TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL SIR ROBERT DRURY, KNIGHT; ALL INCREASE OF TRUE HONOUR AND VIRTUE. Sir, That I have made these my homely Aphorisms public, needs no other reason, but that, though the world is furnished with other writings, even to satiety and surfeit, yet of those which reduce Christianity to practice, there is, at least, scarce enough: wherein, yet, I must needs confess, I had some eye to myself; for, having after a sort vowed this austere course of judgment and practice to myself, I thought it best to acquaint the world with it, that it may either witness my answerable proceeding, or check me in my straying therefrom. By which means, so many men as I live amongst, so many monitors I shall have; which shall point me to my own rules, and upbraid me with my aberrations. Why I have dedicated them to your name cannot be strange to any, that knows you my Patron and me your Pastor. The regard of which bond easily drew me on to consider, that, whereas my body, which was ever weak, began of late to languish more, it would not be inexpedient, at the worst, to leave behind me this little monument of that great respect which I deservedly bear you. And, if it shall please God to reprieve me until a longer day; yet, it shall not repent me to have sent this unworthy scrowl, to wait upon you in your necessary absence: neither shall it be, I hope, bootless for you, to adjoin these my mean speculations unto those grounds of virtue you have so happily laid; to which if they shall add but one scruple, it shall be to me sufficient joy, contentment, recompence. From your Worship's humbly devoted, JOSEPH HALL. Halstead, Dec 4. MEDITATIONS AND VOWS. CENTURY I. I. IN Meditation, those, which begin heavenly thoughts and prosecute them not, are like those, which kindle a fire under green wood, and leave it so soon as it but begins to flame; losing the hope of a good beginning, for want of seconding it with a suitable proceeding. When I set myself to meditate, I will not give over, till I come to an issue. It hath been said by some, that the beginning is as much as the midst; yea, more than all: but I say, the ending is more than the beginning. II. There is nothing, but man, that respecteth greatness: not God, not Nature, not Disease, not Death, not Judgment. Not God: he is no excepter of persons. Not Nature: we see the sons of princes born as naked, as the poorest; and the poor child as fair, well-favoured, strong, witty, as the heir of nobles. Not Disease, Death, Judgment: they sicken alike, die alike, fare alike after death. There is nothing, besides natural men, of whom goodness is not respected. I will honour greatness in others; but, for myself, I will esteem a dram of goodness worth a whole world of greatness. III. As there is a foolish wisdom, so there is a wise ignorance; in not prying into God's ark, not inquiring into things not revealed. I would fain know all that I need, and all that I may: I leave God's secrets to himself. It is happy for me, that God makes me of his Court, though not of his Council. IV. As there is no vacuity in nature, no more is there spiritually. Every vessel is full, if not of liquor, yet of air: so is the heart of man; though, by nature, it is empty of grace, yet it is full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Now, as it filleth with grace, so it is emptied of his evil qualities; as in a vessel, so much water as goes in, so much air goes out: but man's heart is a narrowmouthed vessel, and receives grace but by drops; and therefore asks a long time to empty and fill. Now, as there be differences in degrees, and one heart is nearer to fulness than another; so the best vessel is not quite full, while it is in the body, because there are still remainders of corruption. I will neither be content with that measure of grace I have, nor impatient of God's delay; but every day I will endeavour to have one drop added to the rest: so my last day shall fill up my vessel to the brim. ས. Satan would seem to be mannerly and reasonable; making, as if he would be content with one half of the heart, whereas God challengeth all or none: as, indeed, He hath most reason to claim all, that made all. But this is nothing, but a crafty fetch of Satan; for he knows, that if he have any part, God will have none: so the whole falleth to his share alone. My heart, when it is both whole and at the best, is but a strait and unworthy lodging for God. If it were bigger and better, I would reserve it all for him. Satan may look in at my doors by a temptation; but he shall not have so much as one chamber-room set apart, for him to sojourn in. VI. I see, that, in natural motions, the nearer anything comes to his end, the swifter it moveth. I have seen great rivers, which, at their first rising out of some hill's side, might be covered with a bushel; which, after many miles, fill a very broad channel; and, drawing near to the sea, do even make a little sea in their own banks: so, the wind, at the first rising, is a little vapour from the crannies of the earth; and, passing forward about the earth, the further it goes, the more blustering and violent it waxeth. A Christian's motion, after he is regenerate, is made natural to God-ward; and therefore, the nearer he comes to heaven, the more zealous he is. A good man must be like the sun: not like Hezekiah's sun, that went backward; nor like Joshua's sun, that stood still; but David's sun, that, like a bridegroom, comes out of his chamber, and, as a champion, rejoiceth to run his race: only herein is the difference, that, when he comes to his high noon, he declineth not. However, therefore, the mind, in her natural faculties, follows the temperature of the body; yet, in these supernatural things she quite crosses it: for, with the coldest complexion of age is joined, in those that are truly religious, the ferventest zeal and affection to good things; which is therefore the more reverenced and better acknowledged, because it cannot be ascribed to the hot spirits of youth. The Devil himself devised that |