Lemmata MEDITATIONUM OR The Contents of a few Religious MEDITATIONS Given as Directive and Incentive to that invaluable DUTY By Philo-Jesus Philo-Carolus Psal 11.148 Mine eyes prevent the Night-watches that I might meditate in thy word Psal 139.18 When I awake I am still with Thee DVBLIN To be sold by Joseph Wilde Bookseller in Castlestreet 1672. IMPRIMATUR Mich De Laune Rmo in Christo Patri ae Domino Dno Michaeli Archiepiscopo Dubliniensi nec non summo Hibernie Cancellario è sacris To my EXCELLENT MOTHER Grace and joy in the Holy Ghost be multiplyed My Dearest Mother THese Papers were long written for my own peculiar use and laid abbout the shelves of my study in a dress whose hue they yet retain and indeed so sensible I am of the unfitness of such Youth as mine to appear in Print that were I not under the Press my self I would not suffer my Soliloquy's ever to come under it and the rather because intending them purely for my own service in their draught I expended my whole industry in getting affections and neglected that accuracy in the contexture of my Expressions which otherwise I had taken Renewing the Copy is a Task that I a poor Day-labourer can by no means set on and sith I comply with those who think this worthy to be sent abroad a necessity is laid upon me to send it as ' t is You know I never affected taudry fashions in my own Garb nor indeed do I in my Books and I have a satisfaction to my self in that those judicious Christians who gat it out of my hands esteem it as clad at the least decently A very aged and learned Doctor an eminent Dignitary of this Church of Ireland whom I never yet saw save once and that but on an occasion which gave me no more than a half-hours Discourse with him Dr. W.S. hath in an affectionate Letter to me these very words In these Papers I now with many thanks send you you have made choice of acceptable words choice arguments and superexcellently expressed no language ever better You have spoken your own thoughts by Gods words so that no enemy not the Devil himself can say but that you have said as well as may be though among the English Theology is cultivated in most of its parts beyond what is found among Foreigners yet I think the Papists outgo us in Devotionary Books We are forced to English and alter some of theirs to make them 〈◊〉 Thomas de Kempis Bellarmine Parsons c. But so far as you have gone you have outgone them they have spoken holily and very usefully but what you utter is Bible all your thoughts are apples of silver are placed in pictures of gold Your last Book i. e. a sheet of Christs satisfaction I sent him acquainted me with that argument better than I was before but this hath gone deeper into my heart I have taken this with me when I went to God and like Hezekiah's Roll I spread some of these Papers before me and if like him I did not weep sore I have the more reason to grieve that I did not so grieve Had I been younger and my eyes better I would have Transcribed if not all yet some of these so pious Meditations But if my Head be not laid before they come out in Print I shall with the first get one of the Books The good God bless your holy endeavours with suitable success c. My honoured good Mother this with like encouragements hath emboldened me to present you thus publickly what I thought to have done in my own Hand-writing It is true the excellent Mr. Rob Boâ—l's occasional reflections were put into my hand more than a year agon by a Lady happy in a near relation to that truly honourable both Gentleman and Christian and I had thoughts of presenting you the fruits of my plowing with his heifer but they being catcht from me by a Friend who liked them too well or too ill to restore them I had not till now any Essay of a Subject and language proper to send you The illustrious Gentleman I last named hath very praise-worthily set upon the reducing of both Philosophy and Divinity from aery opinionative and talkative to solid experimental and demonstrative As for Philosophy though I rejoyce in his and the Royal Societies labours for it if I had brains I have nor time nor affection to the extreme studies thereof but as for Divinity I should have a thousand joyes if this or any endeavour of mine should make for its reclaiming from controversial to practical in any one soul for sure I am the exercize of my heart in pouring out such Soliloquies to the Lord in my Closet stand me in much more stead than a thousand Disputes about that Mint and Cummin which slayes the general regard of the weighty things of the Law in Great Britain and Ireland But to so mean a Present why preface I so many words I will end with onely congratulating my self this That whereas the glory of some Children is onely their Fathers mine is my Mother too for as I glory in having a Father who is able better to serve the Faith and Joy of Christians so I do in having a Mother who ere now has and I am sure will again encourage by her kindest acceptance the