Meditations collected and ordered for the vse of the English colledge of Lisbo by the svperiovrs of the same colledge.

THE FIRST MEDITATION. Of the feare & reuerence Man ovveth to his Creatour.

1. COnsider first how God, being the great Artificer or work man of both the big∣ger and lesser vvorld, hath made no∣thing in vaine, but all for some particular end and seruice: that is, all other creatures for the seruice of Man, and man immediatly for his owne seruice; for nothing mediateth betwixt God and Man, he being God's image & likenes hence it follovveth, that, as vvhatsoeuer infe∣riour creatures haue is all for Man's vse, so what∣soeuer Man hath aboue them, must be dedica∣ted to Gods's seruice; and what is that but all the good acts of his vvill and vnderstanding? so that vvhatsoouer he is able to doe by any of these, he is bound to offer it continually all to his Maker: vvhy therefore hath he vnderdanding, vnlesse if be to contemplate his Creatour? vvhy a free vvill, but to loue his maker? hath he the power to praise or extoll? surely he can so iustly praise none, as his owne Lord and Father. Can he giue honour or glory to any? and can he then omit to honour and glorify his God, the Primum prin∣cipium, the prime source, of all his good? can he reioice in the good of any, & not in the good of his Sumiuum bonum? his chiefest good? Finally, vvhom can a creature feare but his Creatour;

or vvhom can a childe reuerence and respect, but his Father?

Conclude to imploy all these faculties & acts otherwise than perhaps thou hast hitherto done or thought on: labour to reduce, as farre as in thee lyeth, the order and happines of our earthly Paradise; that is, reduce thy superiour part to a perfect obedience, and feare of God; and thy inferiour part vvith other creatures vvill soone doe the like to thee.

2. Consider secondly that although all other affections follow that of loue, so that giuing our loue to God, vvee cannot but giue him all the rest; yet there is an especiall reason and motiue for euery one apart. For first, the obiect of loue is goodnes in it selfe, and communicated to others; both vvhich being proper to God alone; he alone is to be loued of all; and most of Man, vvho knowes this. Secondly, the obiect of feare is povver and dominion; God then being an omnipotent Lord, and the onely Lord of man, it followeth that Man need feare none saue God; but feare him continually. Againe honour is due to excellency, and praise to vvis∣dome and prudence; God then being the source of all vvorth and dignity, & his vvisedome being the producer, and prouidence the supreme Go∣uernour of all things but especially of Man; sure man is bound by these titles to honour & praise God aboue all things. The like is to be said of faith, grounded on verity, vvhich in God is su∣preme, Neque fallitur aut fallit, Neither is hee

deceiued, nor doth hee deceiue, and so an vnfallible credit is to be giuen him by man. Neither ought his hope to be lesse than vndoubted & certaine, hauing for it's ground a power, a knovvledge, a goodnes euery vvay infinite. Finally, all the good affections vvee can imagine ought to be referred solely and euer to God.

Conclude, as in thy loue so in all the rest of thy affections, to regard and respect none but God: so shalt thou find a happines in this vvorld: see vvhat a dignity it is to acknovvledge none ouer thee but God; and vvhat's greater then to be vnder him.

3. Consider thirdly, that as loue is the first of all affections so vvithout loue none of the rest, are either acceptable to God, or delightfull to the heart that offereth them; so that vvho fea∣reth vvithout loue, doth it vvith paine & sadnes, and vvho honoureth vvithout loue, is but a flat∣terer; and neither such feare nor such honour is gratefull to God: and the reason is, because as nothing cometh of freely and frankly but loue, so nothing can be acceptable but loue, or for loue. Let vs see then hovv Loue and Feare differ, and yet vvith all agree and helpe one the other. Loue is franke and free, vvithout force and co∣action, and consequently euer vvith Pleasure and delight; an absolute and all commanding Lord: but feare of it selfe is the first, that is the lovvest of slaues, alvvayes forced, euer in paine and anguish: againe, Loue by it's freedome be∣gins vvith God, and spreadeth her vvings ouer

all creatures for him; but the feare of God stan∣deth in avve of him onely, and of no other. Yet they meet together and concurre in this, that loue sweetneth feare and maketh it free, that is, filiall; and feare tyeth and fixeth loue fast to God: so these are the two chaines that linke and fasten a soule to God both strongly and sweetly?

Conclude to embrace and practice this soe sweet and filiall feare, and shake of that other seruile one, fit for slaues not children of God: say euer vvith the Prophet; Exultate Domino eum tremore; reioyce to our Lord vvith trem∣bling; exult vvith loue, and tremble jointly vvith feare.

4. Consider fourthly, that as from the loue of God there followeth a holy feare of him, so also from selfe-loue there ariseth a feare as bad as it; yet vvith this difference; that the feare of God is alone, that is, he that feareth God feareth him onely, and nothing else either in heauen or hell; but hauing his eye euer vpon his Lord & God, how to please and content him, as for all things else, he treads them vnder his feet, and is moro fearefull to them then afraid of them; and this is easily to be perceiued in the very countenance of those that serue God. But alās a selfe-louer, what is it that he feareth not? first his owne perdition and damnation; next death, that dreadfull mon∣ster, the nighest step to hell; then plagues, warres, sicknesses, the harbingers of death: next, all sorts of distempers in the weather, as hears

or colds, stormes at sea or land; euery infirmity of his body, losse of his goods, noise of an ene∣my: finally, euery shadow of danger, ô vvhat frights it putteth this poore wrech into? Et est vita eius pendens ante oculos eius: And his life is hanging before is eyes: so that in stead of one feare of God, vvhich he rejecteth, he is euer assaulted vvith a thousand most gastly and vgly feares, & is become the gally-slaue of euery the least and vilest creature.

Conclude to deliuer thy selfe from the thral∣dome of vvordly feare, vvhich bringeth so many and daily frights vvith it; and embrace the feare of God onely, vvhich loue sweetneth, & ma∣keth free and delightfull: Timeat anima mea Dominum; & confige timore tuo carnes meas. Let my soule feare the lord; and pearce my flesh vvith thy feare.