Meditations, Meditation 44 – Meditation 47
44
The course of the children of God through this world vntounto heauen, is the very course of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. Israel is born in Egypt vnderunder the seruice of Pharaoh, and brought from vnderunder him by a mightie and outstretched Arme, escaping the death of Egypt by the blood of the Lamb. Gods children are begotten in the Kingdome of Satan, and drawne from his subiection by his mighty power, who can onelyonly bind the strong man, and take away his goods. By the blood of the Lamb, Christ Iesus, they also escape that death which is due to them, by being borne in the kingdome of Satan. The Israelites by the red Sea were cleared from the prosecution and danger of Egypt, and through it found a path toward the land of promise. The true Israelites by spirituall and inward baptisme are dead vntounto sinne and the kingdome of Satan, and by that death escape from them; hauing also a way painted out by the sanctification thereof to the Kingdom of blessednesse. Forty yeeres long after their man-hood did the Israelites wander in the wildernesse, vntill they came into Canaan: and fortie yeeres are the vsuall time appointed to the children of God to trauell in this world, before they come to rest. And in this fortie yeeres, the onelyonly ordinarie food of Israel that gaue them life and comfort was Manna from heauen: and the chiefe food of the regenerate is the Spirit of Christ, which dwelleth in them, and is their life and comfort. Slender and light did that Manna seeme to the Israelites, yet sufficed to bring them to the land of Promise: and small doth the life and comfort appeare of this Spirit to fleshly reason, euen of the regenerate; but it will serue to bring them to heauen, and to comfort and strengthen them by the way. Manna shewed, that man liueth not by bread onelyonly, but by euerie word which proceedeth from the mouth of God; to teach vsus, that by this Spirit which proceedeth from the breath of God, we hauehave as certaine a life, as wee hauehave by bread. But as at first there was an host to fetch Israel backe into bondage, and at last there were hosts, giants, & gates of brasse to keepe thē frō the possession of the Land of Promise. Accordingly when Christians are escaped from the kingdome of Satan by regeneration, and walking to Ierusalem which is aboue, Legions and armies of wicked spirits, the gates of hell, yea Og the King of Basan, the huge Prince of hel, and the Principalities of darknesse fight against them, and seek to turne backe, and stop their progresse vntounto rest. But vntounto Israel their enemies were as bread, euen a prey and a triumph; and to vsus the God of peace will tread Satan vnderunder our feet, the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vsus, but their temptations shall bee our aduancements, and their resistance shall giuegive vsus the title of conquerours. And that we may make full benefit of this example, let vsus especially be carefull to walke like those Israelites, which continued and perfected their course from Egypt to Canaan; the chiefe resemblances among the Israelites of the true Christians among vsus. Let vsus auoide the sinnes of them, who fell by the way: let vsus make great reckoning of the Manna of the Spirit, feeding, comforting, and contenting our selues in all estates therewith; in all estates, trials, and changes. For this small dram of our new birth, though it seeme to melt sometimes before the heate of tentation, and the bread thereof tasts not so strong as the onions and flesh pots of naturall lust and pleasures: yet it is of the wombe of the morning, it comes from the day-spring on high, it hath life eternall in it; and this little seed shall raise vsus vp in the glorious image of the incorruptible and euerliuing sonnes of God. For the weake things of God are euer strong inough to accomplish their appointed end, they are backt with omnipotence, and if they wanted any thing in thēselues, yet from that shall they draw perfect sufficiencie.
