54 Meditations and form. Cenr. II. might plead the uncertainty ofhis dhte and doubt ofhis furure need:but an old man A fees his fer period before him.Since this humour is fonecdfarilyannexed ro this age, 1will torn it the right way,and nourifh it in my fe! f. The older I grow, rhomore covetous I will be;but oftheriches,not of theworld lam leaving , but ofall the world I amcntring into.It is good coveting what I may have, and cannut leave behind me. 75 There is amutuall hatred betwixta Chrifiiln, and the world; for on rhe one fide, the love ofthe world is enmity with God ; and Gods children c.tnnor but take their .fathers part.Onrhe other,The world hates you,becaufc it hated me firll.But the hatred ofthe good m.m to the wicked'is nor fo exrreme,asrhat wherewith he is hated. for the Chrifiian hares ever with commiferarion and love of'thar good he fus in the worfi;knowing that the erfenceofthe very Devils is good, and that the lewdell man . B bath fome excellent parts ofnature,orcommongrac<Softhe Spirit ofGod,which he warily fingleth out in his affeCtion.But the wicked man hates himfor goodnerfe,and therefore findcs nothing in himfc!fro mod<rate his detefiarion. There canbe no bet· ter mufick in mincoare then the difcord ofthe wicked. If helike me,lamafraid he fpies fome quality in me,liketo his own. lfhe [Jw nothing but goodneffe, he could not love mc,and bcb•d himfdf.It was ajufi doubt of Ph.cion, whowhen the people praifcd him,asked, What evil! have I done~ I will flrivc to defcrvc cvill ofnonc:but not dcfcrvingill, it fbal!not grieve me to hear ill ofthofe that arc evill . I know no grc>tcr argument ofgoodndl'c,thcn the hatred of awichcd man. ' 76 A mJn that comes hungry to his mealc,feeds helftily on the meat f« before him, C not regardiog the mctall,or forme ofthc-plattcr,wherein it is fcrvcd1who afterwards when his llomackc is Gtisficd,bcgins to play with the difh , or to read feotcnccs on his trencher.Thofc auditors which can findc nothing ro doe,but note cl<ganr words and phrafcs, orrhetoricallcolours, or perhaps an ill grace ofgcllure in a pithy and material! fpeech,argue themfclvcs full ere they cameto the feafi : and therefore goe away with a little pfeafure, no profit.In hearingothers, my only intention !hall be to fccdmymind withfolidmattcr: ifmyearc can ger ought by the way, I will nor grudge it,but I will not intend it, 77 The joy ofaChtifiianin thefc w0rldly things is limited, and ever awed with fear of excclfc,buc rccompenccd abundantly with his fpiriruall mirtlmvhcrcas theworld. D ling gives the rcin<S to the mind,and powres himfelf imo pleafure , fearing only that he !hall not joy enough.He that is but halfa Chrillian,livesbutmiferably1tor he nei. rherenjoyerh God,nor the \vorld. Nor God, becaufc he hatb not grace enough to make him his own:not theworld,bee>ufchc bath fome taficofgrace1cooughcofbew' him the vanity and fin ofhis plcafurcs. So the found Chrifiian hath his heaven above, the worldling bore below, the unfedcd Chrifiian no where. 78 Good deeds arevery fruitfull;and not fo much of their oature,as ofgods bleffing, multipliable. We thinkten in the hundred extreme and biting ufury 1 God gives us more then an hundred forten;yea,abovc the increafc ofthegain which wecommend moll for multiplication. For out ofone good aCtionof ours, God prnduceth athou. E fand1thc harnll whereofis perperuall: Even the faithfull aCtions of the old Parriarkes,the con!lant fuffcringsofancient Martyrcs livcfHU, anddoegood to all (ucceffions ofagesby their example.For publike aaions of venue, befides rhatthey arc prcfcntly comfortable to rhcdoer,arcalfo exemplary to others: aodas,they arc more beneficiall toothers,foare more crowned in us.Ifgooddeedswere utterly barrenand incommodious, I would feek after them for the coofcienceof their own goodneffe: how much more !hall I now be incouraged to perform them,for that they arc fo pro· fitablcboth to my fclf,and to others,>nd to me inothewMy principall carcfball be, chat while my foule livos in glory in beavcn,my good aCtions may live upon earth; and th3tthey mightbe pur into the bank and multiply , while my body lies in the grave and confumeth. 79 A C hriOian
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