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
as necessary there should be a judicious and discreet hearer as a wise and learned speaker for to what end is seed cast into the ground if the soile be not apt to receive it weeds may choak and a barren ground yeelds bad increase So to what end are words committed to those eares which by reason of troubles and other affections can make no use of them It hath beene observed of our time that wee have much Preaching and little knowledge and yet more knowledge then conscience much teaching and little faith and yet more faith then charity the fault perhaps is not in the matter or manner of Preaching but unsufficiency of hearing whereas if wee had every of us as great care to be good hearers as to meet with good Preachers it would be sooner remedied for a well prepared hearer may profit by a teacher of meane gifts and yet Paul himselfe cannot profit a bad hearer Let us not therefore thinke that the whole efficacy of Preaching doth depend on the ability of the Preacher for besides that God hath his ordinary blessing going forth with his word It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdome of Heaven they that come with true hearts provide eares which are more fruitfull then others by a hundred fold and as there is an art of speaking so also is there an art of hearing wherefore take heed how you heare and howsoever let Ministers be instant in season and out of season which if they be dumb or idle they cannot doe Meditation 41. Greatnesse subject to flattery ALl praise the rich man to the skies yet none of these praises are his owne for either it is his Prince which doth grace him or his house which is descended unto him his stately buildings which others have plotted and perfected for him or his goodly furniture which money hath procured or his long traine and attendance which the world lends him or his parkes ponds pastures mannors walkes all which though they be parcell of his riches yet are they no part of the man neither abide they long with him without change but who almost dares praise a good man yet all his praises are meerly his owne and within him and when thou praisest a man for his honesty who can deny but that thou praisest the man for himselfe yet loath wee are to praise a man for honesty without the accesse of authority wealth honour and rather these without the other therefore I say that rich men have about them more flatterers then friends yea in the abundance of all things they want some to tell them the truth When wee heare praises wee should suspect them not to bee ours but some matter of circumstance when wee heare reprehension let us make account of it as our owne for either it is a fault or may be and in this cause it is better with the good then with the rich for the good have many about them which will rather slander then want matter to lay against them they will rather spite them with deeds then smooth them with glosing speches backbite rather then beare with them pick quarrels rather then live at peace with them which crossing course of theirs makes the good better it causeth them all the while to look more warily to themselves but the rich man is taken in the flatterers net like a Larke whiles he playeth with the glasse of vaine glory Meditation 42. Content ABsolute Content to which no degree of perfection can be added is in God only who hath it everlastingly in himselfe of himselfe for himselfe and is not any thing distinct from him but his nature and essence There is a Content qualified according to the state and degree of the creature as in Angels and men who have reason to know and will to desire and meanes to be possessed of their good whence this content doth grow so that this Content is not so in the creature but that he must seek it elsewhere it is not so of him but that he must be beholding to a higher cause it is not so for him that he should rest there but be moved thereby to glorify God it is not so one with him but that there is great ods betweene them Content as it is in man may be said to be true or false the false is but a picture or counterseit of Content without the thing without life proceeding from the enjoying of good which seemes so but is not either because it is abused or is in his owne nature evill and they which have this Content are alwaies miserable because of false opinions which blind reason and unruly affections suggest unto them and therewith so pervert their will that they are not long of one judgment or resolution but like a troubled and running streame in which may be seene no constant image of Content and this notwithstanding is the only Content which most part of men doe finde and therefore at last when they think to be most at ease they grow weary of themselves and all things else shewing well by their labours and paines taking that they did much desire the true Content but tooke not a right course for it The true Content therefore is a calmnesse or quietnesse of the soule resting and setling it selfe on true good and is either begun or increasing as in good men whiles they live or consummate and full as when they goe hence to that other life for men which receive Content receive it not all at one time but by certaine degrees of growth and as is the spring of vertue so of Content Neither have they it so that this clearnesse and calmnesse is alwaies in them alike for as long as they live they shall find alteration but in the other life nothing shall trouble their Content as evill and offences shall be taken away for they shall receive the full measure of every part of their Content and that without mixture of any object which might procure discontent here there is sinne remayning and miseries which follow the condition of sinners but there they that come shall leave sinne and misery behind them here there are but few Sabbaths in respect of the common daies there it is a continuall Sabbath in which freed from all necessities which this life requireth wee shall wholly bestow our selves on our chiefe good and this chiefe good shall be bestowed on us and hence will spring out unto us living and over-running streames of content The content which doth begin and increase with good men while they live may be said to be particular or generall the particular proceedeth from the particular fruition of divers good things as they are successively attained and do every one tend to generall content which is caused from the fruition of happinesse it selfe such as may man obtaine in this life that is when all the causes of content meet and are knit together though in a meaner degree and with imperfection whereas that which wee
