must learne to wait on God from day to day it is thy obedience his glory if thou bee rich thy account will bee the harder to make Things themselves are not good to thee but in their lawfull use they serve not thy turne except thou serve God with them make not that a snare to entangle thee in vanity which is given thee for the exercise of vertue Alas why complainest thou when any crosse interrupts thy worldly proceedings and dost not feele the losse of spirituall grace whiles thou art thwarted in a good course by sinne why art thou so well pleased at good successe and dost not rejoyce rather for the good seedes of thy regeneration for the fruits of thy faith hope love zeale patience chastity meeknesse temperance sobriety and the rest for that thou hast found or art directed in the way to find the treasure of inestimable worth and value to wit the keeping of a good conscience this that thou dost not ought to make thee mourne and lament and thou shouldest not take comfort in that wealth which keeps thee from feeling thy dayly want and enjoying sound prosperity Meditation 20. Of Giving GAining is good if it bee to give for Giving is better God gaines nothing by any yet gives all that is his perfection the light of the Sun and Moone the influence of the Planets the sweetnesse of the aire the variety of seasons the fatnesse of the cloudes the fruitfulnesse of the earth the fulnesse of the Sea the vertue of herbes the beauty of flowers the profit of beasts and cattle the price of Gold Silver and pretious stones are nothing to him nay the redemption of mankind the gathering of the Saints the gifts of the Church the graces of men our regeneration sanctification prayers sacrifices and services are nothing to him for he is his owne perfection ours it is to gaine and give receive and bestow of all things besides God it may be said what have they which they have not received yea the creatures which have most as Angels and men have received most and are the more bound to the giver wherefore their first perfection is to receive but because to give to bestow is a farther extent of perfection and more answerable to the perfection of him which is the giver of all good therefore is it a better thing and as our Saviour said by Pauls report a more blessed to give rather then to receive a better good the chiefe good a better good that 's vertue the chief good that 's happinesse the life of every vertue is action and happinesse the perfection of actions and action of vertue is nothing else but a giving of good in some kind as the act of justice to give every one his owne of fortitude to give courage against death of temperance to give a measure to pleasures of prudence to give order to affaires of liberality to give gifts where and when it is convenient and therefore as wee say there is a kind of justice in all vertues so is there a kind of liberality though one kind of giving for his use and excellency be so specially called for he which giveth of his owne to relieve another doth it most freely without any consideration to move him besides the love of vertue and for the good which comes thereof is deemed a God amongst men for which cause Princes are by a speciall title termed Gods because as their places require them to doe all vertuous actions more then others so above all they are enabled to give liberally and by giving to helpe many he that doth good unto his neighbour according to the action of any vertue gives him his helpe more worth then goods and therefore gives in the true nature of giving and if his helpe be for the soule and the life to come the gift is greater then if it pertained to this life only and yet I know not how they which give out their goods freely to the comfort of others win a more deep affection and excellent reputation then they which doe good according to any other vertue yea a liberall man hath the commendation of all vertue hee is thought wise because he knowes the true use of riches valiant because he can overcome the covetous desire which rules too many just because hee willingly makes that to be anothers which is his owne because he thinkes it more due unto him for the good which may come thereof temperate because hee doth withdraw much from superfluity and excesse that he may have wherewith to doe others good and hee will spend the lesse to give the more Wee must gaine then that wee may give and wee must receive that wee may bestow and doe good with that wee have the one is blessed for the other and therefore the latter rather blessed then the other but hee which thinkes that to keepe in his gaines is the only way to doe himselfe good as if they were all lost if others should occupy with him hath as poore a trade as he which hid his talent in a napkin of which came no advantage for lack that it was not put out every Christian must know himselfe to bee as it were the stomach to digest and disperse those gifts which he receiveth to the good of Christs body Christ emptied himselfe to fill us hee being rich saith Paul for your sakes became poore that you through his poverty might bee made rich What he got of his Father by his holy life or patient death he bestoweth on us and what he might justly claime at our hands for his gifts bestowed on us he leaves to bee disposed by us to the good of our mother as the Tithes of our goods on the Ministers which watch not for his but our good Almes of our goods which the poore receive and hee accepteth and rewardeth as if they were bestowed on himselfe and if he bestow a spirituall grace on mee he looks not for the returne but puts it over to the brethren as when he said I have prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not strengthen thy brethren and for the good instruction which wee receive in the Church to our soules health hee bindes us to teach and exhort one another A Christian then hath a life both active and passive the one all in receiving the other all in giving he doth receive faith hope charity and all this while nature doth nothing grace doth all then after by grace he liveth in doing good according to his faith hope and love the first life brings him into the favour of God the second into the possession of his kingdome to doe thy selfe most good is to depart with thy goods unto others and in this cause they are kept better to serve thy turne then if they were in thine owne keeping for if thy treasure be in the hand of the poore Christ is thy treasurer who will make thee good account of all such expenses I speak strange things to the eares
