of meditations objects Wee meditate to know God and contemplate to love him To contemplate on the things above is pleasant to those who have tasted of the sweetnesse of it The contemplation of Gods free love and the soules interest in it doth much revive raise and enlarge the soule Divine contemplation makes us high in thoughts and rich in expectation Conversation A disordered conversation doth hinder spirituallnesse in holy duties and causeth trouble and sadnesse Commands The command of God is the most powerfullest thing in the world to a Saint There is not any of the commands of God needlesse If men did know the Majesty and Authority and infinitenesse of God no man neither would nor could doe what he forbids or neglect his command Many when convinced of a duty consult with flesh and bloud whether they had best to obey God or no. Deadnesse Deadnesse of heart argueth disaffection Deadnesse of heart is the grave of many good gifts Deadnesse of heart is an enemy to action One cause of our deadnesse and dulnesse in the things of God is unbeliefe and consulting with flesh and bloud Spirituall deadnesse is a great griefe to a childe of God When we are dead and dull the meditation of the love of God will revive us Delayes in good things Delayes be dangerous by delayes many a good motion dyeth and comes to nothing Delayes arise from sloath Delayes coole us and cause the affections to fall downe The more we delay the more we may When we are to doe good Satan cryeth hereafter and that is never to morrow to morrow cosens many a man By delaying we presume upon that we have not and neglect that we have Declining It is easie to decline in good things A declining heart will catcâ— at that which may plead for declining Even Gods own people are subject to decline from him Difficulties Difficulties are discouragements and handsome excuses are welcome to a sloathfull heart Love will carry on through all difficulties and all manner of torments Distractions Multitude of businesse causeth distraction especially when there wants a wise ordering and dispatch of them Distraction of minde in duties is either from a minding other things or resting upon our own strength or in not seriously setting our minds on the things propounded by us for on that the heart is throughly set upon it 's so attentive to it that on that instant it can be present at no other thing especially to hinder the thing in hand Of doubts and discouragemâ—nts It 's the nature of sin to raise doubts in the soule There is no good got but discouragements Ignorance is the cause of doubts and discouragements So much discouragements we admit of so much sight and comfort we loose in our life and happinesse Discontents A small matter occasioneth discontent All our discontents arise from disappointment frustration of expectation is the ground of vexation There is no man that is without discontents It 's folly and madnesse to be discontent at trifles There is the most difference between them that are one and most alike Disposition It 's the disposition of a wretch to be cruell A milde and loving disposition is amiable and desireable Duties A dead man lives upon duties It 's no wonder the Papists doe as they doe because they expect heaven for it The more a Saint doth for God the more he enjoyes God A Saints desire is to doe all for God A meanes not to sin is not to omit duties A man may do duties from convincement of understanding and not from a principle of life and love Such duties as flow not from faith and love are slavish Many will own and confesse their dutie in generall and wholy deny it in particular especially when it concernes them When a childe of God hath performed duties best immediately he is tempted by the Devill and his own heart To be streightned in a duty may doe us more good then if we had been much enlarged in it Of selfe-deniall So farre as we are spirituall or live by faith so much we deny our selves Selfe is content to be a little denied in one kinde to be pleased much in another Unlesse a man can deny himselfe in his will honour credit state relations wife life he cannot follow the profession of Christ There are but few that deny themselves but many deny Christ and his truth Such as cannot deny themselves cannot endure the troubles and indignities of an angry world They live the sweetest lives that most deny themselves If we could deny our selves every thing that befalls us would be easie and sweet unto us for all things are so farre under us as we are above our selves Of dreames God speaketh in a dreame in a deep sleep in slumber and man perceiveth it not By dreames we may know what sin we are in danger to fall into which we are not aware of An evill dreame doth shew some evill that prevailes in the heart Delight Such as delight not in God delight in finâ— The more we delight in worldly things thâ— more they sting and vex us when they part Fleshly delights are earnestly desired anâ— acted with great willingnesse Despaire Despaire can doe no good Ignorance is a cause of despaire Despaire is not commanded nor