suck it in at the other senses and make our selves senseles by the organ of sense When our wild apprehensions expose us to scorn and contempt if not to the danger of Schism and Heresy or what else may proceed from the rash and disordered notions of the weak brain of man When we make our selves sick of the Epidemical diseases of self-discontent and the desire of change though a thousand to one for that which is far worse We can pick misery out of others seeming Felicity and like all but what we have â—…ot And when we have got what we longâ—…d for we can long as much to be rid of that 〈◊〉 exchange for a new Vanity of another â—…ame Thus we tire our selves out of one â—…ish into another and through severall Emâ—…loyments run our selves out of breath As if â—…ur short miserable life had not shortnes and â—…isery enough of it selfe but we must catch â—…t all meanes and devises that may shorten the â—…ne and fill up the other If all that we have hitherto said be not eâ—…ough to fill the bosome with excesse of miseâ—…y there is nothing about us but is able to â—…rompt our memories with the sad accesses that â—…re often made to all the former dangers by â—…ome heavy and disastrous event The Earth we tread on hath often deceived â—…er inhabitants and devoured whole Cities on 〈◊〉 suddain The Air we live by hath often infected â—…hole whole Countries anf made the most â—…opulous places a solitary wildernes Fire and Water that we refresh our selves â—…ithall have been the unexpected destructiâ—…n and ruine of many healthy bodies and â—…ourishing states The like may be said of other Creatures â—…at some time or other seem to conspire â—…gainst us But from no Creature do we sufâ—…er more then we do from those of our own â—…ind Man's greatest â—…isery is to fall into the hands of man Homo homini Daemon Nature hath not armed any one Creature with such shrewd weapons to fight against menâ—… as we have invented engines and stratagems and malititious devises to make away one another by whole troupes And yet forsooth Man is he that is naturally Animal politicum a lover of society Man is he that Nature brings forth unarmed as if she intended him for Peace and Charity How many of us then are very unnatural For we find it too true there is no such cruelty as the cruelty of one man to another No such variance as that between man and maâ—… between brother and brother Nay I may come nearer No such variance no such civil wars 〈◊〉 those which we have within our selves 〈◊〉 own Affections and Reason are at the greateâ—… oddes The Body and Soul are not so united but that their dissentions are as great 〈◊〉 any Therefore no wonder if we are often affâ—…cted and vext with other men with our beâ—… friends and kindred For we seldome continue long in peace and good termes with ouâ—…selves And which of us is not conscious of somâ—… bitter conflicts that we have had with ouâ—… own passions if we be not ruled by them which is far worse To say nothing of the cruel whippes and lashes that some have had from their own conscience too This is the top of all the misery that can fall upon man Hardly can we adde any thing to this fulnes Put altogether you will say we have heard enough in confirmation of this truth though only by way of Instance and Induction Where the very reckoning up of the Particulars is able to tire and convince us and make us willing to be freed from any further proof XX. The close and fruit of the former Meditations I Hope the pious and heedfull Reader will find out sometime seriously to weigh the former Advertisements which are fit and proper Motives not onely to humble us but to weane us from too much love of a short and miserable life and from doting upon wealth and honour which may leave us or we them we know not soone For our life is so uncertaine that in our greatest strength and hope it is but a puff of breath in our nostrels that puts a difference between our estate and the estate of the dead And againe in this little uncertaine time so full of trouble that every particular Day hath his full measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sufficient to the day is the evill thereof saith our blessed Saviour himself Mat 6. 34. And if that move us not yet remember that while we procrastinate and spin out the time that spends so fast of it self Vengeance and Damnation do not sleep 2 Pet. 2. 3. While we go on securely live as we list and rant it we know not who sets all upon the score Therefore let us not defer our amendment and reconcilement to God and our selves Let us quickly make sure for those Cordials and Supports that will stand us in most stead when the cup of our Affliction is fullest and the tide of our miseries begin to overflow And withall Let the short continuance of us and our misery here teach us not only to be the more patient our short sufferings working an eternal weight of Glory but the more valiant too and the more desirous of employment wherein to expresse our selves In other cases the more the hazard is the more we rouse up and are pleased with the fair occasions that we have to show our Valour Optat Aprum aut fulvum descendere monte leonem i e. the love of our credit will make us slight all danger But in all cases we take good encouragement from the thought of the reward And why should we not here For If shortnes of time and fulnes of misery cannot awake us this I hope will that they which live well shall have them both answered with length of time and fulnes of joy in the presence of God where there are pleasures for evermore I intend to say more of that fulnes but first I will conclude what hath been said with this Morning prayer following that may help to prepare us for the busines of the day A Morning Prayer IN all that we shall do this day prosper thou O Lord the work of our hands O prosper thou our handy-work Ps. 90. 