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

§. VI.

The Conclusion; Regulating all humors in this probation.

THere are many men of such a mould of earth, as the stony ground in the Gospel, who are quick in their conception of vertue, and active in the first im∣pressions of the right and justice of their party, and so their actions are forward, and eminent in fair seasonable weather; but if the heat of disaster beat upon them, for want of a w••ll-rooted constancy on the ground of true fortitude, they shrink and wither as fast as they did shoot out at first; when they first begin to be followers of vertue, they should remember what our Savior said to his Disciples, Blessed is he * 1.1 who shall not be scandalized at me; for in the attendance on goodness in this world, we shall often see it suffering and affronted.

They who will serve under the Militia of the King of kings, must take the Covenant of Longanimity, in which con∣sists the best part of the honor of a Christian; for, as our great Master saith, If you love but where you are beloved, do not the Gentiles do as much? so if you are zealous while you are prosperous, every unworthy person hath this kinde of honor to shew for his nobility; but when you are to endure the test of loving of Enemies, that is, humbly to embrace all advers accidents, and to close with them, to wrastle still, ra∣ther then flye from the Lists where they are triumphing, when as the Prophet says, Strange lords have dominion over us, * 1.2 this is the sincere tryal of honor, even in morality; in which, this perilous perseverance (it may be) i•• but a counsel

of perfection; but in cases of Divinity, I am sure, it is a precept, as the Apostle saith in the name of our Master, If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in * 1.3 him.

Hence it is, that as any defection from a good Cause is odious in Gods sight, so too much solicitude and vehemen∣cy, in relation to a quick issue out of our engagements, look unhandsomly in Gods eyes; for there is always a great sha∣dowing of Self-love woven with this colour of our zeal to Justice, in this impatient appetite of Success.

Our Savior Christ at his remove from his dearest fami∣liars upon earth, in a gentle reprehension to them in this point of earnestness, hath left us an order for our depen∣dance quietly upon the common course of his Providence, without any inquisitive scruting into the times of such E∣vents, as the cause may promise: For when they desired to know the time of his restoring their kingdom who were of his own house, his answer was a kinde of soft increpa∣tion to them, and a strong instruction to all times, It is not your part to know the times, nor the seasons which the Father hath * 1.4 put in his own power: This is a prerogative our Soveraign communicates unto none; but as he proceeded to com∣fort again those friends he had check'd, we have our share in their compensation, for he doth impart to us also his Holy Spirit, which may assist and consolate us in the perplexities of all Times and Seasons.

Let us therefore, by the residence of this Comforter with us, endeavor to correct our Nature in her promptitude and hastiness in our distresses, to make Gideons question to the Holy Spirit, If the Lord be with us, why are all these ills be * 1.5 f••ln us? and to conclude, Sure the Lord hath left us, and de∣livered us up to our enemies, Let us procure rather to make the answer of Eli to Sa〈…〉〈…〉 in acceptance of Gods Judge∣ments, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good to him: If we remain in this temper, we may boldly say with King Da∣vid, The Lord will not be angry for ever; he will judge the world * 1.6

in equity, and the people in his truth: therefore I will hope always, and will yet praise him more and more: Thus with the Psalmist, keeping God at our right hand, we shall not be moved, or dejected by any sinister Events in a sincere Cause.

There is a far different superstition in the pertinacy of the Pharisees, and the facility of some people; for they in a shower of Miracles falling down upon them, to anounce to them the time of the change of their Law, still called for a Sign from Heaven to authorize that Doctrine; and some people are so prone to change their Law, as they call Natural Accidents, that favor their dispositions, Signs from Heaven to warrant their innovations. As the first were said to have eyes, and not to see, so these last may be said to see without eyes; for their imaginations seem to them so illuminate, as the eye of their Reason is dazled when it looks against them: Such fancies commonly love to cast in troubled waters, and upon all successful draughts, they do (as the Prophet saith of them) * 1.7 Sacrifice to their own net, and offer incense to their drag, wor∣shipping in a maner their own Spirit, which they have be∣fore invocated for their directer: Thus while they are so confident Expositors of the letter of Humane Contin∣gencies, they are better Interpreters of Fortune then of Providence.

They who are emboldened by the advantages, or abashed meerly by the miscarriage of a Cause of which they have reason to believe God to be the conducter, do as if the chil∣dren of Israel should have thought God had been more in the Pillar of Fire, then in the Cloud, because it was a plea∣santer object: The true children of Abraham, the sons of Faith, follow the Cloud of Gods Judgements, as confi∣dently as the Flames of his manifest Kindeness, and mur∣mure not at the waters of Contradiction, which they are often put to drink in this peregrination.

St. Augustine says elegantly; That every one would be content to overtake Christ at his home, but few are constant in following him in the way; there is a contrary inordinate∣ness

in our Nature in the point of Gods Providence, for most are curious to follow with their ratiocinations the traces and steps of it upon Earth, and few are content to be transported immediately to the home thereof, which is Heaven; that is, we commonly affect an enquiry into the Reasons of second Causes, and are busie in guessing at Gods meaning by them, rather then resort directly to the inscru∣table order of Gods Providence in all Events, and so rest upon the faithful resciance of his Reasons: This course is the overtaking of Gods Providence at home, and not the tracking it curiously abroad, in the prints and traces thereof as it passeth through the world.

This last ought to be the course of a Christian, to whom Christ hath left his Faith in the equity of Gods uni∣versal Providence, as the Apostle saith of his other Do∣ctrines, That we may not be like Children, tossed to and fro with every kinde of Fortune, by which our great Enemy, the Prince of the Ayr, raiseth continually change of winds, to toss us, and carry us away into an opinion of that airy Deity of Fortune, which he hath set up for the Devotion of the worlds Fancy.

I may pertinently then conclude with Saint Peter, in this case of Temptation to the Primitive Christians, Think * 1.8 it not strange, concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; it may be the time is come, that Judgement must begin at the house of God; in which case we have this excellent advice from God by the Prophet Isaiah, Go my people into thy chambers, shut * 1.9 thy doors upon thee, be hid for a moment, till the indignati∣on pass.

Whereupon I will sum up all my resolutions with this ex∣cellent Exhortation of that most holy King David, in his most depressed condition, Expect the Lord, do manfully, and thy * 1.10 heart shall be strength〈…〉〈…〉d: I say, wait on the Lord; for they who have taken Gods Word for their repose, and ac∣quiescence against the corrupted Testimonies of their own

impatient humors, will by a blessed experiment attest the truth of this Asseveration of the same afflicted King, and beloved Saint, Blessed is the man whom thou chasti••est, O * 1.11 Lord, and teachest him out of thy Law, that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luk. 7. 23
• * 1.2

  Isa. 26.
• * 1.3

  Heb. ••0. 38.
• * 1.4

  Acts 1.
• * 1.5

  Judges 6. 13.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 102.
• * 1.7

  Habac. 2.
• * 1.8

  1 Pet. 4•• 12.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 26. 20
• * 1.10

  Psal. 26. 19.
• * 1.11

  Psal. 94. 12,