a very dangerous admission; for me thinks this may be termed a verball adultery, as it vitiateth and corrupts the property of another, which would have remained innocent without that sollicitation, and therefore seemeth much a fouler fault, then a single incontinency of our own words.

This discourse puts me in mind of a most ingenuous piece of S. Augustines Confessions, upon the reflection on the un∣cleannesse of his youth, whereof my repetition will be suffici∣ent application.

Thou O Lord, Phisitian of my soule, afford some benefit to others by my infirmities, grant that the confession of my evils past, (which * 1.6 thou hast remitted and covered, blessing me with a change of my soule by thy grace) when they are read and heard, may awake and stirre up the hearts of Auditors, that they may not sleep in de∣spaire, and say, alas we cannot rise, but rouse themselves up by the love of thy mercy, and sweetnesse of thy grace, whereby every weake one is sufficiently enabled, who by that influence commeth to be conscious of his own infirmity: Let those I impart this confessi∣on to, lament my ills, and long for my good: all my good is thy pro∣vision and gift, as my evils and faults are thy judgements: Let them sigh for these, and sing thy praise for the other: Let both pitie and praise ascend up to thy sight from the hearts of my bro∣thers, the which are thy incensors, and thou O Lord delighted with the odour of thy holy Temples: have mercy upon me according to thy great compassion, and for thy holy names sake, give not

over what thou hast begunne, but consume totally my imperfecti∣ons.

These words will be too easily applyed, since all those who have known me, cannot be ignorant of my culpablenesse in those particulars against which I have informed in these two Treatises: and truly if I could represent the just shame and con∣fusion I feele in the reflection upon my guiltinesse in this kind, I believe it would undeceive many, in their opinion of the light∣nesse of such faults; for we may learn by what meanes hu∣mane nature is the likeliest to be moved unto Reformation, by the Proposition of the unhappy rich man in the Gospell, who concluded that his brothers would certainly be converted, if they had one sent back to them from the dead, to preach and represent their sufferings; and surely I may passe for one retur∣ned as it were from the death and grave of these sinnes, where∣in I lay the deepest buried of any; so that I may truly acknow∣ledge in honour of the exceeding indulgence of God, Great is thy mercy toward me, and thou hast delivered my soule from the * 1.7 lowest hell, wherefore in all humility I offer up this short Petiti∣on to my deliverer.

Lord I beseech thee, let this my resuscitated voice, carry some powerfull effect to such of my bretheren as it shall come unto, re∣porting the painfull remorse these faults require for expiation; and while I stand here, brought by thy clemency to do this just and pub∣licke penance in these penetentiall sheets, grant that the admonition may prove as efficacious to others, as the confusion is sensible to me, who humbly acknowledge, that as the chiefe of sinners I have therefore obtained mercy, that in me first of all Christ Jesus might shew all patience, to the information of those that believe in * 1.8 him to life everlasting.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mark 5.
• * 1.2

  1 Thes. 5. 20.
• * 1.3

  James 3.
• * 1.4

  1 Cor. 6. 20.
• * 1.5

  Ecclesiastes
• * 1.6

  Confes. Aug. l. 1. 10. Ch. 3. 4.
• * 1.7

  Psal: 85. 13.
• * 1.8

  1 Tim. 1. 16.