DIVINE MEDITATIONS, AND CONTEMPLATIONS upon several heads of Divinity.  
By G. R.  
Compiled for his own private use, and published for the common good.  PSAL. 1.1,2. 
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel, etc.  
But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  
LONDON, Printed by R. C. for Sam. Enderby, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Star in Popes-head-Alley, 1641.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF WARWICK, etc.  
Right Honourable,  
IF (having neither merit or other relation to usher the admittance) I seem to intrude this present of so mean condition (whence ●…ver it came) upon your Lordship's favourable construction, and acceptance, the report of those many excellencies in you, employed for the honour of your Prince, and good of your Country, so eminently obvious to the eye and admiration of the virtuous, hath emboldened me to the attempt, and must serve for excuse instead of a larger apology.  
I have not the will or skill to flatter, my thoughts aim at no base ends in this presumption; and were I not certain your Honour were as much a lover of goodness, as an enjoyer of greatness, and no less humble than honourable, and would be rather a gracious interpreter, than strict censurer, my pen should not have been so ambitious, or dared to rest under so noble patronage, nor so inconsiderate to have exposed my own and others weakness to public view.  
And yet the honesty of the subject, whiles it directs the mind to the consideration of spiritual, and necessary concernments for the soul's welfare, and a Christians profit, may thus fare presume (as not unworthy the perusal of the religious, of what degree soever, at times convenient) to bespeak protection for the matter, and pardon for the author, be he what he is, and his expressions otherwise never so mean, or deservings answerable.  
Please it therefore your Lordship to bear with this challenge, which I have not used in the way of my own right, nor to forestall your Lordship's judgement, (to which I humbly submit in both) but to intimate that by how much the present is the more considerable for any worth or value to be found in it, by so much the more it belongs, and is fit to such worthy patronage to be presented.  
But herein your Honour must accept the will for the deed, from him whose desires in the height of their ambition soar no higher in that respect, than to become effectual Orators for your Honour's prosperity temporal and eternal, and that he may be worthy  
Of Your Lordship's command in any service G. R.   


Meditation 1. Of prosperity and adversity.  
IN prosperity it may seem we love God, in adversity we fear God; for prosperity doth cause us to praise God, and adversity to pray unto him, and yet in the end it doth then appear, we neither love nor fear God. A strange matter indeed, that God should not be beloved of us then, when he showeth himself a friend; or not feared, when as a Judge he calleth us to account, and therefore not to be believed without good proof. He that doth truly love God, loves him for himself; and he that doth truly fear God, fears him for himself; and finding in him always the same cause of fear, and love, doth never cease to fear or love; love is his possession, fear his Security: what he hath once gained by love, by fear he is willing to keep: and he doth as much fear not to lose, as love still to enjoy. May he then be said to love God in prosperity, which in adversity doth not love him; or to fear God in adversity, which in prosperity doth not so? If then we cannot endure the change of a prosperous estate, but are so much disquieted that we take no comfort in the favour of God, this is a sure token we loved not God in prosperity, though then we praised him: for a little of this love abiding in us, though at first it should not be able to free us from feeling and passion, yet at last would it so calm and settle us, that not having the gifts, we would much more rejoice in the giver, for whose sake only all things are worth the having. Likewise if good success and better credit do but enable us to do wrong, without looking to the will of God which awardeth right, this is a sure token we feared not God in adversity: for a little of this fear would stay us bacl from such attempts, though there were none in the world to control us. If not God, what loved we then in prosperity? what feared we in adversity? We loved the gift, not the giver; we feared the punishment, not the Judge: that is, we neither loved with fear, nor feared with love. Oh unworthy love! which doth more respect the gift than the giver's good will. Oh vain fear! which observes the mighty but not the Almighty. If God's gifts be better welcome to us than himself, little is the love we bear to God: if we fear God's punishment more than the loss of his favour, such fear is not religious. But will we give a true testimony of our love and fear towards God? Let us do that in adversity, which even hypocrites do in prosperity: let us (I say) praise God, and be content. Again, let us do that in prosperity, which even hypocrites do in adversity. Let us I say pray hearty unto God, and commend ourselves and all our do unto him. In a word, let us love him in adversity, and fear him in prosperity: to this purpose look we in prosperity, on the threats of God's law, believing that none of them shall fall to the ground. In adversity on the promises of God firmly trusting to receive comfort and deliverance from him, though as yet we have no feeling thereof. Shall we not fear such a God in our greatness, who hath ever vengeance ready, and that without respect of persons? Shall we not love such a God in our weakness, who is so faithful and kind, that he will never neglect them in their greatest distress which put their trust in him? Add this to make us fear in prosperity, that God doth but make us his Stewards; he may when he will, and he will, when we think least on it, call us to reckoning: the more we take, the more will be required; and negligence shall find a straighter judgement, than ignorance. And we shall love God the better in adversity, if we consider that evils are justly laid upon us, because of our sins, and yet from God's mercy; that chastising us as children we may repent and be saved, and that it is far better that he should take our estate from us, than that our estate should take us from him.   

Meditation 2. Of Love.  
Faith is the assurance of God's love to a Christian, which faith breedeth in him a love answerable to his apprehension, though not comparable to the object; and it is a borrowed fire, a drop taken out of the sea of God's mercy. Love is a brief of the Law, a legacy of Christ, the cognizance of a Christian, the life of a good conscience, the assurance of prayer, the strength of devotion, the prop of patience, and in a word, the band of perfection. The love that we own is unto God, but God will have the duty discharged to his image our neighbour, to his members our brethren; specially where this duty may give most evident token of love: as when we provide for the poor which can make no recompense, or pray for our enemies which hate us. Indeed thou losest nothing by giving to the poor, for it is put on his score to whom thou owest thyself, it is repaied by him, who hath given himself for thy redemption, and will give himself unto thee for thine eternal salvation. Thou findest no cause to love thine enemy, neither did God to love thee. God loved thee without an example; but hath left it to thee for thy imitation; for so well he loves thee, that he would have thee like himself. He loved thee freely for himself, thou must love freely too, but for his sake, is not this cause enough? God bids thee; shall the countenance of an enemy dismay thee? this is the way (pointed out by God and blessed by him) to make thy foe thy friend: fall it out otherwise, he is thy friend more than his own, he gives place to thee in goodness, strive not thou with him, who shall be worst. After love hath dispatched her duties abroad, she returneth home, and doth privately converse with God, and this is an entering into the chamber of her well beloved. Let me die if the wealth of the covetous, or the honours of the ambitious, or the delicates of the voluptuous, be to be envied, and not rather contemned in respect of this, if thou know it, thou desirest nothing else, if not, any thing.   

Meditation 3. Of Passions.  
Passions are original, and natural, they are bred with us, they are a part of us, we can no more leave to be without them, then to be m●n, yet are they the base part of the mind, for their familiarity with the sanses, and hence the Philosopher's tho●…ht did arise their disorder, but if the mind itself be insected, how can there he clean? And if the eve be darkness, what light can there be in the members? yet virtue is the government of Passions, and all virtues whereby man doth imitate God's holiness or righteousness, are but well governed Passions. Man's virtue is in the midst of much weakness, and therefore his victory the more commendable. And of all victories it is the best, when one overcomes himself. Many have been invincible abroad, which have been overcome by their own weakness at home. I fear nothing so much as treason within. I speak it without pride, through the gift of God I know more than many, (though I know nothing as I should) and yet practise but little according to my knowledge. I know what piety, what common duty doth require, yet stand I unresolved or slow. I have much bettered my judgement by hearing, but am a very Infant in performing what I have heard. I am more sound alone, than in company; more upright for strangers, than in my own or friends cause. I am not so bad in intent, as in event. What I do not prevent, I would gladly amend. I thought not on that which after makes me wonder how I could forget; all this I impute to passion. Religion sanctifies passion by opposing a fit object; as, love as much as you list, so you love God; hate as much as you list so you hate sin; rejoice always, but rejoice in goodness; be sorry too, but let it be the sorrow of repentance. We may be full of hope, but as pilgrims bound for heaven. We ought to fear, so that it be to offend God. Will we envy? it must be that others go not beyond us in well-doing: will we be jealous? it must be that nothing defile our conscience. We have wherein to trust if it be in God's grace; and wherein to distrust if it be in our own nature. Likewise there is a holy confidence, a holy despair; the one claims Christ's merits, the other denies her own. That revenge also is just, whereby we debar ourselves of the occasions which led us into sin: Yea passions here do pass into another nature, as anger, into zeal for God's glory; love into charity; sorrow into repentance; pity into almesdeeds; hope into patience; fear into watching and prayer; mirth into thanksgiving; confidence into perseverance. The inconstancy of the wind makes the Pil●t at sea watchful, and the disorder of our affections ought to make us advised. As is a horse without a bit, so are our affections without understanding; let reason rule the reins, lest thou be overthrown. Hast thou to deal with a cunning man which is like to overtake thee? or a great man which will be too hard for thee? or a hasty man which will offer to hurt thee? or with a lewd man which may corrupt thee? look well about thee; there is more danger from thy own passions, then from any, or all these. It is good to do nothing in passion, give time to reason, and use the help of prayer, and thou shalt anon espy the depth of some temptation, which lies commonly hid under an ordinary passion. There are tentations of all sorts, and for all sorts of passions; for merry men, unlawful pleasures; for sad men, uncomfortable despairs; for presumptuous, crying sins; for angry men, quarrels and brawls. Look to thy passions, and thou mayst prevent many, though not all temptations.   

Meditation 4. Of Providence.  
Thou art not able to change the course of nature, it is only in the power of God who made it. The second cause is tied to the first, but the first worketh freely either with it, or without it. Hath God taken order for one part of his work and not for all? Thou hast a free will, not to be constrained: true, yet is this thy will subject to the highest and first will, which moving all our wills, is moved of none. Thou must needs follow it, that will not follow thee. God made me in the first man as in my cause, and he made the first man for himself. Wherefore the fall of man did not cross his supreme counsel, for than should not that have been, which notwithstanding he did most willingly and justly suffer. Is it Gods will then that all men should be concluded under sin, that he might have mercy on whom he would, and whom he would he might justly forsake? so it follows. Yet is his will no cause of sin, but a rule of all righteousness; so ought I to believe. Well, doth God look on me in the face of his well beloved? do I believe the Christian Faith? do I desire to do all Christian duties? strive I against mine own corruptions? this is God's special favour unto me, it is his work in me for which I am bound to be thankful unto him, in which I am to take comfort, this is my duty to follow his calling, to be obedient to his government, herein standeth my eternal happiness: or be it that I do not believe or love God, or live in his fear, yet is not this in my power to amend, or have I any just cause of excuse? examine not Gods decrees by thine own reason, or those laws of justice which we are bound to observe, fear his Majesty, humble thyself before his presence, seek his mercy, receive not grace in vain; there is no way to heaven but a holy life; and he that purposeth thou shouldest besaved: doth call thee to faith and repentance. If thou avoid the means to attain unto either, thou ●…est thyself out, and art an ●…my to thine own Soul; if th●… come unto God, he will not reject thee; wherefore ask for grace that thou mayst come; without which thou shalt never come: and it is necessary for thee to know this, lest thou shouldest trust to nature, and not seek grace; or despair, when thou seest thou canst not attain unto it by thine own strength: Ask not how he is merciful, which saveth a few and condemneth many; how he is just, which by his will so bringeth it about, that we are all in the cause of damnation, but believe it; ask not why God doth not change the wills of wicked men, with whom, and in whom he doth not cease to work: but reverence his decree, whose judgements are just, though unknown. But thou art much troubled and vexed, to hear this doctrine and so are many others; this trouble, this vexation (if thou belong to God) shall turn to thy good; for it shall so humble and cast thee down, that thou shalt wholly depend on God, and give him his glory; but if thou belong not to him, thou shalt complain, and murmur more and more, and be nothing the better, nothing the near, for God will not cease to be God, though we believe not; nor good, though we be wicked: But who will care to believe? to amend his life? to strive against sin, if it be not in us; if without us God have disposed of us? surely none of himself can or will; they only do, whom God doth vouchsafe to enable. The word of God which is his revealed and conditional will, is unto some the savour of life unto life, and unto others the savour of death unto death; to none the savour of life, but to those that believe, to none the savour of death but to those that believe not; he will have all men to be saved, if they will themselves, and he forsakes none but they that forsake him: these things are for us to mark, and observe; yet to believe, or not to believe, to will salvation, or to will it not, do depend upon a higher will, whose law is unknown to us: we must live by that which is revealed, and adore that which is hidden from us, so shall we neither neglect our duty, nor deprive God of his glory and majesty.   

Meditation 5. Of Patience.  
THere is none which can be merry, none rich, none well friended, none in authority, none have ever good success more safely than a Christian: for in all these he useth a good conscience, yet because such a stream of prosperity is dangerous to man's frailty, he is not to look for his heaven here, but elsewhere; because he is now in trial, not in triumph, a pilgrim, and not at home, that many troubles must be suffered, either to purge him of vice, or for his better exercise of virtue: and both to God's glory. I see nothing more necessary for him then Patience, a virtue which doth harden him to follow Christ willingly, and quickly, in bearing the Cross; and if we consider our Saviour's life, we may observe that he used no one virtue more than Patience, not only in his Passion, but in the whole course of his life, which as it were nothing but a Passion throughout; so was it but an exercise of his continual patience: we must suffer many things of our adversaries, which will oppose themselves to our vocation; it is not in our power to put them by; and take them quietly we cannot, without patience. Yea which is worst of all, God will seem sometimes to be against us, and taking from us inward consolation, will leave us to sorrow and sadness of spirit, as if we were forsaken; these things befell unto our Lord, who used Patience as the best remedy, teaching us not only to bear his Cross, but how to bear it also, till it shall please God to return again unto us with comfort. We must have patience to bear great tentations, as well as small, and to bear them as long as it pleaseth God, whether great or small, great troubles will need great Patience: and small troubles enduring long no small Patience. Now the Christian is to be exercised grievously, continually, because God means to make him partaker of a great victory, a great reward. Faith is necessary for our entrance into the Church, hope to nourish faith, and love is the fruit of faith, and brief of all the Commandments; see here the sum of divinity. But without Patience we cannot abide in the Church, for being once offended, we shall lose them except we have Patience. Why is it said, Woe be to him that hath lost patience? belike it is the last loss. If a Master of a Ship lose his Anchor, or Mainmast, or a Sail, those are great losses, yet to be repaired: but if it be said once he hath lost his Ship, we know he hath lost all, and perhaps himself too: so if we lose a time of Prayer, or the exercise of reading and meditation, an occasion of doing good, if we stagger in faith, these are heavy losses indeed, yet particular and recoverable; but if it be said we have lost Patience, what means it but that we have lost all, and ourselves too? Wherefore well is it said, Woe be unto him that hath lost Patience. Patience is as it were the second concoction of all virtues; and draws from them whatsoever is for the strength and nourishment of a Christian life: if this be weak in working, our strength is small. From faith Patience draws confidence, from Hope perseverance, from Love cheerfulness. They which are Saints in Heaven, are said to have Palms in their hands, a resemblance of Patience, by which they are victorious. Patience is a remedy in those causes which nothing else can remedy. Show thy faith to the persecutor, he will not suffer thee to enjoy it, except thou wilt lose liberty, goods, friends and life, what will become now of thy faith except thou have Patience? show thy charity to thine enemy, he will despise it, he will wrong thee still more and more, what then will become of thy charity if thou have not Patience? let it be known that thou art an upright man, the Devil will tempt thee outwardly and inwardly, and what will become of thy uprightness if thou have not Patience? thou prayest, and God heareth not, thou askest, & he giveth not; thou wouldst have plenty, and behold want; thou wouldst have health and strength, and behold weakness; thou wouldst have peace and behold war; thou wouldst have credit, and behold slander; thou wouldst be some, and art no body, and what will become of thy prayers if thou have not Patience? To keep Patience we must be beholding to experience. Try once how much profit Patience doth bring thee, and thou shalt never be weary of it, thou shalt finde succour, feel comfort unexpected: observe God's providence, & forget not his love; this will direct to the end where we shall find contentment, when nothing shall make us more happy than that we have suffered with Patience; they that will not be patiented shall suffer more than we, but we only which are patiented, shall receive the reward of suffering.   

Meditation 6. Of Liberty.  
We love to take liberty, and far all the worse; because our choice is of such as is agreeable to a nature sick and not sound. God is necessarily good, and yet doth good most freely; man (since his fall) is necessarily evil, and doth evil most freely; but alas, what a freedom is this so to be overlookt by sin, that we cannot do any thing to please God, or to ease ourselves! Christ by his Gospel calleth us to a Liberty, not of the flesh, to live according to the lusts thereof; not an outward liberty, to discharge us from duties fit for our callings, or prescribed by laws not repugnant to the word of God; but to a Liberty of the spirit: first, from the curse of the Moral Law, by which we are subject to the wrath of God. And this Liberty comes from the free remission of our sins in his blood who is become our Saviour, so that all the evils which befall us in this life even unto death itself, turn unto our good, and are sent not from an angry Judge, but from a merciful Father; as it is said, We are afflicted, but not convicted; we doubt, but we despair not; we are persecuted, but not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not. Secondly, from the tyranny of sin, so that we do not only begin to strive, but do also prevail against it more and more, and shall at last utterly overcome it, even to the breaking of the Serpent's head. Thirdly, from observation of ceremonies, and judicials of Moses, as touch not, taste not, handle not, and we may freely use the creatures of God with sobriety and thanksgiving, which are given for meat, drink and apparel, and use likewise or not use all things indifferent according to charity. Fourthly, from all Laws and constitutions of men, that they bind not the conscience as matters of salvation, though for outward order and policy we are in conscience bound to observe them, if they be not contrary to God's word, but agreeable to the general rules thereof: this is true Liberty, agreeable to the state of our first Creation, and abounding more in grace it we seek for it, for the which we are continually to praise God the author thereof. It is great Liberty to be out of bondage, but it a greater to be the freeman of Christ; it is a great Liberty to be taken out of the hands of a Tyrant, but a greater to be rescued out of the power of sin and Satan; it is a great Liberty which Nobility doth challenge, but a greater which a good conscience. What a Liberty is it to do that which is good? to speak that which is wholesome, and for edification? to wrong no man? not to wrong himselse? to live without shame? and to die without fear? Let us detest the youth's Liberty, to have no Tutor, the Thiefs to escape the halter, the fools to scoff at his Brother, the blasphemers to swear, the wantoness to be unseen, the drunkards to pledge healths and use much quaffing, the malcontents to have no state, the unthrifts to turn himself out of house and home.   

