Meditations, Meditation 78 – Meditation 80
78
God is the cause of all vnderunder-causes and of all effects; in him is the fulnesse of all things, the spring of all beings. This world is a determinate measure of his effects. The naturall life at the best is but a certaine number of these effects, during a certaine peece and limit of time. But the spirituall life caused by our vnion with God, is an euerlasting and infinite enioying of the infinite cause of all things. Hereby shall wee finde the Christian to bee most perfectly happie, who possesseth all things in their cause, and beyond al things that are, shall enioy the cause it selfe. Infinite is the difference betweene wisedome the cause, and wisedome the effect; light the cause, and light the effect; louelove the cause, louelove the effect. Therefore is earthly Paradise wiped out, and the Sunne shall be taken away, and worldly pleasure eaten vp by death. And from hence hauehave wee infinite cō fort, for besides the blessed end which comforteth all labours, wee hauehave other comforts in our way thither. For if some temporall effects of God be now wanting, yet in God they are ready for vsus, and farre more excellent things, when it shall be best for vsus: for God hauing cōmunicated himselfe to vsus, we may certainly beleeue, he cannot denie things small in comparison of him, when they shall be for our good. Therefore when he withholds them, hee doth it as not beeing good for vsus: yea we may reioyce in griefe, knowing that a louing God and our God is the very cause of it, and that to our good. So while our flesh by nature is sad at the effect, our heart by grace may reioyce confidently in the cause. For God vnchāgeable, through all our changes aymeth vnchangeably to this end, our good. Let all seeke God with their whole heart; since himselfe is our exceeding great reward; since all things attend vponupon him ready to cast themselues vponupon them whom they see fauored by him: And since all things of what time soeuer that are cast on vsus, are turned into good by him who dwelleth in vsus.
79
If a good name be better then a small parcell of goods, then he that sits as iudge of a mans good name ought to proceede to sentence vponupon as firme euidence, as the iudge of a mans goods. If this were obserued, men would heare sufficient witnesses before they fall to their censures: Surely it is a great fault of these times, that men are sooner condemned to bee wholly naught, then a publikely accused-man, is to hauehave stollen a sheepe. The reason hereof is; There is a drop of the great Serpents venome powred into our hearts, which breeds in vsus a willingnesse to heare euill of our neighbours. But let vsus thirst for the medicinable drops of grace, & sucke thē into our hearts, which will fill vsus with that louelove which reioyceth not in euill. It is a pitiful thing that creatures of one forme, of one condition, should delight in the blemishes and miseries of each other. But when the diuell brought vsus to fall out with God, he also brought vsus to fall out among our selues, that louelove the fulfilling of the Law might be perfectly broken. Yet they that are new made by Christ, must learne Christs new commandement, which is louelove, and be slowly and vnwillingly led to beleeue euill of their neighbour.
80
It is a good degree of happinesse to hauehave a nature inclining, yea in different to those waies to which the spirit bends it selfe, and would bend it. Thence it seemes a great aduantage when a man hath in his nature a coldnesse to Ambition, to the glory of this world, to the pleasures of the world, and when it draweth, and contracteth it selfe into a narrower content, being satisfied euen with things necessarie. For if we hauehave not this naturally in vsus, we must striue to make it naturall by custome, because there is an absolute necessity that wee be such, or still striue to bee such. For God must reigne in vsus if we will reigne with him; & how doth he reigne in vsus, but by moderating & guiding the minde within the compasse of reason, curbing and restraining wilde and inordinate affections? And this it seemes is much the end of afflictions on the men whom God loues, that there by taming, swaging, and cooling their nature, and as it were washing and taking away by a priuation, the head-strong affections which it beareth to the world; the spirit may vnresisted enter in, and quietly worke his nature into the afflicted. And as for these naturall vertues, though they bee not Christian, nor in themselues acceptable to God, while they are meerely mooued by nature, to a naturall mans ends; yet when nature is mooued to do them by the spirit, from a right cause which is the louelove of God, vntounto the right end which is the glory of God; then the actions so done by the seruice of nature, are good & acceptable to God. As for those whose crooked, and more vnmannagable nature, standeth stiffe against the discipline of the spirit and their owne desires; let them not therefore despaire, because their euill ground bringeth forth lesse fruite, & more bryers then the others. It pleaseth God indeed to make thee one of those to whom he appointeth more labour, for the promised penny; yet be not wearie of well doing, for if thou faint not, thou shalt in due time receiue thy wages. If thou striue heartily against thy euill and hate it, God is pleased with thy will and affection, as much as the others action. Therfore striue hopefully, according to the might which thou hast, praying for more; and his grace is sufficient for thee.