because hee is infinite can admit of no diminution Therefore are men niggardly because the more they giue the lesse they haue but thou Lord maist giue what thou wilt without abatement of thy store Good prayers neuer came weeping home I am sure I shall receiue either what I aske or what I should aske 50 I see that a fit Bootie many times makes a thiese and many would be proud if they had but the common causes of their neighbours I account this none of the least fauours of GOD That the world goes no better forward with me for I feare if my estate were better to the world it might bee woorse to God As it is an happie necessitie that inforces to good so is that next happy that hinders from euill 51 It is the basest loue of all others that is for a benefit for heerein wee loue not another so much as our selues Though there were no Heauen O Lord I would loue thee Now there is one I wiâ—l esteeme it I will desire it yet still will loue thee for thy goodnesse sake Thy selfe is reward enough though thou broughtest no more 52 I see men point the fielde and desperatelie ieopard their lyues as prodigall of their blood in the reuenge of a disgracefuâ—l word against themselues while they can be content to heare GOD pulled out of Heauen with blasphemie and not feele so much as a rysing of theyr blood Which argues our colde loue to God and our ouer-seruent affection to our selues In my owne wrongs I will hold patience laudable but in Gods iniuries impious 53 It is an hard thing to speake well but it is harder to be well silent so as it may bee free from suspition of affectation or â—ullennes or ignorance Else loquasitie and not silence would be a note of wisedome Heerein I will not care how little but how well Hee said well for this Not that which is much is weâ—l but that which is well is much 54 There is nothing more odious then fruitlesse olde age Now for that no Tree beares fruite in Autumne vnlesse it blossome in the spring to the end that my age may be profitable and laden with ripe fruit I will endeuour that my youth may be studious floured with the blossomes of learning and obseruation 55 Reuenge commonly hurts both the offerer and sufferer as we see in the foolish Bee though in a â— other things commendable yet heerein the patterne of fonde spightfulnesse which in her anger inuenometh the flesh and looseth hersting and so liues a Drone euer after I account it the onely valour to remit a wrong and will applaude it to my selfe as right noble and Christian that I might hurt and will not 56 Hee that liues well cannot choose but die well for if hee die suddainly yet hee dies not vnpreparedly if by leasure the conscience of his well-led life makes his death more comfortable But it is seldome seene that hee which liues iâ— dyâ—th well for the coÌ„science of his former euils his present paine and the expectation and feare of greater so take vp his heart that he cannot seek God and now it is iust with God not to be sought or not to bee found because hee sought to him in his life time and was repulsed Whereas therfore there are vsually two maine cares of good men to liue well die well I will haue but this one To liue well 57 With God there is no free-man but his Seruant though in the Gallies no slaue but the sinner though in a Pallace none noble but the vertuous if neuer so basely discended none rich but hee that possesseth God euen in rags none wise but hee that is a foole to himselfe and the world none happy buâ— him whom the world pities Let mee bee free noble rich wise happy to God I passe not what I am to the world 58 WheÌ„ the mouth praieth man heareth when the heart God heareth euerie good prayer knockes at Heauen for a blessing but an importunate prayer pierces it thogh as hard as brasse makes way for it selfe into the eares of the Almighty and as it ascends lightly vp caried with the winges of Faith so it comes euer laden down againe vpon our heads In my prayers my thoughts shall not bee guided by my wordes but my wordes shall follow my thoughts 59 If that seruaunt were condemned for euill that gaue God no more then his owne which he had receiued what shall become of them that rob God of his owne If God gaine a little glory by mee I shall gaine more by him I will labour so to husband the stock that God hath left in my hands that I may returne my soule better then I receiued it and that hee may make it better then I returne it 60 Heauen is compared to an hill and therefore is figured by Olympus among the Heathen by mount Sion in GODS Booke Hell contrariwise to a Pitâ— The ascent to the one is hard therefore and the descent of the