Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Devotion 8
11. Nobilibus que trahunt, a cincto Corde, venenum, Succis & Gemmis, & quae generosa, Ministrant Ars, et Natura, instillant. They vse Cordials, to keep the venim and Malignitie of the disease from the Heart.
11. MEDITATION.
WHence can wee take a better argument, a clearer d… monstration, that all the Greatnes of this world, is built vponupon opinion of others, and hath in it self no reall being, nor power of subsistence, then from the heart of man? It is alwayes in Action, and motion, still busie, still pretending to doe all, to furnish all the powers, and faculties with all that they hauehave; But if an …nemy dare rise vp against it, it is the soonest endangered, the soonest defeated of any part. The Braine will hold out longer then it, and the Liuer longer then that; They will endure a Siege; but an vnnatural heat, a rebellious heat, will blow vp the heart, like a Myne, in a minute. But howsoeuer, since the Heart hath the birthright, and Primogeniture, and that it is Natures eldest Sonne in vsus, the part which is first borne to life in man, and that the other parts, as younger brethren, and seruants in this family, hauehave a dependance vponupon it, it is reason that the principall care bee had of it, though it bee not the strongest part; as the eldest is oftentimes not the strongest of the family. And since the Braine, and Liuer, and Heart, hold not a Triumuirate in Man, a Soueraigntie equally shed vponupon them all, for his well-being, as the foure Elements doe, for his very being, but the Heart alone is in the Principalitie, and in the Throne, as King, the rest as Subiects, though in eminent Place, and Office, must contribute to that, as Children to their Parents, as all persons to all kindes of Superiours, though oftētimes, those Parents, or those Superiours, bee not of stronger parts, then themselues, that serue and obey them that are weaker; Neither doth this Obligation fall vponupon vsus, by second Dictates of Nature, by Consequences, and Conclusions arising out of Nature, or deriu'd from Nature, by Discourse, (as many things binde vsus, euen by the Law of Nature, and yet not by the primarie Law of Nature; as all Lawes of Proprietie in that which we possesse, are of the Law of Nature, which law is, To giuegive eueryevery one his owne, and yet in the primarie law of Nature, there was no Proprietie, no Meum & Tuum, but an vniuersall Communitie ouer all; So the obedience of Superiours, is of the law of Nature, and yet in the primarie law of Nature, there was no Superioritie, no Magistracie;) but this contribution of assistance of all to the Soueraigne, of all parts to the Heart, is from the very first dictates of Nature; which is in the first place, to hauehave care of our owne Preseruation, to looke first to our selues; for therefore doth the Phisician intermit the present care of Braine, or Liuer, because there is a possibilitie, that they may subsist, though there bee not a present and a particular care had of them, but there is no possibilitie that they can subsist, if the Heart perish: and so, when we seeme to begin with others, in such assistances, indeed wee doe beginne with our selues, and wee our selues are principally in our contemplation; and so all these officious, and mutuall assistances, are but complements towards others, and our true end is our selues. And this is the reward of the paines of Kings; sometimes they neede the power of law, to be obeyd; and when they seeme to be obey'd voluntarily, they who doe it, doe it for their owne sakes. O how little a thing is all the greatnes of man, and through how false glasses doth he make shift to multiply it, and magnifie it to himselfe? And yet this is also another misery of this King of man, the Heart, which is also applyable to the Kings of this world, great men, that the venime & poy…on of eueryevery pestilentiall disease directs it selfe to the heart, affects that, (pernicious affection,) and the malignity of ill men, is also directed vponupon the greatest, and the best; and not only greatnesse, but goodnesse looses the vigour of beeing an Antidote, or Cordiall against it. And as the noblest, and most generous Cordialls that Nature or Art afford, or can prepare, if they be often taken, and made familiar, become no Cordialls, nor hauehave any extraordinary operation, so the greatest Cordiall of the Heart, patience, if it bee much exercis'd, exalts the venim and the malignity of the Enemy, and the more we suffer, the more wee are insulted vponupon. When God had made this Earth of nothing, it was but a little helpe, that he had, to make other things of this Earth: nothing can be neerer nothing, then this Earth; and yet how little of this Earth, is the greatest Man? Hee thinkes he treads vponupon the Earth, that all is vnderunder his fe…te, and the Braine that thinkes so, is but Earth; his highest Region, the flesh that couers that, is but earth; and euen the toppe of that, that, wherein so many Absolons take so much pride, is but a bush growing vponupon that Turfe of Earth. How litle of the world is the Earth? And yet that is all, that Man hath, or is. How little of a Man is the Heart; and yet it is all, by which he is: and this continually subiect, not onelyonly to forraine poysons, conueyed b… others, but to intestine poysons bred in our selues by pestilentiall sicknesses. O who, if before hee had a beeing, he could hauehave sense of this miserie, would buy a being here vponupon these conditions?