17. In all that we shall think or say let the words of our mouth and the Meditations of our heart be such as may be ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our Redeemer Ps. 19. 14. that thou maist for ever vouchsafe to be with us both in life and death Wherein for the short time of our life here give us grace so to behave our selves as in thy presence fearing nothing so much as thy displeasure hating and sorrowing for nothing so much as our sins loving and joying in nothing so much as in Thee and thy glory And for the time of our Death wee beseech thee in thy good providence and mercy so to order it that we be not found either unprovided or unwilling to
they that have looked into the shortnes and misery of our life could never find any comparison low enough They that call it Vanity in the Abstract when they think better upon it will rather call it Vanity of Vanities the Abstract of that Eccles. 1. They that expresse it by a Day when they find it proves not alwaies so long will rather correct their expression by a shadow of that day or if that be too much umbra declinata My dayes are like a shadow declining saith holy David Ps. 102. 11. For alas to make our Life a whole day is to fit the comparison to them that live to their full Age. But what if they dye in the Noon-time of their day what if they dye in the morn of their Age what if the Sun set suddainly upon them as soon as it is up Jer. 15. 9. Nay what if Death enter into the very chambers of the Womb and cut off the thread of their life before they see light Can their life be expressed by a Day No a shadow and a shadow declining is little enough for that So soon do some bury their Day and never restore it so soon doth their Sun set and never rise again before it climbe the half ascent of Nature and so brittle we are all of us like the vessels of the Potter That Pot goes first that gets the first blow not that which was first made Such be our Bodies at the best Houses of Clay Jsb. 4. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 1. every day mouldring away and ready to fall And so weak that even Meat and Drink the very staffe of life the props of this ruinouâ—… house do as often prove the occasion of falling as any thing else But when the best course is taken we cannot say our Life is like a Body which though it be never so swift may have some obstacles withoâ—…t to hinder it in the speed It is like a shadow that cannot be stayed by any outward resistance or any thing within us The Sun onely it is that lends it to us and takes it along with him in his swift motion though many times so sliety that we cannot perceive it For who seeth the shadow as it passeth along upon the Diall yet stay but a while and who cannot see that it is passed So it is with us whether we move or rest wake or sleep take notice of it or let it alone our shadow still walks on till it meet with the shadow of Death Whence it comes to passe many a time that like those which are asleep in a Ship that is beaten along with a lofty wind we are brought into our Haven before we ever dreamed of measuring so much as half the way And so before the time we expected we are laid up in the Treasury of Nature in the Dormitory of many Saints whence there is no return to our former mansions Those places of former acquaintance will know us no more For when we dye we are like water poured out that cannot be gathered up again 2 Sam. 14 14. When we are laid asleep in the grave we have taken up our lodging there as in domo aeternâ Eccles. 12. 5. No thought of removing while the world continues XVIII A view of our frailty taken from the consideration of our first Materials THat what we have said of the Duty and Hazard of every Day may take the deeper impression somewhat may be added concerning our first Principles in the Day of our Creation Of all the Elements God then made choice of the Earth to be our matter and of all sorts of Earth He derived Man and his Name too from the basest slimy contemptible part of the Earth That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which gives the name to Adam or Man The Aegyptian darknes had light enough to discover this truth unto us For hence it was that in their Natalitia they had a custome to make them a Posie of Herbes and those stinking herbes such as grow in their fenny and foggy places to show the Affinity we have with Mire and Clay the morish and baser parts of the Earth from whence we begin the top of our Pedegree The Earth is a Principle low enough and base enough but we must