commended but condemned Distempers To be disquieted or cast downe arguerh a distemper of heart Distempers hinder us in our trust and delight in God Distempers hinder us in our spirituall and temporall callings Death We choose life with sorrowes rather then death without them I have heard that a porter being spent with his burden was forced to throw it downe oh death saith he come death welcome death death comes in a visible apparition what wouldst thou have with mee saith death oh nothing nothing but helpe me up with my burden By life we have a being but a better being is by death The day of death is the first day of life He whose hopes are in heaven is not much afraid of death Death is to him no misery whose hopes are in eternitie When death seemes to dispossesse a Saint of all it possesseth him of all The Saints have cause to welcome death Wise men desire death yet are content to live As loath as we are to dye God by death delivers his from all sorrowes at once and makes them happy for ever Death fully freeth the Saints from all crosses burdens and infirmities why should I feare that I would not escape what hurt is it to enter into glory I cannot have my happinesse unlesse I goe unto it Many good men at their death have feares and paines Death hath something to say to every man and would be heard but men are not at leisure If it were not for the miseries that attend this life many would lesse welcome death Concerning our ends The end is the ground and rule of our actions A man fully seeks to attaine his end nothing contents a man till he finde that which he apprehends he needs
tamed without much difficulty Complaints It 's best and safest to complaine to God Serious complaints made in season to such as can help by advise are profitable and comfortable Contention Selfe willed proud and simple persons love to be contentious A contention is easier begun then ended There is nothing gotten by the husband or wives striving and contending one against another but mischiefe vexation and losse Some will contend earnestly for that which is not worth the mentioning Creatures The voice the creatures cry is contentment and rest is not in me The creatures are full of emptinesse they satisfie but a small time spend in the using Every earthly blessing hath it's vexation The creatures cannot be injoyed without sorrow All the creatures are fading part we must with them and with life ere long The reason we are so subject to be drawn away with the creatures is because wee see not the emptinesse of them The creatures are like brookes whose water faileth when we have most need of them The more we leane upon the creatures the more we are pierced by them What so ever we depend upon besides God and his Word is but creature-confidence It 's not the enjoying of creatures that will make our lives comfortable but Gods presence and blessing them unto us We oft love the creatures more before we have them then when we have them because we expected more from them then was in them Even the hearts of good men are apt to be taken with outward things The love of the creatures doe much hinder us in good things but a wise use of them much furthers us He is not troubled at the coming and going of the creature whose heart is fixed on God He that lightly esteems of outward things can easily part with them A childe of God may in the use of the creatures be spirituall Creatures are not fountaines but cisterns and broken ones yet full of transitorinesse mutability and change God can give the comfort of outward things without them What God conveys by meanes sometimes he instills immediatly from himselfe By the creatures many are deceived and insnared and drawne into many excesses before they be aware to the dishonour of God and griefe of themselves and others Company Eamiliarity with the wicked will vex and corrupt us Good people are company bad enough Contentment Contentment is not in this world No earthly thing can give content Earthly contents are present to our sense Many will try conclusions to have content though it was our first undoing So much as wee deny our selves so much contentment we injoy Joy in God breeds content Such as know and minde the providence of God enjoy contentment Counsellers Wise men will aske counsell There is much safety in many Counsellers who are wise and faithfull Many by following their own counsell prove great burthens to themselves others Flesh gives counsell like it selfe fleshly Contraries Every contrary the more it is resisted the more it appeares Charity Charity prevents many breaches and discontents Calamity No calamity cometh unaccompanied Condemne Many condemne with vehemency that in others which they approve on in themselves Covetousnesse Coâ—etousnesse is the birdlime of the soule Most Mens care skill is how to get money Such as thinke themselves least covetous are most covetous Covetousnesse hath many pretences colours and excuses Such as are not contented with that they have are covetous And so much as wee are discontented with our estates so much covetousnesse