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

§. II.

Some subtile temptations detected, and liberties reproved.

PRophane Passion is a flame in our sensitive Appetite, which doth commonly refine and subtilize the faculty of our imagination, enabling the fancy very much to circumvent the reason, suggesting this beliefe to many, that we may easily proportion a correspondence between our affections to sensible and spirituall objects, setting them in the due sub∣ordination of the sence to the understanding; and when this or∣der is settled in our minds, we are perswaded there may be al∣lowed this intelligence, (which passeth often between the grea∣test distances of degrees) that what appertaines properly to the dignity of spiritualities, may be borrowed sometimes inno∣cently, and applyed to adorne and grace the worth of materi∣all goods: and after this manner I suppose we may accommo∣date these attributes of divine and heavenly, and many other such jewels of the crown of God, to illustrate the accomplish∣ments of corporeall blessings.

In this method many Lovers seeme to thinke they may use Gods spirituall Altar, as we do his material Altars in Churches

from whence the ornaments are borrowed and transposed from one to another, according to different solemnities, for many use as familiarly all the proprietyes of divine love for the gracing of their passion, as if God had lent them his attri∣butes to set off the shrine of their affections, which do usually stand dressed up with Sacred vessels, with all the termes of veneration and adoring, and thus doth our unfaithfull coun∣cellor perswade us in effect to set up altar against altar, upon pretence of a faire correspondence between Grace and na∣ture.

This is truly to be blinded by the God of this world, (as the A∣postle saith) to treat any such compartition of our heart, be∣tween our faith and our fancy, applying alternatively the same expressions of estimation to them both, when we know all the appurtenances to Gods altar, are so fastned to it by his own hand, as the very borrowing of them for secular uses is sacriledge.

The same composition of oyntment, which God did appro∣priate to the services of the Tabernacle, was forbid to be im∣ploy'd upon bodyes in the delicacies of the flesh, under the same paine as sacriledge, and that confection of perfumes, which was peculiarly Gods odour, was not to be compound∣ed for any common application; and when we poure out so familiarly Gods attributes upon our loves, as an unction of suavity and delicacies upon flesh and blood, and perfume our passions with the same composition of prayses and exaltati∣ons which are properly affected to divine uses; we do certain∣ly incur this kind of irreligious presumption, and how fami∣liar this loose effusion is of all the most Sacred termes upon this subject of our passion, I need not argue, but enter this ill custome as a high indignity to God, though it passe com∣monly for no more then a light intemperancy of the fan∣cy which is little questioned; truly it is most an end the foul ardor kindled in the heart, that seeths this uncleane froth out of the mouth which staineth all the Moral virtues it toucheth; for prophanenesse taints wit, and civility, and all other good

qualities it runnes through; and so though prophane love may sharpen the brain, it alwayes sowreth the heart, which is the vessell of devotion; if there be then many hearts farre from God, while they honour him with their lips, we may safely con∣clude no heart can be neer to God, while the lips are so farre from honouring him, as leading out his propertyes.

Wherefore let no body presume that they may innocently convert a hymne into an Iopean, that is, to transferre the prerogative prayses of divinity to the flattery of his owne Diana.

In the religion of the heathen Romanes, every one had their houshold gods, that did not derogate from the honor of those they worshipped in the Temples, each one was allowed his Genius, each family their Penates for familiar gods at home, which they observed & loved more, though they feared not so much as their state gods: methinks they that would maintaine a consistancie betweene those two altars of humane passion, and divine love, take the priviledges of that religion allowing themselves their Genius or fancy for a domestick god, which they affect more, though they acknowledge not so much as their Church of God.

But the reason why the Gods of the heathens did admit this association, was, that they were not jealous Gods, and cared as little for the singlenesse of the heart, as they knew the secrets thereof; whereas our God is just the contrary, both a jealous and an Omniscient God; and as all hearts are his, not onely by creation, but by purchase with no lesse a price then all his love, so it cannot be expected, he should receive hearts back againe with lesse then all their love.