Cent. II. Meditation; and Yowes. l] ot vod tx:c;ulc he knowcs J!Hn JUs bdttncnd,and therefore Wll nor hurt hurl: not of - A Satan bccaufc he cannot hurthim:not ofafllicooos,becaufc he knowes they pcocecd from~ lovingGod,and en~ to ~is own goo~:not ofthe crc.aturcs,~ncc t?• v<ry O:oncs ofthe field arc in league wtth htm: not ofhtmfclf, fioce ht$confctcnce IS at peace, A wicked man may be fccurc,becaufc heknows. notwhathc bath to ~car; or dcfpcrare, through extremity offcar: but, truly couragtous he cannotbe. Fatthlcfnetfc cannot chufc but be falfc.hearted. I will cver,by my courage,take trial! ofmy faith. By how much more I feare,by fo muchletfc I bclceve. 75 The godly man lives hardly,aod(like the Ant)toiles here, during the Summer of his peace, holding hi11_1fclfe lhort ~fhis pleafures, .as looking to provide for an hard B Winter.Which,whelllt comes, he tsable toweare 1t out comfortably: whereas the wicked man cloth prodigally la{hout all his joyes, in the timeofhis profperity; and (like the Gralhopperfinging merrily ai! .Summer, is O:arved in winter. I will fo enjoy the prefent,that I will lay up more for hereafter. 76 I have wondred oft, :md h>lalhed for lhame, to rea<! inmeer Philofophm (which had no other Mifirdfc, but Nature) fuch O:range rtfolution in the contempt ofboth fortunes(as they call them:)fuch notable precepts for a conO:anc fetkdnetfe and tranquillity ofmind1 and to compare it with my own difpofition, and pratlice: whom I havefound too much droupiog and de.jeC!ed under fmall crolfes;and eafilyagain car· ricdaway with little profperity:To fee fuchcourage andO:rcngth toconremnedearh, c in chofcwhich thoughrthey wholly perilhedin death;and to find fuch faint-heartednetfe in my fclfe,atthe firO: conceit ofdeath, who tt am thorowly pcrfw.adedof the futuro happinctfe ofmy foul. I have the benefit o nature as well as they; befides infinite other helps tharrhey wanted. Oh the dulaetfe and blindnetfe ofus unworthy ChriO:ians that fuffer Heathens,by the dim cand!c-ligbt ofNarure togofutlhcr then we bythcclecr Sunofthe Gofpcll: that an indiffertrtt man could not tell by our praCtice, whether weretbl! Pagan. Let, m<! ne.ve~for i!Jame accotlnt my felfa ChriO:ian,unletfc my Art ofChrifiiatiiry have imitated and gone be)lond nature, fofarrc, that I canfindc the beO: Heathen as farro below.me inMue refolution, as the vu!- gar fort were below them. Elf•\ I maylhame R-tligion; it can neither honefi nor help me. J D 77 If I would be irreligious and unconfcionable,I would make no doubt tobe rich.For ifaman will defraud,ditfemble,forf•~ear,bribe, oppr<tfc, fcrverhe time,make ufe of all men for his own turn, make no fcruple ofany wicked a8:ion for his advanraoe1 I cannot fee how he can efcapc weolch and preferment.l\ut foran upright man to0rife, is difficult:whilehis confdence ftraighrly curbs him in,from evrry unjuO: atlion 1 & will notallow him ro advance himfelfe by indire<9:meanes. So riches come fddome eafily,to a good man; fddome hardly, ro the confcienceletfe. Happy is that man that can be rich with truth, or poor with contentment. I will not envy thegravell;in the unjuO: mansrhroar. Ofriches let me never have more, then an h8nefi man can· ~~ " . . E . ~ ~ ~· God IS rhe God oforder,not ofconfufion.As rherfore1 in natur~ll thiogs,he ufeth ~o l!r!'~eed tromone extreame to another by degrees, throughrhe.mCJn: fo dorh he mfpmtuoii.TheSun nfcth nor at once to his highefi,from the darknctfe ofmidnight1 b~t firO fends forth f?me feeble glimmering of)ight inthe dawn~\ !hen looks out :Vllhweak andwatenlh beams;and fo bydegrees afccmdsro the mi n ofHeaven•So mthe feafons ofthe ycer,we are not onedayfcorched with aSummer heat· ani!on the next, frozen with a fudden extremity ofcold. ButWinter comes on foftty·fir.O: by cold dewes,r~e.n hoarc froO:s!untill at laff it defcend to rhe hardeO:weather ~f.al4 fuch arc Gods fpmcuall proceedmgs:He never brings any man frolll:the eO:atenf fin, ro.the efiareofglory,but th~ough the eO:are ofgrace. And as for grace, bee fddome brmgs a man from grotfewtckednelfe roany emineacc af petfe8:ion.lwilbe charita· o. b~
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