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
live in it if they would be content with a due way of living But God having it may be for the hardness of mens hearts establisht a Property and National Laws having determin'd it To steal is to prefer the World before Righteousness and Order whether poor men steal bread or great men steal Kingdoms Lord grant that I may never reckon my self to have any more but the use of things lest I rob thee for in true speaking thine is the Property nor ever deny so much of these things as I can spare to them that stand in need of them lest I rob the poor from whom to withhold is as thievish as to take away MEDITAT XXXII Of Defrauding DEfrauding is a deceiving either by words or actions and both these are either good or bad There is a pious fraud whether that which the Papists talk so much of be it or no I suspect whether that of Jehu were such I know not There is enough in both of them to make them frauds but whether there be enough in either to make them pious I cannot tell But St. Paul being wise caught the Corinthians with guil 2 Cor. 12. 16. This was doubtless pious fraud This always designs the Glory of God and the good of the person deceived and does not use ill means to accomplish the end which indeed a man cannot do and design the glory of God for the glorifying of God is our conformity to his Will and Laws I have always doubted whether Jacobs deceiving of his brother Esau in the matter of the Blessing were pious or no however since the Scripture passes it over in silence so will I. Bad frauds also are either in words or actions And so they are committed in representing things otherwise than they are whereby our selves are advantaged and another is damnify'd in extravagant commendations undue disparagements in false reckonings false weights and measures Yea if the buyer for self-advantage undervalue a commodity crying it is naught it is naught as far as in him lyes he defrauds the seller as well as the seller out of covetousness magnifying a thing that he knows to be naught either cheats or proclaims that he would cheat the buyer if he could The Gibeonites Fraud brought a perpetual Bondage upon them though saving what direct lies there might be in it I cannot see much of an impious Fraud in them no more than I doubt the greatest part of Nominal Christians would adventure upon if they were in the same circumstances and were sure of the same success And it is plain that Men in War use Stratagems to deceive their Enemies and are blameless yea I remember some instances of this in Scripture approved by the Lord of Hosts although for my own part without a Revelation I would judge Simplicity and Godly Sincerity to be the best Policy The impious defrauding is in some sense worse than stealing at least in this that it offers a greater abuse to my Brother If I steal from my Neighbor I offend against his Will but if I cheat or deceive him I abuse his Understanding wherefore most Men had rather a Hen were stolen from them than be cheated of an Egg and it commonly grates more upon Men to be accounted Fools than Knaves And certainly the imposing upon a Man's understanding and that to his hurt and my own gain is very disingenuous If he that calls his Brother Fool be in so much danger what of him that makes him so Every Man that defrauds imposes upon his Brother's understanding and makes his Brother a Fool. If Moses had indeed put out the eyes of the Twelve Tribes as some of them falsly insinuated and had made himself altogether a Prince over them he had better justified their murmurings against him than any of those things did that I read they objected against him MEDITAT XXXIII Of Lying for worldly Advantage ALthough it should not prove successful and that thereby Men do happen not to deceive yet to Lye with a respect to worldly gain is a Predominant Love of the World for it is a preferring of the profits of the World before Truth and God is Truth They that maintain any known erroneous Opinion or Practice onely to maintain a Party a Name an Interest in the World are Lyars and Lovers of the World Truth ought to be dearer to us than our Lives much more than Liberty Estimation or Interest And oh would to God that some of the greatest Pretenders to Religion of one way or of another would thoroughly examine themselves here I am very jealous that many palpable Errors are defended and many plain Truths are dissembled and balk'd or at least many doubtful Things impos'd for Truth meerly in favor of worldly Interest and that by many that carry their heads very high and to very pernicious consequences It is confest indeed that all Truth is not so weighty as to be profest to the loss of Life but all Truth is so precious so much as St. Paul's Cloak and Parchments that he left at Troas as not to be denied no not for the preservation of Life MEDITAT XXXIV Of Oppression THere are two things especially that hurt the wise and spoil their wisdom Oppression and Bribes put together Eccles 7. 7. Oppression makes men mad impatient fretful and so to depart from their wisdom Gifts blind their eyes and make them foolish in acting these must needs therefore be great Evils It is strange that giving should do men as much mischief as taking away and yet so it is both alike spoil mens wisdom The very threating of Oppression made ten Tribes in twelve so mad that they turn'd Rebels and made a defection from Rehoboam This Oppression is properly found in the Rich such as Kings and Law-givers The Law is so far from excusing Oppression that the greatest Oppression in the world is done by Law The greatest Oppression that ever was committed in the sight of the Sun nay indeed the Sun hid his face as being asham'd to see it was justify'd by a Law We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye John 19. 7. And we do elsewhere read of great Oppressors that fram'd mischief by a Law Psal 94 20. Landlords oppress in Rents Masters in Work yea any man may oppress that has but so much as an Horse to ride on in preferring worldly Advantage before Righteousness and Mercy A Man may be an Oppressor in an undue severe cruel Exaction of that which is his own The Servant in the Gospel that cast his Fellow-servant into Prison who was willing to pay but at present could not Mat. 18. 29. was a notorious Oppressor And indeed the most monstrous Oppression of all is when the Poor oppresseth the Poor they who feel the burden themselves and consequently should pity others they who are not able to make restitution as the Rich can It is one of Solomon's Aphorisms He that oppresseth the Poor reproacheth his Maker that is either God who made him
considerable circumstances will allow Matters of Salutation of civil Courtesie and Respect seem to be of this sort Nay to be singular in these especially to place Religion in them and to make Conscience of Nonconformity to them seems to be an Argument of Superstition and Weakness and of a mind not understanding its just Liberty or valuing it self by false measures But to follow any evil or suspected Mode or Guise because it is a Custom and Fashionable is a fashioning ones self according to the World or being conformed to this present evil World To lust after every new Fashion though never so costly inconvenient exotick and to be catching it up greedily is an argument of a light mind and unconstant yea and it is a very troublesom thing not to be able to keep in a Fashion till one be well warm in it For a free Nation to dote upon the Fashions of other Nations seems to be ungenerous and a kind of subjecting themselves and to be a cause of confusion and it is observed to be prejudicial to the Trade and Wealth of a Nation I think I have read of Laws somewhere made against bringing in of strange Fashions At least the Precept of the wise Preacher will fairly reach them Pro. 24. 21. Meddle not with them that are given to change All following of Fashions that is in conjunction with Pride Prodigality Wantonness and is either the Parent or Child of fleshly Lust is a symptom of a worldly mind and denominates a Lover of the World And to prefer the Fashions of the World before Sobriety Modesty Charity Humility or Truth is to prefer the World before God I restrain not Fashion to Apparel but extend it toall matters of Opinion or Conversation If they be Works of Darkness we are flatly forbidden to have any fellowship with them though they be committed at Noon-day though they have a general Approbation or Publick Sanction If it be an evil though a multitude have made it a Fashion we are not to follow it Alas How great a number of People are led wholly by Example that examine nothing judge nothing make no choice of any thing but live meerly by this Maxim To do as the most do yea and that even in things relating to Religion it self The greatest part follow what is most Fashionable even in the Worship of God It may happen indeed that what is most Fashionable may be good But whether it be so or no it matters not to them for they proceed not by the Goodness of the thing but by the Fashionableness of it so that though it be good it is no vertue in them that follow it for if any other way quite different should be in Fashion they would follow that too If we could suppose a thing purely indifferent it were no Fault to follow it according as it is