I must meditate of Idolatry Under the second of Witchcraft And under the third more particularly of Self-Willedness and Ingratitude and in general of the Devilish Nature And so I will shut up this First Part which concerns Man consider'd in his Moral Capacity with a Cautionary Meditation lest any one should falsely judge another Man to be a Lover of the World who is not so and endeavor to prevent mis-judging In the Second Part I will first endeavor to undeceive the False Pretenders to the Love of God and here meditate of Monastick Persons of the Votaries of Virginity of the Votaries of Penance and of Quakers of Pretenders to Charity and Righteousness And having diseharg'd that Examination I will proceed to consider Men in their Civil Capacity and meditate of Conformists and Nonconformists of Parents Guardians Tutors of Persons marrying and giving in Marriage of Patrons of Chaplains of Judges and Magistrates Arbitrators Electors Jurors of Landlords and Tenants of Tradesmen of Inn-Keepers of Beggars of Wagerers of Gamesters of Debtors of Creditors particularly of Usurers And so conclude with some Dissuasives from the love of the World and Motives to the love of God MEDITAT III. Of the World THE World is taken either in a Physical Sense or in a Theological In a Physical Sense it signifies that vast Globe that make up Heaven and Earth and Sea and all things contained in them But in a Theological Sense it is put in opposition to God as it is here in this Text of the Apostle John and often elsewhere The World taken in a Physical Sense is lovely and the Strength Beauty Order and Variety thereof are to be Reverently regarded and admired as the workmanship of Infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness It is very proud and prophane or very foolish to despise the World in this Sense and to disregard the Operation of God's Hands To despise the Workmanship reflects a Dishonour upon the Workman and those that see nothing excellent in the World may be justly suspected to see nothing above it The Psalmist says Psal 111. 2. The works of the Lord are sought out of all that have pleasure in them and I â—hink if we Translate it have pleasure in him the Divinity will be as good if the Grammar should not The best Men are the best Philosophers for they make the best Observations upon the admirable Structure and Furniture of the World they see most beauty in it who behold and admire the Divine Wisdom Power and Goodness shining forth in it He that converses in the World and beholds the many Demonstrations there given and the Lectures there read and does not from thence learn the Eternal Power and Godhead is a Notorious Dunce He that does understand and know them and does not love and admire them is prophane and proud and so for all his knowledge may be truly said to know nothing Of these prophane Philosophers I shall have occasion to meditate hereafter amongst the Lovers of the World At present I only conclude That Philosophy especially the Philosophy that discovers and comments upon the stately Fabrick the harmonious Order the magnificent Furniture and the admirable Variety of the World the proper Causes and Ends of Things is a very Laudable Study in its own Nature and may be a singular means for the advancement of the Name and Honour of the Blessed Creator It was an extraordinary Expression of a Person of great Quality amongst us when he was but about two and twenty years old That he could be content even then to quit this World and all the Pomps and Hopes thereof though it were for no higher Felicity than to be perfected in the knowledge of Natural Things I cannot tell precisely what degree of value we ought to set upon Philosophical Learning but this we know That no Man in the World and in all the Ages thereof were more famous and admirable than those two Princes of the Jews Moses and Solomon who excell'd in this kind of Learning And the great God himself has given fair encouragement to the study of it by those Philosophy-Lectures that he read out of the Whirlwind to the Eastern Prince which are contained in the 38 39 40 41 Chapters of the Book of Job MEDITAT IV. Of the World taken in a Theological Sense THE World taken in a Theological Sense is put in opposition to God and so it signifies all that which is contrary to the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ and Warreth against it and true Religion all that which doth not comply with the Will of God or withdraws the hearts of Men from him And consequently all that which besides the knowledge and love of God Men covet delight in or lament In this Sense it is said 1 John 5. 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World And Gal. 6. 14. that the true Believer is crucify'd to the World and the World to him In this Sense The Friendship of the World is said by the Apostle James to be Enmity against God and by the Apostle John to be hatred of him This is sometimes called Mammon and is put in opposition to God sometimes it is call'd our own things in opposition to the things of Jesus Christ. And this appears to be the meaning of it in this Text which I meditate upon by the following Verse which explains the World by the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life which certainly if they be put together are of a large Extent In this Sense we read of Worldly Lusts Tit. 2. 12. of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Things of the World 1 John 4. 5. of the Fornicators of the World 1 Cor. 5. 10. of the Rulers of the darkness of this World Ephes 6. 12. of the Spirit of the World the Wisdom of the World the Nations of the World Luke 12. 30. the Men of the World which have their Portion in this Life Psal 17. 14. the Sorrow of the World 2 Cor. 7. 10. The World in a Theological Sense is in general whatever is not God and so even Life it self may be call'd the World The Apostle James puts the Theological Notion of the World out of dispute in that famous Text wherein he describes the pure Religion to be a keeping of ones self unspotted from the World Jam. 1. ult So then the Apostle St. John means If any Man love any created Being or cleaves to it more than God or prefers it before him he is a Lover of the World and consequently no Lover of the Father MEDITAT V. Of the Noble Affection of Love IF any Man love c. The Noblest Affection that God hath endu'd the Sons of Men yea or the Angels of Heaven with is Love For when that blessed Being was minded to copy out Himself upon the rational Creature He made it apt to love as He Himself is Love God is Love and the power of Loving is his Image However Liking and Lusting and Appetite
The True Christians Test OR A DISCOVERY Of the LOVE and LOVERS OF THE WORLD In Two Parts I. Of MAN Considered in his Moral Capacity in an Hundred Meditations Derived from 1 John 2. 15. II. Of MAN Considered in his Political Capacity in Forty nine Meditations Derived from 1 John 2. 15. Non dubium est quam illud magis amemus quod anteponimus Salv. In so saying thou reprovest us also By Samuel Shaw Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by Thomas James for Samuel Tidmarsh at the Kings-head in Corn-hill MDCLXXXII To the Right Honourable THEOPHILUS Earl of Huntingdon Lord Hastings Hungerford Botreaux Molyns and Moyls RIGHT HONOURABLE WHen Men are once firmly perswaded of the certainty of another World and do verily believe the Doctrine of Eternal Life revealed in the Holy Scriptures of God there is all reason in the World methinks to conclude that the first Enquiry should be How they themselves shall become partakers of it For who can be imagin'd to be sincere in his belief of so Glorious and Blissful a State that takes no thoughts how he shall obtain it or not so many thoughts as what he shall eat and drink and put on that sits down contented having given himself that cold answer which was once given to the Mother of Zebedees Children It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared Therefore to justifie the sincerity of their belief most Men do fancy to themselves something or other that will entitle them to this happiness though not so much perhaps because they account it so blessed a thing to obtain as dangerous and shameful to miss of it Amongst the many particulars that men do imagine will give them a claim to Everlasting Life The Love of God is one of the greatest and as much pretended to as any It is so Universal a Plea that I scarce think there is any Man who calls himself a Christian but he will make it Not to love God sounds so ill that it makes the Ears of the most Profligate Christian to Tingle when it is charg'd upon him But notwithstanding all these pretences to the Love of God it is most Evident that a great part of the pretenders are indeed strangers to it inasmuch as they may be convicted of the Love of the World which is inconsistant with it To find out and cast out therefore the Love of the World must needs be the most important Enquiry and Endeavour of Man of every man in the World Your Lordship will easily believe me if I tell you that although Men be never so great and high in the World if the World be great and high in their Hearts the Love of God is not in them Although Men have never so much of this worlds Good if at the same time they be unmerciful and uncharitable the Love of God dwells not in them This is expresly the Apostle James his Doctrine But to speak a little the closer though a man be instructed in all Wisdome and furnisht with all Variety of Arts and Sciences that he can name all things as properly as Adam or discourse of their Natures as learnedly as Solomon if yet the Love of the World be Predominant in him he is but a vain pretender to the Kingdom of Heaven a great stranger to the Life of Angels Though a Man know and believe all the wonderful Doctrines deliver'd in the Holy Book if this Faith do not operate to the purifying of the Heart from the Love of the World he is at present as far from having a true title to the Kingdom of Heaven as they of whom the Apostle gives this Character That they Believe and Tremble In a word though a Man be a Member of the Purest and most Reformed Church be never so Orthodox in his Judgment never so constant and specious in External Acts of Worship never so even and blameless in his Conversation never so exact in Works of Righteousness and abundant in Works of Charity and Mercy if yet in his heart he prefer the World before God he will be interpreted a Lover of the World and consequently an Enemy of the Father I do verily believe my Lord that I do here present you with a Treatise written about the most Important Enquiry in the World They are Morning Meditations stollen from the ordinary Employment of my Life which I do present to the World meerly to advance the Love and Honour of God amongst Men and do Dedicate to your Lordship in a grateful acknowledgment of your kind Respects to me and in Testimony of the Honour that I bear to your Lordships good Design of promoting Piety and establishing Peace in this Nation I beseech your Lordship favourably to accept the Oblation and I heartily pray God that as his Providence hath made you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very Illustrious amongst the English Families so by his Grace you may ever approve your self Tam re quam nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh how Blessed and Honourable a thing will it be found to be sooner or later to be a Sâ—ncere and Ardent Lover of God! To his good Grace and Guidance I heartily recommend your Lordship and rest My Lord Your Honours most humble Servant SAM SHAW The True Christians Test OR A DISCOVERY Of the LOVE and LOVERS OF THE WORLD In Forty nine Meditations Derived From 1 John 2. 15. The Second Part. Of MAN Considered in his Political Capacity By Sam. Shaw Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by Tho. James for Samuel Tidmarsh at the Kings-head in Cornhill MDCLXXXII To the Right Honourable THOMAS Earl of Stamford Lord Gray of Grooby MY LORD I Have little more to recommend me to your Lordship than that I am your Countreyman and Neighbour which yet is a Relation that your singular Humility and Affability is not wont to despise though in a person otherwise despicable ethough But your Lordships Love of and great desâ—re to serve the Interest of your Countrey does recommend you abundantly to the World and does tempt me to speak of it in this Dedication My Lord I intend not a Panigyrick of your Lordship which they that are acted by a Worldly Spirit and design Worldly Advantages might think worth their while to contrive May your praise be of God and not of Men And of God I am sure your praise will be if you be a Predominant Lover of him I beseech your Lordship to strip your self of all your Worldly Quality bâ—t an hour or two whilst you peruse the black Characters of a Lover of the World and the just Motives to the Love of God and then whatever exceptions Learned or Witty or Worldly men may make against these Meditations which I believe will be many if you do not judiciously account the Love of God to be the highest Honour and purest Happiness of Man I will be content how loath soever to be accounted not to be what really I am Your Honours Most humble Servant SAM SHAW THE HEADS Of
the Children get up and come into the house when they please We do indeed read of the hour of Prayer but it is hard to say which hour it was or if we could Where is the Divine Authority the stamp of God for the observation of it But the Lord's day is certain known commanded to be observed They that then ordinarily prefer the management of worldly business before the worship of God appear to be Lovers of the world I know we must allow here for the works of necessity and mercy these are to take place of the Sabbath The preservation of Life though it be but of a Beast is an act of mercy which God himself prefers before Sacrifice and so did the Lord of the Sabbath by his example teach us to do A Physician is excusable in travelling to relieve his Patient so that it be in the sight of God rather in merciful Care than worldly Covetousness But if the expectation and desire of a Fee be most predominant it is in vain to pretend necessity God shall find it out before him it will bear them out but badly to plead The Law allow'd it But who shall excuse the Lawyers and other men that travel Journies upon ordinary occasions and upon business of light moment and violate the Lord's day to save a little money or a little labor or for more convenient dispatch of worldly business To contrive to take a Sermon in their way to be at Church at such a place by such an hour I doubt will not salve the matter before a jealous God Christ says Ye cannot serve God and Mammon But these ingenious Worldlings have found out a way to do it They can travel a good days journey of 20 or 30 miles perhaps and yet contrive to be at some Church twice the same day Then they say to God Lo there is that which is thine the rest is my own Why may I not make the best use of it Thus they divide the day betwixt God and the world But whether he that requires a whole day for his service will accept such partnership viderint illi it is good to consider well of it MEDITAT XXXVIII Of Worldly Confidence AFter Injustice comes worldly Confidence to be condemn'd Trust and Confidence is a part of Worship Worldly Confidence therefore is Idolatry Yea it is Blasphemy to rest in and upon the Creature inasmuch as God alone is the Rest of Souls and the Confidence of the Ends of the Earth To confide in the duration of Riches is a piece of Foolery because they are winged and so uncertain Thou Fool this night c. But this is not the Folly that I mean To trust in Riches to râ—pose ones self upon them therefore to account our selves happy or safe because we have them to rejoice mainly in them crying Be merry Thou hast Goods laid up for many years This is the worldly Confidence that God has so often cursed baffled and forbidden God shall destroy thee for ever sayes the Psalmist Psal 52. The righteous shall laugh at him saying Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches Job reckons it amongst the highest of wickednesses to say to Gold Thou art my Hope or to the fine Gold Thou art my confidence Job 31. 24. They that trust in Riches Riches shall not profit them either to bribe the Enemy who shall despise their Silver and Gold as the Prophet speaks or to purchase health in time of sickness strength and swiftness shall not avail God will baffle these by making the Enemy swifter and stronger to pursue Ye said we will ride upon the swift therefore shall they that pursue you be swift Isa 30. 16. Charge them that are rich in this world that they do not trust in uncertain riches says the Apostle Lord what a strange thing is Man He must not only be admonish'd but charg'd Why what 's the matter That he do not trust in Riches uncertain Riches Why if they be uncertain there is no danger of trusting in them Yes they are uncertain and he knows it yet he must be charg'd not to trust in them It were endless to give an account of the disappointments of those that have rely'd upon and thought themselves safe in their temporal Prosperity and worldly Riches out of Sacred and Prophane History or of the Princes of the Earth that have been miserably befool'd with the number and strength of Men Horses and Ships wherein they have confided more than in the Lord of Hosts MEDITAT XXXIX Of Covetousness or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Will now consider of Covetousness which is an undue desire of worldly wealth This desire is undue by the kind of the wealth or by the degree of the desire And so we are covetous either when we lust after that which is another mans or intemperately desire worldly wealth of our own though we use no indirect means to obtain it The first of these is that Covetousness directly aimed at in the Tenth Commandment called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is a sort of invading of another Mans Right There is a good Covetousness a coveting earnestly the best Gifts but this improperly called Covetousness For to speak properly we are not to covet the Gifts and Graces that are in other men although in themselves they are covetable yet as they are other mens they are not the object of our desires There may be a bad desire of a good thing Evil Covetousness is of earthly things and it supposes an impotent and worldly mind and an over-high valuation of earthly things it argues us to be led by our Senses and not by right Reason This Covetousness is a kind of spiritual Adultery Not only he that looks upon his Neighbors Wife but he that looks upon his Neighbors House or Land or Goods to covet them is guilty of worldly Love and that is spiritual Adultery A sin little regarded I doubt but certainly very dreadful The first unchaste glances of the Eye towards any thing that is our Neighbors is forbidden and it becomes us to be offended at them to make haste to suppress them to repent of them But if we allow them to grow up into wilful and steddy desires they are that predominant Love of the World that the Apostle tells us is so pernicious See what severe notice God takes of this kind of Covetousness how he visited it in Eve who coveted an evil Covetousness to her Posterity in Achan and Ahab who coveted an evil Covetousness to their own Houses There is no Man that is over-greedy of having but will sometimes desire to have what is none of his own If this be the standing Maxim Oportet habere We must have it will follow Unde habeat quaerit nemo It is no matter how he comes by it They deceive themselves that excuse their Covetousness by saying I covet nothing of yours I desire nothing but mine