other easie and headlong and so as if wee once beginne to fall the recouerie is most difficult and not one of manie stayes till hee comes to the bottome I will be content to pant and blow and sweat in climbing vp to Heauen as contrarily I will bee warie of setting the first step downward towards the Pit For as there is a Iâ—cobs Ladder into heauen so there are blind stayres that goe winding down into death wherof each makes way for other From the obiect is raysed an ill suggestion suggestion drawes on delight delight consent consent endeuour endeuour practise practise custome custome excuse excuse defence defence obstinacie obstinacie boasting of sinne boasting a reprobate sence I will watch ouer my wayes and do thou Lord watch ouer mee that I may auoyd the first degrees of sinne and if those ouer-take my frailtie yet keepe mee that presumptuous sinns preuaile not ouer mee Beginnings are with more ease and safety declined when wee are free then proceedings when wee haue begun 61 It is fitter for youth to learne then teach and for age to teach then learne and yet fitter for an olde man to learne then bee ignorant I know I shall neuer know so much that I cannot learne more and I hope I shall neuer liue so long as till I bee too olde to learne 62 I neuer loued those Salamanders that arâ— neuer well but when they are in the fire of contention I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs then offer one I will suffer an hundreth rather then returne one I will suffer many ere I will complaine of oneâ— and endeuour to right it by contending I haue euer found that to striue with my superiour is furious with â—y equall doubtfull with my inferiour sordid base with any full of vnquietnes 63 The praise of a good speech staÌ„deth in words matter Matter which is as a faire and well featur'd body Elegance of words which is as a neat and well fashioned garment
MEDITATIONS and Vowes Diuine and Morall Seruing For direction in Christian and Ciuill practise Deuided into two Bookes By Jos Hall AT LONDON Printed by Humfrey Lownes for Iohn Porter 1605. Votum Authoris QVas ego non vano deprompsi e pectore leges Quaeque ego vota tuli pacis honesta meae Alme Deus nec enim sine te vouisse iâ—â—abit Te sine nil facio nil fugio sine te Da placide seruem praesta seruando quietem Sic mihi certa salus sic mihi sancta quies To the Right Worshipfull Sir Robert Drury Knight my singular good Patron All increase of true Hoâ—or aâ—d Vertue SIr that I haue made these my homely Aphorisâ—es publique needes nâ— other reason but that though the world is furnished with other Writings euâ—n to satietie and surfet yet of these which reduce Christianitie to practise there is at least sâ—arcitie enough wherin yet I must needs confesse I had some eye to my selfe for hauing after a sort vowed this auâ—tere course of iudgement and practise to my selfe I thought it best to acquaint the world with it that it might either witnesse my answerable proceeding or check mee in my straying there-froÌ„ by which meanes so many men as I liue amongst so many monitors I shall haue which shall point me to my owne rules and vpbrayd me with my aberrations Why I haue dediâ—ated theÌ„ to your name cannot be strange to any that knows you my Patron and me your Pastor the regard of which bond easily drew mee on to consider that whereas my body which was euer weake began of â—ate to languish more it would be not in-expedient at the worst to leaue behind me this little â—onument of that great respect which I deseruedly beare you And iâ— it shall please GOD to reprieue me vntill a longer day yetâ—â—t shall not repent me to haue sent this vnwoorthie scrowle to wayte vppon you in your necessarie absences neither shall it be I hope bootlesse for you to adioyne these my meane speculations vnto those grounds of vertue you haue so happily laid to which if they shall add but one scruple it shall be to me sufficient ioy contentment recompence From your Halsted Dec. 4. Your Worships humbly deuoted IOS HALL The first Booke contayning a full Centurie of Meditations and Vowes both Diuine and Morall 1. IN Meditation those which begin heauenly thoughts prosecute them not are like those which kindle a fire vnder greene wood and leaue it so soone as it but begins to flame leesing the hope of a good beginning for want of â—econding it with a sutable proceeding when I set my self to meditate I wil not giue ouer till I come to an issue It hath beene said by some that the beginning is as much as the midst yea more theÌ„ all but I say the ending is more theÌ„ the beginning 2 There is nothing but Man that respecteth