Meditations and Vowes. Cent. Ill. the Ark)isfomuch amilre,that the good intention cannot bear out theunlawful! att: A which although it may fecm fomc excufe,why it 1houldnot be fo ill,yct is nowarrant tojllfiificit. To mean well anddoe a goodatlion, in anillmanocr, (as the Pharifee made a good praycr,butarrogantly)is fo olfcnfive,that theevilmancr depravcthboth thcothcr.So a thing may be evil upon one circumllance, it cannot be good but upon all. In what ever bufinclrc I goe •bout, I will enquire, What I doe for the fubllance, How for the manner, Why for the intention: For thecwo firll:, I will confulc with God;for the !all,with my own heart. 84 I can doe nothing without amillion ofWitnclfcs:The confcicncc is as a choufand witnelfes;and God is as a choufand confcicnccs:I will therefore fo deal with men, as knowing chat God fees mc;and fo with God,as if theworld faw mc1fo with my fclf, B and both oftbem,as knowing that my confcience fceth me: and fo with them all, as knowing I am alwaycs over-looked by my accufer,by my Judge. 85 Earthly inheritances arc divided oft-times withmuch inequality.The privilege of primogcnicurdhctchech larger in many places now, then it didamong the ancient [ewes,The younger many times ferves the ddcr;and whiles the eldell aboundech,all the latter ilfuc is pinchcd.Io heaven it is not fo:allche fons ofGod arc heirs,nonc undcrlings;and not heirs under wardfhip,and hope,but inheritors; and not inheritors of any little pittance ofland,buc ofa kingdome;nor ofaR earthly kingdome, fubjetlco danger ol Iolfc,oralceration,but oneglorious and cvcrlalling.It fbal contentme here, that having rightto all things, yet I have polfeffion ol nothing but forrow. Since I c 1ball have po!l'ellion abovc,ofallchat,whcreto I have right below , I will fe~vc wiiIingly,that I may rcigne;fervcfora while,that I mayrciga for ever. 86 Even the bell things ill ufcd,bccomc evils;&contrarily,thc worll things ufc:d wd, prove good. A goodcongue,ufcd to deceit;a good wit,ufed to defend errour;a ftrong arm, tomurcher; amhority,toopprclfc; a good profellion to difl'cmble; arc all evill; yea Gods own Word is chefword ofthefpirit;which ifit killnot our vices, kills our fouls. Contrariwife(as poyfons arc ufed to wholcfo:ncmedicinc) affiidions and fins, bya goodufc prove fo gainfull, as nothing more.Wordsarcasthcy arc raken : and 'thing• arc as they arc ufcd.There arc even curfed bleffings.O Lord rather giveme no favours,thcn not grace to ufe them.Ifl wantthem,thou rcquircll not what thoudoll 0 not give:but if I hove thcm,and want thdr ufc,thy mercy proves my judgement. 87 Man is the bel!ofall chcfc infcriour crcomrcs; yet lives in more farrow and difcon. _tcntmcnt,then the worll ofthem: whiles that rcafon wherein heexcels them, ond by \vhich he might make advantage ofhis life, he abu(cs toa fufpitious di!lru!l. How 'manyhallthoufoundofthefowlcsoftheayrc,lyingdcad in the way for want of provifion?Thcy eac,and rcll,and fing,and want nothing. Man,which bath far better moans to live comfortably,t<>ileth,and careth,and wantcth ; whom yet hisrcafonaIone migbtteach, that he which carcth forchcfe lower creatures made only for man, will much more provide for man, co whofc ufe they weremade. There is anholy 'carclefnclfe;frec from idlenclfc;frcc fromdillrull. In thefc earthly things, I will fo E depend on my Makel)that my cru!l in him may not exclude all my labour; and yet fo labour(upon my conndcnccon him)as my cndcvour may be void ofperplexity. 88 The preccpts,and pradiceofchofewithwhom we live, avail much on either part. For aman not to be ill,where he bath no provocations to cvil,is Ielfc commcndabl<; but for a man to live contincntly in Afi• (as he faid)whcrc be fees nothing but allure· ments to uncleannelrc: for L•tto be agood man in the middcll of S•d•m,to be abllcmious in Gtrm••J, and in lt•IJ challc, this is truly praifc.worthy. To fcqucllcrour fclvcs from the cornpony ofchc world,that we may depart fromtheir vices,proceeds from abafc and dillrufting minde:as ifwewould fo forcegoodnctfe upon our fdvcs, that therefore only we would be good,becaufc we cannot be ill. B.ut for a man foro be
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=