nually afpires to fomething more excellent than himself, either really or apparently, with a defign and inclination to perfect his being. This affection and difpofition of mind all men have, and at all times. Our other paffions ebb and flow like the tide, have their fea ons and periods like intermitting fevers. But this of love, is as conftant as our radical heat, as infeparable as thought, as even and equal as the motions of time. For no man does or can defire to be happy more at one time than at another, because he defires it always in the highest degree poffible. 'Tis true, his love, as to particular objects, may increafe or decrease, according to the various apprehenfions he has of their excellencies; but then, like motion in the univerfe, what it lofes in one part, it gains in another; fo that in the whole it remains always alike, and the fame. Now this amorous principle, which every man receives with his foul, and which is breath'd into him with the breath of life, muft neceffarily have an object about which it may exercife it felf, there being no fuch thing in love (if in nature) as an element of felf-fufficient fire. For tho' we may easily and truly frame an abftract notion of love or defire in general, yet if we refpect iis real exiflence, we fhall as foon find firft matter without form, as love without a particular object. And, as 'tis neceffary to the very being of love that it have an object, fo is it to our content and happiness, that it be a proportionate and fatisfying one; for otherwife, that paffion which was intended as an inftrument of happiness, will prove an affliction and torment to us. Now there is but one fuch object to be found, and that is God. In the application of our paffions to other things, the advice of the Poet is exceeding neceffary,

Quicquid amas cupias placuiffe nimis. Martial. That we should be very cautious how far we fuffer our felves to be engaged in the love of any thing, because there is nothing but difappointment in the enjoyment, and uncertainty in the poffeffion. We muft needs therefore be miferable in our love, un

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lefs God be the object of it. But neither is our happiness fufficiently fecured by making God the object of our love, unless we concentre our whole affections upon him, and (in the ftrictest sense of the • phrafe) love him with all our heart, and with all our Joal. For otherwife, whatever portion of our love does not run in this channel, muft neceffarily fix upon difproportionate and unfatisfying objects ; and confequently, be an inftrument of difcontent to us. "Tis neceffary therefore, to the compleating of our happiness, that that obje&t should engrofs all our affections to it felf, which only can fatisfie them; and (according to the comparison

of an ingenious Platonist) that Marfilius Ficinus, our minds fhould have the fame Tom. 2. pag.3.15. habitude to God, that the eye has to light. Now the eye does not only love light above other things, but delights in nothing else. I confefs, fuch an abfolute and entire dedication of our love to God as this, is not always practicable in this life. It is the privilege and happiness of thofe confirm'd fpirits, who are fo fwallow'd up in the comprehenfions of eternity, and fo perpetually ravish'd with the glories of the divine beauty, that they have not the power toturn afide to any other object. But tho' this fuperlative excellence of divine love, be not attainable on this fide of the thick darkness, it being the proper effect of open vifion, and not of contemplation; yet however, by the help of this latter, we may arrive to many degrees of it; and the more entire and undivided our love is to God, the fewer difappointments and diffatisfactions we shall meet with in the world; which is a very strong engagement to heroick piety.

15. Fourthly, I confider, that the degrees of our reward fhall be proportionable to the degrees of our piety: We fhall reap as plentifully as we fow; and at the great day of retribution, we shall find, that befides the general collation of happinefs, peculiar coronets of glory are prepared for eminent Saints. Indeed, all hearty and fincere lo

vers of God and religion, fhall partake of the glories of the Kingdom; but some shall fit nearer the throne than others, and enjoy a more intimate perception of the divine beauty. All the true folTowers of Jefus fhall indeed feaft with him at the great fupper; but fome fhall be placed nearer to him than others, and ftill there fhall be a beloved difciple that fhall lean on his bofom. I know this doctrine concerning different degrees of glory, is (and indeed what is there that is not) very much queftion'd by fome, and peremptorily deny'd by others; but fince it is fo highly agreeable to the goodness and bounty of God, and to the catholick measures of fenfe and reafon, and is fo mightily favour'd, if not expreffly afferted in many places of Scripture, I fhall not here go about to eftablifh the truth of it; but taking it for granted, do urge this as another confideration of great moment, toward encouraging the practice of heroick piety.

16. Fifthly and laftly, I confider, that we have indeed but very little time to ferve God in. The life of man at longeft, is but short; and confidering how fmall a part of it we live, much shorter. If we deduct from the computation of our years (as we must do, if we will make a true eftimate of our life) that part of our time which is spent in the incogitancy of infancy and childhood, the impertinence and heedlefnefs of youth, in the neceffities of nature, eating, drinking, fleeping, and other refreshments; in bufinefs and worldly concerns, engagements with friends and relations, in the offices of civility and mutual intercourse, befides a thousand other unneceffary avocations; we fhall find that there is but a small portion left, even for the retirements of ftudy, for our improvement in arts and sciences, and other intellectual accomplishments.. But then, if we confider what great disbursements of our time are made upon them alfo, we fhall find, that religion is crowded up into a very narrow compafs; fo narrow, that were not the rewards of Heaven matter of express revelation, 'twould be the greatest prefumption

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fumption imaginable, to hope for them upon the condition of fuch inconfiderable fervices. Since sthen our time of ferving God is fo very short, so infinitely difproportionate to the rewards we expect from him, 'tis but a reasonable piece of ingenuity, to work with all our might, and do as much in it as we can: To fupply the poverty of time by frugal management, and intenfeness of affection; to ferve God earnestly, vigorously, and zealously; and in one days devotion, to abbreviate the ordinary piety of many years. Tis faid of the Devil, that he profecuted his malicious defigns against the church with greater earneftness and vigour, because be knew he had but a short time, Rey. xii. 12. And fhall not the fame confideration prevail with a generous foul, to do as much for God and religion, as the Devil did against them? 'Tis a fhame for him that has but a fhort part to act upon the ftage, not to perform it well, efpecially when he is to act it but once. Man has but one state of probation, and that of an exceeding fhort continuance; and therefore, fince he cannot ferve God long, he should ferve him much, employ every minute of his life to the best advantage, thicken his devotions, halHow every day in his kalendar by religious exercides, and every action in his life by holy references and defignments; for let him make what hafte the can to be wife, time will out-run him. This is a confideration of infinite moment to him that duly weighs it; and he that thus numbers his days, will find great reafon to apply his heart to more than ordinary degrees of wildum.

Contem

Contemplation and Love: Or, the the methodical affent of the Soul to GOD, by the fteps of Meditation.

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CONTEMPLATION 1.

That 'tis necessary Man fhould have some

1.

I

end.

N the depth of folitude and filence, having withdrawn my felf not only from all-worldly commerce, but from all thoughts concerning any thing without my own fphere; I retire wholly into my felf, and there fpeculate the compofition of my intellectual nature.

2. And here, befides that faculty of perception whereby I apprehend objects, whether material or immaterial, without any material fpecies; (which in the Cartefian dialect 1 call pure intelle&) and that other of apprehending objects as prefent, under a corporeal image or reprefentation; (which I diftinguish from the other power of perception by the name of imagination) Ifay, befides thefe two, I obferve an appetitive faculty, whereby incline to apparent good and that either by a bare act of propenfion, or endeavour to unite with the agreeable object; which answers to pure intellect, and may be call'd will, (or rather volition) or by fuch a propenfion of the foul, as is alfo accompany'd with a commotion of the blood and spirits; which anfwers