that is great in the world think not then too highly of transitory things nor too basely of thy selfe remember what thou hast received and whereunto God calleth thee and thou shalt have no cause to complaine of thy lot Meditation 18. Suspition I Know not wherefore Suspition is good except on just cause and then it is providence but to make our idle conjectures the arrowes and other men the butts and to hit them which are not in our way because wee have a crooked aime this is for want of charity and from too much love of our selves wee love our selves so well that wee would have all men worse then our selves and so little doe wee love others that wee care not how bad wee make them If Suspition hunt like a yong dogge which knowes not his game it is taken oft with a lye and falls soone into a dead fault but if it worke an experience and triall it gives soone over where it is not good and never holds but where it should Vaine feares and vaine suspitions are much like for feare makes us suspect the helpes which might do us good and Suspition makes us feare friends which meane us no hurt and both betray their followers feare to danger and Suspition to shame the one by refusing her owne strength the other by discovering his owne weaknesse If Suspition come of weaknesse it is the more tolerable but if for want of charity and strengthned with malice it is intolerable and to be hated for it rangeth farre and runneth riot and will bee under no command you shall never satisfy it though you would neither can it satisfy it selfe but by complaints What poyson lieth hid under Suspition may appeare because it breedeth jealousy betweene man and wife for what is jealousy but the Suspition 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 followes The suspitions 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 then he takes in good part he will not lend a good turne for feare of losing his labour and and yet hath lost all judgment because he will not lend so much as a good opinion hee heares what men speak when they are silent and seeth them doing something amisse when they are asleepe he doth challenge the fairest proceedings of a foule intent he thinkes all men naught and is the worst himselfe he trusts no man in private and is publiquely noted he hath a window in every mans breast and an eye into every mans window a cleare minde thinkes of others as of himselfe at all times he doth passe 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 Gaine A Desire of Gaine if wee have a greater desire of Gods glory and the common good if it be limited within the bounds of nature and honesty if it be our owne and not to gaine by anothers losse is not to be condemned yet are wee scarsly to desire Gaine by our Saviours rule That which wee may lawfully desire we may honestly seeke but Christ will not have us seeke the things belonging to Gaine but to the kingdome of God and to accept the other as it falleth out meaning that our whole purpose of living here should be set on our spirituall life with God to make our advantage that way and that our naturall and civill 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 meanes There is sometimes a fault in the desire when it is greedy and in the Gaine when it is filthy and commonly a greedy deâ—ire doth not refuse filthy Gaine and when they goe both together it is the worse Usury is not only a desire but a greedy desire of filthy Gaine yea unsatiable and cruell a Gaine and a staine to the Soule of him that useth it a Gaine and a paine to the heart of him that payeth it a Gaine and a traine of the Devill by the love of mony to bring men to perdition Yea but much good commeth to the Common-wealth by usury and the like is said of witch-craft men else will not lend as much to say as they will not be Christians but will you bee so bold as to condemne all usury I referre you to your conscience a little rectified deale as you would be dealt withall abuse not thy neighbours want use the honest meanes of some calling depend on Gods blessing and tell mee what course of usury is lawfull many lend not for themselves but for Orphanes A speciall cause and hath speciall rules of conscience many pay use the occasion of borrowing may accuse or excuse the greatest Gaine and the surest profit is God lives for it hath the promises of this life and that which is to come and joyneth 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 seale True betweene man and man but betweene God and man not so because his promise is better then any mans 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 beleeved without feeling and so doe thou if thou find it hard pray that thou maist for it is full of reward If thou be godly I permit thee to deale with the earth or naturall ready and ordinary Gaine shee takes no hurt thou much advantage thy diligence maketh her bountifull thou lendest a little and shee payes thee home with great store I know thou wilt as willingly deale with the poore an excellent usury God is the pay-master not according to thy merit but far above of his owne mercy for the interest of unrighteous Mammon behold a crowne of righteousnesse with Christ for him forsake Father Mother Brother Sister House and what not else and receive a hundred fold is not this Gaine enough will not such Gaine content thy desire this or none Two things hast thou oh my soule to avoid about worldly Gaine distrust if it come not security if it doe Doe thy meanes faile thou hast a father carefull of thee above all meanes Art thou not rich to the world it is better 〈…〉 rich towards God of a liâ—… give a little God respecteth according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not and loveth a cheerfull rather then a costly giver thou