usual or fashionable Nay it would rather seem an argument of a proud and quarrelsome mind not to do it But I cannot conceive how any thing in actu exercito can be called indifferent For when Humane Acts are circumstantiated they become prudent or imprudent comely or uncomely fit or unfit for their ends that is good or evil all of them What is the Worship of the whole Vulgus of the Papists but an Apish imitation of a received Mode and Fashion And it were to be wish'd that Protestants who have a better Worship had generally any better ground for it than they Lord I know that Man is a sociable Creature apt to imitate what is exemplified to him loth to be singular and also that his Soul is now so sunk into his Senses that he is more prone to follow the sight of his Eyes than the light of Reason which thou hast set up to guide him Alas I see such a Fashion is not safe to imitate yet I find it hard to resist If I be carried down the stream I may be drown'd in Perdition if I strive against it I must take much pains and be counted a Fool for my pains too Oh that by thy grace thou would'st so refine exalt enable and ennoble my reason that it may exercise a just dominion over Flesh and Sense and powerfully to direct me to the pursuit of whatever is just and holy and good in thy eyes though â—â— be not fashionable in the eyes of men MEDITAT LXXXII Of Swearing AMongst the Fashions of the World I cannot but a little think and yet cannot well endure to think of Swearing I cannot well tell to what Head of the Worldly Life to reduce Swearing except it be to the Fashions of the World Sure it cannot be the love of Profit nor of Pleasure nor a desire of Honor that puts men upon this and yet it is worldly and a symptom of a prophane mind Men do not ordinarily get any thing by Swearing except it be in Cases of False Swearing where they sell their Oaths to serve another mans interest This is so hateful a Practice so like that of Judas for indeed it is a setting of God himself to Sale that though it should bring in Thirty pieces of Silver or some such small matter one would think no man should dare to make the Bargain But the ordinary fashionable Swearing in common Discourse gets nothing nor is it with any design to get that I can imagine Nay it may reasonably be supposed to be to mens Loss For it very much tends to the weakning of a mans Reputation in the apprehension of all sober men with whom it is a Maxim That he that will swear will lye and that is certainly to men Worldly disadvantage In the common notion of Pleasure it cannot be Pleasant it relieves no Hunger quenches no Thirst gratifies no Sense Nay it is harsh to the Ear and must needs be unpleasant to the Conscience that at any times reflect upon it It is shameful and dishonourable amongst all sober persons and conciliates no honour or real respect with them that are themselves addicted to it being common to the meanest and basest of men as well as to the best Gentleman of them all Nay they that are addicted to this vice do not ordinarily allow it in their Servants and Children and sometimes will not seek to tell us so And what has the Devil found out something that is devilish and damning that is neither Profitable Pleasant nor Honourable Is it not strange that that Monster should have any Voluntiers in his service that will serve him without any wages at all and serve him so vigorously too as if they would take Hell by storms and the Kingdom of darkness by violence Oh it is the Fashion it is an argument of an agreeable temper and a mind not hatefully squeamish And oh God How should thy Soul but be avenged on such a Nation as this that has entertain'd such a Fashion as this What pity can possibly be shewn to such desperate Wretches who will needs go to Hell in State and perish Modishly And is
which was lost The holy Angels his Menial Servants imitate him they continue their despised Ministry to wretched Man contribute what they can to his Conversion and rejoice in it The Rhetorical description that the Prophet makes of the welcome that the damned or the miserable give to the Babylonish Monarch Isa 14. 9. as fitly agrees to them Their Charity rejoices as much as the others Malignity The Sun in the Firmament as if it were afraid that Man should lie in darkness rises and rejoices to run its Race and without disdain or envy sheds abroad its influences upon the fairest and the vilest parts of the World The Rain descends upon the barren ground to enrich it and upon the Rich to make it yet richer The richer any Man is in any endowment or accomplishment the less he is grieved at the prosperity of others The contented Man be he who he will is the Richest therefore he is the freest from Envy When the Devil was fallen from his Happiness he envied the Happiness of Man yet standing and sought to bring him into the same condemnation with himself so that the Wisdom that serves Envy may well be called Devilish But it is well call'd Earthly too for it is found predominant in none but earthly minds David indeed cast an envious glance at the prosperity of the wicked men of his time Psal 73. 3. But it was but a glance he did not allow himself in it he calls himself a Fool and a Beast for it ver 22. But a predominant envious temper is worldly it is contrary to the Divine temper of Charity and to the nature of that blessed Being whose Name is Love The Wisdom that serves Envy is a worldly Wisdom Envy travels with many Plots and Projects and Serpentine Wiles to supplant its Rivals and undermine its Superiors Envious Men are the eldest Sons of the old Serpent they resemble him as being his genuine Off-spring and most natural Spawn Them therefore he inspires and assists with his Wiles and Methods O my Soul let not thinâ— Eye be evil because God's is good But rejoice rather in all the Bounty of God express'd towards all men Rejoice in them all as if they were thy own which is the honestest way of making them thine own Do Men excel thee in Vertue Imitate them Do they excel thee in Wealth Power or Preferment Rather pity them and fear for them lest their Prosperity destroy them than envy them The Instances of the Envious Wisdom are such as these One while Envy will break out into open Wars kill and slay all before it How did the two proud Princes fill all Italy with Blood and Confusion of which their own Poet assigns a cause in the character that he gives of them Nec ferre potest Coesarve priorem Pompejusve parem Another while it lays snares privily and like a deadly Pestilence walks in the dark like a Serpent in the way like an Adder in the path that biteth the Horse-heels so that his Rider shall fall backward One while it rages and professes its self an Enemy another while it glavers and makes great shew of friendship Saul possess'd with this Devil will give away his Daughter if by her he may ensnare the man that had kill'd his Thousands One while it will behave it self proudly to outvy a Competitor another while it will behave it self humbly lick the dust prostrate it self shamefully lie down under the feet of its Rival if by that means he may be made to stumble and fall He croucheth and humbleth himself that the Rival may fall by that means Sometimes it acts by Cruelty as in Cain sometimes by Policy as in the Patriarchs sometimes it is covetous and receives money as in the chief Fathers Gen. 37. sometimes it is prodigal and spends money as in the chief Priests Mat. 26. Sometimes it will put on the Vizard of Devotion as in Jezabel This same was a dear Daughter of the Serpent her he inspir'd with special Wiles to get Naboth's Vincyard as we read in the Story 1 Kings 21. All these and the like to these are Instances of the Serpentine Wisdom and such a kind of Wisdom to serve the designs of Envy is a Symptom of a Lover of the World Lord Give me that full contentment with my own condition that true valuation of things that sincere love of all men that I may not envy any and that this may be my rejoicing at the last the testimony of my Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God I have had my conversation in the world MEDITAT LXXXVI Of Contentiousness and Contentious Wisdom COntentiousness and Strivings are another work of the Flesh and a Symptom of a worldly Mind To contend and that earnestly too for the Truth is not the worldly Contention Though the Truth be never so mean we ought to contend earnestly and suffer all things rather then deny it But some Truths are so mean that a man ought not to contend for the propagation of them nor suffer for the profession of them I believe that Paul had a Cloak and I would suffer a man to take my Coat and Cloak also rather than deny it But it is such a Truth as I would not contend for the profession or propagation of nor trouble the Churches peace nor the Consciences of men about I cannot tell whether many matters of Order and Discipline may not be of the same value with the Apostles Cloak possibly they hang as loose from the Essentials of Religion as his Cloak did from him and Religion may live and be kept warm without them But to contend earnestly to strive unto blood for the defence of the Essential things of Religion is Heroical and an argument of a powerful Lover of God To contend about worldly Interests if they be weighty if they cannot be amicably adjusted so it be with moderation charity and meekness and no more zeal than bears proportion to the thing in controversie before a lawful Judge is not the Worldly Contention There is a sort of Magisterial men who will condemn every man for contentious that appears in vindication of his own right though never so duly nay that will brand every man for obstinate and quarrelsome that will not tamely suffer himself to be captivated by their reasonings be they never so weak and pin hisr Faith upon their Sleeve though it be never so ragged or rotten These men themselves are the most contentious and the truest Authors of Schism But the Worldly contention is when men contend eagerly or chargeablely about small matters or are resolv'd to part with nothing of their right in any case for peace sake When men delight to be in Controversies and to have their hand against every man As some Fishes delight in muddied or troubled waters so some men are never in their own element but then When men contend to shew their own Parts to ostentate their Power
