Discourses upon several divine subjects by Tho. Gregory ...

COLOS. iii. 2.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the Earth.

THAT 'tis our Interest, as well as Duty, to set our Affection on things above, not on things on the Earth, I shall (without any preliminary Discourse) briefly evince from these following Reasons.

• I. Because they only are proportion'd to the utmost Capacity of the Soul, and consequently they only can yield her true Satisfaction; whereas all things here are vain, insufficient, em∣pty, and unsatisfying.
• II. Because they only are Permanent, Sure, and Certain; whereas all things here are frail, short, and un∣certain.
• ...

• III. Because they only refine and spiri∣tualize our Nature, widen and enlarge our Faculties, and so fit and prepare us for the spiritual and abstracted Entertainments of an Immortal and Divine Life; whereas all things here degravate and weigh down the Soul, reach out to her that Cup of Oblivi∣on, which makes her forget her own Nature and Excellencies, and inglori∣ously to take up with the enjoyments of Brutes.

1. 'Tis our Interest, as well as Duty, to set our Affection on things above, not on things on the Earth, because they only are proportion'd to the utmost Capacity of the Soul, and consequently they only can yield her true Satisfaction; whereas all things here are vain, insufficient empty, and unsatisfying. Whoever diligently at∣tends to the Workings of his own Mind, and seriously considers the Bent, Appetites, and Inclinations of his Soul, will soon find her to be of so exalted a Nature, that not all the Good of the Creation, tho' amass'd together and fully enjoy'd, would be able to terminate her Desires, to employ the whole Activity of her Love, to fix her en∣tire weight, or to detain and give Ancho∣rage

to her boundless Aspirations. The voluptuous Epicurean (whatever he pre∣tends) can never satisfie the Cravings of his Soul with Corporeal Pleasure, nor the most Quintessential Stoick find an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Self-sufficiency and Tran∣quility within his Breast, arising out of the Pregnancy of his own Mind and Rea∣son. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Our Souls have strong and weighty Motions, and nothing can bear them up, but something permanent and immutable. They Sink through all these present Entertainments, as a Stone does through a watery Medium, till at length it happily arrives to its own proper Center. They may indeed enjoy so much of this or that particular Object, as to desire no more of it; but then their Desires are still running out after some other Objects; and when they have ob∣tain'd and enjoy'd them too, they still re∣main as dissatisfy'd as before. The Eye is not satisfy'd with seeing, nor the Ear with hearing, says Solomon. Tho' they are the widest of all the Senses, and can take in more abundance with less Satiety, and serve more immediately for the Supplies of the Rational Soul; yet a Man's Eye strings may even crack through Vehe∣mency of Poring, and his Ears be fill'd

with all the Variety of the most exquisite Sounds, Harmonies, and Lectures in the World; and after all, his Soul within him be as greedy to see and hear more as it was at first. Hence arise Distractions of Heart, anxious and carking Thought for to Mor∣row; Rovings and Inquisitions of the Soul after infinite Varieties of earthly things; sparklings of the Lust; Swarms of Endless Thoughts; those Ebbings and Flowings, those Tempers and Aestuations of that Sea of Corruption in the Heart of Man, because the Soul can find no Center here to rest upon, nothing large enough for the Enter∣tainments of so ample and so endless a Guest. In short, We may (I confess) refresh our selves with the Excellencies of the Creatures, and discover such variety of Sweetness and Beauty in their Natures, as will plentifully entertain us with de∣lightsome Speculations. But for pure Rest and Peace, for plenary Acquiescence and Termination of Desires, 'tis no where (as I have elsewhere shewn at large) to be found within the whole Latitude of the Creation. Nay, This is confirm'd by the ingenuous Confession of One, who was the most Experienc'd of all the Sons of Adam for Enquiry, the most wise for Contri∣vance, the most wealthy for compassing

all Earthly Delights: Who, many years sifted out the finest Flour, and tortur'd Nature to extract the most exquisite Spirits, the purest Quintessence, which all the Varieties of earthly Delights could afford. Who yet at last had nothing better to say of them all, than that they were Vanity and Vexation of Spirit. I have seen ( says he) all the works that are done under the Sun, and behold All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit.

This (I say) is our case with all these present Entertainments: They smilingly offer themselves to our Embraces, and de∣ceitfully promise us all the Satisfaction our Hearts can desire. But when we have once taken them into our Arms, they im∣mediately fade and pine away in our very Embraces, and leave the Soul weeping and disconsolate for her unexpected Disappoint∣ment.

