Causes or the Appendances of it wee rack not our minds too much with the inquiry thereof which were to striue more for Logique than deuotion But without too much disturbaunce of our thoughts quietly passe ouer to the next If we breake our teeth with the shell we shall finde small pleasure in the kernell Now then for that my onely feare is lest this part of my discourse shall seeme ouer perplexed vnto the vnlearned Reader I will in this whole processe second my rule with his example that so what might seeme obscure in the one may by the other be explaned and the same steps he sees me take in this hee may accordingly treade in any other Theme Chap. 18. FIrst therfore it shal be expedient to consider seriously what the thing is whereof wee meditate What then O my soule is the life of the Saints whereof thou studiest who are the Saints but those which hauing been weakely holy vpon earth are perfectly holy aboue which euen on earth were perfectly holy in their Sauiour now are so in themselues Which ouercomming on earth are truely canonized in heauen What is their life but that blessed estate aboue wherein their glorified soule hath a full fruition of God Chap. 19. THe nature wherof after we haue thus shadowed out to our selues by a descriptioÌ„ not curious alwaies exactly framed according to the rules of arte but sufficient for our own conceit the next is if it shal seeme needfull or if the matter will beare or offer it some easie and voluntary diuision whereby our thoughts shall haue more roume made for them and our proceeding shall bee more distinct There is a life of nature wheÌ„ thou my soule dwellest in this body and informest thine earthly burden There is a life of grace when the spirit of God dwels in thee There is a life of glory wheÌ„ thy body being vnited to thee both shall bee vnited to God or when in the meane time being separated from thy companioÌ„ thou enioyest God alone This life of thine therefore as the other hath his ages hath his statures for it enters vpon his birth wheÌ„ thou passest out of thy body and changest this earthly house for an heauenly It enters into his full vigor when at the day of the common resurrection thou resumest this thy companion vnlike to it selfe like to thee like to thy Sauiour immortall now and glorious In this life there may be degrees there can be no imperfection If some be like the skie others like the starres yet all shine If some sit at their Sauiours right hand others at his left all are blessed If some vessels hold more all are full none complaynes of want none enuies at him that hath more Chap. 20. WHich done it shal be requisite for our perfiter vnderstanding and for the laying grounds of matter for our affection to carie it through those other principall places and heads of reason which nature hath taught euery man both for knowledge amplification The first whereof are the Causes of all sorts Whence is this eternal life but from him which onely is eternall which onely is the fountaine of life yea life it selfe Who but the same God that giues our temporall life giues also that eternall The Father bestowes it the Sonne merits it the holy Ghost seales and applies it Expect it onely from him O my soule whose frecelectioÌ„ gaue thee the first title to it to bee purchased by the blood of thy Sauiour For thou shall not therefore be happie because hee sawe thou wouldest bee good but therefore art thou good because he hath ordained thou shalt be happie He hath ordained thee to life he hath giuen thee a Sauiour to giue this life vnto thee faith whereby thou mightest attaine to this Sauiour his word by which thou might'st attaine to this faith what is there in this not â—is And yet not so his â—â—mply as that it is without thee without thy merit indeed not without thine acte Thou liuest here through his blessing but by bread thou shalt liue aboue through his mercy but by thy faith belowe apprehending the authour of thy life And yet as he wil not saue thee without thy faith so thou canst neuer haue faith without his gift Looke vp to him therefore O my soule as the beginner finisher of thy saluation and while thou magnifiest the Author be rauished with the glorie of the worke which farre passeth both the tongue of Angels and the heart of man It can bee no good thing that is not there Howe can they want water that haue the spring where God is enioyed in whom only all things are good what good can bee wanting And what perfection of blisse is there where all goodnesse is mette and vnited In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore O blessed reflection of glorie wee â—â—e there as wee are seene In that wee are seene it is our glorie in that wee see it is Gods glory Therefore doth he glorifie vs that our glory should bee to his Howe worthy art thou ô Lord that through vs thou shouldest looke at thy selfe Chap. 21. THE next place place shal be the Fruits Effectes following vpon their seuerall causes which also affoords very feeling and copious matter to our