battered and shaken that consent who is Captaine of the place falls to a parley and yeeldes on any conditions to my losse How far better had it beene for mee to have avoided the fury of Saul by wandering in the wildernesse barring my selfe of those betwitching vanities Meditation 24. Presumption and Despaire PResumption and despaire the two extremities of faith faith grounds it selfe on the promise of God presumption assumes unto it selfe Gods mercy without promise desperation takes no comfort by the promise Presumption intrudes it selfe into the promise desperation excludes it selfe out of the promise faith holdes the promise fast as his proper right Presumption is more bold with God then wise desperation puts a man more in feare then is safe faith without boldnesse or feare is confident Presumption hurts the conscience most and layes it open to sinne desperation wrongs God most as though he would not or could not be mercifull to a sinner faith doth keep the conscience from sinne to come and makes the way for Gods mercy for the pardon of sinnes past Presumption hath an eye only on the mercy of God desperation on his justice and faith doth behold in God both justice and mercy Presumption is fed by prosperity impunity Gods long sufferance desperation strengthened by some speciall crosse and adversity at what time sinnes appeare greater and more in number then before Faith standeth on the death of Christ and there doth see both the greatnesse and grievousnesse of sinne and findeth a way to escape the danger Presumption doth despise the justice of God the feare whereof might make him fit for mercy desperation cannot apply unto it selfe the mercy of God in time of need the helpe whereof might cause him to avoid justice Presumption doth cause a man to think well of himselfe of his own wisedome righteousnesse and to preferre himselfe before others desperation doth cause a man to think ill of God and no otherwise then of a tyrant Presumption is a Pharisee despaire a Devill faith the penitent Publican finally Presumption is a steep cliffe without footing desperation a deep pit without bottome and faith Iacobs ladder by which God comes downe to man and man goes up to God Oh my soule thou best knowest thy owne wandring there lies danger on both sides the common waies are the worst and that the safest which fewest find let thy guid be the word of God walk by faith purpose not to offend though pardon were granted thee before hand Hast thou offended seeke for mercy not considering so much how great thy sinnes are but how great is his mercy to them that truly repent A good conscience may presume of mercy when it hath no feeling expecting Gods leasure with patience and this is to hope above hope and despaire of her owne sufficiency when it doth most good so learning to depend ever on God alone Meditation 25. Society with God MAn by nature is sociable and of all Societies none better for him if it may be had then that with God for if wee enter into a common right with them of whose Society wee are how much shall wee by this Society bee blessed above all others which possesse God who is the fulnesse of all good things and are so possessed of him that nothing shall bee able to part us from him Now behold how thou maist attaine to this neere and inward society with God he which dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him for God is love a holy flame burning with the love of goodnesse the Father loveth the Sonne eternally and the Sonne the Father and the Holy Ghost is one and the same incomprehensible love of the Father and the Sonne three persons but one love for God is love and this inferior love of the creature is but a beame a streame of that love which if it bee so necessary betweene the creatures themselves that the course of things may not bee maintained without it how much more betweene the Creator and the creature for both the being and well-being of the creature doth depend on the love of the Creator and these creatures are the lesse happy how excellent so ever otherwise as the Sunne Moone and other glorious bodies which being loved of God cannot love him againe Oh man what cause hast thou to love God which was not content only to make thee a creature whom he would love but endued thee also with a nature to love him againe that so thou mightest enjoy him the more and certainly as the being of God is love so there can bee no greater perfection in men then to love God God doth give most glorious signes of his presence in Heaven but out of doubt the Heaven of his delights and where he is alwaies present is the soule of a true lover Love is a quiet thing yet not idle active as heat and nourishing goodnesse like a naturall heat it is much in giving much in forgiving in giving to God his honour to man convenient helpe and succour in forgiving wrongs and injuries Loves kindred is not of flesh and bloud a Christian unto it is more deare then a