Cent. II. Meditationi and.Yorm. 29 A As for his eye ofr_eafon,how d!m is it in thofe rhings which are beft fi;ted to it!what - one thing is there 10 nature,wh1ch he doth perfeCtly kno\v~what herbe,or flower, or worm that he treads on,is there, whofc true dfencehe knoweth ~ No, not fo much, as what is in his cuNn bofomc; what it is,whereit is, or whence it is that gives Being to himfelfe.But, for thofe things which concern the beftworld,he doth n~t ~o much as confufedly fee them; neither knoweth whether they be. He fees go wh1t 1nto tbc great and awfull Majefty of G~d.He difcernes him not in all hi~ cteatur~s,filling the world with his infinite and {!Jonous prefence. He fees not h1s w1fe prov1dence,overruling all thin•s difpofing all cafuall events, ordering all finfull aCtions ofmen to his own glory. H~~omprehends nothing of the beauty, majefty, power, and mercy of the Saviour ofthe world,fittingin his humanityat hisFathers right hand.Hefees not B the unfpeak:iblc happinelfc ofthe glorified foules oftbe Saints.He fees notthewhole heavenly Comm?~-wealth o_f Angels. (afc~nd~ng and d<fcending to.the behoof of Gods childcen)waltmg upon bun at all umes mvlfibly(not excluded w1th clofeneffc ofprifons,nor de~olatenelfc of wildcrnelfc~)and th~ multitudeof ev~ll fp_irirs palling and ft nding by h1m, to tempt h1m unto ev1ll: _but,h~e unto the fooh!h b~rd when he bath hid his head that he fees no body , he dunks h1mfelf altogether uofeen ; and then counts himfelffolitary, when his eye can meet with no companion. It was not without caufe that we call a meer fool a naturall. For how-ever worldlings have ftill thouoht Chrifiians Gods fooles,we know them the fools ofthe world.The d.epdl phil;fopher that ever was (faving the reverence ofthe Schooles) is but an ignorant fot,to the fimpleft Chrifiian. For the weakdl Chrillian may, by plain information, c fee fomewhat into the greateft myfteries ofNature,becaufe he bath the eye of Reafon commonwith the beft:but thebeft Philofopher, by all the demooftration in the world,can conceive nothing ofthemyfieries ofgodlineffe, becaufe he utter! y wants the eye offaith.Though my infight into matters oftheworld be fo !hallow, that my fimplicity movetb pity, or maketh fport unto others;it !hall be my contentment and bappinelfc, that I fee further into better mattters.That which I fee not,is worchlclfe, and dcferveth little better then contempt: that which I fee, is unfpeakablc, inefiimablc,forcomfort,for glory. 83 It is not polliblc for an inferiourto live at peace,unleffehe have learned to be contemned. For the prideof his fuperiours,and the malice ofhis equals and inferiours, D !ball off<r him continuall and in~irable occ>fions ofunquietneffe.As conrentation is the mother ofinward peace withour felves: fo is humility the mother ofpeace with others. For ifthou be vile in thine own eyes firfi, it !ball the lelfe trouble thee to be accounted vile of others. So that aman ofan high heart, in alow place, cannot want difcontentmenc:whereas aman oflo" l y fiomack , can[wallow and digeft contempt without any diftemper. For,wherein can he be the worfe for being contemned, who out of his owne knowledgMfhis deferts,did moft ofall contemn himfdfe ~ I !hould be very improvident, ifin this calling I did not l.ook for daily contempt: wherein we arc made a fpeetacle to theworld, to Angels,andMen. When itcomes,I will either embrace it,or contcmne it : Embrace it,when it is within my meafure; when above, contemne ir.Soembraceit, that I may more humble my felfennderit: and fo conE temne it, that I may not give heart to him that offers it; nor difgrace him,for whom I am contemned. _Cluift r~ife~tbree dead men to life: o~:,newly departed;another,on the Bere; a th1rd,fmdhng1n the grave:to thew us that no degreeofdeath is fo defperate, that it ispafthelp.My finsaremaoy,andgreat:yetif they were more they are farre ·~- low themercyofhim that bath remittedthem,and the valueofhis ranfome that bath payed for them.A man hurts himfelfe mofi by prefumption:but we cannot doe God agre.rer w~ong,~hen to de~pair offorgiveneffe.It is a double injury to God,firft,tbat weelfeodh1s JUftlce by finmng1then,that we wrong his mercy,with defpairing,&c. 85 Fat a man to be weary of the world through miferies that he meetswith (and for DJ that
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