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serable, how worthy is it of more estimation, than thyself is capable of!"

CHAP. XXV.

8. Of Comparisons and Similitudes, whereby it may be most filly set

forth.

AFTER this Opposition, the mind shall make COMPARISON of the matter meditated, with what may nearest resemble it; and shall illustrate it with fittest SIMILITUDES, which give no small light to the understanding, nor less force to the affection.

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"Wonder then, O my soul, as much as thou canst, at this glory: and, in comparison thereof, contemn this earth, which now thou treadest upon; whose joys, if they were perfect, are but short; and, if they were long, are imperfect. One day, when thou art above, looking down from the height of thy glory, and seeing the sons of men creeping like so many ants on this mole-hill of earth, thou shalt think, Alas, how basely I once lived! Was yonder silly dungeon the place I so loved, and was so loth to leave? Think so now beforehand; and, since of heaven thou canst not, yet account of the earth as it is worthy: How heartless and irksome are ye, O ye best earthly pleasures, if ye be matched with the least of those above! How vile are you, O ye sumptuous buildings of Kings, even if all the entrails of the earth had agreed to enrich you, in comparison of this frame not made with hands! It is not so high above the earth, in distance of place, as in worth and majesty. We may see the face of heaven from the heart of the earth; but from the nearest part of the earth, who can see the least glory of heaven? The three disciples, on mount Tabor, saw but a glimpse of this glory shining upon the face of their Saviour; and yet, being ravished with the sight, cried out, Master, it is good being here; and, thinking of building of three tabernacles, (for Christ, Moses, Elias,) could have been content themselves to have lain without shelter, so they might always have enjoyed that sight. Alas, how could earthly tabernacles have fitted those heavenly bodies? They knew what they saw: what they said, they knew not. Lo, these three disciples were not transfigured; yet, how deeply they were affected even with the glory of others! How happy shall we be, when ourselves shall be changed into glorious; and shall have tabernacles, not of our own making, but prepared for us by God! And yet not tabernacles, but eternal mansions: Moses saw God but a while, and shined how shall we shine, that shall behold his face for ever! What greater honour is there, than in sovereignty? What greater pleasure, than in feasting? This life is both a kingdom and a feast. A kingdom: He, that overcomes, shall rule the nations; and shall sit with me in my throne: O blessed promotion! O large dominion and royal seat! to which Solomon's throne of ivory was not worthy to become a footstool. A feast: Blessed are they, that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb: feasts have more than necessity of provision, more than ordinary diet; but marriage-feasts yet

more than common abundance; but the marriage-feast of the Son of God to his blessed Spouse, the Church, must so far exceed in all heavenly munificence and variety, as the persons are of the greater state and majesty: there is new wine, pure manna, and all manner of spiritual dainties; and, with the continual cheer, a sweet and answerable welcome; while the Bridegroom lovingly cheereth us up, Eat, O friends, drink, and make you merry, Owell-beloved: yea, there shalt thou be my soul, not a guest, but, how unworthy soever, the Bride herself, whom he hath everlastingly espoused to himself in truth and righteousness. The contract is passed here below the marriage is consummate above, and solemnized with a perpetual feast: so that now thou mayest safely say, My well-beloved is mine, and I am his: wherefore hearken, O my soul, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house, thy supposed home of this world: so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty; for he is the Lord, and worship thou

him."

CHAP. XXVI.

9. The Titles and Names of the thing considered.

THE Very NAMES and TITLES of the matter considered, yield no small store to our meditation: which being commonly so imposed, that they secretly comprehend the nature of the thing which they represent, are not unworthy of our discourse.