11. EXPOSTVLATION.
MY God, my God, all that thou askest of mee,Prou. 23.26. is my Heart, My Sonne, giuegive mee thy heart; Am I thy sonne, as long as I hauehave but my heart? VVilt thou giuegive mee an Inheritance, a Filiation, any thing for my heart? O thou, who saydst to Satan, Hast thou considered my seruant Iob, Iob. 1.8that there is none like him vponupon the earth, shall my feare, shall my zeale, shall my iealousie hauehave leaue to say to thee, Hast thou considered my Heart, that there is not so peruerse a Heart vponupon ea…th; and wouldest thou hauehave that; and shall I be thy Sonne, thy eternall Sonnes Coheire, for giuing that?Ier. 17 9 The Heart is deceitfull, aboue all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Hee that askes that question, makes the answere, I the Lord search the Heart. When didst thou search mine? Dost thou thinke to finde it, as thou madest it in Adam? Thou hast searched since, and found all these gradations in the ill of our Hearts, Gen. 6.5That eueryevery imagination, of the thoughts of our hearts, is onelyonly euill continually. Doest thou remember this, and wouldest thou hauehave my Heart? O God of all light, I know thou knowest all; and it is Thou, Amos 4.14.that declarest vntounto man, what is his Heart. VVithout thee, O Soueraigne goodnesse, I could not know, how ill my heart were. Thou hast declared vntounto mee, in thy Word, That for all this deluge of euill, that hath surrunded all Hearts, yet thou soughtest and foundest a man after thine owne heart, 1 Sam. 13 14.That thou couldest and wouldest giuegive thy people Pastours according to thine owne heart;Ier. 3.15. And I can gather out of thy Word, so good testimony of the hearts of men, as to finde single hearts, docile, and apprehensiue hearts; Hearts that can, Hearts that hauehave learnt; wise hearts, in one place, and in another, in a great degree, wise, perfit hearts; straight hearts, no peruersnesse without, and cleane hearts, no foulenesse within; such hearts I can find in thy Word; and if my heart were such a heart, I would giuegive thee my Heart. But I find stonie hearts too, and I hauehave made mine such: I hauehave found Hearts, Ezech. 11 19.that are snares; and I hauehave conuersed with such; hearts that burne like Ouens; Eccles. 7.26.and the fuell of Lust, and Enuie, and Ambition, hath inflamed mine; Hearts in which their Masters trust, And hee that trusteth in his owne heart, Prou. 28.26.is a foole; His confidence in his owne morall Constancie, and ciuill fortitude, will betray him, when thou shalt cast a spirituall dampe, a heauinesse, and dei…ction of spirit vponupon him. I hauehave found these Hearts, and a worse then these, a Heart into the which the Deuill himselfe is entred, Iudas heart. Io. 13.2.The first kind of heart, alas, my God, I hauehave not; The last are not Hearts to bee giuen to thee; What shall I do? Without that present I cannot bee thy Sonne, and I hauehave it not. To those of the first kinde, thou giuest ioyfulnes of heart, Ecclus. 50.23.and I hauehave not that; To those of the other kinde, thou giuest faintnesse of heart: Leuit. 26 36.And blessed bee thou, O God, for that forbearance, I hauehave not that yet. There is then a middle kinde of Hearts, not so pe…fit, as to bee giuen, but that the very giuing, mends them: Not so desperate, as not to bee accepted, but that the very accepting dignifies them.Ios. 2.11. This is a melting heart, and a troubled heart; and a wounded heart, and a broken heart, and a contrite heart; and by the powerfull working of thy piercing spirit, such a Heart I hauehave; Thy Samuel spake vntounto all the house of thy Israel, 1 Sam. 7.3.and sayd, If you returne to the Lord with all your hearts, prepare your hearts vntounto the Lord. If my heart bee prepared, it is a returning heart; And if thou see it vponupon the way, thou wilt carrie it …ome; Nay, the preparation is thine too; this melting, this wounding, this breaking, this contrition, which I hauehave now, is thy Way, to thy Ende; And those discomforts, are for all that, The earnest of thy Spirit in my