But now 'tis quite otherwise with the things that are above. No sooner does the Soul pass from her dark Prison into the Mansions of Light and Glory; but in that Paradise of God, where happy Spirits sit down by immortal Streams, entertain∣ing themselves with Songs of Love and Praise, she finds perfect Satisfaction and Termination of all her desires. Having

joyn'd herself to God (to speak Platoni∣cally) as a Center to a Center, she rests there with full Acquiescence and Compla∣cency. Whatsoever is beautiful and glori∣ous, whatsoever is fair, lovely, and harmoni∣ous in the Face of Nature, she contemplates in the most eminent manner in her Belo∣ved, the Unfoldings of whose Beauty discover to her such Causes of Joy, of Transports, of Extasies and Ravishment of Spirit, that all her Faculties overflow with Joy and Everlasting Gladness. Which brings me to my Second Consideration, which is to shew, that 'tis our Interest, as well as Duty, to set our Affections on things above, not on things on the Earth, because They only are permanent, sure, and certain; where∣as all things here are frail, short, and un∣certain.

2. Now tho' we were born with all the Advantages of an healthful Body and of a chearful Spirit, and blest with all the Cir∣cumstances of Success and Fortune: yet when we have compass'd all our Projects, when we are happy (if possible) to the utmost of our Capacities, when all things conspire to compleat our Felicity, the most pleasant Prospect we can take from this highest pitch of humane Happiness, is the gloomy Regions of approaching Death and

Darkness. The Fatal Sword hangs perpe∣tually over our Heads, and tho' it may possibly hover there for some time, it can∣not be long, before it fall, and cut off the Thread of Life, and so put a final period to all our Mirth and Happiness. 'Tis the irreversible Decree of Heaven, that after a short, mushroom Life, we return into Dust and Silence; and that, when we have floated up and down a few Minutes upon the troublesome Waves of this tempestuous World, we disappear, and Sink back into the grave and bottomless Dungeons of Oblivion. Nay perhaps, whilst we are dancing upon these restless Waves, some violent Accident may pre∣vent the Work of Nature, and suddenly crush the Bubble into its original Nothing. In short, All those Differences, which now so much distinguish the several sorts of Men, must ere long expire, and the Ashes of the Deform'd and Beautiful, of the Learn'd and Ignorant, of the Honourable and Base, lie intermingled together. The Crowns of Kings, and the Shackles of the Prisoners, the Robes of Princes and the Rags of Beggars, the Gallants Bravery and the Peasants Russet, the Statists Policy, the Courtiers Luxury, the Souldiers Gal∣lantry, and the Scholars Curiosity, must

all, ere long, be laid aside in the Melancho∣ly Retirements of the Grave. What then is there in all this World that deserves our Care? What worthy the Thoughts, the Love, the Embraces of an immortal Soul? Alas! were these Things never so good and satisfactory in themselves, yet this single Consideration of their Shortness and Uncertainty, would (like a Moth fretting a Garment) cause all their Beauty to con∣sume away, and constrain the Wise and thinking Few to pronounce them Va∣nity.

But as the Things that are seen, these pre∣sent Entertainments of Sense, are Temporal; so the Things that are not seen, those Glories, Crowns, and Scepters, that expect us in the other World are Eternal. Heaven is an Eter∣nal Sabbath, the Saints Everlasting Rest. Their Inheritance is not only Undefil'd, but incorruptible likewise, and such, as fadeth not away. There they Labour no more, Sin no more, Sorrow no more; but, secure of the Everlasting Fruition of those Unutterable Glories bask themselves in the pleasant Rivers of overflowing Felicity. Their Crowns are set with the invaluable and sparkling Diamonds of Immortality; Their Glory is immarcessible, and suffers no Eclipse; and they follow the Lamb in

white Robes, and shine like the Stars in the Firmament for Ever and Ever. O come then, thou bright and Everlasting Day, and break in upon these sad benight∣ed Souls of ours! Put an End to this toil∣some, this wearisome State, and take us into the possession of thine own Rest and Peace; that these superficial, fallacious Pleasures may never beguile us more, but we securely Sabbatize in the Kingdom of God, the Eternal Comprehensions of Cele∣stial Glory.

3. 'Tis our Interest, as well as Duty, to set our Affection on things above, not on things on the Earth, because They only re∣fine and spiritualize our Nature, widen and enlarge our Faculties, and so fit and pre∣pare us for the spiritual and abstracted En∣tertainments of an immortal and Divine Life; whereas all things here degravate and weigh down the Soul, reach out to her that Cup of Oblivion, which makes her forget her own Nature and Excellencies, and ingloriously to take up with the En∣joyments of Brutes. When the deluded Soul is once taken Captive by the superfi∣cial, false glossing Excellencies of temporary Objects, and suffers herself to be lull'd asleep in the Lap of sensual Enjoyments, they immediately spoil her of her Strength