Meditation 7. Humane frailty.  
O Father Adam, thy Children are all too much like thee! would I were a Pillar of Marble in the House of my God, that no tentation might shake me, no sin displace me; or as the two Pillars of Solomon's Temple, Jatui and Boam, that there might be certainty in my resolution, and constancy in my courses. A Christian is a man, but I am more a man then a Christian, nay rather a child, than a man. I weep for vanities and toys, and cast hehind me the Law of God more worth than the Gold of Ophir. I would stand, but I fall down flat. I would be better, but prove worse. I would sinne no more, I did not to my knowledge sin so much before. Oh hell in this world, to hate sin, yet to entertain it, to bear the shame, the sorrow, the smart, of sin, and yet to shake hands withit! Where shall I have tears enough to bewail my sins? my heart is broken with sighing, and my brains dried up with weeping. Would to God my head were a fountain of tears, and mine eyes rivers of waters, to bewail the desolation that sin hath wrought within me. If I be not able to match sin in his strength, why give I it time, and not rather kill it while it is young? If jealous thoughts and occasions not cut off do increase his band, why do I suffer him to muster Soldiers in mine own dominions? Oh that we could renew our fight, when we are put to flight (as I have read of some people) and take our pursuers at a disadvantage; but when we begin once to sly, nothing can stay us, and though no enemy follow, we run ourselves out of breath. The comforts we might lawfully use are ten thousand times more, than the pleasures we unlawfully steal; the devotion which Gods law asketh, is free, noble, full of reward; the tax which sin imposeth, base, slavish, beggarly: yet how proud are we in such poverty? if we compare ourselves, then are we fare more circumspect, more holy than others; if any duty required of us, than (presuming of our own strength) we follow Christ to the death, and a little after deny him. Peter did once, I would we did not often for less cause. How necessary for us, then is humility and prayer? humility, to value our selves as we are, (and we cannot indeed think worse of ourselves than we are, wand'ring, weak, unconstant, wilful, wicked) and prayer, that we may find in God what we want in ourselves: for surely he would never have sent his son amongst us, had he not had care to redress our miseries; and to ask of the Father in the name of the Son, is the way to be gracious in obtaining our suits; Let not thy unworthiness discourage thee to come unto God: nor let his mercy make thee forget thy vileness, that keeping a hard hand on thy corruptions, thou mayst the better prevail with God as Jacob did.   

Meditation 8. Of Vocations.  
COme you into one of their shops whose wits are said to dwell in their fingers, and you shall wonder to see the store and variety of tools, and how it may be possible, that one hand should use them all, and yet not one but hath his use; likewise look you into the state of some greater society, and you shall see a world of men, & yet not one idle, because every man is appointed by the gifts natural or above nature, and called out as it were to apply himself unto that kind of life for which he is most fit. It is strange, that amongst so many sundry vocations, as there are, some high, some low, poor, rich, noble, base, of body, of mind, there is notwithstanding such an excellent harmony of them all, that as we say of the bodily members, that they serve both for one another's turn, and for the good of the whole body: so it may be said of these. And as the taking away or adding of a member overthrows the shape of the body: so is it in this case to a State, if necessary Vocations be wanting, or unnecessary used. All men are not fit for all Vocations, and therefore as there are divers abilities in men, so are there divers Vocations about which they should be employed. Neither is it enough, that all Vocations be in use, but by such for whom they are most fit. There is one most necessary, general and honourable Vocation, and is the rule of all others, which calleth us out of the world to profess Christian Religion, and after which we are called Christians. God grant we may well consider what this calling requireth of us, and we shall be the more forward in the duties of other callings, for there are also callings special, and these must not only be lawful in themselves, but lawfully used. We should become our callings, but we think it enough if our callings become us; whereby there falls out so great odds between both, that all men see how unfit we are for them, and they for us. Some are not called but do call themselves, and that is, not for love of the calling, but some circumstance, as credit or gain, and these do as little good in a calling as any. If a man pass by a dignity or title, and put himself into a place where he may do more good, this man no doubt loves his calling, and may well be commended for his modesty.  
In a calling there is both an office, and a maintenance; and I wonder that in those callings which are the weightiest, the office is oft times divided from the maintenance, and men reckon not much of it, whereas in other callings of less importance they must go together, and if there be a faulty neglect, men sooner complain.  
If one be appointed a Judge, he must sit himself in Court to hear Causes, else hath he not his allowance; if a Counsellor, he must be present at the Bar to plead for his Client, or else he hath no Fee.  
If Captain of a Castle, he must abide the assault, else he loseth his pension.  
If I appoint one to keep my Sheep, and he look not unto them, I withdraw his wages; yet one hath the Benefice, and another hath the cure, there is a Parson but no Preacher, there is neither Parson nor Preacher, but there are their Proctors.  
There be two virtues which help a Calling, and there be two vices which pull it down. It is an excellent rule when we have used our means, so to fear God, as we depend on his blessing; this breeds comfort and cheerfulness: again, to use patience though the success be otherwise, than we look for; this will rid us of vexation. How ill do they provide for their business, which deal falsely; a thing which God will not bless? or envy others so fare, that they lose their own content; whereas God hath ordained all callings to depend so on one another, that there is no gift or benefit which a man hath, but must turn to the good of his Neighbour; and instead of envying his prosperity, we would rejoice at it, were our eye single.  
If one were to be chosen for a calling, among a thousand who might seem more fit than a busybody, for his readiness, to meddle where no man desires him; for his diligence, to do more than ever he hath thanks for; for his ability, no matter seems too hard for him? and yet in truth he is the only unfit man of all others, in his talk he is ever from the matter, and in his deal knows better how to begin then end, he is taken up with every tale he hears, and he hath business with every man he meets; his memory is as weak as his apprehension is quick, and though in duty he will take much on him, yet in courtesy you are to leave him at his liberty, and to look for nothing from him till all his business be ended, and that will never be: fit a calling for this man, and fit a fashion for this age.  
But to return to our purpose, and descend more lower into those callings amongst which some are public, others private. The public callings are appointed for the order and safety of the private; and the private used for the maintenance of the public. The public hath more honour, but less quietness; more wealth, but less content: the private hath more contempt, but less envy; more wrong, but less danger. Of all public functions none are more worthy than those which pertain to the Church, (the Civil I deny not are as necessary:) consider their subject and end, they deal with the Souls of men to bring them to Heaven: in this the Church is subject to none but Christ, though in respect of the persons that use them, she is subject to the Magistrate, as the Magistrate in that he is a Christian is subject to the Church. The world will say that the Commonwealth is before the Church, and that there may be a Civil state though no Church; but the Church cannot be without a Civil state. But what saith Christ, Seek the Kingdom of God first, he would have us build a Church before we erect a State, and our first Parents Adam and Eve were a Church before there was a Commonwealth; and as a Church had the blessing from God to erect a Commonwealth, saying unto them, Increase and multiply; but then when the Commonwealth was increased, the Church was neglected: and so is it ever. But I would not have the Church Guelphs, and the Commonwealth Gibellines: Oh what an harmoniall hierarchy is it, when the Church and Commonwealth do not only dwell and converse together, but so incorporate themselves one into another, that they may seem but one body, yet without confusion of their Vocations, and rights!  
Therefore do I dislike the monastical life, which hath been so much in request as the next way to Heaven: all that they could say was that they prayed for others; which is the common return of all idle rogues and wand'ring beggars; but whereas others did both prey and labour for them, they withdrew themselves from all conversing with men in any calling; they noted the Priests which had cures with an odious epithet, calling them Seculars, and yet in wealth and ease they themselves were fare beyond, in pain behind them. Solitariness for a time, to better those callings, that Scholars may return to converse among men, with the greater profit, is that which our Saviour used, and is to be commended.   

Meditation 9 Of God's long suffering.  
We find fearful examples of God's anger against sin, as Adam cast out of Paradise, Cain banished from the Lords presence, the old world drowned in the Flood, Sodom and the Cities adjoining burnt with fire from Heaven, Pharaoh and his Host choked up on the Red Sea, Corah and his companions swallowed up of the Earth, seven Nations put to the Sword by the Israelites, the tweive Tribes dispersed, the painful death of our Lord the son of God, suffering for the sin of man; yet is God very patiented towards sinners, first in that he calleth all men to repentance by the sound of his word, or the inward touch of their own consciences; seconly, because it is long before he doth punish offenders, as the old world had a hundred years, the 7 Nations four hundred; thirdly, because he doth give warning before the stroke fall, by threaten, signs and wonders; and if men repent and call for mercy, he forgiveth, and holds his hand as it fell out to Niniveh. Fourthly, when he doth punish he remembreth mercy, and though he make some an example, yet saveth he his people which deserved all to perish: this fell out to Adam, and oft times to the Isaelites, notwithstanding that they more than once provoked him. Lastly, there are many whom he never punishsheth in this life, though they daily offend him, but doth bestow upon them both peace and plenty, filling their hearts with joy and gladness; whence it cometh to pass that many dare vaunt there is no God, promising unto themselves liberty of doing what they list, grow most lose and licentious, and draw unto themselves whole multitudes of such as they have corrupted: such a one was Nimrod after the 'slud, a Captain of them which laid the foundation of that never to be finished tower.  
But this is a wicked abuse of the divine patience, which is as it were an Ark, whereby the Church is saved, from the overflowings of ungodliness. The godly understanding well the Lord's patience, observe thereby how willing he is that all men should repent and be saved: for being all as we are borne in sin, and so frail ever after, that the best doth oft offend, what hope were there of avoiding his displeasure, if he should not grant time to embrace those means, whereby we might be again reconciled to him? And this he doth not once or twice, but often, as our Saviour protested, How oft would I have gathered you? and behold great patience, wherefore from him which would not have us tie ourselves to seven times, but doth enlarge it to seventy times seven times, look for the like or greater measure from the length of his own patience. And this is so fare from breeding any dulness in God's Children, as though this patience were a slackness of the Lord in favour of sin, or a weakness as unable presently to punish what he doth not favour, that knowing his purpose therein, they are the more earnestly enforced speedily to return unto the Lord, and that with great sorrow, having offended him, which is so patiented in forbearing of them. And they labour so much the more diligently to redeem what by negligence hath been omitted often with thankfulness, calling to mind this singular benefit, and stir up others to be partakers thereof. and unto all those is God's patience a sanctuary, from his wrath. For them only shall it be turned into fury, which have despised it. If God be so patiented, and bear with us, should we be impatient and not bear with one another? God dealt patiently with him which afterwards took his brother by the throat. There is nothing which more displeaseth the Lord, nothing wherein he desireth rather to be imitated, in so much as he barreth him from all access which wanteth patience. Prayer is of such force with God that it winneth any thing from him, yet if thou be impatient, it availeth nothing, for thou askest a good turn of God, and bearest no good mind to thy brother, & therefore he will not hear thee. Wilt thou have God patiented? abuse not thy brother as one wanting patience. God who doth all things patiently, doth all things wisely; for patience is quiet and patience takes leisure, so that in him follows not this afterwit, I had not witted it. Impatient men are angry and hasty, which two things pervert counsel. Oh vain man, thou knowest how patiently the Lord hath dealt with thee, and how impatient thou hast been thyself for small matters, dost thou not wonder at both? how the Lord could bear with thee so long, or thou thyself so little for God's sake? The Lord would not have thee perish, here is thy good intended: do thou that which may turn to thy brother's good, that God may be glorified in thy patience. This made Jacob say unto his brother Esau, I have seen thy face as if I had seen the face of God, and indeed a patiented man is no other than the very Image of God amongst men.   

Meditation 10. Of Faith and Works.  
AS the Sun riseth in the East and setteth in the West, so Religion riseth in Faith and setteth in obedience of Works: and as there cannot be an East, but there must be also a West, so is there no saving Faith without the obedience of Faith: and as the Morning and Evening make one Day, so Faith and obedience the life of a Christian. I have read of a people which wanting a King did agree on this kind of election, they would go all together into a broad Field, near the Town, and he that could espy the rising of the Sun first, should be taken as the worthiest man; so after midnight they went out, to observe the rising of the Sun, and the whole multitude had their Eyes fixed on the East, one only amongst them, wiser than the rest, looked toward the West, at whom they all marvelled much; but when the day began to dawn, and all others were intentive Eastward, to take notice of the Sun's rising, this fellow which stood Westward, before they witted of it, shown them the rising of the Sun, in the tops of the Houses and Towers of the City: It is a common conceit of them, which take notice of Religion in any, to look towards his Faith and profession, because indeed Religion doth begin, and as it were rise there; but they which are wise will look towards obedience and Works, because Religion doth first appear there; it may be hid in Faith, and thou canst not certainly discern it, for there is odds between Faith and profession; but if his Works be good and godly, thou mayst boldly presume, that the Sun of righteousness is risen on him, and hath with his beams of Religion enlightened him: wherefore James saith, Pure religion and undefiled before God, and the father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their adversities, and to keep himself unspotted of the world: mark how he judgeth of Religion, not by Faith, but obedience; and yet there is no Religion pure, but by Faith; because Faith is also to be tried by obedience, in the sight of men, as obedience by Faith before God; And Christ useth the same direction, Hereby shall all men know you are my Disciples, if ye love one another; and love as ye know containeth all duties of the Law; and hence is Christ's answer in the Gospel, to such as shall say at the day of judgement, Have not we taught, and preached, and done great Works in thy name? Depart from me, I know you not, all ye workers of iniquity: Christ looked not on their profession, but practice. There is a knowledge of the truth, and that we have from Faith, believing in the Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ; and there is an experience of the truth, when the virtue of these things believed, doth work in our lives, as when by the power of Christ's Death, we die unto sin; and by the power of his Resurrection, we arise unto newness of life; and by the power of his Ascension are heavenly minded. When we are come to knowledge, we pass on to trust, and confidence, by applying to ourselves the promises of the Gospel; so when we are come to this trust, we must pass on to experience, and trial in our lives, by imitating those things in ourselves which Christ hath done for us; this is that which Saint Paul saith, we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, with open face, and are changed into the same Image: from glory to glory: as by the spirit of God, God showeth his face open to us in the Gospel, we behold it by Faith, we are changed into the same by special trust and confidence, that the things there promised, belong unto us, as remission of sins, the righteousness of Christ, freedom from death, and the gift of eternal life; and we pass from glory to glory, by the experience spoken of, when the virtue of the things we believe, doth work in our lives, and make us holy, as he is holy; and we have both righteousness inherent and imputed; and for this cause, Paul speaking of the same matter to the Philippians, doth not count himself perfect, or to have as yet attained the full end of his calling, for though he had begun in the first degree to believe, and gone forward to the second for application, yet had he much to do in the last, as long as it should please God to lend him life. But you will say, what doth the virtue of Christ's Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension belong to us? As the sap of the stock belongs to the graft, so we being grafted into Christ by a lively Faith, that virtue of his, whereby he overcame death, risen again and ascended, must needs grow up in us, to bring forth like fruits; and to signify this union, he in other places is called the head, and the faithful members of the same body; a vine, and the faithful branches of the vine; and how this union is made between Christ and the faithful, the Sacrament of Christ's blessed body and blood, doth not only represent, but that it is done also, as often as the faithful do rightly receive the same, it doth testify; and therefore there is not bare bread, or a sign only, but the body and blood of Christ really, yet not grossly, as the Papists imagine, but after a heavenly manner to the Soul, to Faith; neither is it necessary for this union, and the benefit thereof, that it should be local, so as Christ's body must enter into ours, but when Faith doth embrace Christ, crucified for us, that the Spirit, whose power is not tied to distance of places, make the faithful man partaker of those gifts and graces of his redemption, which can be no otherwise derived unto him, but from the humane nature of Christ which suffered, and as he is a member of Christ.   

Meditation 11. Of Merit.  
THere is a great question between the Papists and us, what works please God best, either such as are done to Merit, or of duty: they say works done of duty have less zeal; but belike they separate duty from love: we say, works done to Merit savour more of pride, and cannot please God of themselves, because they want duty: and if we should join with them in an issue about zeal, it might be proved that their zeal for the glory of God is not so great, which work to Merit as the others. Saint Paul, as appeareth in his Epistle to the Philippians, wrought not to Merit, but of duty and love: he which worketh to Merit, must remember what is past, and examine all his works from the beginning to the end, whether they be worhty that reward which he means to challenge; but Saint Paul working of duty, forgot what was past as though he had done nothing, and his mind was only on that which he might be able to do farther as long as God would give him life, according to that of our Saviour, When ye have done all that you can, say, you are unprofitable servants: as if he should say, think so meanly of what you have done, that you count it your duty to do much more as long as you live, even as much as you can, and yet shall you be unprofitable servants, both in respect of the grace used, and not turned to the best advantage, and in respect of the glory to be received, for which, you can give no worthy recompense, saving that it is the father's will for my sake to give it to you, & what he hath promised, he will in justice perform: Belike Christ when he spoke so much of duty, meant to take zeal from works nothing at all; but to add the more love and willingness, which is the cause of zeal, to the base and slavish mind, a benefit past is of no force, whereas the free and gentle heart is disposed towards a good turn received; but because both they and we agree thus fare, that good works are necessary, let us rather busy ourselves about doing well, then disputing wittily. God grant that I may remember. I am a Christian; if this bind me not to do good, nothing will; if I do unfeignedly what I can, God will be merciful where I fail, and Christ will rather want merits, than I shall want reward.   