goe lower Man that is borne of a woman falls short of what Adam borrowed of the Earth The horror of that is not fit to be uttered Nor can I thinke of speaking so little but that it may quickly seem to be too much Such is the Mold wherein we are cast that come after Adam And so much cause our holy Mother the Church hath to direct us in our Te Deum every day to give humble thankes to our Blessed Saviour that for our sakes he would not abhorre even the Virgin 's wombe Man either wayes considered in his Originall from the Earth or from a Woman is a subject too meane to detaine us any longer We will rather looke a while upon the Misery that waits upon him which had so fearfull a beginning as may presage no rare sequel of his story while he is in this House of Clay this foule Prison and stinking Sepulchre of the body In the view of this Misery first we may look upon the shortnes of Man's time here So short it proves to many that they never come alive into the world For the Mother or the Midwife is now and then a Man-slayer in the birth And the question being but of a weake vessell of the mother I meane as well as of the child that which is borne must sometimes be hindred from being borne alive lest she that promiseth a Birth and Life to another make way for her owne funerall A child that hath but a weake thread of life to hold by when he is delivered of his Mother For that is to him as dangerous an escape as she hath in being delivered of him After this hazard is he likely to hold out that is thus born of a woman For we say the woman is the surer side Then is he marked out for an issue of the weakeâ—… vessell And so when he is newly born he is presented to the world more naked infirm ignorant and destitute of help then any other creature He 's born with a faculty of nothing but weeping Wherein he showes enough of the woman But for any other ability there is no Creature but goes beyond him in his birth Which I speak not of living and sensible creatures only For the very trees that have a far inferior degree of life have better clothed and armed their young issue that proceed from them against all injuries then any woman ever will set out one that is born of her It is no wonder if all children come into the world crying that have so much reason to complain of their sad condition And yet would you think it We can quickly forget our Principles and as soon as we are grown up be as brisk and jolly and proud and busie in the world
depart in that kind of Death and by that means which thou shalt appoint But so to be ever affected in Faith and Love as they that long to be delivered from this body of sin into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God In this Hope we rest and into thy blessed Protection and mercy this day we commend our souls and bodies Beseeching thee so to sanctifie and direct us in the wayes of thy Laws and in the works of thy Commandements and to give thine Angels such charge over us that through thy most mighty Protection both here and ever we may be preserved in body and soul to serve thee the onely true God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen XXI The Fulnes of misery here answered with the best Fulnes hereafter IN the close of the last Meditation I promised to say somewhat of a better fulnes that we might not be too much dejected by the fulnes of our misery and now I shall do it There is a happy fulnes proposed to our desires and endeavours if we will labour to be in the number of those that have no inordinate appetite to the things of this life but rather ardenâ—…ly desire and long for an extraordinary pitch of a holie and virtuous life Never counting our selves to have apprehended nor looking back to those which are behind us but pressing forward towards the Mark that is set before us which is the way and means to the price of eternal glory Phil. 3. 12 13. To such our Saviour's promise is thus delivered with his blessing Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousnes for they shall be filled or satisfied Mat. 5. 6. But wherewithall with so much as cannot be fully expressed to our dull capacities Therefore it is left indefinite being far above our language or desire This Fulnes and satisfaction may seem to be the perfect expletion of all the natural desires of the soul and body and person of man with their own proper Objects as far as he is capable 1. The Soul In the Understanding with Truth it self In the Will with Goodnes it self 2. The Body 1. with Life in the true land of the living 2. With health and chearfulnes where all tears will plainly appear to be wiped away and all maladies cured 3. With Beauty where our Bodies shall be like to our Saviour's glorious body Phil. 3. 