Meditations and Vows Divine and Moral, Part 95 – Part 100
95
There is no man, nor no place free from spirits, although they testifie their presence by visible effects but in fewe. Euerie man is an host to entertain angels, though not in visible shapes as Abraham and Lot. The euil ones doe nothing but prouoke vsus to sin; & plot mischiefe against vsus; by casting into our way daungerous obiects, by suggesting sinfull motiōs to our mindes, stirring vp enemies against vsus amongst men, by frighting vsus with terrors in our selues, by accusing vsus to God. On the contrary, The good Angels are euer remouing our hinderances from good, and our occasions of euill, mitigating our tentations; helping vsus against our enemies; deliuering vsus from dangers; cōforting vsus in sorowes; furthering our good purposes; and at last carrying vp our soules to heauen. It would affright a weake Christian that knowes the power and malice of wicked spirits, to consider their presence, and number; but when, with the eyes of Elishaes seruant, hee sees those on his side as present, as diligent, more powerfull, he cannot but take heart again: Especially, if hee consider, that neither of them is without God, limiting the one the bounds of their tentation, directing the other in the safegard of his children. Whereupon it is comn to passe, that though there be many legions of diuels, and eueryevery one more strong than many legions of men, and more malicious than strong, yet the little flocke of Gods Church liueth and prospereth: I hauehave euer with me inuisible friends, and enemies: The consideration of mine enemies shall keepe me from securitie, and make mee fearfull of doing ought to aduantage them. The consideration of my spirituall friends shall comfort mee against the terror of the other; shall remedy my solitarinesse; shall make mee warie of dooing ought indecently; grieuing me rather, that I hauehave euer heretofore made them turne away their eyes, for shame of that whereof I hauehave not beene asnamed; that I hauehave no more enioyed their societie; that I hauehave been no more affected with their presence. What though I see them not? I beleeue them. I were no Christian, if my faith were not as sure as my sense.
96
There is no worde or action, but may be taken with two handes; either with the right hand of charitable cōstructiō, or the finister interpretation of malice, and suspicion: and all things doe so succeede, as they are taken. I hauehave noted, euill actions well taken, passe currant for either indifferent, or commendable: Contrarily, a good speech or action ill taken, scarce allowed for indifferent; an indifferent one, censured for euill; an euill one for notorious: So fauor makes vertues of vices; and suspicion makes vertues, faults; and faults, crimes. Of the two I had rather my right hand should offend: It is alwayes safer offending on the better part. To construe an euill act well, is but a pleasing and profitable deceite of my selfe: But to misconstrue a good thing is a treble wrong; to my self, the action, the author. If no good sense can be made of a deed, or speach, let the blame light vponupon the author: If a good interpretation may bee giuen and I chuse a worse, let mee bee as much censured of others, as that misconceit is punishment to my selfe.
97
I knowe not how it comes to passe, that the minde of man doth naturally both ouer-prize his owne in comparison of others, and yet contemne and neglect his owne in comparison of what he wants. The remedie of this later euill is to compare the good things we hauehave, with the euils which we hauehave not, and others grone vnderunder: Thou art in health and regardest it not; Looke on the miserie of those which on their bed of sicknes, through extreamity of paine & anguish, intreat death to release them. Thou hast cleare eye-sight, sound lims, vse of reason; and passest these ouer with slight respect: Thinke how many there are, which in their vncomfortable blindnes, would giuegive all the world for but one glimpse of light. How many that deformedly crawle on all foure, after the maner of the most loathsom creatures; how many that in mad phrensies are worse than blutish, worse than dead: thus thou mightest be, and art not. If I be not happie for the good that I hauehave, I am yet happie for the euils that I might hauehave had, and hauehave escaped: I hauehave deserued the greatest euill; eueryevery euill that I misse, is a new merciemercy.
98
Earth, which is the basest element, is both our mother that brought vsus foorth, our stage that beares vsus aliue, and our graue where in at last we are entombed; giuing to vsus both our original, our harbour, our sepulchre: Shee hath yeelded her back to beare thousands of generations; and at last opened her wombe to receiue them; so swallowing them vp, that she still both beareth more, and lookes for more; not bewraying any change in her selfe, while shee so oft hath changed her broode, and her burden. It is a wonder we can be proud of our parentage, or of our selues, while wee see both the basenesse, and stabilitie of the earth, whence we came. What differēce is there? Liuing earth treads vponupon the dead earth, which afterwards descends into the graue, as senselesse and dead, as the earth that receiues it. Not many are proud of their soules; and none but fooles can bee proud of their bodies. While we walke and looke vponupon the earth, we cannot but acknowledge sensible admonitions of humilitie; and while we remember them, we cannot forget our selues. It is a mother-like fauour of the earth, that she beares and nourishes me, and at the last entertaines my dead carcasse: but it is a greater pleasure, that she teacheth mee my vilenesse by her owne, and sends me to heauen, for what she wants.
99
The wicked man carrieth eueryevery day a brand to his hell, till his heape be comne to the height: then he ceaseth sinning, and begins his torment. Whereas the repentant, in eueryevery fit of holy sorrowe, carries away a whole faggot from the flame, and quencheth the coales that remaine, with his teares. There is no tormēt for the penitent; no redemption for the obstinate. Safety consisteth not in not sinning, but in repenting: neither is it sin that condemnes; but impenitence. O Lord I cannot be righteous? let me be repentant.
100
The estate of he auenly and earthly things is plainely represented to vsus, by the two lights of heauen, which are appointed to rule the night and the day. Earthly things are rightly resembled by the moon, which being neerest to the region of mortalitie, is euer in changes, and neuer lookes vponupon vsus twise with the same face, and when it is at the full, is blemished with some darke blots, not capable of any illuminatiō: Heauenly things are figured by the Sun, whose great & glorious light is both naturall to it selfe, and euer constant. That other fickle and dimme starre is fit enough for the night of miserie, wherein we liue here belowe. And this firme and beautifull light is but good enough for that day of glory, which the Saints liue in. If it bee good liuing here, where our sorrowes are changed with ioyes; what is it to liue aboue, where our ioyes change not? I cannot looke vponupon the body of the Sunne: and yet I cannot see at all without the light of it. I cannot behold the glory of thy Saints, O Lord; yet without the knowledge of it, I am blinde. If thy creature be so glorious to vsus here belowe; how glorious shall thy selfe be to vsus, when wee are aboue this Sun? This Sunne shal not shine vpward; where thy glory shineth: the greater light extinguisheth the lesser. O thou Sunne of righteousnesse (which shalt only shine to mee, when I am glorified) doe thou heate, inlighten, comfort me with the beames of thy presence, till I be glorified.
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Joseph Hall, Meditations and Vows Divine and Moral (1606)