Devotions vpon emergent occasions and seuerall steps in my sicknes digested into I. Meditations vpon our humane condition, 2. Expostulations, and debatements with God, 3. Prayers, vpon the seuerall occasions, to Him / by Iohn Donne ...

20. Id••agunt. Vpon these Indications of digested matter, they proceed to purge.

10. MEDITATION.

THoug•• counsel seeme rather to consist of spirituall parts, than acti∣on, yet action is the spirit and the soule of counsell. Counsels are not alwaies determined in Resoluti∣ons; wee cannot alwaies say, this was concluded;

actions are alwaies deter∣mined in effects; wee can say this was done. Then haue Lawes their reue∣rence, and their maiestie, when wee see the Iudge vpon the Bench execu∣ting them. Then haue counsels of warre their impressions, and their ope∣rations, when we see the seale of an Armie set to them. It was an ancient way of celebrating the memorie of such as deser∣ued well of the State, to afford them that kinde of statuarie representati∣on,

which was then called Hermes; which was, the head and shoul∣ders of a man, standing vpon a Cube, but those shoulders without armes and hands. All together it figured a constant suppor∣ter of the state, by his counsell: But in this Hie∣rogliphique, which they made without hands, they passe their conside∣ration no farther, but that the Counsellor should bee without hands, so farre, as not to reach out his hand to forraigne ten∣tations

of bribes, in mat∣ters of Counsell, and, that it was not necessary, that the head should employ his owne hand; that the same men should serue in the execution, which as∣sisted in the Counsell; but that there should not belong hands to euery head, action to euery counsell, was neuer inten∣ded, so much as in figure, and representation. For, as matrimonie is scarce to bee called matrimonie,* 1.1 where there is a resoluti∣on against the fruits of

matrimonie, against the hauing of Children, so counsels are not counsels, but illusions, where there is from the beginning no purpose to execute ••he determina••ions of ••hose counsels. The arts and sciences are most properly referred to the head; that is their proper Element and Spheare; But yet the art of prouing, Logique; and the Art of perswading, Rhetorique, are deduced to the hand, and that expressed by a hand contracted into a

sist, and this by a hand en∣larged, and expanded; and euermore the power of man, and the power of God himselfe is expres∣sed so•• All things are in hi•• hand•• neither is God so often presented ••o vs, by names that carry our consideratiō vpon coun∣sell, as vpon execution of counsell, he is oftner cal∣led the Lord of Hosts, ••han by all other names, that may be referred to the other signification•• Hereby•• therefore wee take into our meditati∣on,

the slipperie conditi∣on of man, whose happi∣nesse, in any kinde, the de∣fect of any one thing, con∣ducing to that happi∣nesse, may ruine; but i•• must haue all the peeces to make it vp. Without counsell, I had not got thus farre•• withou•• acti∣on and practise, I should goe no farther towards health? But what is ••he present nec••ssary action? purging: A withdrawing, a violating of Nature, a farther weakening: O deare price, & O strange

way of addition, to doe it by substraction; of re∣storing Nature, to violate Nature; of prouiding strength, by increasing weaknesse. Was I not sicke before? And is it a question of comfort to be asked now, Did your Physicke make you sicke? Was that it that my Phy∣sicke promised, to make me sicke? This is ano∣ther step, vpon which we may stand, and see far∣ther into the miserie of man, the time, the season of his Miserie; It must

bee done now: O ouer-••••nning, ouer-watchfull, ouer-diligent, and ouer-sociable misery of man, that seldome comes a∣lone, but then when it may accompanie other miseries, and so put one another into the higher exaltation, and better ••eart. I am ground euen to an attenuation, and must proceed to euacua∣tion, all waies to exinani∣••ion and annihilation.