greatnes Not God not Nature not Disease not Death not Iudgement Not God hee is no accepter of persons Not nature we see the sonnes of Princes borne as naked as the poorest and the poore child as faire wel-fauored strong witty as the heire of nobles Not disease death iudgment they sicken a-like die a-like fare a-like after death There is nothing besides naturall men of whoÌ„ goodnes is not respected I will honour greatnes in others but for my self I wil esteem a draÌ„ of goodnes worth a whol world of greatnes 3 As there is a foolish wisedome so there is a wise ignâ—rance in not prying into Gods Arke not inquiring iâ—to thinges not reuealed I would faine know all that I need and all that I may I leaue Gods secrets to himselfe It is happy for me that God makes me of his Court though not of his CouÌ„sell 4. As there is no vacuity in nature no more is there spiritually Euery vessell is full if not of liquor yet of ayre so is the hart of man though by nature it is empty of grace yet it is full of hypocrisie and iniquitie Now as it filleth with grace so it is emptied of his euill qualities As in a vessell so much water as goes in so much ayre goes out but mans heart is a narrow-mouthed vessell and receiues grace but by drops and therefore askes a long time to emptie and fill Now as there be differences in degrees and one hart is neerer to fulnes then an other so the best vessell is not quite full while it is in the bodie because there are stil remainders of corruption I wil neither be content with that measure of grace I haue nor impatient of Gods delay But euery day I wil endeuor to haue one drop added to the rest so my last day shal fill vp my vessell to the brim 5 Satan would seeme to be mannerly reasonable making as iâ— he wold be coÌ„tent with one halfe of the hart wheras God challengeth all or none as indeed he hath most reason to claime all that made all But this is nothing but a craftie fetch of Satan for he knowes that if he haue any part God wil haue none so the whole falleth to his share alone My heart when it is both whole at the best is but a strait vnwoorthy lodging for God if it were bigger betterâ— I would rescrue it all for him Sathan may look in at my doores by a temptation but he shal not haue so much as one chamber-room setapart for him to soiourne in 6 I see that in naturall motions the neerer anie thing comes to his end the swifter it mooueth I haue seene great riuers which at their first rising out of some hills side might be couered with a bushell which after many miles fill a very broad channel drawing neere to the Sea doo euen make a little Sea in their owne bankes So the wind at the first rising as a little vapour from the cranies of the earth and passing forward about the earth the further it goes the more blustring and violent it waxeth a Christians motion after he is regenerate is made naturall to God-ward and therefore the neerer he comes to Heauen the more zealous hee is A good man must be like the Sunne not like Ezechias Sunne that went backward nor like Iosuahs Sunne that stood stil but Dauids Sunne that like a Bride-groome comes out of his chamber and as a Champion reioyceth to runnâ— his race only herein is the difference that when he comes to his high noon he declineth not How euer therefore the mind in her naturall faculties followes the temperature of the body yet in these supernatural things shee quite crosses it for with the coldest complexion of age is ioyned in those that are truly religious the feruentest zeale and affection to good thinges which is therfore the more reuerenced and better acknowledged because it cannot be ascribed to the hot spirits of youth The deuil himselfe deuised that olde slaunder of â—arly holines A young Saint an
desire more and see more to be desired when it desires but what it needeth my hands shal soone satisfie it either of which if it may coÌ„taine it when it is without the body much more may both of them fill it while it is within 35 With men it is a good rule to try first and then to trust with God it is contrary I will first trust him as most wise omnipotent mercifull and trie him afterwards I know it is as impossible for him to deceiue meâ— as not to be 36 As Christ was both a Lambe and a Lyon so is euery Christian A Lambe for patience in suffering and innocence of life A Lyon for boldnesse in his innocence I would so order my courage and mildnesse that I may bee neither Lyon-like in my conuersation nor sleepish in the defence of a good cause 37 The godly sowe in teares reape in ioy The seedeâ—time is commonly waterish and louring I will bee content