21. in some conformity to his now most glorious estate 3. The whole Person 1. With glory and honour which we earnestly expect and wait for St. Paul's word is most Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. With the best society and conversation Innumerable company of Angels 10000 times ten thousand ministring Spirits and with them the glorious company of Apostles Prophets Martyrs Confessors Virgins and other Saints that make up one quire to sing Hallelujahs in Heaven 3. With such union with God as we are capable of For nothing else will satisfie the little triangle of the heart of Man but the Trinity it self Nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sufficient is our objectum adaequatum The height of saturabuntur must rest upon that Who can fully expresse these things But we are to be excused if we endeavour to expresse what we can For there is a blessed hunger and thirst after the knowledge of them Who is not delighted to heare that howsoever we are here dispersed and persecuted we shall be hereafter as Fellow-Citizens in the same heavenly Jerusalem Hebr. 13. 14. Hebr. 11. 10. as we are already Fellow-Citizens of a lower Jerusalem which is the Christian Church built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the head corner-stone Ephes. 2. 19. 20. We shall be Fellow-Servants in the same glorious Family of the King of Glory as we are already Fellow-servants of the same Houshold of Faith Gal 9. 10. Ephes. 2. 19 We shall be as Children of the same Heavenly Father not only in filiall Love and Obedience but also in the fruition of an eternal Inheritance Hebr. 9. 15. We shall be as the Spouse of Christ. The Prophets speak of him as of our Lord and Husband Isai. 54 5. and St Paul makes mention of it as of a great Mysterie Ephes. 5. 32. It began in our Saviour's assuming our Nature and it will be consummate at the great marriage Supper of the Lamb when we see his new Bride prepared and adorned for her Husband Rev. 197. 21. 2. We shall all be members of the same mysticall body whereof Christ is the head And the Holy Spirit will diffuse Himself into every mystical member making us all of one Spirit Not by way of Éssence and Information but by way of Inhabitance and Participation In this divine Union to the Understanding we shall know God fully not extinsively but diffusively As we see the Sea distinctly from all other bodies and know it to be the Sea and see what the largenes of the Object will suffer In this Union to the Will we shall be filled with the love of God and find a divine influence of his favour Hence are those strange expressions in the holy Scripture wherein we are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of Christ Hebr. 3. 14. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the Holy Ghâ—…st Hebr. 64 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Which one would think enough to expresse the fulnes of our Felicity All this Fulnes and Satisfaction cannot but strike a lustre upon the whole Person upon our very dark bodies as the splendor of the Sun doth upon the dark body of the Moon But if any man doubt how a spirituall Substance if I may so speak can thus sparkle and be visible in the Body Let him remember how the life of the Body can clear the looks of that when it is powerful within and the Heart well pleased Let him consider how a little glimpse of the divine Vision dressed the whole countenance of suffering Steven so that his face became as the face of an Angel Let him conceive how the sight of his new-born Saviour carried the heart of old Simeon into such an exstasie that the earth could hold him no longer he was presently come to his Nunc dimittis What should I strive to say more of this fulnes and satiety which hath a veile drawn before it and cannot be clearly discovered The Devil might undertake at a venter to show the glory of all the world in a Mountain and in a Moment but there is no Mountain high enough no Time long enough to show us the fulnes of this Joy and Glory God hath purposely concealed it that we might rather love Him for Himself then be ravished with the powerful love of any reward Therefore if I had the tongue of Men and Angels my words would be but like Counters that must stand for a greater Summe For there is no fulnes like this and yet there is nothing but
heart commonly If worldly thoughts fall to the ground better will ascend into the place of them But when we mount them into the highest place down go the other I say this must be added at fit times For otherwise wordly thoughts and businesses and recreations too have their time when they are necessarie and must not be omitted Neither are we alwayes alike disposed for heavenly employment Nor will the object it selfe indeed be gazed upon long by us And in this Advise where the wise man saith prae omni custodià keep thy heart above all keeping Prae omni is so farre from excluding all other thoughts and employments that it rather implies many more but it puts the Superlative upon this above them all The heart may have her times of other serious entertainments or lawfull Recreation But she must have her time of Privacie and Retirednesse from them all 1. Both because the devout heart is the spouse of Christ and as St Bernard speakes Christ doth not love to come to his spouse in the presence of a multitude At least he will not knock every day at that heart where there is so much other businesse that there is no leasure to let him in 2. And then againe because whensoever the Soul would mount her selfe to heavenly speculations if she be surprised with worldly affaires she is like a bird that hath her feathers limed Intangled in them