brother and a brother the more deare if a good Christian Love soares over all the pleasures the riches the honours of the world and stoopes downe to none of these because with the Eagle it findes nothing worth the looking on but Christ Jesus the sonne of righteousnesse The priviledge of love is this where there is love it is accepted not according to the worke but for the worker according to that one hath and not according to that he hath not many oversights are borne with where there is love and where there is no love the greatest diligence is rejected Oh my soule faile in any other thing rather then in love though a small measure of knowledge must content thee yet love God out of measure above thy selfe for himselfe doe good unfaignedly if not strongly and let thy heart be ready when it hath made thy hand empty Meditation 26. Of Peace I Would that all they which are of one opinion were of one affection How well doth it become them that professe one truth to maintaine peace as one man because the author of their truth hath commended peace unto them as the fruit of goodnesse which springeth up in them that love the truth Now because they which are one in opinion are many times differing in affection truth it selfe which is but one seemes to be rent in parts and is ill spoken of by adversaries which agree with true professors neither in opinion nor affection and shall I wish likewise that they which are of one affection as man and wife parents and children brother and sister master and servant were of one opinion How necessary is it that they which agree in the lesser matters of life should in the greater much more and that they which have vowed to be true to one another should be both true to Christ but now because
and when thou wouldest doe any thing thy great weakenesse dost thou not oft thinke so I am well all is well what a hard charge is this to love my enemy how unsutable to policy what a crosse to my life thou dost preferre thy reputation before common peace thine owne advantages before thy brothers soules health and dost not consider how that thou maist not be well except thou doe well and doe well thou dost not if any thing in thee bee wanting why thy brother is not so too more thy particular depends upon the common God if it bee hard to love thy enemy yet it is godly and for Gods cause whose wisedome if wee follow let us bee counted fooles Thou knowest whose speech it is Am I my brothers keeper the wicked crush one another with such thoughts and specially are cruell to the good but they which are Christs quite and quiet one another with love oft times man is a keeper of beasts Why should not one man have care of each other if so why not much more of a brother if not of a brother of whom if of none he which keeps thy brother will not keep thee Meditation 28. A good conscience GOd is possessed by love and the profession of the truth maintained by keeping a good conscience A good beliefe must bee strengthned by a godly life and a godly life seasoned with a good beliefe they are as the two twinnes which did live together and die together The Christian is in this world as it were in a broad Sea his profession teacheth him that his Heaven is Heaven and there is no Card or Compasse can so well direct him in a good course unto it as a good conscience whose direction if once he leave he soone makes shipwrack of his profession for to use thy faith with a bad conscience is as it were to meet with a rock or whirle-poole in thy course and as it is said of danger they that love it shall fall into it so they which love the danger of an ill conscience fall by it by the just judgment of God into the gulph of divers errors contrary to their profession Dost thou desire to continue in this holy profession unto thy lives end I know thou dost then look well unto thy conscience All men are sinners by propagation that 's originall and by imitation that 's actuall and this is as true that every one doth best know his own sinne and is lesse privy to other mens sins wherfore the just man is the first accuser of himselfe for he presumeth as well of others as possibly he can and assumeth nothing to himselfe of all his goodnesse but freely consesseth that sinne is his owne for which he doth dayly aske pardon with the rest of Gods children as Forgive us our trespasses A Christian ought to bee that towards his Conscience which a cleanly huswife is in her house if shee see any filth in the floore or cobwebs in the walls or roofe shee takes the beasome in hand sweeps them out so ought wee still to have an eye on our Conscience and if there bee any thing offensive let us labour to remove it leaving nothing within which is not pleasing to God and comfortable to our selves then shall God delight to dwell in such a Conscience and wee shall delight to dwell at home in our selves the wicked because they have no care to keep cleane their Consciences when they returne home to themselves which is very seldome find all things out of order and unquiet which forth with makes them seek abroad for some outward comfort to forget the strife at home as they which are chidden out a doores by their curst wives these cannot abide to look on their owne faces but cast away the glasse which doth discover their deformity they are like bad debters which cannot abide to cast up their accounts and come to a reckoning whereas the good man findeth all his comfort laid up in his owne breast and hath there the light of cleare beames though all the world else be benighted Oh my soule if thy Conscience bee the Lords house how cleanly ought it to be kept above all other roomes if his temple how oughtest thon to perfume it with the sweet odours of holy thoughts meditations purposes