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

§. I.

How unwillingly our Nature submits to the loss of Liberty and Society.

IN the case we treated last, the Will needed a premonition against the deception of sight; for our Will in fits of Melancholy, looketh commonly through the glass of our Imagination, upon such objects as flatter that humor most: This Perspective of our Fancy is often cut into such angles, as represent various and false colours of perswa∣sions, wherewith the Will is inveigled, such species proving not real when our Reason cometh strictly to oversee them. Therefore in the election of Solitude, the elective faculty was to be instructed against the falacies of discourse, upon which, the Resolution is to be grounded; but this case re∣quireth a different direction: For here, the best course the Will can take to rectitude, is, to be totally blinded and ciel∣ed, that she may make the straighter mount upward to the eternal Will, and not amuse or perplex her self by looking about, with a solicitous inspection into second causes, but may pitch at the first flight upon the primary cause of all Contingencies.

Our Nature requireth much precaution in this aptitude, to intangle us under the pretext of infranchisement, by the

liberty of reasoning out the Causes of all advers Accidents; for in this case of loss of Liberty and Company, our Na∣ture likely seizeth on curious disquisitions of all Humane Reasons, as the next thing she takes hold on, to make com∣pany out of them, and the contrivement of issues out of these straights, is a sort of freedom our Nature takes, as some imaginary reparation in her necessity; by reason wherof these are cōmonly the first occupations wherein our Fancy seeketh some divertisement: and this entertainment may lighten the weight a little, by removing it to and fro in our Fancy, not letting a sad apprehension setle upon our mindes; but all this agitation of discourse, as long as it is but in circum∣ference about this world, and in the element of secondary Causes, is still but a circular motion, which maketh no progression to our end: for till our mindes are risen and fix∣ed upon the supreme Cause, all the various projects and motions of our Fancy, are but cooling a Feaver with ••anning upon the distemper'd patient, where the ayr may afford some exterior refreshment, which may be an inflaming of the dis∣ease; but if our Will be 〈…〉〈…〉eled at first, with the Dove of the * 1.1 Psalmist, she flyeth up immediately to her rest: The sooner then we spread our thoughts upon the wings of Faith, the more haste we make to be lodged in rest and tranquility of Spirit.

Liberty and Society are two so dear Proprieties of Humane Nature, as natural Reason can give no equivalent exchange in satisfaction for them: The Author of Nature can onely recompence this privation of two of the best Functions of our being, and this by a communication of no less then his own Nature, which is, by filling up these breaches with his own Spirit, otherwise our Spirits will certainly remain empty and destitute of peace and consolation: For God, who made Mans Society out of Man himself, hath left the love of Company so inviscerated in him, as that deprive∣ment seemeth now to take more then a rib out of him, even the better half of his Minde seems intrenched from him;

insomuch as his Reason seemeth to be left but one-handed, to minister to him in this Exigence, which would require a reduplication rather for his support; But Nature is so unable to make this supply, as for the redintegrating of his minde, he must resort to a Supernatural suppeditation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 54.