Meditations Upon the Misery of Mankind 2, Part 4
The vanity of the thoughts, deſires & iudgmēts of men.
NOW that vve hauehave formerly and ſuperficiallie repreſented as vvith a Coale the vanity & miſery of our nature, & the actions of mā, let vsus novve examine his thoughts. David in the 94. Pſalme ſaith, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity. For if anie Idle & vnprofitable thoughts.could but make a true collection of his thoughts which hauehave only paſſed through his braine in one day: the confuſed multitude and varietie of them, being all very fooliſh, would aſtoniſh him: The diverſe fictions and ſtrange Idea's that painters conceipt in reſpect of theſe are nothing. For ſome man (when he hath ſetled himſelfe in his ſtudy, or ſome place where he thinketh to hauehave his ſpirit buſied about the moſt ſerious affaires) doth then begin to count the quarrees of his window, or, as the Emperor Domitian, to purſue little Sueton.flyes both with eie & hand. Some one againe perceiving himſelfe deſtitute of cō pany, and being very penſiue, doeth adviſe with himſelfe what he would do if he were a King: or if that he had a million of crowns how he would ſpende thē: or thinking of his owne domeſtique affaires, doth threed a chaine of tedious hopes, & by degrees becommeth very rich in his diſcourſe, at the concluſion of which he fruſtrateth all that imagination, and returning to the conſideration of his preſent poverty, he moderateth his paſſiōs. Yea alſo during the time of Sermons & praier (when God ſpeaketh vntounto vsus, or wee to him;) our minds are abſtracted, & thinking of ſome other thing; Therefore if our beſt actions are infected with idle cogitations, how much more our vnprofitable howers, and ill ſpent time?
Theſe frivolous thoughts mixed with vaine deſire, and a like ignorance do labor the minde, and giueth it no repoſe: For man in his ſolitary thoughts doth ruminate the evils paſt; vexing himſelfe vvith the things preſent and fore-fearing things to come, yea thoſe things that ſhal never happen: he changeth his doubtfull feare into certaine miſeries: Many being miſerable out of a feare that they ſhal be miſerable: & many diing out of a feare that they ſhall die. Every day hath ſufficient affliction to torment vsus. For who can ever bee in eaſe, if all the paſt and future evils doe render themſelues preſent to vsus; the firſt by our memory; and the laſt by our feare? This naturall vnreſt is the cauſe that man loueth change; like vntounto one that is ſicke, who deſireth continually to change his bed: yet notwithſtanding findes himſelfe more diſtēpered in the laſt then in the firſt, thinking no repoſe to be but in wearines. For he alwaies carryeth his griefe with him, & findes little eaſe in chāging of ſides: yea (I dare ſay) if God had placed man betwixt good & evill to take his choice of either, and, as it were, to cut what hee thought good out of whole cloath, his blindnes is ſo great, that he would rather chuſe the worſt: or if he did make choice of the beſt, his perverſity is ſuch, that he would quickly convert it into ill. Jf God ſende ſuch no griefes, they will ſend themſelues ſome. Jf their owne griefes doe not trouble thē, the happineſſe of others wil torment them: and envy is more ſtinging then afflictiō.
From it alſo doth it proceed Deſires.that men deſire alwaies they knowe not what themſelues: they are greedy to deſire, but weake to put in executiō: as a bird that doth covet to flie, but vſeth only one of her wings. Alſo men are diſtracted with contrary cogitations: One complaineth that his wife is dead: Another that ſhee will not die. One mourneth for the loſſe of his children; another that hee hath ſome that bee very wicked. One diſturbed vvith buſines praiſeth domeſtique repoſe; and that opinion of Saul who did rather affect to liue obſcurely in the baſeſt poverty, then to bee exalted to the higheſt dignity: another being excluded frō publique commande doth notwithſtāding breake his own necke to attaine it. Every thing doth ſeeme to vsus beautifull, but that which wee hauehave, & nothing delighteth vsus but that which we cannot obtaine. Nothing doeth ſo much reioice vsus as the hurte of another man: Jf ſome one decay in fortune wee ſmile, but it grieveth vsus to ſee him receiue any honour.