and Beauty, and betray her into the hands of her immortal Enemies. They entirely shave off those golden Locks, which ren∣dred her at once invincible and comely, and by clipping her radiant and sublima∣ting Wings, confine her to the lower Regi∣ons of Sense and Materiality. Nay, by the delusive Strains of their Magical Songs they so effectually steal away and inchant her Affections, that she grows utterly un∣mindful of her Relations above, and re∣signs herself wholly to their unequal Em∣braces. Her noble Aspirations, which could easily ascend above the utmost Li∣mits of corruptible Nature into the bound∣less Habitations of immortal Blessedness, like heavy terrene Exhalations, arise now no higher than the Regions of Sense; and all the rational and delicious Entertain∣ments of abstracted Contemplations give way to the vile, impure suggestions of an earthly, sensual, and brutish Imagination. In short, They so vastly decline her from her true and natural Point, and sink her so low into the loathsome Faeculencies of the material World, that (as tho' 'twas the Per∣fection of her Nature to be subservient to the Body, and uninterruptedly to enjoy the beggarly Delights and Gratifications of Sensuality) she openly Prosecutes the ex∣alted

Entertainments of the Divine Life with all the Expressions of Rudeness and Disdain, and shamelesly chooseth that for her Portion and Inheritance, which is the particular and discriminating Curse of the Serpent: Ʋpon thy Belly shalt thou go, and Dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.

But now as the scanty disproportionate Enjoyments of Sense naturally debase and impoverish the Soul, so do the Contempla∣tion of spiritual Objects unconceivably im∣prove and enlarge all her Faculties. As when Moses convers'd with his most glori∣ous Maker, and the attending Myriads of Holy Ones upon Mount Sinai, he deriv'd upon his Face such Reflexions of their Beau∣ty, such bright and vivid Irradations of their excellent Glory, that the Children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon it; so when we frequently meditate upon the noble and exalted Beings of the other World, they naturally dilate and expand all our Faculties, sublimate and brighten our enlarged Spirits, till they appear like those of their own Company, Beautiful and Majestick, as the Sons of the Morning. They raise such importunate and insatiable Desires, such towring and seraphick Aspira∣tions in the Soul, as will acquiesce and ter∣minate only in the blissful Enjoyments of

the Supreme Good, the everlasting Fruiti∣on of his incomprehensible Glory. The best Enjoyments, the noblest Entertain∣ments this World can afford, savour of no∣thing now but Dung and Filthiness to their Palates, which can relish nothing but the Dew of Heaven, the spiritual Manna, the Food of Angels, those pure and divine Joys which refresh the Saints above for ever∣more. And thus whereas the Degenerate Soul, which is clogg'd with the Propensi∣ons of the Animal Life, needs no angry Cherub with a flaming Sword to keep her unhallow'd hands from off the Tree of Life, her own corrupted Nature (as the excel∣lent Pythagorean and Academick have long since observ'd) being utterly uncapa∣ble of the Joys of Heaven; this enlarg'd and purify'd Soul, on the contrary, is duly qualify'd for the noblest Entertainments of that exalted State. From the Suitableness and Congruity of her Faculties with the Objects, she will sweetly centre upon those intellectual Pleasures, and most amply spend all her Powers upon the Infinite and Essen∣tial Goodness, as upon her most proper Object, the End of her Being, the Author and Finisher of her Happiness and Glory. In a word, She will go away from her earthly Tabernacle ready tun'd to the Mu∣sick

of Heaven, in the first moment of her Entrance skilfully strike in with the Quires of Angels, and harmoniously raise her Voice to the Songs of Sion.

Thus you have my Reasons which en∣force the Exhortation in the Text. I shall now briefly deduce from them two or three practical Inferences, and conclude.

1. Then, You have seen how vain, in∣sufficient, empty, and unsatisfying all the Profits and Pleasures of this World are: that the whole Earth, tho' chang'd into one Paradise, would not be able to yield the Soul Satisfaction; and likewise if it could, that she is not certain of enjoying it one minute. Let this Consideration then teach us to pray with the Excellent Phi∣losopher, That we may know our selves, and not devote our Exalted Nature to the empty Gayeties of these momentary Bub∣bles; but apply our Minds constantly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to the glorious Realities of the other World, the substantial Entertain∣ments of Life and Immortality. Let it re∣mind us (I say) not to trust in these un∣certain Riches, these broken Reeds, these slender Stays of Vanity, these Impertinen∣cies, Dreams, and Nothings; but to lay up our Treasures in Heaven, those secure and everlasting Store-houses, where no

Thief approacheth, nor Moth corrupteth, nor Death, which blasts all our Enjoy∣ments here, interposeth; but we shall reign Kings and Princes with our God for ever and ever. Let it warn us to be perpetually mindful of our Mortality, and humbly and diligently to wait all the days of our ap∣pointed time, till our Change come. In a word, Let it oblige us to forget those things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before, to press with all possible Vehemence towards the Mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus.

