battered and shaken that consent who is Captaine of the place falls to a parley and yeeldes on any conditions to my losse How far better had it beene for mee to have avoided the fury of Saul by wandering in the wildernesse barring my selfe of those betwitching vanities Meditation 24. Presumption and Despaire PResumption and despaire the two extremities of faith faith grounds it selfe on the promise of God presumption assumes unto it selfe Gods mercy without promise desperation takes no comfort by the promise Presumption intrudes it selfe into the promise desperation excludes it selfe out of the promise faith holdes the promise fast as his proper right Presumption is more bold with God then wise desperation puts a man more in feare then is safe faith without boldnesse or feare is confident Presumption hurts the conscience most and layes it open to sinne desperation wrongs God most as though he would not or could not be mercifull to a sinner faith doth keep the conscience from sinne to come and makes the way for Gods mercy for the pardon of sinnes 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 Gods long sufferance desperation strengthened by some speciall crosse and adversity at what time sinnes appeare greater and more in number then before Faith standeth on the death of Christ and there doth see both the greatnesse and grievousnesse of sinne and findeth a way to escape the danger Presumption doth despise the justice of God the feare whereof might make him fit for mercy desperation cannot apply unto it selfe the mercy of God in time of need the helpe whereof might cause him to avoid justice Presumption doth cause a man to think well of himselfe of his own wisedome righteousnesse and to preferre himselfe before others desperation doth cause a man to think ill of God and no otherwise then of a tyrant Presumption is a Pharisee despaire a Devill faith the penitent Publican finally Presumption is a steep cliffe without footing desperation a deep pit without bottome and faith Iacobs ladder by which God comes downe to man and man goes up to God Oh my soule thou best knowest thy owne wandring there lies danger on both sides the common waies are the worst and that the safest which fewest find let thy guid be the word of God walk by faith purpose not to offend though pardon were granted thee before hand Hast thou offended seeke for mercy not considering so much how great thy sinnes 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 Gods leasure with patience and this is to hope above hope and despaire of her owne 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 wee enter into a common right with them of whose Society wee are how much shall wee by this Society bee blessed above all others which possesse God who is the fulnesse of all good things and are so possessed of him that nothing shall bee able to part us from him Now behold how thou maist attaine to this neere 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 goodnesse the Father loveth the Sonne eternally and the Sonne the Father and the Holy Ghost is one and the same incomprehensible love of the Father and the Sonne three persons but one love for God is love and this inferior love of the creature is but a beame a streame of that love which if it bee so necessary betweene the creatures themselves that the course of things may not bee maintained without it how much more betweene 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 lesse happy how excellent so ever otherwise as the Sunne Moone and other glorious bodies which being loved of God cannot love him againe 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 againe that so thou mightest enjoy him the more and certainly as the being of God is love so there can bee no greater perfection in men then to love God God doth give most glorious signes of his presence in Heaven but out of doubt the Heaven of his delights and where he is alwaies present is the soule of a true lover Love is a quiet thing yet not idle active as heat and nourishing goodnesse like a naturall heat it is much in giving much in forgiving in giving to God his honour to man convenient helpe and succour in forgiving wrongs and injuries Loves kindred is not of flesh and bloud a Christian unto it is more deare then a brother and a brother the more deare if a good Christian Love soares over all the pleasures the riches the honours of the world and stoopes downe to none of these because with the Eagle it findes nothing worth the looking on but Christ Jesus the sonne of righteousnesse The priviledge of love is this where there is love it is accepted not according to the worke 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 soule faile in any other thing rather then in love though a small measure of knowledge must content thee yet love God out of measure above thy selfe for himselfe doe 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 professe one truth to maintaine peace as one man because the author of their truth hath commended peace unto them as the fruit of goodnesse which springeth up in them that love the truth Now because they which are one in opinion are many times differing in affection truth it selfe which is but one seemes to be rent 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
must learne to wait on God from day to day it is thy obedience his glory if thou bee rich thy account will bee the harder to make Things themselves are not good to thee but in their lawfull use they serve not thy turne except thou serve God with them make not that a snare to entangle thee in vanity which is given thee for the exercise of vertue Alas why complainest thou when any crosse interrupts thy worldly proceedings and dost not feele the losse of spirituall grace whiles thou art thwarted in a good course by sinne why art thou so well pleased at good successe and dost not rejoyce rather for the good seedes of thy regeneration for the fruits of thy faith hope love zeale patience chastity meeknesse 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 ought to make thee mourne and lament and thou shouldest not take comfort in that wealth which keeps thee from feeling thy dayly want and enjoying sound prosperity Meditation 20. Of Giving GAining is good if it bee to give for Giving is better God gaines nothing by any yet gives all that is his perfection the light of the Sun and Moone the influence of the Planets the sweetnesse of the aire the variety of seasons the fatnesse of the cloudes the fruitfulnesse of the earth the fulnesse of the Sea the vertue of herbes the beauty of flowers the profit of beasts and cattle the price of Gold Silver and pretious 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 owne perfection ours it is to gaine 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 Pauls report a more blessed to give rather then to receive a better good the chiefe good a better good that 's vertue the chief good that 's happinesse the life of every vertue is action and happinesse the perfection of actions and action of vertue is nothing else but a giving of good in some kind as the act of justice to give every one his owne of fortitude to give courage against death of temperance to give a measure to pleasures of prudence to give order to affaires of liberality to give gifts where and when it is convenient and therefore as wee say there is a kind of justice in all vertues 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 owne to relieve another doth it most freely without any consideration to move him besides the love of vertue and for the good which comes thereof is deemed a God amongst men for which cause Princes are by a speciall title termed Gods because as their places require them to doe all vertuous actions more then others so above all they are enabled to give liberally and by giving to helpe many