resolutions and prayers the bells wherein should bee continuall thanksgivings to sound aloud the praises of thy God And this shall be thy warrant that doing as thou professest thou shalt bee still the more in love with thy profession Meditation 29. Consideration ALI the learned commend Contemplation Philosophers Divines but give me Consideration I find my selfe oft in danger for want not of knowledge but Conscience not of apprehension but reprehension I know that contemplation is a great help to consideration as much as wisedome is to prudence for that is an act of the one and this of the other and they are both compared one to the Sunne the other to the Moone one to the Well the other to the streame for prudence doth borrow her light from wisedome and her fruitfull streames issue from that fountaine yet like I better for my necessity the pipe which conveyeth the streame unto me then a conduit which holdeth the water whereof I have no use Contemplation is this conduit filled up from the well of wisedome but Consideration is the pipe by which prudence in a true levell doth bring this water home to my house use Contemplation is a beame of the understanding cast directly forth but Consideration a beame of the understanding turned and reflected on it selfe contemplation cleares my understanding Consideration orders my will Contemplation makes mee skilfull in the Theorick of goodnesse but Consideration perfect in the Practique of it Contemplation gives mee eies Consideration hands Contemplation stayeth it selfe within one bare proposition This God is good and here it beholdeth how many waies God is good of himselfe originally in himselfe effentially in his work in his word statutes judgments punishments corrections promises every way every where good yea when he suffereth us to bee evill but Consideration proceedeth farther to an application how this doth concerne himselfe that I ought to bee good and to seek that good which I want in him who is goodnesse it selfe and concludes with a resolution to use the meanes which may cause mee to be good Consideration is the exercise of conscience and reason mutually helping one another or a conscience grounded on reason which hath his owne light or is enlightned from above or is by teaching or by use and experience directed Consideration setteth before mee things past maketh mee provident for things to come and plucks mee by the eare not to neglect things present which it doth by comparing and matching all these together things past with things to come and conceiving a like forme in both doth by things already acted enter into a right course of action Contemplation hath generall grounds of truth from which many
drop taken out of the sea of Gods mercy Love is a briefe of the Law a legacy of Christ the cognizance of a Christian the life of a good conscience the assurance of prayer the strength of devotion the prop of patience and in a word the band of perfection The love that we owe is unto God but God will have the duty discharged to his image our neighbour to his members our brethren specially where this duty may give most evident token of love as when wee provide for the poore which can make no recompence or pray for our enemies which hate us Indeed thou losest nothing by giving to the poore for it is put on his score to whom thou owest thy selfe it is repaied by him who hath given himselfe for thy redemption and will give himselfe unto thee for thine eternall salvation Thou findest no cause to love thine enemy neither did God to love thee God loved thee without an example but hath left it to thee for thy imitation for so well hee loves thee that he would have thee like himselfe Hee loved thee freely for himselfe thou must love freely too but for his sake is not this cause enough God bids thee shall the countenance of an enemy dismay thee this is the way pointed out by God and blessed by him to make thy foe thy friend fall it out otherwise he is thy friend more than his owne he gives place to thee in goodnes strive not thou with him who shall be worst After love hath dispatcht her duties abroad she returneth home and doth privately converse with God and this is an entring into the chamber of her well beloved Let mee dye if the wealth of the covetous or the honours of the ambitious or the delicates of the voluptuous be to be envyed and not rather contemned in respect of this if thou know it thou desirest nothing else if not any thing Meditation 3. Of Passions Passions are originall and naturall they are bred with us they are a part of us wee can no more leave to be without them then to be mâ—n yet are they the baser part of the minde for their familiarity with the sanses and hence the Philosophers thoâ—…ht did arise their disorder but if the minde it selfe be insected how can there he cleane And if the eve be darknesse what light can there be in the members yet vertue is the government of Passions and all vertues whereby man doth imitate Gods holinesse or righteousnesse are but well governed Passions Mans vertue is in the middest of much weakenesse and therefore his victory the more commendable And of all victories it is the best when one overcomes himselfe Many have been invincible abroad which have beene overcome by their owne weakenesse at home I feare nothing so much as treason within I speake it without pride through the gift of God I know more than many though I know nothing as I should and yet practise but little according to my knowledge I know what piety what common duty doth require yet stand I unresolved or slow I have much bettered my judgement by hearing but am a very Infant in performing what I have heard I am more sound alone than in company more upright for strangers than in