Meditations, Meditation 86
86
It is pittie we hauehave so wholly taken vp our minds with the controuersies, betweene vsus & the Pope, that wee hauehave much neglected the more immediate controuersie between vsus & the diuell. It is good that thou lay thy hand on this, and forget not the other. The chiefe superedification on Faith is LoueLove, and this louelove tends to the fulfilling of the commandements. Herein are the children of God knowne, and the children of Satan. Hee that loueth is borne of God, and he that loueth not, hath not seene God, but the wrath of God abideth on him. But as louelove must bee had, so must it be had to some purpose, it must bee vseful, & bring forth the naturall & kindly fruite thereof, which is keeping the commandements. But the blacknesse of darkenesse is so thicke on the soule of man by his fall, that he cannot see the good which he would doe; and hence it is, that often louelove brings the children of good workes to the birth, but there is no strength of knowledge to deliuer them. Many there are who hauehave consciences great with charitie, yet in many things for want of knowledge, they either abstaine from doing at all, because they know not what is right to be done, or somtimes mistake euill for good, and so offend God instead of pleasing him. Now lamentable it is to see zeale and deuotion mispent, to see a good minde bring forth euill fruits, & the holy but diuine soule to goe cleane contrary to yt way it purposeth. And this thogh neglected, very much abateth ye glorie & prosperitie of the light, and enlargeth the power and limits of the kingdome of darkenesse. And as much darkenesse as is left, so much roome is there left for Satā, so much territory is there allowed to him; which as we should striue wholly to gaine from him, so especially in those which belong not to him, but hauehave giuen themselues to the God of light, to walke as children of the light. Be it therefore the precious & worthy labour of some Bezaleel or Aholiab, some one whose heart God hath touched and inlightned, to lighten and kindle many of the yet-dim-shining lampes which are in the house of God. Let them be eies to the blinde, and let them ioyne with the spirit of God, saying in the voice thereof, This is the way, walke in it. Let them breake abroad the commandements of God into their seuerall branches of things forbidden, and commanded, that he which runneth may reade, and hee which readeth, may runne aright. Then shall many a worke of darkenesse be preuented, and the workes of light shall spring in farre greater aboundance. Then shall the Prince of darknes bee chased much farther from vsus, and the God of light shall dwell more powerfully and fully in vsus. Then shalt thou, whosouer thou art, that turnest a soule from sinning, shine as the starres in heauen; the blessing of him that hath receiued instruction from thee, shall bee vponupon thee, and thou shalt hauehave an especiall part in that welcome of Christ, in the day of Christ: Come thou blessed of my Father; for when I was hungrie and imprisoned in my mēbers, pining for want of knowledge, and fettered with ignorance, thou didst enlarge mee, thou didst feede and increase me. But if the spirituall lawyers shall not be so diligent to search, and set forth Cases of Conscience, as the secular Lawyers are to publish Cases of transitorie and temporall right, let them expect to hauehave a chiefe part in that curse of Christ: Woe be to you Lawyers, for ye withhold the key of knowledge, ye either enter not your selues, or you do not helpe those that would, to enter.