Jn this vanity of thoughts and vncertainety of deſires doth appeare a great weakenes of ſpirit. For our affections are ſwaied more by geſtures, and externall appearance, then by the thing it ſelfe. Like vntounto ſome ſpectators at a Tragedy, who notwithſtanding that they know the Argumēt to be fabulous & nothing concerning thē: doe weepe out of compaſſion; when as they will not ſhed a teare for their owne vnfeined griefes. Some there be alſo that hang themſelues out of diſpaire, which the ſelfeſame houre would hauehave run away from the thruſt of a ſword, becauſe that this laſt kind of death commeth accompanied with horror and feare, vvhereas the former is ſo quickly diſpatched, that the ſight of it doth nothing amaze on. Opinions doe more gouerne vsus then the things themſelues, many doe ſometimes eate meat vvhichwhich they knowe not, and yet they finde it pleaſing to the taſt: but after, whē ſome one hath told them what it is; their conceit vvill make them ſo ſicke at heart, that they vvill vomit it vp again. Some others hauehave more feare of a mouſe, or of a hē, or of a Toad, thē of a ſword: certainly ſuch peeuiſh weakneſſe and fantaſticall actions doe governe our imaginations.
Truely I knovv not hovv, but mē ſtudy to deceiue thē ſelues. Some one will recite a tale for trueth, which hee knoweth to be moſt falſe; & that ſo often, & with ſo great an aſſurance that himſelfe in fine doth beleeue it. A huſband that knovveth his vvife to be deformed, notvvithſtā ding becauſe ſhe is painted and diſguiſed, will begin to perſwade himſelfe that ſhee is faire: and ſhee her ſelfe will beleeue it, and thinke to bee reputed ſo: How many bee there which beleeue in a religiō becauſe they vvil beleeue it? Which conteſt againſt their owne ſenſe? Which ſay among thēſelues that Surely is abſurd and not agreeable with the Scripture; I will hauehave it thus, and will beleeue ſo. This is to hauehave a conſtrained beliefe, not to hauehave his wil ſubiected to religion, but religion to his will.
The infirmity of mans iudgement doth eſpecially ſhew it ſelfe in religion. For what hee thinketh touching the ſeruice of God doth manifeſtly appeare by his exterior actions. In matters of newes wee doe ſooner beleeue one that hath ſeene it, then the common report: But in matters of religion it is contrary; for moſt doe followe the vulgar opinion: which is as much as to maintaine that which is moſt abſurd, and then to hide himſelfe amongſt the multitude. If ſome one hath a deſire to put out mony, hee requireth for ſuch as are both faithfull and of ability, and will hauehave good aſſurance for it: But in matters of conſcience without farther enquiry hee referreth himſelfe and opinion to the Curate of the ſame place wherein he liueth. Obſerue many other things which follow, that any may eaſily perceaue to bee moſt ridiculous: as to cloath with ſilke and gold the images of men, while that a poor beggar goeth naked, which is the image of God: To put of the hat at the name of Jeſus, and not to remoue at the name of Chriſt. To weare a Croſſe hanging downe vponupon the belly, while that the belly is a enimy to the croſſes of Chriſt. In going to a bawdy houſe, or returning from ſome wicked fact, to ſay certaine Pater noſters. To kneel down at the box which keepeth the Hoſt, vvhen it returneth empty from ſome ſicke body, as when it went full. To adore the Hoſt paſſing by in a little box, and not to reſpect it in a mās body, which is come newly from receiuing it. To make their Creator with vvordes, and then preſētly to devour him with their teeth. To be inſolent & deboſhed on day before lēt, and the next day following to be very graue & ſorrowfull. To employ their bleſſed beades for to obtaine remiſſion of their ſinnes. After the death of any great perſonag to cloath with blacke the Image of our Lady, to the end that ſhe may participate of their griefes. To whip themſelues in publique for to cō tent God, or to releaſe a ſoul out of Purgatory. In honour of the Saintes to burne candles in the midſt of day. To conclude, man hath forged many ſtrange things in his braine, & would hauehave God to approue them. Nay hee is come to that paſſe, that hee doth aſſume to himſelfe the diſtribution of offices in Paradiſe; making one protector of a Country, another a healer of ſome particular diſeaſe as if little Antes had power to diſpoſe of affaires belonging to the Crown of France. this is alſo a vanity of vanities and an extreame imbecillity of Iudgement.
Our ſelues which hauehave the true word of God for a rule to frame our actions by, are not exempted; & our folly and vanity doth mixe it ſelfe with the ſole verity of God. For in our ciuil actions if we hauehave need of counſaile, wee preſently addreſſe our ſelues to ſome friends: But in matters of Gods divine ſervice we take counſaile of our minde and concupiſcences, which are our domeſticall enemies. Jf mony be due to vsus from one, wee had rather alvvaies hauehave the mony thē his promiſe; in celeſtiall matters it is contrary. For the Holie Goſpel is an obligatiō, by which God hath promiſed vsus ſalvation, and hath ſealed it vvith the bloud of his Sonne; but we had rather keepe the obligatiō then receiue the paymēt, which is due at the daie of death, nay vve do endevor to prolong the date of it.
