lxxxvii 2 Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God BUT all the most exalted Encomiums are infinitely below thy deserved Lauds and Praises For What Humane Understanding What created Tongue can be able to comprehend or express thy ineffable Excellencies If this Inferior Orb the Place of our Exilement and a Theatre of inevitable Miseries be so wonderfully delightful that our Eyes are entranced with the Variety of its Objects and can never sufficiently admire the Marvels they behold if the Firmament which is but a Foot-cloth for the Saints to tread on be enamell'd with so many Starry Jewels and imbellish'd with such radient Planets and glittering Constellations How transcendent how superlatively Magnificent are the Inner Appartments and Chambers of that Emperial Palace where the Adorable Deity does vouchsafe to communicate his Essential and Ecstatick Glories II. O DESIRABLE Mansion One Minute's Residence in thy Celestial Courts will make us more than Recompence for all the Afflictions we can possibly suffer in this Valley of Tears And And how conceivably will our Reward be when by a Miracle of Divine Mercy we shall be admitted to an Everlasting Participation of thy Immense and Inexpressible Felicities It was the certain Hope of thy Enjoyment which animated the Primitive Martyrs to sustain the most fiercest Tortures with an undaunted Constancy and to triumph in the mid'st of their Conflagration III. THE comfortable Expectation of thy Fruition was the Grand Motive which induced the Magnanimous Ignatius when threatned by his Persecutors with Extremity of Torments to make this Heroick Replication Fire Gallows Beasts Breaking of my Bones Quartering of my Members Crushing of my Body all the Torments of the Devil together let them come upon me so I may enjoy my Lord Iesus Christ. IV. IT is an undeniable Axiom That all Secular Felicitities are built upon brittle Foundations The most sublime Terrestrial Pleasures even in their greatest Complacencies are but transcient Vanities and conclude in Vexation but the Objects of the Celestial Habitations are refined to such an extraordinary degree of Perfection that they will be able to satiate the most extended Desires of our capacious Souls There we shall possess in lieu of a living Mortality which moves us towards the Grave a Vitality glorious beyond Imagination durable as the Ages of Eternity and whose Enjoyment will entitle us to excessive and inexplicable Satisfactions V. IF we admire Beauty Our ravish'd Eyes in lieu of Corporeal Objects shall behold those Immaterial Glories which flow from the Fountain of Uncreated Light and shall be permitted to contemplate that wonderful Clearness which proceeds from the Beatifical Visage of the Supreme Creator If Riches be the Center of our Affections Gold Pearls Diamonds Rubies Jewels and whatever we account most precious and estimable in the Universe are but faint Metaphors to describe the Inestimable Treasures of the Supernal World VI. IF Honour be the Subject of our Ambition What are Scepters and Crowns but Illustrious Miseries What are the Grandeurs upon Earth but gaudy Shadows in comparison of those Incorruptible Diadems those permanent and Substantial Dignities which flourish Above If we delight in Musick There we shall hear the Panegyrical Anthems of the Seraphick Choir and shall bear a part in the solemn Celebration of that Almighty Being whose only Presence will be sufficient to replenish us with immeasurable Felicity VII TO Conclude Nothing can be ded to that Immensity of Beatitude which we shall there enjoy but we shall be as perfectly Happy as the immediate Vision of the Incomprehensibly Glorious Trinity the Society of Angels the Conversation of Triumphant Spirits and the inexpressible Accommodations of a blissful Heaven can possibly make us And to consummate our Felicity all our Enjoyments shall be invested with Eternal Glory THE CONTENTS SECT I. What Meditation is Page 1 SECT II. That it is a Duty Page 5 SECT III. Rules and Directions for Meditation Page 10 SECT IV. Of the Subject and Method of Meditation Page 14 SECT V. Of being Affected with the Divine Presence Page 17 SECT VI. Of Preparatory Prayer Before Meditation Page 21 SECT VII Of Consideration Page 25 SECT VIII Affections and Resolutions Page 