Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A27465
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Diatribæ discourses moral and theological delivered by several persons in a plain, practical and friendly conference / composed and collected by William Berkeley.
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Berkeley, William, 17th cent.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing B1974; ESTC R30223
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76,603
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195
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in a particular manner we would Meditate upon the Nature and Properties which God hath wrought in Beasts we might thence not only take good Instructions for the better preservation and sustenance of our Bodies but Lessons also to frame and perfect our Manners As for Instance Meditate on the Camel which then stoopeth and kneeleth when he shall be charged and thence learn the lesson of Humility Meditate on the Cock which giveth out of his own Mouth Meat to his Hens and exposeth himself to any danger to keep them safe and thence learn the Lessons of Liberality and care over our Families Meditate on the Bee which gets Honey out of the Flowers without any damage or injury done to them and thence learn to Gain by the use of anothers Goods without his hurt or prejudice Meditate on the one eyed Fish called vid. Fran. de Animal Ura Noscopos whose Eye so stands that it always looketh upwards and thence learn to fix your hearts upon things which are above Or upon the Goat which continually climbs up to high and eminent places and thence learn the same Lesson more perfectly From Meditation on such and the like Works of God Good and Learned Persons have much improved themselves and others by way of Application of them for Orators have us'd them to perswade and others also who have written well and Elegantly and God and Holy Men frequently instruct us by the Manners and Conditions of Beasts and lead us thereby to perfection and uprightness of Life for they advise us to be Prudent as Serpents and Innocent as Doves and Meek and Gentle as the Lamb and Strong and Constant as the Lyon Now to many other Examples of this kind I shall leave you to your own thoughts Thus we see what a large Field of Meditation all Mankind hath from what they see God hath done in the World But we must not bound our Meditations On what Christians should meditate here but consider that we are Christians and thereupon proceed in this Duty with care and circumspection for because we are thus called it behoves us to fix our thoughts chiefly on God's gracious Work in sending his Son into the World to Redeem those who Believe in him from the Bondage of Sin Death and Misery That God so loved the World that he Io. 3 16. gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life is such a glad Tyding which should never slip out of our memories Certainly there is much Benefit got by reflecting upon such loving Works of God for as the Flint is broken upon the Cushion so our Hearts which are hard and stony by customary sinning will hereby through God's Grace be broken and made tender and plyable to the observance of God's Laws Meditate upon Divinity cloathed in Humanity upon Life suffering Death upon Glory induring Shame upon the Beloved cast out to Misery upon Heaven Descending into Hell and then be silent if you can and if it be possible forbear to cry out who can resist such Love What frozen Heart cannot be thaw'd with such heat Who would not Fear such a Lord And who would not be Obedient to such a Father These are the admirable effects which are wrought in us by the Meditation on such a wonderful Work of God and therefore to fix our thoughts frequently upon this Object is not only the special Duty but the excellent priviledge of us who are called Christians And here Meletus that he might not surfeit his Hearers patience and hereby put the Medicine he us'd for their diligence in the prescrib'd Office in need of a Medicine it self he adjourn'd them to another time to hear the Report he was to make upon the next Object of Meditation CHAP. III. Meletus's Second Discourse of Meditation IN the next Congress he proceeded to declare that the Duty of Meditation was to be exercis'd upon our selves That is said he we must Think upon our Condition what we are and what we are like to be Whether we are what we profess Christians in reality and whether we declare our selves to be so by departing from Iniquity Now if by Meditation we discover what we are we shall soon know what we shall be if we so continue for Misery and Happiness everlasting will be the consequent of our Wicked or Pious Conversation as we Live so shall we Die and as we Die so shall we be Rewarded we must either be Goats or Sheep receive our Blessing or our Curse either be thrown down into outer Darkness or else enter into our Masters Ioy. Now the first Meditation in reference to our selves should be to know what the Condition of our Heart is for that is the special Gift which God requests of us And Prov. 23. since we should not give him we know not what something at adventure and not what we may be assured he will kindly accept and carefully Preserve and plentifully Reward We must fix our thoughts so as to examine what our Hearts are in themselves and then we shall know what our selves are and what God expects from us Now as no Member of the Body performs any Action of Spiritual Life wherein a Pulse from the Heart doth not Beat. So it is in the See Mede on Prov. the 4. spiritual Man and the Actions of Grace that lives not which some Gracious v. 23. Motion from the Heart doth not quicken and therefore know by Tryal and Examination what that is Now according to Scripture Phrase the Heart of Man is of a large extent for 't is not only the principal inward part of all Life and the Fountain of Motion and Native Heat but it is the Principal and Original of all the faculties and of all the Because of this full description of the Heart the greek Inter preters give it many Names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Animal and Vital Operations The seat of the Understanding Fancy Memory and Affections It is the spring from whence the Thoughts Discourses Imaginations Passions and Motions which are in Man flow and stream forth Besides it is the Treasury of Virtues and Sink of Vices and the place of all Habits So that the Heart signifies a sincere assent of Mind a serious purpose of Will a great force of Affections a large endeavour of Strength and Integrity and perfection of Mind Now when upon Meditation we thus know what our Hearts are and how they are differenc'd from double or rather half Hearts then we shall understand what that Duty and Obedience to God is which is hearty or perform'd with the whole Heart and which will be well pleasing to him for hence we learn that it must be true and sincere not feigned and hypocritical serious and solid and not in jest light and superficial diligent and efficacious not weak remiss and sloathful whole and full not concise lame and imperfect Now this knowledge is not only worth the obtaining but absolutely