338. l. 4. r. etymologies l. 25. r. notation p. 339. l. 4. r. Vetarbith p. 346. l. 1. r. it p. 351. l. 2. 〈◊〉 MAN Considered in His MORAL CAPACITY PART I. MEDITAT I. Introductory REturn O my mind Return What dost thou so early in the World Art thou not afraid lest this unseasonable Excursion should be a Symptom of a Lover of the World And think oh think what a dangerous what a deadly thing it is to be a Lover of the World Thou needest no more to convince thee of this but that one plain Text of the devout Apostle St. John If any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him Are not these words plain to be understood Are they not startling to any one that understands them But if thou wilt think on a little further thou wilt find that the whole Gospel runs in this strain There is no Doctrine deliver'd either more plainly or more frequently than this The Apostle James does so fully consent with his Brother John in this Doctrine as if they spoke with the same mouth Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the World is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God And this he speaks of either as a Truth generally known or very important as appears by the Interrogatory Form of Speech wherewith he ushers it in Know ye not As if he should either say It is a thing well known or it is a thing well worthy to be known The Apostle Paul though junior to both these yet knew this great Doctrine as well as they and delivers it almost in the same words with them Rom. 8. 7. The oarnal mind is enmity against God He makes the spirit of the world and the Spirit of God directly contrary the one to the other 1 Cor. 2. 12. writing to the Galatians he makes the plain end of Christ's giving himself for us to be that he might deliver us from this present evil world Gal. 1. 4. and chap. 6. 14. He makes this to be the great priviledge that he had by Christ Jesus that by him he was crucified to the World Writing to his Philippians he makes it the short but sure Character of the Enemies of Christ that they mind earthly things Phil. 3. 18 19. And writing to his Son Timothy he gives him the reason why Demas had forsaken him and the Work and Profession of the Gospel viz. Because he was in ove with this World plainly intimating That the Gospel and the World are inconsistent one heart cannot hold them And all these do but in different words speak that which they had heard of or had been taught by their Lord and Master who in the days of his Ministry openly declared That no Man could serve God and Mammon Mat. 6. 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon And at another time as I suppose in the self-same words Luke 16. 13. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon If this Doctrine delivered by so many and so worthy hands be true and cannot be spoken against Return O my Soul Return Fuge nata Deo teque immundo eripe mundo Strengthen me O my God unto the hearty and effectual Belief of this Proposition That I may be as afraid of the prevalent love of the World as I would dread to be accounted what is not to be named without horror an Hater of God! MEDITAT II. The Method of the Ensuing Meditations MY great Design shall be to determine the Lovers of the World and to distinguish them from the Lovers of the Father Inasmuch as the Love of God is the Great Commandment and the Great Test of Christians and the Love of the World is so contrary to it and exclusive of it it must needs be worthy of the most serious consideration of the most serious Christians rightly to state and know the condition of their own Souls in this matter But it will not be amiss first to take a general Survey of the words of the Apostle John 1 John 2. 15. and in a preliminary manner to gloss upon the several terms in the Text. After that I will consider the World in a Physical and in a Theological Sense And Man in a Moral and Civil Capacity The World consider'd in a Physical Sense will afford but little Matter pertinent to my Design But the World considered in a Theological Sense will comprehend the Things of the World the Persons of the World the Business of the World the Fashions of the World the Wisdom of the World and the God of the World Under the Things of the World I will comprehend the Profits of the World the Pleasures of the World and the Honours of the World Whil'st I consider of the Lovers of the Profits of the World I must meditate of Injustice Worldly Confidence Covetousness Carefulness Discontentedness Impatience and Uncharitableness When I consider of Injustice I must meditate of those that use undue means for worldly advantage and those that use due means in an undue manner Under the first of these will come to be taxt Stealing Defrauding Lying Oppression Bribery Under the second will be taxt all those that ossend in the Degree and in the Season of seeking the World When I come to meditate of the Lovers of the Pleasures of the Wotld I must consider of Fleshly Pleasures unlawful in their Matter in their Measure in their Manner and in their Season And of Fantastical Pleasures under which I must meditate of Revenge Idleness Easefulness And under this last will come to be consider'd Worldly Fear viz. Fear of Sickness Fear of the Death of Friends Fear of Poverty and of Persecution When I come to consider of the Lovers of the Honours of the World it will be proper to meditate of seeking the Approbation of Men of Pride in Birth Pride in Beauty in Apparel in Children in Wit and Learning in Riches in Strength in Priviledges in Power and Great Place in Vertuous Actions and in a Party After the Things of the World will come to be consider'd the Persons of the World And these are either ones Self ones Relations or other Men. Under the first will be consider'd Self-love and the several kinds of it To the last will be reduc'd the foul sin of Flattery When I come to consider of worldly Business it will be proper to distinguish between a Holy Activity and a Sensual Curiosity When I come to meditate of the Fashions of the World I shall have a fit opportunity to meet with the Sin of Swearing When I come to consider of the worldly Wisdom the Apostle St. James will direct me to meditate of it in this Order viz. of the Impure Wisdom the Envious Wisdom the Contentious Wisdom the Implacable Wisdom the Merciless Wisdom the Unfruitful Wisdom the Partial Wisdom and the Hypocritical Wisdom When I come to consider the God of this World I must consider his Servants his Allies and his Children Under the first
will not starttle nor make any impression upon them or they will a little open their Eyes and inquire into themselves and ask whether they be lovers of God or of the World I foresee the greatest part of Men into whose hands these Meditations shall fall will be secure and unconcern'd as they are under the weightiest Doctrines and loudest Thunders of God It is the Nature of worldly Love to stupifie it drowns in perdition it choaks the Word it makes Men Blind and Bold Senseless and Secure It Stiffles Choaks Deadens takes away all Heart and turns Men into meer lumps of Earth But perhaps there are others some others that will inquire Well be it so yet I suppose that the power of Self-love is so great that the inference they will make will be one of these two Either Oh I love God and therefore am not a lover of the World or Oh I am not a lover of the World therefore I love God MEDITAT XVII What it is to Love God BUt possibly there may be some ingenious Inquirer that with Philip will ask and say Shew us the Father and it sufficeth To him Christ answered Have I been so long with you and sayest thou shew us the Father As if he had said the invisible God is seen in me I am the Image of the Father So I say to these God is invisible but the Image of God is visible in the World The Image of God idneed is seen in the whole Creation and the Power Wisdom and goodness of God are to be observed and admired therein But especially it is to be admired in Man Man is more especially the Image of God and if we say we love God whom we have not seen and love not our Brethren whom we have seen we deceive our selves More especially it is to be observed in good Men Therefore is the Love of God so often described by the Love of the Brethren and of the Saints But principally True Goodness is the Nature of God God is Goodness Truth Love Holiness and he that loveth the World more than these is the Idolater and Adulterer here spoken of If any Man habitually in his Judgment or Affections prefer the Pleasures Profits or Honours of the World before Righteousness Goodness Truth and Holiness he is dead accursed I suspect that the Love of Christs Person is mostly a Notion amongst Men To follow his Example to imitate his Graces to copy out his Perfections is to Love him For although we have not heard Gods Voyce nor seen his Shape at any time yet if his Word abide in us we love him John 5. 