20. EXPOSTVLATION.

MY God, my God, the God of Order, but yet not of Ambition, who assignest place to euery one, but not con∣tention for place, when shall it be thy pleasure to put an end to all these quarrels, for spirituall precedences? when shall men leaue their vnchari∣table disputations, which is to take place, faith or re∣pentance, and which, when we consider faith, and works? The head

and the hand too, are re∣quired to a perfit naturall man; Counsell and action too, to a perfit ciuill man; saith and works too, to him that is perfi••ly spiri∣tuall. But because it is easily said, I beleeue, and because it doth not easi∣ly lie in proofe, nor is ea∣sily demonstrable by a∣ny euidence taken from my heart, (for who sees th••••, who f••••rches those Rolls••) whether I doe beleeue, or no, is it not therefore, O my God, that thou dost so frequently,

so earnestly, referre vs to the hand, to the obseruati∣on of actions? There is a little suspition, a little im∣putation laid vpon ouer-tedious and dilatorie coun∣sels. Many good occasi∣ons slip away in long consultations; and it may be a degree of sloth, to be too long in mending nets, though that must bee done.* 1.2 He that obserueth the wind, shall not saw, and he that regardeth the ••••ouds, shall not reape; that is, he that is too di∣latorie, too superstitious

••n these obseruations, and ••tudies but the excuse of his owne idlenesse in ••hem; But, that which ••he same wise and royall seruant of thine, saies in ••n other place, all accept, ••nd aske no comment vp∣on it,* 1.3 He becommeth poore, that dealeth with a slacke hand•• but the hand of the diligent maketh rich; All euill imputed to the ab∣sence, all good attributed to the presence of the ••and. I know, my God, (and I blesse thy name for knowing it•• for all

good knowledge is from thee) that thou conside∣rest the heart; but thou takest not off thine eie, till thou come to the hand. Nay, my God, doth not thy spirit inti∣mate, that thou begin∣nest where wee beginne, (at least, that thou al∣lowest vs to beginne there) when thou orde∣rest thine owne answer to thine owne question,* 1.4 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Thus, he that hath cleane hands, and a pure heart? Doest

••••ou not (at least) send 〈◊〉〈◊〉, first to the hand? ••nd is not the worke of ••heir hands, that decla∣••••tion of their holy zeale, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the present execution ••f manifest Idolatrers, ••••lled a consecration of ••••emselues,* 1.5 by thy holy ••pirit? Their hands are ••alled all themselues: for, ••uen counsell it selfe goes ••nder that name, in thy word, who knowest best ••ow to giue right names: ••ecause the counsell of the ••riests assisted Dauid, Saul saies, the hand of the

Priest is with Dauid••* 1.6 And that which is often said by Moses, is very of∣ten repeated by thy o∣ther Prophets,* 1.7 These and these things, the Lord spake, and the Lord said, and the Lord comman∣manded, not by the coun∣sels, not by the voice, but by the hand of Moses, and by the hand of the Prophets: Euermore we are referred for our Eui∣dence, of others, and of our selues, to the hand, to action, to works. There is something before it,

beleeuing; and there is some thing after it, suffe∣ring; but in the most e∣minent, and obuious, and conspicuous place, stands doing. Why then, O my God, my bl••ss••d God, in the waies of my ••pirituall strength, come ••l so slow to action? I was whipped by thy rod, before I came to consultation, to consider my state, and shall I go•• no farther? As hee that would describe a circle in paper, if hee haue brought that circle with∣in

one inch of finishing yet if he remoue his com∣passe, he cannot make i•• vp a perfit circle, excep•• he fall to worke againe to finde out the sam•• center•• so, though setting that foot of my compass•• vpon thee, I haue gon•• so farre, as to the conside∣ration of my selfe, yet i•• I depart from thee, my center, all is vnperfit•• This proceeding to acti∣on therefore, is a retur∣ning to thee, and a wor∣king vpon my selfe by thy Physicke, by thy pur∣gatiue

physicke, a free and entire euacuation of my soule by confession. The working of purgatiue physicke, is violent and contrary to Nature. O Lord, I decline not this potion of confession, how euer it may bee contrary to a naturall man. To take phys••cke,* 1.8 and not according to the right me∣thod, is dangerous. O Lord, I decline not that method in this physicke, in things that burthen my consci∣ence, to make my confes∣sion to him, into whose

