Meditations, Meditation 83 – Meditation 84
83
The estates and functions in this world, considered alone, and not in order & respect to the next, meet altogether at the end of life in the same point of vanity, howsoeuer by the way different in the apparance of outward glory. And in this way, those that are gotten aboue necessity and miserie, hauehave so confused, vnknowne, & mixt a goodnesse, that they still turne our thoughts forcibly from themselues, and send them beyond themselues vntounto another kinde of beeing, to finde fulnesse and satisfaction. The higher estate, which is that of power and action, pleaseth it selfe in the preheminence thereof, and beholding it selfe a cause & moouer of effects. But the end of a thing being the excellency & crown thereof, and the naturall end of action, and motion being rest, it seemes that the lower estates enioying this most, enioy most the chiefest, and hauehave the aduantage of the fruite, while the other hath the commendation of being an excellent roote. Yet the greatest are most contented to be so, and the lesser might be contented, but they will not; and so is there a confusion herein: that imagination maketh some contented with labour, while more substantiall rest, will not satisfie others. Besides this vexation of minde, there is another: That to be farre aboue miserie, is a miserie: and desires preuented, partake much of the trouble of desires vnsatisfied. For man being made of lust, it is a torment to him, not to lust; and so while men hunt after an excesse of fulnesse, they hunt after their owne torment: yet is there a great path beaten by these runners after extremities, who know not the sweet bound and point of enough, beyond which, their striuing is labour for losse. Againe, the supposed excellency, and highest perfection of mankinde, being commonly imagined to bee at the state and ripenesse of manhood, yet in that indeede is man most miserable, as being then lanched forth like a full built ship into the world, a sea of cares and sorrowes; Then also knowledge increased, increaseth sorrow, giuing man a more full taste of his owne miserie. But youth is free from care, and hath strong enioyings of smal & easie things; for youth couers all things with its own pleasantnesse, whereas age is sad in spite of obiects, colouring them also with it owne deadnes: Yet youth desireth manhood, and is tormented for lacke of it, and after is punished with hauing it. If then the ripenesse of man, euen mans best, is a station of care; if he grow from pleasure as he groweth into manhood, and yet tendeth vntounto manhood as vntounto his perfection; it seemes the very being and perfection of man is a beeing of care and trouble, and that man is verily borne to labour as the sparkes flie vpward. Now what is there left to be thought of man? but that he was not made only for vanitie and miserie, and that this miserie hath a farther and a better end, euen happinesse it selfe. We are here brought into a state of trouble, and straitnesse, but it is, that seruing God first in labour, we should after come to his rest; and that the consideration of this rest should be our comfort in the time of our labour. Let vsus therefore worke on strongly in the worke of God imposed vponupon vsus, knowing that after the sixe daies labour, commeth rest of the seauenth. And let our eyes be continually on the ioyes which follow, and not on the paine which is present: the ioyes beheld must needs incourage vsus, for their sight is comfortable, and especially because wee are sure they are ours. The paine neglected and vnregarded, cannot be very discōfortable; the thought not beeing grieued with that which is not beheld by it. Thus did Christ looke stedfastly on glorie, and so despised the shame, and endured the crosse; and so doth God himselfe, in the sufferings of his seruants. The world indeede wonders who sees but halfe of the matter, when it beholds the sufferings of iust and holy men. They wonder that God takes no more pitty on them, but suffers the fire, the axe, and the tormenter to hauehave power ouer them. But then God who beholds at once the whole estate of a Christian, sees both the torments present, and the glory following; and hee iudgeth the short and finite torments to be the gaine & aduantage of his seruants, since they cause a great accesse of infinite glory. Therefore let vsus be so minded as God and his Christ are, and walke on valiantly in sanctified miserie vntounto true felicitie.
84
Most men in part, or in whole are Gadarens, or Capernaites. The Gadaren, if hee lose any thing by Christ, desires him to depart out of his coasts, and will lose Christ, rather then his swine. The Capernaite followes Christ, but it is to be filled; so he seekes Christ for his belly, and makes his belly the ende of Christ. These things are too vsuall among vsus, wee are readie to shrinke from Christ, as soone as our profits or pleasures shrinke from vsus; because of Christ, wee will not be saued our selues, except wee may hauehave euerie thing else safe aswell as our selues: we will bee both Diues and Lazarus, wee will hauehave happinesse both here and hereafter, which may not bee: for this is to knit together, what God hath parted asunder. Equally wicked is their purpose, that intend▪ to make an occupation of Christ to get fauour, riches, or preferment by him; that turne Christ from his, of being a Sauiour, and vse him as Merchandize: who take the ladder of Iacob, by which wee should ascend into heauen, and peruerting the vse of it, thereby clime downeward to the things of this earth. But miserable and foolish man, thou both robbest & destroiest thy selfe with this thy policie. Christ would hauehave done farre greater things for thee, and thou wilt onelyonly hauehave him helpe thee to the lesse: he would hauehave giuen thee an euerlasting Kingdome, a Treasure that is farre aboue theeues and rust; but thou hadst rather receiue lesse and worse things from him, transitory honour, and rustie treasure. Thou art a child in vnderstanding; thou takest an apple, and refusest a iewell: But he that is verily Christs Disciple, auoids these corruptions. He knowes Christ to bee such an inestimable Pearle and happinesse, that if hee hauehave Christ, though with the losse of father or mother, wife or children, life or land, yea, with persecutions; yet the possession of him yeelds a hundred fold more comfort in this life, and in the life to come eternall felicitie. He is still a gainer amid all his losses, yea he gaines by his losses; for losses for Christ gaine great comfort and assurance in this world, that the losers are accounted worthie to lose any thing for Christ; and hereafter in the next world, shall they gaine an exceeding reward of glorie. The same Disciple also out of the same estimation of Christ, highly disdaineth to make any other end of Christ, but Christ himselfe. Yea hee so highly preferreth Christ aboue all things, that he accounts all things dung, so he may win Christ; Christ is the marke of his desires, hee sees nothing beyond him, but all things farre short of him: He knowes Christ to be infinitely better then all things, and therefore vseth the worse as helpes to the better; but farre it is from him, to propose the better only as a meanes vntounto the worse. So he passeth through all other things as a Pilgrime, but takes vp his rest in Christ alone. He walkes along treading on earth, and earthly things, with his eies and heart fixed on his Sauiour in heauen: To conclude, he is so farre from selling Christ, to get any thing, yt he will sell al things to obtaine Christ: Now true louelove, the fruite of a true faith, makes this yoke easie, and this commandement light.