"What need I seek those resemblances, when the very Name of Life implieth sweetness to men on earth; even to them, which confess to live with some discontentment? Surely the light is a pleasant thing; and it is good to the eyes to see the sun: yet, when Temporal is added to Life, I know not how this addition detracteth something, and doth greatly abate the pleasure of Life; for those, which joy to think of Life, grieve to think it but Temporal: so vexing is the end of that, whose continuance was delightful. But now, when here is an addition, above time, of Eternity, it maketh life so much more sweet as it is more lasting: and, lasting infinitely, what can it give less than an infinite contentment? O dying and false life, which we enjoy here; and scarce a shadow and counterfeit of that ather! What is more esteemed than Glory? which is so precious to men of spirit, that it makes them prodigal of their blood, proud of their wounds, careless of themselves: and yet, alas, how pent and how fading is this glory, effected with such dangers and death; hardly, after all trophies and monuments, either known to the next sea, or surviving him that dieth for it! It is true glory, to triumph in heaven; where is neither envy nor forgetfulness. What is more dear to us than our Country? which the worthy and faithful patriots of all times have respected above their parents, their children, their lives; counting it only happy to live in it, and to die for it: the banished man pines for the want of it: the traveller digesteth all the tediousness of his way, all the sorrows of an ill journey, in the only hope of home; forgetting all his foreign miseries, when he

feeleth his own smoke. Where is our country, but above? Thence thou camest, O my soul: thither thou art going, in a short, but weary pilgrimage. O miserable men, if we account ourselves at home in our pilgrimage; if, in our journey, we long not for home! Dost thou see men so in love with their native soil, that, even when it is all deformed with the desolations of war and turned into rude heaps, or while it is even now flaming with the fire of civil broils, they covet yet still to live in it; preferring it to all other places of more peace and pleasure? and shalt thou, seeing nothing but peace and blessedness at home, nothing but trouble abroad, content thyself with a faint wish of thy dissolution? If heaven were thy gaol, thou couldest but think of it uncomfortably. Oh what affection can be worthy of such a home?"

CHAP. XXVII.

10. Consideration of fit Testimonies of Scripture, concerning our theme.

LASTLY, if we can recal any pregnant TESTIMONIES OF SCRIPTURE concerning our theme, those shall fitly conclude this part of our meditation: of Scripture; for that, in these matters of God, none but divine authority can command assent, and settle the conscience. Witnesses of holy men may serve for colours; but the ground must be only from God.

"There it is, saith the Spirit of God which cannot deceive thee, that all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: yea, there shall not only be an end of sorrows, but an abundant recompence for the sorrows of our life; as he, that was rapt up into the third heaven, and there saw what cannot be spoken, speaketh yet thus of what he saw I count, that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory, which shall be shewed to us. It was shewed unto him, what should hereafter be shewed unto us; and he saw, that, if all the world full of miseries were laid in one ba lance, and the least glory of heaven in another, those would be incomparably light; yea, as that divine Father, that one day's felicity above were worth a thousand years' torment below. What then can be matched with the eternity of such joys? O how great, therefore, is this thy goodness, O Lord, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; and done to them that trust in thee, before the sons of men!"

CHAP. XXVIII.

Of our SECOND PART of meditation which is in the Affections Wherein is required, A Taste and Relish of what we have thought

upon.

THE most difficult and knotty part of meditation thus finished, there remaineth that, which is both more lively, and more easy unto a good heart, to be wrought altogether by the Affections; which if

our discourses reach not unto, they prove vain and to no purpose. That, which followeth therefore, is the very soul of meditation; whereto all that is past serveth but as an instrument. A man is a man, by his understanding part; but he is a Christian, by his will and affections.

Seeing therefore, that all our former labour of the brain is only to affect the heart, after that the mind hath thus traversed the point proposed through all the heads of reason, it shall endeavour to find, in the first place, some feeling TOUCH, and sweet RELISH in that, which it hath thus chewed; which fruit, through the blessing of God, will voluntarily follow upon a serious meditation. David saith, Oh taste, and see how sweet the Lord is. In meditation we do both see and Taste; but we see, before we taste: sight, is of the understanding; taste, of the affection: neither can we see, but we must taste; we cannot know aright, but we must needs be affected. Let the heart, therefore, first conceive and feel in itself the sweetness or bitterness of the matter meditated: which is never done, without some passion; nor expressed, without some hearty

exclamation.