37 38. He that loveth Christ must keep his Commandments If any man therefore prefer the world before the Commands of Christ before the favour of God or the peace of his own Conscience so far he is a lover of the World The son of the bond-woman and of the free cannot cohabit fleshly wisdom and the grace of God cannot at the same time predominate The love of God is a nature not a rapture or extasie much less a Mechanical thing Acted only upon the Stage of Fancy MEDITAT XVIII Of the false love of God BUt what is the love of the world so pestilent so malignant so poysonous that no love of God will grow by it in the same Soul Yes there may be a great deal of spurious love love of a false kind more properly called flattery than friendship Men may fancy they love God much and may cry God forbid but they should love him above all things Perhaps there may be some true love in a weak degree true I mean in opposition to dissembled Physically true for why may there not be a true love that is not saving But he that loves God aright as the supream good must needs love him with a supream and superlative affection But be it true or no in a Physical sense that love of God is not highest doth not prevail nor predominate that is easily crusht cast out gain-said If the Tares get above the Corn and smother it if the cares of the world choak the word those tares and cares are pardominant The men of Keilah made love to David perhaps they had some real kindness for him but their kindness for Saul was greater so that if he offer'd himself they would cast forth David and his men The love of God and the love of the World are inconsistent And that appears from the nature of the objects which are contrary the one to the other As also from the nature of love If any man love the World must be understood of a prodominant love then the love of the Father is not in him must be understood of a predominant love also God being the chiefest good the love of him must be the highest and strongest or else it is not such as the object requires If a Woman love her Husband well yet if she love him not above any other man she does not love with a right conjugal love which ought to be strongest of all others The proper and acceptable love of God must needs be predominant otherwise it is not fitted to the nature of the supream good Now it is impossible there should be two predominant loves in the same Soul at one and the same time MEDITAT XIX Of Predominant Love BUt it will be askt what goes to make a Predominant love Love yea even the love of God is capable of intention and remission There are those that depart from their first love in a great measure The Spouse was one while sick of love another while so lazy and languid that she would not so much as arise to open to her beloved when he knockt Particularly by how much worldly love prevails by so much Divine love languisheth and is invalidated They are like the houses of Saul and David the rise of the one is the fall of the other and they cannot be both supream in one Israel They are like a pair of Scales in this as the one rises the other falls but they differ in this that they are never equally poys'd A Predominant Love must be most intense in degree habitual and durable The intenseness of the love of God is so describ'd as I never read any thing like it Luk 10. 27. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind How many All 's are here And yet if we had ten thousand times more powers and principals we ought to love God with them all too It is an emphatical translation of that elegant Text of the Apostle Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts which if I might Periphrase upon in Scripture Phrase I would call it a covering of the Soul as the Waters cover the Sea The Soul of a lover of God seems to its self too scant to comprehend the supream good wishes its self wider and larger Oh that
after his own Image or God who made him poor for even Poverty it self may be called the Gift of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if he should say Shall he be reproached or wronged whom the Master of the Family has employ'd in the meanest Offices of the Family It is not the Servants Fault that he is so mean if any man reproaches he reproaches not so much him as his Master The Foot cannot help it that it is not the Head Most Men are poor of God's making but if any make themselves poor it is not for any Man to oppress them nor for every Man to reproach them neither For Reproach is a sort of punishment which every Man may not inflict There are several sorts of Oppression in Goods in Money as they that detain the hire of the Labourer in racking of Rents in selling making Men pay the more for their Necessity in Rights in Liberty c. some of which I shall have occasion to meditate of hereafter and therefore will dismiss them at present MEDITAT XXXV Of Bribery THey that take Gifts to pervert Justice or favor any Cause in Judgment are Lovers of the World for they prefer it before Truth and Righteousness I do not think that every Present is a Bribe but I think it is safest for a Minister of Justice not to take Gifts at all lest he should be corrupted There is certainly a wonderful power in Gifts to blind the eyes even of the wise Exod. 23. 8. Every man saith the wise man is a Friend to him that giveth Gifts which argues the great interest that wâ—rrldly profit hath in the heart of man and consequently how hard and noble a thing it is to be purged of worldly Love Giving is indeed Noble Beatius est dare quam accipere Giving to the Poor is a God-like Act but either to give or receive Gifts for the perverting of Justice is abominable Bribery in this respect is generally a greater sin than stealing in that stealing is mostly committed by men that have need and Bribery commonly by them that have none The lesser the Temptation the greater the sin Bribery may be committed in many things besides money the Bottle and the Bag do speak as corrupt Language as the Purse And there are many kinds of indirect Bribery per alium as bad as that which is direct and per se There is a kind of Bribery in Ecclesiasticks that hunt after popular acceptance and Chaplains that preach pleasing things or stifle Doctrines that they know will be unpleasing however edifying to gain Preferment which if the Law would allow the Exposition might perhaps more properly be called Simony than Bribery Yea there is a strange kind of blasphemous Bribery that men use towards God I doubt the greatest part of worship in the world is intentional Bribery Some go about to bribe God with their Prayers and Fastings and Forms of Devotion some with their Alms and Acts of Charity as they of old did with their Oblations and Sacrifices of whom the Satyrist speaks wittily Illorum lachrymae mentitaque munera praestant Ut veniam culpis non abnuat ansere magno Scilicet tenui Papano corruptus Osiris Nay it is to be feared that however precious a Doctrine Faith is there are many that under the Notion of believing do indeed go about to bribe the Justice of God with the Righteousness of Christ as indeed all those do who lay great stress upon the Righteousness of Christ and themselves take no care to be Righteous Although our Apostle hath so plainly told us That he that worketh righteousness is righteous There is also a great deal of Political Bribery in the world when Councellors Senators or other Trustees betray that Sacred thing their Trust for money or moneys worth Perhaps some of this will fall in when I come to consider Man in his Political Capacity if it should not I know it is easie for any man to enlarge upon it in his own Meditations MEDITAT XXXVI Of thâ—se that offend in the undue degree of seeking Riches UNder the Notion of Unjust are comprehended not only those that use undue means but also they that use due means in an undue manner to get worldly Riches and these are equally Lovers of the world These are of two sorts either such as offend in the degree or such as offend in the season of seeking the world They offend in the degree who although they follow Merchandize or Trades in themselves lawful yet pursue them so ardently so eagerly with so much intenseness of mind which is an excess of diligence as idleness is a defect of it that they plainly appear to make the world their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other things their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world their God and the things of God a by-business They invert our Savours divine counsel and seek first the world which is the alia spoken of in Mat. 11. or rather aliena to the Soul but as for the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness they are very indifferent They work out their