2.0 Meditations andVowes. Cent. II. 6 A The common feares oftheWorld are caufelelfe, 2nd ill placed. No man fearcs to doe ill; every man to fulfer iU: whcrein,ifweconfider it well, we lhall finde that we feare ourbdHriends. For my part,I haveleamed more ofGod and ofmy felf,io one weekts extrcmitie,then all my whole lifes pro~~erity had taught me afore. And, in reafon and common experience,profperity ufua ly makesus forget out death:adverlitie on the other fide,makes us negletl our life.Now(ifwe mea!ure both ofthefe, by their e!fetls)forgetfulnefs ofdeath makes us fecure:negleCl ofthis life makes us carefull ofa better. So much therefore as ne~letl oflile is better then forgetfulnelfe of death1and watchfulnelfe better then fccumi~: fo much morebendiciall will I efiecm adverfity,then profpcrity. 7 B Even griefit felfe is pleafant tot~ rem1'mbrance, when it is oncepall : as joy is, wbilefiit is prefect. I will not there ore in'my conceit,make any fo great difference betwixt joyand griefe: fith gtiefc pall , is joyful!; andlong expctlationofjoy is grie. vous. 8 • Every ficknefs is a littledeath. I will be content to dieolt,tha~I may die oncewell. 9 Oft-times thofe thingswhich have bem: fweet inopinioa, have proved bitter in experience. I will thereforeever fufpend my refolute judgement, untill the trial! and evcnt:inthemeane while I will fcare the worll,and hopethe bell. 10 Inall divine and morall good things,I would faine keepthat I have, and get that I c want.I doe notmore loath all other covetoufnl!lfe,thcn I affcClthis.In all thd.,things alone,I profelfe never to have enough. If I may increafe them, therefore, either by labouring,or begging,or ufuric,I lhallleaveno meancs unattcmpted. II Some childrenareofthat nature,that they 'arenever well,bot while the rod is over them: fuch am I to God 1 Let him beat me, fo be amend me: let him take all away from me, fo he give me himfclfe. • i i There mu!\ not be one uniformproceeding with allmen,inreprehenlion:bot that mull vary according to the difpofition of the resroved. I have feen fome men as thorns,which eafilr. touched,burtnot; but ifhar and unwarily, fetch bloud of the D hand:others,as nett es,whichiftbey be nicely handled,fiing and prick;but ifhard and roughlyEreffed,are pulled up withoutharme.Before I take any man in hand, I will knoww ether he be a thorne or anettle. r.r I willaccount no fin little; fmce there is not the leall,but workes out the death of the foule. Itis all one whether I be drowned inthe ebber lhore,or in the midfi ofthe deep Sea. 14Iris abafe thing to get ~oods,to keep them.I fee thatGod(which ooly is infiniteIyrich) holdeth nothing 10 hisowne hands, but gives all to his creatures. But, if we will needs lay up,where lhould we rather repofe it, then in Chrills treafury~ The E poore mans hand is the treafuJc ofChrill. All my fuperlluity lhall be there hoarded up,where Iknow it lhall be fa cly kep(,and furely returned me• • 15 TheSchool ofGod,and Nature,requiruwo contrary manners of proceeding.In the ScbooleofNature,we mull conceive,and then beleevc:in the School ofGod,we mulllirll belecve,aod then we fbaU conceive.He that beleeves nomore then he conceives,can neV<r beaChri!llan;nor he a Pbilofopher,that a!fents without reofon. In NaturesSchool,weare taughtto boltout the truth,by Logicaldifcourfe:God connot endure a Lo~ician.Tn his Schoole he is the befiScholler,that reafons lcalt,and affents moll. Indivme thirts,what I may I will conceivc:the reil I will bcleeve ond admire. Not a curious head, ut acredulous and plaine hcarr,is accepted with God. r6 No
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