there is in us Distrust of God causeth covetousnesse which is the roote of all evill Covetousnesse doth us more hurt then we are aware of Covetousnesse fills our minds with distrust of Gods care of us whereby wee vehemently desire the things of this world to provide for our selves The more covetousnesse prevailes the more it makes a man run ride scrape deceive flatter frowne to get the things of the world A covetous man cannot be satisfied with money yet money contenteth all men Many say things are nought when they would have them easily and for nought Many sigh after death to be free from crosses but few to be free from covetousnesse Covetousnesse hath not a childe of God though he hath too much of it Gods own people know not how to be revenged on themselves for their coveting the things of this world It is a great dishonour to a childe of God to be covetous and for the rich not to be bountifull to their brethren to good uses Worldlinesse reignes and beares sway in all places as though there were no other world Chearfulnesse Chearfulnesse addes to the life of our spirits it inlargeth our spirits it fits us to receive happinesse and to expresse it He that will support diligence must support chearfulnesse In chearfulnesse there is no negligence An unchearfull spirit is soone weary Such as goe to God unchearfully doe oft returne unthankfully A chearfull and willing spirit is most sutable and acceptable to God and man From a chearfull heart flows chearfull actions but a heavy heart drieth the bones In all that are chearfull there is not faith but as our faith is so is our chearfulnesse Conscience A good conscience is a great comfort It 's a great mercy to have a tender conscience Conscience is a very tender thing a small thing will trouble it It 's better to offend all the world then conscience When conscience cannot be heard it will soone grow speechlesse Sinning against conscience exceedingly hardens the heart Such as practice contrary to their consciences will soone loose all conscience and become men of no conscience A naturall conscience will be satisfied with the outside of a duty a verball prayer will stop the mouth of conscience Conscience can see best and speak most in silence Grosse finnes as lusts of uncleannesse c. will burne up waste and destroy conscience When time alone will end griefe of minde and trouble of conscience the cure is worse then the disease It satisfieth not a doubting conscience that another judgeth it lawfull The larger the conscience is the better if lightly informed Nothing ought to binde the conscience but the word of God Christ A soule sensible of the want of Christ cannot be satisfied without him It 's the nature of man to depend upon any thing rather then upon Christ Such as enjoy Jesus Christ exalt him alone as their life and glory happinesse and peace and all in all and count no cost too much for him Many will serve Christ no longer then they may serve their own wills backs and bellies Christs servants are for the most part poore and they appeare to the world very silly and contemptible Christ is sweet in meditation more sweet in contemplation but most sweet in fruition Of circumspect walking Iâ— is a sweet thing to walke circumspectly in our actions to God and man Contemplation Contemplation is a great part of the happinesse the Saints here enjoy Contemplation sums up the severall beauties
a right end meanes and time Untamed passion is the cause of unquietnesse The cause of anger and passion is ignoâ—ance and pride Contrary passions are cured with their contâ—aries as mourning is with joy As unhewen stones so unhewen spirits are uâ—fit for the house of God Of poverty Some to escape poverty run into greater poverty It 's better to be poore and weaned from the world then rich and covetous Many are much afraid of poverty yet it never did any hurt The poore are out of danger of being flattered The heires of heaven are oft pinched with poverty Saints who are Kings lie in prison Men spend their time in idlenesse and wast their estate in costly apparrell and fare and then say they are not able to supply the necessities of the poore people of God A childe of God in his greatest want of outward things is not poore because God is his God A slack hand in giving to the poore and a slâ—ck hand in labour each maketh poore Some have sweetly injoyed God when fed with bread and water and have had sweet smiles from God when they could not see the face of one friend In the want of outward comforts the Saints have injoyed sweet comforts from God they have more experience of Gods faithâ—ulnesse care and love see more of their own hearts are more spirituall and humble and live more upon God and are more weanâ—d from the world then those that are rich Prospeâ—ity Prosperity swels â—he heart with pride The prosperity of fooles destroys theâ— Prosperity causeth men to forget 〈◊〉 and themselves Many a childe of God hath found prosperity hath done him more hurt then good Outward peace begets plenty plenty begets security and idlenesse and idlenesse begets