and Ambition they 〈◊〉 the Devil of Dissention by the Devil of Revenge like King Jehu casting out Baal to make room for the Golden Calves and shewing much zeal for the Lord as they would have it thought when indeed they are acted by the Satanical Spirit of Pride and Malice and their design is nothing but to Rule or be Reveng'd If a man had as good eyes as Jacob had he might see the Rams that leap upon these Cattle to be speckled and grizled the Spirit that impregnates them to be no other than the Spirit of Apostasie and a black Incubus ascending up out of the Bottomless Pit Neither let any one think that the spiritual Sins of Pride Malice and the like are only to be called the Devilish Nature For what though the person of the Devil do neither eat nor drink nor heap up Silver and Gold nor acquaint himself with strange Flesh Yet Drunkenness and Gluttony Covetousness and Lasciviousness are really Branches of the Devilish Nature and belong to the Spirit of Apostusie For so it is describ'd by our Saviour Mat. 16. 23. That is Satanical be it what it will that savoureth not the Things of God Get thee behind me Sathan And why Sathan Because he though ignorantly oppos'd the redemption of Mankind True but our Saviour puts it into a more general Phrase Thou savourest not the Things of God implying That whatsoever opposes the Will and Ways of God is Satanical Men fear Hell as a bad place rather than as an evil and wicked state and so they hate and bann the Devil as a Name or Person at most rather than as a sinful and apostate Nature We read indeed of the Devil possessing the Bodies of men which ordinarily occur'd in the days of the Son of man But though it be not so much observ'd nor does so much astonish the possession that he has of the Souls of men is much more common and far more dreadful Is it not much more lamentable that the Devil should possess the Souls of men than their Bodies And does he not really possess all unregenerate minds Is not that Spirit that apostate Nature which worketh in the Children of Disobedience he Is not Diabolical Impression a real Impregnation As good men are the Children of God and pleni Deo more than wicked men by a God-like Nature so are all unregenerate men all Lovers of the World Children of the Devil under his Dominion possest by him impregnated by him and indeed by Scripture-warrant they are so many Satans in the flesh and Devils incarnate Learned men think that in Zech. 3. 1. the word Satan is to be read Apostate as if the Spirit of Apostasie did denominate the Devil And the wicked and apostate Nature wherever it is found predominant denominates men devilish otherwise Judas was no more a Devil than any of us The Devilish Nature is mischievous and unrighteous and ever opposing and perverting the right ways of the Lord. And they that are acted by it are upon this very account by the Apostle call'd Children of the Devil Acts 13. 10. The War that the Captain of our Salvation manages is not so much against the damned Regiments the Apostate Spirits though he has plainly triumph'd over them and I suppose his bright Legions do still under his Banner oppose and rout them as manifest Hostility being kept up amongst them as we read of between the Troops of Joab and Abner as against that wicked nature and those wicked works which estrange the Souls of Men from God as the Apostle John compendiously tells us when he describes the design and errand of the Redeemer he says It was to destroy the works of the Devil So then all that work the works of darkness and wickedness are his Followers and each man of them in his measure a little Devil Or whether you call them his Subjects Servants Slaves Children Apprentices with relation to his work his inspired ones his Scholars the Scripture will warrant all these Lord How unpleasant and wearisome a Meditation is this What an universal Defection is here How strong is the Conspiracy What a numerous Issue hath the God of this world who although they are thy Creatures yet are his Children What no less than a world wondring after the Beast No less than a whole world lying in wickedness No fewer than all men seeking their own Things Sure there is something Tropical in these sad expressions Yes for besides the whole world that lies in wickedness there are a certain number there are a We that are of God 1 John 5. 19. The Apostasie is not so Epidemical but that there are Seven thousand knees that have not bowed themselves to Baal The whole rational Nature hath not so herded it self under the Beast but that there remains a little Flock The whole Field of the World is not so overspread with Tares but thou hast some handfuls of Wheat in it Blessed be thou O God who hast not quite thrown away the World out of thy hands who hast not utterly forsaken thy own Workmanship or rather hast not suffer'd them utterly and everlastingly to forsake thee Be comforted O my Soul in the great number of Glorious Angelical Loyal Natures who are yet Faithful and reign with their God And do not desperately conclude but that there may be abundance of other intellectual Beings pure and unspotted who still deserve to be called the Children of God Be comforted in what thou hast seen and dost see daily I mean the great Shepherd of Souls rescuing out of the mouth of the Liou two Legs and a piece of an Ear Amos 7. 12. The Lord of the Harvest gathering sâ—mâ— gleaning Grapes two or three Berries in the top of the uppermost Bough four or five in the outmost fruitful Branches 〈◊〉 17 6. The mighty Angel with the everlasting Gospel in his hand calling now and then one of a City and two of a Tribe out of darkness into his marvellous light And oh cease not to pray the Lord of the Hâ—â—vest the compassionate Father of Spirits that 〈◊〉 will mercifully look down upon the miserable apostate World rebuke the Power retrench the Dominious of the Wicked One and reap unto himself a more plentiful Harvest of Souls MEDITAT C. Cautionary AND now what Oedipus shall solve this Riddle What Divine Philosopher what Secretary of Heaven shall give us an account of this strange Phaenomenon Is there any greater wonder to man in the World than a worldly man What Decrees of Heaven what Providence of God what Fate of Providence what Temptations from without what Inclinations from within shall we run to to give an account of this fearful Apostasie of so great so noble a part of the Creation from his blessed Centre his pure Life his paradisic State Whether we think of the corruption of the humane Nature in Adam yet it is a marvellous Mystery how a Person of his purity and soundness came to sin and how persons of that
remoteness from him as we are should sin in him Though neither of which seem incredible yet both of them seem inexplicable If we lay the fault at the door of each pre-existent Soul it seems indeed to be just but still it is as strange as it was before For so every single Soul is an Adam for purity and soundness of Constitution and how shall we do to account for the Apostasie of so many Adams if we be puzled at the Fall of one But alas The mysterious Intricacy of this is not so great but that the manifest evidence of the matter of Fact is as great It is enough Ah Lord it is more than enough to know and see which indeed we cannot hide our eyes from that this noble Vine is turned into a degenerate Plant That the Native Friends and Favorites of God are become Lovers yea Servants yea Worshippers of the World And the greatness of their Number is too too evident in these Meditations which yet I am sensible have not described all Some possibly will think these too many I cannot help it but the Discovery is in order to their Recovery Others possibly in another Extreme will think these too few and will extend the predominant Love of the World further than I do or dare Some are so fierce that every Body must needs be carnal and corrupt and of a worldly mind who is not exactly of their mind but of some Way Persuasion or Opinion different from them These cry Get thee behind me Satan And why Satan Why because thou savourest not our Things our Doctrine our Discipline our Worship our Way Theycry to every one that does not please them Thou Child of the Devil And why Child of the Devil I pray Not because they pervert the right ways of the Lord but because they oppose their Ways and weaken their Party True indeed Heresie and Schism are works of the Flesh and symptoms of a worldly mind But they are very cunning close Things which are very hard to be discern'd and of so lubricous a consideration that it is very difficult to hit of them right So difficult that even the inspired Messengers of Heaven have been mistaken for Emissaries of Hell and the very Pillars of the Church cast out of the Church for Heresie I believe Perversness is a very Devilish Temper But it is very unreasonable without any more ado to judge every man perverse that does not perhaps he cannot in all things think as I do or whom my Arguments cannot convince Some are so conceited of their own extraordinary Purity that they look down with a disdainful pity upon all the rest of miserable Mortality as if they were all irrecoverably lost and themselves with Job's Messenger left alone to tell it A person of the Apostle John's Infallibility indeed may say We know that we are of God and the whole world lies in wickedness But for a Company of Pharisees impregnated with Self-conceit to conclude that all the world were born in sin but themselves and that all the vulgar sort of Mortals are ignorant and accursed This I say the Candor of Heaven it self could not endure Luke 16. 15. Ye are they that justifie your selves c. The Pseudocatharists in the Prophet Isa 65. 5. cry to their Neighbors Stand off come not near me for I am holier than thou Sanctificabo te I shall sanctifie thee that is defile thee as that word is often used As if he should say If thou touch me who am so holy thou shalt be defiled and guilty before God as those common persons were accounted who touch'd the Altar the blood of the Sacrifice or any holy thing which they ought not to touch Some are so severe as to determine flatly against the Salvation of all Rich men because Christ has declared it very difficult and to think not any of them are called because the Apostle says Not many And the Grandees for wit and wealth are meet with them crying These poor people are foolish Jer. 5. 4. they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgment of their God they know not the Law and are cursed Others pass hard Censures upon all Heathen Men yea and upon Christian Unbaptized Infants too whether true or false I know not but I could wish they were false and the Learning of some more charitable Divines has endeavor'd to prove them not true There are others besides all these who though perhaps out of no bad Principle are ready to judge many things to be Symptoms of a predominant Love of the World which are not It is true the Love of the World is so dangerous and pernicious that it ought to be the constant care of every awakened Soul to flie from it and one would almost pardon the scrupulosity and fear of those that run away from it though they should be suppos'd to run too far And the Love of God is so pure and divine a thing so great a perfection that the exercise of it admits of no Excess if the whole Soul were turn'd into a pure flame of Love it would not be a Sacrifice too costly or precious to be offer'd up to that ever blessed Being the Supreme Good neither would there be any room for the envy of Hell it self to put in a quorsum perditio haec But though it admits of no Excess yet I conceive it admits of Mistakes and though Men cannot outdo in it yet they may do amiss about it As I conceive they do how pardonable soever their mistake is who condemn them for Lovers of the World who do any works of Necessity Charity or common Civility upon the Lords day who think oftner of the world than they do of God or who in their practice sometimes prefer a worldly business that is important before a Sermon or a Prayer Devotion it self how excellent a thing it is may be irregular and there needs judgment as well as affections to denominate a Man a right Christian without which even the highest perfections of Love and Zeal do degenerate into something worse than the Notation of the words do import And although I do reckon that it is highly laudable and reasonable to live in continual weariness of this world and life and holy longings after the presence of God endeavouring to attain to the Resurrection of the dead yet I do not believe but there are many languishings and fainting Fits that befal the most devout Lovers of the Father here in the Body Neither dare â— condemn every man for a predominant Lover of the World who in some Passion some Temptation or other has almost lost his sight and taste of God and casts a fond eye upon this Life and World as wretched as it is It is best to wish with Paul to be dissolv'd It is next best to groan with Paul O wretched man that I am c. It is pious to keep up a predominant estimation of Heaven and to make the main business of
particularly in some future Meditations MEDITAT X. Of the Inconsistency of the Love of the World and the Love of God IT seems to be the plain Doctrine which the Apostle teaches That the Love of the World and the Love of God are inconsistent God and Mammon cannot cohabit there is no serving of two Masters especially being contrary the one to the other What communion hath light with darkness The reason of the incompatibility and inconsistency seems to be laid in the opposition Contraria mutuo se pallunt The same Fountain cannot send forth sweet waters and bitter Here the reason seems to lie in the limited straitned nature of the Fountain The narrow heart of man cannot contain two such Guests at once If the world be got into the Inn the Chambers of the Soul Christ must be cast into the Stable The same Soul cannot at once send forth the sweet aromatick Breathings of Divine Love and the nasty noisom stench and exhalation of earthly Love How should such a limited Agent perform two such contrary Acts at the same time But what May not a Man love God well and love the world well too No no man loves God well but he that loves him belt He only loves him aright that loves him with all his heart There cannot be two Bests One cannot love God with all his heart and the world with all his heart too But may not one love God best and yet love the world No For if you love the world unduly you do not love God best and if you love God best then your love of the world is not the undue love here forbidden The pure and conjugal Love admits no Rival Thalamus non patitur consortes There is an Essay no doubt to compound the matter and to make a medley and this medley I fear is the Religion of the most It is too evident that they entertain the world chiefly yet in good manners they would allow some room for God some little room upon a Sunday or an Holy-day or perhaps at some other times in some easie and cheap things The Whore in the Comedian was content to entertain two the one indeed she properly lov'd but because the other gave her Presents and good Gifts she was content that he should Haerere in aliqua parte saltem apud eam some little corner of her house she would allow him too It is as certain a sign of a whorish heart to prostitute it self to two as it was of a false Mother to admit of the division of the child The world indeed has no title at all to the heart of Man and therefore modestly desires only a little part an inferior love a subordinate love But together with this seeming Modesty the Witch is very cunning for she knows that that part will go night to bring in the whole and that God will reject the whole Mess if any part of it be defiled But God has a right to all and therefore demands all or none he will not take up with a corner of the heart The love of God fills the Soul where it comes as the light fills the Fir-mament MEDITAT XI Of the Evil of not loving God THE love of the Father is not in him Look about you all you that love the World Nay rather let us all look into our selves let us fear and search lest we be found lovers of the world for here is the dreadfullest Predicate that ever was pronounced the blackest brand that can be lay'd upon a rational being such love not God He had almost as good have said They hate him For indeed saving a little Philosophical Nicety it comes all to one He that is not for us is against us and yet more plainly The friendship of the World is enmity against God Now if we consider that it is the most Natural Necessary Reasonable Easie and Excellent thing in the World to love God and that it is the foundation of all other duties it will the better appear how sad a Character this is The love of the Father is not in him I will but glance upon some of these in this place and reserve the rest to anotner MEDITAT XII The love of God is most Natural IT is most Natural for man to love God However it is true too true that considering man in his state of Apostasie sin is most natural to him yet if we consider man as a rational Being only abstracting him from his depravation vertue particulaâ—ly the love of God is most natural to him and all sin particularly worldly love unnatural and alien to him which the Scripture plainly signifies when it tells us so often of the defilements of sin Now we know that what defiles must needs be alien to that which it defiles To love God was the duty of man before the Gospel was given yea or the Law either necessarily resulting from the relation between the Creature and the Creator It is most agreeable to the dictates of Nature though it be so sadly depraved it has not quite put off its Essence For what are Honour and Reverence and Adoration but Love exalted Love determin'd to a Superior Object And this the Heathens always thought just and equal to give to their Gods It is as natural for the soul to love to cleave to something without its self as for the Ivy to cling to the Oak The Soul naturally understands its own indigency and therefore goes out to one thing or other to find rest though through her Apostasie she is mistaken in her object and fancies rest where it is not Which indeed is rather Blasphemy than Atheism The love of a Superior Object of a Centre is so natural that it cannot be separated from the very constitution of the Soul That Centre must needs be some Superior Being and more excellent than it self And what can that be but God or what besides him can be sayd to be more excellent than the Soul it self God is remotely concern'd in the pursuits even of the Covetous and Ambitious howbeit they mean not so and therefore their in judicious tendencies are no thanks to them nor will ever make them happy To love the Lord our God with all our heart is the great Commandment indeed it is the Law of Nature inlay'd in the very constitution of the Soul belonging to all men in all ages of the world MEDITAT XIII Of the Easiness and Pleasantness of Loving TO love is Easie Cheap and Pleasant It is Easie it equires no Pains it breaks no Bones Whatsoever Curse lies upon all sublunary provisions we may eat the heavenly Manna without sweat Those Devils the Hâ—athenish Gods requir'd painful Services indeed sometimes Herculean Labors But the true God requires our Love he takes it as the most acceptable Sacrifice so acceptable that it shall stand in stead of all other Duties where they cannot be perform'd He that is dumb and cannot pray deaf and cannot hear blind and cannot read so poor that he