weak endeavours of My gracious Dearest Mother Your very affectionate Son and obedient Servant Philo-Jesus Philo-Carolus AN EPISTLE TO THE READER LOng before the World was perplext with unprofitable Subtilties in Philosophy and destructive Controversies in Divinity Solomon complain'd of multiplicity of Books But surely not of such as were design'd to mend the World and were likely to answer the end of the Authors for he wrote much himself of Beasts Foules creeping things and Fishes and of Trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hyssop that springeth out of the Wall moreover beside these books of natural Philosophy his books which belong to the Canon are a considerable part of the Hagiographa If that which is written be upright even words of truth and delightfully composed or contrived for efficacy like the words of the wise which are as Goads and nails fastned by the Nailers of Assemblies no man of Solomons mind will complain Books are faulty it must be acknowledged many of them so faulty either as unsound or prophane or ridiculously senseless that they are more fit for Fuell then the Library of any man But were all such condemn'd to the flame executed it cannot be expected that any one of the surviving books in all its parts should find Catholick accptance nor indeed that any one except the mysteries of the Holy Ghost should please all men of unquestionable fidelity and skill to peruse it yet Reader Allow it to be said of this book uot as peculiar to it If it be impartially read and rightly understood according to the intendment of the Author it will commend it self The words and phrase where
which have flaming swords to keep thee out of ill companie The one is Gen. 3.15 The other Rev. 22.11 All between remember but these repeat thou every morn noon and night Amen 22. A Soliloquy with God of my Soul LOrd (a) Psal 119.79 Psal 139.14 thy hands have made me and fashioned me But nor 1 nor my parents know how I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the very (b) Isa 40.6 grass-plat of my flesh and even such (c) Psal 139.6 knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain it But as for my spiritual substance (d) Heb 10.34 Heb. 12.9 my better and induring substance my spirit whereof thou art the immediate Father how that lives moves and has its being what it is how it-acts how it lives man knows not it (e) Job 28.21 23. is hid from the eyes of all living God onely understands the way thereof and knows the place thereof Though it dwell in a clod of earth and a few drops of blood all the world to it is as nothing as a (f) Isa 40.15 17. drop of a bucket and the small dust of the ballance less than nothing and vanity it takes up the Isles as a very little thing Oh my God my bodie is not so little a a thing to the whole world as the whole world is to my soul fewer such bodies would fill the world than such worlds would fill my soul Thou hast but little in saying The world is mine and the fulness thereof than thou magnifiest thy self when thou sayest (g) Eze. 18 4. All souls are mine souls (h) Heb 11 38. of whom the world is not worthy I have read of the ends of the earth and (i) Psal 135.7 I have seen an end of all perfection herein But the capacitie of my soul I find exceeding broad so broad that nothing less than what (k) Jer. 13.24 sills Heaven and earth too can fill it and if thou oh my God wilt fill it when 't is (l) Luk. 1.53 hungry with good things thou must fill it with no worse nor less than the fulness of God The (m) Lu. 58. heles of the earth may contain foxes and the worlds nests may hold unclean birds nay each of them possibly may say (n) Psal 132.14 This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it But alas my soul hath not where to lay its head herein Thy (o) Psal 15.1 tabernacle oh my God thy holy hill thy House not made with hands is the least it can dwell in The whole Earth is not a livelyhood for one soul without thee nor were Heaven it self tenantable did not thy presence make it a Court. Thou didst once bid man (p) Ge. 1.28 replenish the earth but never the earth replenish man whose soul thou knowest (q) Pro. 30.15 and makest one of those things which are never satisfied and say not 't is enough till it has as much more than the World as the (r) Gen 3.14 Creator is than the Creation Oh my God I find that my soul cannot go upon its belly and eat dust if thou thy self wouldst tell me of the Kingdoms of the earth (s) Mat 4.9 All these things will I give thee for thy portion it would utterly be (t) Can 8.7 contemn'd I find my soul is opinionated that 't is a substance of more value than many sparrows and will not be put off with a this-years nest nor with (u) Luk 12.19 goods laid up for many years neither no lease for less than eternity No inheritance besides an (x) 1 Pe 1.4 incorruptible and in no place but heaven will satisfie it much less at all gratifie it If thou shouldst bid it go seek a happiness it would return Lord (y) Joh 6.68 to whom shall I go thou hast the words of eternal life it would say Lord every of thy (z) 1 Ti 4.4 creatures is good and nothing to be refused for a servant but I will call none upon earth master while I breath (a) Joh 18.36 Had Christ's Kingdom been merely of this World I would never have fought for him so much as now I have and will though I am driven out of the World But the very truth is (b) Joh 3.16 God has so loved the World that I will never love it I read in thy holy Book of many things lost of but two that I think of won Solomon mentions (c) Pro. 11.30 Phil. 3.8 winning of souls St. Paul winning of Christ let me win but those Two and let Ziba take all for me I cannot be exceedingly anger'd or pleas'd (d) Jon. 4.6 7 10. Isa 5.10 with the gourds which come in a night and perish in a night Oh my God I find that whereas Christ's soul vvas made an offering for sin most men make their souls an offering to sin But my soul mindful of its primitive glory and likeness to God declares its (e) Ro. 1.18 Job 20.9 Wrath against all sin offers it self to thee and resolves if thou vvilt not yet sin shall not have it it vvill not serve sin or abide by its crib Nor vvill it humble and (f) Psal 113.6 abase it self to behold amorously the things that are on earth In comparison of God it (g) Job 42.6 abhors it self in comparison of it self it abhors the gain of the vvhole World The World vvhose (h) Mic. 6 10. scanty measure is an abomination to it and to all of vvhose Treasures the Heaven-born (i) Joh. 8.23 Spirit saith not infrequently as Jesus to the Jewes Ye are from beneath I am from above Ye are of this World I am not of this World Adding that (k) Mat 5.18 Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not a jod or tittle of its substance shall pass away (l) Hab. 3.17 Though the fig-tree blossom not nor fruit be in the vines Though the labour of the Olive fail and the fields yield no meat Though the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls Though Moab reproach and Ammon revile Zeph. 2 8. my spirit can sustain its infirmity and through Christ prosper too but without him enjoyments are torments and gains losses Wherefore surely oh my God I may say of humane souls That man knoweth not the price and it is so far from being (m) Pro 28.13 found in the land of the living that with infinite justice and prudence we may all cry out What shall we give in exchange 23. A Soliloquy with God of Evidences for Heaven OH my God I cannot but ever and anon break out into such a Quaery of Heaven as Abraham put to thee of Canaan Lord God How shall I know (a) Ge. 15.8 That I shall inherit it I thank thee O Lord I do not yet hear thee say of it to me as of that Canaan to Moses I have
as other mens and though their love comes up like a flower it 's obnoxious to be cut or trod down like grass (g) Mat 6.30 which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven Be thou my friend who changest not but lovest to the end yea world without end (h) Rev 2.10 who art faithful to the Death and givest thy friends a crown of Life whose love neither death can strike (i) Ro 3.38 39 nor life consume nor angels stop in the way nor principalities (k) Ro. 13.2 and powers resist to any but their own damnation nor things present cross nor things to come annoy nor heighth pull down nor depth swallow up nor any other creature do any other injury unto Oh my God make me know men (l) Jam. 1.8 are double-winded and their love is unstable in all its waies (m) He. 12.15 any root of bitterness may spring up and trouble it the rust of money (n) Mat 6.19 may corrupt it thieves may break in and steal it An unbridled tongue may ride over it and spoil it Oh make me sell all I have to get thy love thy love which is an inheritance (o) 1 Pe 1.4 5. incorruptible undefiled and that fades not away reserv'd in heaven kept through my faith indeed but by thy power unto salvation Make me know good Lord That all the friends on earth can't make one (p) Mat. 5.36 hair of my head white or black nor by (q) Mat 6.27 taking ever so much thought add one cubit to my stature when sick or sorrowful there 's not one to whom I can say (r) Mat. 8.2 7. If thou wilt thou canst make me clean and whole nor can a soul of them say I will come and heal thee (s) Job 7.38 But oh my God he that believeth in thee though he were dead yet should he live Thou canst (t) Ezo 37.6 lay sinews upon dry bones cover them with flesh and breath in life 'T is but a word (u) Heb 11.3 and a world with thee (x) Ecc 1.15 that which is crooked thou canst make strait and that which is wanting thou canst number it My God my God I beseech thee put away my lovers and friends from me and (y) Job 19.13 let my acquaintance be estranged from that intimacie and perpetuitie of converse with them which hinders my communion with thee Though of all things below they are the sweetest they cannot (z) Pro 30 8. feed me with food convenient for me though I am greatly