heart; 2. Cor. 1.22.and where thou giuest earnest, thou wilt performe the bargaine. Naball was confident vponupon his wine, but in the morning his heart dyed within him;1. Sam. 25.37. Thou, O Lord, hast giuen mee Wormewood, and I hauehave had some diffidence vponupon that; and thon hast cleared a Morning to mee againe, and my heart is aliue. Danids heart smote him, 24.5.when hee cut off the skirt from Saul;1. Sam. 24.10. and his heart smote him, when hee had numbred his people: My heart hath strucke mee, when I come to number my sinnes; but that blowe is not to death, because those sinnes are not to death, but my heart liues in thee. But yet as long as I remaine in this great Hospitall, this sicke, this diseasefull world, as long as I remaine in this leprous house, this flesh of mine, this Heart, though thus prepared for thee, prepared by thee, will still be subiect to the inuasion of maligne and pestilent vapours. But I hauehave my Cordialls in thy promise;1. Reg. 8.38. when I shall know the plague of my heart, and pray vntounto thee, in thy house, thou wilt preserue that heart, from all mortall force, of that infection: And the Peace of God, Phil. 4.7which passeth all vnderstanding, shall keepe my Heart and Minde through Christ Iesus.
11. PRAYER.
O Eternall, and most gracious God, who in thy vpper house, the Heauens, though there bee many Mansions, yet art alike, and equally in eueryevery Mansion, but heere in thy lower house, though thou fillest all, yet art otherwise in some roomes thereof, then in others, otherwise in thy Church, then in my Chamber, and otherwise in thy Sacraments, then in my Prayers, so though thou bee alwayes present, and alwayes working in eueryevery roome of this thy House, my body, yet I humbly beseech thee to manifest alwayes a more effectuall presence in my heart, then in the other Offices. Into the house of thine Annoynted, disloyall persons, Traitors will come; Into thy House, the Church, Hypocrites, and Idolatrers will come; Into some Roomes of this thy House, my Body, Tentations will come, Infections will come, but bee my Heart, thy Bedchamber, O my God, and thither let them not enter. Iob made a Couenant with his Eyes, but not his making of that Couenant, but thy dwelling in his heart, enabled him to keepe that Couenaunt. Thy Sonne himselfe had a sadnesse in his Soule to death, and hee had a reluctation, a deprecation of death, in the approaches thereof; but hee had his Cordiall too, Yet not my will, but thine bee done. And as thou hast not deliuered vsus, thine adopted sonnes, from these infectious tentations, so neither hast thou deliuered vsus ouer to them, nor withheld thy Cordialls from vsus. I was baptized in thy Cordiall water, against Originall sinne, and I hauehave drunke of thy Cordiall Blood, for my recouerie, from actuall, and habituall sinne in the other Sacrament. Thou, O Lord, who hast imprinted all medicinall vertues, which are in all creatures, and hast made euen the flesh of Vipers, to assist in Cordialls, art able to make this present sicknesse, euerlasting health, this weaknes, euerlasting strēgth, and this very deiection, and faintnesse of heart, a powerfull Cordiall. When thy blessed Sonne cryed out to thee, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee, thou diddest reach out thy hand to him; but not to deliuer his sad soule, but to receiue his holy soule; Neither did hee longer desire to hold it of thee, but to recommend it to thee. I see thine hand vponupon mee now, O Lord, and I aske not why it comes, what it intends: whether thou wilt bidde it stay still in this Body, for some time, or bidd it meet thee this day in Paradise, I aske not, not in a wish, not in a thought: Infirmitie of Nature, Curiositie of Minde, are tentations that offer; but a silent, and absolute obedience, to thy will, euen before I know it, is my Cordiall. Preserue that to mee, O my God, and that will preserue mee to thee; that when thou hast Catechised mee with affliction here, I may take a greater degree, and serue thee in a higher place, in thy kingdome of ioy, and glory. Amen.