Meditations and Yo'T!II'e!. att,er.lrcuca~r.asLahan to Ja<Dh;fome, what they do alfo give,but unwilling· H<~••d,Jorne,.wh,at they willinglygive,and after repent them,as lDjhOA ~o the G•- So great diftru!l: is there in man,whether from his impotence,or fa1thlc~nes. in other things,fo in this,I fee God is not like man: bUl 10 what everhe p~om1fes, approves himfelfmoll faithfull,both in his ability and performances. I w•ll there· fore ever truftGod on his bare word;even with hope, befides hope, above hope j a. gainft hop: 1 and onwards I will rdy on him for fmall matters ofthis life : for how thallI hope to truft himin impollibiliries,ifi may not in likelih~ds~~ow thal.l !depend on him for railingmy body from dufl,aod faving my foul; 1f I m1ftruft h1m for acruft ofbread,towards my prefervation~ II Ifthe worid would makeme his Minion,he could ~ive me but what he hath.And bath he to give~ but afmoke ofhonour,a thadowofriches,a found ofpleafures, offame;which when I have had inthebeft meafure,I may beworfe, I cannot :I can live nowhit longer,no whitmerrier, no whit happier. Ifhe profe!l'e hate me, what can hedoe, but difgrace me in my name, impoverifi1 me in my eftate,aflliC! me in my bodydn all which,it is eafie,not to be ever the moremiferable. I havebeen too long beguiled with the vain femblances ofit : Now henceforth, accounting my felf born to a better world,I will in an holy lofrine!l'e bear my felfas one toogoodtobeenamoured ofthebeftpleafures, to be danted with thegreateft miferies ofthis life. I2 I fee there is noman fo happy as to have all things;and nomad fo miferable,as not ro have fome. Why· thould I look for a better conditionthen all others ! If! have fomewhat,and that ofthe bell things; I will in thankfulndfe enjoy them, and want the reft with contentment. 13 Cdnftraiot makes an eafie thing toilforrte; whereas again, love makes the greateft toile pleafant.Howmany milesdoe we ride and mn,to fee one filly beaftfollow ano· with pleafure! which ifwe were commanded to meafure7 upon the charge of a , we thould complainofwearine!l'e. !fee the folly ofthe g:~oft men, that their lives miferable,&their aC!ions tedious,for want oflove to that th~y mull I will firft labour to fettle in my heart agood affeC!ion to heavenly things:fo Lord thy yoke fl1all be eafic, and thy burthcn light. ,. · '4 I am a fl:ranger even at home: ther<fore ifthe dogs of the world bark at me,I nei· care norwonder. ; , '5 It is the greauft madndfc in the world, to bean hypocrite in religious profellion. , Men haterhee,becaufe thou art a Chriftian, fomoch in appearance. God hates th<e becaufe thou art but in appearance: So, while thou hall: the hatredof both ~hou haft no com.fort ofthy felf.Yet ifthou wilt not begood as thou feemeft;I bold 11 bett<r to fcem 111 a.s thou arr. An open wickedman dorh much hurt with ootorioijs fins; but an hypocnte doth at laft more fi1ame goodndl'e, by feeming good. I had roth<r be an open wicked man,then an hypocrite :but I had rather be no man then 1 eitherofthem. ' 'r6 . . W~en I call down mine eyesupon'my ~aqts,up6n my fins, upon my miferies; me thmks no.man thould be worfe,noman fo •!I as 1; my means fo nlany, foforcible, _almo~ violen·; my progrdfe fo fmall,and mfenfible; mycortuptions fo ftrong; my mfirmltles fo frequent>nd remed1lelfe; my body founanfwerabk to my minde. But when I look up to the blellingsofthat:God hathenrichedme withal me thinks I fhould foon be indu"ced to to think none more happy then my felf:God i~ my friend, a~d my fltber:the world not my mafter,but my llaye: I have fiiends not many,bu~fo tned that I dlte truft t~em.:an eft~te norfuperfluous, not needy, yet neererrodefett, abundance: A calliog,•fdefp1fed ofmen,yet honourablewith God : a body not B • fo
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