A treatise of adhering to God; written by Albert the Great, Bishop of Ratisbon. Put into English by Sir Kenelme Digby, Kt. Also a conference with a lady about choyce of religion.

CHAP. V. Of the purity of heart, which above all things is to be aymed at.

IF therefore you desire to walke in the straight and direct way that will bring you readily and safely to your journeys end, both of grace in this life, and of glo∣ry in the next, you must with a constant and never interrupted attention, employ all the diligence and industry you are able to purchase a perpetuall cleanenesse of heart and purity of mind, and untroubled∣nesse of senses. You must recollect as it were into one burning point all the incli∣nations and affections of your Soule, and cast it upon God, and fixe it irremove∣ably upon him. Which to doe efficaciously you must withdraw your selfe from the conversation of your friends, and indeed

of all mankind (as much as is possible for you) and from all businesse of what kind soever that may in any sort divert or retard this designe of yours, laying hold of all conveniences that may beget a quiet∣nesse and tranquillity in your soule, and may advance your contemplation: beta∣king your selfe for that purpose to the si∣lence and solitude of some close retreate, where you may lye secure at anchor, free from the Rocks and dangers of this fading life (against which so many doe suffer unhappy shipwrack) and be sheltered from the noisefull stormes of the deceitfull world. But while you are in this haven you must not grow remisse, as though now all dangers were past, and your worke were at an end; but you must see your selfe with a continuall vigilancy to keepe your outward senses strongly shut, and to watch narrowly your owne hart; so as no enemy may breake in upon it, and cause in it any disquiet, or taint the purity of it with the drossie images of sensible and terrene ob∣jects. This purity of heart is the top of all spirituall exercises, and is the end for which he that aspireth at Evangelicall perfection, forsaketh the world; and is the compensation that in this life he can have

of all his labours. And therefore you must strive with all earnestnesse to free your heart, and to sequester your senses and affections from all objects whatso∣ever that may hinder the liberty of your spirit, or that may have any power to draw or inveigle, or bind you to them. And you must summe up all the affecti∣ons of your soule, and recollect all the dispersions of your heart, and fixe them inseparably upon that true and supreame good, which being but one, and in it selfe most simple, containeth all good in it. And by such close adhesion to God, and dereliction of all created objects, and rejecting of all terrene and fraile affections, you must endeavour to trans∣forme your heart through Jesus Christ in∣to a kind of divine nature; and when once you come to thrive so happily in this high imployment, of unclothing and purifying your imagination from all species and images residing in it, and of refining and exalting your heart to such a simplicity that it can rest no where but in God, and that you now begin to suck in∣to the bowels of your soule pure streames from the fountaine of his divine provi∣dence, and that you relish them savourly,

and that you unite your selfe to him by conforming your self in every thing to his divine will; then this alone, this single exercise is all that you need busie your self about. This will suffice for your whole occupation. In this will be summed up all your other studies; your reading and me∣ditating of the holy scriptures, your lov∣ing of god and of your neighbour. And in a word, this will bring you to the high∣est degree of perfection that this life is ca∣pable of, by such wayes and paths as no man is able to delineate, but are purely the work of the holy Ghost within you, and of his unction. Let therefore all your study, endeavour, and labour be to reduce your heart unto such a simplicity, that be∣ing unmoveable at the strokes of all out∣ward objects upon your fantasie, you may repose your understanding, and settle your affections with such tranquillity, and fixednesse in God, within your selfe, as if your soule were already arrived to that happy state of unvariable Eternity, in which the present fruition of the all-com∣prehending divinity so overreacheth all times and actions, that there is nothing either past or to come in relation to it; and therefore can admit no change or vi∣vicissitude

of accidents. And this is attain∣ed by forsaking and abandoning your selfe entirely without any restriction, for the love of Jesus Christ; and casting your selfe upon God with a pure heart, and a firme confidence in his all-seeing provi∣dence; and resigning your selfe with an unmoved patience and security in all e∣vents and tribulations to his Fatherly dis∣posing of you. But this cannot be effected, unlesse you turne continually inwards, and there treat closely with your owne heart, without ever wandring astray out of it, and that you deliver your selfe (as far as it is possible) from all outward impli∣cations, and that you keep the eye of your soule in a perpetuall purity and tranquillity, and that you preserve your understanding from all commerce with the formes and images of inferior and transitory things; and that you weane the affections of your will from all terrene and fading goods, and settle them with the whole activity of your soule upon the only true supreame good; and that you raise and fixe your memory upon a con∣tinuall representation of that essentiall and uncreated good; and that thus your soule, with all the powers and faculties

of it, absorbed up in God Almighty, doe become one spirit with him, which is a∣greed on all hands to be the highest perfecti∣on that in this life mans nature is capable of. For by this union of spirit and love with God; and by such conformity, or ra∣ther transformation of your will to Gods eternall wil; you become by grace, such as God is by nature. And you may lay up this for an infayleable truth, that in the very instant wherein a man is enabled by Gods assistance to overcome his own will, by casting from him all inordinate love and sollicitude, and by delivering himself totally in all his necessities into Gods hands, to dispose and steer his course as he pleaseth; he by this becommeth so accep∣table to God almighty, that he presently replenisheth him with his grace, by which is kindled such a fire of charity and de∣lection in his soule, as immediatly expel∣leth all ambiguity and feare, and fastneth his hope and confidence in God. And cer∣tainly no condition can be so happy, as to rely securely on all occasions upon him, who we are sure hath no defect in his nature. Therefore if at any time you find a wavering in your owne thoughts, or an inclination to any sollicitude for ought

that may have happened unto you, throw your selfe with a carelesse security into his armes; and he will imbrace you, and cure your feares, and will deliver you from the assaults, and from all danger of it. Beleive it, those points if you duly rumi∣nate, and digest them within your owne heart; will more conduce to make your life happy, then if you abounded with all the riches, delights, honours, wisdome and knowledge that this deceitfull world can bestow upon her favourites; & that in them you exceeded all the men that have ever lived.