Meditations, Meditation 48 – Meditation 50
48
It hath beene an often pollicy of Satan, when hee could not pull downe good things with euill, to pull them downe by setting them together by the eares betweene themselues. Not to mention the too-much opposition betweene the reformed Christians, I can example it in the quarrels which hauehave been betweene faith and workes, prayer & preaching, and the commendation of the learned workes of some, in a comparatiue despite of as profitable works of others. But this is an vnkindly debate, and issueth by no meanes out of the nature of the things thēselues, but from mans contentiousnes, want of iudgement, or ouer-prising our owne apprehensions. Each vertue hath her seuerall place, and in that place shee excelleth & hath commendation, and thrusteth out no other vertue either from place or worth. The place of faith is first in the vnderstanding, but working downward on the wil and affections, it ioynes vsus to Christ; so is it the hand of the ingraffer, it sets the eye of the soule euer on God in Christ: it is excellent for vnion, & for all the benefits and fruites comming from that vniō, wherof workes are a part. The place of workes is chiefely in the will and affections, yet grounded in the vnderstanding, & springing forth at the members: They expresse the vertue of the vnion, they praise and glorifie him that bestowed this vnion; they are excellent as fruits, but they hauehave both being & excellence frō him whom faith apprehendeth. Preaching deliuers words of knowledge, of reproch, of comfort, of exhortation, to our ignorance, to our sinnefulnesse, to our despaire, to our deadnesse of heart: yea it teacheth vsus how to pray, it perswadeth vsus to pray; prayer fetcheth downe grace from the Author of grace, by which, preaching it selfe is made profitable, and life is put into the dead letter; it prouides vsus for hearing, and makes vsus able to doe what we heare. In summe, it procures helpe in all things from him, without whom we can doe nothing. Thus it seemes both faith and workes, prayer and preaching, bee of kinne, mutuall embracers, and farre from that contention which is fastned to them: each desire that their fellowes may hauehave appointed time and place, because in their prosperitie themselues doe Horish. Now for the last kind of debate, which hath been set betweene excellent writers, discretion and charitie might serue for a full remedie. If any one bee in any thing good and profitable, charitie and wisedome will rather commēd that worth of his, then obscure it by comparisons: if another be more learned, it may bee the lesse learned doth more edifie; and sure it, is that such contention doth not edifie at all. The Schoolemen are excellent in subtilties, they search how things are, they dig for the roote; and in sum, if sifted from errors, and clearely cōceiued, they may giuegive great light to the vnderstanding. Another Diuine goeth more plainely to worke, he sets foorth the matter without curious search of the manner, herather shewes that it is, then how it is; yet he shewes enough for saluation, hee shewes enough for the most general capacitie, and withall he mooues the will, and stirres vp the affections to receiue life, & refuse death. The first make a few men excellent, but find not often a fit great audiēce; they are good teachers of teachers. The later doth generally profit, he goeth into the wil & affections, & vnlockes the heart for God, the seate where he delights to dwell. Of this kind hath this age most neede of, of which prophecies foretold, that the louelove of many shold now waxe cold, that men should louelove their pleasures more then God: and of which experience telles vsus, that knowledge hath farre out-run obedience, which should follow close at the heeles of it; and therefore of the two, lacks most nourishment, and incouragement. Generally, let them that build the house of God, if they hold a sword in one hand, yet hold it against the enemy, not one against another: much lesse let the by-standers take their swords out of their hands, and fight for them, when they will not themselues. The building is not promoted by this meanes, but hindered, yea, pulled downe.