Meditation 12. Pastoral cure.  
THey which know what belongs to a flock, are not ignorant of the care of a Shepherd, or the necessities of Sheep; neither is it an unworthy consideration, for out of Shepherds have been taken Kings, and Kings in time past have not refused to be Shepherds, and they which at this day do rule in the State, have this as no mean title of their authority, to be styled Shepherds of the people; yea God himself doth vouchsafe to express the Government which he taketh over his people, under the title of Shepherd; and Christ Jesus our Lord who died for mankind, is called the great Shepherd of our Souls. And indeed the charge over a flock or people are much like; we in England, have a great desire to deal on Sheep; and it is one of the chiefest commodities in the Country; they are so profitable, their Wool is in great request at home, and with strangers, their bodies are good for meat or medicine, yea their very excrement have their use; they are gentle of nature, not dangerous to be handled as other beasts which are armed to defend or offend, howbeit in this doth not the resemblance hold so well; but if you respect the weakness and necessities of Sheep, it may notably express the care, the faithfulness, the diligence which God useth, in governing his people, God is desirous to rule his servants as a flock of Sheep, not for any great profit he can make of them, neither is it intended of him which needs it not, or looked for there where it cannot be had, for though their bodies were of excellent employment by creation, yet what are they of themselves since Adam's Fall, but cages of unclean Birds, nests of sin, grievously tainted with a sickness that in Sheep makes carcase and Wool unprofitable? It is alone then for our profit, that he will have us under government, the Laws which he makes, are not for his own good, which is infinite goodness in himself; but for ours: neither the courses which we undertake under his direction for his happiness, who is eternal happiness himself, but for ours. True it is, that he addeth unto his Law authority, to make us the rather yield unto that, which is for our benefit, and from his authority, doth proceed reward or punishment, that we may know he commandeth not in vain. Moreover the government of men (as they best know, which know State matters) is the men themselves, being so variable, full of discontent and malice, above all Creatures, if we will count them tame, because of reason we shall find them wild and savage by evil course and custom of life; notwithstanding, God doth make them so his own, whom he rules as his flock, that none shall be able to pull them out of his hands, he will not lose one of the least of them, he leaveth the ninety and nine, to seek out the wand'ring and lost Sheep, and when he hath found him, layeth him on his shoulders with joy, and returning home, maketh merry with his Neighbours for the Sheep that was lost, but is found; he knoweth his Sheep, and is known of them, he will lay down his life for his Sheep, and will not forsake them; he bringeth them into the sweet pastures of his holy Word, and refresheth them with the cool Waters of his Spirit, he hath a rod and a staff, the rod keeps in his Sheep, and the staff keeps out the Wolf: by all which it cometh to pass, that no flock is in such state as his, they have a comely order in their going forth, a provident provision of needful things, and sure safety all about them: happy is he that can say, The Lord is my Shepherd; he that is not of this fold, is of the Devils wast; Christ hath many promises of good to be done unto his flock, and for his flocks sake it is he cannot abide the Wolf, of which one is no good Neighbour, and the other, a deadly enemy to Sheep; I count him the Wolf which is the known adversary, and the Goat is the lose Christian; the adversary hath a bloody mind, and the lose Christian is offensive by an ill life.   

Meditation 13. Dullness of Spirit.  
THere is no disease more dangerous to a religious Soul, than dulness or heaviness of Spirit, which makes the ground of the heart so cold, that the seed of grace lieth for a time▪ as it were dead, and hath no growth: it makes the Christian either fearful or slow to do good, and layeth him open to tentations: it ariseth from the corruption of nature which is froward, increaseth by diseases and discontentments, and groweth to a head by particular doubts and uncertainties: it hath strange Symptoms, even in those which have been well schooled and trained up in Christianity: it suggesteth and would persuade them well-neare, that it is all as well with the godless as the godly, that he is in as good cause, that sweareth as he that feareth an oath, that an upright conscience is but a ceremonious scrupulosity, formality and compliment may serve as well, that the world is not so unworthy a thing, as lightly to be set by, and the joys of Heaven belong rather to Angels than men: it is offended at hearing or reading God's word, prayers, good works, holy meetings, and hath some exception against them all; it will persuade thee in particular, that God doth not regard or so much as respect thy service, and close with thee this at last, if thy calling be so worthy as thou wouldst make it; yet art thou unworthy of thy calling, unfit, and so fare from speeding in it, that it were better for thee to do any other thing, or just nothing. I know not whereunto I may better compare this disease, then to that which in women young with child they call Longing, when the stomach stopped with ill humours, the appetite is altered, and the Patient importunately desireth strange meats; so in this cause natural inbred corruptions striving against grace, and abounding within, do alter the godly appetite, making God's servant loath his ordinary diet, and exercises, as being uncomfortable, unsavoury, and to affect strange things contrary to the health of the Soul. They which travel by Sea when they see it once calm, and on a sudden to dance and shake, and know no cause why, look for a tempest shortly after; so this dulness or heaviness which is so unquiet and out of order, goeth many times before some greater sin; let it be considered whether such a kind of dulness came not on David before his adultery, and numbering the people; on the Disciples, before they forsook their master, and specially on Peter before he denied his Lord. I put a difference between this heaviness or dulness of spirit, and that hardness of heart, deadness or benumbing, which is proper to the wicked: in cause; for that proceeds from customs and habits in sin, from wilful stubbornness; this from the relics of corruption, yet abiding in God's children: in degree; that is without sense or feeling, Like a lethargy; this hath some resistance, and like the fit of an Ague, in event: that doth make them worse, and in the end overcome them; this the godly do overcome, and after grow the better advised. The means to avoid this dulness, is to converse with God, and to keep our hearts in ure with him, by calling to mind every day his benefits general, particular, corporal, spiritual, what he hath done for thy Soul already, what he will do farther, then to examine thyself how thou hast been answerable that day for such kindness and love unto thee, then to fall to prayer, ask pardon for thy sins, with a faithful and penitent heart, and entering into a new league between God and thy Soul, to forsake sin more earnestly, and to serve God more carefully then in times past.   

Meditation 14. Of Joy.  
IT is good to rejoice ever; and never to rejoice, I mean carnally: we must not set up Joy as an Idol in our hearts, as though there were no higher matter; if a man ask us why we are merry, we can say nothing, but because we love to be merry, yet ought we to prefer God to our Joy, and the glory of God, the good of our Neighbour, and the health of our Souls; we must so rejoice in temporal things, that we bar not ourselves from heavenly comforts; we must be so familiar with outward things, that we grow nothing the more strange with God: if otherwise, we sell our birthright for Esau's Broth, Canaan for the fleshpots of Egypt, and as it is commonly said, We go out of God's blessing into a warm Sun. Take heed then to thyself, it is lawful for thee to use the blessings of God for thy necessity, I say more, for thy comfort and recreation, so fare forth as doth concern thy person, yea thy state and calling; but if thou use them for thy recreation only, and have no farther or better end, thou wilt quickly fall to the abuse, respecting rather what thy appetite doth crave, than God allows; God allows no such use of his creatures, as makes thee the less able or willing to serve him, wherefore a restraint at least in affectation touching these things, is better than by losing too much the reins to our unruly flesh, to suffer it to take the bridle and run away; let the fear of God be the steward of our expenses, and it shall make a good account for us; if it cause us to pass by many worldly delights, yet will yield unto our consciences the sounder comfort, for God doth bring unto him the joys of the Holy Ghost, which willingly forsakes outward pleasures; the later end of such joys is woe, but of this it is said, No man shall take it from you; Wilt thou rejoice ever? (me thought I heard thee say so) be sad ever to the world: if thou smile with it, let it be from the teeth outward, engage not thy heart: A strange Paradox, that a man should be sorry to make himself merry; and these as strange, we must stand in fear to make ourselves bold, we must be fools to be made wise, we must die, that we may live.   

Meditation 15. Humane reason.  
IS not this our common answer, Have I not reason to do as I do? yet are we not to live by reason, but by faith, whereas we should rather say, Doth not God's word warrant me to do, as I do? If Religion were but the improvement of Reason, how would men entertain it as their own, whereas now they suspect it as a stranger? Many have thought that the Articles of Religion might win credit from principles evident to the light of nature, and that Philosophy hath laid as good grounds as Divinity: Surely Humane learning can convince us well enough of many things we do, but cannot bring us forward In that we ought to do for salvation; it was a power in nature created, to obey and believe if it would, but now in nature decayed, it is a want, and it is not in man's will to believe and obey the truth; and the misery is, that it knoweth not how to find what it hath lost, nor so much as that it hath lost any thing without a borrowed light; the word of God is the powerful means whereby the Holy Ghost which worketh inwardly in our hearts, doth impart this light unto us; our Reason is natural, Faith supernatural, Reason is the beginning of Knowledge, but Faith of Religion. The Papists will say, they have more Reason for their Religion than we, for Free will, Satisfaction, Merits, Purgatory, Prayers, Latin Service, Images, Pilgrimages, Hierarchy, stand all upon good grounds of Reason: Let us give them what they ask, we may the more boldly challenge truth, without which there is no Religion, and to protest freely what we maintain, and wherein we desire by God's grace to die, we follow not Reason in making choice of Religion, but God's word searching to understand the harder places and easy, keeping ourselves within the proportion of Faith, refusing not the help of Humane learning for the phrase or story, neither the testimony of better times; by this word we learn, that man hath no good will, nor hath his will power to return to God, until grace make the will willing, which of itself is unwilling, and then, but not till then, doth it work with grace. What if Reason deny this, and teach the contrary? By the word of God we learn, that there is no satisfaction for sins besides the death of Christ, no merit to eternal life but his righteousness; that sins are all mortal by nature, though not equal, that man's righteousness, though done in grace is unperfect. What if Reason deny this and teach the contrary? By the word of God, we learn that bread in the Sacrament is not turned into the very body of Christ, nor wine into his blood, yet that it is his very body and blood to the faithful communicant, who is made partaker of whole Christ, not by a gross and fleshly incorporation, but a ghostly and effectual union. What if Reason deny this, and teach the contrary? By God's word we learn, that worshipping of Images amongst Christians is but a setting up of Idols, as amongst the Heathen, that Prayers in a strange tongue for the dead, are neither devotion nor charity. What if Reason deny this, and teach the contrary? By God's word we learn, that Religion consisteth not in Popish shrift, Penance, difference of Meats, Apparel, Fasting, Pilgrimage, Relics, Crossing, Holy-oile, Holywater, Holy-bread, Holybeades, Holy-bells. What if Reason deny this, and teach the contrary, to the decay of Christian obedience, which consisteth in an inward mortisication, and outwardly, in a patiented bearing of Christ's cross? By the word of God, we learn, that Christ is the only head of the Church, and doth still govern the same by his spirit and word, from which Gods Ministers or Priests, fetch all their authority, and hath not given over his place to another, which should take authority above the word. What if Reason deny this, and teach the contrary? By the word we learn that the Scriptures have sufficient instruction to salvation. What if Reason deny it, and put us farther over to traditions, revelations, miracles, to enforce doctrines contrary to the word; is not Reason justly to be suspected in all these things, as thinking but too well of herself, giving too much liberty to nature, and justifying her own hypocrisies for Gods good service, of which it will not be said, as our Saviour of the lesser matters of the Law, the tything of Mint and Cummin, These things ye should have done, but rather this, Who required these things at your hands, for which ye have left my commandments? Now my Soul look to thyself, how thou dost make thy choice, regard not that antiquity, universality, succession, pomp, authority, which is not grounded on the truth in the word, all these will follow Humane Reason, regard the word of the Almighty and unchangeable truth itself, which is alone sufficient without these, and they without it nothing worth.   

Meditation 16. Repentance deferred.  
In Summer we can provide for Winter, in Youth we lay up for Age, but who in health doth prepare for sickness? As long as we do well, we will not live well, but put it over to that time when we have much ado to live, then can we not remedy what is past, neither have we leisure to do better: Repentance indeed is never too late, and mercy may come on a sudden, but repentance in health is the ordinary gift of God, in sickness extraordinary, because he doth not give it him which might, and would not; thou canst tell me no cause why thou shouldst not repent when thou art well, and I can tell thee many why thou canst not repent when thou art sick, thy heart is a stranger to goodness, and God to thee, hardly canst thou hear good counsel, but it is the hardest of all to settle thyself on it then when all things grow so troublesome and uncertain. Many have said it is too late, would I could have followed it in times past, neither have we leisure to do better; Repentance indeed is never too late, but sickness is the time past, yet wilt thou not repent in health; Dost thou make but a pastime of repentance? take heed lest sickness be unto thee the end of a bad life, which in health thou wouldst not amend, and deliver thee over to endless death. Oh my soul, remember thy own estate, thou didst put over repentance, and God did put thee over to sickness; What discomfort was it to think on sins past, what little hope hadst thou of good to come? how unable wast thou to recollect thyself? what means didst thou want to be raised up? if thou hadst any holy desire, any feeling at the last, thou wert more bound to thy Saviour, which sought thee out a wand'ring sheep; Where art thou now my soul, what dost thou, that which thou didst then promise to close nearer with thy God, who hath given life to thy desire, and years to thy life, surely I have escaped a great harm and outlived myself, good Lord have mercy on me, and grant that I forget not thy goodness, nor betray myself any more into the hands of danger; thou knowest well enough what I am, the worse for my abused health, and if any thing the better for my sickness, it is thy favour; I like not my amendment half so well, as I hearty lament my neglected time.   

Meditation 17. Gifts of God and Men.  
ALl blessings without that one, for whose sake they are bestowed, are but a curse, other blessings are given for a good life, which is the chiefest blessing; they are good, but this makes us good; they make us welcome to men, as strength makes us welcome to the weak, learning to the simple, wealth to them which want, authority to such as are oppressed, but this makes us welcome to our own consciences, which entertain us with a continual feast, to God which says, welcome good servant; for them we must make reckoning, but for this we shall receive a crown of righteousness: yet see! that men altogether admire and desire most the former kind of gifts, to them give they a stile, they come not without grace, excellency, majesty, holiness, they call those that have them, rulers, benefactors, Lords, Princes, but a good man is in no note, no request, and indeed he needs it not, for he hath more than all the world can give him, and his commendation is not from men, but God. Christ our Saviour the wisest steward, provided not for himself or us blessings of the former kind, but of the latter; Judas had the bag and Peter the sword: but Christ in his heart had righteousness, even to his lips outwardly; there was no guile found in his mouth, and what he did by doctrine, miracles, passion for us, tended to this end, that being delivered from the captivity of sin, we might be made free men of righteousness, and show forth good works to God's glory. The greatest gifts to this purpose that ever were bestowed on mankind, was on that glorious day, a white and happy day, the Lords day, a sunday, 50 days after the resurrection, when according to his promise like a Prince new crowned, he showered down the gifts of the Holy Ghost on his Church, cloven and fiery tongues, in terpretation of tongues, knowledge to open the Scriptures, and to apply them, prophecy, healing, discerning of spirits, and the like; by which gifts Christ hath subdued the world, and brought men from Idolatry and wickedness, to true godliness and righteousness: amongst which do excel Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, more famous in christianity then the demigods, which anciently in the ruder times of the world, have stored it with the rare invention of divers things profitable to the life of man. Oh my soul, how hast thou admired state greatness, authority, possession, train and pomp, and if not to be one of them, yet to be near unto them, and though farther of, yet that the beams of such glory might shine on thee? And now observe whether in the mean while God hath not offered thee, and thou by thy neglect hast lost better things, and so hast proved to God unthankful, unprofitable to thyself: Call to mind thy baptism, what intends it? that thou following this most honourable profession into which thou hast entered, shouldest be enabled and encouraged to live a new life after the spirit, and become a good man to God: to this purpose coming to discretion, God instructed thee in his word, there wast thou made acquainted with the royal law, his statutes and ordinances, and with all the provisions, cautions, admonitions drawn from the same by the Prophets; hence wert thou led on to the Gospel, which met thee with abundant and effectual grace, and for thy better assurance that thou art received into the society and body of Christ, he fed thee often in his blessed Sacrament with his own body and blood, and for thy better guide in this course of salvation, he hath afforded thee his own, and the examples of his holy ones, which have shined as lights in a dark place. What doth want unto thee, that in the sight of God thou art above all that is great in the world? think not then too highly of transitory things, nor too basely of thyself, remember what thou hast received, and whereunto God calleth thee, and thou shalt have no cause to complain of thy lot.   

Meditation 18. Suspicion.  
I Know not wherefore Suspicion is good, except on just cause, and then it is providence; but to make our idle conjectures the arrows, and other men the butts, and to hit them which are not in our way, because we have a crooked aim: this is for want of charity, and from too much love of ourselves; we love ourselves so well, that we would have all men worse than ourselves, and so little do we love others, that we care not how bad we make them. If Suspicion hunt like a young dog which knows not his game, it is taken oft with a lie, and falls soon into a dead fault; but if it work an experience and trial, it gives soon over where it is not good, and never holds but where it should. Vain fears and vain suspicions are much like, for fear makes us suspect the helps which might do us good, and Suspicion makes us fear friends, which mean us no hurt; and both betray their followers, fear to danger, and Suspicion to shame, the one by refusing her own strength, the other by discovering his own weakness. If Suspicion come of weakness it is the more tolerable, but if for want of charity, and strengthened with malice, it is intolerable, and to be hated, for it rangeth fare, and runneth riot, and will be under no command, you shall never satisfy it though you would, neither can it satisfy itself but by complaints. What poison lieth hid under Suspicion may appear, because it breedeth jealousy between man and wife, for what is jealousy, but the Suspicion of a stranger? In this cause the parties are so disquieted, that the joy which they took by each other doth decay, their society becomes odious, and a cursed parting (the bane of holy wedlock) follows. The suspicions man as he is no good husband, so is he a bad neighbour and a worse friend, an unruly servant, and a crooked master, he mistakes more than he takes in good part, he will not lend a good turn for fear of losing his labour, and and yet hath lost all judgement, because he will not lend so much as a good opinion, he hears what men speak when they are silent, and seethe them doing something amiss when they are asleep, he doth challenge the fairest proceed of a foul intent, he thinks all men naught and is the worst themselves, he trusts no man in private and is publicly noted, he hath a window in every man's breast, and an eye into every man's window; a clear mind thinks of others as of himself at all times; he doth pass over that which may have any good construction, & many times takes no notice of ill or offence, he consults not with tales and opinions, but out of discretion, and observes both what humane society doth require, and how far charity must bear and may win a stranger.   