livelihoods with more fear and trembling than their salvation give all diligence to make their callings and the effects of them sure but little or none to make their calling and election sure They pull and hale the World as with Cartropes they rise up early sit up late eat their bread in carefulness waste their strength spend their age in toil and sorrow perhaps shorten their days with immoderate labour and will be found at last to be felo de se For a man may be a Murderer as well by employing his hands too violently for himself as by laying violent hands upon himself They are resolv'd to secure their worldly interest but they will trust God with their souls as if they hoped those would fare well enough in course To trust God with our souls is good but to pretend to do it and in the mean time to neglect them our selves is a prophane kind of Faith Men do not thus trust him with their Bodies or Estates The Faith that rightly trusts does also love and work and work by Love MEDITAT XXXVII Of those that offend in the undue season of seeking the World THey offend in the season of seeking the world who follow their worldly Employments in any season that ought to be devoted to the service of God by his special command Concerning the special season of Prayer we have nothing certain that I know of though it is most proper and seemly to begin every day with God most reasonable that the devout ejaculation of Thanksgiving or Supplication should take place of worldly Cares and Contrivances and should keep house in the soul at night when they are all dismist A Dog is a mans servant which he turns out of doors at night when he takes his children to bed with him the Dog may not enter in in the morning without leave till the door be opened for him whereas
fair opportunity be given for it It is the part of a delicate sensual Soul a Lover of the World to fear the removal of his dearest Friend to prefer their Lives and Companies before the Will of God and its being done I do willingly grant that Friends and Relations are to be loved and delighted in yea I think of all sensual Pleasures this is the most innocent and the least beastly though some Beasts are very fond of their Relations and others are great lovers of Society and good men have been more apt to fall into Fits of this Sensuality than any other that I can think of Any one that reads the Story of Jacob and Joseph and Benjamin of David and Absalom and Adonijah will be apt to think so Nay indeed it were a part of gross Beastliness not to leave off sorrowing for the Asses and cry What shall â— do for my Son Alas lest the proper young man Saul should be lost Yet as Relations are to be loved onely in God so they are readily to be quitted and forsaken for him or at his command His Will ought to be dearer to us than their company Many are so fond of their Children that they cannot abide to look off them They contemplate them by day dream of them by night This love as great as it seems to be is not perfect for it hath fear in it and this fear hath torment I will not here say how evil this Love is but I am sure these People are ill prepared to forsake Children for Christ's sake Abraham was not so fond of his onely Isaac No he shall die if he were a thousand Isaacs if God call for him Nay he shall die by his hands rather than he will gain-say the Will of God Every good Christian is of the same temper of the same predominant disposition to be willing to give up Isaac And no doubt but that if we had the same command the same thing would be our indispensible Duty But alas Qâ—otusquisque est Abrahamus How few Abrahams does this Age afford If we sit loose from Husbands Wives Children â—â— we be in a chearful disposition of resigning them at all times it is an act of Faith as acceptable as Abrahams A Man may offer up his Son though he do not bind him upon the Altar as there are many Martyrs that were never brought to the Stake The 3 young men in Daniel were as properly Martyrs in venturing upon the fiery Furnace as if they had been burnt To mortifie this worldly Fear let us believe and consider That whatever is lovely in Children will still live and may be as well enjoy'd in God as if they were alive Besides it is worth the while to ask Who knows how those Children will prove If we had a Prophet here perhaps he would answer us as he did Eli 1 Sam. 2. 33. The Child of thine that shall not be cut off shall be 〈◊〉 â—onsâ—me thine eyes and to grieve thine heart But I shall wave the further prosecution of this and adjourn it till I come to consider of the worldly love of persons MEDITAT LVIII Of the Fear of Poverty and Loss of Goods POverty is formidable to Men not so much I suppose because it is deadly few fearing to be so poor as to starve as because of the disgrace that attends it Nil habet infoelix paupertas durius in se Quam quod ridiculos homines facit But this is a Cross that we must be ready to take up if we will approve our selves to be Lovers of God Disciples of Christ Moses took it up and his Countreymen the believing Hebrews took it up Of later Times the Noble Marquess Caracciola took it up It is a Tribulation which all that will enter into the Kingdom of God must be content to pass thorough if it lie in their way To use sinful shifts or comply with sinful terms to avoid Poverty denominates a Lover of the World Lord what lying flattering deceiving and disingenuous stifling of Conscience is used to prevent Poverty And is there any thing in it so formidable May not a man be all that which is good and happy and yet poor May he not be wise and poor virtuous and poor poor and blessed Blessed are the poor c. Nay are there not many Immunities in Poverty a â—â—eedom from many temptations temptations to Pride Luxury and Oppression which do attend a rich condition Are there not in it many advantages to Virtue to Humility Contempt of the World dependance upon God 〈◊〉 thirâ—â—ing after Eternal Life But when I 〈◊〉 â—â—verty hinders nothing that Riches can help us in a poor man may be as learned valiant virtuous wise yea and as charitable too as the rich It will be reply'd Oh but he cannot be so well esteemed of The poor is neglected and hated of his Brethren the poor mans wisdom is not regarded I answer No matter for that if it deliver the City regarded or not regarded For what is the regard and valuation of men This very respect to Estimation Acceptance and Honour is one of the worldly Lusts to be mortify'd so far is it from being able to justifie the worldly fear of Poverty Blessed Jesus who willingly becam'st poor to make me and many rich thou hast taken the sting out of Poverty â—ay thou hast sanctify'd thou hast enrich'd it Thou left'st all to come seek me make me willing to leave all to follow thee make me able to follow thee even in leaving all for thee MEDITAT LIX Of Fear of Persecution TO be shie and delicate in venturing upon Persecution Restraint Wrongs for Truth and the Gospels sake and to prefer deliverance from these before the Will of God before a sanctify'd use of them and exercise of grace under them denominates a Lover of the World Whosoever represents Persecution taking in the loss of Estate Goods good Name favor of the World Liberty of Life to himself so formidable as that for fear of it he will deliberately forsake God deny his Truth profess Error or Falshood go contrary to and continue in a contradiction to the known Word of God and the Sentiments of his Conscience is a Lover of the World Persecution is a Cross that every faithful Disciple of Christ must be ready to take up when ever his Master calls him to it Holy Paul was ready to take it up in the whole weight of it Not only to be bound at Jerusalem but to dye for the Name of the Lord Jesus The believing Hebrews took it up They might have escap'd Persecution by denying Christ but they were not so nesh although they were but young Christians They would not accept of deliverance Heb. 11. 35. And the same is the predominant temper of all the genuine Disciples of Christ Whosoever will not forsake House and Lands for my sake is not worthy of me Who would value such a Friend that will not so much as put his Nose into a Storm to help