of Heaven and if any man study and admire the World in opposition to God he is an Atheistical Lover of the World He that loves the World or values it in competition with God is at least a false Friend of God and acts as if he would set the Creature at variance with the Creator Yea he that loves the Creature in a way of distinction or separation from God is in a degree unspiritual and in some sort of bondage Men are commonly proud of much knowledge but the Apostle speaks of some that are proud and yet know nothing 1 Tim. 6. 4. So were those Philosophers that knew not God in the world nor apprehended the invisible things of him by those makements of his that they took so much notice of MEDITAT XXVI Of the inordinate Love of Life COnsidering the World Physically I must a little meditate upon Natural Life as a Physical Good I need not employ my thoughts about the lawfulness of a subordinate Love of Life a Doctrine easily entertain'd without the assistance of any Arguments or Motives but I will here meditate upon these three following Positions First If any man love this Natural Life more than Truth and Righteousness that he would rather chuse to live sinfully than not to live he is a predominant Lover of the world Secondly If a man be not willing to lay down his Life at the Will of God he is a Lover of the World Thirdly If any man be content to spend his Eternity in this world though it were in a sinless state but imperfect he is not arriv'd at that degree of Divine Love as becomes us to aspire after Concerning the first of these It must needs be confest that the Devil guess'd shrewdly that Job as good as he was would quit his integrity at least to save his Life go about to take that from him and he would quit that patience and submission that he had shew'd in his other Losses And oh God How many have quitted their Integrity to save their Lives How many have prostituted their Bodies in Acts of Adultery their Souls in Acts of Idolatry to preserve the Union betwixt Soul and Body How many cowardly Soldiers of Christ to save their Lives have over-run their Colours forsaken their Profession renounc'd the Truth It is said that the Papists in the Irish Rebellion made some to renounce the Truth to save their Lives and then killed them A complete Murder indeed to kill Soul and Body at once How many have deny'd the Lord that bought them blasphemed said even to Sin it self Make me as one of thy hired Servants put me to any drudgery whatsoevere so I may but eat Bread and live These are they that find their Lives in the loss of their Souls but they shall lose them Alas there are too many that will commit any sin as well as undergo any slavery to live Many Jaberites that to save their Lives suffer at least one of their eyes to be put out I mean embrace Idolatry in a blind obedience And is Life so sweet as to be preferred before Truth Righteousness and Holiness so sweet as to be preferred before God the uncreated Life It is indeed the highest Temptation as the Devil too truly intimated and they are more excusable that sin to preserve Life than they that sin to maintain Honour or Estate but yet inexcusable too The Church would not do so Psal 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee nor dealt falsly in thy Covenant But did not Peter to save his Life deny his Lord Yes and Peter was in that Act a predominant Lover of the world We know how dear it cost him And if any man will encourage himself by his example let him be sure of his Repentance before he venture as he did Many have deny'd their Lord and never owned him more have so run away as never to return or look back and that by a just judgment of God who thereupon gives men up to believe Lyes and commonly the next thing is to find out ways to justifie and defend their sin To prefer Life before Truth under any Temptation is a single Act of worldly Love but being convinc'd of the sin yet to live in it onely to preserve the Life so stolen denominates an habitual Lover of the world Peter saved his Life by abjuring his Lord but he did not maintain it so Yea some have given back their Lives so feloniously obtained to the flames have sought out the Executioner have voluntarily offered up their Lives as being unwilling to keep them upon such base terms All that use unjust means to preserve Life and allow themselves in the use of such means are predominant Lovers of the world Lord let me hate that Life that must be purchased at so dear a rate as Divine displeasure The Kings of Israel one consulting the God of Ekron the other the Witch of Endor are recorded for wicked men and were sadly rewarded too both lost their Lives seeking unduly to preserve them so true is that of Christ in more senses than one He that findeth his Life shall lose it Many things may be quitted to preserve Life Whether Abraham told a Lye or no to save his Life or David sinned in denying his reason before the King of Gath or the Hebrew Midwives lyed to save the Lives of the Infants is doubtful much may be said to clear them all But that a man may with Abraham deny himself of the Conversation of his Wife for a time forsake his Countrey with David yea though the House of God were there that he may make some disguises of himself that he may use some pretences and excuses is evident from the example of Samuel when he went to anoint David and Jeremiah when he discours'd the King about rendering up the City to the Caldeans It is evident that men may part with their Estates to save their Lives as in the case of danger of Shipwrack or with some part of their Liberty as Christ quitted his opportunity of teaching the People for a time that they may with Moses forsake their Countrey and their Fathers House But it will in no case become lawful to quit ones Integrity for the preservation of Life to prefer Life before Virtue and so Propter vitam vivendi perdere causas Lord mortifie this Love this inordinate Love of Life which puts us upon so many sinful shifts to maintain it and let us love Life only in thee MEDITAT XXVII Of Unwillingness to Dye 2dly IF any man be not willing to lay down his Life at the Will of God he is a Lover of the world The Will of God is just righteous pure perfect and more desirable than Life it self The Will of God is God himself and he that resisteth or opposeth or is not chearfully subject to the Will of God whether his preceptive or dispositive Will is a Rebel Alas How little Conscience do men ordinarily make of
enjoy the Supreme Good Now this I think supposes a quitting of this Life and a putting off this Body This Thirst after Happiness is often made a character of the Lovers of God and of his Son Jesus Christ desir'd that where he was his followers might be also and why should not his Followers be so kind to themselves If we view those Texts seriously which describe the Lovers of God we shall find this ever and anon to be their character That they love the appearance of Christ Jesus and that they wait for the mercy of Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life But is it not a sin to be discontent at our stay in this world To be discontent at the Will of God must needs be evil for true happiness consists in conformity of will to the Will of God But to long after rest and that in God cannot be interpreted to be an intemperate Act. It is an Act of Faith and Patience to be content to live To desire death out of weariness of afflictions and the Discipline of God is weak and cowardly But to be weary of our distance absence imperfect state and to long after Perfection and daily to grow up into it is safe good proper generous and commendable O God loosen my heart break the League I pray if I may not pray that thou wouldst break the Bonds If I may not leap out of the body make me very desirous to go out when the way is open If my captive Soul may not break Prison and free it self yet make it willing to go out when the great Redeemer shall open the Prison doors and say to the Captive Go forth Is it not enough O my Soul to have the Prison doors set ope but wilt thou say also Nay but let them come themselves and fetch me out What entertainment findest thou in husks that thou art so unmindful of the Bread of Life What an unseemly thing is it to be haled home to hide thy self with Saul amongst the stuff when thou art sought for to be crowned Lord That I could wait for thee more than they that wait for the morning more than the servant desireth the shadow or the hireling looketh for the reward of his work Oh that I might never think my self well but when I am sick sick of love MEDITAT XXX Of the Profits of the World NOW I will consider the World in a Theological sense and thus it denotes any thing that has opposition to God And so we read of the Spirit of the World the Wisdom of the World the Men of the World the Fashions of the World the Sorrow of the World c. The World in general is whatsoever is not God and so even Self may be called the World Whosoever loveth any thing or cleaves to it more than to God or habitually prefers it before him is a lover of the world But I will view more particularly what the Scripture comprehends under the Notion of the World in a Theological Sense And here I shall begin with the profits of the world the riches and treasures of it which have almost engrost the name of the world as being a principal part of it to which the generality of men are addicted This I take especially to be meant by Mammon which one cannot serve in consistency with God Whosoever prefers the profits and riches of the world before God the same is a lover of the World To speak my judgment freely I think there are many things more valuable than silver and gold Learning and Valour are better all the ornaments and accomplishments of the Mind are better than they friends are better health and peace are better It is a wonder to me that men should lose their peace forfeit their friends expose their health for these things Although I confess it is not Idolatry because these things are not God yet it is absurd unseemly and disingenious to prefer riches before these things because these are really better To say I had rather be a Prince than a Philosopher argues a low mind But to value these riches more than God more than truth goodness and purity makes an idolatrous lover of the World To seek these more then the Kingdom of God to hunger after them more than after righteousness to confide in them more than in the Promise and Providence of God doth denominate the accursed person here spoken of MEDITAT XXXI Of Stealing UNder this head of the love of the profits of the world come to be condemned Injustice Worldly confidence Covetousness Carefulness Discontentedness and Vncharitableness and the several Branches of these I begin with Injustice They are all unjust who either use undue means or a due means in an undue manner to get worldly advantage and therein are lovers of the World more than of God The first sort of Injustice is in the use of undue means And so Stealing Defrauding Lying Oppressing Bribery are a preferring the world before Righteousnesse Truth and Mercy and Consequently denominate a lover of the World more than of God According to this Method I must begin with Stealing God is righteous the righteous Lord loveth righteousness whosover therefore loves not it loves not him whosoever Steals prefers the World before it and consequently does not love it Sealing is a violation of property Let property be what it will in its own nature be it not a sacred thing be it a necessary evil or be it a good not simply necessary yet it is now necessary as things go with mankind It cannot well be deny'd Theft supposes property and property supposes Apostasie If Man had continued in his Primative Estate it is likely the Earth had been as free to his innocent Off-spring as the Air is at this day At first there was no enclosure but of one poor Tree neither shall there be any in the World to come though we should grant the Doctrine of the Saints Reigning upon the Earth In utmost extremity to violate property for the preservation of life is no theft or at least that theft is no sin yea it becomes a duty For no man can be necessarily placed between two evils The one of them will be a duty Since the fall of Man Property is necessary to avoid confusion which the lusts of men would introduce yet perhaps it is not so determinate and severe as some men imagine The poor have an interest in the Estates of the rich they have a part which yet these ought to give not the other to take If they do not give it they are the thieves For detaining a right is thievery as well as taking any thing away wrongfully I cannot deny but that every thief is covetous but I do also affirm that every covetous man is a thief If we could suppose the sons of Men free from all self-interest and worldly love there would be no need of property neither would there be any poor for there is enough in the World to serve all men that
though it neither stammer nor stagger What then are we limited in eating and drinking to a bit or a sup as in speaking to yea and nay Lord what man upon earth so wise as to know so exact as to observe such a point Surely there is an innocent entertainment as well as a necessary relief of nature But what Casuist shall state it Any degree of eating or drinking that fits us for higher offices seems to be lawful Lord I beseech thee grant that my appetite may be allways subject to my will my will to my reason my reason to thy Holy Word Grant that I may not take undue pleasure in Wine wherein is excess but be filled with thy Holy Spirit That I may not serve my own will or lust in eating or in drinking but make it my meat and drink to do thywill That I may by a divine Communion continually eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of God in which there is no danger of surfeiting Oh there let me insatiably hunger and thirst MEDITAT XLIX Of Pleasures unlawful in the Manner PLeasure either sinful in the Matter nor Measure yet may be so in the Manner To eat and drink is in it self innocent and a natural innocent delight may be reaped from thence but to relish and sensate these innocent pleasures only as they are natural gratifications is gross and sensual The most refined Souls whilst they are in conjunctian with these Earthly bodies must needs find pleasure in what gratifies the natural Appetite But they find more pleasure than so pleasure of another nature besides that The Soul ought to tast the sweetness of God as well as the palate rellish the created sweetness of meat and drink it ought to behold the amiableness of God as well as the eye behold and admire any created beauty If we do not rise up by the particular created goodness of the creature to the uncreated goodness the Father of Lights we are gross and sensual How gross are the Amoretto's of the World who stand gazing upon the sweet Features and charming Complexion forsooth of a Mistress the Worldlings who dote upon the Fabrick of a House or the Shape of a Horse and contemplate nothing higher How can I commend the convenience of Riches the refreshingness of Meat and Drink the pleasantness of Sleep the sweetness of Friends or of Life and not climb up to Riches Refreshment Rest Love Life it self That whereby any thing is in any kind excellent is some communication from God something of and from him Why then stand we gazing and doting upon beautiful Objects Why so ravish'd with melodious Ditties Can we not contemplate Harmony in the Abstract nor Beauty exeept it be incarnate Can we enjoy nothing but what we can see or hear or handle O dull and degenerate Souls O thou most blessed and eternal Spirit refine and spiritualize my apprehensions and sensations that I may see thee in every thing that I see taste thee in every dish and draught Thou leadest me by the streams but suffer me not to lie down there but help me to pursue them up to the Fountain Oh that I were a Jacob and that every Creature were a Ladder whereby thou mightst descend upon me and my Soul might ascend up unto thee MEDITAT L. Of Pleasures unlawful as to the Season THere is a Season for every thing and the right timing of things makes them beautiful The Pleasures that are lawful and honest nay and seem almost to have some relation to Religion may at some times be intermitted The Disciples could not fast whil'st the Bridegroom was with them but that is no wonder Aaron could not feast before the Lord when such and such things had befallen him Lev. 10. and Moses could not blame him There may be a time when the very pleasant praises of the Lord may seem unpleasant and the Songs of Sion be out of Tune The Apostle by his disjunctive discourse seems to imply some such thing concerning the Christian Psalmody that it is not seasonable in a time of affliction If any be afflicted let him pray If any be merry let him sing Psalms But to lead a merry jocund Life to give up ones self to Eating and Drinking and Sports in a time when God calls to Weeping and Mourning is an Argument of a prophane and profligate Sensualist and seems to be an unpardonable presumption Isa 22. 14. It is revealed in my ears by the Lord God of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged away from you till you dye How unseemly is it for me said David to dwell in Cedar and the Ark of God in Curtains For me to go rest my self upon a soft Bed when my General lies upon the hard ground To go solace my self with my beautiful Wife whil'st the Armies of God are looking Death in the face is not seemly for me quoth that Noble Captain Vriah If Whoring had been lawful and a Gentleman-like quality yet Zimri was absurd to be Whoring when all Israel were mourning under Gods judgments The Text imputes it as an Act of great weakness in that King who was drinking himself drunk in his Tent when the Enemy was upon him and he should have been ordering his Battel which puts me in mind of the Reproof that the old man in the Comedian gives an idle Servant In ipsa turba atque in peccato maximo potasti scelus Quasi re bene gesta To be fidling when the City was on fire is a character fit for Nero For an Old Woman to dance according to the Latine Proverb Makes Death laugh in his sleâ—ve To frolick it under the afflicting hand of God upon our selves or the Church under imminent dangers in a time of Universal Wickedness with the old World to give up our selves to all fleshly pleasures is far worse than to eat flesh in Lent Lord how like is the new World to the old one But shall there not yet be newer wherein dwells righteousness why there then shall be pleasures for everwere Oh but it is the part of a brave bold spirit to be unconcern'd not to be baffled nor scared out of the enjoyment of it self Give Horace his Mistress and come on him what can What an Heroick thing is Atheism Nay rather this is a Beastly Valor Such as the courage of the Horse in Job that mocketh at fear and saith amongst the Trumpets Ha ha Or of the Leviathan that laugheth at the shaking of the Spear Lord the pleasures of the flesh are mean and beastly things at best But when they are thus unseasonable it adds wickedness to their meanness and devilishness to their beastliness Enable me to observe the operation of thy hands teach me to distinguish the time to weep from the time to laugh let my reason ever maintain a just dominion over my appetite my Senses yea and my Fancy too MEDITAT LI. Of Fantastical Pleasures THere are pleasures of the Fancy which may be distinguisht from