Meditation 19 Of Gain.  
A Desire of Gain, if we have a greater desire of God's glory and the common good, if it be limited within the bounds of nature and honesty, if it be our own and not to gain by another's loss, is not to be condemned, yet are we scarcely to desire Gain by our Saviour's rule: That which we may lawfully desire, we may honestly seek, but Christ will not have us seek the things belonging to Gain, but to the kingdom of God, and to accept the other as it falleth out; meaning that our whole purpose of living here, should be set on our spiritual life with God, to make our advantage that way, and that our natural and civil life should receive their convenient blessings from God, without our cark or vexation, though not without our employment, without gaining our affections, though commanding our means. There is sometimes a fault in the desire when it is greedy, and in the Gain when it is filthy, and commonly a greedy de●ire doth not refuse filthy Gain, and when they go both together it is the worse. Usury is not only a desire, but a greedy desire of filthy Gain, yea unsatiable and cruel, a Gain and a stain to the Soul of him that useth it, a Gain and a pain to the heart of him that payeth it, a Gain and a train of the Devil, by the love of money to bring men to perdition: Yea but much good cometh to the Commonwealth by usury; and the like is said of witchcraft, men else will not lend, as much to say as they will not be Christians; but will you be so bold as to condemn all usury? I refer you to your conscience a little rectified, deal as you would be dealt withal, abuse not thy neighbour's want, use the honest means of some calling, depend on God's blessing, and tell me what course of usury is lawful, many lend not for themselves but for Orphans. A special cause, and hath special rules of conscience; many pay use, the occasion of borrowing may accuse or excuse; the greatest Gain, and the surest profit is God lives, for it hath the promises of this life and that which is to come, and joineth piety with prosperity; But what are promises worth (say some) who will stand on them? promises are but debts, and debts are not willingly paid though promised by forfeit under hand and seal. True between man and man, but between God and man not so, because his promise is better than any man's performance; think not small of the promise of his love. But I see no experience, I have no feeling of this promise, David did when he said I never saw the righteous forsaken. David many times believed without feeling, and so do thou, if thou find it hard, pray that thou mayst, for it is full of reward. If thou be godly, I permit thee to deal with the earth, or natural ready and ordinary Gain, she takes no hurt, thou much advantage; thy diligence maketh her bountiful, thou lendest a little, and she pays thee home with great store; I know thou wilt as willingly deal with the poor, an excellent usury, God is the paymaster, not according to thy merit, but far above, of his own mercy; for the interest of unrighteous Mammon, behold a crown of righteousness with Christ: for him, forsake Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, House and what not else! and receive a hundred fold, is not this Gain enough? will not such Gain content thy desire? this or none. Two things hast thou (oh my soul) to avoid about worldly Gain, distrust, if it come not; security, if it do: Do thy means fail? thou hast a father careful of thee above all means; Art thou not rich to the world? it is better 〈…〉 rich towards God; of a li●… give a little, God respecteth according to that a man hath, not according to that he hath not, and loveth a cheerful rather than a costly giver; thou must learn to wait on God from day to day, it is thy obedience, his glory; if thou be rich, thy account will be the harder to make. Things themselves are not good to thee, but in their lawful use, they serve not thy turn except thou serve God with them, make not that a snare to entangle thee in vanity, which is given thee for the exercise of virtue; Alas, why complainest thou when any cross interrupts thy worldly proceed, and dost not feel the loss of spiritual grace, whiles thou art thwarted in a good course by sin? why art thou so well pleased at good success, and dost not rejoice rather for the good seeds of thy regeneration, for the fruits of thy faith, hope, love, zeal, patience, chastity, meekness, temperance, sobriety and the rest, for that thou hast found or art directed in the way, to find the treasure of inestimable worth and value, to wit, the keeping of a good conscience? this that thou dost not, aught to make thee mourn and lament, and thou shouldest not take comfort in that wealth which keeps thee from feeling thy daily want and enjoying sound prosperity.   

Meditation 20. Of Giving.  
GAining is good if it be to give, for Giving is better; God gains nothing by any, yet gives all, that is his perfection; the light of the Sun and Moon, the influence of the Planets, the sweetness of the air, the variety of seasons, the fatness of the clouds, the fruitfulness of the earth, the fullness of the Sea, the virtue of herbs, the beauty of flowers, the profit of beasts and cattle, the price of Gold, Silver, and precious stones are nothing to him, nay the redemption of mankind, the gathering of the Saints, the gifts of the Church, the graces of men, our regeneration, sanctification, prayers, sacrifices and services are nothing to him, for he is his own perfection; ours it is to gain and give, receive and bestow, of all things besides God it may be said, what have they which they have not received? yea the creatures which have most, as Angels and men have received most, and are the more bound to the giver, wherefore their first perfection is to receive, but because to give, to bestow, is a farther extent of perfection, and more answerable to the perfection of him which is the giver of all good, therefore is it a better thing, and as our Saviour said, by Paul's report, a more blessed, to give, rather than to receive, a better good, the chief good; a better good, that's virtue, the chief good, that's happiness; the life of every virtue is action, and happiness the perfection of actions, and action of virtue is nothing else but a giving of good in some kind, as the act of justice, to give every one his own, of fortitude to give courage against death, of temperance to give a measure to pleasures, of prudence to give order to affairs, of liberality to give gifts where and when it is convenient, and therefore as we say, there is a kind of justice in all virtues; so is there a kind of liberality, though one kind of giving for his use and excellency be so specially called, for he which giveth of his own to relieve another, doth it most freely without any consideration to move him, besides the love of virtue, and for the good which comes thereof is deemed a God amongst men, for which cause Princes are by a special title termed Gods, because as their places require them to do all virtuous actions more than others, so above all, they are enabled to give liberally, and by giving to help many; he that doth good unto his neighbour according to the action of any virtue, gives him his help more worth than goods, and therefore gives in the true nature of giving, and if his help be for the soul and the life to come, the gift is greater than if it pertained to this life only; and yet I know not how they which give out their goods freely to the comfort of others, win a more deep affection and excellent reputation, than they which do good according to any other virtue: yea a liberal man hath the commendation of all virtue, he is thought wise, because he knows the true use of riches; valiant, because he can overcome the covetous desire which rules too many; just, because he willingly makes that to be another's, which is his own; because he thinks it more due unto him for the good which may come thereof; temperate, because he doth withdraw much from superfluity and excess, that he may have wherewith to do others good, and he will spend the less to give the more. We must gain then that we may give, and we must receive that we may bestow, and do good with that we have, the one is blessed for the other, and therefore the latter rather blessed then the other; but he which thinks that to keep in his gains is the only way to do himself good, as if they were all lost, if others should occupy with him, hath as poor a trade as he which hide his talon in a napkin, of which came no advantage for lack that it was not put out: every Christian must know himself to be as it were the stomach, to digest, and disperse those gifts which he receiveth, to the good of Christ's body; Christ emptied himself to fill us, he being rich (saith Paul) for your sakes became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich; What he got of his Father, by his holy life or patiented death, he bestoweth on us, and what he might justly claim at our hands, for his gifts bestowed on us, he leaves to be disposed by us, to the good of our mother, as the Tithes of our goods on the Ministers which watch not for his, but our good; Alms of our goods, which the poor receive, and he accepteth and rewardeth, as if they were bestowed on himself; and if he bestow a spiritual grace on me, he looks not for the return, but puts it over to the brethren, as when he said, I have prayed for thee Peter, that thy faith fail not, strengthen thy brethren; and for the good instruction which we receive in the Church to our soul's health, he binds us to teach and exhort one another. A Christian then hath a life both active and passive, the one all in receiving, the other all in giving: he doth receive faith, hope, charity; and all this while nature doth nothing, grace doth all: then after by grace he liveth in doing good, according to his faith, hope, and love; the first life brings him into the favour of God, the second into the possession of his kingdom; to do thyself most good is to departed with thy goods unto others, and in this cause they are kept better to serve thy turn, then if they were in thine own keeping, for if thy treasure be in the hand of the poor, Christ is thy treasurer, who will make thee good account of all such expenses. I speak strange things to the ears of men, addicted to this life, where plenty is before want, and prosperity before poverty, to whom giving seems spending, and receiving a fruitful harvest, but to the spiritual man whose life is in God, it is plain as grounded upon a true contempt of the world, and is the right exercise of charity which Christians must regard, and Christ at the last day will confirm it to be true, by that final judgement, when he shall pronounce them blessed which have given, and others cursed which have had more care to gain, then give. Oh my soul think nothing thine, that charity bids thee spare, or if it be thine, it is by the right of using it well to the good of others, for the rest thou shalt answer, as for things stolen.   

Meditation 21. Say well and do well.  
LEt every man speak as he means, but first let him mean well, for he which useth to speak well and hath no good meaning, doth soon prove a dissembler: it is simply good always to mean well, for that causeth a man to speak well, and to be the same in deed which he is in word; let every man speak as he list, so he live well, saith another, as though men could speak without affecting, as many times they speak without truth. He that doth use to speak ill will shortly be the man he speaks of, transforming himself by little and little into the Image of his own words; such a man indeed speaks plainly, but dangerously to himself and others, for his meaning being no better than his speech, he emboldens himself and corrupts others; and this is the rule, Custom of good speech doth not alter the meaning which is ill, but the use of ill speech doth alter the meaning which is good, and make it naught: whence it is, if I hear a man speak well, I am still uncertain, but if I see him do well, than I certainly know him, though he be silent, because his meaning is showed truly in deed, which in words is dark or doubtful. It is the proverb, Say well is good, but do well is better; How is it good if it make not a bad man the better, or prove not one to be good? nay it is oft times the vizard of a foul face, the curtain of an unclean bed, the plaster of a festered sore, the ceiling of some rotten wall, and is first a countenance to sin, which lieth hid under it, and in the end a disgrace to goodness, as though it were nothing else but verbal: Wherefore say well is good, not positively, or simply of itself, but privatively, that is, less hurtful than doing or saying ill, respectively as it is joined with a good meaning, so say well is good when it shows a man as he is affected, but do well is better, for that is the fruit of a good affection. The vessel doth yield such liquor as it hath, and as the man's trade is, so is his talk: oh my soul conceive thy thoughts according to the Idea of that divine goodness, which thy mind doth behold, and when they are borne into words, jacob's lambs shall not be more like the particoloured sticks, laid before the Ewes, in time of conception, than thy words and deeds shall be unto that Idea; but if thou suffer thyself to talk without good meaning, thy words shall be without feeling, and rather to condemn thyself then to amend others. Another proverb is, that true meaning hath no fellow; there is none to whom thou mayst commit thyself more safely, and which will do thee more good than true meaning; it will save thee from sin and shame, and make thy word and deed both one, and it will cause thy friend safely to commit himself unto thee, and to find as much good in thy words and deeds, as thou dost in thy own true meaning; by it thou shalt free thyself from much lip-labour, and study of eloquence, for true meaning shall teach thee to speak in few words, and yet to be well understood, and shall add such grace and force to thy words, as if persuasion herself did speak for thee: but who speaks without true meaning hath lost his voice, because he speaketh from an hollow heart which yields an uncertain sound, and if men hear any thing it is the least part, and as an echo it is presently gone; A sound heart makes a sound tongue, the tongue in nature cannot, and in reason should not move without the heart, and therefore if the tongue move of itself, or before the heart, order is broken, and it is ominous: to say as we mean, is to follow God who is truth itself; but to do otherwise is to imitate the practice of the Devil, who by this deceived our first parents.   

Meditation 22. Of Obedience.  
THere is an Obedience of the Law, and an Obedience of Faith; the Obedience of the Law tells me what I ought to be, the Obedience of faith leads me unto it; the Obedience of the law condemns me, for not being as I ought, the Obedience of faith doth quit me from the law; the Obedience of the law doth bring me into bondage of the curse, the Obedience of faith makes me an inheritor of the blessing; in my mind I do allow the obedience of the law, but in my conscience I trust to the Obedience of faith; I am cotent that my life be ordered by the Obedience of the law, but look to be censured by the Obedience of faith; The Obedience of the law hath boasting and merits, repentance, pardon, acceptation, desire unfeigned, belong not to the Obedience of the law, but of faith; I have nothing to boast of, except I should boast of my own shame, and I have no claim but mercy: Except God look on my repentance and forgive my sins in Christ, except he do accept what is done in his fear, and pardon what is left undone, except he regard my desire, more than my deserving, and measure my desires rather by their sincerity, than their strength, what will become of me?   

Meditation 23. Temptation.  
SHake not hands with any Tentation, but turn quickly and fly speedily from it, as Joseph did from his Mistress; it is a greater hap not to go down into such a pit, than any sure hope to return out of it. Oh my soul thou knowest what I mean, and thou feelest the danger, thou canst more truly dislike sin then leave it, and hate it then be rid of it; yet he which commanded Lazarus forth of the grave, can raise thee, and hath he not done a like thing for thee? Why dost thou still love danger to fall into it? I neither love the danger nor the fall, but sin pleads custom, and the more I yield, the less able am I to resist. I am only strong in opinion, but weak in Tentation, and I find more safety in flying then fight; while I stand on my guard, my weapons to which I ordinarily trust, are stricken out of my hands, the base town of my senses is surprised, the castle of reason so battered and shaken, that consent who is Captain of the place falls to a parley, and yields on any conditions to my loss: How far better had it been for me to have avoided the fury of Saul, by wandering in the wilderness, barring myself of those betwitching vanities!   

Meditation 24. Presumption and Despair.  
PResumption and despair, the two extremities of faith; faith grounds itself on the promise of God, presumption assumes unto itself God's mercy without promise, desperation takes no comfort by the promise; Presumption intrudes itself into the promise, desperation excludes itself out of the promise, faith holds the promise fast, as his proper right; Presumption is more bold with God then wise, desperation puts a man more in fear then is safe, faith without boldness or fear, is confident; Presumption hurts the conscience most, and lays it open to sin, desperation wrongs God most, as though he would not or could not be merciful to a sinner, faith doth keep the conscience from sin to come, and makes the way for God's mercy, for the pardon of sins past; Presumption hath an eye only on the mercy of God, desperation on his justice, and faith doth behold in God both justice and mercy; Presumption is fed by prosperity, impunity, God's long sufferance, desperation strengthened by some special cross and adversity, at what time sins appear greater, and more in number then before, Faith standeth on the death of Christ, and there doth see both the greatness and grievousness of sin, and findeth a way to escape the danger; Presumption doth despise the justice of God, the fear whereof might make him fit for mercy, desperation cannot apply unto itself the mercy of God in time of need, the help whereof might cause him to avoid justice; Presumption doth cause a man to think well of himself, of his own wisdom, righteousness, and to prefer himself before others, desperation doth cause a man to think ill of God, and no otherwise then of a tyrant; Presumption is a Pharisee, despair a Devil, faith the penitent Publican; finally Presumption is a steep cliff without footing, desperation a deep pit without bottom, and faith jacobs' ladder, by which God comes down to man, and man goes up to God. Oh my soul thou best knowest thy own wand'ring, there lies danger on both sides, the common ways are the worst, and that the safest which fewest find; let thy guide be the word of God, walk by faith, purpose not to offend, though pardon were granted thee before hand. Hast thou offended? seek for mercy, not considering so much how great thy sins are, but how great is his mercy to them that truly repent. A good conscience may presume of mercy, when it hath no feeling, expecting God's leisure with patience, and this is to hope above hope, and despair of her own sufficiency when it doth most good, so learning to depend ever on God alone.   

Meditation 25. Society with God.  
MAn by nature is sociable, and of all Societies none better for him, if it may be had, then that with God: for if we enter into a common right with them, of whose Society we are, how much shall we by this Society be blessed above all others, which possess God, who is the fullness of all good things, and are so possessed of him, that nothing shall be able to part us from him? Now behold how thou mayst attain to this near and inward society with God, he which dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him, for God is love, a holy flame burning with the love of goodness, the Father loveth the Son eternally, and the Son the Father, and the Holy Ghost is one and the same incomprehensible love of the Father and the Son, three persons but one love, for God is love, and this inferior love of the creature is but a beam, a stream of that love, which if it be so necessary between the creatures themselves, that the course of things may not be maintained without it, how much more between the Creator, and the creature? for both the being and well-being of the creature, doth depend on the love of the Creator, and these creatures are the less happy, how excellent so ever otherwise, as the Sun, Moon, and other glorious bodies, which being loved of God, cannot love him again. Oh man, what cause hast thou to love God, which was not content only to make thee a creature, whom he would love, but endued thee also with a nature to love him again, that so thou mightest enjoy him the more: and certainly as the being of God is love, so there can be no greater perfection in men, then to love God. God doth give most glorious signs of his presence in Heaven, but out of doubt the Heaven of his delights, and where he is always present, is the soul of a true lover. Love is a quiet thing, yet not idle, active as heat, and nourishing goodness like a natural heat; it is much in giving, much in forgiving; in giving to God his honour, to man convenient help and secure; in forgiving wrongs and injuries. Love's kindred is not of flesh and blood, a Christian unto it is more dear than a brother, and a brother the more dear, if a good Christian. Love soars over all the pleasures, the riches, the honours of the world, and stoops down to none of these, because with the Eagle it finds nothing worth the looking on, but Christ Jesus the son of righteousness. The privilege of love is this, where there is love it is accepted, not according to the work, but for the worker, according to that one hath, and not according to that he hath not; many oversights are borne with, where there is love; and where there is no love, the greatest diligence is rejected. Oh my soul, fail in any other thing, rather than in love; though a small measure of knowledge must content thee, yet love God out of measure, above thyself for himself; do good unfaignedly, if not strongly; and let thy heart be ready, when it hath made thy hand empty.   

Meditation 26. Of Peace.  
I Would that all they which are of one opinion, were of one affection: How well doth it become them that profess one truth to maintain peace as one man, because the author of their truth hath commended peace unto them, as the fruit of goodness, which springeth up in them that love the truth? Now because they which are one in opinion, are many times differing in affection, truth itself which is but one, seems to be rend in parts, and is ill spoken of by adversaries, which agree with true professors neither in opinion nor affection, and shall I wish likewise, that they which are of one affection, as man and wife, parents and children, brother and sister, master and servant were of one opinion? How necessary is it that they which agree in the lesser matters of life, should in the greater much more; and that they which have vowed to be true to one another, should be both true to Christ? but now because they which are of one affection do square in opinion, the knot of love is broken which truth doth commend, and it seems that truth is the author of confusion; what then indeed is to be wished? that our opinions be ruled with truth, and our affections tempered with love, and this will bring the diversities of men to a world of university, wherein though there be differing parts, both for stuff and use, yet they shall all tend to the good of one another, and so of the whole chief, insomuch if that come in question once, every particular will lose some part of his interest, rather than the whole shall labour; and this shall be done more strongly by the guide of reason, then by the instinct of nature, where for the same cause, sometimes heavy things climb upwards, and light stoop down, contrary to both their proper rights; And were it this, then must we all needs be of one opinion, of one affection, that is, Christians both in name and in truth: for this is the thing which our Christian profession doth chaime of us, and a thing rather indeed to be wished then hoped for; and I think God hath of purpose placed us to live amongst such, which if they do agree with us in affection, they shall disagree from us in opinion, so barring us of this unity, either for the exercise of our virtue, or that we should be out of love with the world, and long for the other to come, where we shall perfectly enjoy it. Howsoever in the mean space, they which will nourish in themselves any hope of coming to such happiness promised, must maintain this band of unity, in the communion of Saints, and that is not only to love the truth, but also in truth. Oh my soul, labour for truth, and suffer many things for Peace, prefer the truth before all things, but use the truth to win thy brother; thou knowest how much truth doth belong to thee as a man, reason searcheth truth; more as a Christian, faith receives truth; give thanks to God, if thou meet with such as can teach thee, and be as ready to teach others; this will be a stay from wand'ring opinions which have no end: but if thou meet with such as love the truth with thee, and affect thee in the truth, give God thanks for such a heavenly blessing, and let not thy oil be wanting to keep such a lamp burning: Brethren indeed are they, which are of the same profession and affection, Christ is the head of their society, it will never want life, the spring of their affection, it will never want love; and what soever spiritual comfort thou hast in this life, remember the greater part is behind, and therefore lift up thyself for that day, when thou shalt be present with the Lord.   