with a wet spring so I may bee sure of a cleare and ioyfull haruest 38 Euerie man hath an Heauen and an Hell Earth is the wicked mans Heauen his Hell is to come On the contrarie the godly haue their hell vpon earth where they are vexed with tentations and afflictions by Sathan and his complices their heauen is aboue in endlesse happines If it be ill with mee on earth it is well my tormeÌ„t is so short and so easie I will not be so couetous to hope for two heauens 39 Man on his Death-bed hath a double prospect which in his life-time the interposition of pleasure and miseries debard him from The good man lookes vpward and sees heauen open with Steuen and the glorious Angels readie to carie vp his soule The wicked manne lookes downe-ward and sees three terrible spectacles Death Iudgement Hell one beyond another all to be passed through by his soule I maruell not that the godly haue beene so cheerefull in Death that those torments whose very sight hath ouercomne the beholders haue seemed easie to themâ— I maruell not that a wicked man is so loath to heare of death so deiected when hee feeles sicknes and so desperate when hee feeles the pangues of death nor that euerie Balaam would fain die the death of the righteous Henceforth I will enuie none but a good man I will pitie nothing so much as the prosperitie of the wicked 40 Not to be afflicted is a signe of weakenesse For therefore God imposes no more on mee because hee sees I can beare no more God will not make choyce of a weake Championâ— when I am stronger I will looke for more And when I sustaine more it shall more coÌ„fort me that God findes mee strong then it shall grieue me to be pressed with an heauy affliction 41 That the wicked haue peace in themselues is no wonder they are as sure as Tentation can make them No Prince makes Warre with his owne Subiects The godly are still enemies Therefore they must look to be assaulted both by Stratagems and violence Nothing shall more ioy mee then my inward vnquietnes A iust warre is a thousand times more happy then an ill-coÌ„ditioned Peace 42 Goodnes is so powerfull that it can make thinges simply euill namely our sinns good to vs not good in nature but good in the euent good when they are done not good to be done Sinne is so powerfull that it can turne the holiest Ordinances of God in it selfe But heerein our sinnes goes beâ—ond our goodnes that sin defiles a man or action otherwise good but all the goodnes of the world cannot iustifie one sinne As the holy â—leâ—h in the skirt makes not the bread holy that touches it but the vncleane touching an holy thing defiles it I will loath euery euill for it owne sake I wil do good but not trust to it 43 Fooles measure good actions by the euent after they are done Wise men before-hand by iudgement vppon the rules of reason and faith Let mee doo well let God take charge of the successe if it bee weâ—l accepted it is well If not my thanke is with God 44 Hee was neuer good man that amends not For if hee were good hee must needes desire to be better Grace is so sweete that who euer tastes of it must needes long after more and if hee desire it hee will endeuour it and if hâ—e doo but endeuour GOD will crowne it with successe Gods familie admittes of no Dwarffes which are vnthriuing and stand at a stay but men of measâ—res What euer become of my body or my estate I will euer labour to finde somewhat added to the stature of my soule 45 Pride is the most dangerous of all sinnes for both it is most insinuatiue hauing crept into HEAVEN and Paradise and most dangerous where it is For where all other Tentations are about euill this alone is conuersant only about good thingsâ— and one dram of it poysons many measures of grace I will not be more afraid of doing good things amisse then of beeing proud when I haue performed them 46 Not onely Commission makes a sinne A man is guilty of all those sins he hateth not If I cannot auoyd all yet I will hate all 47 Preiudice is so great an enemie to truth that it makes the minde vncapable of it In matters of faith I will first lay a sure ground and then beleeue though I cannot argue holding the conclusion in spight of the premises but in other lesse matters I will not so fore-stall my mind with resolution as that I will not be willing to be better informed Neither wil I say in my selfe â— I will hold it therefore it shall be truth but This is truth therefore I will hold it I will not striue for victorie but for truth 48 Drunkennes and Couetousnes doo much resemble one another for the more a man drinkes the more hee thirsteth and the more hee hath still the more hee