Meditation wherein it shall be euer best not so much to seeke for all as to chuse out the chiefest No maruell then if from this glory proceede nonspeakeable ioy and from this ioy the sweete songs of praise thaÌ„ksgiuing The spirit bids vs when wee are merrie sing How much more then when wee are merrie without all mixture of sorrowe beyond all measure of our earthly affections shall wee sing ioyfull Hallelu-iahs and Hosannahs to him that dwelleth in the highest heauens Our hearts shal be so full that we cannot chuse but sing and wee cannot but sing melodiously There is no iarre in this Musicke no end of this song Oblessed chaÌ„ge of the Saints they doe nothing but weepe belowe and now nothing but sing aboue we sowed in teares reape inioy there was some comfort in those teares when they were at worst but there is no danger of coÌ„plaint in this heauenly mirth If we cannot sing here with the Angels On earth peace yet there wee shall sing with them Glory to God on hie and ioyning our voices to theirs shall make vp that celestial consort which none can either heare or beare part in and not be happie Chap. 22. AFter which comes to be considered the Subiect either wherein that is or whereabout that is imployed which wee meditate of As And indeede what lesse happinesse doth the very place promise wherein this glory is exhibited which is no other than the Paradise of God Here belowe wee dwell or rather we wander in a continued wildernesse there wee shall rest vs in the true Eden I am come into my gardeÌ„ my sister my spouse Kings vse not to dwell
no practise of others can prescribe to vs in this circumstance It shall bee enough that first we set our selues a time secondly that we set apart that time wherein wee are aprest for this seruice And as no time is preiudiced with vnfitnesse but euery day is without differēce seasonable for this worke so especially Gods day No day is barren of grace to the searcher of it none alike fruitfull to this which being by God sanctified to himselfe and to bee sanctified by vs to God is priuiledged with blessings aboue others for the plentifull instruction of that day stirtes thee vp to this action and filles thee with matter and the zeale of thy publike seruice warms thy heart to this other businesse of deuotion No MANNA fell to the Israelites on their Sabaoth our spiritual MANNA fals on ours most frequent If thou wouldest haue a full soule gather as it fals gather it by hearing reading meditatiō spiritual idlenesse is a fault this day perhaps not lesse than bodily worke Chap. 11. NEither is ther esse variety in the Site and gesture of the body the due composednes whereof is no little aduantage to this exercise euen in our speach to God we obserue not alwaies one and the same position sometimes we fall groueling on our faces somtimes we bow our knees sometimes stand on our feete somtimes we lift vp our handes sometimes cast downe our eyes God is a Spirit who therefore being a seuere obseruer of the disposition of the soule is not scrupulous for the body requiring not so much that the gesture thereof should be vniforme as reuerēt No maruell therefore though in this all our teachers of meditation haue commended seueral positions of body according to their disposition and practise One sitting with the face turned vp to heauen-ward according to the precept of the Philosopher who taught him that by sitting and resting the mind gathereth wisedome Another leaning to some rest towardes the left side for the greater quieting of the heart A third standing with the eyes lift vp to heauen but shut for feare of distractiōs But of all other mee thinkes Isaacs choice the best who meditated walking In this let euery man be his owne master so bee wee vse that frame of body that may both testifie reuerence and in some cases help to stirre vp further deuotion which also must needes be varied according to the matter of our Meditation If we thinke of our sins Ahabs soft pase the Publicans deiected eyes and his hand beating his breast are not vnseasonable If of the ioies of heauen Steuens countenance fixed aboue and Dauids hands lift vp on hie are most fitting In all which the body as it is the instrument and vassall of the soule so will easily follow the affections therof and in trueth then is our deuotion most kindly whē the body is thus commaunded his seruice by the spirit and not suffered to goe before it and by his forwardnesse to prouoke his master to emulation Chap. 12. NOw time and order cal vs frō these circumstances to the matter and subiect of Meditation which must be Diuine Spiritual not euill nor worldly O the carnal and vnprofitable thoughts of men We all meditate one how to do ill to others another how to doe some earthly good to himselfe another to hurt himselfe vnder a colour of good as how to accomplish his lewd desires the fulfilling whereof prooues the bane of the soule how he may sinne vnseene and goe to hell with least noise of the world Or perhaps some better mindes bend their