more than the Image of God in them is to make Self the Standard of our Love and the Creature to truckle to the Creator To speak properly that Kindness and Benignity in Parents that Dutifulness and Obedience in Children that Faithfulness and Sweetness in Husbands and Wives that Tenderness and Helpfulness in Brothers or Sisters or any Friends by which chiefly they are lovely is of God is God and so to be lov'd and relish'd And to love them under a distinct limited consideration as ours or as a kin to us is not so pure and spiritual as it ought to be The truth is there is nothing ours For God is the Proprietor we are only the Possessors and why should we be so fond of that which is anothers It looks like a piece of melancholy as if a man should go into a Jewellers shop and there fondly hug a Jewel which is only shew'd him or put into his hands to judge of the worth of it How do poor Worldlings act over the part of mad men when they seem to themselves very wise The part of that Melancholist that I have read of who would stand upon the shore and make much mirth at the coming in of every Ship saying It was laden with his own Goods And as for Relation what is it but a Notion It is something I know not what extrinsick to us And why should I be fond of every man that is call'd by my Name Or why should any man be proud that he is call'd Charles and is Name-sake to a great King And what is Relation to us What are we that it should be so lovely a thing to be like us To be like to God to be a Kin to him indeed is something the nearer to him the Nobler and the Happier I must needs have a foolish and false and proud conceit of my self sure that am â—ond of a Child because he resembles me Lord Thou art nearer of Kin to me than all the World The material World is nothing at all of Kin to my Soul not so much as my Cloaths are to my Body But in thee I subsist Thou hast done that for me that Father and Mother could never do Let all Relation be swallow'd up in thee that I may be in a spiritual sense another Melchisedeck MEDITAT LXXVII Of the Love of other Men. TO love and esteem man any man more than God denominates a Lover of the World To love man qua man and consequently every man is a Christian Duty and an high Perfection it is as if it were to be transformed into the Nature of that blessed Being whose Name is Love God is recommended to us by this God is Love Christ commends him to our imitation in this especially Mat. 5. 44 45. Christ Jesus is commended to us by this Oh the wonderful Love that he shew'd to Mankind in laying down his Life for them yea his whole Life before he laid it down was Love it was teaching healing feeding men serving the Necessities of Souls and Bodies The best of Men are commended for this Moses the meekest of Men David sympathizing with his very Enemies in their Afflictions Jeremiah mourning over the Sins of Israel and the Calamities even of Moab Paul most passionately desirous of the salvation of the persecuting Jews The best of Heathens commended for it Socrates profest That he knew nothing but to love he styled himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Servant of Love It is the Speech of a Jesuite Neminem odit qui Deum amat He that loves God hates no man By this Epithete things are commended The best wisdom is that which is gentle and loving and the best Valor is kind and apt to forgive But it will be asked Is every man lovely Yes there is something lovely in every man something of God that Love will delight in No man is so bad but there may be found something of good Nature good Manners good Offices at some time or other all this is an Emanation from God If none of this were yet the Relation wherein man stands to God as a reasonable Creature makes him lovely We love our sown Corn in Hope and many other things Let us love the worst of men in hopes that they may be good Lord shed abroad this Large Liberal Generous Grace into my heart Enlarge my heart that it may comprehend all mankind This is better than with Barzillai to entertain a King and his Army or with Ahasuerus to keep open house for a Kingdom Thus shall I though I have nothing to give be as Charitable as the Rich and more munificent than the Princes of the Earth I charge thee O my Soul this day in the presence of the God whose Name is Love that thou hate no child of man and that thou mayst be sure not to do it that thou dost not so much as secretly despise the meanest or suspend good offices towards the worst or rejoice in the sins or sufferings of the most injurious of men But alas what pity is it that this divine affection should be depraved that Love it self should become filthy and unchaste Separate man and his perfections from God and then love him or them distinctly and this love becomes adulterous For although all men are to be loved in God and for his sake yet no man is to be loved any otherwise than so They prefer Man before God who stand admiring the Excellencies and Perfections of any man as the accomplishments of this or that particular Being and not as Beams from the Father of Lights It is the part of unrefin'd minds to admire diversity of gifts and overlook the same Spirit How nobly does the refined Soul live and act who viewing the Perfections of all men in God the Fountain enjoys them all as fully and deliciously as if they were his own They also who have mens persons in admiration being partial in their estimation or commendation of 〈◊〉 reason of their greatness or of some advanâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 got by them This the Apostle taxeth as a 〈◊〉 thing There is indeed a kind of civil honour and respect 〈◊〉 â—o men by vertue of their Office Authority and â—igher Station in the World and a peculiar grateful â—â—spect to be shew'd to Benefactors But to have the Eyes blinded the Judgment briâ—ed the Noble affection of Love made mercenary by any secular greatness either to love men the more or to think that God does so because of their temporal Prosperity and Grandeur is to call the proud happy and to bless the covetous whom God abhors it is to prostitute that Virgin affection that should be preserved chast We ought to think and estimate according to God to love as he loves and to hate the deeds of the Nicholaitans which he also hateth otherwise we prefer the World before God To delight in the company and either profane or jejune communication of worldly or wicked men more than in the society of the godly is a worldly love
In our hearts to love or esteem any vile person be he of what Civil Capacity he will before them that fear the Lord be their Civil Capacity never so mean is as good an Argument of an unsanctifi'd mind as the contrary is of a Citizen of Zion Psal 15. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned In this Courtly Age it would be lookt upon as an unmannerly behaviour in the Prophet who would not vouchsafe to look towards the King of Israel 2 Kings 3. 14. But certainly it is worse than unmannerly to have the greatest respect and kindness for them that are not at all of Israel MEDITAT LXXVIII Of Flattery THis brings me to think of the foul vice of Flattery which although it be not always an Estimation of men for men often flatter those whom in their hearts they disesteem and despise yet it would be thought so and is as worldly as the other An humble behaviour indeed is ornamental soft answers are good and useful To approve or commend a good man or a good action is so far from being simply evil that sometimes it is duty and may serve good ends But it requires a great deal of wisdom For First It easily mingles it self with something evil and is corrupted by Covetousness Slavish fear or Self-love Men may most set off themselves and study to endear themselves most when they commend other men Secondly It is easily perverted to ill ends and may as soon make me prouder as better Commendation therefore must be given Justly Seasonably Proportionably and should be mixt with the remembrance of God as Paul's was to Philemon ver 4 5. Flattery is sometimes gross in words commending evil and calling it by good names assenting to every thing at a venture or denying without reason Magnifying some little thing beyond its desert and extenuating some foul fault into a meer peccadillo or unavoidable infirmity Sometimes it is more fine and subtile in actions in a crouching truckling over-obsequious behaviour I need say no more of Flattery than that it is First an argument of a mean and slavish mind The truly generous mind that adores truth knows not how to give flattering Titles Secondly that it is of most mischievous consequence and very pernicious in its effects because it inâ—â—â—â—â— Princes Courts and Great Mens Houses Flatterers by blinding the Judgment of Princes do at once put out the eyes of a Nation For they lead â—hose out of the way who when they are misled cause the rest of the world to err We know how fatal it prov'd to Ahâ—â—â— when his Chaplains the Prophets and the Courâ—â—◠〈◊〉 together to deceive him Go up and prâ—sâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Prophets Let thy word be as one of 〈◊〉 says the Courtier And with what indignation God does 〈◊〉 the daubing of these Prophets and their putting 〈◊〉 under mens heads and arms the Prophet Ezekiel does acquaint us Lord what is man or his power who can onely kill the body that I should fear and flatter him in any thing that is hateful to thee What Profit or Preferment can I expect from man that shall Countervail thy dishonour or the prejudice done to truth and holiness by sordid Flattery or sinful Complyance Oh that the interest of God and Religion be exalted in my soul far above all these petty carnal Considerations And oh that the Messengers of God would seriously examine whether they be not the servants of men of the worst part of men even their lusts by imprisoning the Truth lest it should fly in some honourable or worshipful face whether they do not tremble to speak of temperance before incestuous Felix or whether they can take such fair leave of their Patrons as Paul took of his Ephesians I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you MEDITAT LXXIX Of Worldly Business UNder this Phrase The World is comprehended also the Work Employment and Business of the World To prefer the Business of this World before God denominates a predominant Lover of the World God has indow'd Man with active Principles designing him for Business To be active is to be like God who is life it self He is not an idle Spectator enjoying himself and minding nothing else neither doing good nor evil as some prophane men in the Prophet imagin'd him but he is good and doth good An idle and unactive life is unmanly and infamous No station does exempt men from Business Gentlemen and Ladies have their Callings There is Business accommodated to all sorts of men Having already of Idleness I will say no more of it here but this A good man must needs love Business as it is a Vehicle of Grace For how can a man exercise Righteousness Mercy or Charity without Business The necessities of humane life are so many either our own own or other mens that it is impossible any man should be idle but who is of an idle sensual temper To prevent mistakes I will first consider what is not to prefer the business of the World before God To be diligent and industrous in our Callings with a good design is not it To be more in worldly Business than in heavenly is not it God himself has allow'd six dayes to one To employ our hands in working more than in lifting up to Heaven is not worldly If we speak properly To observe due measures and propound right ends in worldly Business is Conformity to the Will of God and heavenly God acted like himself in the Creation of the world as well as in the Redemption of it and so do godly men in employing themselves about worldly Objects as well as spiritual The Angels are as well in Heaven when they are employ'd upon Earth in preserving the goings of the Saints as in their most immediate Contemplations To give the Precedency to worldly Business as to Management and Action is not simply and always it A lesser Business and more ignoble may be prohic 〈◊〉 more necessary than a greater and preferrible to it The Necessities of the Body may take place of the Conveniences of the Soul To do every thing in its proper season is a point of high Wisdom and indeed Religion Let us always remember that Religion is in the due management of worldly Business as well as otherwise To do Works of Necessity or Charity on the Lord's day is not it To have a reverend esteem for that day is good and necessary Religion flourishes in a Kingdom or a Soul as that is observed But yet there may be a Superstition in it which our Saviour by his Example and Doctrine has endeavor'd to heal The Sabbath was made for man and must give place to him But let all take heed they do not create Necessities or pretend them as I doubt too many of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Physical and Chyrurgical Tribe do To put ones self upon Business to offer ones service for the good of a Neighbor to meddle in other mens matters uncall'd by
way of assistance or advice to prevent Sin or Mischief as Lot to reconcile Differences as Moses is not it I do not think that either Lot in his Nay my Brethren do not so wickedly nor Moses in his Wherefore smitest thou thy Fellow were Pragmatical as it seems they were then interpreted There is such a Fault as Pragmaticalness but a Generous Activity and Publick-Spiritedness which proceeds from an Universal Love is unjustly branded Yea I will say it is base Cowardice in some men of Abilities to hide themselves from Business and from the Necessities of Mankind that is from their own flesh under this pretence That they will not be Busie-bodies It is better to offer ones self ten times where there is no Need than to deny Assistance once where there is Blessed are the Peace-makers said the great Peace-maker And I cannot but account it a base humor to reproach Active men for Busie-bodies It 's true Christ Jesus would not meddle with things not belonging to him but as to the things belonging to him he sought opportunities for Business He went up and down doing good MEDITAT LXXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or of the Love of Worldly Business BUT there is a love of worldly Business which is intemperate and a symptom of a worldly mind And although one should say That they that are guilty of it are the best sort of Sensualists because Business and Action is a better thing less gross more agreeable to the active Nature of the Soul than the dull love of Riches yet this is very small comfort Some dote too much upon their own worldly Business which yet is materially lawful It is an easie thing to over-do to be over-diligent over-industrious over-painful Do not they dote upon Business who are employ'd about it by Day dream of it by Night pursue it with a hurry inseparable from Fear Perplexity and Discontent that will be ready to fall out with God or man if they put any stop to them in their Business Suppose Business to be lawful yet it must also be necessary or highly convenient to justifie mens zeal about it What Necessity is there or Convenience either that Rich men should be still Richer or that one man should have all the Trade of a Town To clog ones self with worldly Business in order to Self enriching and growing up into unnecessary Grandeur or unwieldy Bulk in the World argues a worldly Spirit To busie ones self in order to the molesting and troubling of other men to be Encouragers of Law Troublers of Israel argues a worldly Mind To busie ones self so in worldly matters as to exclude or retrench heavenly Business not to subordinate the former to the latter to love Business for Business-sake without respect to any good to be done thereby argues an intemperate Lover of worldly Business Some concern themselves too much in other mens Business To meddle in things that we know not or in things no way belonging to us is foolish but to meddle in the matters of other men to do them mischief is wicked The Sycophantick Delators so much inveigh'd against by the old Comedians peep'd and pry'd into every Conversation to pick Quarrels and find Faults and yet the Varlets accounted this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he in Aristophenes brags Such a kind of Fellow was Zibah the Servant of Saul Such an one the King of Israel suspected the King of Syria Naaman's Master to be 2 Kings 5. 7. David often complains of this sort of men Doeg the Pick-thank the Emblem of a Sycophantick Courtier and other of Saul's Courtiers that digg'd Pits for him laid Snares for him that said When will he slip iâ— fall that we may surprize him To love to know the Faults of men is not a good temper yea it is painful to a godly mind To look into the Faults of men to bring them to punishment may be a good work it may be done sincerely for the execution of some good Law that is of moment it may possibly be in mercy to the Offender and out of pure kindness as if one should say I love him therefore I will get him punisht But men are not generally of so pure and publick a Spirit They are so revengeful so covetous that makes the Office of Informers hardly thought of and it is accounted a fault to be inquisitive into the faults of other men It is hard to find an Informer out of pure zeal or love to truth but Mercenaries and pick-thanks enough Flatterers are generally busy-bodies For how shall they ingratiate themselves with their great mastâ—â—â— but with the faults of other men But to lay snares for the righteous to watch for their halting to seek occasions against a man in the matter of his God though a Law would favour is wicked and much resembles that great busy-body that goes up and down continually seeking to devour Daniels accusers had a Law to justify them yet I doubt not but they were wicked Informers for all that Curiosity or an intemperate desire to be acquainted with other mens secrets nothing belonging to us argues vanity of mind and a spirit not well conversant at home and may be reduc'd to the disease of â—tching ears There are secrets of Nature of Religion of ones own Soul to be enquir'd into and it â—s is as laudable to enquire into them We need not lust after the secrets of other men Besides it is uneasy to be trusted with them It makes a man a slave if he do not reveal them and a knave if he do Lord Thou art life it self and a pure Act thou art good and dost good continually thou hast endow'd me with an activenature thou hast furnisht me with business enough of mine own and other mens for this world and for the future suffer me not to hide my â—and in my bosom and to look on as an idle specta tor unconcern'd but maugre all temptations from the Flesh the Devil and the World imitate thy active and benificent Nature But O Eternal Wisdom teach me to order my Actions with discretion to lay out my self in Actions pure proper profitable Grant that I may not be impure and unprofitable like a stagnant Pool nor yet troublesome nor offensive like an overflowing Torrent ever flowing but without inundation ever running but so as ever within my own Banks not hiding my Light under a Bushel yet shining within my own sphere MEDITAT LXXXI Of the Fashions of the World THere are some things in the World that are not properly call'd Business which yet to prefer before God denominates a man worldly and these are the Fashions of the World I cannot properly call it Pride Covetousness or Voluptuousness to conform to these and yet it is carnal There are indeed civil and innocent Fashions of the World to which to conform is no Fault nay considering Man as a Member of Society seems expedient Matters of Apparel so far as ones Quality Estate Health and other
And indeed nothing is more usual than to endeavour to drown the cry of the sins of the present times by talking loudly of the crying sins of the former Oh cry'd the Jews Our fathers what wicked men were they to kill the Prophets when themselves persecuted and hated the great Prophet of the Church An other great instance of hypocrisy is when men assume to themselves an ostentate Religion and do not heartily embrace nor love it The Worldly Wisdom has invented a great many artifices in this matter Sometimes the Hipocritical Wisdom will instruct men to commend Vertue and Vertuous persons to seem vertuous Yea it will Preach up many good works and press them most confidently I had almost said impudently with many arguments and motives that they will not meddle with the practice of bind severe duties upon their hearers which themselves will not touch with one of their fingers Who has not with astonishment and loathing heard the loose and careless exhort to Devotion and dilligent Godliness the Covetous to Liberality them require others to pray continually and the prophane to charge the rest that they swear not at all This wisdom will instruct men to pray especially if it be in a publick place where they may do it clare ut audiat hospes for many good gifts and graces which they have no mind to receive to be enabled to do many good things which yet they never so much as once go about and to be adorn'd with that holiness which they deride and hate in them that are adorned with it Sometimes the hypocritical wisdom instructs men to take a good and constant care of their outward behavior and conversation that it be dâ—mure and sober and honest and as to any scandalous thing unexceptionable All this is good and yet is nothing but an artifice of the hypocritical wisdom if the heart in the mean time be full of Pride and Covetousness Malice and Revengefulness Impurity and Impatience if the will be selfish and reluctant against the Will of God This was the devilish wisdom of the Hypocrites of old whom the wisdom of Heaven detected and told them That notwithstanding their Sheeps cloathing they were imvardly ravening Wolves notwithstanding their outward cleanliness and many washings they were inwardly full of Excess and Repine notwithstanding their external whitings and garnishings they were inwardly corrupt and rotten Another Artifice to seem Religious is to be scrupulous of little Faults and zealous for lighter Duties not but that tenderness of Conscience and zeal for all the Commands of God are excellent Accomplishments But they are nothing but an Artifice of the hypocritical wisdom when at the same time great and Camel-like sins are swallow'd down and the weighty matters of the Law are neglected Oh take heed of coming into the Judgment Hall for fear of being defiled but venture to condemn and hang the innocent if you envy him Be as punctual as may be in paying the Tythes to the Levite so exact as to be a Cutter of Cummin but it is no great matter for Faith and the Love of God All the Art is here to find out what is really little or light for according to mens prejudices a little variation in a matter of Ceremony or Order must needs be interpreted a Sin as mortal as Blasphemy and on the other hand a seemly handsome ceremonious observation have great weight laid upon it as the Love of God and our Neighbor Oh that God would give us to see the necessities of our own Souls the nature of true substantial Holiness that transfâ—rms us into the Image of God to eye the example of Christ who was not wont to lay stress upon little things And oh Lord that we may all see how odious Hypocrisie is to Truth and that if the shew of Holiness be desirable it self must needs be much more beautiful MEDITAT XCIII Of the God of this World AMongst other worldly things I read of the God of this World and the Prince of this World whom to adore and obey is certainly a Symptom of a worldly mind The Eternal Jehovah is the rightful and onely proper God and Prince of the World But yet by an improper speech the Devil is also called The God of this World 2 Cor. 4. 