all evill It 's in vaine for those in prosperity to think it will last long Of pleasure Pleasure is a flattering delight The pleasures of the body are the poyson of the soule Those whose eyes are open see outward pleasures to be but meane things The more carnall the heart is the more it affects naturall pleasures In idlenesse delight and pleasures the Devill-easily intangleth men in his snares Theâ— mistake the time and place of pleasures that expect it in this world heaven is the Saints place of pleasure Sin is desired for the pleasure of it but there is more griefe misery then pleasure Sinfull pleasure ends in sorrow Such as delight in pleasure shall finde their greaâ—est pleasure become their greatest pains Such as thinke on the supposed pleasure and sweetnesse of sin are deceived and insnared Promises The promises of God are a great stay and comfort to a childe of God The promises of God are the foundation of the Saints comfort The promises of God are free full and firme The promises of God beares up the soule in all straights There was never any ashamed that did rest onely upon God in his promise The promises of God do not make His neither wicked nor carelesse but more fruitfull and serviceable The wicked desire promises for peace and not to strengthen them against sin One promise from a man pleaseth them more then ten from God Some men are freeâ— in promises then in performances Of praises of men He that prizeth others praises he injoyes not God nor himselfe Prayer Necessity teacheth to pray When the heart is filled with feares prayer powres them out Prayer puts the heart into possession of peace Prayer sweetens all troubles That which a man obtaines by prayer it inlargeth his spirit God by prayer supports his in the greatest troubles Verball prayer causeth great deadnesse There is no duty so counterfeited as prayer is Prayer is more of the minde and heart then of the mouth When prayer is wanting the action of fin is as ready as the tentation Some pray when they should sleep and sleep in prayer and pray when they should worke but wisdome divides to each their proper time and season By prayer we attaine a more sense and feeling of our wants and more strength to pray A good conscience nourisheth faith and faith prayer He that makes prayer the end of his praying rests in his prayer and prayes to no purpose What many build up by prayer they pâ—ll downe by their practice by remisness â—lightnesse and frothinesse of spirit Princâ—ples When a principle of error is taken â—or a principle of truth the more it is relied on the worse it is Preacher He that doth not rightly distinguish between the Law and the Gospel is not a good Preacher nor a good Christian Quietnesse Man disquiets himselfe in vaine A quiet soule is the seate of wisdome In tâ—e worst times a Saint may quiet himselfe in God In quietnesse confidence is our strength Untill men be satisfied they cannot be setled quietnesse is the fruit of both Satan hath most advantage against us when we are troubled and disquieted He that is troubled because others words answer not his desires cannot injoy quietnesse They injoy most quietnesse of minde that most submit themselves to the providence of God Reason Naturall Reason cannot be satisfied in things spirituall because they are above the fight and reach of nature Religion The Saints finde sweetnesse in the bitterest things in Religion Where Religion is in truth it is in power and it enableth a man to practise it There are no people one indeed that dissent in Religion It 's not possible for all men to be of one Religion and judgement because their understandings and ends differ When a man differs in Religion those from whom he dissents load on him false things to make him odious thus many condemne as odious those whose arguments they cannot answer nor dare offer to answer Most men love that Religion best which best sutes with their lusts as honour pleasure ease and their bellies A forme of Religion with riches is imbraced rather then the power of Religion with poverty The Religion of many is to be irreligious In these dayes iniquity abounds and many depart from the faith to needlesse dispâ—tes and principles that destroy the foundation of Religion Most men take their Religion upon trust and hold it by the copy of mens countenances and certain reservations and the permission of their lusts Mens lives and Religions are commonly alike He that will not leave his sin for his Religion will leave his Religion for his sin A little Religion will goe a great way in great persons His Religion is to little purpose whose knowledge is not distinct and certain It makes much for the benefit and comsort of a Christian to understand the grounds and principles of Religion Rules When we come to the particular case if it concerne our selves we forget the Rule A weak mens Rules may be better then the best mens actions The Rules of many mens actions are onely tâ—eiâ— own wills Suâ—h as like not the Rules of God in his Word like the Devils and their own Of Ruling When a man comes to Rule he