Some doe recorde in the Zonaras.Emperour Honorious a great ſimplicity, & childiſh weakeneſſe, that having a Henne nominated by him Rome, which hee did cheriſh, and ſo infinitely affect, that vvhen one came vntounto him, ſaid that his Rome was loſt, he anſwered very ſorrowfully, Alas! ſhe vvas here but even now. But the other replying ſaid, And pleaſe your Highneſſe I ſpeake not of a Henne, but of your city of Rome, which hath beene ſurpriſed and ſacked by Alaric Goth. The Emperor hearing this was ſomvvhat comforted, thinking that loſſe to be more tollerable. Such is our ſimplicity we vvill not ſuffer one to touch our riches, but vvee will endure any to entice vsus to vice, to ſeduce vsus into error, & to poyſon our ſoules. Jt is a great folly to refuſe a medicine becauſe the Phyſitian is not eloquent. Why doe vve not then make account & eſtimation of the preaching of the Goſpel, if the preacher be not eloquent, ſeeing that the holy Goſpell is the medicine of our ſoules? Is it not then an extreame brutiſhnes for ſome vicious perſon to miſprize the Holy writ, becauſe it is not adorned with flowers of Rhetorique? what is the reaſon then that the worde of God doeth not pleaſe vsus, If it bee not decked with flowers and compoſed vvith art, ſeeing that it is that ſacred vvorke & doctrine of our reconciliatiō with God? We do not receiue willingly the correctiō of our parēts, if it be not very milde. This is alſo a vanity, diſtaſt, and childiſh Humour.Falſe Iudgmēts
Touching our iudgement vvhichwhich we hauehave of others, either in eſteeming or cōtemning them, it is moſt vaine & ridiculouſly ignorant. For if there be a queſtiō about burthens, vve account him moſt ſtrong vvhichwhich can carry the heavieſt; on the contrarie about quarrels wee eſteeme him the moſt valiant which cā beare nothing; attributing force and valour to weaknes and impatience. Jn matters of Ornament wee doe not iudge of the goodneſſe of a ſvvorde by the beauty of a ſcabbard: nor of the mettle of a horſe by the faireneſſe of the Bridle and Saddle: vvhy do we then meaſure our eſtimatiō of a man, either by his good or bad apparel? And if it be neceſſary that vve ſalute one for the ſtuffe of his cloathes which he weareth, why doe wee not ſalute the ſame ſtuffe in the ſhops? Why do we iudge diſcreetly in the eſtimatiō of vaine and triuiall things, whē as in a matter of ſuch importance, as of the eſtimatiō of man we are moſt void of reaſō? So ſome do reſpect a Marchāt or Rent-gatherer, becauſe he ſūmeth vp exactly his accoūts, vvhen he liueth in ſuch faſhion that he cannot giuegive an account to God. Some labour to till their Gardens and other grounds, and by it win much praiſe, vvhen as themſelues are barren and bring foorth vaine feare.no fruit of good workes.
We are as much vaine & childiſh in our feares as in any other thing. For as little Infants doe play vvith fire, & burne themſelues, but feare vvhen they ſee their father comming (masked with a frowning countenance) tovvards them: So men deſiring to dally vvith pleaſures becauſe of their luſtre, at the length looſe themſelues amongſt thē; yet notwithſtā ding they fear God their Father, vvhē he cōmeth to thē vnderunder the maske of afflictiōs or death. Alſo mā doth ingē der in himſelfe either fooliſh or pernicious feares. Some one beeing iealous, that his wife doth affect others, ende voreth to eſpy & ſearch out that vvhichwhich hee feareth to find: & by this meanes angereth her, ſo that ſhe ſeeketh to be revēged in ſuch nature which he formerly ſuſpected. Some other fearing to liue without honor, cōmits ſuch things that ſubiects his body to ſome cruell torment, and ſtaineth the memory of him with perpetuall infamy. Sōe other feareth the want of riches, but he ſhal wāt it, & die without it. Some againe feareth he ſhal dy before marriage; but God wil attend that time, and by wedlocke will make him twice; miſerable.