29 SECT IX Of Vows Page 33 SECT X. How to Conclude your Meditations Page 35 Collects to be said Before and After Meditations Page 36 Meditations on Several Occasions MED I. COnfession of Sins Page 38 MED II. That the Cross of the Holy Iesus should excite us to Repentance Page 42 MED III. Of the Fruits of Repentance Page 45 MED IV. Of Man's Salvation Page 50 MED V. The Youth's Memento Page 53 MED VI. General Rules of a Godly Life Page 58 MED VII The Whole Duty of Man Page 63 MED VIII The Vanity of the World Page 67 MED IX Jacob ' s Ladder Page 72 MED X. Of a Good Conscience Page 76 MED XI Of a Wounded Spirit Page 81 MED XII Of Humility Page 86 MED XIII The Proud Pharisee Page 91 MED XIV The Soul's Delight Page 95 MED XV. True Contentment Page 10â— MED XVI Of Divine Faith Page 105 MED XVII The Canaanitish Woman's Faith Page 109 MED XVIII Of Love and Charity Page 114 MED XIX An Act of Divine Love Page 120 MED XX. Of Chastity Page 126 MED XXI Purity of Heart Page 133 MED XXII Against Covetousness Page 137 MED XXIII A Bad Exchange Page 142 MED XXIV In Time of Sickness Page 148 MED XXV Vpon Death Page 153 MED XXVI Vpon Iudgment Page 160 MED XXVII Vpon Hell Page 171 MED XXVIII Vpon Heaven Page 177 FINIS
up freely unto him for he that is unthankful for what he has received is unworthy of receiving more and the Gifts of Heaven cease to descend when the Incense of our Thanks leave off ascending VII WHATEVER happeneth to thee convert it to a good use as in Prosperity bless and praise God and exercise Charity according to thy Ability So in Adversity exercise thy Repentance for what Enormities thou hast committed which thou can'st not but imagine to be the Efficient Cause of what thou sufferest Let Humility keep thy Heart in Subjection that Arrogancy may get no possession of thee Judge God to be a Father for his Clemency Power and Gentleness a Lord for his Discipline Severity and Justice Love him piously as a Father for his Mercy and fear him and trust in him who abhors Sin in the least degree Ever humbly acknowledge thy own Misery but loudly proclaim his Mercy MED VII The Whole Duty of Man Eccles. xii 13. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the Whole duty of man FEW there are which perform this Lesson which yet should not so much appear our Duty as it ought to be our Delectation He that hath but once acquired the habit of adoring his Maker will assideouslsly confess Religion the highest of Pleasures and that Legislative Power which seems so formidable and disgustful to the World will prove but recreative to his Immortal Soul But alas how little is there of the Royal Prophet's Piety now among us when instead of delighting in God's Law we obliterate it more and are so far distant from meditating in it either Day or Night that we never in the least think or consider of it at all II. 'T IS become a Custom now to Sin with Audacity and a Syllogism of much Valour to exile this timerous Religion or fearing either the Almighty or his Law which he hath given us The Royal Preachers edifying Doctrine is as obsolete and worser than a Paradox a meer Apocrypha and a Heresie to revive it To instruct us in our Duty is to scurrilize the Times whil'st we officiously unhinge Religion and it is no amazing wonder there are such swarms of Atheists but indeed there never was such a time to generate them as now trace Antiquity to its primitive Rise and this Age cannot be parallell'd III. THE World never encreased so much in Sin abominable Sects and disaffected Parties like Colonies new cultivate the Earth Profaneness is grown Hereditary and sprouts out by Propagation so that in process of time Posterity may perhaps become Ethnicks Were the Divine Wisdom and his Promise mutable a Deluge would prove but a slender Penalty We not only sin but exult in it more whil'st some not satisfy'd to be occult and silent Atheists proclaim it aloud and are fierce of acquiring the Reputation as if we could not render our Ingenuity enough without Denying our Maker IV. NO marvel Religion is out of Tune when a Harmony in Ecclesiasticks is wanting or that Christianity bears so faint a Sound when common Morality is not heard And yet it is a Lesson which we cannot learn too well a Tribute we cannot pay too often We owe our Breath to the Bounty of