prone to put (a) Pro. 25.19 confidence in them I find that confidence in them in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt Though they have (b) Eph 4.28 stole away too too much of my affection already Oh my God let them steal no more Enable me to (c) Luk 14.26 hate my very father as much as is requisite to come a friend to thee Be thou my whole acquaintance and let me be ever with thee either in delights or desires Let me be a (d) Psal 119.23 companion of all them that love thee but let my communion be with and my strong confidence be in thee who art never better known than trusted Amen my God and Saviour Amen Amen! 10. A Soliloquy with God of the Holy Scriptures BLessed God (x) Job 6.25 how forcible are right words thine I am sure are Right because thine and right forcible because they are such (y) Jer. 23.29 hammers as break the very Rocks of my heart such a fire as pierces into my inmost depths and reaches the dross (z) 1 Co 2.9 which no Eye hath seen or ear heard Such Monitors as whoever won't hear (a) Luk 16.31 would not believe if one came from the dead Such as (b) Psal 119.9 cleanse the ways of even young men themselves so hard to be reclaimed that David cries out astonishedly Wherewithall shall a man young cleanse his waies Of very stocks and stones thy word (c) Mat. 3.9 has rais'd up children to Abraham It is (d) Isa 43.1 the arm of God yea and very sword too God the Father's arm God the Son's (e) 1 Co 4.20 power God the (f) Eph 6.17 Spirits sword Oh my God (g) Pre. 15.23 words spoken in season how good are they but when are thine out of season When (h) 1 Pe 2.2 we are babes they are milk (i) Pro 16.24 sweet and nourishing When grown they are strong meat making us go in thy wayes without weariness yea (k) Psal 19.5 run without fainting when in bitterness of sin and sorrow they are honey pleasant and purgative too When in doubts they are Counsellors when fainting (l) Can 2.5 they are flagons of soul-reviving cordials and apples of comfort When quite dead and the spirit gone (m) Jo. 6 6â— the words which thou sayest they are spirit and they are life (n) Jam 1.18 We are begotten by thy holy word (o) psa 119.93 as many as are born of God! We are fed by the same and no better fed than taught neither O my God there is not a (p) Psa 119 105. word in my tongue but thou knowest it altogether Oh would to Christ there may not be a (q) Psal 139.4 word in thy Book but I may know it altogether (r) Jam 1.5 Praised be thy holy Name thou dost not say If any man want wisdom that then he shall strait be damn'd for a fool but sayest That then he should ask it of thee Lord I ask of thee that (s) 2 Ti. 3.15 wisedom to salvation which thy word alone is able to give me I observe That all worldly wise withour this are (t) Mat. 10.16 as harmless as serpents as wise as doves without hearts they are wise to do evil in the form of godliness but to do good as good they have (u) Jer. 4.22 none the least knowledge What are all humane Authors that I should take knowledge (x) Psal 144.3 of them Or the most Learned that I should make account of them (y) Isa 55.8 9. Their words are not as thy words nor their notions as thy notions As the heavens are high above the earth so are thy words high above their words thy notions above theirs Methinks of all the Books in my Studie it is my Bible onely which can use the mighty Lords own words (z) Isa 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved All the ends of the earth (a) Pro. 8.18 20 21 14. riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and honours lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of Judgement That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures Counsel is mine and sound wisedom I am understanding I have strength Other Books I confess with their
much (b) Pro. 7.21 fair speech do cause me to yield with the flattering of their lips they force me But when they draw me from thy Book oh my Book I find my going after them is just a meer oxes going to the slaughter and a fools to the correction of the stocks Other books (c) Pro. 25.14 boast in Title pages of false gifts and are meer clouds and wind without rain but thine gives good and (d) Jam 1.17 perfect gifts coming down from the Father of lights (e) Pro. 23.35 They have stricken me with reproofs and 〈◊〉 was not sick they have beaten me with inculked rebukes and my conscience felt it not but in thy word the (f) Mar. 26.75 Cocks crow so loud that they will make one go out of â—â—n (g) Luk 22 62. and weep bitterly that one can go out no further The word (h) Mal. 3.2 is a Refiners fire and suffers some cleansing inside and out Theirs maketh Scribes and Pharisees painted sepulchres but no (i) Joh. 1.49 true Israelites in whom there is no guile (k) Isa 5.12 the harp and the viol are in their feasts the tabret and pipe of the excellency of mans wisedom pleasing words and tinkling cymbals But thy Book gives (l) Can. 15.1 the myrrh with spice the honey with