my owne or friends cause I am not so bad in intent as in event What I do not prevent I would gladly amend I thought not on that which after makes mee wonder how I could forget all this I impute to passion Religion sanctifies passion by opposing a fit object as love as much as you list so you love God hate as much as you list so you hate sinne rejoyce alwayes but rejoyce in goodnesse be sorry too but let it be the sorrow of repentance Wee may bee full of hope but as pilgrimes bound for heaven Wee ought to feare so that it be to offend God Will we envie it must bee that others goe not beyond us in well-doing will we be jealous it must bee that nothing defile our conscience Wee have wherein to trust if it be in Gods grace and wherein to distrust if it bee in our owne nature Likewise there is a holy confidence a holy despaire the one claimes Christs merits the other denies her owne That revenge also is just whereby wee debarre our selves of the occasions which led us into sinne Yea passions here doe passe into another nature as anger into zeale for Gods glory love into charity sorrow into repentance pity into almesdeeds hope into patience feare into watching and prayer mirth into thanksgiving confidence into perâ—everance The inconstancy of the wind makes the Pilâ—t at sea watchfull and the disorder of our affections ought to make us advised As is a horse without a bit so are our affections without understanding let reason rule the reines lest thou bee overthrowne Hast thou to deale with a cunning man which is like to overtake thee or a great man which will be too hard for thee or a hasty man which will offer to hurt thee or with a lewd man which may corrupt thee looke well about thee there is more danger from thy owne passions then from any or all these It is good to doe nothing in passion give time to reason and use the helpe of prayer and thou shalt anon espy the depth of some temptation which lies commonly hid under an ordinary passion There are tentations of all sorts and for all sorts of passions for merry men unlawfull pleasures for sad men uncomfortable despaires for presumptuous crying sinnes for angry men quarrels and brawles Looke to thy passions and thou maist prevent many though not all temptations Meditation 4. Of Providence Thou art not able to change the course of nature it is only in the power of God who made it The second cause is tied to the first but the first worketh freely either with it or without it Hath God taken order for one part of his worke and not for all Thou hast a free will not to be constrained true yet is this thy will subject to the highest and first will which moving all our willes is moved of none Thou must needs follow it that will not follow thee God made mee in the first man as in my cause and hee made the first man for himselfe Wherefore the fall of man did not crosse his supreme counsell for then should not that have beene which notwithstanding he did most willingly and justly suffer Is it Gods will then that all men should be concluded under sinne that hee might have mercy on whom hee would and whom hee would he might justly forsake so it followes Yet is his will no cause of sinne but a rule of all righteousnesse so ought I to beleeve Well doth God looke on mee in the face of his well beloved do I beleeve the Christian Faith doe I desire to doe all Christian duties strive I against mine owne corruptions this is Gods speciall favour unto mee it is his worke in mee for which
I am bound to bee thankfull unto him in which I am to take comfort this is my duty to follow his calling to be obedient to his government herein standeth my eternall happinesse or bee it that I doe not beleeve or love God or live in his feare yet is not this in my power to amend or have I any just cause of excuse examine not Gods decrees by thine owne reason or those lawes of justice which wee are bound to observe feare his Majesty humble thy selfe before his presence seeke his mercy receive not grace in vaine there is no way to heaven but a holy life and hee that purposeth thou shouldest besaved doth call thee to faith and repentance If thou avoid the meanes to attaine unto either thou â—…est thy selfe out and art an â—…my to thine owne Soule if thâ—… come unto God he will not reject thee wherefore aske for grace that thou maist come without which thou shalt never come and it is necessary for thee to know this lest thou shouldest trust to nature and not seeke grace or despaire when thou seest thou canst not attaine unto it by thine owne strength Aske not how he is mercifull which saveth a few and condemneth many how he is just which by his will so bringeth it about that wee are all in the cause of damnation but beleeve it aske not why God doth not change the wills of wicked men with whom and in whom hee doth not cease to worke but reverence his decree whose judgments are just though unknowne But thou art much troubled and vexed to heare this doctrine and so are many others this trouble this vexation if thou belong to God shall turne to thy good for it shall so humble and cast thee downe that thou shalt wholly depend on God and give him his glory but if thou belong not to him thou shalt complaine and murmure more and more and be nothing the better nothing the neare for God will not cease to be God though wee beleeve not nor good though we be wicked But who will care to beleeve to amend his life to strive against sinne if it be not in us if without us God have disposed of us surely none of himselfe can or will they only doe whom God doth vouchsafe to enable The word of God which is his revealed and conditionall will is unto some the savor of life unto life and unto others the savor of death unto death to none the savor