in Christ that bringeth forth no fruit to live under the sound of the Gospel and in the mean time the Gospel to be no more than an empty sound to men How little matter of glory is in all this And yet how do the generality of men glory in these Priviledges rather than in the answer of a good Conscience in a form of Godliness rather than in the power of it These are lovers of the World and carnal How impudently did the Jews glory in their Father Abraham the Law the Temple their Circumcision and Sacrifices when in the mean time they were Strangers to the Faith and Obedience of Abraham broke and made void the Law refus'd to make their Souls the Temple of God were uncircumcised in heart deni'd to hearken to Gods voice which is better than Sacrifice and more acceptable than the fat of Lambs And is it not as usual is it not as reasonable is it not as impudent to glory in the profession of the Gospel and yet reject the terms of it to be proud of being Baptized into the Name of Christ and utterly refuse to be Baptized into the Spirit of Christ Shall a dog brag of his communion with the Family and his membership because he lies by the fire as the Children do or eats part of the same Bread that they eat But who are proud of their Church Priviledges All that value themsolves and their Christianity by these All that bless themselves in the Font and in the Altar whilst they are not at all washed from their sins neither know what communion with God in the Spirit with Christ in his Graces means Who take up their rest in these not seeing any necessity of Regeneration or thinking the Baptismal one to be sufficient That brag that they are not excommunicate from the Society of the Saints upon earth when they stand excommunicate from the Inheritance of the Saints in Light that make more Reckoning that they are Protestants than that they are Converts They are Protestants they understand by this no more but that they are not Papists nor no more by that than they come to Church And is not this a great matter to be proud of To Glory in this and rest here is notorious Hypocrisie and Carnality Lord Pity the deluded and mistaken multitude who come and sit before thee as thy People but their hearts are not with thee these run after their Covetousness their Pride their Revenge and Luxury MEDITAT LXXII Of Pride in Power and great Place TO prefer Power and Advancement an high and honourable station in the World before God before Truth and a good Conscience is to be a Lover of the World It will be asked Who do so I answer They that climb up to Preferment by undue means by Injustice Flattery by sinful Compliance with the guise of a corrupt Age or that swim to a Throne in a Sea of innocent Blood They that insinuate themselves into the Favor of great men by administring to their Lusts and procuring Fuel thereunto by humouring them in their unlawful desires by commending them for nothing or for that which is naught It is impossible to reckon up all the Follies Falsities Flatteries Lyings Dissemblings Detractations and Back-bitings Calumnies Cruelties Omissions and Commissions which are the By-ways that the Lover of the World uses in order to Preferment The most of these we find exemplify'd in Absalom and Hazael affecting the Crowns of Israel and Syria Nay they that play at a smaller Game than Crown-catching will not boggle at such sinful methods as appears by the Story of Zibah And indeed it is impossible for a man that intemperately thirsts after the â—avor of great men to be innocent he must either do what he should not or basely neglect to do what he should The King of Moab jeer'd the foolish Prophet because the Lord had kept him from Honour Lord If thou keep me from Honour if thou interpose and stand in my way that I cannot get to Honour but by dishonouring thee and violating thy Authority let me account it a blessed disappointment nay let me account it a singular Honour to me to be sâ—â—addicted to thee and thy Commands to the seeking of thy Face and Favor as that in comparison thereof I can despise the favor of men of the greatest of men For what will the favor of great men signifie in comparison of the acceptance of the great God MEDITAT LXXIII Of Pride in Virtuous Actions TO speak properly that is not a Virtuous Action nor a Religious Duty which a man is proud of for it is necessary to a Virtuous Action that it be done to the Glory of God and not for Self-Exaltation But we may call many Actions or Duties Religious in contradistinction from Civil and many of those Religious Duties in this sense may be as irreligious as any other If a man preach or pray or hear or receive the Sacrament to commend himself to men for the advancement of his own Estate he is as carnal in those Actions as in any Civil Actions whatsoever Jeroboams setting up a Worship though it had not been Idolatrous meerly to strengthen his Kingdom would have been carnal For if Self be the highest End it denominates the Action selfish be it Civil or Religious it matters not But there is yet a more mysterious and spiritual piece of Pride when men do Virtuous Actions ultimately for good Ends and yet when they have done take an unholy pleasure in them and bless The Devil will be ready if he cannot get us to be so gross as directly to seek our selves in performing of these Duties to tempt us to feel our selves in the performance and to set the Crown upon our own heads I speak not of that gross way of glorying in our own good works or making oâ—tentation of them which is palpable to every ordinary discerner but that secret kind of self-applauding auâ—esthesie or self-feeling which is contrary to that self-nothingness and exinanition of which Christ Jesus was the Pattern To rejoice and glory in God purely and onely and be nothing in our own eyes to be perfectly emptied of Self and wholly swallow'd up is predominantly the desire and design of all truly renewed Souls Oh Lord Thou art all things I am nothing Thou art the Giver of all Grace the Ocean from which all Excellencies do flow and into which they ought to return Let me not feel my self but thee in my best Actions Let me be so far from contriving the advancement of my own sorry name in any good Action as that I may not without displeasure so much as hear my self commended or spoken well of for it that I may not commit a Sacriledge upon thine Honour thouâ—h it be never so secret and that there be no danger of being arraign'd in man's Court for this Theft but may live in the exercise of Self-emptying Self-exinanition continually Grant that I may look upon thee not under any particular
thâ— would'st mightily prevail in the hearts of all men thâ— whether they sit in Moses ' s Chair they may be of Moses ' s temper wishing that all the Lord's People wee Prophets Or whether they be Apostolical men they may resemble the great Apostle of the Gentiles who rejoiced and was resolved to rejoice that Christ was preached though the Preachers designed thereby to derogate from his fame and to eclipse it Or whether they be private Christians they may follow Christ who would not forbid them that shew'd Compassion to men and oppos'd the Common Enemy although they follow'd not him Oh how sweetly do these great and holy Persons conspire together with one another in the same pure and publick spirit And oh would to God we all may conspire with them MEDITAT LXXV Of Self-love AFter the Things of the World come to be considered the Persons thereof If any man prefer any person in the World before God the Love of God is not in him The World loveth its own Persons as well as Things The Persons may be divided into Ones Self Ones Reâ—tiâ—ns and other Men. First Of Self-love Self-love is directly contrary to the Love of God and where it is predominant does exclude it I have partly prevented my self in many things that might be reduced to this Head Self is the great Centre of all worldly men insomuch that Sin seems to be nothing else but the sinking down of the Soul from God into Self It is an instance of predominant Self-love to stand viewing and admiring our own particular Being as something distinct from the unbounded Essence of God and independent upon him or to seek its gratification without any reference to the Supreme Being endeavouring ultimately to accommodate it with something that shall no way redound to him To dote upon our own Perfections as if they were the distinct Excellencies of our own Beings and not Communications from God To allow that in our selves which we condemn in others of the same circumstances with our selves To love our Lives in opposition to in competition with in a way of separation from God I have already considered there is yet somewhat higher A man may be guilty of an unchaste love of his own Soul as the Stoicks with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Self sufficiency proudly magnifying the excellency of their own Souls and their own sufficiency at least in a way of independance upon God if not of opposition to him What mean else those great Brags Sapiens contendet cum ipso Jove de foelicitate A wise man may contend with God himself for Happiness and the strange Eneomiums that they give to their wise man Compar deorum deorum conviva and the like The Stoicks sought the salvation of their own Souls in a corrupt manner Let no one boggle at the phrase of seeking the salvation of their own Souls For the salvation of the Soul is nothing but the happiness and perfection of it This they sought out of God and we if we will excel them must seek it in him They sought it as the perfection of their own Beings as something distinct from God we must seek it as a participation and enjoyment of him Will it seem strange to any to hear it said That men may be selfish in seeking their own Salvation How were the Stoicks Why may not a man be selfish in the undue love of one part of him as well as of another To account Salvation nothing else but preservation from misery and to seek such a Salvation is as compatible to the carnal as to the spiritual man To account Heaven a state of Ease Peace Honour Everlasting Safety and a Paradise of Pleasure and to desire it as such why is not this consistent with a carnal heart But further To account Salvation something positive the perfection and highest accomplishment of our Souls and to seek it as the accomplishment of our own particular Beings as something distinct from God and to set up our selves as Anti-deities what is this better than Stoicism If