4. He is thus called either by a Metonymie of the Adjunct or by a Metaphor By a Metonymie a thing is said to be that which it is onely in opinion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus the Devil is the God of this World in his own opinion for he venditates himself as such Matth. 4. 8 9. All these things will I give thee And Luke 4. 6 7. All this power will I give thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it And in the opinion of men who take and worship him for God as the Dog is said to be the God of Egypt because it is worshiped by them instead of God and the â—â—lly is said to be the God of Epicures Phil. 3. 19. Or else by a Metaphor The Name of God is Metaphorically apply'd to the Devil For as the true God administers his Kingdom of Grace in Believers and is devoutly worship'd by them so the Devil worketh his malignant works in the hearts of wicked men and is obey'd by the Children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. that is God to every man which he doth most esteem and advance in his heart And so although there is really a difference between God and Mammon yet be Metaphorically said That Mammon is the God of covetous men When I consider how often in Scripture things are said to be that which they only seem to be or are taken to be either by a mans self or others I cannot but wonder at the unreasonable Clamor that some People make not sticking to Rail at us for Lying and Equivocating when we thus speak If the Spirit of God had not authoriz'd and consecrated this Expression of the Devils being the God of this World how may we imagine that the Pretenders to Simplicity and Propriety of Speech would have hooâ—ed it out of the World for Blasphemy And methinks the necessity of Humane Learning and particularly of Rhetorick may fairly be commended and established from this Consideration There are so many passages of this nature in Scripture that I cannot but record some few of them to stop the mouths of irrhetorical Censures The Diabolical Spectrum is expresly call'd Samuel which was only so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 28. 12. Hananiah is called a Prophet Jer. 28. because he was accounted for such And so is Epimenides called by the Apostle Tit. 1. 12. the Prophet of the Cretians for as Laertius tells us he was so accounted of by them and after his death they sacrificed to him Joseph is called the Father of Jesus Luke 2. 48. only because he was so reputed as the Text afterwards
abound in this Work of the Lord as much as any that pretend to an imitation of him yet he made his own hands administer to his Necessities rather than be chargeable to the Churches though I suppose the Churches then were as free and as kind-hearted as they are now In short As a man may give away all his Goods to feed the Poor and yet have no Charity so we may cast away the World and yet not rightly contemn it and to a wise Observer shew himself to be more a Fool or a Fanatick than a Saint Good God Since the World is so manifest grant that I may be mortify'd to one Branch of it as well as another that I may not maintain the Worldly Life in one sense whilest I seem to destroy it in another that I may not cleave to the Golden Calves nor haunt the High Places whilest I seem to renounce Ashtaroth â—est in breaking one Commandment I be found guilty of all MEDITAT II. Of the False Despisers of Pleasures and of the Votaries of Virginity IF any one love the Pleasures of the World the Love of the Father is not in him Fleshly Pleasures are the Bane of the Soul they are deadly Enemies to it they do in an especial manner war against in says the Apostle yea and they kill it too For he or she that lives in them is dead whil'st they live He that Travels or Negotiates in a strange Countrey had need to take heed of Enemies especially the Natives of the place And so had this Pilgrim Soul that sojourns here in the Flesh need to beware of the Pleasures of the Flesh which are as it were the Indigence or Natives for they do most endanger and ensnare The Poet could tell us that the wise Wanderer stopt his ears against the inchanting Syrens And the holy Text tells us how ill the Pilgrim Sons of Jacob fared for not abstaining from the Wine and Women of Moab these did them more hurt than all the opposition they had met within all their March What if we reckon with our selves that we are so many Vlysses's wandring homeward in many Uncertainties like so many Israelites trying our Fortune to find the Canaan out of which sometimes we came so many younger Brethren that have taken our Journey into a far Countrey where now we are Should we not with ardent contention of Soul pant and breathe after our Home our own Countrey our Father's House and consequently beware of the inchanting Syrens and Circes the Cozbi's the Harlots I mean all the Fleshly Pleasures that obstruct our return and war against our Souls Agreed cry the Votaries of Virginity and Penance we are the onely Despisers of the World we have stopt our Ears and all our Senses against the Inchantments of it In comparison of us Samsâ—n was as weak as the new Cords that himself broke off his Arms and Solomon himself void of understanding We have made our selves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heavens sake We will pluck out our Right Eye if it look upon a Maid and cut off our Right Hand if it chance to suffer a Kiss of a Female We keep under our Bodies and chasten our Rebellious Flesh till we make it crouch as obsequiously as any Spaniel We persecute our own Flesh as severely as we would do an Heretick And though the Apostle will not allow us to hate it yet we we cannot but be asham'd of it We are true Followers of that holy Doctor of the Gentiles whose many Journeyings we match if not over-do in our long and frequent Pilgrimages and his Self-Castigations by our Penances These are high Pretensions indeed But its worth the while for the Pretenders to inquire Whether they be just and whether they be conclusive of a Contempt of the World For certainly all Single Life does not deserve the Honourable Name of Virginity One may allude to the Prophâ—â—'s Riddle and apply it here with a little pardonable Abâ—onancy The Children of the Barren are more than of her that bore The Scripture describes Marriage by the Coalition of two into one They two shall be one Flesh If this Metonymical Marriage must pass for currant I doubt the Votaries of Virginity will be diminish'd by this Test as much as the Soldiers of Gideon's Army who at the first Tryal shrunk from Thirty two Thousand to Ten Thousand But further Christ the first Discerner of Purity â—â—lls us That there may be many No-Virgins whose Bodies are yet untouch'd as if it were not so much the Conjunction of two Bodies as of two Minds that made a Marriage or worse It 's not enough not to have known a Man Virginity is a tender thing and may be spoil'd even by some kind of seeing a Man He that looks upon a Woman to lust after her defiles himself and She that looks upon a Man violates her Virginity And now I wish our Virgins both Males and Females be not shrunk again as much as the fore-named Captains Soldiers at the second Tryal who fell from Ten Thousand to Three Hundred Yea and it is further to be wisht that of this little Number that is left of those that have not known nor seen any one of the other Sex the rest have not at some time or other heard of them read of them or thought of them otherwise than becomes them and so be not like the Three Hundred Soldiers even now nam'd that carry'd Lamps within their Vessels I mean that burn though they marry not And now methinks I could find in my heart to grant that if the Claim to this pure perfect unspotted unsullied Virginity be just it is conclusive because I am very confident it 's not just But yet it will not be amiss to inquire Whether this unspotted Chastity be accompany'd with the profound Self-Examination and entire Self-Resignation and especially with that Divine Charity that it ought The true Virgin is the Soul that chastely adheres to God the blessed Being whose Name is Love And she is an Adulterous Soul that cherishes Wicked Hatred as well as she that allows Wanton Love What if I do not burn in unlawful Love if I burn in Hatred and be inflam'd with Revenge I have defiled my Soul and lost my Purity in the sight of God The High Priests would not defile themselves by the Judgment Hall but with Envy and Murder they would Or what if this pure Virgin flie from all Mortal Embraces yea and loath the sight and thoughts of any man if she settle into a Self-admiration fondly doting upon her own Beauty or Virginity or Wantonly dallying with her own Fortitude or Perfections she has play'd the Whore from God who alone ought to be Supreme in the Soul and is become unchaste in her Amours It may be very pertinent to examine Whether a great part of the Virginity that is found in the World be not meerly Constitutional it 's no thanks to them not to Burn who are not Combustible Another great part Political
Bed It is an evident Argument that they do not chuse Thee and Thou for Humility or as a denying of the Honours of the World for they contend hotly That this is the most proper Grammatical way of speaking it is not a Case of Conscience but of Grammar and they also give the same expressions to God himself when yet they intend to honour him as we do As for giving and receiving Honour let them examine themselves Whether they be not desirous to be well thought of well esteemed of when they think they deserve it Whether themselves can take it well to be slighted and neglected by those of whom they deserve well To advance ones own Righteousness to be Righteous in ones own eyes as the Pharisees were and to stand upon our own Justification by the perfection of our own Holiness is as proud and legal a Spirit as any and the highest kind of Self-honouring To have mens persons in Admiration to value them as having any thing of themselves in them is a carnal way of giving Honour to men MEDITAT IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or Publick Benefactors ANother sort of Pretenders to a just Contempt of the World and a predominant Love of God are those Rich men of the World who 〈◊〉 a great part of their Estates in Publick Works Buildings or Indowings of Churches Schools Hospitals Work-Houses for the Poor or the like This Charity is very Commendable especially when we consider how most Great Men spend their Estates But it 's more highly Commendable in those that have Children of their own and who in their Life-time part with so considerable a share of their Estates to Charitable Uses But yet even amongst these the Love of the World may be found predominant A Worldly Heart may be found not only amongst them that squander away their Estates prodigally and all they have in Riotous Living Luke 15. 13. But even amongst them that bestow all their Goods to feed the Poor 1 Cor. 13. 3. It was a plausible Argument that the Pharisees used to our Saviour when they argu'd That a certain Gentleman loved their Nation because he had built them a Synagâ—gue But I do not think it to be a concluding Argument to prove the predominant Love of God For this as well as Building and Garnishing the Sepulchres of the Prophets may agree to an Hypocritical Generation How Plausible and Commendable soever therefore the Charity of these great Benefactors may be yet if any such Benefactor design and provide for the Celebration and Perpetuation of his own Name more than the Advancement of the Name of God and the Propagation of Religion and Virtue in the World he will be found ultimately to sacrifice to that great Idol Self-Interest and not to God If any such Benefactor build up Churches of Stone and at the same time hate demolish or neglect the Living Temples of God and love not his Saints above all other men it 's but like the silly mockery of those whom the Gospel exposes to Contempt that honor'd the Dead Prophets with many outward Shews and in the mean time persecuted the Living to death Or if any rob Peter to gratifie Paxl Build Alms houses out of the Alms that they have kept back out of the gain of Oppression and Usury It 's possible a man may build and endow Schools for the Instruction of others and yet himself remain in a state of Ignorance not caring to know not so much as the necessary things that belong unto his peace That a man may build Work-houses for others and yet sit down careless and slothful in the matters of his own Soul nor take pains to work out the salvation thereof That a man may provide comfortably for the future state of Widows and Impotent in this World and yet make no provision for his own Eternity in another and so if I may allude to the Apostle be poor whil'st he makes many rich or at least relieves their poverty All External Acts of Charity and Benificence as well as of Devotion are competible to the Animal Life as well as the Divine and may be acted over as plausibly to a pur-blind Observer by a Self-lover or a Lover of the World as by a Lover of the Father MEDITAT X. Of the Pretenders to Righteousness AS the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness so certainly the predominant Lovers of Righteousness are Lovers of the Righteous Lord. Looking upon these one cannot but love them at first sight as it 's said of Christ This Righteousness is such a qualification as without which no man can have the confidence to lay any claim to the Gospel Character of a good man It seems to be so famous a Species of Vertue that it is in Scripture Tropology put for Goodness or Vertue in general as Fortitude was amongst the Heathens Fortes creantur fortibus bonis Sacrifices were of divine institution and an honourable way of mens drawing nigh to God and rightly offer'd up were very acceptable to him yet Charity is prefer'd before them I will have mercy c. and yet Righteousness seems to have the precedency of Charity it self If the obligation to Justice be not stronger than the obligation to Mercy yet it seems to have a priority and requires to be first served if there be a competition for Charity it self looks like a kind of Felony if it antevert Righteousness being a giving away of that which is of right another mans But as there are many things call'd unrighteousness which indeed deserve not to be so clamor'd against which I think will fall under some of my future Meditations so I doubt there is a great deal that is magnified for Rightouseness that deserves not to be so celebrated For suppose one of these pretenders to Righteousness be never so exact in matters of dealing with his Neighbour Just in matters of Bargain Faithful in matters of Trust Punctual in payment of Debts Wages Promises if yet he be unjust to God in with-holding his Heart from him to whom it is due and entertain the World or Carnal Self in the highest Room there he is a Lover of the World and not of the Father as truly as a Wife is unrighteous who allthough she does not waste her Husbands Estate yet gives her self away from him and opens her Bosom to a Stranger The Righteousness that will Denominate a Man a lover of God must be in Conjunction with Faith Meekness Temperance Charity and Purity If our Righteousness be not so it 's some Spurious or Mechanical thing But is it possible that a Man should be thus exactly Righteous and yet not a Lover of the Father Why not That Self-love the Lord of the World may be the very Spring from which External Righteousness does flow to be seen of Men acepted of Men to Maintain a good Reputation amongst Men and to have a good Credit with them was the best Principle from which the Righteousness of the Pharisees proceeded which yet was as
of these charges seem to be strange and almost incredible Others are perhaps too true God will judge their Hearts and Principles in the mean time I would they should know that God does not estimate any Man by his Professions be they never so specious nor his Opinions be they never so Orthodox nor by his outward Form be it never so pure and refined It 's easy I wish it be not ordinary for man to be carnal in a fine Spiritual mode And I beseech you Sirs lay it to heart whosoever prefers Ease or Honour Popular esteeem the good Opinion of a Party or an Opportunity of making himself and his Name great before Unity and Order before the Peace and Settlement of the Church yea or before his Liberty and Capacity of ministring in Holy Things and Propagating the Gospel of Christ is so far Carnal and a Lover of the World Faction and Schism and Sedition are Works of the Flesh as well as Fâ—â—cteries and bare Compliance The propagation of a Party and the advancement of a Name are a part of the World as well as Fat Benefices And where they are preferr'd before Peace and Charity do denominate a Man a Lover of the World as well as those where they are preferr'd before Truth For God is Peace and Love as well as Truth To run away from Ceremonial Uncleanness and at the same time to run into Moral To be shie of White Garments and yet free to entertain Black Passions To avoid the Sign of the Cross and yet to live in the spirit of Crosness and Contradiction is as foolish as to be frighted at an Apparition of a Devil and yet confidently to follow a real One in all his Works as most men do And it is so much the more foolish as it odds Hypocrisie to the Folly MEDITAT XII Of Conformists WHen I begin to think of these the words of the Prophet did occur to me 2 Chorn. 28. which he spake to the Children of Israel who purposed to keep under their Captive Brethren Are there not sins with you even with you against the Lord your God For it is not my business to consider whether Conformity be in its own Nature good or bad but supposing Conformity to be good to consider what Conformists are notwithstanding they are Carnal and Lovers of the World For as Nonconformity with all its pretences of Purity Truth and Simplicity will not justifie the Humours or Schismatical Nonconformist so neither will the Regularity Peaceableness and Decency of Conformity justifie the Carnal and Ill-principled Conformist No more than the Honourableness of Marriage will justifie them that go together like Beasts So far as I can apprehend or discern there are three Sorts of Conformists Some out of Conscience Carelesness Covetousness Those that are Conformists out of Conscience seem to be of two Sorts Such as think that way in its own Nature the best and do in their judgment chuse it and think it reasonable to impose it and such as are only persuaded in their Consciences that it is not evil and that it is best for Peace-sake to submit to it I see plainly that all good mens Consciences are not of one size and I know no one below the Omniscient that can exactly take measure of them Both these therefore I leave to the Judge of Consciences But there seems also to be a number of the two latter sorts whom all their Conformity will not preserve from the Censure of our Apostle That some Conform out of Carelesness without making any question for Conscience sake never having considered or weighed the nature of the thing but acting meerly upon a publick Conscience is too apparent by that little or nothing that they have to say in defence of themselves or this way when they are opposed in it but with him in 2 Sam. 16. 18. Whom this people chuse his will I be That some Conform out of Covetousness will appear at least by the confession of those who in words at length have declared That they were of mean Fortunes and knew not how to live otherwise they had no mind to it However they may glory in their Conformity yet sure the Church has no cause to glory in them for they are but a Company of prest Soldiers and will either be easily Routed or Run away These love the World more than Truth which they take no pains to discover and the peace of their Consciences which they take no care to preserve The Careless prefer the Custome and Example of Men before right Reason Judgment and Conscience and though they should chance to hit of the right yet they act wrongly The Covetous prefer the Bread of Priests before the Priests Office 1 Sam. 2. 36. with the degenerate Posterity of Eli. It 's fit indeed that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel but to preach the Gospel only to get a Livelihood or a Living looks like Simony inverted a giving of holy things to get money The Heathen Satyrist laught at those Mag-pie Poets who were instructed by the sound of their empty Guts and taught Musick by the chiming of their own Bellies and I cannot see how these men are less ridiculous I am sure they are more presumptuous The Careless and Inconsiderate though their Oblation should be of clean Beasts yet at best do but offer the Sacrifice of Fools The Covetous are either Inconsiderate and so they fall on and never say Grace but like Saul's hungry Soldiers flie upon the Spoil and in their Hunger eat without Discretion Blood and all or else if they entertain any sober thoughts the love and cares of the World presently spring up and choak them Whether are more excusable it matters not in a Case where both are inexcusable But this is plain that where a doubt lies between Truth and Falshood he that admits Worldly Interest for an Umpire to decide the Controversie is a Lover of the World and if worldly Considerations be the predominant Motives let the matter he embraces be never so true he is false to his God and his own Conscience in embracing it The Profession of the Gospel is a good thing and yet the Profession of the Gospel is a good thing and yet the Professors of it that are acted by a carnal Principle are nevertheless bad men As to both these I will not say that every Nonconformist is carnal that will not part with his Life upon the same account as he parts with his Liberty or Livelihood nor that every Conformist is carnal who Conforms with some Regret and had much rather no such things were required yet surely they are farthest remov'd from the foul Character of Lovers of the World whose Consciences are most strongly persuaded and who are acted by no interest but the interests of Truth and Righteousness in what they do or leave undone MEDITAT XIII Of the Education of Children THE Apostasie of Man and the Depravedness of his present state has made