his Hand what Homage then can we better pay than that which by magnifying of him we purchase an Immortal Crown for our selves Tell me ye stupid Chasers of the World what ye aim at in all your Pretences Ye that scoff at Heaven and make Divinity a Garment for Unrighteousness That with the Pharisee embrace Formality for your Religion and make an external Piety your Duty V. ALAS Heaven is not gain'd by pious Fraudulency gilded Crimes or fortunate Transgressions nor the Eye of the Almigty to be deluded with a gaudy Zeal 'T is not a pretended Sanctity that can invest us with Immortality nor a modish Devotion only that will conduct us to Heaven How miserable is he who idolizes the World and embraces that Religion to neglect his Creator Therefore let us make that inquest of the Voice within us and then invoke the Almghty in these or the like Expressions VI. O GREAT Iehovah what did'st thou bestow our Reason on us but to diligently listen unto the Voice of thy Law that the Celestial Rhetorick of thy Word might at least attract from us an ignorant Profaneness Shall Ethnicks that had no other Scope no other Recompence for their Sanctity than some vain Applause or the internal Triumphs of their Spirits for their good Performances outvie us in the Splendours of a Moral Life and we that have sublimer and purer Hopes be scarce Obedient for Thy sake Shall they that are ignorant of Thee be more passionately Just than we that have traced out Heaven and expect Eternity to succeed VII THOUGH it was not in Man's Power to find Thee till Thou did'st reveal Thy Self in a Crucify'd Jesus yet now having so richly and in that Plenitude expressed to us the Treasures of Thy Love shall we not be excited to perform something for Thy Glory Incite us we beseech Thee to consider well the Advantages that are in Thy Service the Felicity that accompanies Obedience and thae Crown which is the Recompence of Faith that so our Affections being mortified unto these fading Objects here Below they may be enliven'd only with Desires after those Eternal Excellencies that are in Thee in Thy Heavenly Kingdom MED VIII The Vanity of the World 1 Joh. ii 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world SET not thy Affections upon the World for it shall pass away and all the things that are therein shall be consumed with fire 1 Cor. 7. 31. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Love that Felicity which is Eternal that so thou may'st enjoy it and live for ever Every Creature is subject to Vanity whosoever therefore idolizes the World shall also become vain himself Embrace that Good which is true and stable that thy Heart may be quiet and fixed VVhy doth mundane ambitious Honour delight thee He that seeketh Applause of Men cannot be Honour'd by the Almighty Ioh. 5. 44. For he that chaseth after this VVorld's Vanity must be conformable to it And the Apostle tells ye He that pleaseth men cannot please God Gal. 1. 10. II. HE that is Extoll'd yesterday perhaps to a high degree by the Applauses of Men may be levell'd to morrow by Disâ—race VVhat is mortal Man the better for gaining a Reputation of a greater value than others if he is disesteem'd in the sight of God Our blessed Saviour being sought for to receive a Kingdom fled from it but to be ignominiously Crucified surrendered himself He that despises not the VVorld to follow Christ how will he be qualify'd to lay down his Life for him Therefore there is no passage to true Happiness but by contemning the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked and fading World III. CHRIST that blessed Pattern taught us how we should value the World For if He who is Glory it self rejected