coueteth and for their effects besides other both of them haue the power of transforming a man into a beast and of all other beasts into a Swine The former is euident to sense the other though more obscure is no more qÌ„uestionable the couetous man in two thinges plainely resembleth a Swine That he cuer rootes in the earth not so much as looking towards Heauen That hee neuer doth good till his death In desiring my rule shall bee necessitie of nature or estate in hauing I will account that my good which doth me good 49 I acknowledge no Maister of Requests in Heauen but one Christ my Mediatour I know I cannot bee so happie as not to neede him nor so miserable that hee should contemne mee I will alwayes aske and that of none but where I am sure to speede but where there is so much store that when I haue had the most I shall leaue no lesse behind Though numberlesse drops be in the Sea yet if one be taken out of it hath so much the lesse though insensibly but God
of the misteries of godlines because he vtterly â—ants the eye of faith Though my in-sight into matters of the world bee so shallow that my simplicitie moueth pity or maketh sport vnto others it shal bee contentment happines that I see further into better matters That which I see not is worthlesse and deserues little better then contempt that which I see is vnspeakeable inestimable for comfort for glory 83 It is not possible for an inferiour to liue at peace vnlesse hee haue learn'd to be coÌ„temned For the pride of his Superiours and the malice of his equals inferiors shal offer him continualâ— and ineuitable occasions of vnquietnes As contentatioÌ„ is the mother of inward peace with our selues so is humility the mother of peace with others for if thou be vile in thine owne eyes first it shall the lesse trouble thee to bee accounted vile of others So that a man of an high hart in a low place cannot want discontentment wheras a man of a lowlyâ—stomak can swallow digest coÌ„tempt without any disteÌ„per For wherein can he be the worse for being contemned who out of his owne knowledge of his deserts did most of all contemn himselfâ— I shold bee very improuident if in this calâ—ing I did not look for daily contempt wherein we are made a spectacle to the world to Angels men when it comes I wil either embrace it or contemne it Embrace it when it is within my measure wheÌ„ aboue contemne it so embrace it that I may more humble my self vnder it so contemne it that I may not giue hart to him that offers it nor disgrace him for whose cause I am contemned 14 Christ raised three dead men to life One newly departed another on the Beere a third smelling in the graue to showe vs that no degree of death is so desperate that it is past helpe My sinns are many great yet if they were more they are farre below the mercy of him that hath remitted themâ— the value of his ransome that hath payde for them A man hurts himselfe most by presumption â—ut we cannot do God a greater wrong then to despaire of forgâ—uenes It is a doâ—ble iniurie to God first that we offend his iustice by sinning then that we wrong his mercy with despairing c. 85 For a man to bee wearie of the worlde through miseries that he meets with and for that cause to couet death is neither difficult nor coÌ„mendable but rather argues a base weakenes of minde So it may be a cowardly part to contemne the vtmost of all terrible things in a feare of lingring miserie But for a man either liuing happily heere on earth or resoluing to liue miserably yet to desire his remoouall to Heauen doth well become a true Christian courage and argues a notable mixture of patience faith â—f patience for that he can and dare abide to liue sorrowfully of faith for that hee is assured of his better Being otherwhere and therefore prefers the absent ioyes hee lookes for to those he feeles in present No sorrow shall make mee wish my selfe dead that I may not bee at all No contentment shal hinder me froÌ„ wishing my selfe with Christ that I may be happier 89 It was not for nothing that the wise Creator of all thinges hath placed gold â—iluer and all precious minerals vnder our feete to bee trod vpon and hath hid them low in the bowels of the earth that they cannot without great labour be either found or gotten whereas he hath placed the noblest part of his creatioÌ„ aboue our heads and that so open to our view that wee cannot chuse but euery moment behold them wherein what did he else intend but to drawe away our minds froÌ„ these worthlesse yet hidden treasures to which hee foresawe wee would be too much addicted to caâ—l theÌ„ vnto the contemplatioÌ„ of those better things which besides their beauty are more obâ—iuious to vs that in theÌ„ we might see admire the glory of their Maker and withall seeke our owne Howe doo those men wrong theÌ„selues misconstrue God who as if hee had hidden these things because he would haue them sought and layd the other open for neglect bend themselues wholly to the seeking of these earthly coÌ„modities do no more mind heaueÌ„ theÌ„ if there were non If wee could imagine a beast to haue reaso how could he be more absurd in his choice How easie is it to obserue that still the higher wee goe the more purity perfectioÌ„ we finde So earth is the very drosse dregs of all the elements water somwhat more pure then it yet also more â—eculent theÌ„ the aire aboue it the lower aire lesse pure theÌ„ his vppermost regions yet they as far inferior to the lowest heauens which againe are more exceeded by the glorious and empireall seat of God which is the heauen of the iust Yet they brutish men take vp their rest and place their felicity in the lowest and worst of all Gods workmanship not regarding that which with it owne glory can make them happie Heauen is the proper place of my soule I will sende it vp thither continually in my thoughts whiles it soiournes with mee before it goe to dwell there for euer 87 A man neede not to care for more knowledge then to know him selfe he needes no more pleasure then to content himseâ—fe no more victory then to ouercome himselfe no more riches then to enioy himselfe What fooles are they that seeke to know all other things are strangers in themselues that seeke altogether to satisfie others humors with their owne displeasure that seeke to vanquish Kingdoms Countries when they are not Maisters of themselues that haue no holde of their owne harts yet seeke to bee possessed of all outward commodiâ—ies Goe home to thy selfe first vaine hart when thou hast made sure worke there in knowing contenting ouercomming enioying thy selfe spend all the superfluity of thy time labor vpoÌ„ others 88 It was an excellent rule that fel froÌ„ Epicure whose name is odiâ—us to vs for the father of loosnes That if a man wold be rich honorable aged hee should not striue so much to ad to his welth reputation yeares as to detract from his desires For certainly in these things which stand most vpon conceite hee hath the most that desireth least A poore man that hath little and desires no more is in truth richer then the greatest monarch that thinkes hee hath not what he should or what hee might or that grieues there is no more to haue It is not necessitie but ambition that settes mens hearts on the racke If I haue meate drinke apparell I will learne therewith to bee content If I had the world full of wealth beside I could enioy no more then I vse the rest could please mee no otherwise but by looking on and why can I not thus solace my self while it is others 89 An inconstant wauering mind as it makes a man vnfit for Societie for that there can be no assurance of his words or purposes neither can we build on them without deceite so besides that it makes a man ridiculous it hinders him from euer attaining any perfectioÌ„ in himselfâ— For a roling stone gathers no mosse and the minde whiâ—st it would be euery thing proues nothing oft changes cannot bee without losse yea it keepes him from enioying that which hee hath attayned for it keepes him euer in worke buildingâ— pulling downe selling changing buying commaunding forbidding so whiles hee can be no other mans frend he is the least his owne It is the safest course for a mans profit credit and â—â—se to deliberate long to resolue surely hardly to alter Not to enter vpon that whose end hee fore-sees not aunswerable and when he is once entred not to surcease till he haue attayned the end he fore-saw so may he to good purpose begin a new worke when he hath well finished the olde 90 The way to Heauen is like that which â—onathan and his armour bearer passed betwixt two rockes one Bozez the other Seneâ— that is foule and thornie wherto we must make shift to climbe on our hands and knees but when we are comne vp there is victorie and triumph Gods children haue three sutes of apparel whereof two are worn dailâ—y on earth the third layd vp for the in the wardrobe of Heauen They are euer either in black mourning in red persecuted or in white glorious Anie way shall be pleasant to me that leadeâ— vnto such an end It matters not what ragges or what colours I weare with men so I may walke with my Sauiour in white and raigne with him in glorie Amen FINIS Pro. â—9â— 22 1 Cor. 120â— Math. 23. 28. Colossâ— 3â— 2â—