of life but to those that beleeve to none the savor of death but to those that beleeve not he will have all men to be saved if they will them selves and hee forsakes none but they that forsake him these things are for us to marke and observe yet to beleeve or not to beleeve to will salvation or to will it not doe depend upon a higher will whose law is unknowne to us wee must live by that which is revealed and adore that which is hidden from us so shall wee neither neglect our duty nor deprive God of his glory and majesty Meditation 5. Of Patience THere is none which can bee merry none rich none well friended none in authority none have ever good successe more safely then a Christian for in all these he useth a good conscience yet because such a streame of prosperity is dangerous to mans frailty hee is not to looke for his heaven here but elsewhere because he is now in triall not in triumph a pilgrim and not at home that many troubles must bee suffered either to purge him of vice or for his better exercise of vertue and both to Gods glory I see nothing more necessary for him then Patience a vertue which doth harden him to follow Christ willingly and quickly in bearing the Crosse and if wee consider our Saviours life wee may observe that he used no one vertue more then Patience not only in his Passion but in the whole course of his life which as it were nothing but a Passion throughout so was it but an exercise of his continuall patience wee must suffer many things of our adversaries which will oppose themselves to our vocation it is not in our power to put them by and take them quietly wee cannot without patience Yea which is worst of all God will seeme sometimes to be against us and taking from us inward consolation will leave us to sorrow and sadnesse of spirit as if we were forsaken these things befell unto our Lord who used Patience as the best remedy teaching us not only to beare his Crosse but how to beare it also till it shall please God to returne againe unto us with comfort Wee must have patience to beare great tentations as well as small and to beare them as long as it pleaseth God whether great or small great troubles will need great Patience and small troubles enduring long no small Patience Now the Christian is to be exercised grievously continually because God meanes to make him partaker of a great victory a great reward Faith is necessary for our entrance into the Church hope to nourish faith and love is the fruit of faith and briefe of all the Commandements see here the summe of divinity But without Patience wee cannot abide in the Church for being once offended wee shall lose them except we have Patience Why is it said Woe bee to him that hath lost patience belike it is the last losse If a Master of a Ship lose his Anchor or Maine-mast or a Saile those are great losses yet to be repaired but if it be said once he hath lost his Ship wee know hee hath lost all and perhaps himselfe too so if wee lose a time of Prayer or the exercise of reading and meditation an occasion of doing good if wee stagger in faith these are heavy losses indeed yet particular and recoverable but if it be said wee have lost Patience what meanes it but that wee have lost all and our selves too Wherefore well is it said Woe be unto him that hath lost Patience Patience is as it were the second concoction of all vertues and drawes from them whatsoever is for the strength and nourishment of a Christian life if this be weake in working our strength is small From faith Patience drawes confidence from Hope perseverance from Love cheerfulnesse They which are Saints in Heaven are said to have Palmes in their hands a resemblance of Patience by which they are victorious Patience is a remedy in those causes which nothing else can remedy Shew thy faith to the persecutor he will not suffer thee to enjoy it except thou wilt lose liberty goods friends and life what will become now of thy faith except thou have Patience shew thy charity to thine enemy hee will despise it hee will wrong thee still more and more what then will become of thy charity if thou have not Patience let it bee knowne that thou art an upright man the Devill will tempt thee outwardly and inwardly and what will become
of men addicted to this life where plenty is before want and prosperity before poverty to whom giving seemes spending and receiving a fruitfull harvest but to the spirituall man whose life is in God it is plaine as grounded upon a true contempt of the world and is the right exercise of charity which Christians must regard and Christ at the last day will confirme it to be true by that finall judgment when hee shall pronounce them blessed which have given and others cursed which have had more care to gaine then give Oh my soule think nothing thine that charity bids thee spare or if it be thine it is by the right of using it well to the good of others for the rest thou shalt answer as for things stollen Meditation 21. Say well and doe well LEt every man speake as hee meanes but first let him meane well for he which useth to speak well and hath no good meaning doth soone prove a dissembler it is simply good alwaies to meane well for that causeth a man to speak well and to be the same in deed which he is in word let every man speak as he list so he live well saith another as though men could speak without affecting as many times they speak without truth He that doth use to speak ill will shortly bee the man he speakes of transforming himselfe by little and little into the Image of his owne words such a man indeed speakes plainly but dangerously to himselfe and others for his meaning being no better then his speech he imboldens himselfe and corrupts others and this is the rule