Meditations and Tfc.,wes. Cent. H. ~ 94 A As all naturall oodies arc mixt;fo muft aU our moral difpofitions:no fimplc pallion doth well.Ifour joy benot allayedwith forrow, it is madneffe: and if our forrow be nottemper~dwith fomemixturcofjoy,itishellifhanddefperate: if in thefc earthly tkings,wc hope without all doubt,or fear withoutalhope,wc offend on both fides;if we labourwithout all recreation,we grow.dulland heartleffe: ifwe fport our[elves without alllabour,we growwilde& uprofitable:thefe compofitions are wholefome, as for thebody,fo for the mind; which though it be not oh compounded fubftance, as thebody ; yet bath much varkty ofqualities and affetlions,and thofe contrary to eachother. I care not how fimple my heavenlyaffections are, which the more free they are from compofition,ar< the nrerer to God:nor howcompounded my earthly, which are eafily fubjeC<to extremities: if joy come alone, I will aske him tor hisfcl- B low; and evermore infpight ofhim,couple him with his contrary: that fo while each arc enemies to othcr,bothmay be friends to me• 95 Joy and forrow arc hard to conceal: a. from the countenana1fo from the tongue: there is fo much correfpondencc betwixtthehcart & thctongue,thatthey will move at once:cvcry man t6creforc fpeaks ofhis mvn pleafurc and carc:the Hunterand Falconcrofhis gamcs;the Plougb-manofhis tcame;the Souldierofhis march, and colours. Ifthe heart were as full ofGod, the tongue could not refrain to talkc ofhim. The ra>cnclfc ofGhriftian communication,ar~ues the common poverty ofgrace. If Chrift be not inour hearts, we arc Godleffc: tfhc be there without our joy, we arc fcnfclc!fc:ifwc rcjoycein him,and fpeak not ofhim,wcarc fhamefully unthankfull: c everyman takerh,yea raifeth occafion to bring in fpcech ofwhat heIikcth. As I will think ofthee alwaycs,O Lord,fo it fhall bemy joy to fpeak Gf thee often:and if! find notopportunity, I will make it. 96 Wben I fee my Saviour hangin~ ill fo forlorn afafhion upon the Croffc ; his head drooping down,his templesblccdmg with thorncs,his hands and feet with the nails, and fide with the fpear; his enemies round about him, mocking at his fhamc, and infulting overhis impotence :how fhould I think any otherwifc ofhim,then,as himfclf cornplainerb,forfaken ofhis Father! But when again I turn mine eyes, and fee the Sun darkned,thc earth quaking,thc rocks rcnt,the graves opcned,thc thccfconfclliog to give witneffc to his Deity; andwhen I fee fo ftrong a guard of providence over -D him,that all hismalicious enemies are not able fo much as to break one bone of that body,which fccmcd cardclly ncglctlcd,I. canoe~ butwonder at his glory,and fafety. God isever nccr,though oft unfccn; and tf he wm~ at our dtftrcffe, he llccpcth not : the fcnfc ofothers a1u!l: not bejudges ofhis prcfcncc,& carc;but our faith:what care I,ifthe world give 1110 up for miferablc,whiles I am under his fccret protection! 0 Lord fincc thou art ftrong io our weakneffc,and prcfcnt inour fenllefncffc; give me but as much comfort in my forrow, as thon given me fccurity, and at my worft I fhall bewell. 97 In fins &aflliaionsour courfe mull be conrrary:wc mutt begin to dcteft the greateft fin fir!l,and defccnd to the hatred ofthcleaft ; we mutt firft begin to fuffcr fmall E alllitlions with patience,tbat wemayafccnd to the endurance ofthe grcarcft.Then aloncfhall I be happy wl)cn by this holy method,! havedrawnmy fourto makeconfciencc of the lcaft evill of fin, aod not to fhrink at the !call cvill ofalllittion. • g8 Prcfcription is no plea again!l: the King:much ldfe can long cu!lome plead for error againft thatour fupream Lord, to whom a thoufand years arc but as yeftcrday : yea,Timc,which pleads voluntarily for cootinuanceofthiogs bwful,will take no fee, not to fpeakagainftan evill ufc.Hath an illcuftomclafted long! it is more then time it were abrogated: age is an aggravation to fin.Hercfie or abufe,ifit be gray·headed, dcfcrvcs fharper Gppefition: to fay, I will doe ill bccaufc I have done fo , is perillous and impious prefumption:continuancc cao no more make anywickcdneffe fafe, then the
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