Education necessary and yet at the same time very painful He is not only an Asses Colt for Folly but a Wild Asses Colt for Stubbornness and Untractableness so that it requires a great deal of Wisdom to teach him and as much Fortitude and Patience in enduring so to do Both which render them very honourable and much to be rever'd by Mankind whom God has qualifi'd for this Employment and it is a pity but the best of Men were employ'd herein and the best of Encouragements were allow'd them But alas how few are there to be found in this Employment that are worthy of it Many that undertake to teach have themselves never well learn'd and many others that are appointed to cultivate the Minds govern the Passions and form the Manners of others are themselves so immoral so passionate so uncultivated that it's pity they should be made Keepers of the Vineyard when their own Vineyard they cannot keep And besides these there are many other Corruptions crept into this Honourable Employment which do most evidently denominate many of these persons Lovers of the World more than of God What else are those Ministers that baptize Children into a Faith which afterwards they take no care to make them understand What else are those Parents that make provision for the Bodies and neglect the Souls of their Children Or those Tutors who bear the Names and defray the Expences of their Pupils but do not concern themselves about their Manners they are indeed more properly Stewards than Tutors What else are those Tutors or Masters that being entrusted to teach Youth do either not teach them or teach them in a degree that bears no proportion either to what the Subject is capable of receiving or what reward they themselves do receive for instructing them Or if they do skilfully and fully enough instruct them in Humane Learning yet are careless of Divine putting off that to the Parson or crying Oh in those things the Children must be taught of God Alas what fatal Consequences what Ignorance Error and Worldliness in Riper Years is this Neglect the cause of For by that time Youth has withdrawn its Hand from the Ferule and its Back from the Rod it 's usually setled in the temper that it is resolved to be of and so engaged in some way of Worldly Pleasure or Business or other as that it is prepossest and has no mind or leisure to inquire for the Law at the Priest's mouth to hearken to his words Charm he never so wisely And what else are those Masters and Parents who either out of Fondness with-hold Correction or out of cruel Harshness bestow it too liberally who take pleasure in Punishment without respect to Amendment or out of some base Principle are Partial in administring Correction Not that all different usage of Offenders is Partiality nay rather it would be Partiality to use all Offenders great and small alike nor is it Partiality always to use unequal degrees of Correction to equal Offenders Respect ought to be had to Constitutions both of Body and Mind and perhaps some other Circumstances That Dose may possibly kill one that is not enough to cure another The Husbandmen of Judea did not thresh their Fitches with a threshing Instrument nor the Cummin with a Cart-Wheel but the Bread-Corn they bruised according as their God instructed them to discretion Isa 28. 26 27 28. But the Partiality that proceeds from Fondness Fear Flattery Covetousness or the like and is not according to Justice belongs to the Head of Worldly Wisdom and is a Symptom of a worldly mind Ireckon that Correction is a kind of administration of Vindictive Justice What do they prefer most think we that will severely correct a piece of Playfulness Idleness Unmannerliness or it may be a piece of natural Slowness or Weakness and in the mean time connive at a great deal of Ribaldry Loosness and Prophaneness In short What ever Tutor Master or Parent had rather his Pupil Apprentice or Child were a good Scholar or a good Artist then a good man that endeavors and glories in the former more than in the latter to him of right belongs the Black Character of a Lover of the World MEDITAT XIV Of the Disposers of Children to Callings WHen Children are grown up to a convenient Age Parents or Guardians use to dispose of them to Trades or Services or bestow them in Marriage They that dispose of them to no Employment or Calling nor engage them in no Liberal Science or Honest Study whereby they may be serviceable Members of Church or Commonwealth because they need no such thing to live by and think it is accomplishment enough for them to be able to Court to Compliment to Entertain to Game like a Gentleman are in the judgment of Divines ill Stewards of the Blessings of God and sad Managers of so great a Talent as Children are And that they are severely accountable for such Carelesness Cruelty and Injustice But they that do not talk like Divines do generally cry That it is very Impolitick for by learning Nothing they come to learn two of the greatest Vices in the World Luxury and Idleness and in one of them I had almost said all others For what is it not an Inlet to Besides it is impolitick not to have some Employment or Art or other to which one may have recourse in the greatest Extremity which Extremity who knows but may befal him It was well for the King of Syracuse that he had a little more Learning than his Neighbors that he might at least turn School-Master when he was Un-King'd The Steward in the Gospel needed not to have betaken himself to the Knavish shift of gratifying his Lords Debtors if he had been well educated in his Youth So that to educate Children in some Art or Science is Pious and Politick but yet the Piety of it is ordinarily and easily spoiled For what is predominant think we God or the World with those Parents who with meer respect to a Livelihood or out of a more plentiful Livelihood dispose of their Children to Imployments in their own Nature unlawful in the management whereof their Souls shall as certainly die as their Bodies live These do in effect bind them Apprentices to the Devil and as the Poet speaks Propter vitam vivendi perdunt causas Perhaps it will be thought there are few such Imployments but some there are sure enough perhaps more than will be commonly confest What shall we think of the Trade of those young Females Alunt quae corpore corpus as the Poet speaks and of the care of those Parents who rather than not be Panders will mercenarily prostitute their own Wives which are members of themselves or deliver up their own Daughters the Fruits of their own Bodies to the Bodies of other men I cannot excuse but yet methinks I cannot but pity righteous Lot and the old hospitable Gibeonite who to rescue their Male Guests offered to expose
and many of our Scholars think of themselves if ever they think of themselves and what opinion they have of their own temper and inclination who from Week to Week spend more than a moiety of their days in Sports and Recreations in needless Visits impertinent Confabulations and either in doing Ill or doing Nothing or doing that which is nothing to their purpose nothing serving to their general or special calling They cannot imagine sure that by saying a Prayer or reading a Chapter in the morning they have purchas'd all the rest of the day to their own use as the Jews got the remainder of the Fields and of the Flocks by offering up the First-fruits and the First-born or that by beginning in the Spirit they have obtained a Licence to go on and end in the Flesh One would think it that a Christian Preacher should make as much Conscience of his time as an Heathen Painter and allow Nulla Dies sine Linca No Day without a Line to be a good Motto It is certainly a weak Argument that because Men have good Estates and need not Work nor Trade to maintain themselves that therefore God does require no business at all of them but that their time is their own And as for those that are in a Clerical Capacity methinks the Children of this World who act at a more industrious rate should shame the Children of Light or the Lights of the World let them call themselves by what name they please out of that silly fancy that because they have got a little Learning therefore they need study no more or because they can make a Sermon in one day of a Week and preach it on another that therefore the other five are their own to play with Amongst the Worldly Gamesters the unseasonable make up as great a number as the unrightcous or intemperate I reckon those unseasonable Gamesters who purloin from the Lords-day to bestow in Sports and Recreations I will not enter into the Controversie about the Morality of the Sabbaths nor the certain Right of Succession that the Lords day hath to the Holy Rest of the Seventh day but I do believe that the Conscience of a good man is the best Casuist in this matter And that every such man in the World doth think it reasonable to appropriate some certain time to the more immediate and solemn Worship of God and that no such man will grudge a seventh part of his time to so good a matter who gives him all the rest and that there are many such men who are so far from grudging God one day in a Week that they had rather every day in the Week and every Week in the Year and every Year of their Lives could be directly spent in the service of that God to whom they owe all they have and in communion with whom and therein I place the true Celebration of a Sabbath their true and proper happiness doth consist And I am of opinion with Mr. Hales and many other good men That Religion doth prosper or decay in Church Family or single Soul proportionably as the Christian Sabbath is observed or neglected It seems that there are some Pleasures allow'd us in general which are therefore call'd our own Isa 58. 13. which yet we are required to refrain from on God's Holy-day And I see no reason he has to complain for want of Recreation on the Sabbath to whom the Sabbath it self is the greatest Recreation which I pray God it may be to all that pretend to a predominant love of the Father As for those Conscientious Sensualists who use Sports on the Lords-day to prove that they are no Jews the end may be good possibly but the method that they take will I doubt indifferently serve to prove that they are no good Christians neither Besides these there are other Worldly Gamesters who indulge themselves in Sports and Pleasures in a time of Publick Calamity or Danger whom the Prophet Amos describes Amos 16. in the beginning and God threatens above all sorts of men that I read of except those that blaspheme the Holy Ghost saying That their iniquity shall not be purged from them till they dye Isa 22. 14. In short It is the Character of true Israelites that they cannot make merry when Jerusalem is oppressed Psal 137. and by the Rule of Contraries it is a Symptom of a Sensualist to nourish himself in a day of slaughter MEDITAT XXVI Of Debters SIN is properly a Debt but to be in Debt is not properly a Sin If it were what Consolation could be administred to them that were born in Debt and continue therein sore against their Wills to them that are engaged therein meerly by the Providence of God or reduc'd thereunto by the Injustice or Oppression of men But yet to be much in Debt and that inextricable is a very great Calamity and especially burdensome to a just and ingenious mind and yet more especially if contracted by any fault or folly of his own For if to lose Estates and lay down Life it self upon a Publick or Charitable Account be accounted Generous and Virtuous to run into Debt upon such Account ought not sure to be esteemed scandalous Solomon somewhere tells us That the Borrower is Servant to the Lender And indeed if there were no more in it but this loss of Liberty it would make that condition troublesome and uneasie But alas it is attended with many other mischiefs and dangers which do still inhance the Calamity The Precept therefore of owing no man any thing Rom. 13. 8. is given us in much mercy and God does therein consult our ease safety and quiet as by commanding us to be chaste and temperate and righteous he does consult our health and credit There are two Commands in the Text To owe no man any thing and to love all men always The former seems a very hard Commandment to the Poor and it is almost impossible for them to perform it Juvet idem qui jubet The latter is seldom I doubt performed by the Rich whose Riches for the most part make them proud disdainful oppressive and covetous The performance of the former seems to depend upon the performance of the latter For how is it possible that the Poor should be out of Debt if the Rich be not kind and charitable But if all men did love their Neighbors as themselves then it were easie to conceive that no man need ow any thing to any What then Does God command men Impossibilities Does he with-hold Straw and yet command his Servants to make Brick Does he send men naked into the world and leave them destitute of all things even of strength it self and yet charge them neither to beg nor borrow but to starve No this cannot be we must therefore relax the seeming severity of this Command by some favourable interpretation and say We must not wilfully and needlesly contract Debts nor carelesly and unjustly continue in them It is
money is very Cruel and an Atheistical confronting of Divine Providence To be content our Neighbor should be subjected to all Casualties and to take no further care but to secure our own profit is filthily selfish and somewhat like the ill condition'd Generation of whom Christ Jesus complain'd who laid great and heavy burdens upon the backs of others which they themselves refus'd to touch with the least of their Fingers To seek our own advantage or enrichment by the hurt or detriment of others is flatly against the Law of Lovers and the Golden Rule of Charity which the Law commends and the Gospel magnifies and enforces To make the poor pay for the use of Money or any other thing which is meerly for the relief of their necessities is by the most favourable Interpreters granted to be directly against the plain Letter of the Law even by those I say who allow a little stricter dealing with the Rich. Let the Usurers of England clear themselves of these spots if they can if they cannot let them sit down with the mark of the World upon them till they can MEDITAT XXXIV Disswasives from the Love of the World from the Consideration of our Profession WHat shall I say more How shall I come closer Having examin'd Man in his Moral Capacity and now in his Political wherein he is more discernable than in that Modesty will not suffer me to come any nearer for I know not how except I should digito monstrare dicere hic est except I should call men by their Names and say thou John or Thomas or Richard or Robert or the like art a Lover of the World These two things I am sure of that there are but two sorts of people in the whole World viz. The Lovers of God and the Lovers of the World and that the former of these are blessed and shall be yet more blessed the later are miserable and accursed Who can chuse but infer from hence that it is most absolutely necessary for every man to examine himself which sort of men he belongs to I have given what assistance I can in this important Enquiry which I think is the highest service that can be done for the Sons of Men except it be those endeavours which are directly used to disintangle the Souls of Men from the love of the World and to engage them in the love of the Father It is not in me alas to fashion the Affections of Men. Oh thou blessed Soveraign Creator and Searcher Maker and Mender of Hearts put in thy Hand by the hole of the Door that the Bowels of Men may be mov'd to thee Come into thy Temple O God and let not that sacred thing the Hearts of Men be any longer a place of Merchandize a Den of Thieves But though I cannot change the minds of Men yet as I have shew'd sufficient Reason why they should be chang'd so I can propound motives to induce them â—o labour after a change 〈◊〉 the House must be cleansed from its filth and rubbish bâ—fore the Glory of the Lord will fill it I 〈◊〉 therefore with some disswasives from the Predominant Love of the World and here I will content my self with a few of many First If we make any reckoning of our Noble Title of Christians and Disciples of Christ Jesus if it be any thing to us that we have enterrained the Gospel and are distingâ—â—sht from Heathens let us cast out this Predomiâ—â—â—â— Love of the World otherwise we shall bear the name of Christians but be of the Nature of Heathens A Name though never so Honourable is but little available in any case but I am sure in the Case of Religion it s not available at all without a Nature either to the present Comfort or future Happiness of Men. Why a Christian loving the World is but in name onely distinguisht from a Heathen And truly methinks this is but a small Honour or Consolation either Who can reasonably bless himself that he is not an Unbeliever when in the mean time he is an Hypocrite Nay rather will not the Heathen adjudg'd to a more tolerable condemnation hereafter bless himself that he was not a Christian and had not so many obligations laid upon him to forsake this World nor such clear Revelation as we have of another It had been a goodly Errand indeed for Christ to come into the World and to gather together a company of Disciples only to bear his Name but really not to differ from other men nor from what they themselves were before Was it worthy of his Blood can we think to purchase to himself a People peculiar onely in Nominal Relation Why certainly under the specious Title of Christians we are still Heathens indeed and in truth if our Predominant Love and Care be of and for the things of this World For so the Heathen are describ'd by our Lord himself to have their minds mainly upon worldly things Mat. 6. 32. After these things do the Gentiles seek And he would have his Disciples to differ from the Gentiles in their seekings and lovings as well as in their professing MEDITAT XXXV Further Disswasives from the Consideration of the Nature of our Souls SEcondly If we value our selves onely as men Creatures of Noble Natures and large Capacities let us consider that the World with all its Trinity of Riches Pleasures and Honours in Inferior and Inadequate to our Souls below our Faculties and insufficient to our Necessities 'T is justly accounted dishonourable for Persons of Noble Extraction or Ingenious Education to mingle themselves with persons or in things mean and unsuitable to them as if it were a debasing and degrading of themselves but if this mixture be a familiarity 't is still worse and if this familiarty be an Union 't is worst of all What a stir and a clatter do we make about a Gentleman marrying his Maid or a Lady her Groom Great Indignation arises to the Gentry of the Neighbourhood presently and much wonderment to the rest But the Soul of the meanest man matching with the most splendid Object in the Creation and uniting its self thereunto incurs a far sorer Censure and requires a far greater pity The Sun stooping to Mortal Clymene or the Moon to the Sheperds Boy Endimion or Venus in the Arms of dirty Vulcan or Jupiter assuming Horns and Hoofs for the sake of a mortal Mistress or whatsoever the Poets have invented to the disparagement of their wanton Deities does but represent the infamous mixture which that off-spring of Heaven the Soul of Man does make of it self with things terrene and mortal A generous Eagle preying upon Carrion or a glorious Star falling from its Sphere and choaking it self in the dust or the Romane Emperour catching Flies are tollerable Absurdities in comparrison of that abominable and mischievous Choice which all worldly minded Men in the World do make Does the Maker of Souls who best knows the worth of them value one Soul any one