they which are of one affection doe square in opinion the knot of love is broken which truth doth commend and it seemes 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 stuffe and use yet they shall all tend to the good of one another and so of the whole chiefly insomuch if that come in question once every particular will lose some part of his interest rather then 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 downe contrary to both their proper rights And were it this then must wee 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 doe agree with us in affection they shall disagree from us in opinion so barring us of this unity either for the exercise of our vertue or that wee should bee out of love with the world and long for the other to come where wee shall perfectly enjoy it Howsoever in the meane space they which will nourish in themselves any hope of comming to such happinesse promised must maintaine this band of unity in the communion of Saints and that is not only to love the truth but also in truth Oh my soule labour for truth and suffer many things for Peace prefer the truth before all things but use the truth to winne 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 thankes to God if thou meet with such as can teach thee and bee as ready to teach others this will bee a stay from wandring 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 thankes for such a heavenly blessing and let not thy oile bee 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 spirituall comfort thou hast in this life remember the greater part is behind and therefore lift up thy selfe for that day when thou shalt bee 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 wee learne first to love the truth and then to love in truth yet according to the order of nature wee can never profit much in the first till wee have well practised the other for love is stirred up by sight and he that loveth not his brother whom he dayly sees how can he love God whom he never saw So God loveth us first after wee love him but this love cannot reach to that heighth except by certaine 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 forme my selfe 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 wee love but God would have us to know and acknowledge himselfe 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 wee love him for his owne sake who is yet more unknowne unto us In love it is a speciall point to observe the disposition of the beloved for this makes Love acceptable now God is specially pleased when the duties which in Love wee owe unto him are for his sake done unto our brother and therefore when wee resigne up our hearts to serve God which is the chiefest of our Love wee must expresse it in striving to do good one unto another in Love and he that is thus affected cannot bee carelesse of his brother or comfortlesse unto him Love like fire it can neither bee idle when it hath matter to work on nor lye 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 thinkes 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 Gods 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 harmes and imparting his owpe advantages unto them God hath made all his creatures that in them wee might know his power reverence his greatnesse admire his wisedome and be thankfull unto him for his bounty but the only use which wee can make one of another is this that by mutuall love for Gods sake wee love God not as in his worke onely which may bee said of the rest but as in his likenesse which no work else can yeeld us Dost thou then love the Olive because of his fatnesse or the Vine because of his strength or the Figge-tree because of his sweetnesse dost thou love the Sunne because he is King of the day or the Moone because shee is Queene of the night dost thou love the Fire because of his heat or the Water because of its moisture dost thou love the Aire because it doth refresh or the Earth because it doth cherish thee yet hast thou a greater cause then any of these to love thy brother for the likenesse 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 then all for in him God hath printed his owne face and fashion Thou wilt say that coine shall bee currant with mee which beares my Princes Image and shall not thy brothers love be currant with thee who beares the Image of thy God It seemes when God made man he resolved on a likenesse to himselfe rather then any other patterne that man should love his God better and be the better beloved of another man who is no other then a brother unto him that is another such Oh my soule thou knowest well thy own backwardnesse in this duty
