Cent. I. Meditations and Yowes. :11 - A 73 Tt is an ealie matter for a man to becarcldfeofhimrclfc;and yet much ealierto be enamoured ofhimfelf.For,ifhe be a Chri!lian,whiles he contemneth the world ~rfeC!ly,it is hard for him to refetve acompetent meafure oflovc to himfelf:ifaworldJing,it is not poffible but he muft over-love himfclf.I will ftrive for the mean ofboth; and fo hate the world,that I may care for my fdf: and fo care for myfdf, that I be not in lovewith the world. 74 I will hate popularity and oftentation (as ever dangerous; but moft ofall in Gods buGnelfr)which who foaffe.:t,doeas ill fpokefmen;whowhen they arc fent to wo~e for God/peak forthemfelves. I know how dangerous it is to have God my Rival!. B 75 &rrh affords no found contentmenr.For,wbat is there under Heaven nottroublefome,bcJides that which is called pleafurc? and, that,inthe end, I find moft irkfome ofall other. Myfoule fl1all ever look upward for joy,and downward for penitence. 76 God is ever with me,ever before me.! know,he cannot but over-fee me alwaies; though my eyes beheld thatifeehim not:yea,hc is flill within me,though I fed him not:neither is there any momenr,that I can live withoutGod.Why do I not therfor~, alwaies live with him~ Why doe I not account all hours loft,wherin I enjoy him not~ 77 Thertis no man fohappy as the Chri(tian. When he looks up unto Heaven, he c thinks, That is myhome:rhe God that made it,and owes it, is my father: the Angels, more glorious in nature then my [elf, are my attendants : mine enemies are my vatfals.Yea,thofethings which are the terribleft ofall tothe wicked,are moft pleafanr to him.When he hears God thunder above his head, he thinks, This is the voice of my father.When he remembreth the Tribunal! ofthe laft judgement, he thinks, It is my Saviopr that !its in it :when death,he efteerils it but as the Angell fet beforeParadife;which witl• one blowadmits him to <ternal joy.And(which is moftofall)no. thing inearth or hell can make him rtiiferable, There is nothing in the world worth cnvying,but a Chritban. 78 Asman is a little world: fo every Chritlian is a little Church within bimfdfe. As D the Church,thcrefore,is fometimes in the wane, through perfecution, other times in her full glory & brighrnctfe: fo let me expeC!my fdf fomtimes drooping under Ten. rations, and fadly hanging down the head for the want ofthefedingofGods pre. fence;at other times c•rried with the ful fail ofa r<folute atfurance,toHeaven:knowing,that as it is a Church at the weakeft ftay,fo thallI, in mygreateft dejeClion, hold the Child af God. . 79 Tentauons on the right hand,are more perillous then thofc on the l<fr; & deftroy a tho11fand,tothe oth<rs ten: as the Sun,more ufually,caufeth the traveller to call: off his d nak,then the wind.For thoti:: on the left hand mifcarry men bm nvowayes: to d•tlruft,and demall ot God;morerare tins: bur theother to all the reft, wherewith E mens lives are fo commonly defiled. Thefpirit ofChriftians is like the Englifl1 Jear1 whereofwe read, that it is fired with water, quenched with oyle. And thefe two profperity and adverlity,are like heat & cold:the one gathers the powersof the foul together,and makes them abler to relitl,byuniting them:the otherdiffufes them;and b)/ fuch feparation,makes them ealierto conquer.! hold ittherfore asPraife-worrhy with God,for a man to conremne aproffered honour,or pleafure,for confcience fake: as,on the rack nor todeny hisprofellion.When thefe are offered, I will not nibble at the bait;that I benot taken with the hook. 8o God is Lord ofmy body alto: and thereforechallengeth aswell reverent geflure, as mward devotion.! will,ever,in my prayers, either ftand, as a fervant, before my matler;or kneel,as a fubjeCl to my Prince. 8r Ihave I
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