~4: Meditations ami f7orpei. .Cent. H. 46 A There is a jufl and ealie difference to be pur betwixt a friel!d and an enemy1betwixr 3 familiar and a friend; and much good ufe to be made ofall: but, ofall, with difcre· tion. I will difclofe my felfno whir tomy enemy,fomewhat to my friend, wholly to no man;lell I fhould be moreorhers,then mine own.Friendfhip is brittle lluffe.How know I,whether he that lovesme,maynothate me hereafter~ 47 No man but is an eafie Judge ofhis ownmatters; and lookers on ofrentimes feo the more.I will therefore fubmit my fdfroothers,inwhar I amreprovcd:bur inwhat I am praifcdonlyro my felfc. . 48 B I will not be fomerry asro forget God1 nor fo forrowfull,toforget my fdfe. 49 As nothing makes fo llrong and mortal! holliliry,as difc?rd in religions:fo nothing_ in the world unites mens hearts fo 6rmly,as the bond offaith. For;,whereas there are rhr<e grounds offriendfhip,Vcrtue,Pleafure,Profir;and by all confdlions that is the fureft,which is urvnvcrtue:it mull neods follow, that what is grounded on the bell, and moll heaven yVertue,mufl be the fallell:which,as it unitesman to God fo infe. parably, that no renrations, no torments, nor all the gates ofHell can fever him; fo it unites one Chriftian fonle to another fo lirmely, that nooutward occurrences,no imperfedions in the parry loved, can diffolve them. I~ I love notthe childof_God (for his own fake,for hiS Farhets lake) more rh<n my fnend (for my commodny, ormy kinsman for bloud) I never received any fpark oftrue heavenly love, c 50 The good duty that is deferred upon a conceit ofprefent unfirneffc, at !all growes irkfome; and thereupon altogether negleded. I will nor fuffer my heart to entertain the leall thought oflothnc:lfe towards the rask ofdevotion,wherewith I have ftinted my felfe: but violently break thorow any motion ofunwillingneffe ; nonvithouta deepcheck to my felf, for mybackwar~'aeffe. . . 51 Hearing is a fenfe ofgrear apprehenfion1 yet farre more fubjed to deceir,then feo. ing: not in rhe manner ofapprehending, but in the uncertainty ofthe object. Words are vocall interpreters of theminde;adions,reall: and therefore however both fbould D [peak according to the truthofwhat is intheheart;yet words do morebeliethe heart, then adions. I care nor what words I hearc, when I fee deeds. I am fure, what aman doth,he rbinketh:not fo alwayes,what he fpeaketh.Though I will not be fo fevere a cenfor,rhat, for fomefew evill ads, I fhould condemne aman offalfe-heartedneffe: yet,in common courfe oflife I need not be fo mo(.iih,as not to beleeve rather thelan· guage ofthe hand, then ofthe tongue. He, that •yes well and doth well, is without exception commendable:but,ifoneofthefemull befevered from the orhcr,I like him well,that dothwell, and faith nothing. 52 That, which they fay of the Pelican, that when the Shedhetds , in defire to catch her,lay lire nor farre from hernell; which (be lindinl!; an fearing the danger ofher E young, feeks to blow out with her wings, fo long till eburne her felfand make her felfaprey,in an unwife pitietoheryoung; Ifee morally verified in experience, of thofe which indifcreedymedlingwiththe flame ofdifl<orionkindled in the Church, rather increafe then quench it1rarher lire their own wingsthen helpothers. I had ra. ther bewail the fire alarre off;then ftir in the coales ofit.Iwould not grudge my afi1es to it, ifthofe might abate the burning: but, lince I fee this is daily increafed with par· taking, :I will behold it with forrow 1 and meddle no otherwife then by prayers to God,& inrrearies to men;feeking my own fafery,and the peaceofrhe Church,in the freedorRe ofmy thoug~r, and filence ofmy tongue. 53 That which is faid of LuciPm fadion, that angerbred it, pride follered it, and eo. vetoufndl'e confirm•d it,is trueofall Schifmes,thoughwith (omeinverfion. For, the moll
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