DIVINE MEDITATIONS AND CONTEMPLATIONS upon severall heads of Divinity By G. R. Compiled for his owne private use and published for the common good PSAL. 1.1,2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell c. 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 signe of the Starre in Popes-head-Alley 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF WARWICK c. Right Honourable IF having neither merit or other relation to usher the admittance I seeme to intrude this present of so meane condition whence â—…ver it came upon your Lordships favourable construction and acceptance the report of those many excellencies in you imploy'd for the honour of your Prince and good of your Country so eminently obvious to the eye and admiration of the vertuous hath imboldned mee to the attempt and must serve for excuse instead of a larger apologie I have not the will or skill to flatter my thoughts aime at no base ends in this presumption and were I not certaine your Honour were as much a lover of goodnesse as an enjoyer of greatnesse and no lesse humble than honourable and would be rather a gratious interpreter than strict censurer my penne should not have been so ambitious or dared to rest under so noble patronage nor so inconsiderate to have exposed my owne and others weaknesse to publique view And yet the honesty of the subject whiles it directs the mind to the consideration of spirituall and necessary concernments for the soules welfare and a Christians profit may thus farre presume as not unworthy the perusall of the religious of what degree soever at times convenient to bespeake protection for the matter and pardon for the author be hee what hee is and his expressions otherwise never so meane or deservings answerable Please it therefore your Lordship to beare with this challenge which I have not used in the way of my owne right nor to forestall your Lordships 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 soare no higher in that respect than to become effectuall Orators for your Honors prosperity temporall and eternall and that he may be worthy Of Your Lordships command in any service G. R. Meditation 1. Of prosperity and adversity IN prosperity it may seeme we love God in adversity we feare God for prosperity doth cause us to praise God and adversity to pray unto him and yet in the end it doth then appeare wee neither love nor feare God A strange matter indeed that God should not be beloved of us then when he sheweth himselfe a friend or not feared when as a Judge he calleth us to account and therefore not to be beleeved without good proofe He that doth truely love God loves him for himselfe and hee that doth truely feare God feares him for himselfe and finding in him alwayes the same cause of feare and love doth never cease to feare or love love is his possession feare his Security what hee hath once gain'd by love by feare hee is willing to keepe and he doth as much feare not to lose as love still to enjoy May hee then bee said to love God in prosperity which in adversity doth not love him or to feare God in adversity which in prosperity doth not so If then wee 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 praysed 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 calme and settle us that not having the gifts wee would much more rejoyce in the giver for whose sake onely all things are worth the having Likewise if good successe and better credit doe but inable 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 feare would stay us backe from such attempts though there were none in the world to control us If not God what loved wee then in prosperity what feared we in adversity Wee loved the gift not the giver wee feared the punishment not the Judge that is we neither loved with feare nor feared with love Oh unworthy love which doth more respect the gift than the givers good will Oh vaine feare which observes the mighty but not the Almighty If Gods gifts bee better welcome to us than himselfe little is the love we beare to God if wee feare Gods punishment more than the losse of his favour such feare is not religious But will we give a true testimony of our love and feare towards God Let us doe that in adversity which even hypocrites do in prosperity let us I say praise God and be content Againe let us doe that in prosperity which even hypocrites do in adversity Let us I say pray heartily unto God and commend our selves and all our doings unto him In a word let us love him in adversity and feare him in prosperity to this purpose looke we in prosperity on the threats of Gods law beleeving that none of them shall fall to the ground In adversity on the promises of God firmely trusting to receive comfort and deliverance from him though as yet wee have no feeling thereof Shall we not feare such a God in our greatnesse who hath ever vengeance ready and that without respect of persons Shall wee not love such a God in our weaknesse who is so faithfull and kinde that he will never neglect them in their greatest distresse which put their trust in him Adde this to make us feare in prosperity that God doth but make us his Stewards hee may when he will and hee will when wee thinke least on it call us to reckoning the more we take the more will be required and negligence shall finde a streighter judgement than ignorance And wee shall love God the better in adversity if wee consider that evils are justly layd upon us because of our sinnes and yet from Gods mercy that chastising us as children we may repent and be saved and that it is sarre better that hee should take our estate from us than that our estate should take us from him Meditation 2. Of Love Faith is the assurance of Gods 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
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
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