101. The tV1 rt o(Vivine Meditation. 'f hus docfooli!h children fpend rheirtimo and labour , in turning over k avcs to lookfor painted babes, not3t all rcfpetlingthe folid matter under their hand•. We foolcs,whcn will we bewife,and ruroingoureycsfrom vaniry,wirh that fwe<r Si•- g<rof lfracl,makc Gods llaruresour fang and meditation in the lloufc of cur pi!- grimaoe':" Eat~hly rhings proferrhemfclves with importunity. Heavenly thirgs mull with imporruoiry be fued to. Tbofe,if they were not fo little wonh,would not be fo for. ward, •nd being forward,nced nor any Meditation to folicitc them: Thcfe, by how much more hard they arc ro imrcar,by fo much more precious they ~re being obtained1and therefore worthicrourindcvour. As then we cannot goe ami!fe, fo long as we k<ep our fclvrs in the trackc of Divinity 1 while the foule is ta~en up with the rhoughrs <ithcr of theDeity in his c!feoce, •nd pcrfons,(fparingly yet in this point, J and more in faith and admiratioathcn inquiry) or ofhis arrriburrs, his Jullic~, Pow- <r,Wifdome, Mercy, Truth: orofhis workcs,ia the crcationt.rcfcrvation, govcr£- mcnr of all rhings;•ccording to the Pfalmill, I,;p mulitAtt 1 tht ~t••'J •f thJ l,'"i· '"' JIAjt.flJ, ••drhy ••ndcrf uU•mitts : (o, moll dirctily in our w•y, andbdl rring our cxcrcifc ofMeditation, arc thofc matters ic Divinity, which cac moll ofall work compuntlion in theheart, aud mollllirre us up to devotion. Of whicb kind ore rhc Meditations coocerningChrill J cfus our Mcdiator,his Incarnation,Minclrs, Life,Paflion,IIuriall, Rcfurrctlion, Afcccfion, lntcrcdlion, the beodit of o~r R<· demprion, thecertaintyof our Elc6lion, the graces and proe<ediog of our Sao<llification, our glorious dlate io Paudifc loll in our firll Parents, our prefenr~ilcoes, our inclinatiooto finne, our !cYerall atluall offences, the rrcrarions and O.ighrs of evil! Angds, thcufe of the Sacramcnu, nature and pra6lice of Faith and R.epcn. C rancc: the miferics ofour life, withthe frailty ofit ; the certainty and uncertainty ofour death, the elory ofGods Saints above, the awfulndfc ofJudgement, the tcr· rours ofhcll,ond the reil ofthis quality : wherein both it,is fit to have variety, (for rhateven the llrongcllllomock doth not alwaies dcl~ht inone dilh) and y<t foro change,thar ourcboycc may be free from wildnelfe an iocoollancy. A CHAP, XIII. The order of N01v afrer that we have thus orderly fuitcd the perfon and his qualities, with rhc: workit - the due circumllances oftimc,placc,difpofition ofbody,andfvbllancc ohhe fcJfc. matter difcuffed, I know not what caa r<mainc, bdidu the maine bu!ine!fc D it fcl fc,and the manner and degrcos of our profccurion thereof; which above all orhcrcallcth for an intcntivc Reader, and refolutepratlicc. Wherein that we may avoid all niccncffe and obfcuriry(lincc we llrive to profir)wc will give dirc6lion for - the Entwm,Promii•t ,C••cl•fi~n ofthis Divine workc. CHAP. X I V. The cntuncc: A Goodly building mull !hewfomc mognificencc in thegate; and great pcrfoimo the w~r{. nagcs have fccmly Ulhers togoebefore them;who by their uncovered heads command rcvercnac and w•y. Even very Poets ofold had woar,bcfore thcir E Ballads 'o implore the aid oftheir gods.And the Heathen Romans entred not upon 1 rhe common any publikc civill bufine!fc, wirhont a folemnc apprccation of good fucccffe : How cnruncc,which much letfc OJOuld a Chrinian dare to undcrta~c a fpiritual work of fucb importance, is Prayu. nor having craved thcaflillancc ofhis God~ which (me thio~s) is no le!fe, thee to profdfc he could doe well without Gods leave. When we thinkeYill, it is fromour fdvcs:whengood, from God. As Prayer is our fpcech to God, fo is rach ~ood Medita ion(Jccordiog to BtrnATd)Gods lpcech to the heart: The heart moll fpcake to God, that God may f~k ro ir. Prayer therefore and Meditation , are as rhofc famous Twinncs in the fl:ory, or as Two loving Turtles, whcrcoffcparatc one, the orhcr langui!heth. - Prayer maketh w~y for M<ditation.Meditation givcth matttr,llrtngth,and life to -- our
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