she is not able to use so much as her naturall strength to elevate her selfe In both these regards there are seasons wherein she must be retired to God and Her selfe And this is the third of those meanes and preservatives that may be used for the keeping of the heart 4. After all these We have no other care unlesse it be this How there may be a continuall supply of good thoughts and Meditations to busie and strengthen the heart upon all occasions And such a supply there may be in the daily perusall of two great Bookes upon which all other are but Commentaries the Booke of the Scriptures and the Booke of the Creatures The Royall Prophet made the Nineteenth Psalme in speculation of them Both. The first part of it begins with the Creation The heavens declare the glory of God The second part from the 7. verse is of the Scriptures The Law of the Lord is a perfect law And so Both those Bookes are there commended to us 1. Whereof That of the Scriptures is absolutely necessary as a Rule and Patterne to them that want a guide or light it selfe to the blinde Therefore we are advised to meditate in that Day and Night Psal. 1. 2. And the other of the Creatures must not be neglected because they were created indeed to that end to serve our weake apprehension of God as so many Spectacles not to looke upon them and stay there but thorough them to looke upon God Himselfe And so we may understand that obscure place in the Preacher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is He hath given the heart of man a whole world of matter for Meditation so large that no man shall ever fully goe through it and find out all the workes of God though he spend all his life time in that studie from the beginning of it to to the end Eecles 3. 11. Out of all which plenty we might every day select something to praepossesse that roome in the heart which otherwise vaine and perhaps worse then vaine fancies will incroach upon If we delight in rarities we might every day pick out some of those reall wonders which God himselfe the God of wonder and the God of Nature hath abundantly afforded to entertaine our speculation Whether we look up to Heaven or downe to Earth whether we looke to other Creatures or to our selves into our bodies or into our soules there is matter enough of wonder and meditation to keep our hearts in the feare and live of God XXXV The Close and Fruit of these last Meditations VVE have seene that the Heart may and should be kept above all keeping We have seen what Meanes and Helps there are for the keeping of it Let us therefore so keep it as our onely treasure which whosoever hath lost hath nothing else to lose or keepe We are carefull enough that the Bodie and Apparrell and every thing else about us be neat and cleanly kept and repaired When are we so forgetfull as to leave the body one day without meat and drinke and sleepe and attendance Let us do as much for the Heart and Soule which is worthy of farre more Let her be Lodged in a roome worthy of Her Let Her be Fed with her own proper food Let her be reposed upon her owne pillow that passeth all understanding To keep it thus is to follow the counsell of the wise man and to prove wiser then He was But to imploy so pretious an Instrument to any base use is the Act of a man that hath lost his wits I will say more It is no better then Sacriledge that a Soule which hath been offered to God as a reasonable sacrifice should after that be made an organ of sensualitie and a Cage for Devils No better did I say Nay it is farre worse For it is not onely the withholding of a Vessel consecrated to the service of God but it is an Attempt upon the Image of God Himselfe The Heart here being the Soul and the Soule a Character of the Divinity And therefore not to be prostituted to publick infections but kept pure and safe above all keeping Our answer to all Attempts against it being that which was our first answer in Baptisme Abrenuncio I for sake them all We undertooke that once and failed of it Let us now resolve and do it And that we may be inabled to doe it Let it be our humble prayer that God would create a new Heart within us and then give us strength to keep it as we ought And to the same end ‑ that He would give us grace to lay sure hold upon the Prime and Superiour Meanes and keepe close unto Him the living God out of whom indeed are the issues of Life XXXVI Instructions for those times wherein we are called to the Church HAving hitherto endeavoured to fit the Heart and Soul for more private devotions and entertainments we may now take the like care to prepare her for times of Divine and Publick Service with the Congregation both for the further confirming of her self and the clearer example to others And if we mean to be so serious in this high employment as the happy exercise and the most happy consequence of it doth require good reason there is that first our Preparation to the Sanctuary then our Demeanour there as in Gods House should exceed all other As the Shekel and measure of the Sanctuary was double to the ordinary measure He that dwels in Heaven hath an especial eye upon that place above all other not only to defend it but to observe our carriage