Custome of good speech doth not alter the meaning which is ill but the use of ill speech doth alter the meaning which is good and make it naught whence it is if I heare a man speak well I am still uncertain but if I see him do well then I certainely know him though he bee silent because his meaning is shewed truly in deed which in words is dark or doubtfull It is the proverb Say well is good but do well is better How is it good if it make not a bad man the better or prove not one to be good nay it is oft times the vizard of a foule face the curtaine of an uncleane bed the plaister of a festered soare the seeling of some rotten wall and is first a countenance to sinne which lyeth hid under it and in the end a disgrace to goodnesse as though it were nothing else but verball Wherefore say well is good not positively or simply of it selfe but privatively that is lesse hurtfull then doing or saying ill respectively as it is joyned with a good meaning so say well is good when it shewes a man as he is affected but doe well is better for that is the fruit of a good affection The vessell doth yeeld such liquor as it hath and as the mans trade is so is his talke oh my soule conceive thy thoughts according to the Idea of that divine goodnesse which thy mind doth behold and when they are borne into words Jacobs lambes shall not be more like the party-coloured stickes laid before the Ewes in time of conception then thy words and deeds shall be unto that Idea but if thou suffer thy selfe to talke without good meaning thy words shall be without feeling and rather to condemne thy selfe then to amend others Another proverb is that true meaning hath no fellow there is none to whom thou maist commit thy selfe more safely and which will doe thee more good then true meaning it will save thee from sinne and shame and make thy word and deed both one and it will cause thy friend safely to commit himselfe unto thee and to find as much good in thy words and deeds as thou dost in thy owne true meaning by it thou shalt free thy selfe from much lip-labour and study of cloquence for true meaning shall teach thee to speak in few words and yet to bee well understood and shall adde such grace and force to thy words as if perswasion her selfe did speak for thee but who speakes without true meaning hath lost his voice because he speaketh from an hollow heart which yeelds an uncertaine sound and if men heare any thing it is the least part and as an eccho it is presently gone A sound heart makes a sound tongue the tongue in nature cannot and in reason should not move without the heart and therfore if the tongue move of it selfe or before the heart order is broken and it is ominous to say as wee meane is to follow God who is truth it selfe but to doe otherwise is to imitate the practice of the Devill who by this deceived our first parents Meditation 22. Of Obedience THere is an Obedience of the Law and an Obedience of Faith the Obedience of the Law tels mee what I ought to be the Obedience of faith leades mee unto it the Obedience of the law condemns mee for not being as I ought the Obedience of faith doth quit mee from the law the Obedience of the law doth bring mee into bondage of the curse the Obedience of faith makes mee an inheritor of the blessing in my mind I doe allow the obedience of the law but in my conscience I trust to the Obedience of faith I am cotent that my life be ordered by the Obedience of the law but look to be censured by the Obedience of faith The Obedience of the law hath boasting and merits repentance pardon acceptation desire unfaigned belong not to the Obedience of the law but of faith I have nothing to boast of except I should boast of my owne shame and I have no claime but mercy Except God look on my repentance and forgive my sinnes in Christ except he do accept what is done in his feare and pardon what is left undone except he regard my desire more then my deserving and measure my desires rather by their sincerity then their strength what will become of mee Meditation 23. Temptation SHake not hands with any Tentation but turne quickly and fly speedily from it as Joseph did from his Mistresse it is a greater hap not to goe downe into such a pit then any sure hope to returne out of it Oh my soule thou knowest what I meane and thou feelest the danger thou canst more truly dislike sinne then leave it and hate it then be rid of it yet he which commanded Lazarus forth of the grave can raise thee and hath he not done a like thing for thee Why dost thou still love danger to fall into it I neither love the danger nor the fall but sinne pleades custome and the more I yeeld the lesse able am I to resist I am only strong in opinion but weake in Tentation and I find more safety in flying then fighting while I stand on my guard my weapons to which I ordinarily trust are striken out of my hands the base towne of my senses is surprised the castle of reason so