Meditation 27. Of Love.  
TO love the truth is the more worthy Love, and yet to love in truth more urged and required, because that as in the first, there is more excellence in respect of the object, so in the second more evidence, in respect of the subject; and though by the order of teaching, we learn, first to love the truth, and then to love in truth, yet according to the order of nature we can never profit much in the first, till we have well practised the other, for love is stirred up by sight and he that loveth not his brother whom he daily sees, how can he love God whom he never saw? So God loveth us first, after we love him, but this love cannot reach to that height, except by certain degrees we climb up thither, beginning the love of God in the love of our brother. Is not he worthy of my love, whom God hath made partaker of his? and if I form myself to love all men as brethren, shall I not love God the more, which loves all those whom I do love? As we know, so we love, but God would have us to know and acknowledge himself, first in our brother, and to cast our eyes upon him as his Image; and therefore if this may not move us to a due consideration of love, for the Image sake, neither will we love him for his own sake, who is yet more unknown unto us. In love it is a special point to observe the disposition of the beloved, for this makes Love acceptable; now God is specially pleased, when the duties which in Love we own unto him, are for his sake done unto our brother, and therefore when we resign up our hearts to serve God, which is the chiefest of our Love, we must express it in striving to do good one unto another in Love; and he that is thus affected, cannot be careless of his brother, or comfortless unto him. Love like fire, it can neither be idle when it hath matter to work on, nor lie hid; water will not quench it; cover it you cannot, but the flame will break forth: The true lover of God doth embrace him in his heart, his mind ever thinks on him, and his will desires him; But this is raked up and hidden in the inner man, how breaks it forth? by respecting and affecting all men for God's sake, to his power, above his power, bearing their necessities, for bearing their wrongs, feeling with them in joy or grief, taking part of their harms, and imparting his owpe advantages unto them. God hath made all his creatures, that in them we might know his power, reverence his greatness, admire his wisdom, and be thankful unto him for his bounty, but the only use which we can make one of another is this, that by mutual love for God's sake, we love God, not as in his work only, which may be said of the rest, but as in his likeness, which no work else can yield us. Dost thou then love the Olive because of his fatness, or the Vine because of his strength, or the Figtree because of his sweetness? dost thou love the Sun because he is King of the day, or the Moon because she is Queen of the night? dost thou love the Fire because of his heat, or the Water because of its moisture? dost thou love the Air because it doth refresh▪ or the Earth because it doth cherish thee? yet hast thou a greater cause than any of these to love thy brother, for the likeness of God which is in him: love all the Creatures, for in them God hath left the print of his footsteps, but love thy brother more than all, for in him God hath printed his own face and fashion. Thou wilt say, that coin shall be currant with me, which bears my Prince's Image, and shall not thy brother's love be currant with thee, who bears the Image of thy God? It seems when God made man, he resolved on a likeness to himself, rather than any other pattern, that man should love his God better, and be the better beloved of another man, who is no other than a brother unto him, that is, another such. Oh my soul, thou knowest well thy own backwardness in this duty, and when thou wouldst do any thing, thy great weakness, dost thou not oft think so I am well all is well, what a hard charge is this to love my enemy? how unsuitable to policy? what a cross to my life? thou dost prefer thy reputation before common peace, thine own advantages before thy brother's souls health, and dost not consider, how that thou mayst not be well, except thou do well, and do well thou dost not, if any thing in thee be wanting, why thy brother is not so too; more, thy particular depends upon the common God: if it be hard to love thy enemy, yet it is godly and for God's cause, whose wisdom if we follow, let us be counted fools; Thou knowest whose speech it is, Am I my brother's keeper? the wicked crush one another with such thoughts, and specially are cruel to the good, but they which are Christ's, quite and quiet one another with love, oft times man is a keeper of beasts; Why should not one man have care of each other? if so, why not much more of a brother? if not of a brother, of whom? if of none, he which keeps thy brother, will not keep thee.   

Meditation 28. A good conscience.  
GOd is possessed by love, and the profession of the truth maintained by keeping a good conscience: A good belief must be strengthened by a godly life, and a godly life seasoned with a good belief; they are as the two twins, which did live together, and die together. The Christian is in this world as it were in a broad Sea, his profession teacheth him that his Heaven is Heaven, and there is no Card or Compass can so well direct him in a good course unto it, as a good conscience, whose direction if once he leave, he soon makes shipwreck of his profession: for to use thy faith with a bad conscience is as it were to meet with a rock or whirlpool in thy course; and as it is said of danger, they that love it shall fall into it, so they which love the danger of an ill conscience fall by it, by the just judgement of God, into the gulf of divers errors contrary to their profession: Dost thou desire to continue in this holy profession, unto thy lives end? I know thou dost; then look well unto thy conscience: All men are sinners by propagation, that's original, and by imitation, that's actual; and this is as true, that every one doth best know his own sin, and is less privy to other men's sins; wherefore the just man is the first accuser of himself, for he presumeth as well of others as possibly he can, and assumeth nothing to himself of all his goodness, but freely confesseth that sin is his own, for which he doth daily ask pardon, with the rest of God's children, as, Forgive us our trespasses. A Christian ought to be that towards his Conscience which a cleanly huswife is in her house, if she see any filth in the floor, or cobwebs in the walls or roof, she takes the beasome in hand & sweeps them out; so ought we still to have an eye on our Conscience, and if there be any thing offensive, let us labour to remove it, leaving nothing within, which is not pleasing to God, and comfortable to ourselves; then shall God delight to dwell in such a Conscience, and we shall delight to dwell at home in ourselves: the wicked, because they have no care to keep clean their Consciences, when they return home to themselves, which is very seldom, find all things out of order and unquiet, which forth with makes them seek abroad for some outward comfort, to forget the strife at home, as they which are chidden out a doors, by their cursed wives: these cannot abide to look on their own faces, but cast away the glass which doth discover their deformity; they are like bad debtors which cannot abide to cast up their accounts, and come to a reckoning; whereas the good man findeth all his comfort laid up in his own breast, and hath there the light of clear beams, though all the world else be benighted. Oh my soul, if thy Conscience be the Lords house, how cleanly ought it to be kept above all other rooms? if his temple, how oughtest thou to perfume it with the sweet odours of holy thoughts, meditations, purposes, resolutions and prayers, the bells wherein should be continual thanksgivings, to sound aloud the praises of thy God: And this shall be thy warrant, that doing as thou professest, thou shalt be still the more in love with thy profession.   

Meditation 29. Consideration.  
ALI the learned commend Contemplation, Philosophers, Divines; but give me Consideration. I find myself oft in danger, for want not of knowledge, but Conscience; not of apprehension, but reprehension: I know that contemplation is a great help to consideration, as much as wisdom is to prudence; for that is an act of the one, and this of the other, and they are both compared, one to the Sun, the other to the Moon; one to the Well, the other to the stream; for prudence doth borrow her light from wisdom, and her fruitful streams issue from that fountain: yet like I better for my necessity, the pipe which conveyeth the stream unto me, than a conduit which holdeth the water whereof I have no use. Contemplation is this conduit, filled up from the well of wisdom; but Consideration is the pipe by which prudence in a true level doth bring this water home to my house & use; Contemplation is a beam of the understanding cast directly forth, but Consideration a beam of the understanding turned and reflected on itself; contemplation clears my understanding, Consideration orders my will; Contemplation makes me skilful in the Theoric of goodness, but Consideration perfect in the Practic of it; Contemplation gives me eyes, Consideration hands; Contemplation stayeth itself within one bare proposition, This God is good, and here it beholdeth how many ways God is good, of himself originally, in himself effentially; in his work, in his word, statutes, judgements, punishments, corrections, promises, every way, every where good, yea when he suffereth us to be evil; but Consideration proceedeth farther, to an application, how this doth concern himself, that I ought to be good, and to seek that good which I want, in him, who is goodness itself, and concludes with a resolution, to use the means which may cause me to be good: Consideration is the exercise of conscience and reason, mutually helping one another, or a conscience grounded on reason, which hath his own light, or is enlightened from above, or is by teaching, or by use and experience directed; Consideration setteth before me things past, maketh me provident for things to come, and plucks me by the ear, not to neglect things present, which it doth by comparing and matching all these together; things past, with things to come, and conceiving a like form in both, doth by things already acted, enter into a right course of action: Contemplation hath general grounds of truth, from which many conclusions may more specially be deduced, but the life of action lies in circumstances, the soul where of is Consideration: wherefore contemplation reads me over a lesson, which Consideration doth make me perfect in, by observation, experience, correction: Blessedness, which is the perfection of man hath his beginning from Contemplation, but his consummation in us by Consideration; for as by that I know God who is the cause of causes, so by this I love God who is the last end. The soul doth perform some actions without discourse, so doth it move the body, receive, digest, bestow the meat for nourishment, and in those it so falls out, because the end is as present, as the means, namely the life of the body; but those actions which tend unto her own proper end, or rather of the whole, she doth not produce without discourse, because the means are nearer, and the end farther of. Angels for the perfection of their nature, do all their actions without discourse, but as the Angels herein are above men, so man by the privilege of discourse, above all other Creatures; for as in a Mill the stones know not what thing meal is, nor to what end, neither the wheels, nor the Water which driveth them about, but the Miller only, which sets the Mill to work: so none of the Creatures of this world, know their own worth, or employment, but only man which is Lord over them, and hath not only the use of particular objects, but of common notions also, and beholding causes in their effects, and aiming at a farther, by the next doth sort convenient means to their proper ends, and all ends to the chief end. What a high art is Consideration, which doth effect such wonderful things? out of one good, it multiplies many, and makes her advantage of evil; it takes on her the cure of our weakest and worst parts, and addeth both comeliness and grace to the best: where Consideration is, all things are done orderly; but they which by chance do a good without it, do lose the commendation of their work, for want of it; yea of such force is it, that actions not speeding in the end, yet set a foot by Consideration, retain still the praise of virtue; it hath as it were the true touch of that stone, whereby Gold is known from other metals, for so by it we discern between that which is honest, profitable, and pleasing, preferring honesty to the rest, as Gold to other metals: it doth cause profit and pleasure, to give place to honesty, and out of honesty requites us with true profit and pleasure; but if profit and pleasure strive with honesty to have their turns served first, or without it, than it showeth them to be base metal, and nothing worth, that such profit is but loss, such pleasure but sorrow, and that indeed there is nothing either profitable or pleasant, which agreeth not with honesty. As they which behold other men's buildings, walk in other men's Parks, solace themselves in other men's Gardens, make a use to themselves, though the possession belong to another: so do we neither hear any thing spoken, or see any thing done, neither is there any object proposed unto us, whereof by Consideration, we may not make some use unto ourselves, though the matter belong to others. And herein is the busy body faulty, which meddling with all kind of matters, doth desire to be a party in possession where he hath nothing to do, whereas if he had Consideration, he might take notice of any man's dealing for his own use, and do no wrong, for he cannot be accounted a busibody, which out of Consideration observeth for his own use, from those things which belong not unto him. Excess of anger or pleasure is the greatest enemy to Consideration, and the promoter of all hasty and forward attempts, which end in sorrowful events; but the fear of death, and other miseries, are lessened by Consideration.   

Meditation 30. Subjection.  
BEtter well marked, than a whole ear, is the husbandman's Proverb, for the beast which strays away is the sooner owned, and brought home again with a mark, but without it lost; better to be under government, then to follow a lose and lawless life; better to be trained up under the discipline of the Church, then to range at liberty, as an Ethnic; It was the better for the prodigal youth, that he went out a son, though he returned a sinner, and he receives more liberty by his coming home, than he found abroad; his Father knows him, the house receives him, the fat Calf is provided for him, and all make merry with him. The Church doth exercise authority over them, which bear the mark of Christ; and if there be cause why, it doth correct them according to the quality of their faults; sometimes by words chiding them, sometimes by deeds suspending them from the Sacraments, or excommunicating them from the society of the Church; and if the Church perceive that any hath entered through hypocrisy, and is now discovered by blaspheming the truth, which is a casting off of Christ's mark, such a one it doth remove by the eternal curse Atha Maranatha; and for such a one indeed had it been better never to have received that mark, and for those also which in the end do fall from the Church, contemning the order thereof, though not cursed: but they which are the true members of the Church take great profit by those censures, for though they fall oft times through humane frailty, yet the Church doth not cease to acknowledge them for her own, because they bear the mark of Christianity, and taking a special care of them, doth by this discipline bring them again to repentance, and amendment of life, they are converted, they are received, they are confirmed more than before, and the Church is glad of them, as a woman of the child wherewith she hath long travailed; howbeit with them which are without, the Church meddleth not, therefore run they on still in sin to their own perdition, as they which are utterly lost in the waste of this world, because they have not the mark of Christ; Count it thy greatest good in this life, that Christ hath marked thee for his own by baptism, that thou livest under the discipline of that Church whereof he is the head, and therefore suffer thyself to be rebuked, privately, openly, and if any greater correction befall thee, humble thy self, repent, amend, and this privilege that thou art marked by Christ, shall restore thee again to thy former estate, and thou shalt be his more than before; only beware of hypocrisy, which one day shall be discovered, and turn not back like a dog to his vomit, for such have their end worse than their beginning, and it is better never to have known the way of righteousness, than afterwards to departed from the holy commandment, by a wilful heart, into which extremity they are at last led, which use not their most honourable profession with a good conscience; The fall of a star is fearful, because high and eminent, and no candle hath so ill a smack, as that which hath lost his light.   

Meditation 31. World's vanity.  
I See nothing in the world, but profane security, or base weakness, or fruitless labours; profane security of them which are the world's favourites, base weakness of them which live in her disgrace, and fruitless labours of them whose hopes and means do yet wait on the world, striving hardly to come unto that which they think to attain; of which sort, the first hold themselves so safe as men above the Moon, the second so miserable, that they wish no longer to be, the third bound to do nothing, but that which they do, and though they row against the stream, and be oft put back by contrary tides, yet had they rather be wearied out, then give over; behold, in the first too much confidence in the matters of the world, which they make sure unto themselves, and prove but vain; in the second an absolute decay of virtue and goodness; in the third a wilful slavery to Vanity. Our Saviour proposeth the rich chuff in the Gospel, as a notable example of profane security, who saith, Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years, live at ease, eat, drink, and take thy pastime; to whom God said, Fool, (a shrewd term for great ones) this night will they fetch away thy soul from thee, than whose shall these things be which thou hast provided? Here is one reaso why men should not trust in riches, because the owner may be taken from his wealth. A like example of this security we have in Daniel of Nabuchadnezzar, who in the pride of his heart thought his estate greater than that it could be weakened, and he saith, Is not this great Babel which I have built, for the house of the Kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majesty? and while he was thus speaking, a voice came from Heaven? Oh King Nabuchadnezzar, to thee be it spoken, Thy Kingdom is departed from thee: Yea also in Esther, how Haman comes from the next to the Throne, to the highest at the Gallows: here is another reason, why these worldly advantages should not cause men to be secure, because they may be taken from the owner. Of base weakness, we have an example in Achitophel, who, because he was disgraced at Court, and his counsel not followed, went home and hanged himself; in Achab, who cast himself on his bed, and would eat no bread, because Naboth denied to sell him his Vineyard. It befalls out that they are ever thus affected about worldly losses, which have first lost virtue and honesty: he that hath unworthily lost a friend, can comfort himself in his own fidelity; but these men, having ever been false to their own good, when they are forsaken of worldly goods, have nothing wherein to take comfort; a little of virtue would make them live content, without the favour of the world, and though they might have rich store, yet to desire rather a moderate use of things, than a large possession; but loving the graces of the world only, they have not sought to make themselves acquainted with Lady virtue, who makes herself known to such as esteem her. They which give themselves to the wilful slavery which the world imposeth on them, by fruitless labours, daily to be taken for vain hopes, suffer that for their humour's sake, which they do that are amorous, and taken in some foolish love or lust, rather they admire the person of the beloved, be she but an odd one amongst the earthy dusty beauties of humane kind; this is the Idol which they will daily adore, they put of their cap and salute her, as though she were present, all their thoughts are spent to set forth her heavenly beauty, by whatsoever nature hath excellent; if she cast but a good look on them, it is the highest favour that may be; if she frown, they are at death's door, and use all their poor services to win her again; no wrong can make them dislike, no labour weary them in their suit; and to such a case is the silly wretch brought, that to please his Mistress, he cares not how long he torments himself: such a Mistress is the wealth, the glory, the pleasure of the world, to those that are enamoured on it, they stand at the Gate with Absalon, and take every man by the hand, and kiss him, to gain the crown of their desires. But oh my soul, seek not the world, but the kingdom of God in Christ; if it serve thy turn trust it not; if it frown ou thee, know thou hast a better master.   

Meditation 32. The Heart God's house.  
We will not be contented, except we have elbow room enough in the world, and perhaps the whole world scarce content many, a private man's wealth must serve their turn that can go no farther, and yet in this estate, ordinary things are in small request; but what is Italy or Europe to a victorious spirit, but a step over into afric, and from that into Asia; Are not ambition and covetousness as large, and stretch they not their arms as fare as the Sea? yet God reckoneth not so much of the greater, but would dwell in the little world, and content himself if he may take but one corner of it, even the heart of man; men as they ask much of the world, so are they willing to bestow all that they have on it; but they will not part with any thing to God, whereas if they would not deny him this little, he would give them more than all the world is worth: for why doth he ask the heart, not to forsake it, when he hath won the love of it, as the world doth, but to dwell in it for ever? And no doubt so great a Lord will make his dwelling very beautiful: Consider that if the Heaven of Heavens be so glorious and blessed a place, which yet is but the mansion ordained for his elect, how much more glorious shall they be, whom God doth enter into as his own mansion; and which by reason that they are his Image, do receive a greater glory from him, than the material Heaven? If thy heart be God's ancient inheritance, the world is but a disseisor; there be many rivals for thy heart, and they seem all so fit, that thou knowest not to which to give it first, but when God comes, thou art resolved to deny it, and so he have it not, thou dost not much pass who have it, whether it be pleasure, profit, or ambition; and indeed much like a covetous owner, thou dost choose rather to have thy heart stolen from thee, then to bestow it freely on him who is worthy of it: So got, so spent; if thou hadst presented thy heart to God, he would use it as a gift with regard, but those as they have stolen it, so they abuse it.   

