Page 42
§ 3, The four sources out of which ill-rectified desires proceed.
YOu must know, that those restlesse desires which toil us, proceed from four sources: the first and * 1.1 principall whereof is, a Heart void of things Divine; there being not (saith S. Augustine) a more mani∣fest signe, that a soul is not well with God, then, when it entertaineth a multiplicity of desires. Mo∣ses pulled off his shoes before the burning bush, where he saw his eyes cleared by the rayes of the Di∣vine Majesty, (in my opinion) to teach us, that his heart was at an end of its journey, since he had found the Centre of eternall Rest. Whilst the soul of man is out of the limits which God assigned it, well it may find Innes to lodge in, but it never finds a home; But he who knows the way how to accommodate himself, in all things, to the will of God, hath found the industry of an Infinite good, in the accomplishment of his desires.
It is to live like Cain in the region of Instability, and to walk upon a quagmire, daily to entertain so many fresh appetites. Their multiplication witnesseth e∣nough the barrennesse of their purchase; but when one well tasteth God, and finds him to comprehend all re∣lishes; he forsaketh all to follow him, and the Heart hath no more to do, but to please him who is the source of its Contentment.
The second cause of desires, is a promptitude, and a vivacity of the Mind, which bends much to levity, and is not at all balasted by solidity of judgement, whereby the soul is set at liberty to flie after all manner of objects, as bees do after flowers. I will deliver unto you an excellent doctrine, which will teach us, that be∣tween a ship and the heart of a man (if we consider them well) there is much resemblance. The ship is a house * 1.2 of the sea, and the heart is the habitation of the soul, whilst it is in the ocean of this mortall life. The ship goes on the waters, and the heart upon abysses: The ship hath its sails, and the heart its aims: The ship is guided by the rudder, and the heart by prudence: The ship expecteth winds, and the heart the divers motions of its thoughts: The ship feeleth tempests, and the heart passions: the ship feareth rocks, and the heart ob∣stacles: The ship suffers shipwrack under water, and the heart under the gulf of iniquity: The ship in the haven, and the heart in tranquillity.
Now as in the Scripture there are three sorts of ships specified; so there likewise are three manner of hearts. Some compared to ships which carry fruit, are such as * 1.3 are replenished with affections and desires; with plea∣sures and contentments of the world; which are ene∣mies of the present, and perpetually sigh after the fu∣ture. Others, are ships of traffick, which are continu∣ally * 1.4 full of affairs, disturbances, great and little cares, that steal the repose of life from them. The rest are the ships of Tharsus in the Mediterranean sea, which carry * 1.5 great designs, great earthly ambitions, and are very often tossed by most impetuous winds.
The third source of our Appetites is a hot and san∣guine Complexion, which in our heart enkindleth ma∣ny desires like unto a fire made with straw, violent enough in the beginning, but of no lasting: as on the contrary, cold people have fewer desires, but are more pertinacious in the pursuit of them.
It is said we must beware of a man, who hath but one thing to do, because his thoughts being perpetually bent upon one and the same object, he becomes ex∣tremely troublesome to those from whom he desireth the accomplishment of his designe: so must we defend our selves from a man who hath but one desire: especially when it is inordinate; For we may easily escape from such as have many cares. Time wasteth them as fast as he produceth them; it is needlesse to oppose, or much to contradict them: let their minds rest, and you shall find the purpose they had in the morning, to be quite gone by the evening, like the Ephemery, which lives but one day. Now as for those, who have amassed together all the strength of their soul, upon one desire they are immeasurably urgent, and cease not to persecute you untill they have put their wish in execution.
The fourth is a certain crooked winding of a Heart, which is (as it were spungy and insatiable, joyned to a debility of spirit which apprehendeth want and ne∣cessity, and this makes it to fasten upon any thing to help it self.
Tertulliun saith, that all these wandring souls have * 1.6 no other profession in this life, but to be in wish, where they cannot be personally in presence. The end of one desire provoketh them to begin another. Their desires resemble fruits that passe away, which in their latter sea∣son retain some beauty of their first vigour. There are many who esteem it a bitter businesse to expect, and who had rather see their hopes cut off, then to find out the way how to prolong them: but such are born to desire, they are not pleased with a victory already got∣ten; you do greatly wrong them, instantly, to give what they ask, they love even things unlawfull, because they are such, and so soon as they are permitted them, they lose that place which they had before in their heart.