hands thou hast put th•• power of absolution. •• know that Physicke may be made so pleasant,* 1.9 as tha•• it may easily be taken; bu•• not so pleasant as the ver••tue and nature of the me••dicine bee extinguished I know, I am not sub••mitted to such a confes∣sion as is a racke and tor••ture of the Conscience but I know I am not ex∣empt from all. If it were meerely problematicall left meerely indifferent whether we should tak•• this Physicke, vse thi••

confession, or no, a great Physitian acknowledges this to haue beene his practise,* 1.10 To minister ma∣ny things, which hee was not sure would doe good but neuer any other thing, but such as hee was sure would doe no harme. The vse of this spirituall Physicke can certainly doe no harme; and the Church hath alwaies thought that it might, and doubtlesse, many humble soules haue found, that it hath done them good. I will there∣fore

take the cup of Sal∣uation,* 1.11 and call vpon thy Name; I will fill this Cup of compunction, as full as I haue formerly filled the Cups of wo••ld∣ly confections, that so I may scape the cup of Malediction, and irreco∣uerable destruction that depends vpon that. And since thy blessed and glorious Sonne, being offered in the way to his Execution,* 1.12 a Cup of Su••∣pefaction, to take away the sense of his paine, (a charity afforded to

condemned persons or∣dinarily in those places, and times) refused that ease, and embraced the whole torment, I take not this Cup, but this vessell of mine owne sinnes, into my contem∣plation, and I powre them out here accor∣ding to the Motions of thy holy Spirit, and any where, according to the ordinances of thy holy Church.

20. PRAYER.

O Eternall, and most gracious God, who hauing married Man, and Woman together, and made them one flesh, wouldest haue them also, to become one soule so, as that they might maintaine a sim∣pathy in their affections, and haue a conformity to one another, in the acci∣dents of this world, good or bad, so hauing marri∣ed this soule and this bo∣dy in me, I humbly be∣seech

thee, that my soule may looke, and make her vse of thy mercifull proceedings towards my bodily restitution, & goe the same way to a spirituall. I am come by thy goodnesse, to the vse of thine ordinary meanes for my body, to wash away those peccant humors, that endangered it. I haue, O Lord, a Ri∣uer in my body, but a Sea in my soule, and a Sea swoln into the depth of a Deluge, aboue the Sea. Thou hast raised vp cer∣taine

hils in me hereto∣fore, by which I might haue stood safe, from these inundations of sin. Euen our Naturall fa∣culties are a hill, and might preserue vs from some sinne. Education, study, obseruation, exam∣ple, are hills too, and might preserue vs from some. Thy Church, and thy Word, and thy Sa∣craments, and thine Or∣dinances, are hills, aboue these; thy Spirit of re∣morse, and compunction, & repentance for former sin,

are hills too; and to the ••op of all these hils, thou hast brought mee here∣tofore; but this Deluge, this inundation, is got a∣boue all my Hills; and I haue sinned and sin∣ned, and multiplied sinne to sinne, after all these thy assistances against sinne, and where is there water enough to wash away this Deluge? There is a red Sea, greater than this Ocean; and there is a lit∣tle spring, through which this Ocean, may powre it selfe into that red Sea. Let

thy Spirit of true contri∣tion, and sorrow passe all my sinnes through these eies, into the wounds of thy Sonne, and I shall be cleane, and my soule so much better purged than my body, as it is or∣dained for a better, and a longer life.

Notes

• * 1.1

  August.
• * 1.2

  Eccles. 11.4.
• * 1.3

  Prou. 10 4.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 24.3.
• * 1.5

  Exod. 31.29.
• * 1.6

  1 Sam. 22.17.
• * 1.7

  Leuit. 8.36.
• * 1.8

  Gal••n.
• * 1.9

  Galen.
• * 1.10

  Galen.
• * 1.11

  Psa. 106 12.
• * 1.12

  Mar. 15 23.