The divine life in three treatises

But I have been stopped in these admirations by considering that the wise Creator hath fitted and ordered all his Creatures according to the use which he designeth them to: And therefore as the eye must be receptive only of so much light as is proportioned to its use and pleasure, and must be so distant from the Sun, that its Light may rather guide, than blind us, and its Heat ⟨p. 193⟩may rather quicken, than consume us; so God hath made our understandings capable of no other knowledge of Him here, than what is suited to the work of holiness: And while we have Flesh, and fleshly works to do, and lawful necessary business in the world, in which Gods own commands employ us, our souls in this Lantern of the body, must see him through so thick a glass, as shall so far allay our apprehension, as not to distract us, and take us off the works which he enjoineth us. And God and our souls shall be at such a distance, as that the proportionable Light of his countenance may conduct us, and not overwhelm us; and his Love may be so revealed, as to quicken our desires, and draw us on to a better state, but not so as to make us utterly impatient of this world, and utterly weary of our lives, or to swallow us up, or possess us of our most desired happiness, before we arrive at the state of happiness. While the soul is in the body, it maketh so much use of the body (the brain and spirits) in all is operations; that our wise and merciful Creator and Governor, doth respect the body as well as the soul in his ordering, disposing, and representing of the objects of those operations: so that when I consider that certainly all men would be distracted, if their apprehensions of God were anywhit answerable to the Greatness of his Majesty and Glory (the Brain being not able to bear such high operations of the soul, nor the greatness of the passions which would necessarily follow) it much reconcileth my wondering mind, to the wise and gracious providence of God, even in setting innocent nature it self at such a distance from his Glory (allowing us the presence of such Grace, as is necessary to bring us up to Glory) Though it reconcile me not to that doleful distance which is introduced by sin, and which is furthered by Satan, the world, and the flesh, and which our Redeemer by his Spirit and Intercession must heal.

But I have been stopped in these admirations by considering that the wise Creator hath fitted and ordered all his Creatures according to the use which he designeth them to: And therefore as the eye must be receptive only of so much light as is proportioned to its use and pleasure, and must be so distant from the Sun, that its Light may rather guide, than blind us, and its Heat