the honey-comb the wine with milk Oh my God thou hast made great (m) Psal 136.8 9. lights in thy word the Sun the Moon the Stars of precepts promises and providences else would this world be (n) Joh 10.21 22 a land of darkness and the shadow of death A land of darkness as hells darkness it self of the shadow of death without any order and where the light would be as darkness Some deal with thy word as (o) Ru. 1.14 16. Orpah with Naomi go some part of the way with her kiss her and then leave her But oh may my soul as Ruth's cleave to it and for ever say Whither thou goest I will go where thou lodgest I will lodge thy wayes shall be my wayes and thy God shall be my God (p) psal 145.10 11 12 14 15. All thy works do praise thee O Lord and thy Saints do bless thee they speak sweetly of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power but 't is thy word makes known to the sons of men thy mighty Acts of Creation and Redemption and the glorious Majesty of thy Kingdom 'T is thy word upholds all them that fall and raises up those that be bowed down Out of thy word thou givest the best meat to them whose eyes wait upon thee Thy gracious providences often make me cry out (q) psal 136.1 10 15 16 O give thanks to the Lord for he is good But 't is thy Word onely makes me add His mercy endureth for ever For why 'T is by thy Word that thou smitest Aegyptian lusts in their first-born and overthrowest reigning sins and their hosts of snares and temptations in the Sea of thy grace red with the Bloud Royal of thy Son 'T is by thy Word thou leadest thy people through the valley of sin ond sorrow into the heavenly Canaan 'T is thy Word that in the wilderness of this world (r) Psa 105.41 opens very rocks that waters gush out yea (s) Psal 107.35 that turns my part of this wilderness into a standing pool of mercies and my dry ground into water springs 11. A Soliloquy with the Soul about its sloth O My soul my soul (z) Pro. 2.6 16. 'T is in thy own conceit That such a sluggard as thou is wiser than seven men that can render a reason Dost think it enough as (a) Mat. 9.20 the woman with the bloody Flux only to come behind Christ and touch the hem of his garment Hers was a Flux of Blood thine of such sins as made a Flux of Christs Blood Her disease but of Twelve years thine of almost twice twelve for thou wast conceiv'd in it (b) Mat 9.21 As she said of Christ darest thou say of Christian Religion If I may but touch its garment I shall be whole If not why standest thou idle hath not God sent thee to hotter work (c) Mar. 6.8 9 7. Is this like a Disciple of Christ to be projecting for scrip bread money in thy purse and two coats and not be caring for power of thy unclean spirit and being shod with the sandals of the Gospel Art thou my soul the Bethlehem wherein Christ is born or the Sodom wherein pride idleness and fulness of bread reigns (d) Pro 21.25 The desire of the slothful Christian to be saved damns him because his hands refuse to abound in the work of the Lord. (e) Mat. 19.20 All these things have I kept from my youth up was the word of an hypoorite and very likely an Apostate 'T is another diligence (f) 2 Pe 1.10 ensures Election and secures from falling Be not (g) Jam 1.22 Jam. 1.21 deceiv'd oh my soul with vain words It is the doing Christian onely that undoes not himself A mans own words are not as God's able to save his soul Salvation must be (h) Phil 2.12 work'd not talk'd out Examine thy self prove thy self oh my soul for knowest thou not that great industry is in thee (i) 2 Go 13.5 except thou beest a reprobate Not to do well or (k) Gal 6. to be weary of well doing is a manifest token of God's being weary of thee and thy being so of him and every such (l) Heb. 10.38 drawing back finally persisted in is to perdition ' Tell not me there is a lion or singularity in the way a lion of censoriousness in the streets I shall be bit Thou must be so but who can help it If Christ (m) Mal 10 16 25. will send forth his Disciples in the midst of lions and wolves 't is so much the better for you if you are bit soundly you will be the more like your Master (n) Heb 10. The sacrifice of thy fame the offering the burnt-offering of it on this account is such as God will not despise but has pleasure in Men indeed and of repute for piety too many won't endure (o) 2 Ti 4.3 sound doctrine much less convincing conversation But God will have us do more (p) Mat 5.47 than others either do or allow us to do Oh my soul look right before thee Were it not better that men should say to thee and thy graces Why do ye more than others by way of accusation than that Christ when he comes should say What do ye more than others by way of condemnation Christ (q) Mat 7.29 Read the four Evangelists thy Doctor teaches not as the Scribes but as one having authority Don't thou live as the Scribes but as one having activity Christ thy Saviour did and suffered nothing but miracles for thee double miracles to wit because he did