Hall - HP BX5133 .H34 1647

Cent. Ill. Meditations.and. Yowes. A rby payment is fure,and who knowes how prefent!Take the foul that thou haftboth madeand bougbr:and letme rather give my life for thy favour,thea rake the offers of rhe world for nothing. n Therewas never age that more bragged ofkaowledge,and yet never any tliat had ldfe foundnelfe.He that knowes not God, knoweth nothing; and he that loves not God,knowes him not:for he is fo fweet,and infinitely full ofdelight, that who·ever knows himcannotchufe but affett him, The little loveofGod then argues the great ianorance even ofthofe thatprofe!fc koowledge.I will not fuf!Cr myaffellions torun before my knowledge: for then I !halllov• fafl1ionably only, hecaufe I heare God is worthyoflove 1 and fo he fubjett to relapfes:but I will ever lay knowledge as the B ground of my love. So,as I growin divine knowledge,I!hall frill profir in an heavenly zealc. 34 Thofc that travell in long pilgrimages to the holy Land,what a numberofweary pafcs they meafurefwhat anumber ofhard lodgingsand knowndangers they palfc~ and at !aft when they are come within viewoftheir jaurniesend,what alarge tribute pay they at the Pifolf Caftleto the Turkes~ Andwhen they are come thither,what fee they but the bare Sepulcherwhcrein their Saviour lay! and the earth thathetrode upon,ro the increafe ofa earnall devotion~ What labour !hould I willingly undercake in my journey to the true Land ofj>romife,the celefiiall Ierufalem,where I !hall fee and enjoy my Saviour himfelfe! What tribute ofpain or death fl10uld I refufc ro C pay for my enrrance,notinto his Sepulcher,bur his Palace ofgloty! and that not ro look upon,but topoffelfeit! 3~ Thofe that are all in exbbrtation,nowhit indoCtrine, are like to them that fnuffe the candle,but powre not in oyle.Again,thofe that are all in doCtrine, nothing in ex· hortation,drown thewike in oyle,bu! light it not; making it fit for ufe, if it had fire put to it 1but as it is,rather capableofgood,then profitablein prefem.Doctrine, with out exhortation,makes men all brain,no h~art.Exhortation, without doctrine, makes the heartfu\l,leaves the braine empty. Both together make aman: Onemakes a man wife;theother good. One ferves that we may know ourduty;the other,rhat we may perform ir. I will labour in both:bur I knownot in whether more. Men cannor pra. D Cl:ife,unl~ffe they know;and they know in vain,if they prxetifc nor. 31S There be twothings in everygood work1 honour andprofit. The latter God beftowes upon us,the former he keeps to himfelf. The profit of our works redoundeth notto God.My well·doing extendeth nor to thee.The honour ofourwork may nor be allowed us.My glory I will not give to anothcr.I will not abridge God ofhis parr, that he may not bereave me ofmine. 37 The proud man bath no God;theenviousman bath no neighbour;the angry man bath not himfclf.What can that man have that wants himfclf~ What is a man better ifhe have himfclf, and want all others~What is he the neerer,if he havehimfclf,and E others,and y~twant God!Whatgood is it then to he 'a man,ifhe be either wrathful, proud,orcnv1ous ~ 38 Man that 1~as on~e the foveraign Lord ofall creatures,whom they ferviceably att~nded at all umes, 1~ nowfent to the very bafeft ofall ~reatures to learn goodqualiu~s:Goe to the P1fm~re,&c.and fcc,the moft conrempublecreature's prclet'd before h1m:The Affe knoweth his owner;wherein we,like the miferablc heir of fome great Peer,whofe houfe is decayed through the rreafon ofour progenitors heareand fee what Honours and Lord-!hips we!hould have had; bur now findeou~ fclves below many ofthe vulgar: we havenotfomuchcaufe ofexaltation that weare men,and not bcafts1aswe have ofhumiliation,in thinking howmuch we 1~ere once better then we are,and that now in many duties we are men inferiour to beafts:foas thofewhomwe contcmo.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=