SERMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV, C3. 295
those offices of discourse by wliich the sonl would otherwise reflect upon him. A man that desireth a precious jewel, at first he vieweth it with greediness and delight, but afterwards he layeth it up in his bosom, and wholly pleaseth himself in the possession of it ; so the soul that thirsts after Christ pleaseth itself in the consideration of his beauty and perfection, and dwells upon it with religious thoughts, but afterwards love growing very strong, and being heightened unto the utmost degree, shutteth the eyes of our souls, and we only please our- selves in a more intimate feeling, and in the sweetness of our embraces. Great and high affections must needs hinder the use of reason, because all our strength and vigour runneth out into one faculty, and then such a poor limited creature as man is cannot attend other offices and em- ployments of the soul. It is very notable in the whole life of Christ that he had no ecstasy, propter maximam capacifatem supernaturalem animce, because of the extraordinary perfection of his person, and the large capacity of his soul ; he had a transfiguration, yet all the while in the midst of that he had a temperate use of reason. Mat. xvii. The disciples were indeed surprised by those glimpses and emissions of his glory ; they were overwhelmed, so that ' they fell on their faces, and ■were sore afraid,' ver. 6. Poor man, being of a lesser capacity, cannot sufi'er such a feeling and high tide of affection without some transpor- tation and ravishment beyond the support of reason, for the strength and vigour of his soul is melted out to Christ in love. Now the soul being of a limited power and capacity, the more strongly it attendeth one office and function, the less can it serve others. Look, as a flame, when it ascendeth, endetli in a point, and groweth narrower and thinner, so such high flames and such glorious ascents of afi'ection usually mind but one thing, and do not permit the soul any variety of discourse, but fix it in one thought, and in one steady and deliberate gaze.
4. Usually such experiences of God's children are given in to them in the most social duties. As in the time of prayer ; Peter's trances fell upon him in prayer. Ordinary ecstasies carry some proportion with that which is extraordinary, and usually the soul flames out to God, and breaks forth in religious accents in the time of prayer. And go such strong affection oversets the soul in the time of the Lord's supper: Cant. v. 1, 'Eat, 0 friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, 0 beloved.' Be drunk with loves. That whole song concerneth our com- munion with Christ in heaven and in the ordinances ; above all, in the ordinance of the supper, which is the pledge of heaven. So also in the height of meditation ; when the soul hath been spent and much exercised itself in that work, after the labour of meditation God giveth in this silence and rest in the steady contemplation of his love and glory, and the mind being inflamed and heightened with spiritual thoughts and exercises, suftereth a kind of transportation. It is very notable that those ravishments that were between Christ and the spouse were in the palm-tree: Cant. vii. 8, 'I said, I will go up to the palm-tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof ; now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples.' There Christ would satisfy himself with the church's breasts, and there she should be satisfied with his love. The palm-tree hath a long naked bark, and carrieth all its leaves, branches and fruits upwards ;
296 SERMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV. 63.
it noteth the religious ascent of the soul in spiritual exercises, when the thoughts do not run out in underwood and lower branches, in earthly thoughts and carnal distractions. Well, then, in the top of the palm-tree there we taste the sweetness of Christ, and the soul is ravished and spiritually made drunk with the clusters of his grapes,
5. These experiences, where God seeth fit to give them, are given to persons of much holiness and religion : Mat. v. 8, ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' Those bright and clear souls are more fit to enjoy the sight of God ; when by constant and daily exer- cise the heart hath been subdued to a religious frame, the Lord may then give in those ravishing sweets, and those gazes upon his beauty and glory. There are degrees in the sense of God's love. Hypocrites have but a taste and a little sip, as the merchant that selleth wine will give a taste to those that do but cheapen it. Christians whose spirits are not defecated or cleared from the clouds of passion or purged from the dregs of carnal interests seldom meet with those sweet and rich experiences ; to such an intimate discerning the senses had need be exercised. The lute had need be rightly strung and tuned that maketh a ravishing melody ; easy, lazy, and gross hearts feel none of these rapt motions and strong qualms of affection : God usually gives them to those that are purged and purified.