DIVINE MEDITATIONS AND CONTEMPLATIONS upon severall heads of Divinity By G. R. Compiled for his owne private use and published for the common good PSAL. 1.1,2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell c. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night LONDON Printed by R. C. for Sam. Enderby and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Starre in Popes-head-Alley 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF WARWICK c. Right Honourable IF having neither merit or other relation to usher the admittance I seeme to intrude this present of so meane condition whence â—…ver it came upon your Lordships favourable construction and acceptance the report of those many excellencies in you imploy'd for the honour of your Prince and good of your Country so eminently obvious to the eye and admiration of the vertuous hath imboldned mee to the attempt and must serve for excuse instead of a larger apologie I have not the will or skill to flatter my thoughts aime at no base ends in this presumption and were I not certaine your Honour were as much a lover of goodnesse as an enjoyer of greatnesse and no lesse humble than honourable and would be rather a gratious interpreter than strict censurer my penne should not have been so ambitious or dared to rest under so noble patronage nor so inconsiderate to have exposed my owne and others weaknesse to publique view And yet the honesty of the subject whiles it directs the mind to the consideration of spirituall and necessary concernments for the soules welfare and a Christians profit may thus farre presume as not unworthy the perusall of the religious of what degree soever at times convenient to bespeake protection for the matter and pardon for the author be hee what hee is and his expressions otherwise never so meane or deservings answerable Please it therefore your Lordship to beare with this challenge which I have not used in the way of my owne right nor to forestall your Lordships judgement to which I humbly submit in both but to intimate that by how much the present is the more considerable for any worth or value to be found in it by so much the more it belongs and is fit to such worthy patronage to be presented But herein your Honour must accept the will for the deed from him whose desires in the height of their ambition soare no higher in that respect than to become effectuall Orators for your Honors prosperity temporall and eternall and that he may be worthy Of Your Lordships command in any service G. R. Meditation 1. Of prosperity and adversity IN prosperity it may seeme we love God in adversity we feare God for prosperity doth cause us to praise God and adversity to pray unto him and yet in the end it doth then appeare wee neither love nor feare God A strange matter indeed that God should not be beloved of us then when he sheweth himselfe a friend or not feared when as a Judge he calleth us to account and therefore not to be beleeved without good proofe He that doth truely love God loves him for himselfe and hee that doth truely feare God feares him for himselfe and finding in him alwayes the same cause of feare and love doth never cease to feare or love love is his possession feare his Security what hee hath once gain'd by love by feare hee is willing to keepe and he doth as much feare not to lose as love still to enjoy May hee then bee said to love God in prosperity which in adversity doth not love him or to feare God in adversity which in prosperity doth not so If then wee cannot endure the change of a prosperous estate but are so much disquieted that we take no comfort in the favour of God this is a sure token we loved not God in prosperity though then we praysed him for a little of this love abiding in us though at first it should not be able to free us from feeling and passion yet at last would it so calme and settle us that not having the gifts wee would much more rejoyce in the giver for whose sake onely all things are worth the having Likewise if good successe and better credit doe but inable us to do wrong without looking to the will of God which awardeth right this is a sure token we feared not God in adversity for a little of this feare would stay us backe from such attempts though there were none in the world to control us If not God what loved wee then in prosperity what feared we in adversity Wee loved the gift not the giver wee feared the punishment not the Judge that is we neither loved with feare nor feared with love Oh unworthy love which doth more respect the gift than the givers good will Oh vaine feare which observes the mighty but not the Almighty If Gods gifts bee better welcome to us than himselfe little is the love we beare to God if wee feare Gods punishment more than the losse of his favour such feare is not religious But will we give a true testimony of our love and feare towards God Let us doe that in adversity which even hypocrites do in prosperity let us I say praise God and be content Againe let us doe that in prosperity which even hypocrites do in adversity Let us I say pray heartily unto God and commend our selves and all our doings unto him In a word let us love him in adversity and feare him in prosperity to this purpose looke we in prosperity on the threats of Gods law beleeving that none of them shall fall to the ground In adversity on the promises of God firmely trusting to receive comfort and deliverance from him though as yet wee have no feeling thereof Shall we not feare such a God in our greatnesse who hath ever vengeance ready and that without respect of persons Shall wee not love such a God in our weaknesse who is so faithfull and kinde that he will never neglect them in their greatest distresse which put their trust in him Adde this to make us feare in prosperity that God doth but make us his Stewards hee may when he will and hee will when wee thinke least on it call us to reckoning the more we take the more will be required and negligence shall finde a streighter judgement than ignorance And wee shall love God the better in adversity if wee consider that evils are justly layd upon us because of our sinnes and yet from Gods mercy that chastising us as children we may repent and be saved and that it is sarre better that hee should take our estate from us than that our estate should take us from him Meditation 2. Of Love Faith is the assurance of Gods love to a Christian which faith breedeth in him a love answerable to his apprehension though not comparable to the object and it is a borrowed fire a