Meditation 33. Separation.  
SOme professors which would seem to strive for great parity and perfection of life, have been much offended at the blemishes and wants of those Churches wherein they did live, and have gone so fare in this humour, as not to hold these assemblies for Churches, though otherwise having the word sound preached, and Sacraments rightly administered, wherein they saw so many hypocrites, and lose livers, and in the end have made a Separation from their Churches, and sought unto themselves new conventicles, as they thought pure and holy; wherein as they did great wrong unto Christian charity and unity, which was not in this cause to be broken, so found they not that which they sought for; and surely it cannot be, that in this world there should be any visible Church so pure, as they dream of it, that there should be in it Wheat without Tares, Sheep without Goats; for it is compared to a draw Net, which gathereth Fishes of all kinds, and it is a society wherein are men of all sorts; and no doubt it is the providence of God, which ordereth all things wisely, that the good, and bad should not live asunder, parted with great Seas and Mountains, but mingled one with the other in this life, which maketh much for the bettering of the good, in the exercise of virtue, and for the staying of the wicked from all kind of vice; if all the good should live together, how should their patience, charity, integrity of life, constancy in the truth, be exercised, or appear to the glory of God? if the wicked should live all together, what means might there be to reclaim them? but as they be now bad, so they would daily grow worse, one encouraging another, and having none amongst them, whose good examples might reprove them: And therefore the good are to the bad like a piece of leaven, the leaven is the least part, yet it hath a powerful force to turn the whole lump into his own quality; so are the good very few in respect of the bad, yet conversing amongst them daily, they draw the world by little and little to their disposition, and make a great alteration in their manners. For such is the power of virtue above vice, that though vice cannot root out virtue, out of a mind well settled, nor do any hurt at all save unto itself, yet virtue is of ability to drive vice out of that mind, which hath been long accustomed thereunto, and doth good not only to itself, but to many others, which walk as it were but in the show thereof. Be men bad, the more need is there that good men should live among them; None have so much need of the Physician as those that are sick: it is reserved for the Angels in the last day, to make a separation betwixt the Sheep and Goats, and not for men, who were redeemed from sin and Hell by Christ, uncharitably to forsake their weak brethren. But perchance this Separation is, because those which should execute good laws are corrupted, or that certain ceremonies are retained in the Church, which at other times have been abused unto superstitious uses, or in that where the doctrine is condemned as repugnant to the truth, certain rites of indifferency, tolerated by authority, are not therewithal abolished; But what partiality were this, to hate the good conditions in any man, for the rest of his bad qualities? and what disorder would this be in religion, to teach obedience unto Princes, and to reserve a liberty to ourselves, of infringing his equal laws? what breach of charity is this, to offend the conscience of a weak brother, in denying habits and ceremonies? Suppose they be used by Idolaters, yet was Asa and other Kings of Israel commended for pious; neither did the Prophets forsake their Country, or charges, although the high places were not taken away, with the abuses. Oh my soul, disdain not the Church for her spots, neither be so offended at the bad, as to forsake the fellowship of the good; look well into thyself, and thou shalt find more amiss there, than thou art ware of at first; wherefore begin to amend thy own faults, as one of the worst, and after be as leaven to season other: for such as think otherwise pity their weakness, and pray for their amendment.   

Meditation 34. Resolved constancy.  
We may observe two men borne in one Town, brought up under one and the same master, keeping like company, using the same diet, air, and exercise, to whom all things are as like as may be, yet one of these two giving place to his own appetite, following his own passions, led away by vice, and a lose kind of life, to wax worse and worse, the other obeying reason, and framing himself earnestly after the goodness of his education, to prove better and better, whence is this difference? If from outward causes, as God's providence, the stars, evil spirits, or our own unhappy condition which is past all recovery, why are they not both bad, seeing they are partakers of the same nature, of the same affections, set forward in the same kind of education, & continued in the same company: the wicked indeed rather than they will acknowledge their own fault, will impute it to any thing, rather than to themselves; notwithstanding, this doth plainly appear, to be the main difference, that the one of them is idle, variable, inconstant, careless, and so easily carried away with vanity; the other well settled, constant, resolute, in his purpose and determination, industrious, laborious, and so overcoming all difficulties, takes courage to go on in the course of virtue. The course than which good men take, doth depend on their own godly choice of mind, purpose, resolution; and the ill grow worse and worse, because they do not wish unto themselves the thing that is good, they do not purpose to be virtuous, but are altogether careless, and uncertain in their carriage. Mark this yet more plainly, for in this cause examples are more pregnant proofs, than demonstration from reasons fare fetched, Have you lived sometimes in any populous City? there might you have observed a world of courses, which the Citizens follow; some going about their own business, some attending their neighbour's occasions, some going to the Church to hear Sermons, or to be at divine Service, and all these are well employed, if they deal honestly, pray devoutly, and hear submissively; others again are there idly, walking about the Streets, or dropping into a Tippling house, or frequenting the Theatre, or making frays with them they meet, or drinking and carousing in Taverns, or sporting away the time in gaming places, or soliciting their queans in lewd houses, and these are ill employed. Now if a man should ask, whence there is such odds between the men that live within the same Walls, under the same Law, and in the same time; what may be said more likely and agreeable to reason, but this, that the better sort amoved by grace, out of the honest choice, purpose, and resolution of their mind, to follow virtue with all diligence, do take these commendable courses, and the worse sort addicted to their lusts, and pleasures, carelessly and idly bestow themselves on all occasions of sin; whence it is, that the good man, though he be many ways hardly tempted to sin, by the Devil and wicked men, doth always resist, and becomes the better; but the bad man, having many fair occasions offered to amend, doth prove the worse, and lightly assaulted, doth yield to vice: to wish ourselves such as we ought to be, to desire virtue and goodness, to purpose well, to add to our purpose, care, and industry, is not only a beginning, but a going forward, and procureth constancy in goodness; If thou wilt not so much as wish to thyself, the thing that good is, if thou make not special choice thereof above Gold, and thine own appetite, how canst thou labour for it? and if thou wish the contrary, how canst thou not choose but hate it? and in this cause, who is in fault but thyself? do not ill, and say, I cannot do better, but rather I will not change thy purpose; add thy endeavours, hearty beg and desire for it, and he which commands will give thee grace to turn and obey.   

Meditation 35. Self deceit.  
TWo motives there are why men sinne the more boldly; because it will be longer as they think, before they be called to account, and when the account must be made amongst so many, what hard matter is it for thee, or one to escape scot free? Thus use they to dally with their own dangers, which have made sin their inheritance, and seek shifts to avoid sounder causes, wherein they are the less to be pitied, because they grossly deceive themselves; Be it that it is long before we be called to account, yet the length takes it not away, but makes it the more heavy when it comes; we abusing the mean time unto sin, which God hath granted for our repentance, so that we should rather fear to sin, because we shall be called to account, then be bold, because of the delay; for look how much scope the one giveth to our sins, no less revenge doth the other take, when they are grown to ripeness; and it is indeed as dangerous for the wilful sinner, that it is long before there be an account, as that there is one. Now what if that time which men count long, be very short, to omit that no sin is committed, but the conscience doth call us forthwith to a reckoning, though the act pass, yet the guilt is eternally recorded in that book; as also, that the life of man is but short, after which every one hath his particular judgement: and put it over as fare as may be, to that general Inq●…est, and the latter end of the world; what can be long which hath an end, and is always running to that end? when the end is once come, what is all that worth, which passed before, whether they be 1000 or 2000 years? and what is that continuance worth, which is so full of ends, that every part thereof passeth away, whiles thou hast it? minute after minute, and hours after minutes, days after hours, months after days, and years after months, and after some few years (which as they begin in a minute, so end they in a minute) perchance not a year, not a month, not a day, not an hour, in a moment comes death, when most unlooked for. Hast thou spent 7 years in sin? if thou be not a man past all shame, thou art by this time much the sorier. Why then should the hope of living so much longer make bold again to sin? will not thy sorrow be doubled, when thou comest to fourteen? and what use returns to thee of all these fourteen years? are they not quite lost by following sin, and thou hast now more to do, if ever thou think to be saved, then when thou didst first hegin to say then, I will sinne, because the time of account is fare of, as if one would say, because I have much wealth, I will spend all, as though prodigality could find no bottom; He that hath a long time by spending it in sin, doth bar himself from all time; for if thou continue at all times in thy sin, what time can there be between sin, and the time of account? and if not at first, yet at last, by a continual course of sin, (let the time of sinning be never so long) sin and judgement will come together, and then thou wilt change thy voice, and say, Oh this long time is past, and the account is at hand, now that there will be much to do at this time, and where there are so many, it is not likely but that some may escape without their trial; though God do teach us familiarly as men, by such ordinary matters amongst us, as we may best understand his meaning, as when he setteth down unto us in his word the form of a judgement, yet must we not tie him to these necessary circumstances whereunto man's judgement is subject, for he executeth his judgement as God, and not according unto man's weakness, he is not bound to time or place, or examination of witnesses, all things are present before him which shall be our Judge; as every man's conscience doth condemn him, so shall he feel and know the sentence of the Judge, neither shall one prevent or interrupt the other. If thou canst not run from thy own conscience, how canst thou escape his judgement, who is greater than thy conscience? A sheep may stray from the flock amongst strangers, but he bears a mark which tries him from the rest, and discovers him to the owner; in like manner the conscience hath its mark, which wheresoever thou run, or thinkest to hid thyself, will dog thee back to judgement, and there lay open thy most secret crimes, sins and enormities. But these & the former surmises of thine proceed not so much from ignorance, as infidelity and impiety, and do sound in their true meaning this fare. The day of account will never come, therefore we may well say, it will be long in coming, it is impossible there should be such a general judgement, therefore some must needs escape: This is that bitter root, which springeth up now and then amongst carnal professors; first to sin, and then to deny God, against whose majesty we sin; for if there be a God (which were the greatest blaspemy to think otherwise) there must needs be a judgement, and his judgement cannot be just (which were most wicked to imagine) if he be partial to any, or not able to punish all: and mark to this purpose the order of God's works; first, that is the creation, than there followed the fall of man, after a general corruption of man, and last of all, the deluge and desolation of sinners; the old world is a figure of succeeding ages; the law was published by Moses, between God and the people, the covenants broken on the people's part, the punishment of the disobedient to the utter rooting our of that people, and their Temple which was the visible sign of God's presence amongst them; the law had figures for the time of grace, the law came by Moses, so grace and truth is come unto us by Jesus Christ, whose Gospel is Preached in all the world, what divisions and strife are risen up about it, as was foretold? how many enemies hath it, which with open force resist it? how many false brethren which undermine it? how many lose libertines which live under the shadow, but will not be ruled by the power of it? how doth faith waver, and charity wax cold; the world sway, and the Church suffer; heresy prosper, and truth pine? If all the works of God hitherto have had their just course and time, will he fail, trow ye, in the last act? nay some part of this act is begun already, by the coming of Christ into the flesh, for after this coming of him, it is said, He that believeth not in the Son of God, is condemned already, but the second coming of Christ shall be a full consummation; Is he come in humility to suffer and save, and will he not come in glory to put down all his enemies? I will not say, oh foolish and slow of heart, that were too mild for such mockers, but oh hard hearted and desperate wretches, who, because they will not now believe the truth of a final judgement, shall hereafter feel the terror and punishment of eternal condemnation.   

Meditation 36. Afflictions.  
AFflictions are ever profitable to the godly, but there are very few of such, and it is commonly seen that men, after a long and strong disease, are much worse than before, so that the fire of naughtiness, which for a while lay covered, under the embers of their disease, having gotten but a little vent, breaketh forth the more forcibly, and the flood of their corruption stopped for a while, by the opposition of their pains, having gotten some small passage, doth recover his course, with the greater violence; It is very true, that in our troubles we can call ourselves to account, and pray to God with many vows and promises of amendment, but no sooner doth he remove his hand, than we start aside from our new resolutions, and follow our old by as: and how cometh this to pass? because we were brought unto it by constraint; we did complain and cry, but more for feeling of anguish and pain, like beasts, than any inward remorse, or touch of conscience; we were not offended at our sins, but we are sorry for the loss of our health and liberty; we humble not ourselves before the Lord, but it is grievous unto us, that his hand is heavy on us; we long not after the health of our souls, but we inquire after all means to remove the disease from our bodies; therefore as soon as we have our will satisfied, in this respect, and seel our strength return, we get cut as men shut up long in Prison, and forget all the good thoughts which came to us in extremity; and as it fell out with the children of Israel, that because they were near the good land, and might have entered into it by the conduct of God, and would not, therefore returned they back again, and their carcases perished in the wilderness: so in this cause, because we were near to amendment of life, and might have been partakers thereof, through the mercy of God, and would not, therefore fall we back to our old sins, and in them we perish. A godly mind may thrive well in trouble, but he that is not prepared before hand, shall find little comfort in it; the sun which melteth the wax, hardeneth the clay, spices, when they are beaten; smell the better, but there are other things, which never smell so ill, as when they are most handled: these sudden flashes terrify many, but they enlighten none, but such as live in the inward light. Alas, what an interest hath sin in us, when we have once yielded unto it? we bear not only the guilt of what is past, but we are ever after the more prone to do the like again; So that there is no purgation so strong, no Affliction of such force to cleanse us of it, without the special gift of his heavenly grace, which no sooner said, but Lazarus comes forth; Therefore are we to look to our very beginnings, and if we have made any entrance, to draw back with speed; for sins of custom are like an old Gout, which knows no remedy; yet despair not at any time, rather resist then give place; if the tempter suggest unto thee the greatness of thy sins, let it serve this way to make thee humble thyself more, and to ask pardon; if thou desire hearty to amend, and commit thy cause to him which died for thee, thy sin cannot hurt thee, for he which giveth the desire, will bring it to effect; but herein beware of hypocrisy: if God point unto thee particularly by any Affliction, take it as a medicine from thy heavenly Physician, for thy soul's health, and let it be more displeasing that thou hast offended God, then that the cross is offensive to thee; seek the health of thy soul, more than the removing of outward crosses, and use all means to be such a one in health, as thou didst desire to be in sickness; in all Afflictions look not so much to the rod, as to the smiter, who if thou take it patitiently doth correct thee in love, if otherwise, in anger and indignation.   

Meditation 37. Humane society.  
MAn is by nature sociable, and framed thereunto by reason and speech, whereunto he doth the more willingly apply himself, though with some particular disadvantage, because of the necessities of life, which seem to require Society; for many commodities necessary to life, are had in a Society, not otherwise to be obtained; this hath drawn men from wand'ring up and down to certain places of abode, from dens to houses, from Woods to Towns and Cities, from barbarous manners to civility, and rather to commit themselves to the authority of an orderly government by Laws for their safety, then to languish in an idle and unprofitable looseness, without the use of one another's help, and Society: hence have been erected so many States and Commonweals, the glory of all ages: But yet this Society, how agreeable soever to man's nature, doth not fully content it, neither doth man find in man that which may satisfy his desire, for man being made after the Image of his maker, doth take more delight to see himself in the pattern of his first beauty, then to see his own face in the face of his brother; and though he need not for this purpose the use of his eyes so much, yet doth the soul more perfectly discourse and understand, when it lifteth itself up to God, then when it doth converse with man. Again, the happiness which we are to receive in a humane Society, doth proceed from the Society which we must first seek for with God, and from the duty we own unto him, we rightly learn how to frame ourselves in all inferior duties; wherefore as the desire of Society between man and man hath erected States, and Weals public, so the desire of Society between God and man, hath caused Churches and holy Assemblies, for they are a number of such men which not regarding the world, or the fashions of it, do desire the acquaintance and familiarity of God, having a special care in all their do, that in nothing they offend his presence, which vouchsafeth to be amongst them as his own children and friends. Our blessed Saviour knowing how necessary it was for man to recover this Society with God, lost by the fall of our first progenitor Adam, and desiring to be the author of so great a good unto us all, did in his own person ratify the band or league of our reconciliation with God; for being everlastingly God, as the Son the second person in the Trinity, he took unto the same our humane nature, and so became both God and man, and one true Immanuel, of which nature it is truly said, that the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in it bodily, and all we which be made bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, are also partakers of this fellowship, not only to dwell with God, and God with us, but also for the nearness thereof, to dwell in God and God in us: but we must remember this still, for a chief point in this argument, that we have no communion nor fellowship with God, but by Jesus Christ, and that this loving league and sociable familiarity doth proceed wholly from his incarnation, and in the use of this most singular blessing, doth consist all the happy content which man may reap here in this life, or in that which is to come, I mean if we converse and keep company with God, as he on the other side doth most lovingly offer himself unto us, for this only are we borne, and this is truly to live, and without this, we are rather shadows than men, or very beasts in man's shape. Oh man, how hath the Lord ennobled thee, didst thou not debase thyself! he calls thee to be a favourite in his Court, and thou hadst rather shift up and down, as a base peasant in the Devil's country; he would make thee a Lord over all things in his right, but thou choosest rather to be a slave to the world, sure of nothing but misery. It is the chiefest commendation of good men, that they walk with God, and the shame of the wicked, that they walk with the world: they which converse with God, are not much addicted to this life, not because they despise the commodities thereof, but seeing they are much abused, they are wary how they meddle; or looking for better, they make the less reckoning of them, wherein they take no loss, as is supposed, but procure to themselves no small advantage: for when it so comes to pass, that they must part with life, they do it with the greater quietness and comfort of mind, and wheresoever it be that death wait for them, they are the readier for it, which the worldly man is never; and in the mean while none use life better than they, or make more account to spend it well, but it is rather to draw towards God, then to seek any farther acquaintance with the world. But some will say, the world offereth itself unto us in every place, but God is fare from us, and so strange unto us, that we know not how to have any acquaintance with him; A strange saying indeed of him, which is made after God's Image, and cannot live, or move, or have his being, but in him which is compassed about, and closed in with his wonderful works and daily benefits, so that if he would seek, he might by groping easily find him, which by reason of these things, whereby he hath made himself known, cannot be fare from us: but this principle of nature is oft times darkened in men by evil custom or wicked malice, and moreover not able of itself, to bring men forward to this familiarity, or acquaintance with God, and therefore God offereth himself, and the godly walk with him, by other means, as by his word, where they find the help of his Spirit, by the Sacraments, by prayer, meditation, a godly life▪ for as by certain obsequious offices, we insinuate our selves into the favour and familiarity of men, so these are the duties whereby we living here in this world, are made near and dear unto God; the poorest wretch in the world that walketh with God, which is in his favour, and sets the Lord before his eyes in all his do, is happier for the present time then the greatest Monarch on earth, which saith as Pharaoh did, Who is the Lord? and shall hereafter find more happiness than all the world could ever bestow. Most unworthy we which envy the ordinary favours of a Prince unto our brethren, and would come between them, and home, if possibly we might, whereas we might have access unto God, and seek it not, and if we have it, we rely not so much on it, as they do on the grace or countenance of a mortal man: What do not they adventure which are so backed? and how many of them shrink away, unto whom God doth say, I am with thee, I will not fail thee, or forsake thee? I speak out of my own feeling, let others take the matter as they list, I do specially condemn myself in those two points, first for that I seek the Lords most loving grace and sweet acquaintance, with no more heat and zeal: secondly, because that when I find it, I am no more thankful unto God for it, neither am so strengthened by it, and go on in Christian duties as I should; The Lord have mercy on me, and grant me grace ever to see my errors, to confess and repent for them, not pleasing myself in any known weakness, but always striving to overcome & get out of it.   