"O blessed estate of the Saints! O glory not to be expressed, even by those which are glorified! O incomprehensible salvation! What savour hath this earth to thee? Who can regard the world, that believeth thee? Who can think of thee, and not be ravished with wonder and desire? Who can hope for thee, and not rejoice? Who can know thee, and not be swallowed up with admiration at the mercy of him that bestoweth thee? O blessedness, worthy of Christ's blood to purchase thee! worthy of the continual songs of Saints and Angels to celebrate thee! How should I magnify thee! How should I long for thee! How should I hate all this world for thee!"

CHAP. XXIX.

2. A Complaint, bewailing our wants and untowardness. AFTER this Taste shall follow a COMPLAINT; wherein the heart bewaileth to itself his own poverty, dulness, and imperfection; chiding and abasing itself, in respect of his wants and indisposition: wherein Humiliation truly goeth before glory; for, the more we are cast down in our conceit, the higher shall God lift us up at the end of this exercise in spiritual rejoicing.

"But, alas, where is my love? where is my longing? where art thou, O my soul? what heaviness hath overtaken thee? how hath the word bewitched and possessed thee, that thou art become so careless of thy home, so senseless of spiritual delights, so fond upon these vanities? Dost thou doubt whether there be a heaven? or whether thou have a God and a Saviour there? O far be from thee this atheism: far be from thee the least thought of this desperate impiety. Woe were thee, if thou believedst not! But, O thou of little faith, dost thou believe there is happiness, and happiness for thee; and desirest it not, and delightest not in it? Alas, how weak

and unbelieving is thy belief! how cold and faint are thy desires! Tell me, what such goodly entertainment hast thou met withal here on earth, that was worthy to withdraw thee from these heavenly joys? what pleasure in it ever gave thee contentment? Or what cause of dislike findest thou above? Oh no, my soul, it is only thy miserable drowsiness, only thy security: the world, the world hath besotted thee, hath undone thee with carelessness. Alas, if thy delight be so cold, what difference is there in thee from an ignorant Heathen, that doubts of another life? yea, from an Epicure, that denies it? Art thou a Christian, or art thou none? If thou be what thou professest, away with this dull and senseless worldliness; away with this earthly uncheerfulness: shake off at last this profane and godless security, that hath thus long weighed thee down from mounting up to thy joys. Look up to thy God, and to thy crown; and say with confidence, O Lord, I have waited for thy salvation."

CHAP. XXX.

3. A hearty Wish of the soul, for what it complaineth to want. AFTER this Complaint, must succeed a hearty and passionate WISHI of the soul, which ariseth clearly from the two former degrees: for, that which a man hath found sweet and comfortable, and complains that he still wanteth, he cannot but wish to enjoy.

“O Lord, that I could wait and long for thy salvation! Oh, that I could mind the things above! that, as I am a stranger indeed, so I could be also in affection! Oh, that mine eyes, like the eyes of thy first martyr, could, by the light of faith, see but a glimpse of heaven! Oh, that my heart could be rapt up thither in desire! How should I trample upon these poor vanities of the earth! How willingly should I endure all sorrows, all torments! How scornfully should I pass by all pleasures! How should I be in travail of my dissolution! Oh, when shall that blessed day come, when, all this wretched worldliness removed, I shall solace myself in my God? Behold, as the hart brayeth for the rivers of waters, so panteth my soul after thee, O God: My soul thirsteth for God; even for the liv ing God: Oh, when shall I come and appear before the presence of

God?"

CHAP. XXXI.

4. An humble Confession of our disability to effect what we wish. AFTER this Wishing, shall follow humble CONFESSION, by just order of nature: for, having bemoaned our want, and wished supply, not finding this hope in ourselves, we must needs acknowledge it to him, of whom only we may both seek and find: where it is to be duly observed, how the mind is, by turns, depressed and lifted up; being lifted up with our estate of Joy, it is cast down with Complaint; lift up with Wishes, it is cast down with Confession: which order doth best hold it in ure and just temper; and maketh it more feeling of the comfort, which followeth in the conclusion.

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