2. You have seen how great and glori∣ous the Rewards that expect us in the other World are; that they are both proporti∣on'd to the utmost Capacity of the Soul, and also will be enjoy'd to all Eternity. Do not you then long for this happy state? and sigh and desire ardently with St. Paul to be dissolv'd, and to be with Christ? Here (as says a Blessed Author) you have hard Working-days, sore Labour and Tra∣vel under the Sun. The Devil assaults you, the World hates you, your own evil Hearts many times distress you, and crazy Bodies discourage you. We are all here clouded with Sin and Misery, and ah! our Vileness is upon us. Let us then bear up our Souls

upon the loftiest Wing of Divine Contem∣plation, and follow our Ascending Lord above this Darkness and miserable Habita∣tions into the radiant Mansions of his Fa∣thers House, the Kingdom of Glory. Let us meditate Day and Night upon that bles∣sed time, when we shall have our Feet up∣on the Top of Mount Sion, and rejoyce in the Felicity of his Chosen, the unfolded and essential Glories of his Divine Counte∣nance, which are too bright for our mor∣tal Faculties, and which none can see and live. When we shall give Thanks with his Inheritance, the blessed Societies of Saints and Angels, and everlastingly enjoy the delicious Repasts of Anthems and Allelu∣jahs: in short, upon the infinite Transports and Ravishments of the Soul in the secure and everlasting Fruition of the Divine Love, upon the mutual Endearments and Caresses of Immortal Spirits, and upon all those glorious things which are spoken by him who made and fully understands them, of the City of God. Let us frequently and seriously (I say) contemplate these things, and they will most assuredly so influence our Wills, and fan the Flame of our Affe∣ctions, that we shall become perfectly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, dead to our selves, and to all the luscious Relishes of the sensual Nature,

continually tending upwards with impor∣tunate Reaches towards heavenly Objects. Then we shall be sufficiently encourag'd to take up the Cross of Christ, and willingly and chearfully undergo all the Afflictions and Tribulations of this Life; well know∣ing, that the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compar'd with the Glory that shall be revealed in us; this light Affliction, which is but for a mo∣ment, working for us 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an infinitely more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory.

Lastly, As our future Happiness pro∣ceeds from the Vision of God, so you have seen, that without Holiness no Man can see him. Let this then excite us to form and fashion the Frame of our Minds into a Like∣ness and Affinity with our Blessed Maker. Let it oblige us to prepare our selves for the Intuition of his Beauty, to purifie our∣selves as he is pure, and to purge, refine, and spiritualize our Nature, that we may be qualify'd for the Possession of our pro∣per Centre, our home and native Region, the Highest Heaven. Let it lead our awak'ned Souls to the Divine Goodness and Philanthropy for the Regulation of

their disorderly and tumultuous Appetites, and induce them humbly and intensly to pray at the Throne of Grace, that they may perfect Holiness in the Fear of God. For when we thus sincerely desire to shake our selves from the Dust, to arise, and put on our beautiful Garments, and to see the King in his Beauty, the Glory of the Lord will be revealed to us, and we shall cer∣tainly behold the Excellency of our God. As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride, solacing himself in the ardent and dear Reciprocations of her Love, so will our God rejoyce over us. He will be in the midst of us, he will save us, he will rejoyce over us with Joy: He will rest in his Love, he will rejoyce over us with Sing∣ing. He will take away all our Dross, and for his Name's sake purifie and cleanse the Corruptions of our Nature, until the Righteousness thereof go forth as Bright∣ness, and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth. In a word, He will vouch∣safe us the most gracious Visitations and Elapses of his Holy Spirit, and never leave letting himself down into us, till he has quite loosen'd us from Sin and from our∣selves, and wrought us up into such a bles∣sed Uniformity with the Divine Nature, as

will make us meet for his amiable Dwel∣lings, the City of Righteousness, where we shall joyfully mention the loving Kind∣nesses of the Lord, and be for ever delight∣ed with the Abundance of his Glory.

Which God, of his Infinite Mercy, grant, &c.

Notes

• Eccles. 1.8.
• Doctrin of a God, and Pro∣vid. Vindi∣cat. & As∣sert. p. 36, 37.
• Eccles. 1.14.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. M. Anton. ad Stips. lib. 5. c. 8. p. 135.
• Vide Simplicii Oratio∣nem apud Jambli∣chum ad calcem no∣tarum. Edit. Ox. eandem videas ad finem Epi∣cteti.
• My Fa∣ther, and Mr. John Gre∣gory, in his post∣humous Discourse of the Mo∣rality of the Sab∣bath, pag. 101.