aske pardon for his offences or be beholding unto him for his mercy but doth still repine and grind the teeth against God as though hee did him great wrong Now how like unto him are men in these points which loving the faults they do commit hate the lawes which they breake and cannot abide any order or state under God which hindereth their wicked designments counting themselves better and more noble than others because they despise lawfull authority disgracing them that be good and having no goodnesse do boast of strength that the sway of the world is on their side which scorn to acknowledge their faults and thinke so well of themselves as though they needed not to have any favour which are as resolute in their evill purposes as though they had made a covenant with death and league with hell saying they had rather goe to hell with good fellowes than live with such peevish professors as know not how to laugh and be merry Our blessed Saviour the eternall Word which was in the fulnesse of time made flesh which dwelled amongst us and wee saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth as hee paid the price of our redemption by his death so hee left his life going before as an example to reforme us to the image of God decayed in us by sinne and amongst all his excellent vertues wee are specially to imitate these two which are opposite to the devils malice and pride his charity and humility his charity so great towards his heavenly Father and us men that because his Father would have it so and our misery might by this meanes be done away hee became obedient thus farre not onely to live amongst us a meane man and to endure our necessities but also to suffer a most painfull and shamefull death for us and to beare all our sorrowes and so much he loveth obedience that he accounteth all them his brethren which live in it and for them hath prepared his grace and glory yea hee rejoyceth in a little flocke which heareth his voyce and breaketh the nations in pieces with a rod of iron like a potters vessell which breake his bonds and cast his cords from them his humility so great that though there was never sinne or the least spot of uncleannesse which did cleave to him yet he became our surety taking on himselfe our sins and in our person doth acknowledge himselfe a grievous sinner and doth aske pardon and receive mercy for us to the forgivenesse of all our sinnes teaching us evermore to confesse our sinnes unto God and to seeke for grace and favour by him who is both willing and able to grant whatsoever wee need and if wee aske in faith no good thing will hee deny unto us and let the devill rage with his malice and pride let him set all his devises and instruments on worke to confound us if God be on our side we care not who be against us Meditation 43. Mortification OUr life must be a continuall meditation of death so the Philosopher but the Christians life is no other than a continuall death and that by the example of his Lord whose whole life was nothing else but a preparation to death and all they which are heires of promise with Christ have the title on this condition that their lives be made conformable unto his death that whosoever looketh on them may see the image of Christ dying in them neither may they looke to come otherwise unto his life than by dying first which is not either the first or second death spoken of by Saint John in his Revelation when a man liveth in this world without grace in sinne or else suffereth elsewhere eternall punishment for sinne but in a daily dying as the Christian ought we shall avoid both these and be made partakers of the first resurrection here and of the second in the life to come The continuall death of a Christian is that which in the Scripture is called mortification which maketh us conformable in all our life to the death of Christ for as Christ died to deliver us from the guilt of sin to bring us to God so the Christian dyeth in himselfe as the child of Adam that sinne may have no power over him but that hee may be led by grace to doe all things to the glory of God and this death is first inwardly and is called a crucifying the old man the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof the law of the members which rebell against the spirit the unregenerate part this must wee kill and sacrifice and in this respect a Christian must daily die for though he doe every day what hee can to destroy sinne hee shall find new monsters spring up out of those heades which hee hath cut off which will procure him more labour Paul saith indeed they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof yet meaneth hee not that the flesh is utterly dead in any but that they keepe it so under awe and master it that it dyeth in them daily likewise hee saith they that live in the flesh cannot please God for in this part the Christian must be still dying that the spirit may live in him though a man die yet a constant man will be loath to deny himselfe Ttherefore this kind of mortification seemeth worse than death wee must deny our owne will our owne affections our owne reason we must be no greater adversaries to any than we are to our selves wee must rebuke our selves wee must barre our selves of many faire occasions of much liberty we must punish our selves this crucifying consisteth in a search and knowledge of our sinnes wee must not smother our sinnes or sooth up our selves but call a spade a spade we must be also sorry for our sinnes as sorry as ever we have beene for sicknesse shame or losse that ever lighted on us so sorry that nothing else be so sorrowfull unto us lastly we must hate sinne and cast it out as it were a serpent crept into our bosome and spet on it as wee would spet on a foule toade The second kind of mortification is outward is a submitting of our selves to dangers griefes and losses as poverty paine disgrace wrong for Christs sake and needs much patience for wee must have death still before our eyes and all deadly things this hath beene the portion of the Church at all times Wee are killed all the day long and are counted but sheepe for the slaughter saith the Psalmist and Saint Paul tels the Corinthians that he dies daily I dye daily he his owne words againe in the Acts to the brethren What doe yee weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready not onely to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus And in another place the same Apostle I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in