place in the Creation shall I assign to that man that loves the lowest things for by loving he makes himself lower than they and it will puzzle all Philosophy to tell where to place that man that is lower than the lowest Shake off these shameful Fetters O my Soul burst this Yoke thou art call'd to liberty renounce this Ahominable servitude and reckon that if for an Hand-Maid to be Heir to her Mistress is a matter of Pride for a Mistress to eâ—slave her self to her Hand-Maid is matter of shame and reproach The gracious Creator hath plac'd thee in a noble degree and rank of the Creatures the lines are fallen to thee in a good place do not wilfully degrade thy self by forsaking thy station and thrusting thy self down below the lowest to thy eternal disparagement and amazement Lest whilst thou stand'st in a mixture of disdain and pity beholding the mighty Nebuchadnezzar herding himself with the Oxen thou plunge thy self into a more dishonourable condition then this and suffer thy self to be ridden by thy own Beast MEDITAT XXXVIII From the Consideration of the Nature of the Love of the World Idolatrous and Adulterous HAving briefly considered what the World is and what Love is I will now put them together and a little consider what Worldly Love is And indeed I cannot think of any thing abominable but I find it to be that Methinks I hear the Pathetical words of the blessed one fouâ—â—â—â—g in my ears Oh do not that abominable thing that I hate Jer. 44. 4. It seems that all sin is abominable and hated of Gods Soul But if one thing may be said to be more abominable than another I doubt not but Predominant Worldly Love is the most abominable of all things as having in it the nature of all those things which are of all sober Judges accounted most abominable I will confine my self to five or six of the worst that I can think of And here I will begin this black Roll with Idolatry This is confest by all Christians to be an abominable thing insomuch that that very part of the Christian World which we most suspect of it are as studious to excuse it as they are bold to commit it And there is a great deal of reason why all men professing the knowledge of the true God should abominate Idolatry when they hear him in his Word so passionately charging the World against it so terribly threatning the Commission of it and read what lamentable Devastations he made amongst the Jews because of it which the Prophet excuses by a strange expression The Lord could no longer bear because of their Idolatry Jer. 44. 22. But as abominable as it is the Love of the World is in it What the Apostle says of one Branch of it by the same Argument that Covetousness is Idolatry Pride and Sensuality are no better The highest Act of Worship is Love consequently he that loves the praise of Men more than the praise of God that is a lover of Pleasures more than of God is a down right Idolater Gold and Silver need not to be made into Images to be objects of admiration He that loves and delights and trusts in them chiefly has given the Worship peculiar to God to them and made them his God already Idols may be and commonly are set up as properly in the Heart as in Houses Ezek. 14. 3. and Idolatry as well committed by the inclinations of the Will as by the bending of the Knee There cannot be more palpable Idolatry in the world than making that a God to ones self which is none Is not the Sensualist an Idolater in the most proper speech whose Belly is his God as the Apostle phraseth it By the like propriety of speech one may say of the proud Gallant that he makes his Back his God nay an Horse an Hawk or an Hound may be as truly an Idol to a Christian as a Calf is to an Egyptian A second abominable thing that I think of is Adulâ—â—ry Whatever favourable Opinion this Wicked and Wanton Age has entertain'd of this Vice I 'm sure the Holy God accounts it abominable and ordained in his Common-wealth of the Jews that the Adulterors should be stoned to Death Such is the Opinion that God has of Adultery that he most usually by his Prophets compares that incomparable sin of Idolatry to it and calls it going a Whoring after other Gods It must needs be a foul pattern by which that Monster of Idolatry is drawn And is not the love of the World Adultery Is not the heart of Man as much dedicate and due to God as any Mans Wife is peculiar to him Do Men justly complain of great wrong done to them and may not God as justly complain of the alienation of Hearts May not God reasonably be offended that such a vile thing as Mundanes should be his Rival and defile the Heart of Man which he esteems his greatest Jewel It 's plain by the judgement of the great Searcher of Hearts that she that lusts after another Man more than her own Husband is a Whore and has already committed Adultery with him in her Heart It must needs be that the Soul that lusts after and cleaves to any Object more than to God to whom Souls are most nearly related and to whom they are most firmly bound is abominably Unchast and Adulterous in her loves Souls have no way of playing the Whore but by mis-loving and by how much the meaner the Object of their love is so much the groffer and more shameful their Adultery So that the Soul Prostituting it self to the World is not only Adulterous but indeed Sodomitical in this Conjuction For t is all one with lying down before a Beast which is forbidden by the law abhorr'd of Nature and damned by the gentile Theology under the Fable of Pasiphae and her Bull and their Monstrous off spring the Minotaur Vencr is Monument a nefandae MEDITAT XXXIX Of the Blasphemy and Sacriledge of Worldly Love A Third abominable thing that I think of is Blasphemy To speak evil of God injuriously reproachfully of the Deity may justly be accounted horrible amongst the Servants of the true God when it was judged abominable even by the Heathens whose Gods themselves were abominable Paul's Companions had like to have been pull'd in pieces by the Zealous Ephesians for disparaging Diana and the onely way that the Town Clark could take to appease the multitude was to tell them whatsoever people said of her Diana was a very brave Goddess and to deny that Paul's Companions were Blasphemers of her for he knew well enough that if such a horrible thing as Blasphemy were prov'd against them the people would not have stay'd for any Judicial Sentence to be past upon them Now there is a Blasphemy of the Heart as well as of the Tangue So the Fool Blasphemes who says in his heart there is no God and so do all they that either â—scribe to God
what he is not as Ignorance or Injustice or deny to him what he is as Omniscience and Omnipotence or else ascribe that to the Creature which onely and of right belongs to him Thus every Idolater who gives Divine Worship to a Creature is a manifest Blasphemer of God and so are all Predominant Lovers of the World who by the Predominant pursuit of the World do declare they expect happiness from the Creature which is onely to be found in God and in the enjoyment of him It may seem harsh when 't is spoken in plain words that every covetous proud and sensual Soul is a Blaâ—â—â—emer but there is nothing truer nor scarce plainer I do not speak of any single Act of Blasphemy that these Worldlings are guilty of but indeed they live in a constant and continued strain of Blasphemy Is it not evident that all these Men seek Happiness Rest Satisfaction in the great abundance of Worldly Things It is obvious to every one that they do insatiably pursue them there can be no cause of this assign'd but that they fancy and promise to themselves some satisfaction and happiness in the enjoyment of them And is not this plainly to ascribe to the Creature that felicitating and filling Vertue which individually belongs to the Creator Is it not to give the Glory and Essence and Incommunicable Attributes of God to another Does not he disparage a Fountain of Living Waters who repairs to a broken Cistern to quench his Thirst Does not he disparage the nature of Bread who passes it by and seeks to fill his Belly with Husks That which is a disparagement to these if it be committed against God is Blasphemy He is the only Root and Center of Souls and to take up in any thing below him as an ultimate rest and satisfaction does highly dishonour him and plainly Blaspheme him How justly may it be answer'd to this Worldly Crew at the last day when finding their miserable disappointment they shall seek to enter into everlasting Rest I know you not you have receiv'd your Consolation you have had your Reward in your life time you received your good things Get ye to your Gods therefore of Gold of Silver and such other Worldly Deities to which all a long you Blasphemously ascrib'd a filling and satisfying Vertue The poor woman in the Gospel that had spent all her Living upon Physicians and could get no Cure was indeed after admitted to a touch of the Hem of the Garment of Jesus and healed But they that spend all their Heart upon the World seeking for rest in the things that cannot afford it shall not find it when they come to seek it where it is No no it s just that they that blasphemously make this World their God should be dispos'd of with the God of this World The Fourth abominable thing that I think of is Sacrilâ—dge or a Robbing of God How abominable a thing this is one may easily discern by those Pathetical words of God himself Mal. 3. 8. Where he asks as it were with wonderment Will a Man rob God It can scarce be thought that there should be any such bold Villany in the Nature of things The Heathens accounted it a fearful thing to rob their god who indeed possest nothing Every body know how Prometheus was fastned to Mount Caucasus and had a Vulture perpetually assign'd to feed upon his Liver for defrauding Jupiter at a Feast putting him off with Bones cover'd with Fat when he got the best Morsels to his own Trencher and stealing Fire from Heaven Which Sacriledge Jupiter did so much stomach as Lucian somewhere tells the story that he thought instead of being bound to Mount Caucasus he deserv'd the whole Mountain to be thrown upon him and instead of one Vulture he deserv'd sixteen to torment him Are they esteem'd to rob God who with-held Tithes and Offerings from him and shall not they be much rather so esteem'd who deny him their Hearts Our hearts are due to God he requires them My Son give me thy heart this is his great Commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart The heart of man is most sacred the very Temple the living Temple of the living God and if it be accounted abominable Sacriledge to steal holy Vessels out of the Temple what shall we call it when we steal the Temple it self So do all they that with-hold their Hearts from God and bestow them upon the World MEDITAT XL. Of the Ingratitude and Perjury of Worldly Love THe next abominable thing that I can think of is Ingratitude A thing so abominable that the very Heathen by the light of Nature every where ery out upon it with the sharpest invectives imaginable I need name none of them having once quoted that famous Aphorism of theirs Qui Ingratum dixerit omnia dixit Call a man ungrateful and you call him all that naught is But yet there are degrees here and some kind of Ingratiâ—â—de is more abominable than other Of all the kinds ingratitudes towards God is the worst and or all Ingratitude towards God the giving away of the Heart is the worst and to give it to such â— vile thing a hurtful thing and his Enemy too makes it still worse God has given us all the good we have yea even that good that is given us by our Parents Tutors Patrons Benefactors he is the Dâ—â—r of it And for all this he looks for nothing from us but that we should love him And is it noâ— Monstrous Injustice and Ingratitude to deny him that He gave us these very heartâ— and shall we go and give them to his and our own profest Enemy Talk no more of the abomiâ—â—â—â—â—ness of the graceless Lads that kill'd their Masters with their Pen-knives of Absâ—lom taking up Arms against his Father of Rebellious Subjects pursuing their King to death by those very Swords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put into their hands of the Churl that denied a Meals Meat to him that had kept all his Flock in the Wilderness one covetous Man out does them all and every Predominant Lover of the World 〈◊〉 denys his heart to the God that gave it him is 〈◊〉 abominable than all they It was a very cutâ—â—ng Reflection that our Saviour made upon the ungrateful people amongst whom he converst I have done many good works amâ—ng you for which of these is it that ye stone me And what shall he be able to answer to whom the Father of Mercies shall put this Question I have made thee what thou art I have given thee what thou hast for which of these Mercies is it that thou hatest me If it be answer'd Nay Lord wherein did I hate thee It will soon be reply'd to the Eternal silencing of the ungrateful Wretch in as much as thou didst not love me thou hated'st me thou didst not love me for if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him But I will adjourn the
to offer a Kingdom for a Cup of Water It cannot stand instead of so mean a thing as Apparel he that is never so well loaden with thick Clay may for all that be in such Circumstances that he starves with Cold. Neither by answering all things can be meant that it can purchase all things and furnish men with whatever they want If it could how comes Money and the want of the most desirable thing in the World to be so compatible as in our own Language to be made up into one Word called the Rich-Gout It often happens that Health cannot be purchased with Money Aegro Dives habet nâ—mmâ—s sâ—d â—â—â— habet ipsâ—m Liberty is often not recoverable Life not preserâ—aâ—le by Money The poor Apostle might have had his Liberty if he had had Money But the King of Judah had Money enough and yet could not get his Liberty Rich men may fall into the Hands of such men that will not regard Silver nor delight in Gold that they should receive a ransome for them from thence Is â—3 17. And as for Ingenuity Learning Wisdom Grace one may say of them as Wise Solomon who did Simul amare sapâ—re Cant. 2. 9. says concerning Love If a Man would give all the substance of his House for them it would utterly be contemned nay rejected with Scorn thy Money perish with thee Neither is it true That Money answereth all men as others interpret it who thus Paraphrase upon the Words Let there be Money and all Mâ—n have their Hearts desire For there are many in the World that prefer the Favor of God and their own Consciences before Thousands of Gold and Silver Nay and those very men who love Money best and have most of it too are not yet answered they are not satisfy'd by Money I could heartily wish for the sake of those that Damn themselves with the Love of Money and take encouragement so to do from this Text that the Translation of it were amended or the Sense fully explained by the just consideration of the Context according to the learned Tremellius the judicious Cartwright or if any one can do it better Do men love the World because it is pleasant to them they see and tast and handle it I confess the World by being so nigh our Senses does affect and charm them But is not God as nigh to us as any thing in the World The invisible things of him are seen by the things that are made praesentem monstrat quae libet herba deum Well might the Apostle say He is not far from every one of us Act. 17. 27. Which is but a Rhetorical Meiosis for he is very nigh to every one of us so nigh that he is in us and over us and round about us or rather indeed we are in him who is the infinite Goodness and omnipotent Life containing all things in himself God is as nigh to our Reasons as the World is to our Senses and it is as easie and obvious to conclude that some one made the World as it is to see that it is made Do men love the World because they apprehend it necessary to them they cannot live contentedly and pleasantly nor indeed live at all without it This may be presumed to be one of the fairest excuses for the Love of the World For who can choose but love that which is necessary to Life How can any man live without Money as the World goes In extream old Age we shall be forsaken and miserable if we have not Estates therefore we will stick at nothing to get them whilst we are young This necessariness of the World may indeed justifie the moderate industry of Men for the obtaining of a competent Portion of it but it will never justify coveting after abundance nor the predominant Love of the World For Life it self for whose sake we say we Love the World is in it self but a mean thing and not very desirable and in comparison of the favour of God abominable and to be hated But supposing Life never so desirable and consequently the World necessary and consequently the Love of it justifiable yet certainly God is more necessary to us than the World or any thing in it Our Souls are sure more excellent than our Lives and consequently the Grace of God which is the Life and Happiness of Souls more necessary than the World can be to the maintainance of Life It is not necessary to us to Live but it is necessary to be Saved If a Man lose his Life he may find it again but if he lose his Soul it is past Recovery Without the World we cannot Live therefore it is necessary without God we cannot be Saved therefore He is more necessary Nay indeed neither can we Live without hâ—â— it is because he is that we are and if we could suppose that he should withdraw himself from the World it may easily be conceived That the World would hide its Head and steal away into its first nothing MEDITAT XLIX A Concluding Meditation I Can imagine nothing that does really commend the World or any thing herein to our Affections or Entertainment but it is in a higher degree or a more excellent kind to be found in God The superlative Love of God must needs therefore be most just and reasonable And oh would to God it might appear so to all Men to all the Children of God Oh thou Father of Men and Father of Mercies set home those Considerations of the reasonablenesâ— necessity easiness pleasantness seemliness profitableness of this Love of thee upon the Hearts of all Men that as thou lovest them more then they so they may love thee more than themselves or any thing else How long O Lord shall it be observed to the breaking of the Hearts of thy Friends that thou art hated by so great a Part of that Creation that is nothing but the product of thy own Love and Goodness What a fearful horrible Rebellion is this World thrown into when the Children of the Most High rise up against their Father their very Hearts riâ—â— against him against his Service against his People against his Name and Authority Oh sad Apostacy of 〈◊〉 Nature Oh lamentable degeneracy of rational Faculties How are men transformed into Moles hating the Light and making to themselves Places and Paradices in the Base Earth How are Souls converted into Swine feeding upon Husks and wallowing in Filthiness How stupendiously are the rational Palates vitiated who loath the Honey and the Honey-comb to whom Love it self is hateful Oh Lord pity this unnatural viperous Generation that are without natural affection to their Father cast forth thy Cords of Love and reconcile this undutiful rebellious Off-spring to thy Blessed and Lovely Self Hear me O my God in these Requests which on my own behalf and on the behalf of all the undutiful Crew of lapsed Souls I humbly present to thy Merciful Majesty Disparage all the Wealth and Glory
