Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A96075
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Two brief meditations I. Of magnanimitie under crosses: II. of acquaintance with God. By E.W. Esquire.
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Waterhouse, Edward, 1619-1670.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing W1051; Wing W1045; Thomason E1461_1; ESTC R209610
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86,203
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147
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TWO BRIEF MEDITATIONS I. OF MAGNANIMITIE UNDER CROSSES II. OF ACQUAINTANCE With GOD. BY E.W. Esquire Pene omnis vita Naufragium est Salvian l. 3. Sunt fata deum sunt fata locorum Statius In hoc profundum inquietumque projecti mare alterâ—is aestibuâ— reciprocum modo allevans nos subitis increments modò majoribus damnis deserens assidueque jactans nunquam stabili consistimus loco Pendemus et fluctuamur et alter in alterum allidimur et aliquando Naufragium facimus semper timemus Senec. consol ad Polib c. 28. LONDON Printed by Thomas Maxey 1653. To the nobly accomplished Pair Dr JOHN GAUDEN AND Mris ELIZABETH GAUDEN his Wife Sir Madam I Hold it an Heresie in Civility as wel as Religion to divorce those whom GOD and their Loves have united Ex affectu omnes introducuntur nuptiae Justin cod de Nupt. l. 26 not only in a neer Relation but a more dear Affection And since I am highly satisfied Par pari jungatur conjux quicquid impar diffider that no Marriage is more amply expressive of sincere love and reall complacency then is Yours which God hath blessed with a Diapason of Contents I cannot but bespeak You to pardon me while I conjoyn You in this Dedication which tels the World that it is much my ambition to appear a friend to Your Vertues and in what I may a requiter of Your Civilities Accept therefore my noble Friends these Papers not as in the least proportionate to the reall service I should do you nor as clad in such Tissues of Language and florid Fancy as would become me to prepare for entertainment of your curious eyes but as an earnest of that great respect which shall be ever owned due to You from Greenford this 30 of Novem. 1653. Sir Madam Your humble Servant and truly affectionate Friend ED. WATERHOUSE A MEDITATION OF MAGNANIMITY under Crosses THere is no man but as he is mortal and by sin subjected to sorrow so ought he to prepare for and submit to those Tryals Servitutis nomen culpa meruit non Natura S. Aug. de Civ Dei l. 19. cap. 15. which not Nature but Transgression hath brought upon him God created us for his own service and it had been our perfection to continue what he made us While Nature knew no Master but him it needed no help nor feared it any hinderance in doing what was required of it But when Curiosity deluded by the varnish of the Serpents suggestion had perswaded man to usurp upon God in exceeding the bounds of his Makers appointment then rushed in those rebel Passions and troublous Diseases as Gods avengers of that insolence which had Pride and presumption for its Author and Encouragement Our Nature curbed by nothing but necessity and bound to the peace by the power of divine Soveraignty began to sink under the sense of that Might it had provoked and that Mercy it had abused God the protoplast and grand exemplar of pity considering whereof we are made by that promise that he would not strive with man alwayes Gen. 6.3 seeing he was but dust securing us against utter ruine calls our wandring mindes to contemplate and hearts to bemoan that folly which at once lost us Innocence and Impassibilitie Now we are left to Passions which switch and spur us without mercy and like all comers knock at our gates for entrance Love Joy Anger Fear c. act like tumultuous waves their several parts in our mindes and lives yea t is of the Lords mercy that the Jewel of Eternity is not lost in this crowd and the vessel in which our durable Treasure is proves not prize to those Pirats that surround her and is not naufragated in those seas that rise high Unum habuit filium sine peccato nullum sine flagello Zech. 13.7 and call to heaven for vengeance In all the catalogue of Mankind there was but one who prescribed against sin and that was the Man Gods Fellow but not one who could bring a writ of priviledg from sorrow for Christ though the Son of Love was designed by God the Father to be the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings Heb. 2.10 not as he deserved them â— Pet. 2.22 for there was no sin in him nor guile found in his mouth but as he observed the method of God who by his death and passion called immortality to light Here is the great Trophie of a combating Christian that no tryall can harmfully vanquish him who is one with that Victor who hath triumphed over all worldly evils leading captivity captive and condemning death in his body on the tree But since the Man is elder then the Christian Ezek. 16.6 God finds us in our blood before he refines us by effectual vocation and Arguments from Nature seem more congruous to lead the Van of this discourse then those which being more precious and perswasive are as the reserve for the dead lift to speed home execution I shall by Gods leave and by his assistance assigne some arguments to fortifie us against the utmost disappointments our course of life can meet and be made seemingly unhappy by And truly me thinks I hear my heart a suter to my pen in the words of Livius Drusus Si quid in te artis est ita componâ— domum meam ut quicquid agam ab omnibus perspici possit Velleius Paterculus l. 2. p. 28. to the Architect that was to build his house O Friend if thou hast any art so dispose mine house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xâ—nopn Memorab 4. that mine actions therein done may be visible to every eye So would I frame and model my Discourse Satius est moribus Antiquorum prudentium vivere quam corum tantum linguâ arte loqui Auson lib. 2. cap. 33. as one who desires to practise what he prescribes preferring actions above words and endeavouring rather to follow the Vertues of Wise men then to speak their Language And here as the Poet of old Inopem me copia fecit There is so great a harvest of Arguments that it seems more then an Herculean labour to answer the importunities of them and becomes a strait to me to chuse which of them shall be Master of the feast and Prince de l'Amour for what is there in Nature which contributes not to mans incommodation from what quarter of this Globe are not wafted to him engines of mischief in what state climate age is he not infested with somewhat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which makes him cry out with him in Stobaeus O that I were one day free from trouble And therefore since every thing more or lesse serves to this drudgery I will omit curiosity of order and produce them in that Method my Genius presents them to me And the first Argument to allay impatience Argum. 1 and perswade to courage under them is that of the Preacher The thing that hath been is that which shall