thy Folly thou be cast headlong into the deep abyss of Sin and Misery And now having consider'd the Detestableness of this Sin of Pride and the Amiableness of this Virtue of Humility let us earnestly endeavour to abandon the one and embrace the other and with all Sanctity invoke the God of all Spirits to infuse into us his heavenly Grace that this Tumour of Pride may be asswag'd in us that his Meekness and Humility may be our perfect Pattern to guide us in this Life and conduct us to the Life to come MED XIII The Proud Pharisee Luk. xviii 11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this publican SEE how Ingratitude is radicated in this proud Pharisee that he so imperiously thanks Heaven How prodigiously hath Pride metamorphos'd him He that accustom'd himself to prolix Prayers intends now to use brevity His devoutest Posture is Standing and he comes not to Pray but to Boast not to Worship his Creator but to Extoll himself He is not qualify'd to be highly Pious being so opinionated and transported with his own Virtues that he is destitute of either Time or Patience to remember the sole Author whose Benignity he would pretendedly seem to acknowledge but 't is so luke-warmly 't were better he were ungrateful still II. TRUTH had a lucky chance to proceed from such graceless Lips He did indeed far excell others even to the Superlative degree of Audaciousness But had he been acquainted with himself better he would have proved more Grateful and not so Arrogant How amply doth he disturb the Ear of Heaven with these Ostentations of his singular Value but for his Pride and Arrogancy makes not the least Apology Indeed he Thanks the Almighty but 't is after a modish Carelessness and rather an airy Complement than a solid Prayer III. HE may plead Ignorance but be found guilty of the breach of the Second Commandment in the First Table For he knows he is forbid to Worship Idols or Images yet thinks it no Sin to Idolize himself and therefore dares presume to offer to the Almighty a Schedule of his own Merits How many apt Scholars is there in the World that hath perfectly learn'd this Lesson and imprinted it in their Memory See how the Roman Pharisees charm and puff up themselves with Pride by their sanctimonious Acts of Supererogation and think to scale Heaven by a Ladder of their own forming magnifying a superabundant Piety and triumphing in a meritotious superfluity of performing more than their appointed Task IV. WITH how much Agility do our trembling Enthusiasts follow their Generals Path in a sanctimonious Pride by a supercillious Purity of Intention presuming it their Prerogative to reform the Universe and create it again a-new That Canonize themselves according to their mode and with the proud Pharisee not only thank the Almighty but tell him positively they far excell other Men That outragiously and loudly proclaim themselves the great Luminary of the World and in a devout lunacy wou'd croud in new Notions extravagantly decrying all Religions but their own These malecontented Pretenders immure themselves a-part from others and by a morose Piety are become so prodigiously Divine that they have always extinguish'd their Humanity V. NOW if the Pharisee were not as other Men yet these resemble him having been such exact Proficients in his Nature and Religion So apt and prone O Lord are we to be seduced even in our best Performances and whil'st we vainly imagine our selves not only to excell others but so meritorious in Thy sight as to be elevated into Presumption T is Humility must Crown all our Graces and put a Lustre on our Requests whil'st the presuming Assurance of our own Merits does not only deface but seclude us from Thee VI. TEACH us therefore O Lord with such Expressions of Gratitude to use Thy Gifts that we may not be stupified so as to be forgetful of our selves or Thee Whil'st others arrogantly boast themselves in meritorious Acts of Supererogation let us earnestly endeavour humbly to acknowledge confess and bewail our many Imperfections Let not a sanctimonious Pride seize upon our Immortal Souls that may any ways hinder us from being innocent from the great Offence MED XIV The Soul's Delight Psal. xciv 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. GOD the bountiful Provider of all the World hath prepared a great Feast Mat. 22. 4. And those which hunger and thirst after Righteousness are freely invited He that tasteth not is not sensible of the Sweetness of this Divine Banquet and he that has lost his Appetite is not expected a Guest at this Table If thou believest on the Lord Jesus obey the first Summons and approach with chearfulness to this Royal Repast None can acquire a Credulity unless with Contrition he confess his Sins and repent of the same in Dust and Ashes And as Contrition is the spiritual Hunger of a Soul surrounded with Sin so Faith is the spiritual Food that revives and nourishes it to Everlasting Life II. GOD gave the Israelites in the Wilderness Manna the Food of Angels Exod. 16. 