Meditation 38. Non-parity of sins.  
AS an aptness to laugh or weep, is a property which necessarily follows the nature or kind of man, and is affirmed of the whole always, and of his own right: so guilt doth follow sin, and makes the sinner subject to the guilt of the Law, which is death. There is then no sin so light, which of his own nature doth not deserve death, or to which a pardon is due of course without an infinite satisfaction; yet are not all sins equal, for neither do they offend God alike, nor find the like punishment, howbeit by a consequent to the true Christian all sins are venial, and to the unbeliever all mortal, as they are ever of their own nature. And it is not amiss to observe a farther difference, that there is sin which beareth the whole sway in a man; such are the sins of the wicked, and there is sin which doth but remain and dwell in man, because there is a resistance and head made against it by the better part, and is at last expelled by grace; and thus are the godly and just subject to sin. There is also sin so contrary to the conscience of the doer, and joined with such stubborness and wilfulness, that it doth utterly waste & decay the conscience, killing all seed of goodness or godliness, which sin cannot stand with grace; and there is a sin of weakness or negligence, to which the godly are subject, and by which they fall grievously; and there is likewise sin in omitting duties required, as also in committing things contrary to duty: Now if the question be demanded what sin may be admitted or committed most safely; I answer, none, for all are by nature most deadly; and if thou be drowned, what od● to thee, whether in the deep Sea, or near the shore? If again, whether some sins be not to be avoided more than others; I answer, thou art to make conscience of all sins, the small to be hated as much as the great, for the doing of one sin is but a downfall unto another, because thou hast still the less grace to resist, and findest in thyself the greater proneness to yield unto the next temptation; yet thou mayst use a special caution against those wherein thou hast been faulty, or which by nature do sway most with thee, or which being little accounted of in the world, are reserved to God's judgement, as Saint Paul saith of whoremongers and adulterers, God will judge them, What will it profit me, though no mortal man know my faults, or if they know them, take them for none or very small faults, if God at the last condemn me for them? Again, whether sins of omission be greater than sins of commission, as who sinneth more, he that suffereth a man to die for want of bread, which he could have given him, or he which killeth a man and taketh money from him to serve his necessity? I hold the sins on both sides so great, that for to save thy own life, and to gain a world besides, thou shouldest not venture to commit one of them: in evils of this nature, there is no choice, the least is an infinite mischief, and God doth not hate evil more than he loveth goodness, and therefore as thou turnest thy back from the one, so must thou cheerfully embrace the other; neither can a man well refrain from doing things contrary to duty, except he busy himself diligently in the parts of his duty; for as nature cannot abide vacuum, so neither the will of man not be working; and neuters are unto God hateful of all men. If again it be demanded, what is to be done after one hath sinned, if sin be deadly? I answer thou must not despair, as a man utterly lost, neither give place to sin, that it carry thee away, but thou must stir up thyself to a just sorrow for sin, specially that thou canst be no more sorry or touched than thou art: and to this purpose it shall not be amiss to meditate of God's majesty, justice and severity against sin, of the grievousness of thy own sin, and how foolishly for some vain trifle, in giving place to thine own appetite, thou hast offended him, and when thou feelest thyself thus confounded, it behoveth thee to remember that God is merciful, and ready to forgive them that repent, yet so that thou canst not be reconciled unto him by any of thy own merits or satisfaction, but only by the death and passion of his son Christ, in whom thou must seek pardon and grace to rise again,   

Meditation 39 Free confession.  
ZOpyrus a great Philosopher, being new know every man's inclination at first sight, one day he viewed Socrates much as he read, and they which sat by him pressed him to tell what his opinion was of Socrates; he answered, I know well that of all men he is the most wicked and vile: this tale was forth with carried to Socrates by a Scholar of his, which mocked at the Philosopher, but Socrates cried out, Oh most profound Philosopher, thou hast found out indeed my inclination, but I have been altogether drawn from it by Philosophy; Behold the ingenuity of Socrates, he doth not dissemble his bad disposition, but confesseth it. The word of God is that Philosophy which not looking on the outward lineaments of the body, faith this or that man is ill inclined, but which discerning and trying the heart and reins, judgeth all men naught, and saith of us, when it tells us what we are from Adam, that we are borne in sin, that we are prone to all sin, and do nothing but sin greedily, and continually from our cradle to our cousin: Now where is there that Socrates amongst us Christians, that in such a cause doth freely confess his naughtiness? that we do not, it is manifest, because we seek not for grace, which might heal the corruption that lieth hid in us: Socrates knew his naughty disposition before he was told of it, and provided forthwith a remedy to alter it, but we have no respect of the one or the other; I had rather be Socrates striving against my ill inclination, than a lewd Christian arrogating goodness to myself, which I have not, or not seeking grace, which I want.   

Meditation 40. Ignorant teachers, and ill hearers.  
THe discourses of some Teachers are like a Labyrinth, they make their entry plain, brief, easy; but after they have gotten their auditors in, they lead them on through such by matters, as questions, doubts, resolutions, conclusions, quotations, illustrations, digressions, transitions, that the poor Auditor is quite lost, for neither knows he whence he came, nor where he is, nor how he may get out again. I cannot blame any true University man for this fault, but those which came thither to steal other men's labours, and fled away by night; for hear you, such a one his clothes are not more suitable to his profession, than his Sermon to his text, and if he find his auditor a Sceptic, he makes him an Academic; if an Epicure, he makes him a Stoic; if an Infant, he makes him a Man; so doth God always bless good means, and they thrive not so well which take the Plough in hand, and are not acquainted with that kind of Husbandry; Such a man is the most necessary of all others for his use, and aught to be the most excellent amongst men for his gifts, gravity, sanctity, integrity, divinity, affability, discourse, that when men behold him, they may see a second Samuel coming down from the Lords Mount; and they are to be commended which provide for them honour and maintenance. I see that all auditors popular, mixed or pure, desire to have a wise and eloquent speaker, wherein they are so curious of their choice, that amongst many scarce any hath that happiness to please the major part: but as for the auditors themselves they never reckon in what manner they hear, and though they bear away very little, yet they think it enough if they can give this report, The man spoke well, and to the purpose; whereas in the course and order of these things, it is as necessary there should be a judicious and discreet hearer, as a wise and learned speaker; for to what end is seed cast into the ground, if the soil be not apt to receive it? weeds may choke, and a barren ground yields bad increase; So to what end are words committed to those ears, which by reason of troubles and other affections can make no use of them? It hath been observed of our time, that we have much Preaching and little knowledge, and yet more knowledge than conscience; much teaching and little faith, and yet more faith than charity: the fault perhaps is not in the matter or manner of Preaching, but unsufficiency of hearing, whereas if we had every of us as great care to be good hearers, as to meet with good Preachers, it would be sooner remedied; for a well prepared hearer may profit by a teacher of mean gifts, and yet Paul himself cannot profit a bad hearer; Let us not therefore think that the whole efficacy of Preaching doth depend on the ability of the Preacher, for besides that God hath his ordinary blessing going forth with his word, It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, they that come with true hearts provide ears which are more fruitful than others by a hundred fold; and as there is an art of speaking, so also is there an art of hearing, wherefore take heed how you hear; and howsoever let Ministers be instant in season, and out of season, which if they be dumb or idle, they cannot do.   

Meditation 41. Greatness subject to flattery.  
ALl praise the rich man to the skies, yet none of these praises are his own, for either it is his Prince which doth grace him, or his house which is descended unto him; his stately buildings which others have plotted and perfected for him; or his goodly furniture which money hath procured; or his long train and attendance which the world lends him; or his parks, ponds, pastures, manors, walks; all which though they be parcel of his riches, yet are they no part of the man, neither abide they long with him without change: but who almost dares praise a good man? yet all his praises are merely his own and within him, and when thou praisest a man for his honesty, who can deny but that thou praisest the man for himself? yet loath we are to praise a man for honesty without the access of authority, wealth, honour, and rather these without the other; therefore I say that rich men have about them more flatterers than friends, yea in the abundance of all things they want some to tell them the truth. When we hear praises, we should suspect them not to be ours, but some matter of circumstance; when we hear reprehension, let us make account of it, as our own, for either it is a fault or may be; and in this cause it is better with the good, then with the rich, for the good have many about them, which will rather slander, then want matter to lay against them; they will rather spite them with deeds, then smooth them with glozing speeches; backbite, rather than bear with them; pick quarrels, rather than live at peace with them; which crossing course of theirs, makes the good better, it causeth them all the while to look more warily to themselves; but the rich man is taken in the flatterer's net like a Lark, whiles he playeth with the glass of vain glory.   

Meditation 42. Content.  
ABsolute Content to which no degree of perfection can be added, is in God only, who hath it everlastingly in himself, of himself, for himself, and is not any thing distinct from him, but his nature and essence: There is a Content qualified according to the state and degree of the creature, as in Angels and men, who have reason to know, and will to desire, and means to be possessed of their good, whence this content doth grow; so that this Content is not so in the creature, but that he must seek it elsewhere, it is not so of him, but that he must be beholding to a higher cause; it is not so for him, that he should rest there, but be moved thereby to glorify God; it is not so one with him, but that there is great odds between them. Content as it is in man may be said to be true or false, the false is but a picture or counterfeit of Content without the thing, without life, proceeding from the enjoying of good which seems so, but is not, either because it is abused, or is in his own nature evil: and they which have this Content are always miserable, because of false opinions, which blind reason, and unruly affections suggest unto them, and therewith so pervert their will, that they are not long of one judgement or resolution, but like a troubled and running stream, in which may be seen no constant image of Content; and this notwithstanding is the only Content which most part of men do find, and therefore at last when they think to be most at ease, they grow weary of themselves, and all things else, showing well by their labours and pains taking, that they did much desire the true Content, but took not a right course for it. The true Content therefore, is a calmness or quietness of the soul, resting and settling itself on true good, and is either begun or increasing, as in good men, whiles they live; or consummate, and full, as when they go hence to that other life: for men which receive Content, receive it not all at one time, but by certain degrees of growth, and as is the spring of virtue, so of Content. Neither have they it so, that this clearness and calmness is always in them alike; for as long as they live they shall find alteration; but in the other life, nothing shall trouble their Content as evil, and offences shall be taken away: for they shall receive the full measure of every part of their Content, and that without mixture of any object which might procure discontent: here there is sin remaining, and miseries which follow the condition of sinners, but there they that come shall leave sin, and misery behind them: here there are but few Sabbaths in respect of the common days, there it is a continual Sabbath, in which freed from all necessities which this life requireth, we shall wholly bestow ourselves on our chief good and this chief good shall be bestowed on us, and hence will spring out unto us living and overrunning streams of content: The content which doth begin and increase with good men while they live, may be said to be particular, or general; the particular proceedeth from the particular fruition of divers good things, as they are successively attained, and do every one tend to general content, which is caused from the fruition of happiness it self, such as may man obtain in this life; that is, when all the causes of content meet, and are knit together, though in a meaner degree, and with imperfection, whereas that which we call consummate in the life to come, is in his highest degree, and without this imperfection. Content, as it proceeds from a comfortable use of particular things, is either in respect of things, tending to the being of life, or to the well: being, and they which tend to the being of life, are of two sorts, some without which life cannot be, as dirt and apparel; others, without which it cannot be else so liberally and worthily maintained, as riches, friends, dignities, and degrees of life: and they which tend to well being, are also of two sorts, some which are but mere helps, as arts and sciences; some which are the well being itself of life, as wisdom, prudence, moral virtues; for in all these things, as there is a good in respect of the giver, and the end for which he gives them, so out of them particularly there doth arise a particular, and generally a more general content, and therefore both these may be considered again as outward or inward content; the outward is that which cometh from external things, and yet no false content, though they be common both to good men and bad. And though I said before that false content is that which proceedeth from things seeming good, and are not, for they are indifferent, and have their name from the use; to them that use them well they are good, but else not so: and as flowers, or fruit, which otherwise would corrupt, are preserved in sugar, so those outward things, which otherwise might prove to be evil, are preserved in goodness by the sweetness, and strength of virtue. This then is the difference between the content which groweth from inward, and outward things, that outward things are not content in itself, but as referred to the inward, and inward things are content unto itself without the outward. There be two things which help the good in the use of outward things; first, they have a right judgement of them, to know that they are not simply good, or necessary, but indifferent: and secondly, they are indifferently disposed towards them, to have them, or to be without them; when they have them, they are content with them as they have them, because of the good use which is to be made of them; and when they have them not, they are contented to have used them well, and to be no more busied with them, as setting their minds on the better things, and without this equability of mind there is no content to be had in outward things: the inward content is from the true knowledge of God, the feeling of his favour, and the testimony of a good conscience, that we hearty desire in all our life to obey him, and this works a wonderful content, when as the heart loving God, and desiring him, doth feel itself beloved again of God, yea loved first, and before he himself did know how to love God, and whence all his love and duty doth grow. But here it may perhaps be said, that they which serve God have the least content of all men, for the world is against them, and they against the world; and as for these things, wherein doth consist their chief content, if we shall believe them, they complain they want much, and have very little as the Prophet David, where he saith, As the Hart panteth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee O God. What content might that soul have which was so emptied with need, and so stretched out in desire, and lived in expectation of the good it had not? From that antipathy which is between the world and God's servants, doth arise their chiefest content, for instead of the world they have God to be their steward and provider; and the godly soul, which having tasted of the sweetness of God's mercy, findeth unspeakable content therein, and thirsteth to drink more yet without discontent, though not without desire, and this humility and vehement appetite in the children of God maketh their content the greater. Think what a wretch thou art, and most unworthy of that content, thou oft feelest that thy content is choked by turning thy desires after vanity, or sin, which are the poison of content, labour by obedience and patience in the end to attain full content, in the mean space be not out of heart, if many times thou have it not, for God will try thee by all means; seek content in the best things, else thou wilt lose it in all.   

Meditation 42. Malice, and Pride.  
THe work of sin is an imitation of the devil, but there are two, which practised by men, do make them in a short time as cunning as their crafts-master, and to turn as right after him, as any child can after his father, they are Malice, and Pride: the devil's malice is so great towards God, though his Lord, that there can be nothing more hateful unto him, than to be obedient to his will, whose service we count perfect freedom, and doth for this cause what in him lies, that the holy and just laws of God should be held of no force, no authority, by breaking them himself, and causing others so to do, and by maintaining laws of his own, repugnant to Gods, as Idolatry, Magic, and the like: and so much doth he please himself in this course, that he counteth himself, and his followers for this doing better and more noble than other creatures, as Angels and men, which continue in obedience, whom he esteems but as base slaves, for that as he saith, they consent to live in such a bondage, whereas living as he doth under no command, they might at least be Gods themselves in conceit: and therefore against all such (for the malice he bears to God, and obedience to him) he bendeth all his force and sleights; if he cannot win them, he will weary them: and he boasteth that he hath more to follow his command, than God hath. And there is nothing that doth vex him more, and indeed it is his hell, that when he hath most deeply plotted, and diligently practised, to bring to pass a mischief to the dishonour of God, or the hurt of his servants, he perceiveth himself in the end to come short of his purposes, because the goodness of God, by infinite wisdom, power, and mercy, doth overreach the depth of his malice, using him only to discover his own naughtiness, but turning the business to his own glory, and the good of his servants, and leaving him at last unto his shame, as in the fall of Adam, affliction of Job, and the passion of our Saviour: this makes him to eat, and tear himself, that he should be but an instrument, which would be counted a master of the work, and in all these appeareth his malice, his pride is so great, that though he know himself to be overruled by God's power, and cannot go beyond the length of his chain, though he suffer extreme punishment for his rebellion; as separation from the divine presence, and horror; and though he knows God is very merciful, yet disdains he to ask pardon for his offences, or be beholding unto him for his mercy, but doth still repine, and grind the teeth against God, as though he did him great wrong; Now how like unto him are men in these points, which loving the faults they do commit, hate the laws which they break, and cannot abide any order or state under God, which hindereth their wicked designments, counting themselves better, and more noble than others, because they despise lawful authority, disgracing them that be good, and having no goodness do boast of strength, that the sway of the world is on their side, which scorn to acknowledge their faults, and think so well of themselves, as though they needed not to have any favour, which are as resolute in their evil purposes, as though they had made a covenant with death, and league with hell, saying they had rather go to hell with good fellows, than live with such peevish professors as know not how to laugh and be merry. Our blessed Saviour, the eternal Word, which was in the fullness of time made flesh, which dwelled amongst us, and we saw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth, as he paid the price of our redemption by his death, so he left his life going before as an example to reform us to the image of God decayed in us by sin: and amongst all his excellent virtues, we are specially to imitate these two which are opposite to the devil's malice and pride, his charity and humility; his charity so great towards his heavenly Father, and us men, that because his Father would have it so, and our misery might by this means be done away, he became obedient thus fare, not only to live amongst us a mean man, and to endure our necessities, but also to suffer a most painful and shameful death for us, and to bear all our sorrows: and so much he loveth obedience, that he accounteth all them his brethren, which live in it, and for them hath prepared his grace and glory; yea he rejoiceth in a little flock, which heareth his voice, and breaketh the nations in pieces with a rod of iron like a potter's vessel, which break his bonds, and cast his cords from them: his humility so great, that though there was never sin, or the least spot of uncleanness, which did cleave to him, yet he became our surety, taking on himself our sins, and in our person doth acknowledge himself a grievous sinner, and doth ask pardon, and receive mercy for us to the forgiveness of all our sins, teaching us evermore to confess our sins unto God, and to seek for grace, and favour by him, who is both willing, and able to grant whatsoever we need, and if we ask in faith, no good thing will he deny unto us; and let the devil rage with his malice and pride, let him set all his devises and instruments on work to confound us, if God be on our side, we care not who be against us.   