own This cannot be every worldly-minded man is guilty of this Covetousness for the same nature and principle that prompts men so greedily to gripe their own will certainly put them upon a desire to finger other mens This kind of Covetousness has a great deal of injustice in it it is a kind of stealing He that lusts after a Woman is a Whoremaster he that hates his Brother is a Murderer and by a parity of reason he that covets is a Thief Lord who knows how oft he is guilty in one degree or other Help me to make a Covenant with my eyes lest they betray me in looking upon my Neighbor's House as well as his Wife There may be Covetousness in too vehement desiring of what is another mans though one be willing to give a sufficient price for it I do not think it will excuse Ahab from Covetousness that he offered a full price or a good exchange for Naboth's Vineyard Nay the very over-buying of a thing if it be judicious is an argument of Covetousness if some present necessity or unseen convenience do not excuse it And what can one make of them that cry I wish such a thing were mine to bestow upon you or I wish it were mine so that no body were the worse for it What I say can any man make of these but Fools and covetous To heal us of this Disease let us learn not to over-value earthly things They are all lovely onely in God In him we may enjoy the sweetness of all these things without possessing the things themselves so far as we are spiritualiz'd we live upon God and enjoy all things in him and cannot be covetous The sin of Eve was that she coveted to be like unto God in his incommunicable Properties If she had been omniscient as God then God had not been omniscient for there cannot be two Omniscietns But the onely laudable Covetousness is to covet to be like unto God in his communicable Perfections MEDITAT XL. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AN immoderate greedy desire of worldly Things though not attended with another mans hurt or loss is Covetousness To seek an unwieldy greatness and fulness in the world to extend ones care to Childrens Childrens Children what does this speak but an over-high valuation of the world and an atheistical distrust of God To be more studious of worldly Accommodations than of enriching the mind with virtue of gaming an Estate than of saving the Soul of Portions for Children more than of their Education is palpable preferring of the World before God and rank Covetousness And what excuse can be made for those greedy Tradesmen that appoint to themselves no end no measure of getting I know indeed that an Employment is good and I know also that there are many good ways of mens employing themselves besides scraping for Riches I doubt these men do never sincerely examine themselves whether all this while in all these pains that they take they act out of pure Conscience to live in an Employment Methinks it is very agreeable to the temper of universal Charity to say Now that I have provided for my own house when shall my Brethren provide for their houses also I will make room for those that are straitned I have eaten and drunken now let them also eat and drink Or if pure Conscience of an Employment keep them in their station that they will still work with their hands the things which they account good let it be to give to him that needeth Much wealth necessarily brings along with it much care many fears doth usually increase worldly desires will be followed with great accompts And to prefer this before the peace and quietness of our minds and the easiness and passableness of our accompts savors of great imprudence and I doubt impiety I know Covetousness is hard to be discerned and it is of so ill a name that few will own it But the Searcher of hearts does discern it and his Word does describe the men that are guilty of it by their hastening to be rich by lading themselves with thick clay by their willing to be rich 1 Tim. 6. 9. by their rising up early late taking rest eating the bread of sorrows and the like And we can partly discern mens necessities their Families and their Dependents if their worldly care exceed what these do in reason call for it is to be suspected that it is degenerated into Covetousness To these intemperate Gapers after wealth I commend that plain but terrible Text of our Lords It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven What a strange task is this Yea though we should be so favourable as to interpret it of a Cable Rope which yet the spelling of the word will not endure A Camel go thorow the Eye of a Needle It implies the greatest humane impossibility Oh but says the Worldling God can effect this for the Text tells us for our comfort That with him all things are possible But I pray Friend How know you that God will Is it not that God who hath commanded you not to covet not to labour after the meat that perisheth not to be careful what to eat and to drink not to seek great things for your selves not to lay up treasures for your selves on earth Oh but they can come off at least by distinguishing By rich men are there meant Those that trust inriches Now say they we can avoid that well enough Nay not so easily neither If it were so easie a thing What need rich men be charged so severaly that they do not trust in riches It seems rather to be very difficult next to impossible in that Christ hath made having Riches and trusting in Riches to be Phrases of the same importance Mark 10. 23 24. The Scripture records those few that were rich and good as wonders of Divine Grace as instances of Omnipotence And indeed there are but very few of them He past for a Prodigy of old Quisquis ingentes oculo irretorto spectat acervos and so he may do now It is the Character of a Disciple of Christ To forsake House and Lands for his Name sake And is this an Argument of a mind so dispos'd a sign of a Soul so prepar'd to be perpetually grasping after more and to be joining House to House and Land to Land If they that hunger after Righteousness are therefore blessed because they shall be filled I am sure they must needs be cursed that hunger after the mammon of unrighteousness for they are not cannot shall not be fill'd Oh the shame that is upon the Professors of the Religion of Christ Jesus Men that pretend to a life more excellent than a Prince his to be guilty of Covetousness All their Religion is in vain who mind earthly things O Lord incline my heart to thy Testimonies and not to Covetousness MEDITAT XLI Of Carefulness I
Will descend a little lower to consider of Worldly Carefulness This is directly contrary to Faith in the Promises and Providence of God and so is a preferring of the World before him It proceeds from a distrust of God's Providence which distrust is very sinful and dishonourable nay it is as if one should refuse to take God's Word for sufficient security However light men make of it and however small a fault the Worldling represents it to himself sure I am our Saviour links it with Gluttony and Drunkenness and seems to make it as bad a fault and as dangerous as they Luke 21. 34. Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting or drunkenness or cares of this life c. It argues a want of ingenuous affiance in God and is perplexing to the mind hindring converse with God which is the highest perfection and the greatest happiness of the Souls of men What can I say worse of it than that it is unseemly uneasie unsafe and unprofitable For after all our Cares all Events depend upon God and all humane Solicitude cannot state or six one Event nor make the least change in the course of things not one hair white or black I do not remember that ever I heard Christ Jesus more industrious in arguing against any thing than against this worldly Carefulness Mat. 6. Read the Gospel throughout and I do not think you will find him to have set himself more against any sin than this Our heavenly Father is very gracious in offering his help for our relief against this Carefulness The Curse be upon me said Rebekah to her son Jacob. Kind mother Such is the kindness of our Father Cast your care upon me It is an easie and pleasant thing to depend upon another to trust to Almighty Goodness in comparison of what careful carking is Diligence is not this Carefulness Care is not so much forbidden us as Carefulness This solicitousness about the World is known to be sinful by the unseasonableness of it the immoderateness of it when men take more care and beat their brains much more about the things of the Body than of the Soul of Time than of Eternity Lord make me to understand the value of my Soul and the danger that it is in that my thoughts and cares may be mainly bestow'd about the preservation of it Let me see the particular Providence of God which reaches even to every Sparrow and single hair of my head and to believe all his gracious Promises so as not to be any more solicitous about this world MEDITAT XLII Of Discontentedness DIscontent is the Souls Tumultuation or Mutiny In Civil Affairs Mutiny is accounted a degree of Treason and it is no less in Spirituals A restlesness and unsatisfiedness of mind with our present condition is a preferring of our own wills or our own ease and accommedation before the Will of God This I distinguish from Impatience in that Impatience always supposes Evils but Discontent may be in plentiful and good condition When this Discontent is predominant it argues a worldly temper a Soul too much affected towards worldly things and an unsubduedness to the Will of God it argues I say Pride and Unbelief It is plainly our Duty to be content with such things as we have What then may some one say May we not pray to be deliver'd out of Affliction out of Prison Debt or Disease This Objection belongs to the Head of Impatience whither I refer it But may not a man pray and sâ—â—k though he have enough to have mere to be still richer and richer Answ In general it is an admirable temper to seek rather nothing If we have enough we ought not to desire more for by the same Rule we may desire still more than that and yet more and no measure will be put to our desires But it will be asked What is enough Which is a very hard Question to answer It is not thesame to all yet there is such a quantum as enough in the World To the Apostle Paul Food and Raiment were enough 1 Tim. 6. 8. To Jacob Bread to to eat and Raiment to put on were enough Gen. 28. 20. A little is enough if we reckon right if we reckon wrong nothing is Natura paucis contenta was the old saying Nature is content with few things and sure Grace desires no more Let us contemplate the Holy Jesus and consider what he accounted enough It is most certain that he might have had more therefore his was no contentment upon force so far as can be gather'd from his story a small pittance in the World was enough to him I know it may be reply'd Christ had no Children to provide for I answer That he had a great deal of Kindred whom to make great We are told in the History of Nepotismo That those that pretend to great Holiness are much given to board for their Nephews though they have no Children Suppose we have Children If we know what is truly enough for our selves we may know what is enough for them Will it certainly be the better for them to be left Rich I am sure it proves worst to many a Fuel to Vice and that is worst Poor means Children commonly prove the best not only the best Men but the best Scholars the best Artists To marry Children richly is not the way to make them better but prouder and idler The best provision for Children is Education the best matching them is the uniting of their Souls to God But what shall we say to those that covet for they know not whom that have neither Child nor Brother yet are not satisfi'd with riches Eccles 4. 8. If this be not rank vanity I know not what is But still it will be pretended We desire more onely to have to give away and to do good with This I doubt is but a pretence and a meer fallacy Has any man indeed so great a desire to do good that he will load himself with certain Accompts for the uncertain thing of doing good venture upon temptations and snares endanger his Soul to do good This were a fervent Lover of God indeed But who will shew him me Lord convince me of the wisdom of the Divine Will that cares for all men most conveniently let my Soul be so master'd with the sense of it that I may rather nothing Mortifie in me all proud preferring of my own will and wisdom before thine Suffer me not to allow my self in any Discontent but a holy weariness of my distance from thee and a holy restlesness in my motions towards my Centre Amen Amen MEDITAT XLIII Of Immoderate Mourning or Impatience IMmoderate Sorrow for the want or loss of worldly things springs from an intemperate love of the World It is certainly a preferring of worldly things before the Will and Wisdom of God Here by we contradict it resist it we would destroy it if we could and set up our own wills
our Lives a doing of God's Will and a preparation for his Kingdom But yet I dare not conclude it to be a Symptom of predominant worldly Love when I hear David crying in some case O spare me a little c. For when we urge the predominant Love of God as absolutely necessary we do not mean by predominant that it should be in the strictest sense perfect The Love of the meanest Saint is predominant and the Love of the devoutest is imperfect There are many other mistakes about the predominant Love of the World which are occasionally met with and corrected in the aforegoing Meditations Lord Suffer not my inflamed heart to rest in the lowest evidences of a predominant Love to thee no nor to be at rest till it arrive at the highest Demonstrations Expressions and Exercise thereof Though the consideration of Sincerity and Predominancy may sustain and comfort me yet let nothing short of Perfection content and satisfie me Oh Almighty Love wrap up my amorous Soul in thy Self And Oh cast forth thy Cords of Love and draw the estranged Souls of men unto thy Self Pity the infinite numbers of prodigal Apostates that have forsaken the Bread of their Fathers house and like Swine feed upon empâ—y Husks those many Noble Souls all of them like so many Kings by their Câ—â—ation that â—s it were with their Thumbs cut off 〈◊〉 gathering Crâ—m for their sustenance Restore their maimâ—d Faculties and lift up their Heads out of Prison change their Prison Garments and let them eat Bread before thee 〈◊〉 And Oh grant that all the Lovers of the Father may be judicious and regular in their own Devotions and charitable towards the Devotions and Affections of their Brethren Amen Amen MAN Considered in his POLITICAL CAPACITY PART II. MEDITAT I. Of the False Despisers of Riches IT is too too evident that the many sorts of persons before nam'd are in the judgment of God Lovers of the World even all that prefer the Profits pleasures Honours Persons Business Fashions of the World before God that is before Righteousness Truth Peace Publick Good Holy Order Charity Purity and the Sacred Will of God But because there are really many of these that will not yet acknowledge themselves to be such let us examine a little more closely to find out if possibly who they are that lie under this black character and to whom it doth agree And now I will a little examine Man considered in his Political Capacity for in that he is more discernable than in his Moral And here methinks I hear a Generation of Monastical People whether Papists or Protestants it matters not blessing themselves and saying It is apparent that they of all People in the World are no Lovers of it They are so far from coveting the Riches of the World that they give away all they have and reject the kindness of those that would give them more They embrace Poverty as a great Perfection and Nakâ—dness as an Ornament It was a high Character of them That took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods But what Perfectionists are these that spoil themselves The Disciples of Jesus were mortified men who reckoned two Coats superfluous but these Evangelists are even weary of the Incumbrance of one Nay they seem to out-vie the Son of Man himself of whom it is said That he had not whereon to lay his Head As if he stood in need of some House or Artificial Conveniencies whereas the cold Earth everywhere affords these hardy Soldiers of his a sufficient Bed and the spangled Heavens a Canopy To all which great Pretensions I only suggest these two or three Inquiries 1. It is highly reasonable that these Pretenders to a Contempt of Worldly Riches do inquire into themselves Whether in Deed and in Truth they do what they seem to do Whether there be no Fallacy Hypocrisie or Juggle in this Matter For we have read of those that pretended to part with all to the Church who yet kept back for their own dear selves and by laying their money at the Apostles feet seem'd to trample it under their own who yet for all their seeming Faith and Contempt of the World did not so strip themselves of all but that they kept a Rag for a sore Finger Ananias and Sapphira are Examples 2. It may be proper to inquire Whether some of the Heathens themselves whom you so undervalue as the Refuse of men have not done as much as all this comes to This I take for granted according to the Logick of Divinity it self that it is but a sorry Perfection in a Christian that does not excel all that can be found in a Heathen Mat. 6. 32. If they seek after these and these things it becomes Christians to seek after higher if they do such and such things it behoves Christians to do greater Now I suppose it is an easie thing to find many men as perfectly and voluntarily poor amongst the Heathen Philosophers as amongst Christians amongst the Cynicks as well as the Hermits as much Contempt of the World to any mans thinking in a Tub as in a Cloyster But it will be said These men did not neglect the World out of a pure design therefore 3. It will not be amiss that these Christian Contemners of the World do examine their Principles and Ends for if this voluntary casting away of the World be only a Trick to draw and convert the eyes of the World to themselves and to procure an estimation of mortifi'd men or a piece of Bribery to merit or purchase the Rewards of Heaven or a design to get Riches by a pretended Contempt of them or a Cloak for Idleness that they may eat and drink of the Best without doing any thing for it chusing rather to eat their Bread in the sweat of other mens Brows than of their own If any such things as these I say happen all this Contempt of the World is spoiled and becomes contemptible in the eyes of God nay indeed it proves to be a Device for the more effectual maintaining of the Worldly Life And who knows but that it may so happen or rather who knows not that it does Contempt of the World must be impartial and regular or else it will not pass for Devotion And if a man predominantly love the World in any branch of it he 's justly denominated a Lover of the World however he may seem to despise it in many other branches of it It is a sorry shift to endeavor to be thought to despise the Riches of the World and in the mean time to be enslaved to worldly Ease and Idleness to some men it is the greatest sensual pleasure in the World to do nothing Has not the same God who commanded us not to covet nor love the World also commanded to work and get our Livings Oh but they have spiritual Work to do What Merchant so industrious as they that compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes And did not Paul