we take Salvation in the true Gospel-sense for the perfecting of the Soul in God then indeed we cannot seek the Salvation of our Souls more than the Glory of God But in this false Notion of it which I was just now speaking of we may the Stoicks did and many do Take it in a true Gospel-sense and it is impossible to disjoin the Glory of God and our own Salvation The stronger the love of God is the purer is the love of our own Souls The Salvation of the Soul comprehends its being perfected in Humility Self-nothingness as well as other Graces As the glorified Spirits cast down their Crowns before God ascribe all worthiness to him they seek not themselves nay they feel not themselves at all distinct from him It is perfect Nonsense in Religion to desire Heaven as a Self-accommodation Oh thou Almighty Goodness Omnipresent Life Perfect Beauty deliver me from fancying a Self sufficiency doting upon Self-excellencies and settling upon a Self-centre I am straitned at home the more I seek to wring a happiness out of my self the more I pinch and pain my self I see something beyond my self something better than I am something that I had rather be than what I am my Soul stretcheth it self upon thee Oh widen it enlarge it that it may stretch it self more upon thee Oh blessed God the Supreme and sweetest Good wrap up my mind in thy self increase my longings till they be perfected into Loves and those Loves into pure and endless Delights MEDITAT LXXVI Of the Love of Relations TO love any Relations more than God or to prefer them before him is to be a predominant Lover of the World To be pleas'd with Faults or so much as to dispense with them because they are found in our Children or any other Relations is to prefer them before Truth and Justice and consequently the World before God The Priest Eli is said to have prefer'd his Children before God because he did not severely enough correct or punish or restrain them Christ Jesus undervalued all carnal Relations in comparison of the Father his Will and the doing of it Wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business He undervalued all things in comparison of his Fathers Image Whosoever doth the Will of my Father the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother And he requires us to do so Whosoever will be my Disciple let him forsake Father and Mother The Apostle Paul valued no man according to the flesh by any outward thing Riches or Poverty Relation or not Relations 2 Cor. 5. 16. When the interest of God stood in competition Levi did not know Father or Brother Deut. 33. 9. And if my Brother or Child do not walk according to the Law his Relation shall be no Relation his Circumcision accounted as Uncircumcision To prefer the Relation of Children to us before their Relation to God to love our own image
there no plausibler Pretence than Fashion Yes some think they come off better that impute it to Passion They were angry they were affronted abused they could not be believed In short such and such things would make any man mad and who could forbear Swearing Alas what miserable shifts are these to confess madness for the excuse of folly to take Sanctuary in Scylla to escape Carybdis Shall violent passions be brought to excuse swearing when themselves cannot be excus'd If it be a sin to swear is it not a greater â—o swear in a mad mood To be at all possest with a Devil of Passion is sad and grievous though it be a dumb Devil But if it be such a Devil as we read of Luk. 9. that makes a man cry out and foame again it is much more dreadful Or shall we say that sin is lessened by being multiply'd after the manner of a River cut into many Channels A River so cut will indeed be the less River but it will have never the less water if you take it in all the Channels If swearing in a mad mood and violent passion be the less sin because of the passion yet that part of the sin which is wanting in the Oath will be found in the Passion Some excuse the matter by the seldomness of it Now and then they rap out an Oath but it is out of forgetfulness and unawares yea possibly they wipe their mouths with a God forgive me that I should swear This indeed will excuse a tanto the seldomer the better But Christ Jesus commands Swear not at all which refers to time as well as things This nowand-then-swearing is an argument of a mind forgetful of God which is a Character bad enough Allow our selves in this and it will soon multiply I wonder men should excuse themselves in this sin by the infrequency of it more than in others No body says I steal but an Horse or two in a Year I play the Whore or the Whoremaster but twice or thrice a week yet one would think there were more temptations to either of those than to Swearing How many soever the faults of good men are yet I suppose it is a very rare thing to find a Godly swearer a man of true Seriousness and hearty Religion That will adventure by this Method to vent his Passion adorn his Discourse or humour the Company If by Seldom be meant that we never swear but solemnly in a weighty matter and such an one too as cannot otherwise be known or will not be believ'd accompany'd with a just reverence of God such as we read of sometimes in the History of Abraham Jacob David and in the Writings of St. Paul let such swearing pass for a part of Gods Worship But rash and unnecessary swearing though it be never so seldom proceeds from the Devil says our Saviour and leads to him says his Apostle Jam. 5. 12. and therefore I may safely say is a prefering of the World before God If it be by the Creator it is blasphemous if by the Creature idolatrous This puts me in mind of another excuse for swearing they only swear some petty Oath no blasphemy no bloody Oaths as they call them But I hope these petty Oaths are more than yea or nay and if so they are forbidden in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Swear not at all Nay that prohibition seems to be meant principally of swearing by the Creature as appears by what follows in the Text. To attest a Creature as if it knew our hearts or were able to judge us is ridiculous idolatry To swear by the Creature is to take Gods Name in vain for it is a manifest abusing of his works The Blessed Virgin was an excellent piece of Divine Handy-work but she was not made to swear by This is an Honour hatt she never dream'd of when she Prophesy'd that all Generations should call her Blessed All our Divines I think agree that Swearing is an Act of Worship How strangely then do Protestants contradict themselves that deny the worshiping of Saints and yet swear ordinarily by the Lady and yet more Nonsensically than so too when they swear by the Mass which yet they deny to be The Example of David and others saying As thy Soul liveth will not justifie The best Expositors say it is no more than As sure as thou livest Nay Estius and other learned Commentators say That Joseph's life of Pharaoh for so the words are in the Hebrew are but a vehement obâ—estation others make them a Prayer and those that make them an Oath blame him for it Sure I am the Example of Joseph will not so much justifie as the express Prohibition of Jesus will condemn And what a weight does the Apostle James lay upon this He ushers it with an Above all things my Brethren and backs it with the greatest argument danger of damnation Jam. 5. 12. God grant me to live under the authority of thy holy Word Lord charge it severely upon my heart and the hearts of all men frequently and affectionately to consider such passages of thy holy Word as these are Whatsoever is more than Yea and Nay cometh of evil Swear not â—est ye fall into condemnation for every idle word men must give account By thy words thou shalt be justify'd and by thy words thou shalt be condemned If any man bridle his tongue the same is a perfect man MEDITAT LXXXIII Of Worldly Wisdom in general AMongst other things of the World the Scripture also makes mention of worldly Wisdom This is so corrupt a thing that it is put in opposition to the Grace of God by the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. and in the same place to simplicity and godly sincerity It is described by the Apostle James to be Earthly and Sensual and is said to be accompany'd with envyings and strivings of heart We may more fully see what it is by its opposite the Wisdom that is from above this is pure peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without hypocrisie and partiality So then the worldly Wisdom is envious contentious cruel unmerciful unfruitful hypocritical and partial and the worldly-wise-man is a hater of God This worldly-wise-man is not one that understands the World and knows the guise of it though he know it so well that a Creeple is not able to halt before him He is not one that understands the business of the World the best Markets and Bargains the most advantageous way of Trading the best seasons of Buying and Selling and getting Gain He is not one that is subtile in counsel and knows how to antevert suppress over-reach an Enemy so wise was Hushai the Friend of David the Friend of God But in general he is wise to do evil as the Devil is to advance the interest of the World and the Flesh above the Interest of God above Justice Truth Charity Peace Purity and is more particularly described by the Apostle Paul and St.