15. And in this Entertainment of the New-Testament the Almighty exhibits to us the Celestial Manna yea he is there present himself who is that spiritual bread which came down from heaven to give life unto the world Joh. 6. 51. He which had a desire to see his Field refused to come Luk. 14. 18. From whence we may inferr That they which set their Affections on the Pleasures of this Life cannot approach to this Holy Table When the rich Gallant in the Gospel heard that he must forsake all his Goods of Fortune for Eternal Life he went away sorrowful Mat. 19. 22. III. CHRIST the Celestial Elisha infuses not the Oyl of his Loving-kindness but into Vessels which are empty 2 King 4. 4. And his Divine Love never inspires any Soul except the Love of the World be extracted from it whereby it may become a fit Receptacle for so Divine a Guest For where our treasure is there will our heart be also Mat. 6. 21. Temporal Enjoyments hath its attrrctive Allurements but Divine Love hath that Energy to unite us to the Deity Terrestrial Treasures consists in the Goods of Fortune but in these the Soul can acquire no Satisfaction for it is beyond what this World can afford and therefore seeks for far greater Excellencies than transitory things IV. DID we but seriously consider the Duration of all Temporalities we would not fix our Hearts so fervently upon them For upon our Bed of Mortality no Relief can be expected from 'em and what an absurdity is it for us to place our Affections on those things which are so frail and inconstant Our First Parents when they rebelled against the Most High would have attempted the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil but before they could
So it is with that Immortal Part the Soul the more it is elevated to its Creator the more it withdrawn from Temporal Riches V. LET Contentment be the Avaritious Man's Catholicon to purge out Covetousness This will make him a Proficient in the Almighty's Court and wholly to depend upon His Providence Then he may contemplate That God cloatheth the lillies of the field And if so much more will He cloath them which depend upon Him Think on the Providence of thy Creator and if thou reliest upon Him thou may'st assure thy self that none ever trusted in him and was confounded He is too guilty of Avarice that chargeth the Almighty with not granting him his Heart's Desire and he is too ungrateful that expresses not his Thankfulness for those Mercies he daily nay hourly receives from him VI. CONSIDER this now ye that take too much Pains for Riches what an imprudent Choice ye use to apply your Diligence Ye that add House to House and Field to Field a lesser Compass at last must entomb ye why then do you perplex your selves so much and appear such busie Graspers of the World early you rise to gripe the World and late go to rest but can find no ease your Mind is so fix'd on uncertain Riches that you are perpetually loaded with Care and Sorrow And why all this poor Covetous Wretches but to undoe others and lose your Souls Did you but wisely love your selves you would pursue alone your own true Happiness you would not become such wilful Fools and preferr a short vexatious Vanity bfore an Eternal Joy and Felicity MED XXIII A Bad Exchange Mat. xvi 26. For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul THIS Text works no Effects upon the Covetous for they had rather lose their Souls than forsake their Riches He for whom the whole Creation was made makes himself wretched and miserable in chasing after Vanity disrobing Himself of all his Glory and by exceeding a bruitish Transformation inhumes the Divinity of his Immortal Part in the Bowels of the Earth Hearken unto this all you that inhabit in this Lower Region ye that are Votaries to Sensualities and ascend no higher than the Elements for Celestial Glory that can mortgage your Souls for a momentary Pleasure and entertain a delectable Misery for Evelasting Happinss II. GIVE Ear thou aspiring Meteor whose haughty Ambition with Icarus soars to that heighth that thou consumes the Wings of thy immoderate Desires Thou that wilt with eagerness adore Satan for a Kingdom and greedily render him your