Meditation 43. Mortification.  
OUr life must be a continual meditation of death, so the Philosopher; but the Christians life is no other than a continual death, and that by the example of his Lord, whose whole life was nothing else but a preparation to death; and all they which are heirs of promise with Christ, have the title on this condition, that their lives be made conformable unto his death, that whosoever looketh on them may see the image of Christ dying in them; neither may they look to come otherwise unto his life, than by dying first, which is not either the first, or second death, spoken of by Saint John in his Revelation, when a man liveth in this world without grace in sin, or else suffereth elsewhere eternal punishment for sin; but in a daily dying, as the Christian ought, we shall avoid both these, and be made partakers of the first resurrection here, and of the second in the life to come. The continual death of a Christian is that which in the Scripture is called mortification, which maketh us conformable in all our life to the death of Christ; for as Christ died to deliver us from the guilt of sin, & to bring us to God, so the Christian dyeth in himself as the child of Adam, that sin may have no power over him, but that he may be led by grace to do all things to the glory of God: and this death is first inwardly, and is called a crucifying the old man, the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof, the law of the members, which rebel against the spirit, the unregenerate part, this must we kill and sacrifice, and in this respect a Christian must daily die; for though he do every day what he can to destroy sin, he shall find new monsters spring up out of those heads, which he hath cut off, which will procure him more labour. Paul saith, indeed they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof, yet meaneth he not that the flesh is utterly dead in any, but that they keep it so under awe, and master it, that it dyeth in them daily: likewise he saith, they that live in the flesh cannot please God, for in this part the Christian must be still dying, that the spirit may live in him; though a man die, yet a constant man will be loath to deny himself: Ttherefore this kind of mortification seemeth worse than death, we must deny our own will, our own affections, our own reason, we must be no greater adversaries to any than we are to ourselves, we must rebuke ourselves, we must bar ourselves; of many fair occasions of much liberty, we must punish ourselves, this crucifying consisteth in a search, and knowledge of our sins; we must not smother our sins, or soothe up ourselves, but call a spade a spade, we must be also sorry for our sins, as sorry as ever we have been for sickness, shame, or loss that ever lighted on us; so sorry, that nothing else be so sorrowful unto us; lastly we must hate sin, and cast it out as it were a serpent crept into our bosom, and spit on it, as we would spit on a foul toad. The second kind of mortification is outward, is a submitting of ourselves to dangers, griefs, and losses, as poverty, pain, disgrace, wrong for Christ's sake, and needs much patience, for we must have death still before our eyes, and all deadly things: this hath been the portion of the Church at all times, We are killed all the day long, and are counted but sheep for the slaughter, saith the Psalmist: and Saint Paul tells the Corinthians that he dies daily, I die daily, he his own words; again in the Acts to the brethren, What do ye weeping, and breaking my heart? for I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And in another place the same Apostle, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in anguish for Christ's sake. Saint Paul is a notable example unto us of this kind: and if thus we die daily as Christians, we shall never be afraid to die as men, we shall be ever ready for death, and so fare from shrinking bacl, that we shall boldly meet it, it shall be no loss, but gain unto us; no end of life, but the beginning of a better; while we fly death we run into sin headlong, yet is there no death so bad. Oh that we could once truly learn to die, that we might live for ever! Many are dead, which think themselves alive. Many to avoid a temporal death, do lose those things without which life is nothing worth; the parting of the soul from the body is no death, but the parting of God from the soul: if the body without breath be but a carcase, what is a Christian without grace, but a painted tomb? Our first birth is the death of that life which the infant draws from his mother, and the body is borne into the world for sense and growth: by our second birth, which is the death of the body, the soul is borne into the kingdom of heaven to live a new life from the body, for there it understands without fantasy or common sense, it seethe without eyes, heareth without ears, maketh itself understood without speech. And as the birth of the body into the world is a better life, than that which the Infant had in his mother's womb, so must the birth of the soul into heaven be a better life, than that of the body, by how much the faculties of the soul are more excellent, than the bodily senses. In our mother's womb we lived as plants, in the world we lived as men, in heaven we shall live as the Angels; neither are soul and body parted so as they shall never meet again, for the body no doubt doth naturally long for the soul, and the soul beareth a love to the body. Therefore by a holy ordinance of the Lord, they abide one another's absence for a while, that they may come together again as man and wife, with the greater comfort; the body is gone down into the grave, to leave there his shame of mortality, of weakness, of corruption, necessity, without all which, after the resurrection it shall return to the soul, and the soul trimmed and tricked up in glory, like a fresh spouse, shall receive the body into the same glory, and both shall be received into God, and dwell with him for ever. Death then is called so, only as it doth appoare unto us, and others which live here, but in very deed, and by the benefit of Christ, the state of the dead is the very true life everlasting; neither is the birth of the child a greater hope of life in the world, than is this of the soul, in the death of the body, of the life both of body and soul, to be glorified in the kingdom of heaven: Many think on death to be more vicious, as Epicures, Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die: some will not think at all on death, and they live neither the longer, nor the better, but are sure to die much the worse. When we think on death which are Christians, it should make us live very justly, and soberly, because we look for a Kingdom after death, where none enter but the righteous. Oh my soul and body, if we must needs part, how soon we know not, let us do it willingly, to overcome necessity resistance is vain, obedience is profitable, let us provide for that which else will prevent us; let us make use of death, as some do of money, which else lies dead, let us die in the Lord, to the Lord, this is the best advantage.   

Meditation 44. Last Judgement.  
We cannot avoid either judgement or death, when sickness summous us to the one, doth not our conscience to the other? and in this life God hath his trials, judgements, executions, so that men of times are forced to cry out, Justus es Domine, & just a sunt judicia tua: but because the wicked observe them not, and God doth desire to appear unto men rather as a merciful father, than a severe Judge; therefore the Majesty, the Authority, the severity of his judgement is hid unto us so fare that we are bound to believe that he will come to judge a thing which else we would never dream of. Though then we see no examples of this judgement as yet, neither can conceive the form thereof, yet do we believe it, and that there is a certain time appointed for it; they that look not for it with joy, shall abide it with sorrow; that is, that last and final judgement, wherein all causes shall be opened, all persons censured, all works rewarded; what hath hitherto been suspended, shall now be sentenced, and never more altered: Mark the preparation unto it, the heavens shall pass away with noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the sea shall be dried up, and the earth shall be burnt, with all her works; then a summoning trumpet shall sound and awake up all those, that sleep in the silence of death, and they together with the living shall be caught up; then shall the Judge appear visibly above in flaming fire, compassed about with infinite thousands of Angels, ready to do his will. A strange judgement towards, no doubt, whether we respect the Judge, or the parties which are to make their appearance, or the sentence itself: the wisdom of the Judge is such, that he cannot be deceived, he knoweth all causes without information, things past are to him present, and things to come, he made man's heart, and findeth out every corner, and turning thereof, he hears our words before we speak them, and knows our thoughts before we act them, we do not will without his power, though without his allowance, nor work without his privity, though without his consent; nay, he knows our purposes, before we are fully resolved, and our thoughts before we conceive them; and our works without producing any witness: his justice is such, that he cannot pervert judgement for favour or bribes: his will is the rule of all righteousness, and therefore he can favour no cause, but that which is right, and if he could be unrighteous, what bribe might win him which wanteth nothing? his power is such that all must abide his decree; here lies no appeal, no prohibition can be granted againstit, no pardon obtained: his jealousy shall take on harness, and he shall arm the creature to be avenged of his enemies, he shall put on righteousness for a breastplate, and take unfeigned judgement instead of an helmet, equity shall be his shield, and his fierce wrath as a sharp sword, and his troop are the whole compass of the world. Now what are the parties which are to appear, and abide trial? Adam and his posterity from the first man to the last that shall be borne; here shall they be judged which have been heretofore Judges, and they shall receive right, which would not do right; Princes, and Popes which none did dare to call in question, shall be here both examined, and censured; and the more mighty men have been to do wrong, the more mightily shall they be confounded. Lastly, the sentence is very short, Come ye blessed: Go ye cursed: but of the greatest weight and strength that ever was, for this doth not pass on one man, or a family, or a Nation only, but on all mankind at one time: neither is it touching goods and lands, or credit, or limb, or life of the body, but it doth concern bodies, and souls too, for salvation, or damnation, and that not for a day or year to continue, but for ever without any repealing: And are these things so, what manner of persons ought we to be then in holy conversation, and godliness, looking for, and hasting to the coming of the day of God? for these things must so come to pass, not to fear, or trouble God's children, but to take revenge on his enemies: As when some mighty Prince cometh towards a Castle of his besieged by the enemy, and bringeth a great army with him to raise the siege, this putteth them in no fear which are within, but is to them a great comfort, and therefore they look over the walls, and rejoice at it with shouts and cries, but they which are without are perplexed with fear for the hurt which is near unto them: know ye not that to the world's end the Church is besieged by the devil, the world, and the flesh? then God will come to raise this siege, and bring all his enemies under his feet, and his coming is not to put them in fear which are within his Church, but which assault it, and therefore Christ said to his own, Lift up your beads for your salvation draweth nigh: and in another place he saith, Behold I come shortly, and my reward is with m●e, to give every man according to his work; Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that their right may be in the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the City; for without shall be dogs, and enchanters, and whoremongers, and murderers, and Idolaters, and whosoever loveth or maketh lies.   

Meditation 45. Hell.  
A Thought of Hell is sad, not so sad as to feel the pain, and they shall certainly feel it which think not oft on it, and that sadly too; make thy choice, if thou like mine, go forward with me, it is a punishment which shuts us out from the presence of God, that is a loss of all good, it is a pain of grief in all parts of man according as their dispostion is to take grief, easlesse, that's the extremity; comfortless, it finds no pity; endless, it hath no remedy; it is called the second death, a worm of the conscience, a bottomless pit, utter darkness, fire unquenchable, a river of brimstone which is kindled by the breath of the Lord of Hosts; there is no order but confusion, weeping, and gnashing of teeth; Wilt know where it is, how spacious the rage of the tormentors, the fury of the torments, the despair of the tormented? God keep thee and me from this experience. But is God so infinitely angry? will he so unmercifully forsake? so hardly handle these? which might have known and loved him, had he so listed, and can never do him hurt though they would. Dispute not vain clay, thou art in the Potter's hand to deal with thee as he pleaseth, his judgements are too high for thee, believe his word, obey thy calling, follow him which descended into hell to fetch thy condemnation thence, and thou shalt find God merciful to thy soul, yea nothing but mercy, and in this cause I put thee over for a conclusion of all to the meditation of Heaven.   

Meditation 46. Heaven, and the heavenly inheritance.  
THis is not meat for all mouths; art thou truly humbled for thy sins, persecuted for the truth, oppressed in thy right? dost thou hate the world, and art thou prepared for death, than art thou a Gomer fit to keep this Manna without corrupting, but thou must believe, else shalt thou not understand, for most true is that which the Apostle saith, We walk by faith, and not by sight, the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal; and as Saint John saith, Now are we the sons of God, but yet it doth not appear what we shall be, and we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. If a King can do so much, what trow you will the King of Kings do for that man which he means to honour? he hath already given his Son for thee, and by him forgiven thy sins; he hath given unto thee the privilege of thy calling, the honour of thy profession, the liberty of thy conscience, the helps of his Sacraments, the use of his Word, the communion of Saints, the counsel of the wise, the familiarity of the good, the beginnings of regeneration, the proceed of faith, hope, and love, the fruits of patience, peace, joy, and conscionable dealing; last of all, that great prerogative, the intercession of Christ in all thy prayers; if he have done so much for thee in this pilgrimage, what will he do for thee in thy country? if thou have had such benefits in the wilderness, what art thou to hope for in Canaan? The eye hath not seen, the heart of man is not able to conceive, how then can the tongue utter them? but believe thou in thy soul, which loves God, the things which he hath provided for them that love him; this world was made without any provision, what a world will that be which God doth provide so long before hand? and he tells thee he hath provided it, that thou mightst know thou canst not be deceived; before we have it, we have the earnest of it, and when we have it, nothing can take it from us: so that there is presently an immunity from evil, and a security never to return to evil, and there is also plenty, and community; we enjoy all good, yea God himself the well of goodness, therefore we live still, but what we were is a shadow to what we are, yea the best we were is almost nothing to that we are; we were in grace, we are in glory, we live still, but more in God than in ourselves, we rejoice as much for others as for ourselves, we are not only reform in bodies, and souls, but also transformed into a divine nature, as the Angels free from necessities, as Christ highly favoured in Christ, as God eternalnally blessed; such is the heavenly inheritance of the Saints, which although it be common to many, yet every one of the family hath his proper right in it, and though it be divided, yet is not the propriety of any the less, or the communion the weaker, for every one is fully content with his part, and doth rejoice as much in the good of others, as his own, and they do all drink of the same well of eternal life. Landed men desire to have perfect surveys, and true plots of their States of inheritance, willing not only to satisfy their minds touching the value, but also their eyes, beholding under one aspect, the houses, courtelages, ways, walks, ponds, parks, woods, coppize, hills, bottoms, arable grounds, meadows, and pasture, and they would have nothing lie hid as though they should seem to neglect any one jot of their transitory happiness: Oh vain men are we which take so much pain about the world wherein we live, not only with beasts which have a better part in this kind of happiness, but also with wicked men worse than beasts: whence come unto us, envy, malice, variance, deceit, violence, wrong; yea, murders, massacres, and desolations! And this ourinheritance we stand so much on, what serveth it, but for our bodily necessities, and that for a very small time, though we use to say to me, And to my heirs for ever, whereas ofttimes the third man doth scarce enjoy a foot thereof? The soul is nothing the richer, though thou leave it nothing the wiser, nothing the better, neither can it claim any part of it to follow her, when it must departed hence to another world, where such earthly provision stands in no stead. And if the earth itself be but a point in respect of the firmament, every least star thereof being eighteen times greater than the whole, what is thy goodly inheritance in comparison of the highest heavens, but a shadow, or dream of nothing? But this heavenly inheritance may be called so rightly in deed, and is worth the seeking for, worth the having, though a man should sell all, and lose his life too, to which comes nothing that ill is, and from which goodness never departs, an excellent place of entertainment, where comfort hath an everlasting spring, not parched with heat, or nipped with cold, or beaten with violence of winds, what can be spoken more gloriously? here is God in the height of his favour, here are thousands of Angels and Saints, like so many Stars about this infinite light, at whose presence the Sun is darkness, here is Christ that died for us, and hath life in his hands to bestow on us, Come, enter into thy Master's joy. Canst thou dislike this company? how ever thou dost like it, thou canst not come to it by nature or art, it is not blood or birth that must prefer thee, thou canst not claim it by descent; and in truth so great did our Lord esteem it, that he spared not one drop of his blood, but willingly shed it to purchase this inheritance for thee; and if all the crosses or troubles of the world were put together and weighed in the balance with this mass of glory? they would not hold in weight so much as one grain of the infinite greatness thereof: Holy men in times past have thought no labours too hard, no poverty too deep, no death too sharp, if so enduring all their days, they might be thought worthy to be made partakers of this grace; for true it is that no man brings worthiness with him to claim such an unvaluable consideration, but as it is grace, that makes us first to know our unworthiness, and then to embrace Christ, who hath purchased for us this inheritance, and hath the right to bestow it on us, so is it grace that leading us by the hands of obedience, & humility, doth bring us into the possession of glory; this is an inheritance not for the body only, but for the soul also, not while we live here a few years, but to live above with God for ever, this right is such as neither can be taken from us, nor exclude us from taking benefit with others, which have an inheritance as large as ours; What earthly inheritance hath such privileges, to be free from sin, and all punishment following it, as shame, and misery: to see God face to face? This O man, is worthy thy survey, by what title it may be possessed, what things they are which be spoken of this heavenly Jerusalem, what mansions, and commodities it hath, what freedom the dwellers enjoy which there abide: that lightened by faith, and lifted up on the top of holy meditation, thou mayst so clearly, and fully behold the plot of this blessedness, as that from henceforth, it may wholly withdraw thy love from this transitory, vain and vile world to an unsatiable desire of itself. Be sober, therefore, O my soul, be thankful, and in thy ravishment remember thou hast not yet attained it, but this do forget that which is behind, and endeavour thyself unto that which is before, and follow hard towards the mark, for the high prize of the calling of God in Christ; and this is a point so necessary, that Saint John saith, Every one that hath this hope purgeth himself as he is pure. And here my pen stoppeth, my meditations never.  
Soli Deo Laus.   

Contempt of the world.  
THe world's vanity which John reduceth unto three heads; the lust of the flesh, by which we may understand all kind of delicacy and wantonness; the lust of the eye, which may well intent covetousness, and the pride of life, whereby may be meant ambition about honour, are not from God which made the world, but from man, who forsaking God hath abused the world, and made both it and himself, both vain miserable many out of the greatness of their minds have despised the world, counting themselves too good for it, and the world too base for their employment, they have rejected honours, as not worth the travel, or taking up, pleasures as too beastlike riches as heavy and idle burdens, and all this they did from the equity of nature, which is contented with a little, and offended at excess, which bears necessary, and common harms, and is only moved to avoid her own follies: Christians fetch their contempt from a higher Principle, What is time to eternity, a candle to the Sun, a drop to the Sea, a molehill to a mountain, this world to the World to come, the creature to the Creator? and yet how few Christians grow to that contempt of the world, for the love of God and godliness, which the Philosophers did in time passed for the love of natural knowledge, or moral virtue? Ye may see indeed amongst Christians many contemn the World out of a careless contempt what become of themselves, whether to sink or swim, because they are not such as they have been, nor could never yet learn to be the men they should, of whom the world is as weary, as they are of it; but how few see you contemn it out of the true account which a Christian ought to have of his own value? I am the member of Christ, shall I couple the body of Christ to such a Harlot as pleasure is? I am God's favourite, shall I by ambition hunt after that favour, which comes from man? I am a Citizen of Heaven, shall I dig deep into the earth for a treasure there? Many Christians do not so much as the Philosopher did by the eye of reason, but look on things only with the eye of the sense, how can they then be equal judges of these matters, which reason itself could never reach unto? To the natural eye, this world doth so interpose itself, that it seems only great, and the world to come nothing at all; but faith which lifteth itself up, and beholdeth God, is made partaker of such a heavenly vision, that this inferior world seemeth unto it to have neither goodness to be desired, nor greatness to be admired, nor assurance to be trusted unto, only it sees many seek it which perish by it, and they which thrive in it, to part from it much the worse, for the only having it. Know my soul, that this world is but a market, if thou be in it as a buyer or a seller, thou shalt be much distracted; if as a looker on, thou shalt have content, using it as though thou didst not use it, thou mayst be acquainted with the world, but beware of familiarity, open not thyself unto her, for the day will come that you two will be at odds, and if thou love her, thou wilt say then, I have gotten nothing by her, and perhaps it will cast thee in the teeth, that it hath bestowed too much on thee. How happy are they which keep even reckoning with the world at all times, that as they call nothing of the world, so the world can challenge nothing in them, but are ready still to departed out of it with a saving hand, provided for a better.  
Sit Deo Gloria.   
FINIS.