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
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
generally look'd upon as a Traiterous Position against the Majesty of Heaven that any man may act contrary to his Nature and Laws which is a taking up Arms against him by his Authority Nay the Commission of these men is so far from Patronizing any of their Iniquity that I doubt not but that they that pervert justice and act Violence and Cruelty in his Name shall be destroyed with a double destruction and be twice condemned once for being ungodly Sons of Men and again for being ungodly Sons of God If a Righteous King will hang a Man that commits simple Murder he will not fail to hang and quarter him who commits Murders and Massacres and produces his Commission to justifie the same Now amongst these Grandees of the World it may be suspected that there are many Lovers of the World more than of God What else are all they that either injuriously invade the Subjects of other Princes or rigorously rule over their own forgetting that themselves have a Master in Heaven They that prefer the Gratification of their own Lusts the Advancement of their own Names the Inlargement of their Dominions or Treasures before Truth and Charity and the Peace and Wellfare of the People committed to them are of this Breed They that abuse their Authority either in Establishing Iniquity by Laws which is a setting of Gods Zeal the Sacred Sanction of a Law to a thing contrary to his own Nature and Word or ordaining Severe and Ruining Penalties against light offences which is a prostituting the Authority of Heaven or by making Laws on purpose to make men offenders not caring whether they be broke or kept so themselves may but have either the Pleasure or Profit of exacting the Penalty which is utterly unlike the Government of God all whose restraints and threatnings do principally aim at the Good and Happiness of his Creatures belong to this Head And what else are all they that accept the persons of men in Judgment or in the Execution of Laws that set Justice to Sale that either defer or destroy the Cause of the Poor because he is Poor or acquit the Guilty because he is Rich because they fear him or love him or are A-Kin to him Is not this to prefer Worldly Respects and Self-Interest before Righteousness and the World before God Let God himself be heard speaking to these men who are so kind to Benhadad because he is their Brother forsooth 1 Kings 20. 42. Because thou hast let go out of thy hands a man whom I appointed to utter destruction c. And what else are they who in the Execution of Justice are acted more by private Displeasure than Zeal for God or Righteousness who under the cloak of Law do gratific their own Sentiment and like Justice Jehu revenge their own Quarrel and serve their own malicious Inclinations whil'st they pretend to be zealous for the Law or for the Lord. MEDITAT XIX Concerning Arbitrators Electors and Jurors WHen I consider the angry and malicious Natures of Men who are so apt to take Offence at every small Matter and so desirous to be revenged on the Offender and the Latitude of the Law that makes so many things Actionable notwithstanding the late Limitation about Petty Trespasses and the incredible multitude of men Learned in the Law or Learners of the Law many of which are very ready to foment Discontents and promote Trivial Suits together with the sinful Concomitants and fatal Effects of going to Law I cannot but think the Employment of Arbitrators exceeding necessary and highly commendable and I would commend it above all Worldly Business though possibly it may deserve a better name to persons of good Educations and Understandings Estates and Leisure who commonly squander away their time to no purpose or to bad ones because forsooth they have nothing to do In good earnest I think that a Studiousness to prevent or compose Differences amongst Neighbors aâ— tender Care to preserve or restore Peace and Charity and Good-will amongst men and Wise Endeavors to prescind the Expence of Estates in Law does argue a Mind Divinely disposed a truly Noble and Generous Temper and is an Employment near of Kin to the Errand of the Son of God On Earth Peace c. And because it is a thing so excellent in its own Nature and commonly attended with so great Difficulties Dangers and Obloquies it hath pleased the great Lover of Mankind the Arbitrator between God and Man to give us the greatest Encouragement imaginable to it Mat. 5. Blessed are the Peace makers for they shall be called the Children of God And well they may for he is the God of Peace and his Name is Love But alas with how little Purity and Integrity is this excellent Employment manag'd what Invasions has the Worldly Spirit made upon it and what Defilements has it mingled with it The good King of Judah I remember bad his Judges remember That they were to judge for God and not for man 2 Chron. 19. 6. But I doubt our Arbitrators many of them are of a different Party and Arbitrate for Man and not for God I mean either for themselves or for their Friend and not for Truth and Righteousness Are not they Lovers of the World more than of God who suffer Justice to be perverted and consent to the Crushing and Oppressing of a Righteous Cause meerly to gratifie the Humor or Importunity or to conciliate or maintain the Favor and Friendship of the Person that chuses them Are not they very gross who invert Moses forsaking Israel and favoring Egypt as having an Eye to the Recompence of Reward He was a corrupt Judge who although he received none yet looked that money should have been given him of Paul And how remote soever this may be from Popular Observation yet God who takes notice of the Hearts of men does discern this very covetous Cast of the Eve and if the Respect to the Recompence weigh down the Respect to Righteousness he will sentence this â—alaam for a Worldly Arbitrator for having so much as a mind to be unrighteous though perhaps he cannot or dare not shew it How many of this Breed there are I know not I suppose few or none will confess it but I doubt the God that judges impartially will find many And the number of those that live upon this Trade and get as much by making Peace as other men do by managing Suits does too plainly declare before men that there are too many But besides these I have observed many that not sincerely regarding the merits of the Cause improve all the cunning and knackish Skill that they have in the Niceties of Law to baffle or ravel or invalidate the just Cause of their Opponent and without any respect to Right or Wrong account it their Honour to stand up stifly for the Person that chose them and to speak and wrangle much in his behalf meerly that they may get the Name of Faithful Arbitrators and may