When I conſider what Childiſh wiſdome.humane wiſedome is, I finde it agreeable to the Induſtry of Moles, which dig vnderunder ground with much dexterity but are blind when they cōe into the Sunne. So wee hauehave much skill in earthly affaires, to ſell, to couenant, and to ſupplant any one; But take one of theſe men which is moſt ſubtill in theſe things, and bring him to the brightneſſe and light of the holy Goſpell, and there hee is altogether blind, and of a ſelfe conceit will continue ſo. For during the time that he doth foreſee future evēts & alterations of eſtate, hee is ignorant of his own deſtruction: while that he diſcourſeth on the affaires of kingdomes hee is a ſlaue to the Deuill. And notwithſtanding that blind iudgement of his dares conteſt againſt the euer living God; the folly and fooliſhnes of the childrē of darknes againſt the diuine wiſedome of the Father of light; And the diſcretion of mā againſt the prouidence of the Almighty. For the wicked do couer themſelues with ſilence, craft and diſſimulatiō: like vntounto little childrē, which thinke that they are ſufficiently hidden when their eies are cloſed: beleeuing that no body ſeeth them, when they ſee no body. But in the mean time God perceiues them both naked & vncouered, yea better thē they know themſelues. For God is not only al hand in holding and conducting the whole vniverſe, but alſo all eie in ſeeing & dicerſning all things in it. The thickeſt bodies are to him tranſparant, and darknes it ſelfe is to him light, & therfore the Prophet David doeth iuſtlie reprehend that fooliſh wiſedome in the 94. Pſalme, where he ſaith Vnderſtand yee vnwiſe among the people: and yee fooles, when will yee be wiſe? He that planted the eare, ſhal he not heare? Or hee that formed the eie, ſhall he not ſee? Novve in this place he calleth them vnwiſe, not which are fooles and runne vp and downe the ſtreetes: nor thoſe priuate & particular men which are vvithout office: nor the heavy-ſpirited Commons, but ſuch as are crafty, & manage affaires with dexterity, thinking by their ſagacity to cover themſelues frō the vviſedome of God; or to dazell the Eies of his ſacred prouidence. Like vntounto the moſt dā gerous Agues, which are vnderunder the appearance of coldnes: ſo the moſt ridiculous folly is that which lyeth vnderunder the appearance of wiſedome.
It behoueth alſo the faithfull to exerciſe his meditatiō and to bee Spectator of the actions and thoughts of mē, and of al the vnprofitable labours of his life. For it is in humane life, as in a Faire, where there commeth tvvo ſorts of people; one for to buy & ſell; the other only to ſee. Man that feareth God is like to one of thoſe which come to ſee, he is not here to be Idle, & ſearch for nothing but to contēplate the works of God & humane actions: but he may ſay (whē he hath ſeene al the delights that rhe curious vanity of men can ſhewe forth) O how many things are there in this world which I hauehave nothing to do withall? What if during this contemplation ſome one do ioſſell or throng vponupon him, or if one cut his purſe, that is doe afflict or depriue him of any thing, all that ſuch a one vvill do is, to goe out of that company, & knowing himſelfe to bee a ſtranger in this world will trauell towardes his Country, where that celeſtiall habitation is, preſſing alwaies (as the Apoſtle ſaith) towards the marke for the price Phil. 3 14.of the high calling of God in Chriſt Ieſus. If the vvorld cō temne him, he will cōtemne that contempt, as knowing himſelfe better then the world, and to bee called to a better hope: he vvill eſteeme the promiſes allurements of the vvorlde, vaine, the occupations of men baſe and importunat. And according to the example of Mary in the tenth of Luke, Hee will chuſe the good part, which ſhal not bee taken from him: Concluding all his Meditations after the ſame māner as Salomon doth in the ende of Eccleſiaſtes: The ende of all, is the feare of God, and the keeping of his commandements: for in it is cōpriſed the ſumme of mans being.
Now therefore after all this Meditation let vsus reſt our ſelues vponupon theſe two Maximes and propoſitions, which are the true foundation that zeale is grounded vponupon. The firſt is for to louelove God, it behoueth to contēne the world. The ſecond is, that for to contemne the worlde it is neceſſary for the faithfull to know his own worth, nobleneſſe, and excellency of his vocation.
The firſt Maxime is taken out of St. Iohn in his firſt Epiſtle, LoueLove not the world, neither Chap. 2. ver. 15.the things that are in the world. If any mā louelove the world, the louelove of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world (as the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eies, and the pride of the life) is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the worlde paſſeth away, and the luſt thereof: but hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer. Nothing doth ſo farre ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God as our affectiō to the world, ſeeing that the holy Scripture for to admoniſh vsus doth call the world the kingdome of Ioh. 16. 11.the Divell. But as the Moone hath no light vnleſſe frō the Sunne: So our ſoules hauehave not any light but by the regard of our God; and by a conſequent neither more nor leſſe: but euen as the Moone doth looſe her light whē ſhe is hid within the ſhadow of the earth: So alſo do our ſouls looſe their brightnes; for they are called in the holy Scripture the Infantes of light, when they moleſt and wrap themſelues within the ſhaddow of earthly things, cares, and worldly concupiſcences: which wee ought to tread vnderunder our feete according to the example of the Church, vvhichwhich as it is vvritten in the 12. of the Apocalyps hath vnderunder her feet the Moone, that is, the mutable inſtability of theſe inferiour thinges. To this purpoſe alſo Jeſus Chriſt vvould that The peny ſhould be reſtored to Caeſar, becauſe that it had his Jmage on it. Let vsus therefore then giuegive our ſelues to God, ſeeing that wee beare his ovvne Image. But the Jnconvenience is that we do often aboliſh the Image in rubbing it againſt the Earth, and polluting our ſoules with worldly thoughts and deſires.