he that doth good unto his neighbour according to the action of any vertue gives him his helpe more worth then goods and therefore gives in the true nature of giving and if his helpe be for the soule and the life to come the gift is greater then 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 then they which doe good according to any other vertue yea a liberall man hath the commendation of all vertue hee is thought wise because he knowes the true use of riches valiant because he can overcome the covetous desire which rules too many just because hee willingly makes that to be anothers which is his owne because he thinkes it more due unto him for the good which may come thereof temperate because hee doth withdraw much from superfluity and excesse that he may have wherewith to doe others good and hee will spend the lesse to give the more Wee must gaine then that wee may give and wee must receive that wee may bestow and doe good with that wee have the one is blessed for the other and therefore the latter rather blessed then the other but hee which thinkes that to keepe in his gaines is the only way to doe himselfe good as if they were all lost if others should occupy with him hath as poore a trade as he which hid his talent in a napkin of which came no advantage for lack that it was not put out every Christian must know himselfe to bee as it were the stomach to digest and disperse those gifts which he receiveth to the good of Christs body Christ emptied himselfe to fill us hee being rich saith Paul for your sakes became poore that you through his poverty might bee made rich What he got of his Father by his holy life or patient death he bestoweth on us and what he might justly claime at our hands for his gifts bestowed on us he leaves to bee 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 Almes of our goods which the poore receive and hee accepteth and rewardeth as if they were bestowed on himselfe and if he bestow a spirituall grace on mee he looks not for the returne but puts it over to the brethren as when he said I have prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not strengthen thy brethren and for the good instruction which wee receive in the Church to our soules health hee bindes 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 kingdome to doe thy selfe most good is to depart with thy goods unto others and in this cause they are kept better to serve thy turne then if they were in thine owne keeping for if thy treasure be in the hand of the poore Christ is thy treasurer who will make thee good account of all such expenses I speak strange things to the eares
just subject to sinne There is also sinne so contrary to the conscience of the doer and joyned with such stubbornesse and wilfulnesse that it doth utterly wast decay the conscience killing all seed of goodnesse or godlinesse which sinne cannot stand with grace and there is a sinne of weakenesse or negligence to which the godly are subject and by which they fall grievously and there is likewise sinne in omitting duties required as also in committing things contrary to duty Now if the question be demanded what sinne may be admitted or committed most safely I answer none for all are by nature most deadly and if thou be drowned what odâ— to thee whether in the deep Sea or neare the shore If againe whether some sinnes be not to be avoyded more then others I answer thou art to make conscience of all sinnes the small to be hated as much as the great for the doing of one sinne is but a downfall unto another because thou hast still the lesse grace to resist and findest in thy selfe the greater pronenesse to yeeld unto the next temptation yet thou maist use a speciall caution against those wherein thou hast beene faulty or which by nature do sway most with thee or which being little accounted of in the world are reserved to Gods judgment as Saint Paul saith of whoremongers and adulterers God will judge them What will it profit mee though no mortall man know my faults or if they know them take them for none or very small faults if God at the last condemne mee for them Againe whether sinnes of omission be greater then sinnes 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 sinnes on both sides so great that for to save thy owne life and to gaine 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 mischiefe and God doth not hate evill more then he loveth goodnesse and therefore as thou turnest thy back from the one so must thou chearfully embrace the other neither can a man well refraine from doing things contrary to duty except he busy himselfe 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 hatefull of all men If againe it be demanded what is to be done after one hath sinned if sinne be deadly I answer thou must not despaire as a man utterly lost neither give place to sinne that it carry thee away but thou must stirre up thy selfe to a just sorrow for sinne specially that thou canst be no more sorry or touched then thou art and to this purpose it shall not be amisse to meditate of Gods majesty justice and severity against sinne of the grievousnesse of thy owne sinne and how foolishly for some vaine trifle in giving place to thine owne appetite thou hast offended him and when thou feelest thy selfe thus confounded it behoveth thee to remember that God is mercifull and ready to forgive them that repent yet so that thou canst not be reconciled unto him by any of thy owne merits or satisfaction but only by the death and passion of his sonne Christ in whom thou must seek pardon and grace to rise againe Meditation 39. Free confession ZOpyrus a great Philosopher being new know every mans inclination at first sight one day hee viewed Socrates much as he read and they which sate 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 Scholler 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 beene altogether drawne 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 reines judgeth all men naught and saith of us when it tels us what wee are from Adam that wee are borne in sinne that wee are prone to all sinne and doe nothing but sinne greedily and continually from our cradle to our cossin Now where is there that Socrates amongst us Christians that in such a cause doth freely confesse his naughtinesse that wee doe not it is manifest because wee seek not for grace which might heale 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 wee have no respect of the one or the other I had rather be Socrates striving against my ill inclination then a lewd Christian arrogating goodnesse to my selfe 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 plaine briefe 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 poore Auditor is quite lost for neither knowes he whence he came nor where he is nor how he may get out againe I cannot blame any true University man for this fault but those which came thither to steale other mens labours and fled away by night for heare you such a one his clothes are not more sutable to his profession then his Sermon to his text and if he find his auditor a Sceptick he makes him an Academick if an Epicure he makes him a Stoick if an Infant he makes him a Man so doth God alwaies blesse good meanes 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 ought to bee 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 comming downe from the Lords Mount and they are to be commended which provide for them honour and maintenance I see that all auditors popular mixt 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 happinesse to please the major part but as for the auditors themselves they never reckon in what manner they heare and though they beare away very little yet they think it enough if they can give this report The man spake well and to the purpose whereas in the course and order of these things it is