thoughts vpō the search of naturall things the motions of euery heauen and of euery starre the reason and course of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea the manifold kinds of simples that growe out of the earth creatures that creepe vpon it with all their strange qualities and operatiōs Or perhaps the seueral formes of gouernement and rules of State take vp their busie heads so that while they would bee acquainted with the whole world they are strangers at home and while they seeke to knowe all other things they remain vnknowen of thēselues The God that made them the vilenesse of their nature the danger of their sinnes the multitude of their imperfections the Sauior that bought them the heauen that he bought for them are in the meane time as vnknowen as vnregarded as if they were not Thus do foolish children spend their time and labour in turning ouer leaues to looke for painted babes not at all respecting the solide matter vnder their hāds We fooles when will we be wise and turning our eyes from vanity with that sweete singer of Israel make Gods Statutes our song and meditation in the house of our pilgrimage Earthly things profer themselues with importunity Heauenly things must with importunitie bee sued to Those if they were not so little worth would not be so forward and being so forward need not any meditation to solicite them These by how much more hard they are to intreate by so much more precious they are being obtained and therfore worthier our indeuour As then we cannot goe amisse so long as wee keepe our selues in the tracke of Diuinitie while the soule is taken vp with the thoughts either of the Deitie in his essence and persons sparingly yet in this point and more in faith and admiration then inquiry or of his attributes his iustice power wisedome mercie trueth or of his works in the creation preseruation gouernement of all things according to the Psalmist I will meditate of the beautie of thy glorious Maiestie and thy wonderfull workes so most directly in our way and best fitting our exercise of Meditation are those matters in Diuinity which can most of all worke compunction in the hart most stirre vs vp to deuotiō Of which kind are the Meditatiōs concerning CHRIST IESVS our Mediatour his Incarnation Miracles Life Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension Intercessiō the benefit of our Redēption the certaintie of our Election the graces and proceeding of our sanctification our glorious estate in Paradise lost in our first Parents our present vilenes our inclination to sin our seuerall actuall offences the tētations sleights of euill Angels the vse of the Sacraments nature practise of faith repentance the miseries of our-life with the frailty of it the certainty and vncertainty of our death the glory of Gods Saints aboue the awfulnes of iudgement the terrors of hel and the rest of this qualitie wherein both it is fit to haue variety for that euen the strongest stomacke doeth not alwayes delight in one dish yet so to chāge that our choice may be free from wildnesse and inconstancie Chap. 13. NOW after that we haue thus orderly suited the person his qualities with the due circūstances of Time Place disposition of body and substance of the matter discussed I knowe not what can remaine besides the maine busines it selfe and the maner and
all deformed with the desolations of warre and turned into rude heapes or while it is euen now flaming with the fire of ciuill broiles they couet yet stil to liue in it preferring it to all other places of more peace and pleasure and shalt thou seeing nothing but peace and blessednes at home nothing but trouble abroad content thy selfe with a faint wish of thy dissolution If heauen were thy Iayle thou couldest but thinke of it vncomfortably Oh what affection can be worthy of such an home Chap. 27. LAstly if we can recall any pregnaÌ„t Testimonies of Scripture concerning our Theme those shall fitly conclude this part of our Meditation Of Scripture for that in these matters of God none but diuine authoritie can coÌ„mand assent and settle the conscience Witnesses of holy men may serue for colours but the ground must bee onely from God There it is saith the spirit of God which cannot deceiue thee that all teares shall be wip't from our eyes there shall bee no more death nor sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine yea there shall not onely be an end of sorrowes but an abundant recompence for the sorrowes of our life as hee that was rapt vp into the third heauen and there saw what cannot hee spoken speakes yet thus of what he saw I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed to vs It was shewed to him what should hereafter be shewed to vs and hee sawe that if all the world full of miseries were layed in one balance and the least glory of heauen in another those would bee incomparably light yea as that diuine Father that one dayes felicitie aboue were worth a thousand yeeres torment belowe what then can bee