Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

§. VI.

Some special Meditations proposed, proper for the divertisement of our Minde.

I Have upon my ruminating on the Stories of the world, been presented often with such an imagination as may prove Instructive as well as Recreative, to such Moral Chymicks as can extract a ••alt out of the freshest matters their mindes do work upon: I have thought one that had the Historical Map of the world lying before his thoughts, might suppose himself seated upon a high Rock, and look∣ing down upon a fair and vast prospect, divided into some Cities and Palaces of the one side, on the other into lovely Gardens and pleasant Groves, or fruitful Fields and Pa∣stures, and suddenly seeing a Mine playing upon the Ci∣ties, and all sorts of things blown up confusedly into the Ayr, where Princes and People are broken and mangled indifferently, the Chains of the Prisoners flying up, and shivering, perhaps, the Crowns that laid them on, and many other civil dissipations that may be adapted to the confused eruptions of Mines; and being affrighted at this dismal object, he turneth his Eye upon the Fields, Gardens and Groves, as flying into priviledged Retreats, exempt from such violent distractions, and presently he findeth an Earthquake, playing, as I may say, upon all of them successively in their several turns, rending the Ce∣dars, deflowering the Gardens, swallowing the fruits of the Campagnes and Vineyards, leaving all the pleasure of his Prospect inverted into objects of Horror and A∣mazement. The Story of the world doth often afford such a kinde of Representation; sometimes it present∣eth a fair view of glorious MONARCHS, and flou∣rishing Nations, symbolized by the Magnificence of

Cities and Palaces; high and eminent Prosperity in the Grandees of the Earth, figured by the Cedars; plentiful and opulent private Estates, emblem'd by the pregnancy of the Fields, happy and easie 〈…〉〈…〉d ••y the orderly sweetness of Gardens; All these conditions the Sto∣ry of every Age sheweth shattered in pieces, by some vio∣lent Changes and Subversions.

Thus much light may be derived from our ascen〈…〉〈…〉 the upper stories of this Fabrick of the Universe, whi•••• overlook this Earth by a narrative view onely of the con∣dition and constitution of this world: Surely the Prince of this World knew not who he carried to the top of the Mountain, to tempt by the Glories of that Prospect, ••e understood him better afterward, when he begg'd of him not to be cast out of the world himself, and ••••ed to him but for a few Swine, to whom he had before offered the whole world; But when the Holy Spirit carrieth any o•••• up to the Mountain of Contemplation, the object 〈…〉〈…〉 poseth of the subjacent Earth, is not onely illumi••a〈…〉〈…〉 but operative; he doth not simply inform the understanding in the estate, but rectifieth the will in the estimation of this world. Saint Paul looked down upon the Earth from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Mountain, when he proclaimed, that The figure of t〈…〉〈…〉 * 1.1 world passeth away: And Saint John (whose Spirit was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were exhaled above the Earth by that heat it felt always of the Divine bosom) dis••••rned clearly this 〈…〉〈…〉uctuant state of our Globe, when he advertiseth us, Th••s the world pass〈…〉〈…〉 * 1.2 away, and the concupiscences thereof.

They who take then either of these guides, Reason o•• Grace, to carry them up to this cli•••• of Meditation, may ••ast down their thoughts in a ••alm despection of all tho••e shining attractives which they see to be so 〈…〉〈…〉y; they that contemplate this universal undermining of all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 stations, need no•• wonder nor complain to ••••••de them〈…〉〈…〉 ••••rn from the upper part of the world, and ••unk under the earth in the playing of the Mine: They who are, as it were,

thus 〈…〉〈…〉 and b••••yed in a prison, let them imagine them∣selves in that posture where in the playing of the Mine hath laid them, and so be conf〈…〉〈…〉d, as involved in the general constitution of this hollow and unfaithful world; and by figuring to themselves this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the Universe, they may conclude, That the wall•• which inclose them are under∣mined also, by the common instability of all Fortunes; and when the time co〈…〉〈…〉h that the Train of Change taketh fire, then they are to be carried in•••• another position: So that the impermanency of all thing•• 〈…〉〈…〉y, which doth deduct so much from our Temp••••ary ••elicity, may be by these thoughts made to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 proportionably the sence of our se∣cular adversity.

Thus by the advice of Natural Reason, we may derive much stability of minde from the infidelity of all 〈◊〉〈◊〉∣〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉: Na••, Philosophy proposeth to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a firmer settlement of our Spirits, upon our duty to Nature, and ••h••rgeth any 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or 〈…〉〈…〉lousness, in what state soever of distress; with sedition and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 even against the Laws of N〈…〉〈…〉 ••••••ce it is by the order of the Universe we stand 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with all o•••• private grievances, insomuch as to di〈…〉〈…〉 fro〈…〉〈…〉 tha•• order, see〈…〉〈…〉 an a〈…〉〈…〉mpt of our wishes, to confuse and discompose the whole frame of Nature. These, and many other 〈…〉〈…〉adings, do the S••o••c••s make, to intitle rectified Reason to this power of con••erving the minde in an estate of imperturbation, amidst the changes and translations of all vicis••••••udes.

But to Christians these melodious voyces of the Philoso∣phers, serve but as Musique to their Church Anthemes, for they are the sacred words of our Faith (put into the airs of Hu∣mane Elegancy) that make the Musique Religious, nor the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of their sweet perswasions, whereunto single Philosophy doth but report: I may therefore ••itly present you with this holy Lesson of the great Apostle St. Peter, We have a firmer * 1.3 word of Prophesie, which we do well to attend to, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place; in all the obscurities of our For∣tunes,

we have the day-Star of Faith shining in our hea〈…〉〈…〉 (in respect of which, all Philosophy is but Lamp-light) that giveth us a clear sight of the Providence of God; in all our turnings and transportations we have this Word, even of God himself, organized by the voyce of the Evang〈…〉〈…〉 Prophet, I form the light, and create darkness; I make 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.4 and create evil〈…〉〈…〉 I the Lord do all these things. The answer of a Christian therefore is well made for us by the Prophet ••e∣remy in Prison, and in all the bitter tastes of these cups of Gods mingling, as the Psalmist found before him, My 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.5 is g••ie〈…〉〈…〉 but I have said, Truly, this is my grief, and I ••ust bear it; The belief of Gods special design in all things 〈◊〉〈◊〉 befal us, must answer all the perplexities of a Christian; and we have not onely this order, but this ability imparted to us from our suffering Head, whose members working by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vertue of his animation, cannot say••less to God the Father then Not my will, but thine, O Lord, be done.

This little intermixture of a Garden-plat or patern, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 both with the flowers of Nature and the fruits of Grace, may be no unpleasant walk or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for the uncon••••ned 〈◊〉〈◊〉∣tion of some solitary Prisoner, to whom I dedicate 〈◊〉〈◊〉 piece of Entertainment, which, I hope, may in some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 water and refresh his minde, and help to keep it in this temper of the Prophet, Her leaf green in this time of droug〈…〉〈…〉 * 1.6 and not ceasing to yield fruit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Cor. 7. 31.
• * 1.2

  1 Joh. 2. ••7.
• * 1.3

  2 Pet. 1. 19.
• * 1.4

  Isa. 45. 7.
• * 1.5

  Psa. 74. 9. Jer. 10. 19
• * 1.6

  Jer. 17. 8