45
The sanctified soule in this world is a widdow; Christ is her husband, and he is absent from her; The senses hauehave their pleasant obiects to delight them, the flesh hath grosse matter enough to satisfie the lusts thereof. But the soule beholdeth not an obiect for her pure ioy, for hee whom the soule loueth and should only louelove, is gone to a farre countrey; yet is her heart towards him, shee thinkes still vponupon him though a pilgrime in a strange land; shee breaketh out into longing passions and inquireth of the sheepheards for him: she lookes by a chinke, with the eye of spirituall light into heauen, and so hath a glimse of him for whom shee is sicke of louelove; for he stands behinde a wall, this earth of ours is a partition betwixt vsus and him, and he lookes through it but by a little grate; yet still is shee his only, as he is hers, shee reioyceth in him, and remembers his louelove more then wine; shee entreates him to draw her that shee may run after him; to set her as a seale on his heart, and as a signet on his arme, for her LoueLove is as strong as death. She fitteth her selfe for him by being all glorious within, and chastly reserues her selfe vntounto him as a garden inclosed, and a spring shut vp. Shee is decked with fruitfulnesse, euen with fulnesse of all sweete fruits, trees of incense & al sweete spices. Thus louing, thus glorious, thus chaste, thus holy, thus fruitfull in goodnesse, shee waiteth for his returne vntill the eternall day breake, and the earthly shadowes flie away. This is a sanctified soule, goe thou and doe the like.
46
Herein is that in expressible height of Gods mercy to his elect much expressed, that the most wise and laborious men in morall goodnesse, yet not hauing grace, passe vnderunder the Law, and their very goodnesse is condemned to be sin. For such indeede it is, not comming from him who is the only Author of goodnesse, nor returning to him who is the true end of all things. Yet weake and sinful soules, though laden with great infirmities, by the merciemercy of God are taken from the Law into grace, & so their many sinnes are forgiuen them; that weake and fraile men, if striuing against sin, though often falling into it, might yet comfort themselues in that high merciemercy, which laid hold on them, and singled them out for its owne sake, and not for theirs; and that no flesh might reioyce in it selfe; for the glory of flesh without the mercy of God, is but shame to it selfe, and matter for iustice. As therefore we hauehave an infinite benefit freely bestowed, let vsus thankfully glorifie the giuer, who gaue it vsus chiefely for his owne glory: and withall let vsus take heede that though there bee so great mercy with God, yet wee make not worke for merciemercy, lest mercy tempted, turne into iudgement.
47
The obedience of insensible, and brute creatures vntounto the will of God, is a great checke and reproofe vntounto the disobedience of man; Man is the chiefest of creatures, and they the lowest, yet doe they as farre exceede him in obedience, as he doth them in naturall eminence. The will of God is a straight and fixed line, to which all things created by the same will, should so fit and fashion themselues, that they should not bowe from it in any degree; This doe the baser things, stedfastly following the imprinted light & law of their first Creation. So the storke and swallow know their appointed times, the oxe knowes his owner, and the Asse his masters crib; the sea moueth in setled and vnmoouing course; the starres fit their many changes to a steadie rule, answerable to the will of him that neuer changeth. But man that had a burning Lampe, euen a fountaine of light in his soule (whereas brute beasts hauehave but a light determined and certaine; and liuelesse things hauehave no light of reason, but an orderly influence and moouing power fixed into thē) this reasonable man is wholly gone astray from his rule, and not onelyonly runneth from it but against it. Thus is he farre worse then things worse then himself, and openly shewes, that he hath fallen and not they. What now remaines, but that as this abased Lord of creatures, hath beene checked and reprooued by the creatures his vassals, so he should also bee instructed by them? Therefore ô thou man goe willingly hereafter to the Oxe and Asse to learne thy duty. There is in them, as in the Asse of Balaam, that which may instruct thee. Be ashamed of thy corruption and fall, but bee not ashamed by any thing not falne, to bring thy selfe back to the place from whence thou fellest: when thou seest creatures obedient to thee, thence know that obedience is also due to God from thee, who is infinitely more aboue thee, then thou aboue them. When thou seest mutuall louelove betweene creatures of one kinde, learne thence Charitie to thy owne kind: In sum, when thou seest any creature continuing the steady & appointed course of his kinde, call thereby to minde, that there is a certaine and appointed course to thee also, wherein thou shouldest as certainly satisfie the will of thy Creator, who requireth a conformitie of all things in their place and order, and the chiefest of the chiefest.