matched with the eternitie of such ioyes Oh how great therefore is thy goodnes O Lord which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee and done to them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men Chap. 28. THE most difficult and knotty part of Meditation thus finished there remayneth that which is both more liuely and more easie to a good heart to bee wrought altogether by the affections which if our discourses reach not vnto they prooue vain and to no purpose That which followeth therefore is the very soule of Meditation whereto all that is past serueth but as an instrument A man is a man by his vnderstanding part but he is a Christian by his will and affections Seeing therefore that all our former labour of the braine is only to affect the heart after that the minde hath thus trauersed the point proposed throgh all the heads of reason it shall indeuour to find in the first place some feeling touch sweete rellish in that which it hath thus chewed which fruit through the blessing of God will voluntarily follow vpon a serious Meditation Dauid sayes Oh taste and see how sweete the Lord is In Meditation wee doe both see and taste but we see before we taste sight is of the vnderstanding taste of the affection Neither can we see but we must â—aste we can not knowe â—right but wee must needes bee affected Let the heart therefore first conceiue and feele in it self the Sweetnesse or bitternesse of the matter meditated which is neuer done without some passion nor expressed without some hearty exclamation Oh blessed estate of the Saints O glorie not to bee expressed euen by those which are glorified O incomprchensible saluation What sauour hath this earth to thee Who can regarde the worlde that beleeueth thee Who can thinke of thee and not bee rauished with woonder and desire Who can hope for thee and not reioyce Who can knowe thee and not bee swallowed vp with admiration at the mercie of him that bestowes thee O blessednesse worthy of Christs blood to purchase thee worthie of the continuall songs of Saints and Angels to celebrate thee Howe should I magnifie thee Howe should I long for thee how should I hate all this world for thee Chap. 29. AFter this Taste shall followe a Complaint wherin the heart bewayleth to it selfe his owne pouerty dulnesse and imperfection chiding and abasing it selfe in respect of his wants and indisposition wherein Humiliation truly goes before glory For the more we are cast downe in our conceit the higher shall GOD lift vs vp at the ende of this exercise in spirituall reioicing But alas where is my loue where is my longing where art thou O my soule what heauinesse hath ouertaken thee Howe hath the worlde bewitched and possessed thee that thou art become so carelesse of thine home so senselesse of spiritual delights so fond vpon these vanities Doest thou doubt whether there bee an heauen or whether thou haue a God and a Sauiour there O farre bee froÌ„ thee this Atheisme farre bee from thee the least thought of such desperate impiety Wo were thee if thou beleeuedst not But O thou of little faith doest thou beleeue there is happinesse and happinesse for thee and desirest it not and delightest not in it Alas how weake and vnbeleeuing is thy beleefe how cold and faint are thy desires Tel me what such goodly entertainemeÌ„t hast thou met withall here on earth that was worthy to withdraw thee froÌ„ these heauenly ioyes what pleasure in it euer gaue thee contentment or what cause of dislike findest thou aboue Oh no my soule it is onely thy miserable drowzinesse only thy securitie The world the world hath besotted thee hath vndone thee with carelesnesse Alas if thy delight bee so colde What difference is there in thee froÌ„ an ignorant HeatheÌ„ that doubts of another life yea froÌ„ an Epicure that denies it Artthou a christian or art thou none If thou be what thou professest away with this dul and senselesse worldlinesse away with this earthly vnchearfulnesse shake off at last this profane and godlesse securitie that hath thus long weighed thee downe froÌ„ mounting vp to thy ioies Looke vp to thy GOD and to thy crowne and say with confidence O Lord I haue wayted for thy saluation Chap. 30. AFter this CoÌ„plaint must succeede an harty passionate Wish of the soule which ariseth clearely from the two former degrees For that which a man hath found sweete and comfortable complaines that hee still wants hee cannot but wish to enioy O Lord that I could waite and long for thy saluation Oh that I could minde the things aboue that as I am a stranger in deed so I could be also in affectioÌ„ Oh that mine eyes like the eyes of thy first Martyr could by the light of faith see but a glimpse of heauen Oh that my heart could bee rapt vp thither in desire How should I trample vpoÌ„ these poore vanities of the earth How willingly should I indure all sorrowes all torments how scornefully should I passe by all pleasures how should I be in trauel of my dissolution Oh when shall that blessed day