That wee may therefore miſpriſe the earth, & all that the word doth promiſe, it requireth that wee come to the ſecond point, which is, to know perfectly vvhat the vvorth and excellency of the faithful is. For vvhen as men by an vnfriendly amity, and cruell welwilling do ſollicite ſome one to doe ill, which hath the feare of God, and to offende his conſcience in offending God, Jt behoueth the faithful to thinke in himſelfe: vvhat? I that am a childe of God, and am of a celeſtiall noblenes, that am one of the firſt borne whoſe names are regiſtred in heauen, ſhall I eſteeme Heb. 12.the promiſes of the world, which when they are moſt certaine, they are too baſe for me to meditate on? to delude the ſon of a Prince with an apple? To entice vvith ſiluer the Sonne of the King of Heauen, to offende his Father? And after the enſample of Eſau to ſell my birth-right for a meſſe of pottage? Such perſuaſions ſhall not by any meanes poſſeſſe me. God will not afflict me with ſo great a blindnes. We are vnworthy to be followers of Chriſt, if wee doe not eſteeme our ſelues to be better then the world. Was it not for the louelove of the faithfull that the world was framed? Will not God ruinate it againe for to reedify for thē a fairer houſe in heauen, vvhere ſhall bee the fulneſſe of glory? For this heauen or climate is inferior to the vvorth & dignity of the children of God. You that feare God & truſt in his Son, knowe that it is you that vnderprop the world, and that nouriſh the wicked in it. Therefore the enimies of God are bound in obligatiō to you. For he doth cōſerue the worlde out of a reſpect, vvhichwhich he hath towards his choſen and elect, vvhereof ſome are mixed amōgſt the euill, and others are yet vnborne. It is vvritten in the 6. of the Apocalyps, That God doth attend vntill our fellowe ſeruants be accompliſhed. And therefore this is one of the reaſons why that Chriſt doth call the faithfull the fault of the Mat. 5. 13earth, vvhichwhich is as much as a little part amōgſt mē, which conſerueth the reſt, and delayeth their deſtruction. For God conſerueth the ſinfull becauſe of the good, to the end that they ſhould ſerue as medicines to them, and that the might and power of our aduerſaries might ſerue to compell vsus to the feare of God and to truſt in his promiſes. Such being the excellency of Gods elect aboue the reſt, it behoueth vsus to reſpect the pleaſures, riches, & greatneſſe of the vvorlde, as things that are moſt ridiculous, and as the painted kingdomes vvhichwhich the Deuill ſhewed vntounto Chriſt. Like thoſe vvhichwhich from the higheſt part of the Alpes doe looke into Campania, vvhere the greateſt Citties ſeeme like vntounto little Cottages: how much leſſe and baſe wil they ſeeme then if they were diſcerned from heauen? Frō thence therfore it behoueth that the faithful contemplat humane things, and that hee tranſport inſtantly his heart to heauen, ſince that there is his treaſure. And conſidering from thēce the Pallaces of Princes, hee will eſteeme them as habitations of Ants; & the turbulent murmuring of men as the buzzing of an angry ſwarme of Bees; and contemplating from thence vvhat things are moſt greate and apparant in the earth, he vvill ſay, The vanity of vanities that all is vanity.
That Holy glory wil not hinder Chriſtian humility. For wee knowing the vvorthineſſe in our ſelues, doe finde our dignity in Ieſus Chriſt. If repentance doth humble vsus, faith doth exalt vsus: If we are nothing before God vvee are ſomewhat in God, & in his fatherly affections. And therefore in this the faithfull are contrary to vvorldly men. For they do lift their eies to heauen by too much pride, but preſſe downe their heart on the earth vvith avarice and incō tinency: vvhereas the godly on the contrary hath his eies vponupon the earth by humility, as the Publican which durſt not lift his eies to heauen, but hath his heart in heauen by faith and hope. The contempt of this vvorlde proceedes not out of a louelove to himſelfe; but out of a true affection to God.