Fidelity for a Crown and offer him a Revenue worth Ten thousand Worlds the immortal Tribute of your precious Soul till thy flourishing Hopes and Trophies be turn'd to endless Torments thy Masquerading Revellings of elvevated Honour into Repentant Regrets of direful Horrour and thy Imperial Chair of State into a Bed of Infernal Flames III. BE attentive O thou indefatigable Wanton whose Soul is as unsatiable as brutish Animals that palpitates after Pleasure beyond the Camelion's breathing after Air Thou that swimmest in iniquity and plungest Morality in Seas of Vice bathing thy self in those amorous Streams that drown thee in wanton Delights that imaginest True Religion but a ridiculous Fable the Lives of Apostles Saints and Martyrs but a Tragy-Comical Play or a melancholy Romance and scoffest at Heaven and its Creator as if Infinite Eternity were but an imaginary Fancy IV. STOP not thy Ears O thou wretched Miser whom the deluding Rhetorick of Bags cram'd with Silver Coin can invite to Hell and art ardeously allured to throw thy self into the Arms of Satan at the Musick of tempting Gold That can'st assist thy weak Eyes with Spectacles and gaze thy self almost blind at the Splendor and Curiosity of a rich Gemm and imprecateth Geography for defining Riches beyond thy Sphere earnestly wishing thy self an Indian that thou might'st lead the remnant of thy Life among the choicest Treasures and converse with the richest Mines till the Hair on thy Head were all Silver till thou thy self wer't all transmuted to Ore and every Bone turn'd into a Wedge of the purest Gold V. LISTEN ye tender Gallants that are so attracted with the Mode of this World that ye have have lost all Conceptions of a better Ye that dwell upon Earth only to delight your sensitive Appetites and supply your Luxury with the exquisite martyrdom of thousands of Creatures As ye are well-complexion'd Dust and possess purer Veins so entertain purer Passions too and acquire generous and nobler Inclinations for Eternal Glory The sumptuousness of your Attire will not invest you with Immortality Should you expose your Estates to sale and receive for it a great Value ' â—would not purchase one Inch in Paradise It was the elegantest Speech the ancient Orator ever deliver'd when he utter'd He would not buy Repentance so dear 'T was but an Extemporay Oration and yet all Silver-tongu'd Rhetorick could never parallel it That one Note exceeded all his Eloquence and will survive the Dexterity of his Pen. VI. COULD we out-live the Lives of Patriarchs even beyond the Age of old Methusalah or of Time it self and with the Pleasures of the greatest Epicures Could we like Cleopatra the Egyptian Queen dissolve a Pearl into a Golden Cup and drink the Riches and Pleasure of a Kingdom at a Draught or Command all the Creatures of the Universe as positively as ever the Centurion did his Servants Had we all the delectable Enjoyments we can either wish fancy or chase after and whatever can satisfie the Ambition of the most profuse and carnal Appetite Were the whole Universe turn'd into a Garden of Eden or a perpetual Spring adorn the Surface of our Mother Earth VII COULD we like the Eagle renew our Age and not grow Old but still continue in our pristine Health or if in Years be insensible of the Miseries that attend the Aged Could we unravel untwist or unwind Time again reverse and retrograde its Wheels again stop the swift Celestial Mercuries the nimble Posts of Heaven in their full career and set the great Clock of the World backward to a Minute Nay were our Bodies of that durability as our Souls that we could survive Time it self and be a Spectator when the World receives its Period Yet what shall we extract if after all our vain and imaginary Felicities and flippery Contentments we become an Oblation for Hell enroll'd in the execrable Catalogue of the Infernal Crew a Victim for sulphurous Eternal Flames banish'd to Perpetuity from God and Heaven Then inform me whoever thou art and ask Dives himself that necessary Question What is c. VIII O Lord what is there in this World that should attract our Hearts to tire our selves in fruitless Desires and indulge our selves to the Pleasures of this Life as our chiefest Felicity How difficult is it for him that is unacquainted with thy Law