49
The euils of this life are great and many, whereof some are immediately from the hand of God, others from the wickednesse of men, others from the malice of Satan; and of these also God hath the command. These euils are by men diuersly receiued, some entertaine them only with passion, and these cure one vexation with another, and adde sorrow to sorrow. Some by reasons morall or naturall, seeke to preserue their owne quietnesse, and these obtaine not often what they seeke; and if they doe, they hauehave but a fading and transitorie rest, which being past, is all one with sorrow past; for then they are both like vanitie and nothing. But a third sort of receiuers are they, that receiue them with faith, euen a beleeuing soule, whose obiect is God in Christ, and which looking vp to God, both sees him, and in him sees what hee sees in these euils: this is the going into the Sanctuarie, where the euils of this life are only truly discerned, and so thereby conquered. For looking vp to God, we see him our mercifull Father, vnchangeable Sauiour, and our stedfast happinesse: we see that the euils which he sends, or directs to vsus, are rods of louelove, and their stripes are healers; they punish the flesh, and that but temporally, that the spirit may liue eternally. And for the wicked, who are somtimes gods executioners, he tels vsus, that he beholds their wicked actiōs, that they stand in the slipperie place of a transitorie and dying life, and that they and their works shall come to iudgement; and then their wrongs shall turn into eternal tormēts to thē, & to vsus into eternal glory. And euils thus receiued are comfortable euils, for by faith, we see affliction to be a treasure euerlasting, farre better then treasures of Egypt; they are edifying euils, for they build vsus vp; being beaten downe in the body of sinne, wee are built vp in grace and truth. So these beleeuers onelyonly make benefit of euils, and in stead of being vexed by them, or receiuing no aduantage of them, they turne them into spiritual nourishment; therfore let vsus goe still armed with this faith, which only ouercommeth the world, and makes it seruiceable. It is the onelyonly strength and support of a Christiā in this vale of miseries, and that which keepes him from being oppressed of them, and that helps him to suppresse and vse them. As much faith as wee hauehave, so much strength we hauehave; and if we lack strength, we lack faith. If then euils pursue thee, and thou faintest vnderunder them, know that thou wantest faith, as surely as Peter did, when he began to sink. For how can the beleeuing soule be ouercome, which beholdeth the Almightie on her side, euen when ten thousand hemme her in? yea, which then beholdeth these euils short and transitory, yet by transitory lightnesse working eternall glorie. Beleeuest thou these things, and yet art thou afraid? it cannot bee that thou shouldest be afraid of happinesse, though entred into through affliction; but that thou dost not verily behold and apprehend it. Therefore hencefoorth in thy troubles goe out of thy flesh, and consider not therwith; for flesh and blood will adde waight vntounto them: but goe into the Spirit, where the Comforter dwels by his anointing, working faith in thy soule; there shalt thou find wherwith to conquer, there shalt thou finde wherewith to comfort, yea to better thy selfe by euils.
50
If it be asked who is the greatest foole, it may be answered, The worldly wisest man. For true wisedome is that onelyonly which finds out true happines, and agreeth with the highest wisedome the begotten of God; proportionably, that is the greatest folly which is most laborious, curious, and effectuall in seeking vanitie instead of happinesse: and the whilest goeth astray with all the might thereof from him, who onelyonly is the soueraigne good. Therefore when thou seest a man by wicked craft gathering about him thicke clay, and setling his hope and heart thereon, know him to bee the great spirituall foole, and his good successe therin, to bee but prosperitie in folly. For his deceiued hart feedeth on dust and vanity; he hath forsaken the fountaine of liuing waters, and hath hath made cesternes for waters that faile: this the end will make euident; for then it will appeare euen to the foole himselfe, that the foundation can no longer stand, then the thing on which it was founded. But in the ende the earth shall melt away, & the elements shall consume with heate; and therefore the hopes built on earth, and earthly things must needes fall downe, and wholly be ruined. But that infinite and eternall happinesse, whose name is, I am, hee is for euer. The hopes built on him cannot be shaken, the heart fixed on him, cannot be ouerthrowne; that foundation remaineth sure, and the building thereon is Mount Sion, which cannot be moued; he will bee left after all things, to receiue and crowne thee. Be wise therefore, O ye Princes, yea be wise, O yee wise men of the earth. Kisse the Sonne, euen that eternal wisedom, be yee instructed by him, and then ye shall be truely wise; his Spirit will teach you that truest wisdome to lay your out money, & that for food of eternall life; to forsake these drie cesternes which containe those fading and dying pleasures, and to seeke the fountaine of liuing waters, euen the God of Gods, in whose presence only is the fulnesse of ioy, and with whom onelyonly are the pleasures for euermore.